Some Tips on Getting the Right Shafts

I found a short article over at Golf Digest called Finding the Right Shaft for Your Golf Clubs that has some good info but is far too short. Still, I think the few thoughts passed on by Dana Upshaw from Dana Golf might help you sort out whether your swing problems are caused by your shafts.



Upshaw says there are three main keys to getting the right shafts:

• Fit the flex to the clubhead speed at impact.
• Fit the shaft weight to the downswing tempo.
• Fit the bending profile to the wrist release point.

He also says that shaft weight (the second key listed above) is "...critical but not for the reason most believe." Upshaw says that you need a heavier shaft is your downswing is very fast.

Obviously, a faster downswing requires a stiffer shaft flex -- at least, it does with a modern swing. A classic swing is a different animal altogether but I doubt many of you swing like Bobby Jones or Harry Vardon.

And although he doesn't say, I'm guessing that the bending profile (the third key) refers to the kick point height and that the faster your downswing is, the higher your kick point should be. (The kick point as where your shaft bends the most during your swing. A shaft with a low kick point is more flexible down near the club head. Low kick points make the ball fly higher. Faster swings create more spin, which means the ball flies higher anyway, so fast swingers often prefer a higher kick point.)

While it's not a lot of info, it should at least give you a place to start when you shop for new clubs. It always helps when you have some idea what your clubfitter is talking about!