Shaft Flex?

[HAIRY ESSEX BLOKE]

Hi Thicko back on now, can someone talk me through the shaft flex details? I take it S is for Stiff, what are the rest please, also any thoughts on how shaft weight dictates, specially for a slow swinger.  

 

[Stewart 57]

google  " shaft flexes " and you will see the various flexes 

 

[hursty]

Hi Thicko back on now, can someone talk me through the shaft flex details? I take it S is for Stiff, what are the rest please, also any thoughts on how shaft weight dictates, specially for a slow swinger.  

These are the general thoughts:

FLEX IN ORDER OF STIFFNESS,

A (usually seniors)
R (Regular)
S (Stiff)
X (Extra Stiff)
XX (Double Extra Stiff)
XXX (Triple X Stiff, World Long Drive hitters etc)

There are also other Idents, it all really doesnt matter that much though as some manufacturers Stiff flex may be on the verge of other manufacturers Reg flex or X Stiff. The only way to tell if the flex is right for you is to hit it.

There are also lots of other variables to consider; Kick Points, Torque, Weight to name a few.

A slower swinger may need a stiffer shaft depending on how they "load" it, when I was first fitted for a driver about 12 years ago my Swing Speed was only 93mph which depending on which site you reference to would put me at the Regular Flex range, However, I only have a short backswing so my transition from back to down swing is very fast and I "load" the shaft quite heavily thus requiring a stiffer shaft. (SS is now up to 105 with a smoother transition)

As for weight, again general thoughts are that the heavier the shaft then the tighter dispersion with the compromise of loss of distance.

ALL OF THIS IS IRRELEVANT THOUGH AS ITS THE PERSON SWINGING IT THAT DICTATES EXACTLY WHAT FLEX/WEIGHT/TORQUE WORKS BEST, MATCHING THE RIGHT SHAFT TO THE RIGHT CLUB HEAD IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT FACTOR.

On a final note, I tend to find similar spec shafts on weight & torque work for me (75-80g and 2.5-3.0), I dont neccesarily look at the flex.

Hope this helps to confuse you even more

 

[Kgrove]

My two cents - you will notice much bigger differences in how shafts feel than you will notice in actual performance. In other words, you might hit two driver shafts that feel dramatically different, but the launch monitor data is difficult to separate actual performance differences from normal shot to shot variations. I wouldn't be afraid to pick a shaft based largely on feel. It's a huge component of enjoying golf. 

edit - I'm not saying there aren't performance differences between shafts, just that performance differences are often smaller than you would think based on how different they might feel.

 

[Brattz]

Lighter shaft = more clubhead speed but wider dispersion
heavier shaft = less club head speed but tighter dispersion

 

[Kgrove]

Lighter shaft = more clubhead speed but wider dispersion
heavier shaft = less club head speed but tighter dispersion

I definitely agree that the shaft weight impacts club head speed as simple physics dictate that heavier objects accelerate more slowly under the same force.

Wider dispersion with a lighter shaft is more questionable, though certainly consistent with commonly discussed ideas. Two possible explanations: 1) some folks claim a heavier shaft helps keep your swing on a single plane ... maybe it's the same physics argument that small differences in your movement from swing to swing may have less impact on a heavier shaft. 2) heavier shafts are generally speaking more torsionally stiff and maybe have a stiffer flex. Both these mean there may be less variation in how the club head springs back and therefore more consistent contact.

Both ideas sound logical, but the added dispersion from a lighter shaft may or may not be noticeable. If you can't find it, does it exist?

I'd test it for yourself. If you see higher dispersion when you shift to a lighter shaft (a real possibility) then by all means go heavy. On the other hand if you can't find any increase in dispersion with a lighter shaft and for other reasons you prefer the lighter shaft, then go light and don't go heavy because you heard light = dispersion.

 

[Varry Hardon]

Shaft stiffness is only relevant when comparing the same model of shaft.

An X stiff shaft from one brand can feel completely different to another brand.
It is not a standard per se.

i.e. I have a 50g X stiff shaft. Way too flexy. The walls are incredibly thin - just not a lot of material.
The same shaft in 70 g regular will be stiffer.

Only use it to compare shafts in the same brand/model.

Look at the weight of the shaft instead.

The TX stiff shafts are just the same shaft but even heavier than X stiff. The thicker the walls (between shafts of the same model) the stiffer the shaft.

 

[Halebopp]

Here's a good video on the subject of what the shaft does. It doesn't discuss torque though.

Sorry, can't remember how to embed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIGh2UCOiigEdit: I did remember how but it doesn't seem to work.

Edit2: It does work now.

[video]IIGh2UCOiig[/video]