Why do golf clubs have stiff shafts?
The faster you swing the more the shaft will bend, so the more you need to control it. The stiffer shaft allows the shaft to bend correctly and allow the club head to return to a square impact position.
Do stiffer golf shafts make you hit a better shot?
While it is true that a more rigid or stiff shaft will assist in a straighter shot, that lack of carry distance also means the shot will be a low runner with no chance of stopping. This can hurt you on a wet golf course as the ball will not run.
What makes a shaft stiffer or heavier?
This isn’t rocket science, the heavier the shaft is the more material is in the shaft, and that makes the shaft stiffer. The lighter the shaft, the thinner the shaft walls are, which makes it more flexible. When To Move To A Stiffer Shaft?
How does a flexible shaft affect your golf game?
A right-handed golfer with a flexible shaft will notice that the ball moves towards the left. The driver’s face gets a bit closer which makes the ball go in the opposite direction. Unlike professional golfers, amateurs will find it challenging to maintain the tempo of a highly flexible golf club.
Is it better to have a stiffer shaft?
A stiff shaft is firmer and harder to bend than a regular shaft, and so more often than not, they're also heavier in weight. As a rough rule of thumb, the more speed you generate, the stiffer your shafts should be.
Do I need a stiffer golf shaft?
If you're swinging the driver above 105 mph, it might be time to get some X stiff shafts in your set. Stiff – This range is still considered fast, but you most likely won't be out on Tour anytime soon. If you're between 97 and 104 mph with the driver, you need a stiff flex.
Do pro golfers use stiff or regular shafts?
Most PGA Tour pros will use stiff or extra stiff in their shafts. It is rare to find someone swinging a regular shaft with the amount of swing speed those guys have.
What happens if golf shaft is too stiff?
If your golf shaft is too stiff and your swing speed is too slow, your well-struck shot will be limited on both carry distance and shot trajectory; a too-stiff golf shaft will most often lead to weak fades or slices.
Does Tiger Woods use a regular or stiff shaft?
For example, Tiger Woods who consistently hits shots longer than 300 yards has a Regular shaft in his driver.
What happens if driver shaft too soft?
Incorrect flex A golfer using a shaft that is too flexible may experience a ball flight that is too high, a ball that spins too much, or a shot pattern that has inconsistent dispersion.
Should a high handicapper use stiff shafts?
Stiff shafts are appropriate for men with single-digit handicaps as well as some with handicaps 10 to 15 who have high clubhead speed. Stiff flex is available in graphite or steel.
What happens if shaft is not stiff enough?
When the golf ball is struck it will generally have too much spin if the shaft is too flexible, this will cause a 'ballooning' effect on the shot and it will tend to go quite high. You might have an inconsistent shot shape if the shaft is too flexible.
What swing speed requires a stiff shaft for irons?
Stiff shafts are recommended for players who generate high club head speed. If your swing speed is 90 mph or higher, a stiff shaft or an x-stiff shaft should be a good fit.
Do any pros use regular flex shafts?
None of the top 100 PGA Tour pros uses regular iron shafts. It is only among the wedge shafts selected by the pros that you finally see the majority of them using slightly 'softer' flex shafts but as we can see below a healthy number still continue to choose extra stiff shafts in their wedges.
What shaft does Tiger Woods use?
Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 60 TXTiger has a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 60 TX shaft fitted to his driver.
Who should use stiff shaft driver?
If you can hit an 8- or 9-iron 150 yards, comfortably, then a stiff shaft is for you. This means that you will have a driver swing speed of around 100 mph and you will see the benefits of a stiff shaft.
What Happens If Your Shaft Isn’t Stiff Enough?
When the shaft is too stiff, it’s going to feel hard to swing, it’s going to feel heavy, and make you tired after a few swings.
When To Move To A Stiffer Shaft?
You should move to a stiff shaft once your swing speed moves into the next bracket, if you can’t track your swing speed here are some signs you need to go stiffer
What Happens If Your Shaft Flex Is Too Flexible?
If the shaft is too flexible, you will have a ‘whippy’ feeling in your hands, and you won’t be able to feel the clubhead on the downswing.
How Can You Measure Your Swing Speed To See What Shaft You Should Use?
These are called launch monitors , they track your swing speed, loads of other parameters.
What is shaft flex?
Shaft flex is how much the shaft bends throughout the swing, someone that swings it slow will need a more flexible shaft, while someone that swings it fast will need a stiffer shaft. You get Ladies, Senior, Regular, Stiff and X-Stiff shafts in Woods and Irons, generally your Woods and Irons will be the same flex.
How to determine shaft flex?
Your shaft flex will be determined mainly by your swing speed, and then by your ability, age and personal preference. Within each shaft flex there are different weights and kick points (bend points).
Why does my golf ball go high?
When the golf ball is struck it will generally have too much spin if the shaft is too flexible, this will cause a ‘ballooning’ effect on the shot and it will tend to go quite high. You might have an inconsistent shot shape if the shaft is too flexible.Having a shaft that is too flexible can also cause the ball to hook uncontrollably, ...
Why is my golf club shaft so flexible?
Expect misdirected flight paths of the ball. This happens because when a golf club impacts with the ball, the shaft tends to move forward. A right-handed golfer with a flexible shaft will notice that the ball moves towards the left.
How to tell if you need a stiffer shaft?
There are several ways you can use to tell if you need a stiffer shaft. One and the most common is distance and direction. If you tend to hit long balls, but with high inaccuracies, you likely need to have a stiffer shaft.
What factors affect the flexibility of a golf club?
Factors such as your swing speed and the shaft material affect the flexibility of your golf club. If you often lose your direction despite having an impressive distance, then the problem might be that you are using a highly flexible golf club.
What are the factors that affect shaft flexibility?
Before we dive into the signs and outcomes of using a highly flexible shaft, there are factors that affect shaft flexibility that you need to know. Distance and accuracy, swing speed and golf club material affect shaft flexibility. In this article we look at their impact on highly flexible shafts and their effect on the turf.
What is the difference between a stiff shaft and a regular shaft?
You may ask yourself, what is the difference between a regular shaft and a stiff shaft? The answer to this is simple and quite self-explanatory. A stiff shaft is harder to bend and tends to be more firm, while the regular shaft is the opposite. Both of these shafts have their advantages and disadvantages.
What to consider when buying a golf club?
When purchasing a golf club, always consider the type of material used to make the shaft. Different materials have different flexes. For instance, graphite shafts tend to be lighter than their steel counterparts. You are likely to have higher swing speeds when using shafts made from graphite than those made of steel.
Why does my golf club slice?
There is a high chance that your stiff golf club will cause a slice. This happens because the face remains slightly opened when it hits the ball. The shaft fails to unload appropriately, leading to a slice. When choosing a golf club, make a point of picking one that is neither too stiff nor too flexible.
Why is my golf shaft weak?
Swinging with a weak shaft flex can hurt you in both windy and wet conditions. Because the spin is so high when you hit it with a weaker flex, the wind will magnify the spin and decrease your distance and accuracy.
What is the shaft of a golf club?
Golf shafts are the engine of the golf club. But what does that mean? Since the very first golf clubs, club makers have considered how much or how little a golf shaft flexes; the golf shaft provides the power that is transferred to the clubhead and, ultimately, to the golf ball. Because the shaft flex directly facilitates this power transfer, your shaft choice can make or break your game.
How does the shaft affect the clubhead?
As the shaft flexes and releases, the golf club’s clubhead changes position; this directly affects whether the golf club’s clubface is open or closed and whether it adds or decreases loft.
What is a slice in golf?
Typical Miss: Slice (left to right for right-handed golfer) If your golf shaft is too stiff and your swing speed is too slow, your well-struck shot will be limited on both carry distance and shot trajectory; a too-stiff golf shaft will most often lead to weak fades or slices.
What is graphite shaft?
Graphite is typically the best material for amateur golfers, though some low-handicap players and professionals enjoy the vibrations they can feel in their hands after hitting a golf ball with a steel shaft.
What to do after determining shaft flex?
After determining your shaft flex, you can then refine your selection based on a desired ball flight; for example, if you are between a regular and stiff shaft flex, how do you know what to choose?
What is a typical miss in golf?
Typical Miss: Draw (right to left for right-hand ed golfer) with too much spin
Which is better, stiff shaft or fast swing?
The United States Golf Teachers Federation states that a player with a fast swing tempo and/or a short backswing will play better with stiff shafts.
Why are wedges stiff?
As Golf.com notes, almost all wedges have stiff shafts. The reason is simple: When it comes to your short irons, control is more important than distance. Some manufacturers are increasing stiffness in short irons for more control and increasing softness in long irons for greater distance.
What shafts do PGA pros use?
Most PGA Tour pros use stiff or x-stiff shafts. Depending on what type of swing you possess, stiff-shaft irons might help you control your shots better, achieve optimal results from a swing with a fast tempo and aid your short game. The most flexible shaft is designated as "ladies" and the least flexible shaft is called "x-stiff.".
What is the least flexible shaft?
The most flexible shaft is designated as "ladies" and the least flexible shaft is called "x-stiff.". As Golf.com states, "Choosing the right shaft is crucial to lowering your scores as well as giving you the feel and control you desire.".
Can a stiff shaft hurt your golf game?
If you don't generate a high amount of club head speed, long and middle irons with stiff shafts are likely to hurt your game . You will have trouble squaring the club face at the moment of impact and will tend to push and slice shots. In addition, the flex of the shaft won't be whippy enough to increase your club head speed.
Why is the shaft stiffer?
The stiffer shaft allows the shaft to bend correctly and allow the club head to return to a square impact position.
How to tell if your golf shaft is too stiff?
There are a few tell tale signs that your shafts are too stiff, firstly you will lose the ball to the right, because the shaft is to stiff it will be hard to square up at impact, causing the face to be open when you hit the ball, this is going to produce a fade or slice shot, generally ending up on the right side of the course.
What Happens If Your Driver Shaft Is Too Stiff?
Playing with the correct shaft in your driver is incredibly important. With the correct shaft flex you will be able to deliver the club at optimum speeds, and produce the correct numbers in terms of launch and spin on the golf ball.
How To Discover Your Swing Speed?
By using a very fancy piece of machinery called a launch monitor, you are able to track how fast your swing speed is. The most popular companies are Trackman, Flightscope and GC Quad.
What is shaft flex?
Shaft flex is how much the shaft bends while you swing the club, if you swing it slowly you will need a more flexible shaft, while if you swing it fast you will need a stiffer shaft.
What is a stiff shaft?
A stiff shaft will generally have a high kick point, if the shaft is too stiff, and you are losing your ball to the right, going with a shaft that has a lower kick point can help straighten out your shape.
Why does my golf ball come out lower?
Secondly your shots will be quite low, when the shaft is too stiff the face angle at impact will also be delofted, causing the ball to come out lower than it should.
Factors Affecting Golf Club Flexibility
- The introduction of graphite shafts has opened up a whole new dimension to golf club technology and performance. Graphite shafts offer the following benefits: 1. They are lighter than steel shafts. 2. Increase swing speeds and distance. 3. Better dispersion from the tee. 4. Assist golfer…
Signs and Outcomes of Highly Flexible Shafts
Frequently Asked Questions