There is a rather humorous tendencies of some golfers to blame the equipment when they don’t play well. The good news is this is sometimes actually true. Many golfers buy equipment that doesn’t match their style of play or natural abilities. In this article, we take a look at club shaft flex and how it can impact your handicap.

What is shaft flex? The golf shaft runs between the grip and the golf head. As the name suggests, the flex refers to the ability of the shaft to flex when force is applied to it. The force, of course, occurs in the swing of the club. The flex is obviously different depending on the swing you are taking and the circumstances of the shot.

If you look at shafts in a golf shop, you’ll see letters reading one of the following: X, S, R, L and A. These are the flex ratings for the shaft. They refer to extra stiff, stiff, regular, ladies and senior ratings. Why an “A” for seniors? Seniors used to be considered amateurs from a golf perspective, which is no doubt news to those on the professionals senior tour!

So, why is flex important? Well, the correct flex for you swing will create a flush, powerful swing that produces accurate shots. The wrong flex can result in the opposite of all three of these. Why? You lose control of the club face. When it hits the ball, you have no real idea where it is going and that is simply a miserably frustrating way to play golf.

Okay, so which flex should you go with? First off, put down the extra stiff big boy. This is only for people driving in the 300 yard range. A person carrying drives consistently over 250 should go with stiff or regular if you have a very smooth swing. 220 to 250 should be a regular flex with down to 200 being the senior level. Anything below 200 should be done with the ladies rating. These, however, are general guidelines.

In this modern era of golf, you should take the time to meet with a club professional to review your game and the best flex for your swing if you are really serious about the game. Only then will you be able to know whether you can really blame your equipment for that horrible shot you just hit!

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Filed under: GPS Reviews

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