Golf club shaft of your golf club set - not all are created equal. We examine all aspect of a shaft - torque, swing weight and flex.

The correct golf club shaft whether a regular or stiff shaft for your golf club set depends upon your swing speed through the ball. Shafts are thought by many pros to be more important than the head of a golf club. Golf club shaft come in two basic categories - steel and graphite for your golf club set.

When first introduced, graphite golf club shaft was seen as a material to increase flex for older golfers. Nowadays it is very much a matter of personal choice – looking at some leading golfers such as Phil Mickelson etc. The difference is that graphite shaft is about 30% lighter than steel which may or may not suit a particular golfer.

Tips on choosing a new set: start by hitting shots with a golf club of the same model in both steel and graphite golf club shaft and most people can feel the different. Go for what feels better to you that give the most consistent shot.

Golf club set

Shaft for golfer with lower swing speeds should be lighter and more flexible. The opposite is for those with higher swing speeds – heavier and less flexible shaft.

Before you dole out your precious dollars for the best golf club shaft, it is vitally important to know what you are buying. We examine the aspects used to measure a shaft’s dynamics:

1. Torque
2. Swing Weight
3. Flex

The torque in a golf club shaft can be described as the amount of degrees the shaft will deflect upon impact - torque in high quality shafts should be less than 5 degrees. Stronger golfers will benefit from less torque but higher handicappers may benefit from slightly more movement as this will help to get the ball airborne.

Swing Weight of a golf club shaft is described as how heavy the club will feel when it is actually swung, rather than the actual physical weight of the club. A swing weight can be altered by the redistribution of weight in either the head or the shaft.

The flex of a golf club shaft a person chooses for their golf clubs is absolutely paramount to the way the clubs will perform for them.

Guidelines for flex in graphite irons and woods of the following swing speed;

• 70 - 80 mph requires a senior flex (M -70)
• 80 - 90 mph requires a regular flex (R - 80)
• 90 - 100mph requires a stiff flex (S - 90)
• 100 mph + requires a tour flex (X - 100)

Guidelines for the flex of steel irons and woods are;

• Regular flex range: R - 100 to R - 500 (500 being stiffer)
• Stiff flex range: S - 100 to S – 500
• Tour stiff flex: X - 100 and above.

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