– What is right golf shaft flex for you ?

Put simply, the flex determines a golf club shaft's ability to bend during a swing, affecting the distance and direction.Therefore, getting the right flex in your golf clubs is important.

Which flex rating you use will depend on the type of swing you have. For example, beginners and those with less powerful swings tend to use a shaft with greater flexibility to propel

the ball more. On the other hand, if a player has a high and powerful swing speed, they will require a stiffer shaft with less flex.

There are a range of different types of flex ratings:

• Extra stiff (XS)
• Stiff (S)
• Firm (F)
• Regular (R)
• Senior (S)
• Amateur (A)
• Ladies (L)

It is worth bearing in mind that different shaft manufacturers vary in their specifications of flex – for example, one manufacturer's“regular flex”might be anothers' “firm flex".

Furthermore,all shafts,no matter how stiff, exhibit flex in one way or another.

– What is the kick point on a golf shaft?

The shaft kick-point – also known as flex-point – is the point where the shaft bends and affects the trajectory of the shot. Although the effect is only small, it is still measurable.

For clarity, a shaft with a high kick-point will often give a low shot trajectory and create the feel of a"one-piece". On the other hand, a low kick-point will usually give a high shot

trajectory and a feeling of the shaft tip whipping the clubhead through.

– What is shaft torque?

Every shaft has a torque rating, which is measured in degrees, in order to determine how much the shaft will twist during a swing. Put simply, the higher the rating, the more the

shaft is prone to twisting.It is the torque that also determines how the shaft feels to every player, which means that the higher the rating, the softer the shaft will feel. A shaft with

a 3-degree torque will feel much stiffer than a 5-degree torque, for example.Torque is a measurement of how much a shaft will twist during your golf swing.

Shafts with higher torque ratings will feel softer and likely produce a higher trajectory than shafts with a lower torque rating. When it comes to understanding torque ratings for

golf shafts, the higher the number, the more “twisting” of the club that will occur, and the lower the number, the less “twisting” there will be. When companies look to minimize

torque, they tend to make the shaft walls thicker to minimize the twisting of the golf club. In doing so, they will likely also increase the weight of the shaft. Shafts with lower torque

ratings will tend to produce a lower trajectory.Every shaft – whether it be graphite or steel – has a certain amount of torque. You won’t be able to get rid of torque completely, but

it is worth remembering that the lower the torque, the lower the trajectory will be.

Golf club shaft length

Once the shaft is installed onto your golf club, you must determine the right length for you. But how important is shaft length, we hear you say? Well, the importance of length,

according to research, is extreme. For instance, ball impact that is 0.5 inches off-centre equates to a 7% loss of carry distance, and an impact that is 1 inch off-centre equates to

a 14% loss of carry distance. So, the key to choosing the right shaft is finding the correct length that provides a repeating, solid hit each time.

– How to measure the length of a golf club shaft?

In order to determine the length of your club, stand tall and get someone to measure from the crease where your wrist and hand meet to the floor. Do this with both hands and

take an average of the two measurements.

The following lists what length of shafts you should consider for certain heights. If the crease where your wrist and hand meet to the floor is:

• Find the Correct Golf Shaft Flex for Your Swing Speed

  What shaft do you need? While launch monitors can help, simply knowing how far you hit various clubs can go a long way when trying to find the best shaft option for you.

  You're 150 yards from the hole—what club do you normally hit?

  • 8-iron or 9-iron: You’d likely want an “X” or extra stiff flex shaft.
  • 6-iron or 7-iron: You’d likely want an “S” or stiff flex shaft.
  • 5-iron or 6-iron: You’d likely want an “R” or regular flex shaft.
  • 4-iron: You’d likely want an “A” or amateur/senior flex shaft.
  • 3-iron or wood: You’d likely want an “L” or ladies flex shaft.

If you don’t know, don’t guess – get custom fitted

Custom fitting – which was once reserved only for Tour players and the best amateurs – is now available to any golfer who's willing to spend the time and money to get a properly

fitted set of clubs.With today's technology and vast number of products to examine, an experienced club fitter can help anyone find the right club shaft for their golf club. Custom

fitting can be done with woods, irons, wedges and even putters from most manufacturers, and professional fitters will work with you to decide the custom fit lie angles, face angles,

lofts, lengths, swing weights and other options.