Golf Tips

How to find the right driver shaft for your swing

To achieve the best results from the tee box, you must consider many unavoidable questions. One of these crucial questions is how to find the right driver shaft for your swing? There is currently a wide range of shafts on the market, and each of them is useful depending on your swing, the physical build of each player, the head of the chosen driver and other factors. But for now, let us only focus on your driver needing to have the correct shaft.

Our team of specialists wants to help you with some guidelines that allow you to find a suitable shaft for your driver. You will indeed find simply indicative concepts, but they will pave the way for you to make the right decision. It is worth noting that there are different methods for choosing the right shaft and the advice that golf instructors usually give.

Shaft length

One of the main characteristics that you must consider is the shaft length. This is very simple: for a rod to be adequate, it cannot be short or long. The shafts can indeed be too long for some clubs. So, it is essential you have to make sure that the face of the driver sits correctly on the ground when you take your position to hit the ball.

If the club has a very long (or very short) shaft, you will be forced to force your swing with the problems this will cause in your game. So, to determine the appropriate length of the shafts, it is necessary to take into account:

The player’s height: if you are over 5.9 feet, you will undoubtedly need shafts longer than the standard measurements. How much longer? At least 1-1.5 inches longer. Meanwhile, if you are less than 5.6 feet, it is suggested to use shorter shafts.

The hand’s distance to the ground: If your hands are an average of 2.3 feet from the ground, the idea is to use standard shafts for your driver.

Keep in mind that using longer clubs will allow you to widen your swing arc and get more distance. At the same time, if the shaft is out of proportion with your body, it will be more challenging to control. And this includes the shaft weight, which will also throw your swing off balance. Finally, the key is that the length of the shaft does not take away your swing control, so you can make long and consistent shots.

Shaft material

Currently, you find shafts for drivers of the most diverse materials and alloys. Choosing the correct shaft based on your swing speed and body is essential. There are very light shafts thanks to materials such as graphite, which allow a more fluid movement due to its lightness. It is necessary to know that the more lightweight the shaft, the more speed you can generate when swinging. Meanwhile, a stiffer shaft will give your swing another tempo.

It is vital to choose the shaft material in correspondence with your body. The larger your physique, we suggest heavier shafts. These can be achieved with the alloy of different materials. In some cases, the driver shaft is similar to the one you have in your irons.

Currently, the shafts allow the weight to be balanced at different points. This mainly affects the stability of your swing. For example, if the weight is on the lower end of the shaft, the driver will feel heavier. In contrast, the club will feel lighter if the weight is at the highest point (the grip).

Shaft flexibility

There are different types of flexibility for golf shafts. Regular, Rigid (Stiff), Extra Rigid and many more.

When choosing a shaft, keep in mind that they can alter the club’s path when you swing if they are too flexible. If that happens, the ball will not have a good trajectory and end up anywhere outside the fairway. On the other hand, if the shaft is too stiff, you will have trouble hitting higher balls. Also, rigid shafts cause most tee shots to end up to the right of the target.

So how to find the proper flex for your driver shaft? For starters, you have to consider your swing speed. Currently, some devices measure the speed of the swing in different positions. The most important is the one you must take at the moment of ball impact, just as your hands move through the follow-through. What did our specialists find?

  • Between 50 and 70 miles per hour: slow swing.
  • Between 70 and 90 miles per hour: medium swing.
  • More than 90 miles per hour: fast swing.

With this information, you will be able to choose the proper shaft flex for your driver. Keep in mind that if your swing is slow and you pick a regular flex, the tendency will be to slice the ball more often than not. If your swing is slow and you select a stiff shaft, you will lose control, reducing distance. Meanwhile, if your swing is medium and you use a senior shaft, you will hit more hooks, losing control and distance. Finally, if your swing is medium and you play with a stiff shaft, your shots will be prone to slice.

There are a lot of combinations depending on the speed of the swing and the shaft flexibility. So, in general, it is critical to take this issue seriously and try the different alternatives that allow you to identify the appropriate flexibility to achieve good golf shots.

Conclusion

Driver shafts have to fit your swing perfectly. This way, you can achieve a controlled swing, which will allow you to achieve precision and distance. That is the goal. It is the only way you can get a big hit off the tee box or anytime you want to drive down the course (even from the fairway).

Aldila, Fujikura, Grafalloy, Accra, and Mitsubishi led the market revolutionising golf. Currently, the supply of shafts for drivers is enormous. And practically all of them are adapted to different brands of golf clubs, body sizes, and swing styles.

How to find the right driver shaft for your swing? Choosing the right shaft for your driver will be a personal decision. The most important thing is that you feel that you have the correct club in your hands and that the results are as expected. If your driver is configured correctly and gives you confidence, you will achieve better results on a golf course.

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