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24 November 2008 |
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Choosing the Right Shaft Flex···Fact or Fiction?
Shaft Flex, what do you need to know to help choose the shaft that's right for you?
There are so many shafts on the market, each having their own special features, and the million dollar question is: how will I know which one is best for my particular needs? Here is a user friendly guide to help you through that maze of information and gain the necessary knowledge on golf shafts to help you choose the flex that will help advance your particular game.
How knowledge on Shaft Flex Can Help Improve Your Game
If you want to avoid giving your game "the shaft", you need to understand the effect that shaft flex has on your game. "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.
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"). Having a flex that doesn't match the needs of your swing will result in the clubface being misaligned at impact, causing your shots to go off-target.
Do you know how the Flex of a shaft impacts the outcome of your shot?
Shaft flex impacts, either directly or indirectly, the accuracy, trajectory and distance of your shot.
Three pretty important things, eh?
As the shaft flexes throughout the swing, the position of the club head changes. And the face of the club must be square (perfectly straight) at impact to get the most out of the shot. If you have the wrong flex for your swing, there is less chance that you'll make contact with the ball with the clubface in a square position.
A General Guide to solving the questions about golf shafts
The degree of flex in your club shafts is something you control. You can choose to buy stiffer shafts, or softer shafts, depending on your needs.
But how can you tell what you need? Here are some general guidelines:
- Take a look at the distance you hit your driver. This is a good, but very general, indicator. If you carry you driver 250 yards or more, go with Stiff; 230-250 yards, Regular; 200-230 yards, Senior; less than 200 yards, Ladies. Only the biggest of the big hitters is going to need Extra Stiff. For most of us, Extra Stiff isn't even in the picture.
- If you have a very smooth swing, you might benefit from a softer flex even if you swing very fast. 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 might happen if your use a shaft that is too stiff for your needs?
A. If a golfer is using a shaft that is too stiff for his swing mechanics and swing speed, any or all of the following may result. So what effect does a too-stiff shaft have on your golf game?
- The ball flies lower for any given loft, and possibly shorter in distance, because the golfer's best launch angle for maximum distance cannot be achieved.
- The ball may tend to "leak" to the fade side of the target because with a too-stiff shaft the clubface is harder to square, (the clubface is more likely to be open at impact, in other words), as a result the golfer cannot cause the desired forward bending of the shaft at impact, which helps bring the face back around to a less open position at impact.
- The shot may feel less solid and harsh, more like a mis-hit, even if you make contact on the center of the clubface, because of the different impact vibrations transmitted up the shaft to the golfer's hands.
And what about if your shaft is too flexible?
If a golfer is using a shaft that is too flexible, here are the likely results:
- The ball will possibly fly higher for any given loft, compared to a properly fit shaft.
If the golfer is using the proper loft for his swing mechanics, this could cause a slight decrease from his maximum potential distance. On the other hand, if the golfer is using too little loft, which is the case with a very high percentage of players today with the driver and 3-wood, the more flexible shaft could bring his launch angle up to a more optimum trajectory, which could actually result in an increase in their distance.
- The ball may tend to draw a bit more from the forward bending of the shaft at impact causing the face to rotate past square to be slightly closed. However, if the golfer happens to slice or fade the ball, this actually could help reduce such a mis-direction tendency.
- The shot will feel more solid because impact vibrations transmitted up to the hands along a shaft which is both more flexible and more bent will feel more solid.
Thus each golfer must take a look at his or her natural swing tendencies before selecting the shaft flex best for their overall game. But at the end of the day, the majority of golfers with swing speeds of 100 mph and lower are going to do far more harm for their game by choosing a shaft that is a little too stiff rather than a shaft that ends up being a little too flexible. In short, when in doubt, always err on the side of more flexibility in the shaft.
Men leave your ego at home
Men like to hit Stiff shafts. It's a guy thing. Unfortunately, it's not always the smart thing. No macho man wants to be seen hitting a wimpy little Regular flex club, or, Tiger Woods forbid, a Senior or Ladies flex.
But over-swinging is a common problem among male high-handicappers. 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 players.
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. So when unsure about flex, always err on the side of more flex. If you can't decide between Regular and Stiff, go with Regular.
In review: the Shaft flex has a major effect on the feel of a golf club and a medium effect on distance, thus an important determination in choosing clubs. If you do not know your speed swing (mph or km/h), Sign up for a Professional club fit where you can be properly measured.
Otherwise the following chart may be helpful.
SWING SPEED CONVERSION CHART
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LADIES FLEX | Driver speed swing less than 60 mph (100 km/h). *Driver carry distance less than 180 yds. Club used from 150 yds. a 3 iron or wood.
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SENIOR or A FLEX | Driver speed swing 60-75 mph (100-120 km/h). *Driver carry distance 180-210 yds. Club used from 150yds. a 4 iron.
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REGULAR FLEX | Driver speed swing 75-84 mph (120-135 km/h). *Driver carry distance 210-240 yds. Club used from 150 yds. a 5 or 6 iron.
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STIFF FLEX | Driver speed swing 84-93 mph (130-150 km/h). *Driver carry distance 240-260 yds. Club used from 150 yds. a 6 or 7 iron.
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X-STIFF FLEX | Driver speed swing over 93 mph (150 km/h). *Driver carry distance 260+ yds. Club used from 150 yds. a 8 or 9 iron.
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*Driver carry = the distance the ball flies through the air before contacting the ground
One option is to go to s golf club demo day. At these days, you'll be able to try out all the current varieties of clubs with different types of shafts that each company has to offer. (check for dates at your local driving range)
The selling point with these demo days is that with hitting lots of different clubs you will be able to experience first hand the effects on your shots of changing shaft flex.
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.
Tom Fielding, 24 November 2008
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About Tom Fielding
Tom has over 29 years of experience coaching in Australia, Japan, & SE Asia culminating in appointments as national coach in both Malaysia and Singapore, and has also been listed in the top 50 golf coaches in Australia. A Master of the "state of the art" swing analysis and other modern methodologies, Tom is committed to providing the most accurate solutions for all your golf improvement needs.
AAA rated member of the Australian PGA and recognized by the Australian Sports Commission as a level 3 coach.
Mail: tom.fielding@agolfersguide.com
Web: www.agolfersguide.com
Skype: thegolfersguide
Blog: http://guide2golf.exblog.jp/
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