Q&A: DRIVER SHAFT: Shaft Flex Point?
Oktober 30, 2011
So today I went to my local golf shop to test out some new drivers, as mine is really nothing more than a waste of space. After using their swing analysis tool and hitting about 60 or so golf balls, I found my average swing speed to be 111mph and driving the ball consistantly over 260 – putting me way beyond the limits of my old regular flex shaft, and leading me to find out that there is more to a club than just its degree of flex.
While testing the new Nike Mach Speed Turbo (stiff shaft) and finding myself unable to square the clubface consistantly (which hasn’t been a problem for me in the past when I have used a stiff shaft), I asked if they had any clubs with an extra-stiff shaft. They didn’t, but the employee also told me that an extra-stiff shaft, while parhaps beneficial for my high clubhead speed, might not be the key to helping me square the clubface…
That’s when he brought out the Callaway Diablo Edge Tour (stiff shaft), and I started absolutely crushing balls; even breaking the 300 yard barrier on several occasions. The guy said something to me about most drivers flexing a lot toward the bottom of the shaft near the head, and that this one flexed closer to the middle, but I can’t really remember what it was he was talking about.
Since I don’t really have $ 300 to buy the driver, I’m hoping to find a similar one online. I’m wondering if someone might be able to help me understand what it was the instructor was talking about, so I may look for the right information I need when shopping for clubs. Anyone know what this guy was talking about??
Thanks a lot for your help!
Best answer:
Answer by ds
I think you are referring to kick point.If you were able to push on both ends of a shaft at the same time with quite a bit of force, it would bend under the load. Because the shaft is tapered, it would bend at a point closer to the smaller-diameter tip end than to the larger-diameter butt end. A low-kick-point shaft has this flex point closer to the tip and produces a higher launch angle; a high-kick-point shaft has this bend point only about 5 inches from the low kick point, closer to the butt end of the shaft, and produces a lower launch angle. Some shafts also bend in the middle thus having a mid kick point. So it sounds like you were trying out a driver with a low kick point shaft.
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There is more to look at when it comes to Shaft stiffness and flex or bend point and that is torque. The shaft flex will determine how the shaft feels when you swing it and the flex point will go a long way in controlling the flight. A high flex or bend point will produce a low boring flight, a mid flex slightly higher and a low flex point produces a high soft flight pattern. Torque refers to the amount of twisting the shaft will allow and a high torque such as 4.5 – 5* will allow a slow head speed to square up the face while a low torque shaft of 2 -3* will benefit a fast swing speed by squaring faster. Some manufactures use an inexpensive shaft as their standard fit and offer shaft upgrades as an option. Most inexpensive shafts have a high degree of torque and don’t suit high swing speeds. The Callaway Edge Tour model has a lower torque shaft than the standard model and suited your swing speed. If you go to Ebay to try to find a driver make sure that you can find out how much torque the shaft is rated for and also opt for a shaft that weighs more than 65 grams. Good luck with your search and I agree that the Tour Model Edge is a pretty sweet driver and who knows maybe someone is selling one that was just to stiff for them.
To start, what he is talking about is kick. Each driver has low mid and high kick. The mid kick drivers are amazing and yes, it seems like you crush the ball when you start out and almost all the time it continues like that. Let me get to the point before I go into story mode, Taylor made Tour pro shafts, and almost any other tour pro shaft is great, look for stiff flex and mid kick.
Ok now story, last year I broke my driver shaft and I demo’d a Taylor Made Burner with a TP shaft. The shaft is expensive as all get out, (which i now know that the shaft of the club makes up about 75% of the price of a golf club). I got the club re shafted with a aloila sz that was by cobra. Low and behold I find out that every golf company has a deal with shaft companies to where the shaft company will make a standard shaft, senior, regular and stiff flex, paint it any color the driver maker wants and then ship it off. In essence the shafts are the same, so if you are planning on buying a new driver, YOU MUST make sure that the shaft is the legit shaft, not the company knockoff.
Hope this helps!
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