Ask our panel of experts : Shaft standards – Brief Article
This month’s question for our Technical Advisory Panel: Why do shaft flexes vary so much among manufacturers? Are there no industry standards?
Bob Bush: Unfortunately, not all shaft flexes are the same. One manufacturer’s S-flex shaft may be another’s R-flex. Just as there is a difference in clubheads, grips, lengths and lofts, each shaft designer has unique inputs and wants flexibility in the design. Most clubs are made with a particular shaft in mind and often do not play as efficiently when a different shaft is used. Also, because of differences in hosel length, even the same shaft can perform differently. Since most shafts are based off True Temper’s Dynamic Gold series, ask your local professional how a certain shaft compares to a Dynamic shaft and which particular flex.
Over the past 10 years shafts have gotten more flexible. What was an R-flex shaft 10 years ago may be an S-flex shaft now. Also, drivers are now a bit longer, so shafts tend to play more flexible.
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