For the sake of simplicity, all advice on swings and drills is provided from a right handed perspective; lefties …. well, you know what to do!
Here’s a brief review of shaft characteristics that affect ball flight.
Kickpoint, sometimes referred to as bendpoint low kickpoint – high trajectory mid kickpoint – mid trajectory high kickpoint – low trajectory
Flex – how much the shaft bends under stress
Junior, Ladies, “A” (Senior) flex shafts are the most flexible.
“R” regular flex shaft – average flexibility, good for the average golfer; however the average golfer doesn’t believe this so instead he gets an “S” stiff flex, thought to be good for players with higher swing speeds or players that load and lag the shaft well during their swing “XS” “XXS” etc. these shafts get stiffer and heavier, which may be necessary for extremely fast swing speeds or players that put too much backspin on their driver swing.
To read a definitive study of how shaft flexibility affects how the clubhead is delivered to the ball click here: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/shaftflexstudy.pdf The most significant finding was that shaft flex can have an effect on the “feel” for the player. Certainly, the feel of the driver is linked to the golfer’s confidence in executing the shot, which will inevitably weigh heavy on the final outcome of the swing. It is also possible that, early in the swing, the feel of the club associated with shaft flexibility may subconsciously influence the golfer’s swing mechanics, and thus increase the club speed.
Torque – how much the club twists during the swing lower torque number, the club twists less, has a stiff feel higher torque number, the club twuists more, releases more, and has a softer feel Shaft Weight from the same manufacturer, more flexible shafts weigh less than less flexible shafts generally speaking, the lighter the shaft the higher the launch and the heavier the shaft, the lower the launch Newer off the rack drivers these days have lightweight shafts. Golf research and development exerts are working on a lightweight shaft that provides a low launch, I’ll let you know when that happens.
Love your practice, enjoy your golf,
Tom
Hinging-Unhinging
On shots that require full compression, most amateurs unhinge their wrists too early in the downswing.
You need to train your wrists to transport your impact angles through the ball to enable dynamic loft at impact that produces strong shots that can bore through the wind.
This can be accomplished through hinging exercises and concentration, a great drill to practice this position is the Inverted Praying Hands Drill
Some players find it easier to think about holding the angle of the right wrist through impact (Homer Kelly’s “Flying Wedge”), for others it’s holding the flat left wrist through impact.
Another image that seems to resonate well with my students is visualizing the shaft leaning forward (forward shaft lean towards the target) through impact.
Find a thought, feeling, or image that works for you and practice this position.
Love your practice, enjoy your golf,
Tom
Tom Tucker is a World Golf Teachers and United States Golf Teacher Federation-certified golf instructor. He may be contacted via his website or at the Plum Creek driving range in Batavia, NY.
