Shaft flex is the spec people most often get wrong when buying clubs, and the one that's hardest to fix afterwards. Get it right and the club releases properly at impact. Get it wrong and you'll fight your ball flight no matter how well you swing.
What Does Shaft Flex Mean?
Shaft flex is how much the shaft bends during your swing. Different flexes suit different swing speeds, and the right one lets the club release properly at impact.
Too stiff and you'll tend to lose distance and leak shots right. Too soft and the face closes early, which is where a lot of unexplained hooks come from.
Swing Speed vs Tempo: What's the Difference?
- Swing Speed: This is the actual velocity of the clubhead at impact. The faster the swing speed the more stiff the flex of the club.
- Tempo: This is the rhythm of your swing or basically how fast or slow the swing feels relative to itself. Tempo is independent of swing speed.
- Examples:
- Jim Furyk has a slow-tempo swing where his backswing and downswing move in a smooth, measured rhythm.
- Jon Rahm has a faster-tempo swing where his motion is quicker but still consistent and rhythmic.
- Examples:
Why tempo matters: A higher-tempo swing often benefits from a slightly heavier shaft within the same flex, while a slower-tempo swing may perform better with a lighter shaft.
Shaft Flex & Weight Reference
Most drivers, woods, and hybrids come in these common flexes. Within each flex, shaft weight can also be adjusted based on your tempo (see the section above):
| Flex | Swing Speed (km/h) | Driver Shaft (g) | Iron Shaft (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ladies | ≤110 | 40–55 | 80–95 |
| Senior / SR | 110–130 | 50–65 | 95–105 |
| Regular | 130–145 | 55–75 | 105–115 |
| Stiff | 145–170 | 65–85 | 115–130 |
| Extra Stiff | 170+ | 75–95+ | 125–140 |
Tip: Lighter shafts can help slower swingers generate more clubhead speed, while heavier shafts stabilize the club for fast swingers.
How to Measure Your Swing Speed
Modern golfers have several ways to determine their swing speed:
- Professional Fitting: A certified fitter can measure your swing and recommend the ideal shaft flex. Although, I don't recommend this option unless your handicap is in the single digits as they can be expensive and it's better to spend money on other things to help with your score.
- Driving Ranges with Launch Monitors: Many ranges now have launch monitors that display swing speed and ball flight metrics. It's best to test on a variety of different clubs to get an average across your driver, irons, wedges, woods, and hybrids. This helps ensure your shaft selection is consistent across your entire bag.
Putting It All Together
- Determine your swing speed: Use a launch monitor or professional fitting.
- Check your tempo: Slow or fast rhythm may shift your shaft choice within a flex range. There's no exact metric to assess this but it's more of a feel or observation.
- Select flex and weight: Use the table above to choose the right combination for drivers, woods, hybrids, and irons.
That's it. It's a ten-minute job at a range with a launch monitor, and it'll save you buying a club that never suited you in the first place.
Once you know your flex, our golf club distances chart can help you set realistic expectations for each club, and if you're deciding between a forgiving set and a players iron, see our forgiving irons vs blades guide. Building a full bag from scratch? Our beginners guide to used golf clubs covers the rest. And every club we sell is graded Head/Shaft/Grip out of 10. See how we grade condition for what each score means.
Worked out your flex? No clubs are live right now, but tell us the category, hand, and flex you need and we'll email you the exact link when a genuine match has been checked, photographed, and graded. No discount codes, no fake countdowns.
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