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Hi again. I know what you think, this guy is hammering us with stupid questions, but maybe one day I will answer noobs so that karma will be fullfilled

My iron distances:
S wedge- 75 yards
9 iron- 100 yards
7 iron- 130 yards
5 iron- 165 yards

It appears that my gap between each clubs is about 15 yards, and I have not yet had consistent drives with my wood so I left that one out of the equation.

Since I started playing this game this August Im sure the distances will improve some by 6 months or so.

The reason Im asking is because I wonder wich shaft flex to look for?

Im guessing stiff for men?

I would love to give you some advice on your question.
However there are way too many variables for me to give you any kind of meaningful advice.

I would suggest that you visit with a Pro or go to a Golf Shop and talk to someone there regarding what fits your swing.

Ideally, you should look at swing speed rather than distance, though if your game is on the upswing you could anticipate your improvement.

If you are getting steel, irons go for regular flex, graphite perhaps stiff. Graphite shafts are lighter hence weaker golfers can swing them faster.


For woods, you are the best judge. Some golfers like a whippier shaft even though they can swing the 110 mph. I use am about in that range and use a stiff. The regular flex I used kept going right because of the timing of my swing. I also consistently get more distance.
Part of the fun is trying new stuff so try several shafts on the same driver. Shaft characteristics vary greatly. One may have a higher kick point (lower ball flight) or a stiffer tip (same affect). Whatever combination suits you is best.

Finally, listen to advice but go with your gut. Sales clerks assume because of my age I have an average swing. When I was a beginner, they always gave me wrong clubs (until they saw me swing).

Good Luck

okey, thanks for the nice replies guys.

What can a shaft that`s not suitable actually do with your swing?

Right now Im swinging with prestige clubs, steel shafts. Strangely enough I always hit better with the shorter clubs, and my wood is terrible to swing with in my opinion.

Its lighter and much longer than my irons so my mechanics get all jinxed when I used it and I found that leaving the wood improved my iron shots.

What can a to stiff or not stiff enough shaft do to the swing and hitting pattern?

I cant see why you would need anything more then a Reg flex steel shaft. I have just been advised to go for stiff steels and my distance are:

9 iron- 160
8 iron- 170
7 iron- 180 yards
5 iron- 200 yards

Swing Speed mid to high 90's on the Irons

I agree with Bob_Golf on the stiffness suggestions for now. I play regular steel in my irons, and my distance with a 7 iron is about the same as what you're hitting your 5 iron. Regular steel is also strong enough that many golfers don't feel the need to go to a stiffer flex as they progress with their swing and distances.
Wood shafts are another matter entirely, and you're probably not going to know what you really need until after you've played for at least a year, and gotten your swing smoothed out some. Good luck, and welcome to the game.

With irons, at worse you might lose some distance (shaft too stiff) or some control (shaft too weak). At your stage in playing, I'd focus most on making sure I'm hitting the ball solidly, and in the right direction more than on whether or not I have the right shafts in my clubs, but it's quite possible I'd feel differently if I hadn't been playing as long as I have.
Here's a note on graphite shafts: You can't necessarily go by the flex rating on graphites. Different shafts of the same rating may play to completely different swing speeds. It's a matter of the weight of the shaft. A very high quality shaft that weighs only 55 grams is probably going to play weaker than a shaft with the same stiffness rating marked on it that weighs 70 grams.
I, personally, would rather play with graphite shafts that are too strong, rather than too weak. I'd rather lose a little distance than any directional control.

Okey, Im getting smarter by each post here, I like it ;)

There is the letter I or L on my iron shafts. What does that mean? Found out that the flex on my wood was R.

Probably is this not important at all by now, but I would like to get the correct shaft for my current ability as well as grip size. Don`t really care about the distance, controll is what I want.

Im looking forward to when my swing is not such a mess and I can benefit from all the clubs :)

An L, and it would be capitalized, would be ladies flex. I'm going to guess that the I is silk-screened directly on the shaft? No sticker label? If that's the case, it probably only serves the purpose of marking it as a shaft that is made for irons.
Knowing which flex your iron shafts are would be next-to-impossible to guess without hitting them myself, or without a shaft band (sticker) telling the flex for you.

Max.
Going by your distances with your irons, I would recommend R flex at most. A flex would fit you better at this time, but if you figure in that you should improve with more practice time and a few lessons, R flex might be a better option for the long haul. As for Stiff, FORGET ABOUT IT. I play R flex steel shafts in my irons, and I hit my 9 iron 150 yards carry. That's 50 yards longer than you, and I don't need stiff, so you sure don't. I wouldn't worry too much about your wood shafts until you are hitting all your irons really well. Then have your swing checked and get the shaft for your woods to suit your swing at that time.

Concur, regular flex is the way to go. There are many golfers who play stiff shafts, as well as play from the tips. That's a mistake.