Shaft Weight

Shaft Flex
It is axiomatic that golfers tend to choose shafts that are too stiff. As we mentioned earlier, we think this tendency is attributable to psychological proclivities favoring "stiffness". As an aside, it will be interesting to note the success of the marketing campaign around the new Maxfli "Noodle" golf ball, described as "long and soft". Maybe Maxfli will be successful in introducing a new psychological profile to post-modern era golfers.

In any event, we think that most golfers would get more fun out of the game if they softened their flex to promote feel. In addition to head weight, shaft flex is the next most important element in feel.

Most of us remember the "good old days" when a "duck hook" could go two fairways left. The new equipment just doesn't allow that. When is the last time you saw a drive you could describe as a "good old-fashioned duck hook"? For most of us, it was a long time ago.

The point is, with new technology taking the spin out of the ball and the "snipe" effect out of the driver, there is little risk of excessive "shot dispersion" in going to a more flexible shaft.

In our opinion, the only serious risk in going to more flexible shafts is in distance control. This is especially true if you play "game improvement" heads with flexible shafts and happen to catch a shot on the "true sweet spot". This is where some serious individual experimentation is appropriate.