Golf Shafts for Seniors: Is a Higher Shaft Flex Rating Better?

Whether you’re personally getting on in years or you’re shopping for a special someone in your life that has loved golf for as long as you can remember, it won’t be long before you realize that “golf shafts for seniors” is a term that is more or less synonymous with “more flexible.”

But wait a tick – you also know that the most flexible shafts are considered “tour spec,” or that the most experienced players (including professionals) tend to play with the stiffest shafts possible.

In fact, engineering materials that offer maximum stiffness and sensitivity is a multi-million dollar industry associated with golf.

What gives? Aren’t senior players the most experienced? Golf is one of those rare sports that athletes can play their entire lives. The game is as much about skill and touch as it is about raw power and speed.

So shouldn’t senior players be playing with the stiffest shafts?

Well, no.

Shaft stiffness and fitness to a player’s needs, together, have more to do with swing speed than experience playing the game. Here’s what you need to know.

Shaft Flex and Swing Speed
Here is the general rule you need to follow when it comes to selecting golf shafts, or mating them to player abilities.

The slower the swing speed, the more flexible the shaft should be, generally. The converse is also true. Players with faster swing speeds tend to be better served by stiffer golf shafts.

The reason for this is actually multifactorial, but the main thing you need to know is how shafts load with energy, before releasing it through the club head and into the golf ball.

The higher a player’s swing speed, the less he or she needs an “assist” from the shaft. They’re serving up all the power they need from their swing alone. What they need is a stiff golf shaft that does exactly what they expect every time.

Players with high swing speeds tend to think of more flexible shafts as “whippy.” It can be harder to control them or predict how they will perform.

However, when we take a look at players with slower swing speeds, the opposite is true. Golf ball flight, range, and shot dispersion can all be controlled by swing speed and the golf shaft.

The slower the swing speed, the shorter the range, in general.

But when we add more flexible golf shafts into the equation, the paradigm shifts a little bit.

For players with slower swing speeds, more flexible shafts serve sort of like a spring. They flex through the swing, and then “unflex” either just before, at, or through the point of impact, transferring all of that energy into the ball and magnifying it, like a bow or rubber band.

Why Golf Shafts for Seniors Tend to Be More Flexible
Seniors, even experienced players, on average have slower swing speeds. This is just a natural component of aging, like graying hair or losing height.

Does it mean that senior players lack experience? Not at all. In fact, after all those years on the range and on the course, some senior players, doubtless, are experts.

This is just about matching gear to abilities. It has nothing to do with proficiency. An older player whose swing speed has slowed just a little bit as compared to former days only needs to play with the gear that is best suited to his or her abilities.

Golf Shafts for Seniors and More at Dallas Golf Company
Looking for golf shafts for seniors, and ready to pick out a model that is more flexible, more sensitive, and better suited to your natural abilities?

Visit Dallas Golf Company online at DallasGolf.com. They offer an online shaft fitting tool, and if you’re in their area, you can visit their shop for professional club fitting services.

Visit their store today!

For more information about Fujikura Ventus and Ping Golf Driver Shafts Please visit: Dallas Golf Company Inc.