Maybe you’ve spent all of your time looking through the newest and hottest releases from Mitsubishi and Fujikura, keeping up with the TENSEITM line, the Project X Shafts, and MMTTM technology.
You might be more interested in how a shaft can be made stiffer and more consistent than in how it can be made more flexible, but that’s not the case for all players.
Simply speaking, a senior shaft golf club is a club with a golf shaft that has a senior rating, which means it has a more flexible shaft. Let’s take a look at senior shaft golf clubs and why senior flex shafts are necessary.
Stiffness and Swing Speed
Generally speaking, as a player’s swing speed increases, the less he or she needs to rely on the mechanics and loading of a golf shaft to deliver that energy. The higher the swing speed, the more energy transfers through when hitting the ball. Players with higher swing speeds therefore usually prefer stiffer golf shafts that, despite being less accommodating, allowing for great control, energy transfer, and power.
But not all golfers have such high swing speeds, and as a general rule, senior players tend to have slower golf swings than younger players. But where does club shaft flex factor into this?
The lower a swing speed is, the more the player needs help from the shaft to load and release energy. By increasing the flexibility of a golf shaft, its ability to accommodate slower swing speeds increases as well.
Shafts with high flexibility ratings load with energy like a spring, releasing it as the swing moves downward and the club head contacts the golf ball. Because of this, players with slower swing speeds are able to “add” extra power to their swing. For some of them, playing with an extra stiff golf shaft would simply be frustrating.
Experienced players with higher swing speeds that are used to playing with stiffer graphite shafts or even steel shafts would likely find the “whippy” nature of extra flexible shafts to be off-putting, but for players with slower swing speeds, it’s that spring that gives them extra power and is more forgiving.
Not a Senior, but Have a Slower Swing Speed?
While senior shaft golf clubs are designed for seniors because they tend to have lower swing speeds, there are other alternatives as well.
Players that also have slower swing speeds but are not seniors will find some relief in amateur shafts, ladies’ golf shafts, and even other higher flex golf shafts. Some golf shaft manufacturers create specially designed and rating, extra-flexible golf shafts for the very needs of these players.
There is no single industry standard for evaluating golf shaft flex, and manufacturers often use their own rating systems. All the same, amateur golf shafts tend to be more flexible and may be more suitable for players with slower swing speeds – amateur or not.
Where Can I Buy Senior Shaft Golf Clubs?
Whether you’re looking for senior golf shafts for a senior golfer, or another option to meet your own unique needs, you can check out a wide selection, available online at Dallas Golf Company at DallasGolf.com.
They carry a wide range of senior shaft golf clubs from top manufacturers and even have a unique online golf shaft fitting tool that you can use to evaluate the fitness of a shaft for your unique needs.
You can also visit their location in Dallas, Texas to take advantage of their professional club fitting services to be sure you’ve chosen a golf shaft that meets your needs. Get in touch with them at 800-955-9550 to learn more about their services.
