Club Fitting

In this section I have provided you the information that can suit you best in terms of shaft flex, loft and lye. Many times I see a student who may pull, push, hook or fade the ball and it’s a simple matter of shaft flex, loft or lye. Should you ever discover your swing speed, loft and lye through a fitting, you can gauge your initial flex in the charts below. Please take some time to familiarize yourself with the correct flex, loft and lye so you can be fit accordingly. Also, it is important to visit with a club Fitter and your local PGA professional to be fit appropriately – JJ Shaft Flex Selection (Driver & 6 Iron Charts).

Over the last Decade, I’ve studied great club makers such as Tom Wishon, Jason Mueller & Bob Vokey. Below I will share with you a combination of what I have learned from Mr. Wishon & Jason Mueller. Their Expertise on Shaft Flex, Lye, Weight and Torque is superior within the realm of club making.

Shaft Flex: There are five generally used ratings for shaft flex: Extra Stiff, Stiff, Regular, Senior and Ladies, usually denoted by the letters X, S, R, A and L ("A" is used for Senior because this flex was originally called "amateur").

Having a flex that doesn't match the needs of your swing will result in the clubface being misaligned at impact, causing your shots to go off-target.

What Flex Impacts:

Shaft flex impacts, either directly or indirectly, the accuracy, trajectory and distance of your shot. Three pretty important things, eh?

As the shaft flexes throughout the swing, the position of the club head changes. And the face of the club must be Square (perfectly straight) at impact to get the most out of the shot. If you have the wrong flex for your swing, there is less chance that you'll make contact with the ball with a square clubface.  

Shaft Weight: The weight of the shaft is the major factor in determining the total weight of all golf clubs.

While clubhead weight and grip weight can and do vary depending on the golfer's need for a higher swing weight (head weight) or a larger grip size (grip weight), neither the head nor the grip exist in nearly as wide a range of weights as does the shaft. 

During the time of this writing, shafts can be bought that weigh as much as 130 grams (4.6 ounces) or as light as 40 grams (1.4 ounces). Thus, when a golfer switches from an average steel shaft to an average graphite shaft today, the drop in total weight will be in the area of at least 50 grams or more (1.75 ounces).

Swing speed is the most direct factor affecting shot distance. The lighter the total weight of the golf club, the higher the swing speed the golfer should be able to generate with the club.

Torque: While torque has other meanings outside of golf, for the sake of the sport the term applies to a golf club shaft's ability to resist twisting. This twisting will no doubt have an impact on the distance and accuracy of one's shot. Torque can also be thought of as a force that leads to rotation within a golf club, or a measure of approximately how much twist there is in a particular club.

For the purposes of golf, shafts with lower torque are typically of higher performance and provide more forgiveness in terms of accuracy. Meanwhile, those clubs with higher torque tend to features less accuracy. Flexible shafts are known for having higher torque, due in part to their increased ability to bend.

The flex of a golf club shaft is the energy stored during the downswing, upon which it is released at the point of impact. This flex is directly correlated with torque, in that the more a club can flex the better it can rotate around its axis (which, in essence, is the definition of torque). Of course, the more flex there is in a golf club, the more torque--and in all likelihood-- the less accuracy and forgiveness on a golf shot.

For those who tend to slice their shots, selecting a shaft with some torque is ideal as it will result in more squaring up of the clubhead at the point of impact. On that note, it might be best to purchase a graphite shaft over a steel shaft, as steel has very little torque. As a rule, the bigger the slice, the more torque necessary to square up shots.

Meanwhile, those who tend to hook their shots should choose a club with very little torque, as it will keep the club head squared up. On that note, it might be best to choose a steel shaft in this instance, as steel has very little torque.

A club which is too upright for the golfer will hit the ground with the heel of the club, causing the clubface to close and resulting in a pull or hook (for right-handed players.) A club which is too flat will hit the ground with the toe of the club causing the clubface to open and resulting in a push or slice (for right-handed players.)

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