How to choose the right iron shafts
Choosing the right iron shafts when you buy a new set of irons is a very important decision and can make a large impact on your ability to hit those irons well. We have separate breakdowns for shaft flex, weight, and shaft profile so make sure to understand those concepts before we dive in. With some help from our sponsor True Temper Golf and their new Dynamic Gold Mid family of steel iron shafts we’ll break down the process for selecting the right iron shafts for your game.
It’s important to state that the best way to select any new club component is to get professionally fit. Fitting has become increasingly popular in recent years, and you’ll likely be able to find a good resource close to home. There are boutique options like True Spec Golf that have more options and completely custom builds, or more big box style stores like PGA Tour Superstore where you’ll have limited options, but will still be able to try different combinations and get yourself dialed in with a brand new set.
It’s our opinion here at Made for the Range that you test out any new shaft with the same process. Find your shaft profile that gives you the most consistent contact, figure out what flex works best to activate the speed potential of that shaft, and then if applicable, figure out what weight class may be best.
Step 1: Find Your Shaft Profile
As we talked about in our full shaft profile breakdown the profile of the golf shaft is the most important detail in understanding if that component will work for you, or against you. Having the right shaft profile allows you to hit the center of the clubface most consistently, resulting in a more playable experience as well as more reliable performance. Two major profiles within the True Temper brand are that of Dynamic Gold and ProjectX. Dynamic Gold has a softer handle and a smoother midsection with a slightly more active tip that allows for smooth tempo golfers to see success, while ProjectX as an overall stiffer profile is built for the faster more aggressive golfer’s that require a shaft that will keep up with their more violent tempo and transition. For more information on shaft profile, check out our full breakdown here.
Step 2: Find Your Shaft Flex
A good rule of thumb is to base the flex of your irons off of the 7 iron speed.
While this is a general recommendation this chart is not the end all be all of decisions. There are lots of golfers who prefer the feel of one flex over another, or are in between the overlap in speed for a certain flex. Again, it’s best to take a chance and hit a few balls with each flex and see which one is loading better for your swing which you’ll see show up in ball speed numbers during testing.
Step 3: If applicable, dial in shaft weight
In a retail environment you may not be able to select the weight of your iron shaft selection and that’s okay. Stock shaft options in iron sets are carefully selected so that by the time you got past profile and flex, the chances of the weight not being correct for your game is minimal. If this does end up being a factor in your decision you can always ask your store to order your set with a different weight shaft, or go to a more boutique fitter to get a completely custom build.
Keep in mind that changing to a different weight shaft is going to affect the overall weight of the clubs as well as the swingweight of the clubs. If your swing requires a change in either of those characteristics, moving up or down a weight class could be good for your game. As always our suggestion is to play the lightest shaft that you can control consistently, as this gives you the best opportunity at more speed.
Thanks to our sponsor True Temper Golf for supplying us with the product you saw in this topic. For more information on all True Temper Golf products and accessories check out truetempersports.com/golf
