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.

How much does a driver shaft affect distance?

Using the right shaft can boost driver swing speed by 1 to 1.5 miles per hour—that equates to two to four more yards on a well-struck tee shot. Because most amateur tee shots are less than optimal, an increase in speed will result in much greater distance gains than achieved in robotic testing.

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.

Does a stiffer shaft give more distance?

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. By figuring out the most common type of shot you are playing, it becomes easier to know whether you need a softer shaft.

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.

42 related questions found

What happens if driver shaft is too light?

A shaft that's too heavy will cause a “labored golf swing.” A shaft that's too light will hurt your ability to make solid contact. When you find the right shaft weight, you'll experience a “high energy swing” with uniform contact.

Is a 50g shaft too light?

50 gram shafts are among the lightest you will see on the market. They tend to be favoured by golfers who struggle to generate clubhead speed. These shafts are often favored by junior and senior golfers, they can give a nice boost to the driving distance of these groups.

Does Tiger Woods use a regular or stiff shaft?

For example, Tiger Woods who consistently hits shots longer than 300 yards has a Regular shaft in his driver.

What shaft does Tiger Woods use?

Tiger has a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 60 TX shaft fitted to his driver.

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.

Does driver shaft really matter?

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.

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.

Will a stiffer shaft help my slice?

If you are struggling with a hook it might be because your shaft is too flexible, try a stiffer shaft, this will help keep the face square at impact, and prevent the face from turning over. If you are struggling with a slice you might be playing with a shaft that is too stiff for you.

What happens when golf shaft is too soft?

Incorrect flex

A golfer using a shaft that is too flexible may experience a ball flight that is too high, a ball that spins too much, or a shot pattern that has inconsistent dispersion.

How long is Dustin Johnson's driver shaft?

SPECS TaylorMade SIM2, 10.5°, Fujikura Ventus Black proto 6X shaft, 45.75 inches.

What shaft does Rory McIlroy use?

The irons in his bag remain unaltered for 2022 with McIlroy gaming the the TaylorMade P770 3-iron and P730 Rors Proto irons from 4 to PW with Project X 7.0 shafts. McIlroy is also sticking by his TaylorMade MG3 wedges in 54 and 58 degrees, in Project X 6.5 shafts.

What shafts does Justin Thomas use?

Thomas switched to the Titleist TSi3 driver shortly after it was released in 2020 and used the same Mitsubishi Diamana ZF shaft for nearly three years. The TSi3 drivers come with a five-setting movable weight in the back of the head to help players and fitters create a draw or fade bias.

Are stiff shafts harder to hit?

Stiff golf shafts are harder to bend and flex. Also, they're heavier in weight which maintains their stiffness. As a rule of thumb, these properties are going to benefit golfers with faster swing speeds and longer distances. If you think of your shaft as a lever than the stronger the lever, the more reliable the shot.

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.

What shaft does Bryson DeChambeau use?

DeChambeau's driver is Cobra's King Speedzone with an L.A. Golf prototype shaft made just for DeChambeau. The loft is 5.5 degrees—similar to what most long-drive competitors use.

Who needs extra stiff driver?

What is this? If your driver swings are clocking in at more than 105 miles per hour, you are going to need an extra stiff shaft. If, however, you are closer to 95 mph, the stiff should be the right fit.

Is 70g driver shaft too heavy?

A 70-gram driver shaft is considered to be pretty heavy but not the heaviest. It falls into the middle but is still on the heavier side when you consider you could go with 50 or 60 grams instead.

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 shaft weight do the pros use?

It is why the most popular weight for driver shaft-weights on the PGA Tour is still in the mid-60-gram range, with some players having tried shafts less than 50 grams. But more and more, there are exceptions -- players opting for driver shafts decidedly heavier than most of their tour brethren.

Is a lighter driver shaft better?

Using a lighter shaft allows more weight to be placed in the clubhead through adjustable weights, hotmelt, etc. without increasing the total weight of the club. This “redistribution” of shaft weight into the clubhead can be one of the last tweaks in a fitting that unlocks more distance off the tee.

You Might Also Like