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How do I know if my golf shaft is too soft?

Author

Daniel Moore

Published Jan 09, 2026

When To Move To A Stiffer Shaft?

  1. Feels 'whippy' in your hands.
  2. Feels too light.
  3. Your ball is ballooning in the air.
  4. Your ball is behind your pitch mark when you hit your driver.
  5. You ball spins to much on the greens when you approach with your irons.
  6. Your accuracy has dropped.
  7. You start hitting hooks.

What happens when golf shaft is too soft?

Incorrect flex

A golfer using a shaft that is too flexible may experience a ball flight that is too high, a ball that spins too much, or a shot pattern that has inconsistent dispersion.

How do I know if my shaft is too weak?

A golf shaft that is too weak will flex excessively throughout the golf swing, creating an inconsistent release point. Swinging with a weak shaft flex can hurt you in both windy and wet conditions.

What happens if golf shaft is too flexible?

When a golf shaft is too flexible, you will not be able to hit the ball straight. You will also end up losing a bit of distance. When a golf shaft is too flexible, it isn't easy to control the clubface and get it to square up at impact.

How do you know if you need a stiff or regular shaft?

To check your swing speed a shot tracking device will be the most accurate method. Based on your swing speeds here are our recommendations: 80-95 mph swing speeds should use regular shafts. 90-105 mph swing speeds should use stiff shafts.

45 related questions found

Is there a big difference between stiff and regular flex?

The regular flex golf shaft is more flexible and easier for slower swing speed golfers to swing than the stiff flex golf shaft. A stiff flex golf shaft creates more resistance in the swing of a golfer. Therefore when they attempt to hit the ball with a bit more speed, they can get the incredible distance.

Is Stiff flex good for beginners?

Beginners may acquire clubs from friends or family and not consider the flex of their shafts. Shaft options include senior, ladies, regular, firm, stiff, x-stiff. Length – shafts can be cut different lengths – for most beginners, standard length is fine, unless you are an abnormal height.

Can a flexible shaft cause a slice?

When the clubhead gets to the ball, the shaft won't unload properly and the face will remain slightly open, causing a slice. Other swing problems also can cause a slice, of course, but shafts that are too stiff can make the problem worse.

What shaft weight should I use?

In general, golfers with slower swing speed and tempo can and should play a lighter shaft. Golfers with very fast speeds and tempo should play heavier shafts. Driver shafts typically weigh 55-60 grams for men and 45-50 grams for ladies.

What happens if my iron shafts are too light?

Too light of a shaft encourages an early unhinging of the wrists in the downswing, a swing flaw shown here with an iron known as casting that robs you of speed. Mucklow's data also shows that a heavier shaft improves your swing path.

How can I tell my swing speed?

Divide the ball speed by 1.5 to get the estimated swing speed for your drive. Alternatively, you can divide the carry distance by 2.3 to estimate the swing speed at impact, but the result will not be as accurate.

How far should you hit a 7 iron?

A standard amateur golfer can hit a 7 iron from 128 yards to 158 yards. The lower range will be for women and senior golfers. To hit the ball over 150 yards in total distance with a 7 iron club, an amateur golfer will have to have a good swing and be physically fit.

Does 10 grams make a difference in golf shaft?

While most focus more on shaft flex, shaft weight is equally important. 10 grams may not sound like a big deal, but during the golf swing, it can make a big difference. This weight can make a big difference to feel, clubhead speed and dispersion (the accuracy of your drives).

How many grams should my shaft be?

The shafts in most drivers typically weigh between 40 grams and 85 grams. Shaft manufacturers will offer stiff and regular flex in nearly all weight classes while most light and ladies flex clubs will weigh no more than 55 or 60 grams, but could be as light as 40 grams.

What happens if driver shaft is too light?

A shaft that's too heavy will cause a “labored golf swing.” A shaft that's too light will hurt your ability to make solid contact. When you find the right shaft weight, you'll experience a “high energy swing” with uniform contact.

Will a stiffer shaft increase distance?

If the shaft flex is too stiff, your average distance will remain low.

How do I know what flex shaft to use?

Some General Guidelines About Shaft Flex

  1. Take a look at the distance you hit your driver. ...
  2. If you have a very smooth swing, you might benefit from a softer flex even if you swing fast. ...
  3. If your drives go left, you might benefit from a stiffer flex; if your drives go right, you might benefit from a softer flex.

Are graphite shafts better for beginners?

The graphite shafts are more forgiving and do not sting when you mishit, and beginner golfers should take advantage of that. Also, the lighter graphite shafts make the irons go farther when hit well, so it is a win-win for golfers in the game improvement section.

Do all pros use stiff shafts?

Most PGA Tour pros will use stiff or extra stiff in their shafts. It is rare to find someone swinging a regular shaft with the amount of swing speed those guys have.

Does Tiger Woods use a regular or stiff shaft?

For example, Tiger Woods who consistently hits shots longer than 300 yards has a Regular shaft in his driver.

Are steel or graphite shafts better?

Typically, steel shafts are much heavier, more durable and are generally less expensive than their graphite counterparts. They are more often than not made from stainless steel and they tend to weigh in between around 90g-120g. Torque or lateral twisting found in all graphite shafts is lower in steel irons.

Is a 65 gram shaft heavy?

What is this? This is your average shaft weight, most regular, stiff and x-stiff shafts are 65 grams. Mid to low handicap golfers would use a 65 gram shaft. The 65 gram weight helps players with swing speeds of 90mph to 105mph generate enough speed while still keeping the head under control.

Is a 70 gram driver shaft too heavy?

A 70-gram driver shaft is considered to be pretty heavy but not the heaviest. It falls into the middle but is still on the heavier side when you consider you could go with 50 or 60 grams instead.

Why do I hit my 3 wood as far as my driver?

Players who hit their 3- or 5-wood as far or longer than their driver are typically using too little loft with the driver for their clubhead speed. You know, it's a funny thing with the driver and its loft compared to the other clubs in the bag.

How far should a 70 year old man hit a golf ball?

A 70-year-old man should be hitting a driver anywhere from 180 to 190 yards. This number has grown a bit in the last few years with the introduction of improved driver and shaft technology. At 70 years old, some golfers are having no trouble getting the ball to fly 200 yards or more.