Feeling the Shafts Bend/Load and Unload Through the Golf Ball

[Brozario]

I cannot express how this downplayed factor by instructors should be a part of your basic fundamental understanding of the shaft loading and unloading in the golf swing to massively aid in swing speed and power. 
For 6 years of playing golf and struggling to find that consistency and extra power, it finally dawned on me that feeling the shaft “load” at the end/top of the backswing and then having a fast enough tempo to hold that load down and through (“unload”) the golf ball is a major factor in creating club speed and gain distance without a single doubt.

This why it’s important, if you are serious about getting better, to choose shafts that you can “load and unload” with your Swing tempo; meaning choosing the right shaft flex and stiffness. 
This downplayed factor which is hardly ever spoken of on YouTube and most instructors, which is very surprising to me, should and must be a part of every basic lesson.

I cannot express how important it is to learn to feel the shaft load and unload to create more power.

 

[Bonvivant]

17 minutes ago, Brozario said:

I cannot express how this downplayed factor by instructors should be a part of your basic fundamental understanding of the shaft loading and unloading in the golf swing to massively aid in swing speed and power. 
For 6 years of playing golf and struggling to find that consistency and extra power, it finally dawned on me that feeling the shaft “load” at the end/top of the backswing and then having a fast enough tempo to hold that load down and through (“unload”) the golf ball is a major factor in creating club speed and gain distance without a single doubt.

This why it’s important, if you are serious about getting better, to choose shafts that you can “load and unload” with your Swing tempo; meaning choosing the right shaft flex and stiffness. 
This downplayed factor which is hardly ever spoken of on YouTube and most instructors, which is very surprising to me, should and must be a part of every basic lesson.

I cannot express how important it is to learn to feel the shaft load and unload to create more power.

 

If you are talking about YT instructors, they give tips to help people change their swing, or learn a certain shot (chip/pitch/good putting). The shaft being "loaded" as you like to call it, is strictly down to the fit. I don't think that it is necessary to try and "feel" that in your swing. You won't find many instructors out there that recommend NOT getting fitted, and some channels on YT are even dedicated to that very thing (TXG is the big one here).

You say that it should be a part of every basic lesson, but if the person is already fit for the correct shaft profile, there is not really a need to spend time on it. I think it's fairly common knowledge that higher swing speeds require stiffer shafts, and almost any serious golfer is aware of the differences. The people that don't know about this are people that don't care (10-20 round a year players), and they aren't getting lessons most of the time anyway.

Just curious, have you been fit for your clubs? This is the kind of thing that is covered by fitting. Some fitters may not even say anything to the person being fit about "loading", but they have a great grasp on what the player needs, and how to get them there.

I'll take a page out of @iacas's book before he gets to is and say "Feels ain't real"

[woodzie264]

Agree with @Bonvivant, I don’t think there’s need to have conscious understanding of that principle/feel. The fitter should have that in mind, not the average (or even better-than-average) player.

Very successful TOUR players of yesteryear believed in the “old ball flight” laws and obviously played at the highest level and THAT, I would argue, is a much more important concept to understand. 

Edited May 16, 2020 by woodzie264

[Brozario]

Feel it bend at the top and very beginning of the downswing and you’ll know what I mean. 
of course if it unloads too early because the tempo is too slow that’s where I feel the power loss.

I whole heartedly disagree with not trying to feel this. Why do you think those ball swing trainers bend so much? It’s so you can feel the shaft load and unload.

Have you tried feeling this?

Edited May 16, 2020 by Brozario

[Tepi90]

According to my normal speed camera I can't maintain the bend properly, but slow speed looks better 🤔

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Being more serious, can wrong shaft affect ones game majorly if he/she has proper technique? I don't mean the difference being winning/loosing on PGA tour, but more like hitting the fairway instead of missing it. What kind of problems does too stiff and too loose shaft cause regarding this loading?

Don't understand much at all about gear and haven't fitted my clubs ever. Bought clubs with dynamic gold s300 back in the day, because I heard stiff is the popular choise. My tempo is quite rapid coming from ice sports where you had to hit it fast so opponent didn't steal the ball, never learned that's not the case in golf... I like to think my problems lies in technique, but surely interested to know what kind of differences people have had from being fitted to right shafts.

[Piz]

Feeling the load/unload works with fishing rods...especially with fiberglass or bamboo...but I've never experienced a similar sensation with a golf club.  

[Vinsk]

3 hours ago, Brozario said:

I cannot express how important it is to learn to feel the shaft load and unload to create more power.

Oh...I think you can.

[woodzie264]

2 hours ago, Brozario said:

I whole heartedly disagree with not trying to feel this.

You’re entitled to. I stand by my previous post.  In fairness to you, I’ve never attempted to pay attention to what you’re talking about, but probably because I’ve never heard anyone ever talk about it. I’m mean, sure, I see it on my videos so I am aware of it. But like I said in previous post, that’s the purpose of shaft fitting...no one has ever tried to convince that I needed to be cognizant of it.

[billchao]

I don't like to feel any bend in my shafts at all and I was fit into Project X Hzrdus Black. Not a coincidence.

[iacas]

I disagree with you. I'm an instructor and play to +1 or so. I don't "feel the shaft loading and unloading." Heck, if I did, I'd probably go to a stiffer and/or heavier shaft.

I was curious what you played off, but you answered that in your Member Swing topic:

On 4/21/2020 at 3:34 AM, Brozario said:

My current handicap index or average score is: 18 hcp

That's not super important when discussing "theory" stuff, so don't get me wrong. But I do think it matters somewhat - plenty of guys who can give you a shot a hole and still win most of the time won't feel the shaft doing what you claim is super important.

[Brozario]

5 hours ago, Vinsk said:

Oh...I think you can.

Haha I meant I cannot express *enough 

[Bonvivant]

7 hours ago, Tepi90 said:

According to my normal speed camera I can't maintain the bend properly, but slow speed looks better 🤔

Imgur

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Post with 1 views.

Imgur

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Post with 1 views.

Being more serious, can wrong shaft affect ones game majorly if he/she has proper technique? I don't mean the difference being winning/loosing on PGA tour, but more like hitting the fairway instead of missing it. What kind of problems does too stiff and too loose shaft cause regarding this loading?

Don't understand much at all about gear and haven't fitted my clubs ever. Bought clubs with dynamic gold s300 back in the day, because I heard stiff is the popular choise. My tempo is quite rapid coming from ice sports where you had to hit it fast so opponent didn't steal the ball, never learned that's not the case in golf... I like to think my problems lies in technique, but surely interested to know what kind of differences people have had from being fitted to right shafts.

Choosing (getting fit usually) the right shafts for your swing speed is important. Generally if a shaft is too soft for a player, the face will tend to close more and you will have more left misses. If your shaft is too stiff, it can cause more misses to the right because it stays open more. This isn't a dead-fast rule and that is why people get fitted for their clubs. Playing a shaft that is ill-fit for you can cause you to start correcting in ways that aren't the best for the golf swing.

Where is your typical miss? Also, start a "my swing" thread if you want some grade A advice from some top notch people (I'm not one of those people lol)

[Sandy Divot]

I'm a 4 handicap, 65 years old, been playing for 50 years, playing my course from 6700 yards, and I have never been aware of the shaft flexing at any point in my swing. I don't hit the ball a mile, but I hit it far enough, and I hit it fairly straight. I don't think I need to "feel" anything different.

[klineka]

On 5/16/2020 at 7:08 PM, billchao said:

I don't like to feel any bend in my shafts at all and I was fit into Project X Hzrdus Black. Not a coincidence.

Same here. I wasn't fit into it, but when Callaway replaced my cracked driver, they sent me an Project X Hzrdus Smoke Black shaft in their X-Stiff flex and I feel absolutely zero flex in it, it feels like I am swinging a piece of wood, which I have realized that I really like and has given me a ton of confidence.

I would not like a shaft that I could feel load or unload.

Feelings of the shaft loading and unloading might work for you, @Brozario, but I don't agree that everyone should be searching for that feeling.

 

On 5/16/2020 at 2:42 PM, Brozario said:

This why it’s important, if you are serious about getting better, to choose shafts that you can “load and unload” with your Swing tempo; meaning choosing the right shaft flex and stiffness. 
This downplayed factor which is hardly ever spoken of on YouTube and most instructors, which is very surprising to me, should and must be a part of every basic lesson.

I cannot express how important it is to learn to feel the shaft load and unload to create more power.

Do you have anything other than your own personal experience to back up the claims about how important it is to feel the shaft load and unload?

I am serious about getting better and I will likely never choose a shaft that I can load and unload, and I strongly disagree that it should be part of every basic lesson. When I hear "basic lessons" I think of things like grip, stance, posture, basic takeaway positions, etc

[billchao]

20 minutes ago, klineka said:

Same here. I wasn't fit into it, but when Callaway replaced my cracked driver, they sent me an Project X Hzrdus Smoke Black shaft in their X-Stiff flex and I feel absolutely zero flex in it, it feels like I am swinging a piece of wood, which I have realized that I really like and has given me a ton of confidence.

I think they’re basically the same shaft but the Smoke is a little softer at the butt end so it feels smoother or something. Less boardy. But yea, the last thing I want is to feel whip in my shaft. It makes me think I have to do something to manipulate it to control the club face.

[DaveP043]

To @Brozario, welcome to TheSandTrap!.  And having said that, I can't agree with you.  I've been playing for about 50 years, with the last 25 or so as a single-digit handicapper, so I'm at least moderately competent.  I can't say I've ever felt the club bending (loading) and unloading.  I think what I DO feel is probably thee result of good sequencing, which results in the "lag" that gets discussed so much.  I'm not trying to achieve lag, or hold onto the lag, or any of those conscious things that some people mention, its simply the result of doing some other things right.  Now I can probably agree that getting those other things right, and getting that feeling, is probably a good thing.  But the important thing is to get the sequence right.

[Cantankerish]

A friend of mine has senior flex shafted clubs, and I can definitely feel the jiggly head during the swing.  It feels awful to me, but he swears by it.  My stiff shafts, by comparison don't feel like anything to me.

[Darkfrog]

I’ve never felt the shaft load or unload during a swing. I know it happens because I can see the shaft flex in videos during my lessons, but this doesn’t seem like something I need to think about. When I make a good swing, with the right shaft for my swing, it (the shaft) does what shafts are supposed to do. This seems along the lines of trying to manipulate wrist/arm angles to get more lag, or trying to time the hands to turn over through impact, which by my limited understanding are things that are the result of a good swing and not something I should consciously focus on. 

Edited May 19, 2020 by Darkfrog