Golf Quotes
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ShaftsIn its most simple terms the correct shaft for you depends upon your swing speed through the ball. The fitter should measure this speed and then recommend a regular or stiff shaft accordingly. Shafts are thought by many pros to be more important than the head of a golf club and so we go into more detail in this section. Modern shafts come in two basic categories - steel and graphite. Contrary to popular belief good quality graphite is not more "whippy" than its steel counterpart of the same flex. The difference is that graphite is about 30% lighter than steel, which may or may not suit a particular player. When choosing a new set, a good idea is to start by hitting shots with a golf club of the same model in both steel and graphite. To most people the different feel will be evident. Go for what feels better to you, and gives the most consistent shotmaking. When first introduced, graphite was seen as a material to increase flex for older golfers. Nowadays it is very much a matter of personal choice – look at some leading players such as Phil Mickelson and Scott Verplank. Flex The flex of shaft a person chooses for their golf clubs is absolutely paramount to the way the clubs will perform for them. Guidelines for flex in graphite irons and woods are that a swing speed of - 70 - 80 mph requires a senior flex ( M -70 ) 80 - 90 mph requires a regular flex ( R - 80 ) 90 - 100mph requires a stiff flex (S - 90 ) 100 mph + requires a tour flex (X - 100 ) Guidelines for the flex of steel irons and woods are - Regular flex R - 100 ranging to R - 500 ( 500 being stiffer ) Stiff flex S - 100 ranging to S - 500 Tour stiff flex X - 100 and above. As a general rule players with smooth swing speeds may benefit from a lighter shaft whilst those who have faster swings may prefer heavier options. Finding the correct shaft will give the player the maximum chance of playing to the potential of his / her clubs. If a player does have the wrong shafts then a mass of poor shots can result. For instance a strong player using clubs with regular shafts may well find they flex too much causing the toe to fall and twist resulting in a pull or hook. Conversely a player using shafts that are too stiff for their swing speed may well find the ball goes off to the right with a low ball flight. In both cases, loss of distance will result. Torque The torque in a shaft can be described as the amount of degrees the shaft will deflect upon impact - particularly off centre shots. Subsequently shafts with lower torque are thought to be higher performance and more forgiving. Torque in high quality shafts should be less than 5 degrees. Many manufacturers believe that as in shaft flex, stronger players will benefit from less torque but higher handicappers may benefit from slightly more movement as this will help to get the ball airborne. Fat Shafts Designed by Wilson Golf the fatshaft irons are designed to keep torque to a minimum. Some people find the extra width in the shafts make them feel rather cumbersome but if a player does like the feel of them then they will limit twist and therefore increase accuracy. Swing Weight This is described as how heavy the club will feel when it is actually swung, rather than the actual physical weight of the club. A swing weight can be altered by the redistribution of weight in either the head or the shaft. |
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