4 Beneficial Attributes of Golf Driver Shafts for Sale for Players with Slower Swing Speeds

Most of the press is dedicated to developing golf driver shafts for sale that meet the demanding needs of players with fast swing speeds and strong, aggressive tempos. Perhaps that’s because the money is where the professionals play.

But for every professional (or even for every aspiring professional) there are 100 average players, aging players, amateur players, and others who just don’t have crazy fast swing speeds or sharp swing tempos.

And for these players, different golf driver shafts for sale are necessary.

Specifically, you might be looking for a golf driver shaft with any (or a combination) of the 4 following traits, which are commonly incorporated into the designs of shafts intended for players with slower swing speeds.

Low Kick Point, High Launch

Golf driver shafts for sale that are marketed to seniors or beginners or just anyone else who has a slower swing speed are generally referred to as more flexible, but it is not just the fact that they are more flexible that makes them suitable for these players.

Rather, the higher flexibility generally results in a lower kick point and a higher launch profile. This is probably the single most important attribute you should look for if you are reading along for these reasons.

A lower kick point that arises from a more generous bend profile, and a shaft that consequently produces consistently higher launch profiles will help you hit the golf ball further. It’s simple physics. If you can’t increase energy or swing speed, you aim higher, and the ball carries further.

Now, the truth is also that there is a flipside to this, which is that often a higher launch corresponds to greater shot dispersion, but that is something we will be taking a closer look at in a moment.

For the time being, suffice it to say that if you are a player with a slower swing speed, look for a shaft that has a lower kick point and produces higher launch characteristics, all else being equal.

High Spin

Whereas effectively any player with a slower swing speed could stand to benefit from a higher launching golf driver shaft, spin is a bit of a blessing and a curse.

On the one hand, spin creates lift, which literally and physically helps the ball float, which carries it farther to its intended target. So it is neither exaggeration nor embellishment to claim that the more spin a given shaft produces, the better it can potentially perform with respect to carry distance.

The other hand, though, is where things get a little hazier. The more spin a shaft generates, the higher the chances are of shot dispersion either manifesting or increasing. Spin can also throw a ball off course or exacerbate existing shot biases.

Low Weight

Lightweight design is another big attribute of some of the most popular shafts on the market for players with slower swing speeds right now. Some of these include Mitsubishi VANQUISH shafts, the Fujikura Ventus White, and Autoflex golf shafts.

Just think for a second about simple physics once more. One of the main factors in the equation here is clubhead speed. The harder you can swing the club - that is, the faster you can swing the club - the more energy will be transferred at the moment of impact.

And what this reduces to is this: if you can’t adjust launch angle, spin profile, or the club itself, taking a little mass out of the shaft will make it possible for a player - holding his or her strength and swing speed themselves constant - to swing the shaft faster.

And this is one of the main reasons that many top-performing golf shafts are not only flexible, but have very low weights.

Low Torque, High Stability 

Lastly, one more thing that many golf driver shafts for sale offer is low-torque, which can aid in stability and consistently.

While you might expect a shaft that’s more flexible along the swing path axis to also be more flexible around its centerline axis, this is not always the case - nor does high torque benefit players with slower swing speeds like a more gentle shaft flex can.

This is because the more a shaft will twist during the swing sequence, the more likely it is to exhibit inconsistencies with the club face being open or closed at the point of impact, and failure to produce replicable results is the doom of any golfer’s swing - not just a beginner’s. 

So, while you might expect to see more flexible shafts for sale targeting beginners, it’s also common to see this paired with low torque as a desirable attribute.

The Bottom Line: Work with a Golf Club Fitter Before Buying Any Golf Driver Shafts for Sale

All in all, regardless of what golf driver shafts for sale have caught your attention, it’s important to work with a golf club fitter before you buy.

A good fitter can determine just what sort of shaft will perform best for you with specific attention to your unique swing, and can even make personalized recommendations. If you’re interested in learning more about how a fitter can improve your club and shaft outfitting, get in touch with us directly and we’ll be more than happy to help.