Signs Your Iron Shafts Are Too Light Or Weak & How To Fix It?

Iron Shafts And Why The Right Weight Is Important

Have you ever picked up a club and it just felt wrong during the swing? Maybe you tried and tried but just couldn’t seem to get your timing right to hit the ball sweetly. This could be down to the shaft being wrong and it can kill your swing.

If you try to play with a shaft that is too light or the shaft flex is too weak, you will struggle to control your shots. A light shaft will feel bad in your hands whilst a weak shaft will have you struggling to keep the ball going where you want it.

How To Know If Your Shafts Are Too Light

One telltale sign that your shafts are too light is a really erratic dispersal pattern as well as a high flight. You can really struggle on a windy day if you have shafts that are too light. Shaft weight is explored in more detail in this article here.

You will tend to feel this as well. A shaft that is too light will make you feel like the club is going too fast for your swing. It will feel like you have less control over the club throughout the swing and it will make you feel a little uneasy until you slow everything down, this can be dangerous.

What Type Of Shots Could You See?

You will tend to see very high shots that can stall in the air. They can go left or right with no particular pattern as you are probably swinging the club too fast for that club. This translates into inconsistency as the club passes through the impact zone.

Will You Lose Distance If Too Light?

With everything listed above, it is probable that you will lose distance. Now, just to throw a spanner in the works here, shaft weight is a big part of the overall picture of building the perfect club.

Shaft flex and torque are also key pieces in this complex and finely balanced puzzle.

In general, you will lose distance if your shaft is too light as the club will not be perfectly set up for you. However, it is probably going to be more of an issue that you will lose control of the ball than that you will lose distance. It’s not all about yardage.

Too Light Vs Too Flexible

As I said above, there are three main ingredients to a perfectly fit shaft. Weight, flex and torque, each of these factors is important but let’s focus on the first two for this piece here. If you had to choose one to get wrong here then too light may be slightly better.

The fact of the matter is that most of us play clubs that are wrong in some way. We don’t have a tour truck that follows us wherever we go. We don’t have the choice of any clubs or shafts that are on the market and a world-class technician to fit us whenever we feel like it.

Correct Weight And Flex By Swing Speed

With all of this, it is understandable that you may be confused as to what is right for you. Don’t worry though, we have you. Below is a table of swing speed, shaft weight and flex where you can find what is best for you. We also recommend a fitting but this can help you get started.

Image from hittingthegreen.com

Graphite Vs Steel Shafts

Some may remember the days when Tiger Woods was ripping a steel shaft in his Titleist driver, in those days everyone wanted a steel shaft in their driver. Steel shafts are far more common in irons than graphite is whilst in woods it is the opposite situation.

Steel shafts are heavier (Aerotech SteelFiber aside) they also have a smoother feel through the swing and can give you more control. This is why they tend to be favoured in irons. Graphite helps with swing speed as it is lighter but you can forgo some control for this.

Can I Get New Shafts On My Clubs Or Do I Need New Clubs?

If you love your irons, if they look brilliant at address and inspire confidence in you then you won’t want to change. Panic not, you don’t have to. If you go to a good club technician then they can switch out shafts and get you all set up.

New shafts will give your clubs a whole new lease of life. You will feel even more confidence in using them and your performance should improve too. It is also cheaper than buying all new clubs so what’s not to love about this option.

Signs Your Shafts Are Too Heavy Or Stiff

A shaft that is too heavy will cause you to struggle to get the ball in the air. You won’t be producing the swing speed required to get the best out of the club. If your shaft is too stiff then you will tend to hit slices that you really struggle to straighten out.

Other Factors Affecting Iron Performance

There are so many things that can affect how your irons perform, this is why a proper custom fitting session is vital. The set-up is key, things like lie and loft can make a huge difference. We’ve also discussed the importance of torque in the shaft too.

One of the most important things is confidence though. Having the correct iron type can make a huge difference. Some players will require the forgiveness of cavity backed irons whilst more skilled players will want the playability of bladed irons.

Best Irons For Senior Players

Senior golfers will tend to gain a lot from using lighter shafts as they struggle to find the swing speeds that they may once have generated. With this in mind, many senior golfers like to use graphite shafts in their irons.

Depending on how much golf you play you will want to decide whether you need a cavity back, a blade or something in between. Here are a couple of options you may want to consider.

Callaway Apex DCB

These irons look and feel like blades, they are sublime but the “DCB” in Apex DCB stands for Deep Cavity Back. This means that these irons are supremely forgiving whilst performing so well. These with a lightweight graphite shaft makes for a deadly combination.

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TaylorMade SIM Max

If you are new to the game and need more forgiveness than the Apex above, these TaylorMade SIM Max irons are incredible. They go miles, look beautiful and give you so much forgiveness that they can really enhance your game. The stock graphite option, Fujikura Ventus Blue, are great too.

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Best Irons For Regular Players

In this category you will probably be using a steel shaft. You will be more focussed on control and accuracy rather than gaining swing speed so steel is perfect for you here. Again you will want to consider your skill level to decide how much of a cavity you need on your irons.

Titleist T300

With tour looks, incredible performance and good forgiveness, the Titleist T300 irons are great for regular golfers who don’t play or practice as much as they’d like. These clubs will help you make the most of your skills and the TrueTemper stock steel shafts are brilliant.

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PING Blueprint

There are few irons in golf that look as good as PING Blueprints! These blades are for very skilled golfers who want the absolute best from their irons. They aren’t very forgiving but will give you ultimate control of the ball. Just stunning.

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Best Irons For Women

Women tend to put a premium on gaining distance with their irons although there are some girls out there who hit it just as far as the guys. If you need help in the yardage department then go for graphite, otherwise stick with steel for accuracy.

PXG 2021 0211 DC

PXG make some of the best irons on the market and if you are a golfer who wants to gain yardage, forgiveness and all whilst turning the heads of your playing partners then these are for you. You also cannot beat the value of this model.

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Titleist T100s

If you’re an elite female golfer then these are the irons for you! They are dialled down to give you a little extra distance but they excel when it comes to playability. These irons will help you with a laser-like focus on the target and stick it in close.

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Conclusion

There are so many great irons out there on the market these days and it can be so difficult to know where to start when looking for new irons. This article should give you a place to start and some pointers as to the things to look out for on this journey.

Take what you’ve learned here and get yourself a proper fitting session booked. In that session you can try a host of different clubs and make sure you have a great set in your hands that can take you golf game to the next level into.