What’s A Uniflex Shaft And Who Are They Good For?

What’s A Uniflex Shaft And Are They Any Good?

If you have been looking at purchasing a complete set of golf clubs, you may see that a lot of them come with uniflex shafts. For beginners this may not be such a big deal but as you improve at golf, it’s a good idea to understand what a uniflex shaft is and whether or not it will work for your golf game.

A uniflex shaft is a unique option designed to fit a large majority of golfers. The uniflex shaft will vary slightly between manufacturers, but it is usually a mix of a stiff and regular shaft (a bit closer to the regular than the stiff). They are a middle of the road shaft that will suit people with a medium swing speed the best. Uniflex shafts are steel, and they can vary in weight from one brand to another.

Uniflex Shafts – Steel Or Graphite?

A uniflex shaft is going to be steel. Steel shafts are a bit heavier than graphite shafts, so they are not as easy to swing fast. A steel shaft is excellent for controlling the golf ball and hitting the shots that you want to hit. You may end up sacrificing a few yards, but you can stay much closer to the pin even when you miss.

Golfers that have a faster swing speed will do much better with steel than they will with graphite on most clubs. Players that have very little strength and slow swing speed will need the graphite shafts the most.

Are Uniflex Shafts Best For Beginners?

Many of the beginner complete golf sets are going to come with the Uniflex golf shaft in them. Since this has been a generally accepted practice for many years, people assume that uniflex means it is a beginner’s shaft. This is not the case.

A uniflex shaft is ideally suited for a beginner, but it works for an intermediate golfer as well. In fact, if you have been playing for several years and you feel like you are picking up a bit of swing speed, the uniflex may be a better choice for you than the regular or stiff shafts.

 

Who Should Use A Uniflex Shaft

Any golfer with a swing speed around 90 miles per hour will do really well with a uniflex shaft. This golfer can probably drive a golf ball around 230-240 yards and hit a seven iron around 140 yards. Even if you hit it a little further than this, the Uniflex is going to be a great choice.

If you hit a golf ball more than 275 yards with your driver, you will most likely need a stiff shaft and not a uniflex shaft. If you hit less than 200 or so, you may end up needing a Regular or a Senior shaft in your golf clubs.

The uniflex shaft is more about the speed of your golf swing than it is about the type of golfer or handicap that you are. The nice thing about the uniflex shafts is that they are usually a very manageable weight, so you won’t have too much trouble releasing these clubs. Remember that swing speed is always going to be measured with your driver when we talk about that 90 miles per hour.

Are Uniflex Shafts Any Good

Uniflex shafts are not bad, but there are a few things that you should know about them. Most of the time, the uniflex shaft is put in a set of beginner clubs. These sets are usually value type sets designed to last several years. If you are expecting the uniflex shaft that is put in these clubs to be a high-end premium shaft, you will be disappointed.

Another thing to consider is that the Uniflex is built to accommodate a wide range of players. If you want a shaft that is custom fit exactly to your specifications as far as weight and flex is concerned, then you need to consider something else. Going to a custom fitting and hitting with a launch monitor will tell you the exact shaft that will work for your game.

Pros Of Uniflex Shafts

• Will fit a wide range of players
• Great for golfers who are unsure if they should use regular or stiff
• Usually quite forgiving and straight hitting
• Available in steel which helps control
• Mostly priced fair

Disadvantages Of Uniflex Shafts

• Not widely available in a graphite flex
• Not as specific as a player may want to their individual golf game
• Not as many choices when it comes to weight and custom options

How Can You Tell The Difference Between Stiff And Regular Shafts

Most golf shafts are labeled with the flex of the shaft. If you see an R on the golf shaft is generally a men’s regular shaft. If you see an S on the shaft, it is probably a men’s stiff. For the uniflex shaft, you will likely see a U or sometimes something that may say R/S.

For senior shafts, you will see two different designations, either it will say Lite, or it will have an A on it. If your shaft does not have any markings or indicators on it, you will have to take it to a professional club fitter who will be able to tell based on its performance.

 

Should A Senior Golfer Play With A Uniflex Shaft?

A uniflex shaft is not ideal for a senior golfer. In fact, senior golfers should not even play with a regular golf shaft if they can avoid it. Senior golfers need all of the distance and forgiveness that they can get to make up for the difference in clubhead speed that happens as a person ages.

A uniflex shaft is steel, which is not the ideal material for a senior golf club. Seniors should look into graphite shafts that are made specifically for their needs.

What Happens If A Shaft Is Too Stiff Or Too flexible

There can be some negative implications for your golf game if you play with a golf shaft that is too stiff or too flexible. A proper golf shaft is almost more important than the club head itself.

If your golf shaft is too stiff, you will struggle to release the golf ball. This will leave most of your shots out to the right as you can’t get the feeling you need to release the golf ball through impact. Playing with a shaft that is too stiff can also make you lose a bit of distance since it is too stiff to get the same speed that a proper golf flex would give you.

If a golf shaft is too flexible for you, chances are you will end up starting to hook it quite a bit. Your swing speed will be too fast, and you will end up releasing the club too soon and sending the ball to the left. A golf shaft is too flexible for you when your swing speed is starting to get quite fast.

Golfers that play with a stiff shaft and find that it is too flexible will have the option to go to an extra stiff shaft. This is only recommended for people with swing speeds consistently over 115 miles per hour.

Do Different Shafts Have different Weights – Does It affect performance?

Yes, every golf shaft has several specifications to it that go beyond just flex. Golf shafts have different kick points, weights, and torque as well.

Weights:

Golf shaft weight will vary depending on the type of shaft and what club the shaft is intended to go in. A driver shaft is going to be much heavier than a wedge shaft. Driver shafts are designed to give a player lots of distance, and the lightweight capabilities are going to help you get extra clubhead speed.

Kick Point:

The kick point is the area on the golf club that exhibits the most bend when pressure is applied to it. The pressure applied is the golf swing a person takes. A kick point can either be low or high on the golf club. Shafts with a low kick point will help launch the ball relatively high. Shafts with a high kick point are going to keep the ball much lower.

Torque:

The torque in a golf shaft is how much the golf club twists while it is in swing and especially at impact. A shaft with a high torque is going to twist quite a bit more than a shaft with low torque. The thing to remember is that even though torque is a numerical value given to you on a golf shaft, it will rarely affect how amateur golfer plays the game. In other words, do not worry about torque.

How Can I Tell My Swing speed?

To accurately measure your swing speed, you have to get on a launch monitor. You can do this at a club fitting or sometimes even if you go to try out a new driver. If you have an at-home golf simulator, it should also show you what your swing speed is.

If you don’t have a way to get your swing speed, you can usually determine what it is based on the distances that you hit the ball. Take a look at the chart in our next example that explains carry distance on your driver. This will give you at least a basic range as to what your swing speed is.

What Shaft For What Swing Speed

These are the flexes that are recommended by TaylorMade golf. Of course, they do not produce a Uniflex shaft, and that can lead some players to question what speed works for a uniflex shaft.

(https://www.taylormadegolfpreowned.com/custom/clubfitting.aspx)

Carry Distance	Swing Speed	Flex
Under 180 yards	Under 75 mph	Ladies
180 to 200 yards	75 to 85 mph	Senior/A/M
200 to 240 yards	85 to 95 mph	Regular
240 to 275 yards	95 to 110 mph	Stiff/Firm
Over 275 yards	Over 110 mph	Tour (Extra) Stiff

If you see that the Regular flex goes up to about 95 and the stiff goes up to about 110, it would be best to swing a uniflex if you are anywhere between 90-100 mph in swing speed. What we love about the uniflex is that when you first start playing golf, you may not know precisely what shaft you need, but the uniflex kind of covers both stiff and regular flex.

Best Uniflex Shafts

Since uniflex shafts are usually included as part of a complete golf set, you don’t often purchase them to put in individual golf clubs. The following sets are a few sets that include a uniflex golf shaft. Each companies idea of uniflex can feel and perform a little bit differently.

Wilson Uniflex Shaft

• The Wilson uniflex shafts are great for beginners. They seem to perform a little close to a regular than a stiff. They are mostly lightweight and should allow for plenty of distance.

Callaway Uniflex Shaft

• The Callaway uniflex shafts are like a strong regular golf shaft. Callaway makes all of their uniflex type shafts high launching so you will get the ball flight that you desire as well.

Tour Edge Uniflex Shaft

• Tour Edge Uniflex shafts seem to perform exactly as we described above. A perfect mix between a regular and a stiff shaft suitable for both the beginner golfer and the intermediate player that is still stuck between a stiff and a regular golf shaft.

Conclusion

A uniflex shaft Is like a blended mix of a stiff and a regular shaft. It is excellent for the person who is not sure if they need regular or stiff, and its perfect for the beginner looking to get into the game who will have some inconsistent swing speeds. Just because you don’t hear about uniflex being offered quite as much as stiff or regular does not mean that it isn’t a good shaft.