Ping Golf Clubs Article

The Difference Between Club Shafts

The type of golf club shaft that is best suited to your style of play will depend on your swing speed. The faster you swing the stiffer the shaft should be.

Shaft flex is determined by the ability of the shaft to bend during your swing. A stiff shaft will not bend as easily as a regular shaft in steel or graphite. Some people prefer graphite shafts because of their lighter weight.

Shaft flexes will vary from one manufacturer to another so this is an important element that needs to be taken into consideration as a regular shaft from one manufacturer won't necessarily give you the same flex as a regular shaft of another manufacturer.

To get the correct shaft for your game you should really get your swing speed tested, as this will determine what clubs to get.

The reason you need to understand how much flex you need is because the flex determines whether your club head will impact squarely on the ball at the point of impact.

If there is too much flex in the shaft the club head will impact in a closed or more lofted position. The opposite is the case where the shaft is too stiff with the club head hitting in an open and less lofted position.

It can get difficult when your swing speed is on the borderline between club shaft selections and you might even need to get different shafts for the various clubs you use to optimize your game.

Club shafts have various ratings and they are as follows. L Shaft is for a swing speed less than 70 mph. A Shaft is between 70 and 80 mph R Shaft is between 80 and 90 mph S Shaft is between 90 and 105 mph X Shaft is over 105 mph

This is a guideline but it will help in your selection.

Of course we all like to think that we are in the over 105 group but you will get better results from buying the correct shaft for your game.