Signs You Need a Stiffer Shaft


In the game of golf, equipment is everything.

A golfer carrying a 150-mph driver swing speed will get different yardages from a customized, personalized golf club and one off the shelf.

But for casual golfers who don’t want to spend the money on a fitting but want to get more from their gear, how do they better?

signs you need a stiffer shaft

Too many golfers are playing the wrong flex based on their swing speed, so one of the first places we encourage our students to look is with their shaft flex.

So what are the signs you need a stiffer shaft? We will help get you in the proper shaft flex to help you get more control and distance for your game.

Understanding Shaft Flex


Before you can know what golf shaft you need to build faster swing speed, you should understand the different types of golf shafts for your clubs.

Here are the five types of shafts, each offering a more personalized experience. As we move through this list, remember that the further down the list, the stiffer the shaft becomes.

Ladies Flex

For golfers with lower clubhead speed, a Ladies flex shaft typically fits most women players.

These club shafts are softer and provide more whip to help generate more swing speed for weekend warriors struggling to get more distance from their driver.

Any swing speed that registers less than 72 MPH with their driver should use the ladies driver shaft flex. This grouping includes junior or senior-aged golfers clocking this swing speed at the course.

Senior Flex

For swing speeds that fall in the 72-83 mph range, golf industry manufacturers have designated their senior flex shafts for use.

Although it’s technically a stiffer golf shaft than the ladies flex but a more flexible shaft than a regular flex, the senior flex is the best shaft flex for experienced golfers who cover more than 150 yards with their drives.

Regular Flex

Best for golfers with an average clubhead speed, regular flex shafts are the most common type of shaft found among casual players and LPGA professional golfers.

This is the right shaft flex for players who clock an 84-96 mph swing speed with their drivers.

Stiff Flex

For golfers who pop the ball around 250 yards with their driver, the stiff golf shaft is ideal for your game. This graphite shaft offers a stiffer feel compared to the regular flex model.

Although so many golfers in this range don’t register at the top of high swing speeds, they need the rigidity of the stiff flex in order to create the best ball flight for their drives.

Extra Stiff Shaft Flex

Finally, the extra stiff flex rating covers the highest swing speeds among golfers. Typically, you’ll find most PGA Tour players with a driver swing speed that routinely eclipses 105 mph.

Also known as the x-stiff shaft, these golf shafts offer almost zero whip on the downswing, helping the strongest players maintain club head speed to produce greater distance than stiff and regular golf shafts.

How do you know if you need a stiff shaft?


Two indicators can help you discover that you need to play with stiffer shafts in your golf clubs. The first is the total distance from your driver.

You must upgrade to a stiff shaft if you are crushing the golf ball over 250 yards with a regular flex shaft. In some cases, players are using regular shafts when they need extra stiff shafts.

So, first, look at your driver distance when evaluating your need for a stiffer shaft.

If your overall driver distance is on the margins, we suggest you look at your swing speed with the driver.

If you are swinging the driver around 95mph, then you should definitely look at stiff flex shafts in all your clubs, especially your driver and fairway woods.

A great way to quickly measure your total distance, the launch angle of your ball flight, and overall swing speed is by visiting a local launch monitor and taking a few dozen swings to get a nice average.

How to tell if a driver’s shaft is too flexible?


One of the only ways you can tell if the shaft stiffness is too flexible is by swinging the golf club as hard as you can muster.

We don’t want you to get injured, so take some time warming up, but once you feel loose, get a good swing as close to max velocity as possible.

Do these graphite shafts feel like they are bending on the downswing? If so, there’s a good chance your golf shaft is far too soft for your ball speed.

Golf clubs with a steel shaft feel incredibly solid on the downswing, and you want to mimic that solid feel.

Remember, a softer shaft will force you to lose distance and could cause wayward ball flight, so you want to find a shaft that matches your swinging speed to create square contact.

What happens if shaft flex is too soft?


If you aren’t playing with the right shaft and your flex is far too soft, you’ll face many problems that will undermine your consistency and ability to maximize distance with each swing.

Most golfers who need a heavier shaft because there’s too much whip in their shaft on the downswing, are costing themselves a ton of yardage.

One of the biggest effects of a softer golf shaft is too much spin at impact.

Since backspin creates shot height, hitting the ball on an upward incline due to a flexible shaft can send your ball skyward, creating a tremendous loss of length for your drives.

The worst thing a golfer can do is know that their shaft is too soft and then try to compensate for it with their hands. This adjustment creates swing flaws, and then they lose all ability to influence where they hit the ball.

What happens if my shaft is not stiff enough?


For stronger players who should be playing a stiff to extra stiff flex shaft, a regular flex shaft can cause timing issues with impact. If the hands are too far ahead and the face stays open, you hit the worst slice of your life.

If you are also struggling with your swing mechanics, playing with a softer golf shaft can create problems because you can’t get your club face back to square.

Yes, other factors are at play when playing with a softer shaft, but the main issue is the placement of the hands. Using a properly shafted driver, you can focus instead on making the best contact possible with the ball.