The golf swing and club fitting: Shaft flex
From time to time Aussie Golfer will be featuring a number of guest posts from Daniel Marsh at Callaway Golf explaining the technical details associated with the golf swing and correct club fitting.
What is shaft flex and why do I need the right flex?
In my last article I wrote about shaft torque, what it meant and how it has an impact on ball flight. It got me thinking that there are other shaft properties that maybe some of you out there don’t understand and maybe are too afraid to ask. Hopefully the info below will help out and point you in the right direction.
The flex of your shaft is the single most important part of your clubs shaft. The flex is the ability of the shaft and its resistance to bending during the swing. The faster you swing the golf club the stiffer the shaft you will need. Matching the right shaft to your swing speed is extremely important as it will help you get the club face back to square when striking the ball.
Below I have noted the 5 different flexes the major golf companies offer and the optimal driver swing speed we use at Callaway that is needed to maximise the performance of the shaft:
- Ladies 70mph
- Light 80 mph
- Regular 90 mph
- Stiff 100 mph
- Extra Stiff +110 mph
What will happen to my shots if I don’t have the right shaft flex?
As a general rule if your shaft is to stiff it will generally fly lower and to the right as the club face is harder to square up. On the flip side if your shaft is too flexible it will do the opposite and generally fly higher and to the left as the face has closed.
How can I get the right flex for me?
The best way to make sure you have the right shaft and flex in your hands is to go and have a club fitting with your local pro or golf shop that can measure your swing speed with a launch monitor.
For more information please contact your local Callaway Authorised Retailer or call 1800 217 77 quoting aussiegolfer.net to book your club fit at one of Callaway’s Performance Centre’s and get that ball flying longer and straighter.