How important is the shaft on a driver?

The heavier a shaft is, the more likely it is that your golf ball will fly low and with less spin. If it's lighter, the ball will tend to fly higher and spin more. As Briand explains, the weight of a shaft has less impact on swing speed than golfers think, but that lighter shafts could increase the rate of closure.

How important is the shaft on a golf driver?

In reality, the shaft is more like the TRANSMISSION of the golf club because it connects the golfer's hands to the clubhead and allows the golfer to transfer his or her power to the clubhead, and in turn, to the golf ball.

How much does a driver shaft matter?

Put simply, the higher the rating, the more the shaft is prone to twisting. It is the torque that also determines how the shaft feels to every player, which means that the higher the rating, the softer the shaft will feel. A shaft with a 3-degree torque will feel much stiffer than a 5-degree torque, for example.

What's more important driver head or shaft?

The most obvious conclusion is this: both, yes both the head and the shaft play a vital, and roughly equal role in hitting the ball long and straight.

How much of a difference can a driver shaft make?

Shafts can range anywhere from 40 to 135 grams. Typically the rule of thumb is that a golfer with a slower swing speed will benefit from using a lighter shaft, and you would add weight as swing speed increases. As you might expect at this point, there are always exceptions.

Why are golf drivers so big?

The idea is that the larger the club head you can use, the more distance that you will get with the club. Of course, distance is important, but there are other factors that players are going to consider when it comes to the golf clubs they choose.

Is Driver shaft not stiff enough?

When the shaft is too stiff, you won't be able to get enough spin on the ball, causing it to come out very low, and look like it's falling out of the sky. If it's too stiff, your shot shape will be from left to right (slice), the clubhead won't be able to return to square because the shaft is too stiff.

Does shaft flex really matter?

Shaft flex letters are 'essentially irrelevant,' according to an expert club fitter. The stiffness of a R shaft will differ by company. Most golfers in the world know that shaft flex makes a difference to performance and feel in golf.

Do pros use 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.

Do regular shafts go further?

No, not necessarily. Whilst this is a heavier object to strike the ball with and that should make it go further, you have to balance your swing speed with this weight. For many golfers a lighter shaft will allow them to generate higher clubhead speeds.

Are expensive golf shafts worth it?

Because of the material and production differences, there's usually a price tag difference as well. While they may look identical on the outside, the aftermarket version of a shaft is housing better performance and for most golfers, that's worth a slight increase in cost.

Can a golf shaft increase distance?

A heavier shaft will only increase distance for the golfers that have high swing speeds. For golfers with slow swing speeds, a heavier shaft will decrease the distance. Hitting a golf ball far is all about ball speed.

Are regular shafts more forgiving?

If you are swinging with a stiffer shaft, but your swing speed is not all that high, you will struggle with your ability to hit the ball both far and straight. A regular shaft will be the more flexible shaft of the two. The major difference between these shaft is the amount of flexibility that they have.

Is Stiff flex good for beginners?

Beginners may acquire clubs from friends or family and not consider the flex of their shafts. Shaft options include senior, ladies, regular, firm, stiff, x-stiff. Length – shafts can be cut different lengths – for most beginners, standard length is fine, unless you are an abnormal height.

What is a good swing speed for a 7 iron?

An average golfer will swing a seven iron about 75 mph. This number can change based on the weight of the club and if it is steel or graphite. The faster you swing a seven iron, the further it will go. If you can swing at about 85 mph, you will see distances closer to 165 yards.

Are Aldila shafts good?

Much smoother and easier to load. It was a stiff flex like I normally play, but just felt really good. On the tee box I found this shaft hit higher than the stock shaft, but spin was still about the same. While I didn't have an accuracy problem with the stock shaft, the Blue was just a little tighter yet.

How can I tell my swing speed?

Divide the ball speed by 1.5 to get the estimated swing speed for your drive. Alternatively, you can divide the carry distance by 2.3 to estimate the swing speed at impact, but the result will not be as accurate.

Will I lose distance with a regular shaft?

If you have a good swing but your average distance is short, there is a problem with your shaft flex. If the shaft flex is too stiff, your average distance will remain low. If you are struggling with a slice, it is highly likely you are using stiff club shafts.

Can a regular flex shaft cause a slice?

When the clubhead gets to the ball, the shaft won't unload properly and the face will remain slightly open, causing a slice. Other swing problems also can cause a slice, of course, but shafts that are too stiff can make the problem worse.

What happens if your shaft is too stiff?

If your driver's shaft is too stiff, the clubhead may not square with the ball at the point of impact, causing slices and fades. If you can't feel the weight of the clubhead loading through the shaft, it's probably too stiff, and can cause errors and issues associated with accuracy such as these.

How do I know if my shaft is too weak?

A golf shaft that is too weak will flex excessively throughout the golf swing, creating an inconsistent release point. Swinging with a weak shaft flex can hurt you in both windy and wet conditions.

What does 460cc mean on a golf driver?

“cc” stands for cubic centimeters and the USGA dictates the maximum volume a golf driver can be is 460cc. According to the USGA Rules for 2019, “The volume of the clubhead must not exceed 460 cubic centimetres (28.06 cubic inches), plus a tolerance of 10 cubic centimetres (0.61 cubic inches)” (Page 49).

What golf driver has the biggest head?

The largest driver head approved by the USGA weighs in at 460cc (club heads are measured by volume) and the smaller ones are 440cc or 420cc. The 460cc club heads have larger faces, and the weight is designed to fall into the lower back portion of the club head.

Are smaller drivers easier to hit?

Small-headed drivers are easier to swing faster but are not easier to strike the golf ball due to a mini head. These drivers are also less forgiving than larger heads. Off-center impact on a smaller head is likely to lead to a larger loss in direction and distance than a large-headed driver.

Who should use regular flex shafts?

Swing Speed

In general, golfers with a fast swing should use a stiff shaft and slowed swings should use a regular flex shaft. To check your swing speed a shot tracking device will be the most accurate method. Based on your swing speeds here are our recommendations: 80-95 mph swing speeds should use regular shafts.