- Club shaft weight ranges from less than 40 grams to more than 135 grams. Simply put, the weight affects how fast the player can swing the club. Shafts made from graphite frequently are lighter than those made of steel. Lighter shafts lead to faster swings, but often can lead to a lack of control and accuracy. They are also a little easier to carry around in a player's golf bag.
- Golf involves a lot of twisting from both the player and the club. Because of that, shafts include a degree of torque, or resistance to twisting. The attribute is listed in terms of degrees, with lower numbers representing less torque, meaning the shaft will twist less. Usually players with faster swings benefit from shafts with low degrees of torque.
- Because golf clubs experience a lot of bending during the swing, the flex variable is quite important. The bigger the flex, the more the club will bend during a swing. Shafts that have greater flex are geared toward players with slower swings, acting like a whip and generating late speed for the club head as it strikes the ball to increase both loft and distance.
- As with weight, length forces the player to make a decision between power and accuracy. Longer shafts can help generate more power for longer drives, but also make it harder for the club face to strike the ball squarely. Conversely, shorter shafts help the player square up to the ball, but drives are likely not to go as far.
- Learning your own game is part of the process when buying the right clubs and shafts. Decide whether accuracy or power is more important, while taking into account your height and swing speed. Many golf stores can analyze swings and determine which type of shaft is best suited to a person's game.
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