Buying guide · 5 min read
What shaft flex do I need?
The rough guide is: under 75 mph driver clubhead speed suits senior or ladies flex, 75–90 mph regular, 90–105 stiff, and above 105 extra stiff. But that chart gets it wrong often enough that it's worth understanding why before you buy on it.
Why speed alone doesn't decide it
Two golfers can both swing at 95 mph and need different shafts. What separates them is transition — how aggressively you change direction at the top. A player who loads hard and fires will bend a shaft far more than someone with the same speed and a smooth tempo, and needs more resistance to control it.
This is the single most common reason a shaft bought from a chart feels wrong. The speed was right; the loading profile wasn't.
What goes wrong with the wrong flex
Too soft, and the club face tends to arrive closed and high — you'll see a left miss and a ballooning flight that costs carry into wind.
Too stiff, and the face lags open — a low right miss, a feeling of having to hit at it, and a strike that drifts toward the toe.
Neither of these is a swing fault. Both feel like one, which is why people spend money on lessons trying to fix equipment.
Steel or graphite in irons
Graphite iron shafts used to be a compromise for slower swings. They aren't any more — modern graphite iron shafts are stable enough for most players and are noticeably kinder on the hands and elbows. If you have any joint trouble, they're worth testing before you rule them out.
Common questions
- Can I just get my current shaft measured?
- Yes, and that's a sensible starting point. Bring your clubs in and we'll check what you're playing before recommending anything.
- Do I need the same flex in every club?
- Usually but not always. Wedges and driver are sometimes specified differently on purpose, depending on how you use them.
