As an aging golfer, there are certain considerations you are going to need to make, specifically with the selection of the gear you choose.
Let’s make this specific to golf shafts. As a senior golfer, you’re going to be subjected to a lot of marketing hype that’s going to push ultra-stiff shafts that are designed to produce long, low, penetrating drives.
The thing is that these shafts are rarely intended as golf shafts for seniors for a very specific problem. Let’s take a closer look at performance and why it matters.
The Problem of Ultra-Stiff Shafts
While lots of golf equipment manufacturers put a lot of money into developing ultra-stiff golf shafts, overall, they’re not well-suited to senior golfers.
Ultra-stiff shafts are engineered to solve some problems commonly encountered by players with faster swing speeds: whippiness and inconsistency. They’re intended generally to produce low launch and spin that result in long, penetrating drives – at least for players with the strength to swing hard.
For some players, this is certainly desirable, especially for those that have had bad experiences in the past with shafts that produced excess launch and spin that complicated shot dispersion or encouraged too much roll out.
But here is the worst part, and the reason that these specifically do not make good golf shafts for seniors: as you age, you naturally lose strength and flexibility. Now, that’s not to suggest that there aren’t some strong senior players out there with relatively fast swing speeds, but it is true nonetheless.
Therefore, as you age, your needs will naturally gravitate towards shafts that are less stiff and more forgiving of your flagging swing speed.
This is also the reason that those same golf equipment manufacturers have spent plenty of time and resources coming up with golf shafts for seniors that, as a general rule, offer decidedly different attributes in terms of quality.
Enter Golf Shafts for Seniors
Golf shafts for seniors are rarely super-stiff. In fact, golf shafts for seniors are almost always much more flexible than standard flex shafts.
The reason for this is all about the slower swing speed. As you lose muscle density and flexibility, you need a little boost elsewhere. That “elsewhere” comes in the form of a more flexible golf shaft.
A golf shaft that offers better flexibility will bend as it is swung, storing energy like a rubber band or a spring. As the golfer transitions on the downswing, that energy starts to unload, before being transferred to the golf ball at the moment of impact.
This provides a slight mechanical advantage to the golfer, the effect of which is that players with slower swings can generally hit the ball farther with a more flexible golf shaft for a senior.
The other thing that these golf shafts tend to offer is a difference in terms of launch angle and spin characteristics. Golf shafts for seniors often (though not always) tend to produce higher launch and spin.
The higher launch provides greater carry distance for obvious reasons; if you can’t throw a ball any harder, just launch it higher and it will carry further. As for spin, backspin in a golf ball creates lift, which also carries the ball further.
The one caveat is that spin can increase shot dispersion, but most quality golf shafts for seniors are consistent enough, especially when paired with a suitable club head.
Where to Learn More
Interested in learning more about the top golf shafts for seniors available on the market? Visit Dallas Golf Company to see some of the best options at your disposal. You can also get in touch with their club fitters and they’ll make personalized recommendations based on your needs or preferences.
For more information about Autoflex Golf Shaft and Mitsubishi Vanquish Shaft Please visit: Dallas Golf Company Inc.