Shaft flex through your bag

[CoCoRover 24]

I recently bought new irons, and was fitted for the first time. They have stiff flex shafts, would this indicate that my driver (and other clubs) should be stiff too? 

[cnosil 16,667]

I recently bought new irons, and was fitted for the first time. They have stiff flex shafts, would this indicate that my driver (and other clubs) should be stiff too? 

I would say no. All shafts have bend profiles that control how the load and unloads and bends during the swing. Also there is no standard between manufacturers. One companies stiff is another’s regular.
Based on the clubs you select and how you swing the other clubs you may find you need a shaft that is labeled with a different flex.
Also, when you get to wedges some people like to go down in flex since they primarily take partial swings.

[jlukes 13,576]

There are no absolutes.  If you talk to a good fitter, they would often say weight is more important than stiffness.

That being said, it is not uncommon for people to play the same flex throughout the bag.  But again, it is not uncommon for someone to play xstiff in the driver and 3w and stiff throughout the rest of the bag.

As @cnosil said there is no universal system for flex or bend profile, and it is why fitting for each component is ideal.  

[CoCoRover 24]

Thanks for the replies. I’m going to book a lesson/ fitting for my driver and see if I can get straighten out! I’ve been hitting farther than ever this year, but also high hooks come out of nowhere and ruin my confidence and round. 

[revkev 22,870]

You've got the jest of it - my pro in Wisconsin would actually play X in driver and R in 3 wood (he wanted a higher ball flight).  In the end the lack of an industry standard makes generalization impossible. 

[fixyurdivot 10,559]

Echoing what some of our most knowledgeable forum members have already stated but, in answer to your question, no.  My driver, 3w and 5w are stiff but my irons are R-flex. 

[Micah T 941]

I play a TX driver, but just a stiff 3w and stiff for my irons.


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[Jwhite86 244]

2 hours ago, revkev said:

You've got the jest of it - my pro in Wisconsin would actually play X in driver and R in 3 wood (he wanted a higher ball flight).  In the end the lack of an industry standard makes generalization impossible. 

I basically do the same thing... TX in the driver, and regular flex in my hybrids... allows me to really get them up in the air so I'm able to hold greens

[NRJyzr 566]

On top of the other comments, not everyone has the same gap in swingspeed between their driver & fwy woods and their irons.  They should be treated individually when making shaft selections.

[DiscipleofPenick 2,129]

I am X flex and I was fitted for X in the driver. I bought wood, hybrid, and irons in X thereafter. The wedges are the Wedge flex DG makes.

Take Dead Aim

[yaksta 9]

I have JPX825 irons in Reg, G400 Crossover in Stiff and G25 Driver in Stiff. I'm currently looking for a Reg Ping G25 shaft to put in my driver

[CarlH 5,247]

No, shaft flex (i.e. the letter designation of R, S, X, etc) has no real meaning from company to company or really between irons and drivers.  Like being fit for your irons, you should also be fit for your driver and fairway metals/hybrids.  My driver is rated stiff, yet all other clubs in my bag carry a regular rating.  Find what works for you.

[tommc23 9,880]

On 8/12/2020 at 8:50 AM, jlukes said:

There are no absolutes.  If you talk to a good fitter, they would often say weight is more important than stiffness.

That being said, it is not uncommon for people to play the same flex throughout the bag.  But again, it is not uncommon for someone to play xstiff in the driver and 3w and stiff throughout the rest of the bag.

As @cnosil said there is no universal system for flex or bend profile, and it is why fitting for each component is ideal.  

This is exactly what I was going to say about the driver and 3w section. 

[Buffly 558]

On 8/12/2020 at 5:09 AM, CoCoRover said:

I recently bought new irons, and was fitted for the first time. They have stiff flex shafts, would this indicate that my driver (and other clubs) should be stiff too? 

The short answer: it could be your flex for your whole set without issue. 

However, as others have said, flex is not universal and may vary on club type. 

The long answer: I play 3 flexes in my set. A college player I know swings driver at 125-130mph (360 yard drives) which is X-stiff but, plays stiff in his irons. 

My driver, woods, hybrid, irons, and Sand wedge are all stiff flex. My driving iron is X-stiff. My lob wedge is regular flex. 

I could easily game any club in stiff flex. X stiff can feel boardy at times. Regular I could play but I could balloon a few shots. 

The correct flex helps transfer accelerating energy through the ball. Too stiff won't load properly and too light will stay flexed through impact. (Very general statements for examples)

I like less than full swing clubs to be soft=lob wedge with a reg flex. 

I went X-stiff in my driving iron, and toyed with it in my 3 wood, to get more control and tighter dispersion=worked out well. 

I hope that helps to understand parts of what might go into why people might have different flexes in their set. There are many, many more variables so, this is only a piece.