Ladies Vs Senior Vs Lite Flex Golf Shafts – What’s The Difference And What To Use

Golf Shaft Flex may be the most important part of your club preformance that hadn’t yet considered, until now.

Senior, Ladies & Lite flex are more flexible shafts that offer maximum performance to a slower swinger. If you’re shaft flex is too stiff, changing to the correct flex for your game is likely to have a big imapct on the distances, accuracy and consistency you can achieve on the course.

For many golfers a regular shaft is going to be a little too stiff and it makes a lot of sense to change to something more flexible.

Today on the blog we are looking at some of the other flexes of shaft on the market that may help you more. One of the most special things about golf is that you can play at any age, these shafts can help keep you on the course for longer.

Intro to Golf Shafts

The shaft is the “engine room” of your golf club. Getting the correct flex of shaft can make your club the easiest thing in the world to hit or it can make it the hardest.

It can be difficult to know which is best for your game. Let’s have a look at some different flexes and who they suit best.

How Important Is Flex In A Golf Shaft?

It could be argued that the shaft is the most important part of the club to get right when custom fitting someone. The shaft helps translate the power of your golf swing into clubhead speed and it also provides stability to the clubface.

If you get this wrong, either too stiff or too flexible, you make it very hard to hit the ball. If you get it only slightly wrong, you make the club inefficient and reduce its performance in your hands.

When selecting a shaft you need to leave your ego at home and swing properly to get fitted correctly.

How Does It Affect Performance?

Getting the flex of your shaft wrong can cause havoc on your shots. A shaft that is too flexible will cause high shots that spin too much, it may also cause inconsistent shot shapes. You may find it difficult to strike the ball consistently too.

If you have a shaft that is too stiff, you may struggle to get the ball in the air and you will struggle to get enough spin on the ball. This result in you losing a lot of distance with this club. In both cases, the wrong shaft will make it really hard to hit consistent shots.

Lite vs Senior vs Ladies Flex Shafts

The best way to figure out what shaft you need is to get a custom fitting session.

Your technician will look at the characteristics of your swing, especially the speed, and figure out the best flex for your game.

Lite Flex

This is a flex that suits those who swing it just a little too slowly for a regular shaft. This shaft will give you even more forgiveness.

Golfers that hit their driver between 210-230 yards will benefit from lite flex. Driver swing speeds of about 85mph will be great for this shaft flex.

Senior Flex

As we age our swing speed escapes us. Senior flex will help you gain every yard possible from your swing, it is the least stiff and most forgiving shaft for loder men.

This flex will keep you playing long into the back nine of life. Driver swing speeds of around 75mph will suit this shaft flex.

Ladies Flex

This is the most flexible shaft on the market and is made to help the slowest swing speeds get the most from their clubs.

Don’t be put off by the name, this is a shaft that is for anyone with the right swing speed.

Driver swing speeds of around 70mph are perfect for this shaft flex.


Should Beginners Use More Flexible Clubs?

Not necessarily but it can help. You see, many new golfers will have decent swing speeds due to other sports they may have played like baseball or hockey.

It probably helps to use a more flexible shaft, within reason, to give the new golfer their best chance of consistency.

Should Juniors Be Using Senior Flex?

There is definitely merit in putting juniors into senior flex shafted clubs. As juniors grow up they start to develop power but their shorter clubs often make the shafts artificially stiffer.

Starting with a more flexible shaft can help create a good flex on the cut-down club.

Can Men Play Ladies Flex Shafts?

Of course, in fact I think “ladies flex” is a terrible name for this flex. Anyone who has a swing speed of around 70mph can and should use this flex. Ignore the name, it isn’t helpful.

Can Ladies Play Regular Flex Shafts?

I have played golf with many girls who swing the club harder than many men. They need stiff shafts at times, so yes, ladies can very comfortably play regular flex shafts.

Should Any Seniors Or Ladies Be Playing Stiffer Shafts?

I can absolutely promise you that golfers on the PGA Champions Tour and LPGA Tour may be seniors and ladies, respectively but they’re not playing the corresponding shaft flex.

These are golfers that develop serious power and so need the appropriate shafts. Your shaft should match your swing speed, not your demographic.

How Can I Tell My Swing Speed?

One way to find out is to use a launch monitor, these instruments can measure the speed of the ball and often the speed of the club. From the ball speed you can work out your rough swing speed. Another rough method is to divide the distance you hit the ball by 2.5 (a 250 yard drive/2.5 = 100mph swing).

Do I Need The Same Flex On My Driver And Irons?

Whilst the flex on your driver will give you a clue, it doesn’t dictate the flex you need on all of your clubs. It is worth getting a fitting for all of your clubs to ensure that you are properly set-up through your whole bag.

What Happens If My Shaft Is Too Stiff?

A shaft that is too stiff will kill your distance and will also make it really hard to get good height on the ball. You will feel like the golf club is hard to swing and isn’t helping you during your swing.

Will I Lose Distance Switching To More Flexible Shafts?

If you more to a more flexible shaft you will probably gain distance. If this is the correct shaft for your swing you will also gain a lot of consistency and height in your shots. Get fitted properly so you can be confident in your clubs.

Should I Get A Fitting To Get The Right Flex?

It still baffles me how many golfers buy clubs off the rack. Getting a fitting from a trained technician can ensure the money you spend goes to clubs that are perfect for you. It is an investment well worth making and often actually doesn’t cost any extra.

Best Shaft Weight For Seniors And Ladies

Lightweight shafts can really help those who swing the club slower to develop more speed. Something that weighs 60g or less is great and nowadays you can get shafts that weight as little as 50-55g. These will give you more speed than before and can be a great purchase.

Recommendations

Ladies flex iron shafts: UST-Mamiya iRN Graphite Irons-Lady

Senior flex iron shafts: Graphite Design G-Tech Graphite Irons-Senior

Lite flex iron shafts: KBS TGI Graphite Irons-Lite

Ladies flex driver shaft: Graphite Design G-Tech Graphite Woods-Lady

Senior flex driver shaft: Aerotech Powercoil HP50 Graphite Woods-Senior

Lite flex driver shaft: UST-Mamiya HeLIUM Wood

FAQs

What do the numbers on the shaft mean?

The usual numbers on a shaft include weight, torque, and sometimes the diameter. Each manufacturer will denote different information on their shafts but these are the most common.

What is a soft regular golf shaft?

This is a shaft with a regular flex but with high torque. This allows the shaft to twist more during the swing which makes it feel softer during the swing.

How do I choose a graphite shaft?

One of the most important things is to try a few and see which feels best to you. One of the best ways to choose a shaft is to get a custom fitting session where an expert can use data generated from your swing to fit you to the appropriate shaft.

What’s the difference between regular and senior flex iron shafts?

Senior flex shafts are a little less stiff than regular shafts. They may also have higher torque and reduced weight to help the golfer get the most from his/her swing.

What are the best clubs for senior ladies?

For senior golfers lightweight clubs are your best friend. With this in mind, the Cobra Golf 2019 F-Max Superlite Complete Set. This full-set will give your game a new lease of life.

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What are the best clubs for ladies?

TaylorMade have made some of the best ladies clubs in recent years. The SIM Max women’s irons are high-performance clubs that will be great for most golfers.

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What are the best clubs for seniors?

The all-new Callaway Big Bertha B21 irons are a fantastic option for those looking to get maximum distance into their game for the upcoming season.

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Conclusion

The golf club market continues to expand and the amount of products can be confusing. Hopefully this article can help explain a few things about what is available for different golfers and can help you make a more informed choice for new clubs.

Getting your shafts right can revolutionise your game and bring your distance and consistency that you have been lacking. Book in with your club pro and have him/her help you find the perfect clubs for your game, it will make you fall in love with golf all over again.