What happens if shafts are too stiff?

[AmazingWhacker]

In my main set, the 4iron has an extra stiff shaft and the rest of the clubs have regular shafts.  I bought them used and that's how they came.  I'm probably a regular to stiff flex player . .but definitely not extra stiff.

I don't notice any particular directional tendencies when I use my 4 iron - but it does feel really 'dead'.

I have another set of irons with all stiff shafts and I don't notice that I play my 4iron better in that set vs the one with the x-stiff shaft.  It's really just feel . .or probably 90% feel.  I could be losing a little distance but I'm not that consistent with my 4iron to be able to notice.  It's definitely less than 10 yards if there's a difference.

[tmac20]

I was always told that if your shaft is too stiff, you'll hit a lot of slices, and if your shaft is not stiff enough, you'll hit a lot of hooks. I'm not sure on the validity of that statement though.

[Lihu]

I was always told that if your shaft is too stiff, you'll hit a lot of slices, and if your shaft is not stiff enough, you'll hit a lot of hooks. I'm not sure on the validity of that statement though.

That makes sense. It seems like if the shaft is not kicking enough at impact it will be more open. If it's too flexible then it will kick too much at impact.

I wonder if you close the face, with a too stiff shaft, to adapt to the lack of kick, then you could get a low flight ball without losing a lot of distance?

[Mr. Desmond]

I think that you increase your probability of elbow tendonitis (golfer's elbow) with "too stiff" shafts.

[Dave2512]

Saw something weird yesterday. First day out with my new Bombtech driver with s-flex shaft, it's 44.5. Didn't use it until the third hole and was eager to try it, was actually my first ball with it didn't even try it on the range. Others with me were curious after hearing it, the sound is really different. We are just messing around, it was the first time my parents have been out in 2014 and it's still offseason here so no scores for handicap. So my Mom asks to try it because she is in the market for some new clubs, we had been out demoing iron sets the previous day. I explain the stiff shaft probably won't work for her blah blah blah. She steps up and hit a crackin' drive, further and higher than anything I saw her hit since I started golfing again two years ago. She repeated it over and over until we finished. I don't get it. can someone knowledgeable about these things explain how this happened. Unfortunately my drives were the usual all over the place.

[Shindig]

Please excuse my ignorance but how can you find this information easily for free?

Many company representatives will fit you for their clubs for free at demo days. Most don't require a purchase. I know that Mizuno, Ping, and Cleveland all were willing to tell me my specs for their clubs back when I was last looking at OEM purchases. All told me the same length (they all told me relative to their standard, and on looking up what standard was on their website, the shaft lengths ended up the same). Now, when I asked for these, I had a genuine intention of considering their product; I'm not sure how I'd feel doing it for a product I didn't intend to consider.