Does Shaft Flex Matter In Wedges – Regular, Stiff Vs Senior
The average golfer spends most of their time hunting for clubs that can provide distance off the tee, and spin on the green. And while we tend to focus on the ability of a clubhead, we often neglect the longest part of a club, the shaft.
With that in mind, we are looking at whether golf shaft flex matters in wedges and if you should start to pay attention to this the next time you are shopping.
Wedge Shafts Overview And What The Purpose Of Flex Is?
As is the case with your woods and irons, wedge shafts are offered in a variety of flex levels. Flex will determine how much whip your shaft gets on your backswing and follow-through, which will impact your ball speed, launch angle.
Golfers with faster swings may perform better with a stiffer shaft that doesn’t give them any unwanted flex. While slower swinging players may benefit from a more flexible shaft to help them with more loft at launch.
How Important Is Having The Right Shafts In Your Wedges?
Legendary wedge designer Bob Vokey says “the variation in wedge shafts helps with different trajectories.” The individual player will achieve varying results with the same type of shaft as other players.
You may have a wedge that is designed to deliver enhanced spin around the greens. But maybe you are playing with a shaft that is too stiff or flexible for your swing. Therefore, you will not enjoy optimal performance from the club.
How Does It Effect Performance?
We use wedges to hit full shots and chips, which means we need them to deliver different levels of ball flight.
The faster swingers among us, may balloon shots and receive excessive spin if their shaft flex is too soft and light.
Conversely, slower swingers may struggle with height and spin if you use a shaft that is too stiff and heavy for your game.
What About Shaft Flex?
As is the case with your other clubs in the bag, it depends on your swing. Faster swinging players will get the most out of a stiff or extra stiff shaft.
Since they are superior ball strikers they can prompt a more powerful launch, and gather sufficient ball speed and spin to achieve the desired result.
Moderate and slower swingers may struggle to get generate sufficient spin and launch for better control around the greens. If you can relate to this challenge, it is advisable to seek a softer golf shaft.
Signs Your Wedge Shafts Flex Is Too Soft
Custom fitting experts TrueSpec Golf have found, that players swinging a shaft flex that is too soft, balloon wedge shots and gain more spin than desired.
In general, this is a problem that faster swinging golfers are more likely to experience.
Signs Your Wedge Shafts Flex Is Too Stiff
The team over at TrueSpec have learned that stiff wedge shafts are more of an issue for slower swingers.
Those of us with swing speeds like David Toms will find it challenging to achieve the loft and spin we seek from a wedge.
If you are enjoying the spin and control around the greens that you desire, then you may want to consider a softer shaft flex.
Regular Vs Stiff Flex In Wedge Shafts
Regular shafts will provide minor flex assistance on your downswing to ensure optimal ball speed for a higher launch, and increased spin and control around the greens.
Regular shafts are best suited to the golfer with moderate to fast swing speeds.
Stiff flex suits the fastest swingers, who don’t need assistance with their launch. In general, stiff flex shots will fly lower than a regular shaft but will give more powerful strikers better control than softer flex golf shafts.
Regular Vs Senior Flex In Wedge Shafts
Regular flex wedge shafts should be used by moderate to fast swingers that seek slight flex, for added loft.
On the contrary, senior flex shafts offer more flex to the slower swinger. The additional flex helps you to get the ball airborne, and land it softly into the green.
Steel Vs Graphite Wedge Shafts
Michael Kozlowski from Golfweek says steel shafts are heavier in construction than their graphite counterparts, and as a result, are best suited to players with accelerated swing speeds.
Graphite shafts are lighter and offer you more flex, which helps to enhance your ball speed and achieve more loft.
Who Should Use Which Type Of Shaft?
I recommend that faster swinging golfers stick to heavier steel shafts, to erase the risk of ballooned shots and excessive spin.
On the contrary, those of you with slower swing speeds can benefit from enhanced launch provided by wedges with graphite shafts.
What Shafts Should Ladies Use?
There are no specific shaft lady golfers should use. In general, I would recommend lighter graphite shafts, that provide added launch. However, it depends on the individual player.
Golfers like Anne van Dam are swinging a driver 109 mph on average, which means she would best suit a stiff shaft. I have also played with female golfers who are swinging a driver 75 mph and benefit from a lighter more flexible shaft.
Swing Speed vs Shaft Flex
According to J.D Chi of GolfWeek, “shafts come in five flex ratings.” These options cater to slow swingers through to the fastest in the game.
The five flex ratings available to us are, extra stiff, stiff, regular flex, senior flex, and ladies flex.
I have provided details below of which swing speeds best suit each flex rating.
Flex |
Driver Swing Speed |
Extra Stiff |
110 mph > |
Stiff |
100 mph – 109 mph |
Regular Flex |
85 – 99 mph |
Senior |
76 mph – 84 mph |
Ladies |
75 mph < |
Who Should Play With Stiff Flex In Their Wedges And Why?
Golfers with faster swings are best suited to stiff flex shafts. Any softer flex shafts may cause you to sky shots, and obtain greater levels of spin than you desire.
If you are one of those players that swings a driver above 110 mph, then you may get the most out of your clubs with an extra stiff shaft on your lower degree wedges.
Should you carry a wedge with 60 degrees or more of loft, you may want to look at a stiff or regular flex club, that will give your more spin and control on chip shots.
Who Should Play With Regular Flex In Their Wedges And Why?
Data provided by Trackman illustrates that the average clubhead speed of amateur golfers in the U.S is 93.4 mph with a driver.
That means most of us to fall into the category of players that should use a regular flex in their wedges.
We don’t need an excessive amount of assistance to get the ball airborne and land it softly around the greens. But, we may hit a stiff flex wedge too low and lose control and spin.
It is also worth faster swinging players to consider regular flex shafts on wedges with a weaker degree of loft.
This is due to the fact you will likely not be hitting full shots with these wedges and will want to get the ball airborne as quickly as possible on chip shots.
When Is It Time To Switch To Senior Flex?
If your swing is in the region of 76 mph – 84 mph, senior flex shafts may bear more fruit for your game.
They offer an enhanced level of flex to assist slower swinging golfers generate a higher launch. Resulting in softer landings and better control around the greens.
When is It Time To Switch To Ladies Flex
Despite its name, this shaft flex option is not only for ladies.
It benefits golfers with super slow swing speeds, helping you to get the ball airborne faster than you may achieve with stiffer flex shafts
Best Regular Flex Wedge Shafts
Nippon NS Pro 950 GH
The NS Pro is crafted using NSGS8665V alloy and Nisshin steel to provide a balance between the strength and weight of the shaft.
The NS Pro 950 has an ultra-lightweight design similar in composition to a graphite shaft and offers phenomenal control. All these factors combine to provide a shaft that is easy to swing.
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Aerotech Steelfiber 95
Aerotech is the industry leader when it comes to graphite golf shafts. And, hold the honor of the most tour wins of any graphite shaft.
The graphite shell contains steel fibers that provide a consistent flex and low torque, suited to faster tempo swings.
If you are looking to transition from steel shafts to graphite, the Aerotech Steelfiber i95’s will ensure a seamless switch.
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Best Stiff Flex Wedge Shafts
True Temper Dynamic Gold S200
In an interview with Golfalot’s Martin Hopley, Bob Vokey explained that the Vokey wedges have used the same True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts for the past 18 years.
The S200 is a steel shaft that offers a lower trajectory and level of spin than you may find with more flexible ratings.
The S200 is suited to the golfer with a faster swing tempo than the average player, but not quite in the league of Kyle Berkshire.
Check Out More Reviews Here:
True Temper Project X Steel 6.0
Another True Temper shaft makes our list for the best stiff flex wedge shafts. The Project X Steel 6.0 is a shaft built for players with a fast swing tempo.
While the average golfer will struggle to get their ball airborne with these shafts they will help faster tempo swingers keep the ball down slightly.
Finally, the True Temper Project X Steel 6.0 offers low trajectory and spin levels, perfect for fast swingers.
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Best Senior Flex Wedge Shafts
UST Recoil 450 ESX T
The UST Recoil offers golfers with slower tempo swings a spring effect designed to enhance the efficacy of energy transfer from club to ball.
This shaft offers you a far higher launch than we have seen from the stiff and regular options that we have discussed.
ESX stands for enhanced stability due to a stiffer mid and butt, which as a result provides excellent shot control. This wedge shaft is suited to slower swinging players and moderate swinging players looking for softer shafts on their wedges.
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Conclusion On Does Golf Shaft Flex Matter In Wedges
Based on what we have found, it is evident the golf shaft flex does matter, not just when it comes to wedges, but all clubs.
If you do not have the correct shaft flex on your wedges you will not maximize the potential of the club.
Stiff Shaft Conclusion
It is clear that golfers with a faster swing tempo should stick to heavier weighted wedges with stiff or even extra stiff flex, to prevent unwanted spin and skied strikes.
If this describes you, I would recommend testing the Dynamic Gold S200, which you can find here.
Regular Flex Shaft Conclusion
Conversely, if you have a moderate swing tempo, wedge shafts with regular or senior flex may best suit your game.
My recommendation for a regular flex wedge shaft is the Nippon NS Pro 950 GH. You can check it out here.
Senior Flex Shaft Conclusion
Finally, those of you with swing tempo’s on the slower side should consider a senior flex golf shaft option.
This will help you to get the ball airborne quicker and land the ball softly around the green. If you are still achieving low ball flight with the senior flex, then you may want to test a ladies flex shaft.
If you feel that a senior flex wedge shaft will help you gain more control around the greens, you can check out the UST Recoil 450 ESX T, here.
Hi, I am Matthew, a mid handicap golfer who likes to play as much as possible. I love trying out new gear and this blog is where you can find all the gear I have tested over the years!
