A Senior flex shaft is generally a graphite shaft and they have a consistent light weight throughout the set. A Lite Flex is a combination of Regular and Senior flex. The shorter Irons (PW-7) and more towards Regular and slightly heavier, whereas the longer Irons (6-3) are more towards a Senior flex and lighter.
Are light or heavy golf shafts better?
Test results have shown that there is no definitive recommendation whether light or heavy shafts are better. More important than distance is the effect of the shaft on your ball flight and accuracy. Some golfers with slow swing speeds have achieved more distance, accuracy, and dispersion while some have only benefited in some of the categories.
Do you need a lighter shaft for your swing speed?
Typically the rule of thumb is that a golfer with a slower swing speed will benefit from using a lighter shaft, and you would add weight as swing speed increases. As you might expect at this point, there are always exceptions.
What is the difference between steel and graphite golf shafts?
Steel shafts replaced wooden shafts in the 1930s. Graphite shafts made a big splash when they entered the marketplace in the 1970s. Graphite is lighter and generally more flexible than steel. It also is more expensive. Many golfers gravitate toward graphite because its lighter weight can translate to more club head speed and more distance.
Is light weight better for golf drivers?
In our driver testing, we saw very clearly that light weight worked well for some golfers but not for others. Only two golfers registered their highest ball speed with the lightest shaft; six posted their high with the heaviest shaft.
Is a lighter golf shaft better?
A lighter driver shaft rarely leads to a faster swing. “Only 12 percent of golfers swing their fastest with the lightest club,” Mucklow says.
What does Lite mean on a golf shaft?
This is a flex that suits those who swing it just a little too slowly for a regular shaft. This shaft will give you even more forgiveness. Golfers that hit their driver between 210-230 yards will benefit from lite flex. Driver swing speeds of about 85mph will be great for this shaft flex.
Is it better to have a heavier or lighter driver shaft?
Lighter shafts help slower swinging players increase their swing speed, and get the ball up in the air. The faster swinging players among us are better suited to heavier shafts, which according to Liam Mucklow improves their swing path.
What happens if a golf shaft is too light?
A shaft that's too heavy will cause a “labored golf swing.” A shaft that's too light will hurt your ability to make solid contact. When you find the right shaft weight, you'll experience a “high energy swing” with uniform contact.
What golf shaft flex is right for me?
– Golf Shaft Flex ChartCarry DistanceSwing SpeedFlexUnder 200 yardsUnder 75 mphLadies or Senior200 to 240 yards75 to 95 mphRegular240 to 275 yards95 to 110 mphStiffOver 275 yardsOver 110 mphStiff or Extra StiffOct 15, 2019
Is lite flex the same as Senior Flex?
Is Light Flex The Same As Senior Flex? Yes, a light flex and a senior flex are the same things. Some golf companies will put an A on the golf club to indicate that it is the senior flex.
How do I choose the right golf shaft weight?
The easiest way to think about it is that, in general, the faster you swing it, the heavier the shaft you should use. However, things like how you load the shaft during the transition can make change what weight works best for you. It's always best to get properly fitted by a pro.
Does shaft weight affect distance?
Heavy shafts tend to produce more distance, accuracy, and lower ball trajectory for a golfer with faster swing speeds.
How do I know if my shaft is too weak?
A golf shaft that is too weak will flex excessively throughout the golf swing, creating an inconsistent release point. Swinging with a weak shaft flex can hurt you in both windy and wet conditions.
Will a lighter shaft make the head feel heavier?
Composite iron shafts have come a long way, often performing as good if not better than their steel counterparts (graphite iron shafts used to be hellish to control, but no more). Remember though, a lighter shaft means the clubhead will feel heavier even though the overall club is lighter.
Will a lighter shaft increase swing weight?
Adjust the swingweight of a club by installing a heavier or lighter shaft. The swingweight increases by one swingweight point for every 9g of shaft weight added. The swingweight decreases by one swingweight point for every 9g of shaft weight removed.
Should older golfers use lighter clubs?
While drivers and woods, because they need to be hit with faster speed, feature lighter graphite, Senior flex shafts. However, if your swing speed is very low and distance very poor as a senior golfer, make sure ALL your clubs have Senior shafts.
What are golf shafts made of?
Shafts are manufactured from steel, graphite, multi-material, titanium, and nanofuse shafts. Heavier shafts are generally made from steel and lighter shafts from graphite. Manufacturers add the most commonly used shafts as standard, but there is an aftermarket shaft available to suit your swing down to a tee.
What is the debate around golf shafts?
The debate around shafts is related to heavier vs lighter golf shaft and the pros, cons, and benefits of each. In general the weight of the club will determine how fast you can swing ...
How much does a steel shaft weigh?
Steel shafts weights vary between 85g to 130g and although this does not seem like an enormous difference it will make an impact in your shot-making ability. Furthermore, your strength, swing speed, swing tempo, and club length play an enormous role in determining shaft weight.
How much shorter is a driver shaft than a fairway shaft?
Most stock shafts from manufacturers use the same weight of shaft in fairway woods as their driver models. Fairway woods have shafts that are between 1 and 3 inches shorter than your driver shaft.
How does swing speed affect the quality of the strike?
The effect of your swing speed. Your swing speed exerts forces on the shaft and makes it bend. The faster your swing speed the more bend you will get in the shaft. When there is too much bend in the shaft it will affect the quality of the strike, control, and ball trajectory will be affected.
How heavy is a driver shaft?
Driver shaft weight can vary from 65g to 130g.
What is the difference between a slow swing and a heavy swing?
Heavy shafts tend to produce more distance , accuracy , and lower ball trajectory for a golfer with faster swing speeds.
Who Should Use Regular Flex?
It all depends on your swing speed. With a Driver if you swing in the range of 85mph – 95mph, you should be using a Regular flex shaft.
Who Should Use Lite Flex?
It is difficult to come by Lite flex shaft other than in beginner sets.
How To Know If Your Shaft Is Too Flexible
The first thing you will notice if the shaft is too flexible, will be a ‘whippy’ feeling when swinging the club, you will also lose the feeling of where the clubhead is on your downswing.
How To Know If It Is Too Stiff
Having a shaft that is too stiff will feel very hard to swing, it will generally feel too heavy making you tired after a few swings.
What Shaft Flex Do The Pros Use?
Most Professionals swing over 90mph with a 6 Iron, and over 105mph with a Driver, this would indicate that they use X-Stiff shafts in their clubs.
Our Favorite Lite Flex Shafts – Callaway Edge 10 Piece Golf Set
Like I mentioned before Lite flex shafts usually come in package sets.
Our Favorite Regular Flex Shafts – True Temper Elevate 95
This shaft is ultra lightweight, with high spinning, high launching characteristics to get the ball up with ease, this promotes optimal flight trajectory and landing conditions. The VSS technology reduces vibrations.
How much weight should a golf shaft be?
Weight. Getting the correct weight of your shaft is an important factor to consider as well. Shafts can range anywhere from 40 to 135 grams. Typically the rule of thumb is that a golfer with a slower swing speed will benefit from using a lighter shaft, and you would add weight as swing speed increases. As you might expect at this point, there are ...
What is the biggest misconception about golf shafts?
One of the biggest misconceptions about shafts is that there are standards out there that manufacturers adhere to. Most golfers assume that a shaft marked regular or stiff will be the same across the board, no matter who they buy it from.
What is the difference between stock shafts and aftermarket shafts?
The difference between stock shafts and aftermarket shafts is usually found in quality control. Many times the bigger OEMs will strip off the paint of last year’s model and give them a new exterior. The graphics look attractive, but you really have no idea what is beneath it.
Why didn't Nick Price find a stiff shaft?
Regardless of the similarity in their swing speeds, Nick Price couldn’t find a shaft stiff enough for his swing because he would apply such an enormous amount of force, whereas Couples didn’t need as stiff of a shaft because of his smooth tempo.
Why is shaft profile important?
Getting the right shaft profile for your swing is very important. It will greatly affect your ability to hit quality shots on the course . There is a lot of confusion in the golf shaft industry. With no standards for performance, the quality greatly varies, and often you get what you pay for. We hope that we have cleared up some ...
What is the most important thing about a driver shaft?
One of the most important things about shafts is how they handle the force that a player’s swing will apply. Generally speaking, there are two extremes. Some players apply a late load to their swing, which would require a stiffer tip of the driver shaft. Conversely, a player that extends early in their swing (most recreational golfers) ...
Is the shaft of a truck the same as the transmission?
It absolutely has an effect on how well you can play. The shaft is similar to the transmission of a car. While it’s not the engine, it’s still extremely important. If you are driving a truck you want a transmission that can handle its particular demands.
What is the difference between golf shafts?
Differences in Golf Shafts. Golf shafts come in such a wide variety that it can be bewildering. Shafts are made from different materials, with different amounts of flexibility and torque, and in different lengths and weights. Compounding the problem, there is no uniform industry standard for shafts, so a stiff shaft from one manufacturer might feel ...
Why do golfers use graphite shafts?
Many golfers gravitate toward graphite because its lighter weight can translate to more club head speed and more distance. Titanium shafts and hybrid shafts are also available, although neither have attained the popularity of steel and graphite.
What is flex in golf?
The flexibility, or flex, of a shaft refers to its amount of bend. Shafts that bend easily are suited for golfers with slower club head speeds. The extra flexibility enables a slow swinger to hit the ball farther.
What is the difference between graphite and steel?
Graphite shafts made a big splash when they entered the marketplace in the 1970s. Graphite is lighter and generally more flexible than steel. It also is more expensive.
How long is a golf driver shaft?
Longer shafts have been the rage in golf in the early 21st century, with the standard driver length extending from about 45 to 48 inches.
Is there a uniform industry standard for golf shafts?
Compounding the problem, there is no uniform industry standard for shafts, so a stiff shaft from one manufacturer might feel completely different than a stiff shaft from another manufacturer. As Golf.com states, "you need to experiment with different combinations of shafts and clubheads to come up with your ultimate prize.".
How Much Difference Can 10 Grams Make?
The average golfer has no regard for shaft weight. They’ll buy a new driver without once considering if the new shaft is markedly heavier or lighter than their current one and how that may help or hurt their game. “It’s just a few grams,” they’ll say, “how much difference can it make?”
How We Tested
For this test, we brought together ten golfers. Each player went through two different testing sessions – one with a driver, one with an iron. For the driver test, they hit seven drives each with a 50, 60, and 70 gram shaft, all using the same head.
The Results
Whether you put a premium on distance or accuracy, getting fit for the proper shaft weight is essential to making a golf club perform for you.
Conclusion
It’s my hope that this data has inspired you to think carefully about the shafts that are in your clubs. As you can see, it’s not unreasonable to think that you can be longer, straighter, and more consistent in 2017 simply by dropping (or gaining) a little weight.
Why is shaft length important in golf?
An increased shaft length creates a greater swing-arc, which relates to more distance. Shorter stature golfers often increase the length of the shafts and stand further away from the ball. The longer the shaft the less control and this is where fitment assists.
What weight shafts are available for clubfitters?
Clubfitters now have the option to fit these shafts with weights from 95 to 110gm. This is a reduction from the 115 to 125gm range previously on offer. Steel generally has less flex, more stability, low torque, and provides more accuracy. Standard steel shafts are shorter.
What is carbon fiber shaft?
Modern composite graphite shafts have 3 layers of fiber winding, adding substantial rigidity and performance. Carbon fiber offers increased flex, greater clubhead speed, but reduced accuracy, due to more torque. It also dissipates the stinging shock from a poorly struck shot and will protect the hands and wrist.
What is flex in golf?
Flex. Put very simply, flex is the amount of bend in the shaft. It affects launch angle, spin, ball flight, control, carries, and distance. Shafts are qualified in different ways but reference to flex is the most important. Powerful swings require stiffer shafts which put less load on the shaft.
What happens if you don't have a stiff shaft?
The result is a loss of distance. Added to this the direction control will be lost.
When did steel shafts become legal?
Finally in 1924 steel shafts were legalized and Billy Burke was the 1st to win the US Open with steel. From 1960 to 1970 the aluminum shaft was introduced but besides expensive, it broke very easily. Then followed graphite shafts, displayed at the 1970 PGA merchandise show for the first time.
Is there a real standard for shafts in golf?
It is accepted within the golf industry that there are no real standards when it comes to shaft manufacture and the different properties they all claim to have.
How fast can a driver swing?
Swing speeds can easily vary, depending on the quality of the swing, as much as 5 or 6 miles per hour. The great divider between the 29 and 39 is torque.
Do tour golfers like lightweight shafts?
Touring pros largely remain skeptical of lightweight shafts. They associate shaft stability with heavier weights. It is the senior golfers of the world, along with women, who have been most vocal in their desire for lighter weights.
Does bassara Phoenix have stiffer shafts?
With such designs, tipping will actually remove some of the tip stiffness. With the Bassara Phoenix, if you want more stiffness, get a heavier, stiffer shaft.
What is the difference between graphite shafts?
All graphite shafts are made from layers of carbon fiber. That's where the similarity ends: Graphite shafts differ in weight, length, flexibility, and other factors such as torque.
What is a ladies flex shaft?
A ladies flex bends more than any of the others. It's geared toward golfers -- male and female -- who have swing speeds under 60 mph and need the extra whip of the shaft to increase the distance they hit the ball. Professional golfers who swing 100 mph usually choose stiff or x-stiff shafts.
What is a high kickpoint in golf?
A high kickpoint is preferred by talented golfers who want to hit lower shots that bore through the air.
Is graphite softer than steel?
Although graphite is generally softer than steel, technological advances have allowed golf designers to make graphite shafts in every flex, including extra-stiff. The differences in graphite shafts should enable you to find one that fits you to a tee.
Does graphite shaft have more distance?
In theory, the longer length, coupled with the lighter weight of graphite shafts, should yield more distance. Many experts, however, believe the longer shafts are a losing proposition. The increase in distance will be minimal, though, while your loss of control could be severe.