Selecting the Right Graphite Shaft

Golfers may be surprised to learn that there is no standard within the golf industry for governing graphite shaft stiffness or flex. One company's stiff flex may very well be another company's regular flex. To alleviate confusion and to help golfers find the right shafts for their games, Golfsmith analyzes and tests each shaft in its catalog and assigns it a Recommended Swing Speed Range (RSSR).

A golfer's swing speed is the primary factor in determining which shaft — and especially, which shaft flex — is the right one. Determining swing speed is a relatively simple process, and a number of reliable analyzers are available in a number of price ranges.

Or, you may determine swing speed by correlating it to your shot carry distance with a driver or 5-iron (see chart below). This is a slightly less reliable method of obtaining swing speed, but will work for most golfers. Once you've determined your swing speeds (driver speed for wood shafts; 5-iron speed for iron shafts), apply them to the shaft spec charts on these pages and make sure the shaft (and flex) you select has an RSSR that matches your swing speed.