What happens if my driver shaft is too heavy?
Emily Sparks
Published Jan 11, 2026
The heavier a shaft is, the more likely it is that your golf ball will fly low and with less spin. If it's lighter, the ball will tend to fly higher and spin more. As Briand explains, the weight of a shaft has less impact on swing speed than golfers think, but that lighter shafts could increase the rate of closure.
How do I know if my driver shaft is too heavy?
If you are struggling to swing through the ball, and are pushing your shots, it is likely the driver shaft is too heavy for your swing. A heavy driver shaft will further reduce your clubhead speed, which will limit your ability to generate sufficient ball speed.
What happens if golf shaft too heavy?
Nippon suggested that a player should be able to tell largely by feel. 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.
What does a heavier weight driver shaft do?
A key factor in maximizing swing speed is maximizing muscle activation, which is why certain golfers can swing heavier shafts faster than lighter shafts. Slightly heavier shafts can activate additional muscle groups, effectively “turning on” more speed in a golfer's swing.
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.
40 related questions foundIs 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.
How do I know what shaft weight is right for me?
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. Iron shafts can be as light as 55 grams in graphite, and 130 grams in steel.
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.
Will a heavier shaft help a slice?
The heavier shafts often have less torque and thus twists less on impact thereby fighting slices and hooks and providing straighter shots.
Do I need a heavier driver shaft?
The heavier a shaft is, the more likely it is that your golf ball will fly low and with less spin. If it's lighter, the ball will tend to fly higher and spin more. As Briand explains, the weight of a shaft has less impact on swing speed than golfers think, but that lighter shafts could increase the rate of closure.
How does a heavier shaft affect swing weight?
Adjust the swingweight of a club by installing a heavier or lighter shaft. The swingweight increases by one swingweight point for every 9g of shaft weight added. The swingweight decreases by one swingweight point for every 9g of shaft weight removed.
What happens if your iron shafts are too soft?
It also will be hard to square the clubhead at impact, meaning you will have a tendency to hit your shots to the right. "Play the most flexible shaft you can control," said Scott Hennessey, president of True Temper shafts. "If it's too soft, you'll spray the ball all over the place."
Is a heavier golf shaft stiffer?
This myth is trashed. Let's start with spin. Some testers did have their lowest launch and spin with the heavier, stiffer shafts, but one player spun the heaviest shaft the most and three players spun the stiffest shaft the most. The results for launch were even more contrary.
What shaft weight should I use for my driver?
The shafts in the drivers of most golfers are probably in the 60 gram bracket. These shafts are light enough to help with speed yet heavy enough to give that feeling of more stability during the swing. This shaft weight will be beneficial to most golfers out there.
How much does shaft weight matter?
The Importance of Shaft Weight
To further complicate matters, torque, flex, and bend profile can all impact an athlete's perception of shaft weight. Theoretically, a lighter shaft would mean a faster swing than a heavier one, but in reality, not all golfers increase their speed when their shaft is lightened.
Will a heavier shaft reduce spin?
Shafts that are heavier tend to do the opposite, lowering ball flight and spin rates. When considering the length of the club, improper length can, many times, lead to shots that are not struck in the center of the clubface.
What weight shaft does Bryson DeChambeau use?
According to Schomin, along with the 190-gram head, Bryson is using a 48-inch version of the LA Golf Axis Blue 60 X shaft he plays on the PGA TOUR.
What happens if golf shaft is too light?
Worse, a clubhead that's too light often results in poor swing mechanics like deceleration in the downswing, sequencing issues and a swing path that hits the ball with a glancing blow. “Efficient golfers hit with their body and get their body weight into it,” Mucklow says.
Should 3 wood shaft be heavier than driver?
Your fairway wood shafts should be slightly (5 to 15 grams) heavier than your driver shaft. So if you are playing a 65 gram driver shaft (noted by a numeral 6. 65, or some other designation on the shaft decal), your fairway woods should be 70 to 80 grams.
Does swing weight matter?
Swing weight is important to get the most out of every swing. If a golf club feels too heavy, the golfer has to swing harder, can find it difficult to swing, and tires out through the round. Heavier clubs and a tired golfer means less speed and less speed means less distance.
How much does shaft weight affect swing speed?
On average, the weight of the shaft does not play a huge impact on swing speed. This seems reasonable when you realize that the difference between the 40- and 70-gram shafts is less than the weight of a golf ball.
What happens if a golf shaft is too flexible?
Having a shaft that is too flexible can also cause the ball to hook uncontrollably, because the shaft bends incorrectly, it will come through with a closed clubface causing the ball to go left, this is because the shaft can't handle your swing speed, and the head is rotating too much.
How do I know if my iron shafts are too weak?
The player with a shaft that is too weak for them is going to hit the ball too high and spin the ball too much and miss to the left side.”
Is D5 swing weight too heavy?
If it feels too heavy at D5, you can remove strips of lead tape one by one until it feels right. If your driver is heavier than D5, ask your club fitter to add a heavier grip or a counterweight to reduce swing weight to D5. Get Fitted By A TPT Authorized Fitter.
How much weight do I need to change swing weight?
An accepted rule of thumb is that increasing or decreasing the weight of the clubhead by 2 grams will increase or decrease the swingweight by 1 and the same impact would be achieved by adding or subtracting 5 grams to or from the grip and 9 grams to or from the shaft.