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Article #333: Choosing a Shaft for Your Golf Clubs

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The shaft of the golf club is said by 220- 255 S
many to be the engine of the golf club. 105+
The more I think about this statement, 255+ X
I'm not convinced it is accurate. I am Bend Point: Often confused with
maintaining the more accurate statement kick-point, the bend point is the maximum
is that the swing is the engine and the position of the shaft when it is
shaft is the transmission. Regardless of subjected to a bending force. Kick-point
what you consider the shaft to be, all is determined by a different test and is
golfers need to know which shaft is right not the same. Bend-point designations
for their swing. are; low, mid, and high. The terminology
While it is best to be fit by a might lead you to believe that the bend
professional club fitter, golfers should point designations are in distinctly
have a good idea what type of shaft they different places on the shaft. In
should be looking for. There are three reality, all bend points will be within
main specifications that the typical an approximately 6-inch section of the
golfer should keep in mind when choosing shaft. Bend point can effect trajectory
a shaft. Most golfers will at least be slightly. Low bend point shafts will
familiar with these specifications: flex, slightly increase the trajectory, and
bend point, and torque. high bend point will slightly decrease
Flex: flex is the relative stiffness of the trajectory. Additionally, low bend
the shaft, more specifically, the shaft's point shafts will feel more flexible at
resistance to bending when a force is the tip end. Generally speaking, players
applied. Flex is categorized with the with more feel prefer higher bend point
following designations from the most shafts, and high- handicapped players do
flexible to the stiffest; L-flex better with low bend point shafts.
(ladies), A-flex (senior), R-flex, Torque: Torque is the measurement in
(regular), S-flex (stiff), and X-flex degrees that indicates the amount of
(extra stiff). Any information about twisting the shaft sustains by the force
shaft flex is given in generalities only. of the swing and the impact of the
Since there are no industry standards, clubface with the ball. Torque has more
every companies designations concerning of an effect on feel than any other
flex can be different. Traditionally, a fitting parameters. The lower the torque
golfer will base a flex decision on swing of the shaft, the more it will feel stiff
speed, or driving distance. Although this in the tip. Torque is no longer
is not the only determining factor, the considered a factor in shaft fitting,
following is a good place to start. with only a couple exceptions; feel, and
Club head speed: those of the player with a very fast
Driving Distance Flex swing speed and a fast tempo, or the
Up to 65 mph 160 player with a very low swing speed. The
yards or less L fast swing speed player should (>95mph),
60-75 mph should not use a shaft with a torque
160- 180 A greater than 5 degrees, and the low swing
75- 90 speed player should not use a torque less
180- 225 R than 3.5 - 4 degrees of torque.
90- 105






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