For the older and weaker golfer

[oyamtr]

For those of us getting older, like 55+, if you have switched to senior flex, what thing(s) made up your mind for you?  If you did switch, which shaft did you get and was it hard to adjust to or control it?

[ArtMBgolf]

Go by swing speed and strength, not age.  

[Baitkiller]

55 is old..

Never knew.  s*** hurts but still have some power. 

Moved to lighter shafts and swing weight 2 years ago to help with endurance.  Still in stiff but D2 now.

Its helped.

[BIG STU]

I am 63 and recently switched---- I am strong for my age and a decent SS until I broke my back last April--- I ended up switching ( see my signature) which anyone who knows me on here will tell you is a drastic change. But even though I am still in the process of recovery the lighter shafts and being graphite took a lot off of me far as pain and vibration. The driver especially made a big difference. I am getting pre accident distances swinging 75% / 80%. I also had to shorten my backswing some too due to pain on extension. I also did the "Old Man" thing I am now carrying a 7 and 9 wood on the top end do not have to swing as hard as with a 4 or 5 iron. I do still carry a 5 iron for certain shots though. In all honesty I had to suck it up and throw away my "Man Card" but at least I am still playing. 

[NCDuffer]

57.  Went graphite in the 60g range and senior flex two years ago. Some days were good but many more bad...tempo and direction.  I’m now in KBS Tour 90 Regular flex (D2 sw) and a little longer, much smoother tempo, and on line often. Love my 4 Wood and 7 Wood.  Still enjoy my 5 iron. But haven’t figured out how to hit a 4 hybrid and wonder if I should cut it down to 4 iron length.

[disco111]

I've been searching and fighting the loss of distance for more years than I care for. This d**m game is way to addicting.........Have gone to senior lite graphite's and strong lofts, which both equally accomplished nothing. I still have to club up to compensate for distance and some times as much as 2 clubs. But I guess at 77 I should be grateful that I can still play at all, but it's tough to realize that no matter what you do, Father time will always be sticking it to you......  

[Dpavs]

Unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you view it... getting fitted (or doing a self fitting) is the only real answer IMO. Ignore the flex on the shaft and use whatever works best. There simply is no hard and fast rule on what will work best for you as you consider all the factors including dispersion, distance, feel, etc.

 

P.S. This doesn't have to be a formal fitting if you have access to some place where you can try different shafts with the various driver heads.

Edited March 6, 2021 by Dpavs

[IPA4Me]

Dropped from a 55 gram driver shaft to 50 recently and it really made a difference.  But the other key was finding the proper shaft profile.  Don't get hung up on what's printed on the shaft.

Quote

 

 

[C6 Snowboarder]

74 and still swinging Reg Flex in everything.  Now and then in the winter I use a senior flex cuz I have too many rain clothes on and it is 40 deg. 

[rexroh]

I am 78.  I play off 9-12 handicap for our course. Up until my 70’s I used stiff shafts. Hit the ball about 240 plus yards.  Then the decline began. I am now using the Ping Distanza 40 gram shaft.  It is a soft regular shaft.  I can still achieve about 220 yards on a good day.  Prior to this shaft I struggled with line and distance. 
Find a shaft that fits your swing and stick with it. 

[pup142]

Age is just a number. Stay well my friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 7, 2021 by pup142

[ChipNRun]

I turned 70 in November, and changed up my long clubs during the 2020 season.

 

I got different clubs for my driver, fairway woods and hybrid (see below). When I was hunting for new clubs, I ended up with new shafts were about 10 grams lighter than their old counterparts; but, I stayed Regular flex. Made it easier to swing smoothly, and didn't have to muscle the ball. An increase in distance, in part from overall more solid hits and proper follow-through.

 

Some takeaways I can offer:

• Don't go too light. Club designer Tom Wishon cautions that golfers who go lighter often go too light. This can lead to overswinging.
• Don't automatically go to Senior flex. Going to Senior before you need it can cause control problems from too whippy a shaft. (And, as a WRXer, you know to go get fitted!)
• When learning to use lighter shafts, be sure to use good form and to swing on tempo. With the old, heavier shafts you were probably fighting the shaft, which led to uneven strikes.

 

A couple of people have mentioned workouts. One thing the workouts do is help us break through the COVID fog that makes use feel lazy.  Gym workouts that include flexibility exercises will help you feel better, and swing through the ball better.

Edited March 7, 2021 by ChipNRun

[oyamtr]

Great suggestions.  Thank you!

[jimb]

I turned 72 last December, but still hit it fairly well.  I have lost distance over time and I have increased my exercising to keep from losing more distance.  I have a smooth tempo swing and have played stiff shafts for most of my life.  I noticed I lost about a half a club in distance with my irons over the past several years.  My carry distance with the 7 iron is about 150-155 yards and my driver carry is about 225-230.  I know those numbers are accurate since I go to the range frequently.

 

Last season I put a Graphite Design Tour AD XC in my driver in the SR flex (Not senior but stiff regular).  I absolutely love that shaft.  I have played the KBS Tour shafts in the R+ and they were descent for me.  A few months ago I bought a set of 2021 Callaway X-Forged CB irons and had Nippon Tour Modus 105 in R flex and didn't like them for my swing.  I hit them very high with a lot of spin and lost a club in distance.  In my GW, SW, and LW I had TT s200 shafts and had no trouble hitting them, so I decided to replace the Modus 105 with DG 120 shafts in S300.  I have got my length back and they are much tighter in dispersion.  A big factor for me was weight.  I don't want to swing a 130g shaft, but something close to 120g works well.  I helps with my tempo.  Going light wasn't a panacea for me.

 

Everyone is different in terms of what they can handle in a shaft.  Too light and you will get inconsistent contact.  Too heavy and it will be hard work and you will end up forcing it.  I would not focus on the flex as much as the weight of the shaft.  Find something that matches your strength and tempo.

[Nessism]

59 and change and still using S flex.  My back feels gimpy, mostly on Tuesday, after my weekly Sunday round, but I preserver. 

 

Shaft flex is 90% about feel, not ball flight, and I still like the feel of a firm shaft.  Some people think shafts affect propulsion but that's incorrect.  It affects launch and spin for guys that load the shaft a lot, but that mostly comes from a quick tempo and transition.  I can still fly my 7 iron (Ping G410) 170 yards on a good strike so I don't plan on changing shafts until some time in the future when the launch and feel is too stiff.  Senior shafts will have to wait until retirement, fingers crossed that I make it that far.