Stiff or Regular Flex: What Shaft to Play?
Stiff or Regular Flex: What Shaft to Play? – Choose the right shaft flex when you buy golf clubs. The shaft is the heart of a golf club. If you don’t have the right flex, it could hurt your golf swing and make it more difficult for you to improve. The wrong shaft can make you swing in a bad way at impact, which can lead to bad habits in your swing.
There are two types of shafts you can use to improve your golf swing: regular and stiff. If you’re a beginner golfer, you’ll need to answer one simple question first: “Do you want a regular flex or a stiff flex?”
Is it better for you to use regular or stiff flex shafts?
In general, golfers who swing their driver more than 95 mph should use stiff shafts, and those who swing their driverless than 95 mph should use regular shafts. Shafts also come in extra stiff (105+ mph) and senior flex, which means they are more durable (under 85 mph). In golf, the more quickly your clubhead moves at impact (tempo) and the more quickly you swing, the stiffer your shaft needs to be.
Because of how quickly you swing your club, and how quickly you swing it, it’s important to know which type of bend you need in the shaft (smooth vs fast acceleration). Even though swing speed isn’t the only thing that matters, it’s the most important and a good place to start. Slow or fast, stiff or flexible, a player will always have a little flex in his or her shaft when he or she swings the club. Getting the right balance of swing speed and flex is the most important part of a good shot.
The chart below shows which flex is best for you based on your swing speed and how far you usually hit. In order to compare, I included the swing speed of a driver and the carry distance of a 6-iron to show how these two things compare. Many of us know how far we hit a 6-iron, but not everyone does.
Stiff or Regular Flex: What Shaft to Play?
| 6-iron Carry Distance | 6-iron Swing Speed | Driver Swing Speed | Shaft flex (all clubs) |
| < 130 yards | 60 – 70 mph | 75 – 85 mph | Senior Flex |
| 131 – 155 yards | 71 – 80 mph | 86 – 95 mph | Regular Flex |
| 156 – 175 yards | 81 – 90 mph | 96 – 105 mph | Stiff Flex |
| > 176 yards | 91 + mph | 105 + mph | X-Stiff Flex |
There is a lot of debate about how stiff or soft your flex should be. If you’re torn between the two, I would choose stiffer. I think it would be better to have a club that was just a little too stiff than too weak. You don’t want to use one that’s not very strong at all!
If you want help getting the right shaft for your swing, you should get help from a professional.
There are two types of flex: regular and stiff. What is the difference?
They are more rigid and less flexible than regular flex shafts, which are for younger people, and senior flex shafts, which are for older people. When you swing a golf club, the shaft is more flexible, which lets it bend more as you do. This is called “regular flex.” They made shafts with different levels of flexibility to meet the needs of golfers with a wide range of swing speeds and tempos.
Flex is how much a golf shaft bends at different points in the golf swing, mostly on the downswing and through the point where the ball hits the ground. During impact, the shaft will bend and “snap,” giving the club more speed through the ball and giving it more distance as well. The slower you swing, the less flex there is in the shaft.
If you have the Wrong Flex, what will happen?
If you have the wrong flex in your shaft for your swing, you will not hit the ball consistently, which will make your shots less accurate.
The shafts of people who swing quickly already have enough flex in them, so they don’t need the extra help that regular flex shafts might give. This shouldn’t come as a surprise: A flexible shaft will move the clubhead more during the downswing, which increases the chance that the clubface will get off and not hit the ball squarely.
If you don’t hit the ball squarely on the clubface, you’ll get high slices, toe-hooks, or worse. It can also make your shots go too low with a little spin if the shaft is too stiff.
How do I know if my Flex is Regular or Stiff, and how can I tell?
Not all regular and stiff shafts are made the same. It could be hard for one company to make something that isn’t. However, there are some general rules to follow when it comes to flex ratings.
To figure out what kind of shaft you have, look at the label on your shaft. It will tell you. It will most likely have a letter and a number (weight in grams). Flex ratings are broken down like this:
- Seniors have a lot of time to do things (S or A).
- Regular Flex is the same as the one that comes with (R).
- Stretchy (S).
- Extra-Strong Flex (X).
Weight and material of the shaft, as well.
For example, if you want more flex, you’ll want to choose a lighter shaft. If you want a stiffer flex, you’ll want a heavier shaft, and the same is true for the other way around: Keep in mind that what one manufacturer calls “regular” flex may be called “stiff” by someone else, so it is important to know this. Thus, you should always think about the weight of a shaft and the flex rating it has. Because the heavier a shaft is, the less flexible it is. This is true in general. If you want to be more flexible, you’ll need a shaft that is lighter.
Shafts can be made of a lot of different materials, but most amateurs choose between steel and graphite. Graphite is lighter than steel, but steel shafts will be more rigid than graphite shafts.
Stiff or Regular Flex: What Shaft to Play?
Typically, driver shafts weigh between 40 and 85 grams. The average weight for men is around 55-60 grams and for women, it’s around 45-50 grams. Some steel shaft irons weigh as little as 55 grams, while graphite shafts can be even lighter. 5 grams may not seem like much, but it can make a big difference in how you swing and how square the clubface hits the ball.
Despite what people think, and without going into the physics of it all, a lighter shaft does not mean a faster swing speed just because it is lighter, just like a heavier shaft does not mean a slower swing speed.
Then again, a lighter shaft is usually better for a player who swings more slowly. In general, a lighter shaft will be more flexible and this will give you the benefits of more flexibility that were talked about above. In the same way, a player with a faster swing speed is more likely to benefit from a heavier shaft because it will help them control and hit the ball better.
Wrapping it Up and Heading to the Clubhouse
Choosing the right club for your swing isn’t easy. Flex is one of many things to think about. Flex can have a big impact on how well you hit the ball. To find the right shaft flex for your swing speed and weight, length, and material, you’ll need help from a professional. Knowing where you likely fall on the swing speed spectrum, though, is a good place to start when looking for the right club.
