As your swing progress and improves it becomes more important to start matching the golf club shaft to your swing.

Golf Club Shafts

The shaft of the golf club will flex when you swing and although the golf club shaft is not directly responsible for the power in your swing it does transmit this stored energy via the flexing to the club head at (hopefully) the precise moment.

In terms of golf shaft materials there are two basic types; steel and graphite. Steel shafts are less expensive but heavier and are preferred by advanced golfers and the pros.

The graphite shafts are lighter, but more expensive and are preferred by average and older golfers. Remembering that the distance you get on your golf shot is a matter of physics is the main allure of the graphite shaft. Since it is lighter than the steel, the average golfer can generate a higher club head speed. And with the lighter weight of graphite, more weight can be added to the head without increasing the actual swing weight of the golf club.

A shaft that is too flexible for your swing speed will produce much inconsistency at contact since the flex of the shaft is going to vary greatly based on your swing. If the shaft is too stiff for your swing you will have a tendency to leave the ball out to the right (for right handed golfers). This is why it is very important to match the type of shaft to your swing once you get your swing to a fairly consistent level of execution.

Golf Grips

The size of your golf grips can indeed play an important role in the results of your golf swing. Remember, it is on the grip where you have the only contact on the golf club and such is the on point from which you send information about the feel of your upcoming shot to your brain.

If your grips are too small or thin you will have the tendency to introduce more hand action into your shot and vise versa if your grips are too thick. The proper fit for your golf grips would be to have your middle finger just able to touch the pad on your thumb once around the golf grip.

Most grips are either of a cord material or rubber. These materials offer good resistance to wear and good playability. I wouldn’t recommend leather wrap grips for those just starting out as they are more expensive and less durable.

Golf club grip maintenance is a must. You should replace your grips on a regular basis. You won’t have to replace all of your grips each go around only the ones that are the most heavily used.

But it’s important to keep your grips fresh and of consistent feel across all of your clubs. Any pro shop can do this for you or you can certainly replace them yourself.

See my article on replacing your golf club grips.

Play Good Golf!

Jeff O'Brien

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