Shafts that are flexible and light will make the driver more powerful, and will cause premature whip-around that covers larger distances than you anticipated. Meanwhile, a stiff shaft will slow the whip down, and you will achieve less distance. Types Of Golf Shafts And Their Stiffness
How important is shaft flex in golf clubs?
This varies depending on the strength and swing speed of every golfer. The flex of a shaft is the rating of the ability to bend during the golf swing and plays is a key factor in hitting straight shots travel at the optimal trajectory. Less flex in the shaft will produce better quality shots and provide more control.
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.
How does swing speed affect shaft flex?
A player with a slower swing and aggressive tempo may bend the shaft just as much as a player with a faster swing and slower tempo. This finding supports exactly what golf’s top shaft manufacturers told us about shaft flex HERE.
Should I Choose stiff or regular flex shafts?
As equipment guru Tom Wishon has said, when unsure about flex, always err on the side of more flex (meaning, a softer shaft). If you can't decide between Regular and Stiff, go with Regular. A clubfitting with a golf professional is the recommended way to choose the proper amount of flex in your golf clubs.
Who should use a light flex 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 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.
Are light golf shafts good?
As a guideline slower speeds below 85 mph will benefit more from lightweight shafts, mid speeds between 95 and 105 mph midweight shafts, and fast speeds over 105mph heavy shafts. Ultimately the best-suited shaft is the lightest shaft that enables you to exert control over your shot while still getting a good distance.
What are the benefits of a lighter driver shaft?
Using a lighter shaft allows more weight to be placed in the clubhead through adjustable weights, hotmelt, etc. without increasing the total weight of the club. This “redistribution” of shaft weight into the clubhead can be one of the last tweaks in a fitting that unlocks more distance off the tee.
What happens if 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.
Do lighter shafts 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.
Are light or heavy irons better?
Usually, lighter clubs produce higher spin rates. And with spin rates that are too high, you might actually lose distance. Second, a lighter club is sometimes more difficult to control and can wreak havoc on your ability to make a smooth, rhythmic swing that accelerates through the ball.
What shaft is best for my swing speed?
– 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
Do heavier shafts go further?
A heavier shaft will only increase distance for the golfers that have high swing speeds. For golfers with slow swing speeds, a heavier shaft will decrease the distance. Hitting a golf ball far is all about ball speed. The more clubhead speed you have, the more ball speed you can create.
Are lighter drivers better?
It is clear that a heavier driver head can help you to achieve longer distances, however you need to be able to generate sufficient clubhead and ball speed. Lighter driver heads can help you to get the ball airborne and provide consistent carry.
What happens if driver shaft is too flexible?
Having a shaft that is too flexible can also cause the ball to hook uncontrollably, because the shaft bends incorrectly, it will come through with a closed clubface causing the ball to go left, this is because the shaft can't handle your swing speed, and the head is rotating too much.
Is a 70 gram driver shaft too heavy?
A 70-gram driver shaft is considered to be pretty heavy but not the heaviest. It falls into the middle but is still on the heavier side when you consider you could go with 50 or 60 grams instead. Those 10 grams sometimes make a significant difference.
What is the best speed for a golf shaft?
As a guideline slower speeds below 85 mph will benefit more from lightweight shafts, mid speeds between 95 and 105 mph midweight shafts, and fast speeds over 105mph heavy shafts. Ultimately the best-suited shaft is the lightest shaft that enables you to exert control over your shot while still getting a good distance.
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.
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.
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 a golf shaft?
Intro to Golf Shafts. The shaft is the “engine room” of your golf club. Getting the correct flex of shaft can make your club the easiest thing in the world to hit or it can make it the hardest. It can be difficult to know which is best for your game. Let’s have a look at some different flexes and who they suit best.
Why do new golfers have a better swing speed?
You see, many new golfers will have decent swing speeds due to other sports they may have played like baseball or hockey. It probably helps to use a more flexible shaft, within reason, to give the new golfer their best chance of consistency.
What is Senior Flex?
Senior flex will help you gain every yard possible from your swing, it is the least stiff and most forgiving shaft for loder men.
Is the golf club market expanding?
The golf club market continues to expand and the amount of products can be confusing. Hopefully this article can help explain a few things about what is available for different golfers and can help you make a more informed choice for new clubs.
Is shaft flex stiff?
If you’re shaft flex is too stiff, changing to the correct flex for your game is likely to have a big imapct on the distances, accuracy and consistency you can achieve on the course. For many golfers a regular shaft is going to be a little too stiff and it makes a lot of sense to change to something more flexible.
What are the ratings for shaft flex?
There are five generally used ratings for shaft flex: Extra Stiff, Stiff, Regular, Senior and Ladies, usually denoted by the letters X, S, R, A and L ("A" is used for Senior because this flex was originally called "amateur").
What does flex mean in golf?
"Flex" refers to the ability of a golf shaft to bend as forces are applied to it during the golf swing. Those forces are generated by the type of swing that you have: fast or slow, smooth or jerky.
Why is softer flex better for macho men?
Choosing a softer flex often has the effect of forcing macho men to slow down their swings. And slowing down the swing often makes those macho men into better golfers. And the fact is, the harm in hitting a shaft that is too flexible is much less than the harm in hitting a shaft that is too stiff.
What is the key to a club fitting?
The key, short of a club fitting, is hitting lots of different clubs and watching the effect that changing shaft flex has on your shots. If you find a flex that feels good and produces a good ball flight, there's a good chance that's the right flex for you.
What shaft do you need for a jerky swing?
A swing that gets jerky at the top—when transitioning into the downswing—will probably need a stiffer shaft. If your drives go left, you might benefit from a stiffer flex; if your drives go right, you might benefit from a softer flex.
What is a club fitting demo day?
At demo days, you'll be able to hit many different types of clubs with different types of shafts. Or find a good pro shop with swing bays where you can try before you buy. The key, short of a club fitting, is hitting lots of different clubs and watching the effect ...
How does shaft flex affect golf?
Shafts can flex at different points on the club. Shafts with a low kick point (closer to the clubhead) can help you hit the ball higher, while shafts with a high kick point (closer to the grip) will help you hit the ball lower or on a more penetrating trajectory.
What is shaft flex?
Shaft flex is a measurement of the shaft’s ability to flex as forces are applied to it—when you swing the club. Finding the ideal flex or shaft for your swing can help you to optimize launch, improve accuracy, and maximize distance. There is a generally accepted scale of measurements for the shaft flex:
How does a heavy shaft affect swing speed?
The weight of the shaft can also affect how a shaft feels to you when you swing it. If a shaft is too heavy, you may not be able to swing it as fast as you would a lighter shaft, which could result in lost distance. A heavier shaft could also feel a little stiffer, which could negatively impact your timing and ball striking and also produce a lower ball flight. Players with faster swing speeds who can swing heavier shafts may also see improvements in accuracy once they get used to the feel of the new heavier shaft.
What is torque rating in golf?
Torque is a measurement of how much a shaft will twist during your golf swing. Shafts with higher torque ratings will feel softer and likely produce a higher trajectory than shafts with a lower torque rating. When it comes to understanding torque ratings for golf shafts, the higher the number, the more “twisting” of the club that will occur, and the lower the number, the less “twisting” there will be. When companies look to minimize torque, they tend to make the shaft walls thicker to minimize the twisting of the golf club. In doing so, they will likely also increase the weight of the shaft. Shafts with lower torque ratings will tend to produce a lower trajectory.
Which is heavier, steel or graphite?
Steel shafts are typically heavier than graphite and don’t have the torque to the degree that you’ll find in graphite shafts. Steel shafts are primarily found in irons, as they tend to benefit the player in terms of accuracy, and are usually less expensive than graphite.
Do you want to hit the ball farther or straighter?
When looking for new clubs, golfers will want to either hit the ball farther or hit straighter . Ensuring that your new clubs have the right shaft, based on what you are wanting to improve, can make it easier to play better—whether that be hitting farther or straighter.
Where is Matt from Plugged In Golf?
He's worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking. Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
Do you know the loft of a six iron?
Most of the specs of your golf clubs remain a secret from you playing partners. No one in your group will ever know the loft of your six iron, the length of your driver, or if the grooves on you wedges are conforming.
Can your buddies see if you're a soft swinging wimp?
With a quick glance, your buddies can see if you’re playing something “manly” or if you’re a “soft-swinging wimp.”. And because it’s so visible, many golfers choose their shaft flex based on ego. We wanted to know if this matters to the performance of the clubs.
Is flex a variable?
First, flex is only one variable in fitting. Shafts can have the same flex but different weight, bend profile, or torque. Also, the player’s tempo has a big impact on how they load the shaft. A player with a slower swing and aggressive tempo may bend the shaft just as much as a player with a faster swing and slower tempo.
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 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) ...
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 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 ...
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 does the average golfer pay no mind to?
What the average golfer pays no mind to is shaft weight . Most couldn’t tell you the weight of the shaft in their current driver or the one they’re lined up to buy. Talk to the average fitter, however, and they’ll tell you that weight is critical. For some, it’s the first thing that they fit for.
Is there a hard and fast rule for club fitting?
The takeaway, once again, is that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to club fitting. Both weight and flex can have a significant impact on the performance of a club, so both should be given adequate attention during a club fitting.
Is shaft flex more important than weight?
Myth #1 – Shaft flex is more important than shaft weight. In this test group, weight proved to be slightly more important than flex. That said, one different tester could have tipped the scales the other way. Both weight and flex are critical elements in picking the right shaft.
