If you are a golfer, you may have wondered how the flexibility of your golf shaft affects your performance. The flexibility of a golf shaft is also known as its flex, and it refers to how much the shaft bends when you swing it.
The flex of a golf shaft can range from extra stiff (X) to ladies (L), with stiff (S), regular (R), senior (A) and amateur (M) in between.
In this article, we’ll show you what happens when your golf shaft is too flexible. In the meantime, if you’re not certain about the nature of your club shaft, you can follow along to find out as well.
What Happens If the Golf Shaft Is Too Flexible?
The flex of a golf shaft is important because it influences the trajectory, distance and accuracy of your shots. A golf shaft that is too flexible for your swing speed and style can cause several problems, such as:
Causes Higher Ball Flight
Too flexible club shaft causes the ball to fly higher than required. While this may seem like a positive consequence, it causes the golfer to lose his control over the ball and ultimately decreases the distance.
Therefore if you see that your golf ball is flying higher for faster swing speed, it’s most likely that your shaft is too flexible. On the contrary, if you don’t see enough launch on your shots then the club shaft is most probably too stiff.
Abroupt Change in Estimated Distance
When the golfer’s golf shaft is excessively flexible, the possibility of abrupt change in estimated distance increases a lot. If you’re aiming for a proper loft angle of fewer than 10 degrees, then a flexible shaft may give you a distance lower than your potential distance. If you’re an amateur, its all the more so. Therefore, it’s something you’d have to work on later.
On the other hand, if your club shaft is stiff, the maximum average distance will be lower. You’ll feel like you’re having a good swing, but the distance will be short. You’ll also face trouble while slicing as the stiff club shafts don’t allow you to do so easily.
Over recent years, dramatic development has occurred regarding golf clubs. Professional golfers are opting for 3-wood and 5-wood clubs that typically have a higher loft angle. Using a driver or 3-wood having a flexible shaft gives them the optimized result. The trajectory allows them to cover more distance in this case.
Inconsistent Shot Pattern
Another indication that you’re using a highly flexible drive shaft is that your shot pattern from the tee will become wild. If this is the case that happens from time to time, you don’t need to worry as it’s perfectly normal and inevitable. However, if your shots are varying hugely in each of your swings, then you can assume your club shaft is too flexible.
Your club shaft will be flexing too much and the face will reach the ball much faster. The saddening part is that even if you change your technique, it won’t be of much help. The dynamics of your swing will go disarray and the cluttering will give anyone a hard time as to where the ball is going to end up.
The Shaft Which Is Too Flexible Bends Forward Results Miscalculated Draws
At the impact on the golf ball, the shaft which is too flexible bends forward. This causes the flight path of the ball or draws, to be misdirected.
For a right-handed golfer, the draw tends to curve to the left. For a left-handed golfer, it’s the reverse. A flexible shaft may cause the face to be a bit closed, which results in the golf ball to go off course.
One way to address this issue is to fade or slice the golf ball. This requires experience and skill. A professional golfer can reduce the misdirection tendency to a minimum by doing so.
Solid and Faster Hit
Having a flexible shaft gives a golfer more power over his/her shot. Upon impact, the vibrations transmitted through the shaft and the bend gives a more solid feel and increases the ball’s potential distance. A little increase in launch angle combined with a low spin allows more room for a longer golf drive.
Moreover, the driver shaft becomes more prone to flexing and the face reaches the golf ball faster than normal. As a result, you get an unexpectedly faster hit.
Awkward Feel
As far as the tour players are concerned, they’ll be hitting drivers well thanks to their exceptional techniques and skills even with flexible shafts. But for the amateur players, maintaining the tempo of the shot and impact timing becomes much harder. The flexible shaft in this case can be regarded as detrimental to the game.
Closed Face
One of the most problematic issues with the flexible shaft is that it aggravates the face to shut quickly which leaves little for controlling the trajectory. The reason this happens is due to the downswing concerning the path.
But it is speculated that if you want to develop accuracy and power, you should opt for the most flexible shaft that you could continuously have good control over.
How do you know if your golf shaft is too flexible for you?
One way to find out is to use a launch monitor, which can measure your swing speed, ball speed, launch angle, spin rate and other factors that affect your performance. A launch monitor can also recommend the optimal flex for your swing speed and style.
Another way to find out is to experiment with different flexes and see how they affect your shots. You can borrow or rent different clubs with different flexes and test them on the range or on the course. You can also ask a professional club fitter or instructor to help you find the best flex for you.
The flex of a golf shaft is not the only factor that affects your performance. You also need to consider the weight, length, torque, kick point and bend profile of a golf shaft, as well as the loft, lie angle, head size and shape of a clubhead.
All these factors work together to create a club that suits your swing and game.
Epilogue
The bottom line is that a golf shaft that is too flexible for you can have negative effects on your performance. You may lose distance, accuracy and consistency with a golf shaft that bends too much during your swing. To find the best flex for you, you need to measure your swing speed, test different flexes and consult a professional club fitter or instructor.
Also read- What to Wear to a Golf Outing Woman?
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