Your golf club's engine.

The shaft is without doubt the most important aspect of the golf club and if the shaft that you are using is not the right shaft for your swing then you are going to be struggling regardless of how well you are swinging the club.

If you are considering changing your driver, fairway woods, hybrids or your irons and wedges you should really pay a huge amount of attention to the shaft that you are going to select.

The choice of shaft can lead to longer, straighter shots and better consistency.

Choosing the right shaft.

There are a trio of considerations when choosing your shaft, and you should be open minded enough to accept the best for your swing and game. Your ego and own desires must be left at the door.

SHAFT FLEX

The flex of the shaft is hugely important, but you must be aware that there is no industry standard controlling the flex of the shaft.

So just because you used a stiff shaft in one manufacturer's model, you may not be using a stiff in another shaft.

If you have a general shot pattern you can generally determine whether your current shaft is the right flex for you or not.

A shaft that is too flexible or soft for you will result in shots that head to the left (for right handed golfers.)

Too stiff or hard for your swing the ball will generally travel to the right (for right handed golfers)

Higher handicap golfers and mature golfers will more than likely require a shaft that is slightly softer, helping to square the clubface and increase club head speed through the moment of impact.

The bend point (also referred to as kick point)

This is also a major factor in deciding upon the shaft that you require. The bend point is the point on the shaft where the shaft bends and this can effect the trajectory and flight of your shots.

The lower the bend point the higher the ball flight, which can help to generate more distance for golfers that have a very low ball flight.

A higher bend-point is better for golfers that have a high ball flight and are looking to flatten the trajectory to increase their distance.

TORQUE

Possibly the most miss understood characteristic of the shaft.

Basically, the torque refers to the amount the shaft “twists” during impact.

I have heard many golfers talking about how a low torque is imperative if you want to improve your shot dispersion, without understanding how torque affects both the club head and shot.

So the lower the torque rating, the less the head will twist at impact.

A low torque shaft will feel stiffer, as there is little movement during the impact phase of the swing.

You may actually benefit from a higher torque than lower it depends on a myriad of factors.

Finally, you should be aware that the club head you are fitting the shaft into, can also affect the results that you see.

Once you have a club head that you like the feel of, try a variety of shafts in it.

If you feel the shaft is correct for you, but you do not like the feel of the club head try the same shaft in a different head.