Golf Club Shaft Guide

When it comes to golf clubs, what type of flex do you look for? Which flex shaft is meant for you? How do you choose the correct shaft for your driver, fairway wood and iron?

As a Golfer, using the right golf club shaft is very important to make perfect golf swings. Whether you are just getting started or you’re looking at acing your golf game, your golf club shaft choice can make or break your game.

What does this mean? Why is the golf club shaft important? The golf club shaft is the driving force of the golf club. Power is transferred from the golf shaft to the clubhead and, eventually, to the golf ball.

Interestingly, the shaft flex directly controls this power transfer. Furthermore, your shaft choice will greatly affect your performance. Picking the right flex for your golf swing speed is crucial.

Resources:

Golf Shaft Flex + Swing Speed = Distance

Swing speed combined with the proper club shaft flex can not only increase distance but also tighten dispersion (lateral accuracy).

However, with the sheer number of clubs on the market, choosing a club with the right shaft can be daunting. You might see a golf driver on Amazon that comes in 5 different shaft options.

The first thing you need to know about a golf shaft is the different types of shaft you’ll find in the market.

I’ve shared some top tips in this article to help you choose the right golf clubs and make the process a little easier. Let’s go into details…

TYPES OF GOLF SHAFTS

Steel Shaft

Steel shafts are recommended for players with average swing speeds who want more power while they play.

They are much heavier, more resilient, and less costly than graphite shafts.

Torque or lateral twisting, which occurs in all graphite shafts, does not occur in steel. As a result, steel shafts have more power and place a higher value on precision than distance. They require a faster swing speed to achieve the same distance as a graphite shaft.

Graphite Shaft

The graphite shaft is perfect for women and seniors who might struggle to generate a high swing speed.

Again, this shaft style is often available in a wide variety of flexes and colors, making it appealing to both amateurs and professionals.

In contrast to steel shafts, graphite shafts are much smaller, less durable, and more costly. Further, it weighs between 50 and 85 grams. This is about half the weight of a steel shaft!

Due to the flex produced in the swing, these lightweight shafts help to provide a faster swing speed for more strength, though they sacrifice control.

Generally, graphite shafts are recommended for most professionals.

Multi-material shafts

These shafts are used on both irons and drivers. It combines steel and graphite into one shaft to give each player the best of the world’s playing styles.

Typically, a steel shaft with a graphite tip is used for the shaft. The steel shaft allows the player to exert more control over the ball’s trajectory. Furthermore, the graphite tip ensures that the golf ball travels the distance without causing any unnecessary vibrations.

Titanium Shafts

This shaft is much lighter than steel. Moreover, it provides the same solid protection that steel does as compared to graphite.

Titanium is half the weight of steel and helps to get the ball airborne faster, making it ideal for tee shots.

SHAFT FLEX

The most critical element when buying a shaft is the flex. This is because it influences your distance and direction.

The golf shaft flex regulates the transfer of power from the golf shaft to the clubhead and ultimately the golf club.

According to FoyGolfAcademy.com, the golf shaft flex influences your golf game in the following ways:

It controls the height of the golf shot.
It controls the speed of the clubhead.
Clubface relation to club path.
The golf swing path and the curvature.

To achieve the best performance, you must choose the right golf shaft flex that’s suitable for you.

A shaft that is too rigid will slice the ball to the right, lowering ball flight and resulting in distance loss. Similarly, shaft that is too soft will hook the ball to the left, resulting in ballooning and distance loss.

You may ask; how do I know the best flex suitable for me?

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SHAFT FLEX

Club fitting by a professional is necessary for you to determine which golf shaft flex is meant for you. The first thing a pro will do is to analyze your golf swing speed with a launch monitor.

Your swing speed will determine the best shaft flex that will work well for you. Here’s our guide on golf swing speed.

Beginners and those with weaker swings are more likely to use a flexible shaft to move the ball further. A player with a fast and strong swing pace, on the other hand, would need a stiffer shaft with less flex.

Here’s a guideline to know which flex is suitable for you:

Regular flex: Swing speed between 85 and 95 mph.
Stiff flex: Swing speed between 95 to 110 mph.
Extra flex: Swing speed over 110 mph.
Senior flex: Swing speed between 75 to 85 mph,
Amateur flex: Swing speed between 75 to 60
Ladies flex: Swing speed under 60 mph.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST GOLF SHAFT FOR YOUR DRIVER, FAIRWAY WOOD, AND IRONS

Driver Shafts

When the drive shaft is too rigid, shots launched are too low, with little spin and low peak heights. A weak shaft, on the other hand, can cause shots to spin excessively, fly excessively high, and expand dispersion patterns.

Slower swing speeds necessitate softer-flex shafts, while faster swing speeds necessitate stiffer shafts. You should try a slightly softer flex if your shots are low and without much spin. A stiffer flex will work for you if your shots are ballooning.

Fairway Wood Shafts

Fairway woods are also fitted with lightweight graphite shafts that improve swing speed, which can only help you gain more distance on your shot.

If steel shafts are used in fairway woods at all, it is usually by better players who want a little more precision and aren’t concerned with distance. If you’re not sure, use graphite. It’s a better option, and there are numerous varieties to choose from.

When it comes to choosing the right flex, a simple rule of thumb is that the stiffer the flex, the quicker your clubhead pace. If you’re swinging the club between 80 and 95 mph, start with regular flex and work your way up.

Iron Shafts

A regular Flex shaft would be recommended if you reached a 7-iron around 150 yards. Choose a graphite or steel shaft with a Swing Speed Rating of 70 to 80 mph. If you’re hitting a 5-iron from 150 yards, a shaft with a Swing Speed Rating of 60 to 70 mph is recommended.

What’s Next?

Having the best golf club shaft will make your shots much simpler and enjoyable. I’m pretty sure that this guide will assist you in finding the right shaft to help you play your best golf.

Next, check out our practice plans as they’ll help you learn how to practice with quality so your golf scores improve!

Golf Practice Plans (Follow these Programs)

Golf Video Courses

Don’t miss out on these amazing training programs. They’ll help lower your golf scores.

Or hop onto our email newsletter and get the free weekly golf tips we send out to our community plus updates and other announcements you don’t want to miss!

How to Break 80
Golf Practice Plan