What flex is your shaft?

[Will_Mac]

Stiff driver, hybrids, irons, SW, x-flex for 3W.

Used to be X in driver, woods, hybrids but had lost speed (always preferred stiff in irons even when my speed was up). Seemed to have picked it up again as the 3W keeps working better and I tend to get loose with driver lately.

May throw the RIP Alpha X into driver to test the waters again.

[perseveringgolfer]

'S' in irons except wedges which are 'R'- go figure, it just felt better

[PAgolfer2017]

5 hours ago, PING Apologist #9 said:

I'm a "tweener" Driver SS is low to mid 90's (mostly low), but a stiff flex usually fits me better and that is based mostly on feel. In fact, all my shafts are now of the stiff variety. I started with R-flex with everything and had awful results. After being fitted to a stiff shaft for my first ever driver fitting last year, I have since upgraded all equipment to stiff with very positive results across the board. Are they perfect? No. But they "feel" right and I am comfortable with them all. I can also certainly tell the difference between R & S and R for me just feels like a noodle. I believe for me it has a lot to do with my semi-violent transition...

My 2-cents.

I'm the same way. My swing speed hovers in the middle, but I always do better with heavier shafts. 

[MattF]

Through fittings and trial and error I play S or 6.0 in everything. My driver SS is about 100mph and irons about 88mph but I have an aggressive downswing so the S works for me.

[MSUHOCKEY]

Tempo and transition have more to do with what shafts you should play than swing speed. A smooth 100 mph is a lot different than a quick 100 mph.

[fixyurdivot]

17 hours ago, blackngold_blood said:

More golfers would benefit from leaving their ego out of the equation when it comes to flex. I am a firm believer in playing a shaft that feels right to YOU and helps you put a good swing on it. I use loft to adjust spin and launch.

Good point.  I suspect there is ego/vanity shaft configurations in many bags that aren't the best for that player. I say this because during my recent driver and iron fittings, I kept wanting to hear "stiff shaft needed" for this swing - regular just sounds wimpy .  I think many associate stiff shaft with low handicap players and, much like selecting a ball that their favorite tour pros play as opposed to one that fits their game, allow image to steer the boat.

[DaveP043]

For as long as I can remember, I've played stiff shafts.  I did a driver fitting last Thanksgiving, and ended up with a Graphite Design YS-Six in X flex, even though my clubhead speed was 98-100 mph.  As I understand it, the X flex did a better job of lowering spin.  I have no complaints, I gained 15 yards or so.

[ole gray]

Wait, this is the internet, doesn't everyone play XX flex? 

 

I go with AAA myself as you get better road service

 

 

I game regular flex in all my clubs

 

 

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[Mr_Theoo]

Just had a fitting yesterday and he recommended X in my woods. My irons are 6.5s wedges are X but soft stepped

[GB13]

4 hours ago, perseveringgolfer said:

'S' in irons except wedges which are 'R'- go figure, it just felt better

That actually isn't unusual at all. A lot of players play weaker flexes in their wedges since they are used for more "controlled" shots and don't need the extra stiffness to stabilize the shaft. It also can provide better feel around the green. 

[perseveringgolfer]

1 hour ago, GB13 said:

That actually isn't unusual at all. A lot of players play weaker flexes in their wedges since they are used for more "controlled" shots and don't need the extra stiffness to stabilize the shaft. It also can provide better feel around the green. 

which is exactly why I did it. 

[Rchang]

Stiff for driver and irons to help with timing. I went regular in FW to get more launch off the turf

[ward]

KBS Tour 120 Stiff+ for irons. Hzrdus Smoke 60g Xstiff driver shaft. Aldila MSI 95 Stiff driver shaft in my 3-wood.

Edited June 10, 2019 by ward

[chershey]

I switched from Stiff to X-Flex about 3 months ago after a fitting at Club Champion. I'm loving the feeling of stability I'm getting with the new shafts. I've also picked up distance, but that could just be because I'm striking the ball so much better.

[txgolfjunkie]

On 6/8/2019 at 7:23 PM, russtopherb said:

Wait, this is the internet, doesn't everyone play XX flex? 

Actually, it's XXX

Go hard or go home. 

[bens197]

Actually, it's XXX
Go hard or go home. 

Tipped 4” bruh

[LoganT]

X in the driver stiff in the 3 wood so it’s easier to hit higher and turn it over 6.5 aka x in the irons and dg s300 in the wedges for better feel


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[ZenGolfer]

All regular for me.  My swing is pretty smooth and Im not a long hitter, so regular works well for me.  Ive tried stiff shafts several times in the past and its never gone well.  Everything for me is low and to the right with stiff.

[revkev]

On ‎6‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 3:16 PM, Tomkgolf said:

@PlaidJacket the flexes are extra stiff (X), stiff (S), regular (R), senior (A) and ladies (L) as far as I know but if you're hitting it well does it really matter? 

Tom,

Here's the thing - there is no industry standard for "flex".  I think that's what Plaidjacket was getting at.  In fact shafts may vary in regards to flex even within the same manufacturer - one of their so called S flexes may play weaker than an R flex in another line - for example Aerotech - In their standard line if you were to play their R 110 it would be a stronger shaft than the S flex in the Volant series - in fact that R 110 might be stronger than a lighter weight steel dynamic golf S flex. 

It's all too complicated not to get fit by a competent fitter.

Also more and more OEM's are getting away from the Senior Designation (whatever letter they would use) and are calling that flex a week regular. 

According to the question that you are asking I use the flex that my fitter has fit me for.  I have a very smooth swing and do well with clubs that might seem weaker than my swing speed - at 95 mph I'm between a classic R and an S - I actually have what might be labeled a senior shaft in my driver and kill the thing high and straight - It's exactly the shaft I was fit for.

Good luck with that new shaft in your driver.  The right ones for your game do make a difference.

[chisag]

... To add to what many have said here, just remember how a shaft is designed makes as much or more difference than what flex it is. As a smooth transition swinger with a 100mph driver swing speed that I can get to 105 if I go all out, I can play an X flex with a soft tipped shaft. Yet I have a hard time playing an R flex in a very tip stiff shaft. Additionally if you cast from the top and do not have lag coming into the ball, just about any flex will work for you. K Solheim believed flex hurt early release players and basically had one option, unlabeled X flex shafts in the original Eye 2's and most of us know how successful those irons were. Eli Callaway went the opposite direction putting S flex labels on R flex shafts as well as adding loft so a 9* S flexed driver could be an 11-13* driver with an R flex and ego driven male golfers were hitting it better than any club they previously played and they could not keep them in stock many happily waiting months to get one.