Wednesday 15 June 2011

Regular & Stiff Golf Shafts, What's the difference?

When a golfer comes to take the consideration of buying a new Golf Club they should decide which kind of shaft they need. There are two options regular and stiff. Which one is the best one for you? It may depends on your swing speed and tempo, which have a definitive effect on the distance and control of the shot. I will talk about the difference between regular and stiff golf shafts. I hope it will be helpful for you to choose the right one.

First let's come to the Flex
Flex is a measure of the club's ability to bend during the swing and is the single most important factor as it relates to overall distance and control. Golfer with faster swing speeds always prefer stiff shafts, because it will improve accuracy. However those golfers with slower swing speed tend to hit better when their shift has greater flex.

Then the weight
The weight refers to the actual uncut weight of the raw material before installation. In general, graphite shafts tend to be lighter than steel shafts, but also have much greater flex. Lighter shafts typically provide greater club head speed and distance.

Third the Torque
Torque relates to the way the shaft twists during the swing and is measured with a rating--the higher the rating, the greater the twist. Clubs with more torque will have a softer feel and give the ball a higher trajectory while ones with less torque, especially steel shafts, will give the ball a lower trajectory.

Fourth the Alignment
A number of factors can adversely affect the alignment, from an imperfection in the material to the shaft not being perfectly round, which can affect the trajectory of the ball. A simple spine alignment should sort any issues out, ensuring that the spine of the shaft falls directly behind the golfer's target line.

Next we'll see the Kick-point
The kick-point refers to the place on the shaft where the bending actually occurs. A shaft with a low kick-point will usually give the ball a high trajectory and provide the feeling that the shaft is whipping the club's head through while a high kick-point has the opposite effect, giving the ball a low trajectory and make the shaft feel very stiff.

Generally speaking, longer shafts provide greater distance and have more flex. While, the most important is that each golfer find the shaft which is the proper length for him or her. This can be achieved by ensuring that a shaft is cut based on the distance from the floor to the crease where the golfer's wrist and hand meet.

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