TaylorMade drivers like the Stealth and SIM2 are some of the most popular and highly rated club heads in the golf equipment industry. It’s only fitting that you choose a TaylorMade driver shaft that will bring out the best in your abilities and serve as a proper match for these drivers.
These four factors are the most impactful pieces of information you can use to mate a Taylormade driver shaft to your favorite drivers.
Shaft Flex Rating
Shaft flex rating is possibly the most important determinant in whether or not a golf shaft is suitable for your skill set.
Swing speed, and therefore, clubhead speed, is the most important thing to look at. If a shaft is too stiff for your swing, it will make generating higher clubhead speeds difficult, which will result in low spin and low launch, stifling range.
A shaft that’s too flexible will produce excess spin and generate higher launch, which for players with high swing speeds can create a greater variance in shot dispersion.
Therefore, as a general rule, players with higher swing speeds are better served by stiffer shafts, and players with slower swing speeds tend to prefer more flexible shaft ratings.
Torque Rating
Shaft flex is how much a golf shaft will bend from end to end. Torque rating refers to how much a golf shaft will twist around an axis running through its center.
The higher the torque rating, the more the club head will twist during the swing. A higher torque rating makes it more likely that the club face will strike the ball in an “open” configuration, which can create shot errors like slices.
Just like with flex, players with higher swing speeds tend to gravitate towards shafts with lower torque ratings, and players with slower swing speeds generally prefer higher torque ratings.
However, you should take this on a case-by-case basis, as other factors like club head weight will also impact the torsional flexion of a golf shaft.
Kick Point
Shafts with a higher kick point feel as though they bend higher up on the shaft, towards the butt section. This gives them a stiffer feel and more of a “one-piece” feel as well. Shafts with lower kick points bend closer to the tip section and usually feel whippier.
Shafts with lower kick points tend to create higher launch profiles (and sometimes more spin) whereas shafts with higher kick points tend to create lower launch profiles (and occasionally less spin).
Like shaft flex, it is swing speed that usually determines what sort of shaft a player will prefer. Many players with higher swing speeds prefer shafts with high or mid-high kick points and players with slower swing speeds may prefer shafts with lower kick points.
Use a Golf Shaft Fitting Tool or Get Golf Shaft Fitting Services from Dallas Golf Company
Your first pass over this article might leave you with the impression that players with slow swing speeds will prefer more flexible shafts with lower kick points and higher torque ratings, whereas players with higher swing speeds should look for stiffer TaylorMade driver shafts with higher kick points and low torque ratings.
That is generally true, but there are no hard and fast rules in golf. A best practice is to use an online golf shaft fitting tool or, better yet, work with a professional for golf club fitting services.
Golf club fitting services will offer you professional advice so you can proceed with confidence.
If you want to learn more about the golf club fitting services offered by Dallas Golf Company, visit them at DallasGolf.com, in their retail outlet in Dallas, Texas, or contact them at 800-955-9550.
