How to Fit Golf Shafts

The golf shaft is far more than just the stick that connects your hands to the clubhead, it's the engine of your entire golf club. Getting the right one is one of the single most effective ways to improve distance, accuracy, and overall consistency. This guide will walk you through exactly how golf shafts are fitted, breaking down the key factors so you can understand what actually matters for your game.

Why Your Golf Shaft is the Engine of Your Club

Think of it this way: your body creates the power, but the shaft is responsible for delivering that power to the golf ball efficiently. A mismatched shaft is like having a sports car engine in a pickup truck chassis - you're just not going to get the performance you're hoping for. It won’t transfer energy properly, which can rob you of speed, throw your timing off, and cause the clubface to be wide open or shut tight at impact.

When you're fighting your equipment, you start making unconscious swing adjustments to try and make the ball go straight. A shaft that’s too whippy might cause you to slow down your swing to control it. A shaft that feels like a steel rod might cause you to swing out of your shoes, ruining your tempo completely. Finding the right shaft lets your natural swing work at its best, without you having to fight it on every shot.

Deconstructing the Golf Shaft: The 5 Key Fitting Variables

When a professional fits you for a shaft, they aren’t just guessing. They are looking at a specific set of variables and matching them to your unique swing DNA. Understanding these five pillars will give you tremendous clarity on what makes a shaft right - or wrong - for you.

1. Shaft Flex

Flex is the most well-known shaft characteristic. It refers to a shaft's ability to bend during the swing. The force you generate - primarily defined by your swing speed - determines the flex you need. If the flex doesn't match your speed, you lose both distance and control.

• Too Stiff: If your shaft is too stiff for your swing speed, it won't bend enough. This typically results in a low, weak shot that tends to fade or slice (for a right-handed golfer). The shot will feel "boardy" or dead at impact, as you aren't loading the shaft properly to transfer energy.
• Too Soft (Whippy): If your shaft is too flexible, it will bend too much. This often leads to ballooning high shots and a lack of control, resulting in hooks or pulls. You might feel the clubhead lagging far behind your hands, making your timing inconsistent.

While swing speed is a great starting point, it's not the only factor. A smooth, rhythmic tempo can allow a player to use a slightly softer flex, while a player with a quick, aggressive transition might need a stiffer shaft, even at the same swing speed.

General Swing Speed Guide for a Driver:

• Under 75 mph: Ladies (L) or Senior (A) Flex
• 75-90 mph: Senior (A) or Regular (R) Flex
• 90-105 mph: Regular (R) or Stiff (S) Flex
• 105-120 mph: Stiff (S) or Extra Stiff (X) Flex
• Over 120 mph: Extra Stiff (X) or Tour Extra Stiff (TX) Flex

2. Shaft Weight

The total weight of your club has a massive influence on your swing rhythm, tempo, and clubhead speed. Modern lightweight technology has given golfers a huge range of options, but lighter isn't always better.

• Lighter Shafts (40-60 grams for drivers): A lighter shaft is easier to swing faster, which can be a great source of extra distance for golfers with slower tempos or less physical strength. However, if a shaft is too light, it can feel difficult to track during the swing, leading to a loss of control and inconsistent strikes.
• Heavier Shafts (65+ grams for drivers): Heavier shafts tend to promote a smoother, more rhythmic tempo. Stronger players or those with a very quick transition often prefer a heavier weight because it gives them a better sense of where the club is throughout the swing, improving control and tightening dispersion.

3. Kick Point (or Bend Profile)

The kick point is the area of the shaft that bends the most during the swing. This single factor has the most direct influence on your shot’s trajectory and spin rate. Think of it as the launch control system for your golf ball.

• Low Kick Point: The shaft bends most near the clubhead. This action helps "kick" the ball higher into the air. This is ideal for golfers who struggle to get the ball airborne or who want to maximize carry distance.
• High Kick Point: The shaft bends most near the grip. This configuration produces a much lower, more penetrating ball flight. It's favored by players with very high swing speeds who need to control spin and prevent the ball from ballooning, especially in windy conditions.
• Mid Kick Point: As you can guess, this offers a balance between the two, providing a medium launch and spin profile that suits the widest range of players.

4. Torque

Torque is a measure of the shaft’s resistance to twisting during the swing. When you swing down, forces try to twist the clubhead open or closed. Torque determines how much the shaft resists that twisting.

• Low Torque (2-3 degrees): A low-torque shaft twists very little. This is often preferred by players with fast, aggressive swings, as it provides a very stable feel and can help reduce hooks or big draws. For some, it can feel overly stiff or "boardy."
• High Torque (4-5+ degrees): A high-torque shaft twists more. It can feel much smoother and more active at impact, helping some golfers square the clubface more easily. For players who fight a slice, a higher torque shaft can sometimes help. However, for a fast-swinging player, it might feel unstable or "loose."

5. Shaft Length

Finally, we have shaft length. This seems simple, but it’s foundational to your posture and consistency. The standard length of off-the-rack clubs is designed for a person of average height and arm length. If you fall outside that range, you’re compromising your game from the start.

• Too Long: A shaft that's too long forces you to stand up taller, resulting in a flatter swing plane. This can promote a hook and lead to inconsistent contact, often with strikes toward the heel.
• Too Short: A shaft that's too short forces you to bend over excessively. This results in a steeper swing plane, often causing slices and contact low on the face or toward the toe. You put a lot of strain on your back and make it very difficult to strike the ball solidly time and time again.

A professional fitter will take a "wrist-to-floor" measurement to get a perfect starting point for your ideal club length.

The Shaft Fitting Process: What to Expect

Going for a professional fitting isn't an intimidating test, it’s a collaborative process to dial in your gear. A good fitter pairs data with your feedback to find the perfect match.

Step 1: The Interview & Warm-Up. The fitter will ask about your game, your common misses (e.g., "I slice my driver and hit my irons thin"), and your goals. You'll then warm up with your current clubs to establish a baseline performance with data from a launch monitor.

Step 2: Testing with a Launch Monitor. This is where the magic happens. A device like a TrackMan or GCQuad will measure every critical aspect of your ball flight: clubhead speed, launch angle, spin rate, carry distance, and shot dispersion.

Step 3: Isolating Variables. The fitter will use your baseline data to identify the biggest areas for improvement. If your spin is too high, they might start by giving you a shaft with a higher kick point. If your dispersion is wide, they may try a different weight or torque profile. They’ll typically use a clubhead similar to yours and swap out various shafts. You'll hit a series of shots with each combination.

Step 4: Analyze the Data and Your Feel. The goal isn't just to find the shaft that produces the "best" numbers on a single swing. The fitter is looking for the combination that produces the most consistent results and tightest shot pattern. Just as importantly, how does it feel to you? The best shaft on paper is useless if it feels terrible and you can't swing it confidently.

Final Thoughts

A properly fitted golf shaft translates your swing into reliable performance on the course. By matching the five key variables - flex, weight, kick point, torque, and length - to your swing, you eliminate guesswork and allow your equipment to work with you, not against you.

Understanding your game, your tendencies, and your typical misses is the foundation for any good equipment change. At Caddie AI, we help you pinpoint these patterns by tracking and analyzing your performance directly on the course. By knowing A.I. can help you understand your tendencies and the situations in which you play your best so that when you go for that fitting, you can tell the fitter precisely what you want to achieve, whether that entails launching the ball higher to hold more greens on approach, or fighting that consistent slice with your driver. This level of insight makes any fitting session far more productive, ensuring you walk away with equipment that builds confidence and helps you play better golf. With Caddie AI, you can get instant advice about strategy, club selection, and any other question you may have with just a few typed in words - so you are never alone on the golf course with your unanswered questions.