Choosing the right golf shaft flex can feel like a shot in the dark, but it’s one of the most important equipment decisions you'll make. This guide will walk you through exactly how to determine the right flex for your swing so you can hit longer, straighter shots with more confidence.
Shaft flex is simply a measure of how much a golf shaft bends during your swing. Think of it like a fishing rod, when you cast the line, the rod bends and then "kicks" forward to propel the lure. A golf shaft does the same thing. As you swing, your power and movement "load" energy into the shaft, causing it to bend. Then, as you approach the ball, the shaft straightens out and "kicks" forward, releasing that stored energy into the clubhead and, by extension, the golf ball.
This "kick" is incredibly important. It contributes to your overall clubhead speed and also influences the angle of the clubface at the moment of impact. Playing the right flex helps you sync up this kick with your swing, delivering a square clubface to the ball time after time. This leads to:
If the flex is wrong, you're constantly fighting against your equipment. A shaft that’s too stiff won't bend enough, feeling harsh and robbing you of distance. A shaft that's too flexible will bend too much, leading to wildly inconsistent shots and a feeling of being out of control.
Golf shafts are typically categorized into five main flex levels. You'll see these labeled on the shaft itself, usually with a single letter.
While a few different elements influence your best fit, the single most reliable way to find the right shaft flex is by knowing your driver swing speed. The faster you swing, the more force you exert on the shaft, and therefore, the stiffer the shaft you need to control that force.
Think of it this way: someone swinging 115 mph needs a shaft that can handle that speed without twisting or lagging behind. Conversely, a player swinging at 80 mph needs a shaft that will actually bend and help them generate speed. Using your driver swing speed as a guide is the best starting point for 99% of golfers.
Here is a straightforward chart to match your driver swing speed to the recommended shaft flex. This is your foundation for making the right choice.
Finding a shaft that falls within your swing speed range is the absolute best thing you can do to make sure your equipment is helping, not hurting, your game.
"That chart is great," you might be thinking, "but I have no idea how fast I swing!" Don't worry, finding this number is easier than ever. Here are three practical ways to do it.
Your best bet is to get your swing measured on a professional-grade launch monitor. These devices use advanced radar or camera technology to give you dead-on accurate data about your swing, including clubhead speed. You can find them at:
Getting a few swings in on one of these machines is the gold standard. It takes the guesswork completely out of the equation.
In recent years, affordable personal launch monitors have become widely available. Brands like Rapsodo, FlightScope, and Garmin offer devices that connect to your phone and give you reliable data for a fraction of the cost of professional units. If you're serious about your game and practice often, investing in one of these can be a game-changer for understanding your swing.
If you don't have access to a launch monitor, you can get a very solid estimate of your swing speed by knowing your average carry distance with your driver (how far the ball flies in the air, not including the roll). Find your typical carry distance on the chart below to find your approximate swing speed and corresponding flex.
Again, this is a very reliable estimate and will put you in the right ballpark. For most golfers, it's all you need to narrow down your choice confidently.
While swing speed is king, a couple of secondary factors can help you dial in your choice, especially if your speed falls on the borderline between two flexes (for example, 95 mph).
Tempo refers to the rhythm and pace of your swing. Do you have a slow, smooth, syrupy swing, or is it fast, aggressive, and jerky? Two golfers can have the same 95 mph swing speed, but their tempos might demand different shafts.
Your shaft flex can slightly influence your stock shot shape. A shaft that is too soft for you will tend to an un-loading of the kick that is much more violent, it´ll most likely contribute with squaring and even slightly closing the club face easier. As a simple guideline:
A strong note of caution here: A shaft is not a cure for major swing flaws. If you have a severe slice, a softer shaft isn't the magic fix. But if you have good fundamentals and are just looking for a fine-tuning effect, it’s a factor to consider.
Understanding the consequences of a poor fit can highlight why getting this right is so important.
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