Does anyone else have different flex shafts in the bag?

[Nateyeight]

I currently have a stiff flex in my Driver, but regular flex in my wood, hybrids and irons. My swing speed fits in the stiff category for my driver (still need work to generate more power) but I swing my irons a little slower for more control. 

 

I am a high handicapper and everyone I know has the same flex throughout the bag. 

 

Does anyone else have the same set up? Or different flex shafts throughout their bag? 

 

[JimmyC59]

I play regular flex in Driver and 3W, 5W too, if I carry it.

Stiff in hybrids and irons.

[Poolparty]

X everything but woods are Stiff

[Rotorite]

I have a similar setup as you with stiff in driver and fairway woods, then regular in irons.

[Stuart_G]

10 hours ago, Nateyeight said:

I am a high handicapper and everyone I know has the same flex throughout the bag.

 

There is no standard for flex and the flex labels really don't mean very much.  Despite that, most people (mistakenly) think the label is the only thing that matters.   Fortunately, for most the stiffness isn't really as important as they think it is.

 

The only thing that matters is how they feel to you and how well they work for you.

Edited July 23, 2021 by Stuart_G

[1plaingolfer]

My driver and 4 wood are stiff flex, my hybrids and irons are regular flex. I do the same as you; swing the regular flex clubs slightly slower for more control. I did notice when I recently purchased my irons that, in most newer clubs, the torque is the same with stiff and regular flex shafts; the difference is the regular flex have softer tips for a higher launch.  I went with regular to get the higher launch and I’m glad I did.

[gioguy21]

13 hours ago, Nateyeight said:

I currently have a stiff flex in my Driver, but regular flex in my wood, hybrids and irons. My swing speed fits in the stiff category for my driver (still need work to generate more power) but I swing my irons a little slower for more control. 

 

I am a high handicapper and everyone I know has the same flex throughout the bag. 

 

Does anyone else have the same set up? Or different flex shafts throughout their bag? 

 

i have TX in my driver/3w/3h -- however i have x stiff in my irons, and S+ in my wedges. 

[oz dee cee]

Driver - Xs

other woods - stiff

irons - reg

 

go figure 🤷‍♂️

[Matt70]

Stiff in Driver

X in 3 and 5 wood

Stiff in iron shafts and Wedges

[Pepperturbo]

I wouldn't concern myself what flexes others have in the bag.  Some Pros have R, S and X, SS to it's more "S", in the bag.  Each of us swings clubs differently.  Choice in flex can be influenced by the weight of the shaft(s). 

 

If I go to ultra light I might go with X in driver but not in wood.  I might go to "R" in 4wd in the near future.  I currently have "S" in Driver and wood, and "S" in irons.  Here's the thing, I don't swing wood as fast as Driver.  And I swing 2i-5i faster and harder than I swing my mid-short irons and seldom swing wedges as fast as I can. 

[chipa]

I have X in my woods and stiff in my irons because I swing easier for control.

[Jeff58]

Every club in your bag has a different flex. Except maybe your wedges.

 

Every shaft has a sequence of flex variation along the shaft.

 

Every shaft manufacturer has their own metrics for stiffness. They don’t match, and they aren’t necessarily the same for every model.

 

Some people pay big bucks to specialized club fitters to select mismatched shaft flex in an attempt to make the resulting impact characteristics match better.

 

You’re doing fine. Do not change.

[NorCal678]

Its all about feel.  
 

I can't remember who wrote the article, but they did a test with golfers with SS 70-110.

 

The 110 had the best results with a regular 

The 70mph (a lady), had the best results with an x flex.

 

It has a lot more to do with how you load the club vs actual speed at the bottom.  Heads are for creating spin and launch, shafts are about creating consistency.  

 

I think its a ego thing with pros (and who knows how many soft steps they do).  Guys like Kuchar play an x in their irons, and he only has 106 mph ss.  

 

Most pros play a stiff flex in their wedges and x's in everything else.   

[Stuart_G]

13 hours ago, NorCal678 said:

I think its a ego thing with pros (and who knows how many soft steps they do).  Guys like Kuchar play an x in their irons, and he only has 106 mph ss. 

 

No it's not ego with the pros - when feel isn't an issue or problem, there is a small increase in accuracy the stiffer the shafts get.  It's  not enough for am's to notice - so not a consideration for them.  But for the pros it can make a small difference.  But even then, the "feel factor" is still WAY more important, even for the pros.

 

and last I checked Kuchar plays x-stiff in the woods but stiff in the irons, not just the wedges.  But he has been bouncing around with different iron shafts over the last few years so maybe it's changed.

 

Edited July 27, 2021 by Stuart_G

[NorCal678]

2 hours ago, Stuart_G said:

 

No it's not ego with the pros - when feel isn't an issue or problem, there is a small increase in accuracy the stiffer the shafts get.  It's  not enough for am's to notice - so not a consideration for them.  But for the pros it can make a small difference.  But even then, the "feel factor" is still WAY more important, even for the pros.

 

and last I checked Kuchar plays x-stiff in the woods but stiff in the irons, not just the wedges.  But he has been bouncing around with different iron shafts over the last few years so maybe it's changed.

 

Ya he plays S in the irons.  Still X flex in the driver at seems stiff, but these get get the exact frequency they want, so it may stay x but its tuned for their exact speed(for graphite shafts, they soft step the irons to get the same effect).  I'm sure there are some off the shelf S flex shafts that are as stiff as the one labeled x.   

 

Most ams have the ego issue.  Much more likely to play something too stiff vs too soft.

 

My point really was, buying a shaft to get a desired ball flight typically has more negatives than positives.  Some fitters only look at how good they can make the good, vs how good they can make the bad.  

 

    

[Stuart_G]

11 minutes ago, NorCal678 said:

I'm sure there are some off the shelf S flex shafts that are as stiff as the one labeled x.   

 

There are.  Although it's a lot more rare, you can even find an R flex shaft in one model that's stiffer than an x-flex shaft in another model.    There is just no standard.

 

Quote

Most ams have the ego issue.  Much more likely to play something too stiff vs too soft.

 

Some certainly do but I don't know about most.   Most are overly focused on the flex label yet ignorant that the flex label doesn't really tell them anything.  Or for that matter, what criteria should be used to determine if any given shaft is "too stiff" or "too soft."    There are a lot of misconceptions about the importance of getting a certain amount of loading.

 

 

Quote

My point really was, buying a shaft to get a desired ball flight typically has more negatives than positives. 

 

Agree completely.   Shaft selection should be first and foremost about consistency and accuracy, not launch and spin.

Edited July 27, 2021 by Stuart_G

[RainShadow]

Alternate Stiff and Firm Regular ( PX 5.5) in Driver.

Stiff in 4wd and Hybrids

R in irons ( SteelFiber i95)

R in 54 and 58 degree wedges ( KBS HiRev 2.0)

Pretty happy with set up.

I can lose the softer flex right in driver if I don't watch my tempo. I can swing all others as fast as I can, but never hit the wedges full out.

[LeftyMatt24]

Driver 3 wood - tx 

3-pw- x

gw-lw stiff plus wedge 

[TallGuy90]

I am going to be play stiff in my 4-6 with light shaft DG105 and R300 In 120

[NHenson815]

I'm certainly not an expert, but I think a lot of golfers would benefit using stiffer shafts than they are probably using, especially in the driver/woods.  The technology is getting good enough to achieve decent stability, even in the 50s/60s weight range.  Tipping shafts are a good alternative also.  If a stiffer flex is causing someone to slice, it seems to be an indicator that the shaft is too long and cutting it down would actually generate more speed (at least that is how it works for me anyway).  

[NZ315]

Apt has to do with feel. I have x flex in my driver and woods. Tried the $taper 130(x) lost about 5yards. Switching back to the $taper 120 (stiff)

But they are on back order since everything is backed up everywhere 

I like the stiffer feel in my driver and woods helps me control the shot better. Irons I have always preferred the stiff 

[Justsomeguy]

Mine are all over the place. R in driver but it's cut down so plays stiffer. R graphite in 3w, 5w and 3h, although the 5w shaft is lighter than the others. R flex 105g steel in 5-pw, S flex 95g graphite in matching set AW, 460 f3 (R) graphite in my sw, and Nippon 105 S in my lob wedge.

Through lots of trial and error, these are the clubs and shafts I've become comfortable with throughout the bag. The driver is always a work in progress and sometimes swap with a full length shaft.

[EddieEdwards]

Driver: I hit pretty much everything decent 50g to 130g reg to x.   Currently play a 70g x, dispersion is better and no loss in distance.  

 

Fairway woods:  stiff, 5 wood is the first 3 wood I could hit consistently off the turf. 7 and 9 wood are steel and play soft to flex.  I wonder if I would do better with x, but I hit them good enough that I don't want to mess with them. If I come across the same clubs I might try it, but Im not gonna mess with my gamers.

 

Irons: stiff 120-130g, played regular for a few years and they felt stiff at first, but I'm more likely to hit the center of the face vs the toe.  Lightweight shafts do not work for me.

 

Wedges: currently playing true temper spinners, I've played reg and stiff shafts and am not sure it matters.

 

 

 

[AndrewPlunkettPGA]

On 7/22/2021 at 5:57 PM, Nateyeight said:

I currently have a stiff flex in my Driver, but regular flex in my wood, hybrids and irons. My swing speed fits in the stiff category for my driver (still need work to generate more power) but I swing my irons a little slower for more control. 

 

I am a high handicapper and everyone I know has the same flex throughout the bag. 

 

Does anyone else have the same set up? Or different flex shafts throughout their bag? 

 

Stiffer driver shaft than the rest makes sense to me! The softer shafts will helped you launch the ball higher off the turf, which can help in some of the bad lies we end up in. Driver being on the tee, we won't have the same problem!! Once the shafts all feel good to you, I think you're in a good spot!

Edited August 14, 2021 by AndrewPlunkettPGA
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