light shaft vs heavy shaft??

[mazza78]

Hi guys! what would happen if my shaft was too light or too heavy on my driver? would it hook/slice etc? or does it just come down to what each person likes??

[NormH3]

I have a 2h with a True Temper Dynamic Gold. The club has become heavy enough that I have a hard time getting it around at proper speed. Too heavy will definitely slow you down.

[bunkerputt]

I'm strong so I have a hard time developing good tempo with lighter driver shafts (<70 grams). If you don't fight sequencing problems in your swing, I think you can get a little better swing speed the lighter you go. If you tend to throw it away from the top, a heavier shaft and head would be better because it helps you to preserve lag and release later. The best advice is to go with the weight that helps you swing well and a flex profile that provides optimal launch. These two things are dependent, so keep that in mind. Heavier shafts tend to be stiffer, etc.

[Jay-Bird]

Lighter shafts produce longer drives, more difficult to control.
Heavier shafts are easier to control, with shorter drives...

[ks8829]

My Driver has a 83 gram shaft which is heavy and my irons are Dynamic gold Regular and I believe they are about 122 grams. I had Rifle 5.5 shafts taht ere heavier on my MP30 and did not like them as much as the lighter DG.

I will eventually switch to a 65 or 75 gram driver shaft for more club head speed.

[lugonza_2001]

I hope i don´t make a mess with this, but the fastest swingspeed i usually get is with my 3 wood, which has a Proforce V2 shaft that is..... 90 grams!!

[KGC]

My experience has been that a heavier shaft results in lower trajectory as well as a loss of distance due to a slower swing speed. A lighter shaft made it a little difficult to 'feel' where the clubhead was and so it became more difficult to control. Finding the balance of weight with speed and control was a matter of trying a bunch of clubs and shafts. Hope this helps

[Mike Boatright]

I talked about this in another forum and it's my theory that a longer heavier steel shaft for most male players is far superior to lighter graphite or steel. In comparison take a 38.25 inch 5 iron one a 60 gram shaft another a 136 gram shaft.The lighter shaft promotes a quick jerky take a way and early set where the heavier promotes a slower more online backswing. It's all based on gravity once a player reaches his backswing he is using and fighting the forces of nature to achieve his desired results. Take player A who swings at 90 mph. With the 60 g shaft he would add speed by using his body and hands resulting in the odd 100 mph swing and absolute crush. The longer heavier steel shaft would range at 88 to 94 mph and would simply fall into place everytime. By using the heavier shaft and the added leverage you are using the forces of nature. Take a baseballl vs a golf ball which one would you be able to throw easier from 320 feet in center field right? There is a limit based on your strength and some player simply cannot manage it but more can than you think. It's not about being 6-5 220 although that helps. Overall it's base don leverage and science one you have the leverage the added mass will result in more stability and more consistent results.

[Mike Boatright]

I will add that this is most effective in your irons where it's ok to have a light shaft in your driver the sweeping violent swing and the mass and shape of modern driver heads make it forgiving enough to go after it and achieve as much speed as possible. better to swing at 110 mph and miss it on the toe then swing at a consistent 100 mph with the same toe hit. Sure were trying to hit it dead center everytime but drivers are very forgiving these days so just go after it.

[Mr. Desmond]

I know of one reputable club maker who is finding that lighter weight 70g iron shafts with heavier heads are working for better players - See Leith Anderson's Golf Lab.

An excerpt from his N. California newsletter:

With Tour Players moving to 95 gram graphite shafts from 130 gram steel shafts, there is room for normal amateurs to go even lower. Substitute a 65 gram graphite shaft for a 130 gram steel shaft.  That's two ounces of club weight.  In the golf club world, that's a ton. Lighter weight shafts produce higher swing speeds.  That's a natural result - but not our main goal.  We're looking for more efficiency from the same swing. We change the balance between the shaft and the head.  Our custom irons take 6-9 grams of extra head weight.  That adjustment increases head feel in contrast with the light shaft weight. Extra head weight promotes a subtle change in a player's swing.  More club head mass transfers more energy to the ball with the same swing.  Most players see an immediate five yard increase in distance with no increase in swing speed. We don't fit for distance.  We fit for accuracy and consistency.  Distance is a nice extra. Any irons can be rebuilt with lightweight graphite shafts.  You can revive your favorite set from the past for a whole new set of memories.

[saevel25]

Doesn't matter if its heavier or lighter, you can mess with swing weights and get the sensation of more or less leverage. Leverage is just your ability to put clubhead to golf ball in the optimal fashion, that is based on feel. You can create a heavier or lighter feel with many different golf shaft weights.

[GaijinGolfer]

lighter = more distance but harder to can control and can result in a hook

heavier = less distance but a tighter dispersion pattern and more of a tendency to hit a low push

For a long time I played regular flex shafts and if I made a nice, easy swing I had a nice little draw but if I got a little quick on my transition it would turn into a hook or pull hook.  Lately, Ives switched to stiff shafts in my irons (S300) and its brought my slight draw back.  So now Ive switched to stiff shafts in my driver, FW and hybrid too.

[saevel25]

This to depends on your swing, if your a slow swing speed, a stiff shaft will never load properly, so you'll be loosing distance, of course this depends on stiffness of the shaft as well. There's a lot more to this than just generic assumptions. Brands, loading profiles, graphite material, kick point, shaft weight, for irons is it tapered or not, frequency matched?

The technology out there for golf shafts is absurdly complex, and it takes a lot of trial and error to see what works the best.

Best advice, go to a driving range or golf course that offers a demo day, you can try the same club with different shafts, see which one works best. The best option would be to find a place that does trackman, then you can really hone in on what works.