As golfers age, they naturally lose some of their strength and mobility. This in turn precipitates a slower swing speed that will require some measure of accommodation from the gear with which a golfer plays.
Of chief importance is the golf shaft itself, which is the most critical element of a senior shaft golf club: it’s the shaft that makes it a senior outfit. This post will dive a little deeper into some of the details associated with this.
Flagging Speed, Superior Elasticity
At the end of the day, what senior golf shafts really come down to is flexibility. As stated, age makes players lose strength and flexibility, and as a result, mobility declines, which in turn brings down swing speed.
Some players are affected by aging more than others, but it is a phenomenon that unfortunately affects players to some degree across the board.
This being the case, the most important element of a senior shaft golf club is a shaft that is more flexible. It doesn’t need to be ridiculously flexible, but a more forgiving flex rating is critical – not an extra-stiff or tour-spec shaft.
The reason a more flexible golf shaft is critical for senior players is that senior shaft golf clubs are a lot like a spring. When you swing them they flex and store energy, just like a rubber band. On the downwing, that energy remains stored until the moment of impact, at which point it is unloaded and transferred to the golf ball.
The key is that the shaft is not just about to load, but explosively unload at the moment of impact, transferring all of that energy in a fraction of a second and delivering a massive mechanical advantage to the player. A stiffer shaft would yield less of a mechanical advantage and would require the advantage to come from the strength of the golfer alone.
The other thing that a senior shaft golf club can offer – again as an attribute of the shaft – is stability.
The thing about flexible shafts, as great as they are for players like seniors and others with slightly slower swing speeds, is that they can tend to compound shot dispersion through “whippiness” and inconsistency.
Therefore the best senior shaft golf clubs are not simply outfitted with more flexible golf shafts, but with shafts that are inherently more stable, and which do not raise or exaggerate shot errors.
Senior shaft golf clubs that are extremely consistent will perform very similarly, if not the same, from shot to shot, assuming consistent performance from the golfer that swings them. With a more consistent, stable senior shaft golf clubs, aging players can worry less about the exacerbating fade and draw biases, among other shot errors that will increase dispersion.
Where to Explore Senior Shaft Golf Club
One thing that’s important to note is that some shafts that make senior shaft golf clubs are not expressly marketed as such. For instance, some Autoflex golf shafts make excellent senior shaft clubs because they are light and flexible. Others include the Fujikura Ventus Red and the Grafalloy ProLaunch Blue.
The best thing you can do is start looking at a collection like what’s over at Dallas Golf Company, because there is such an expansive offering, or work with a golf club fitter. Fitters can help you determine what shafts will work with you best based on your swing speed, mechanics, and other personal abilities.
Get started working with a fitter today before you put good money into new senior shaft golf clubs so you can be confident in what you buy.
For more information about Mitsubishi Vanquish Shaft and Ping Golf Driver Shafts Please visit: Dallas Golf Company Inc.
