Irons with stiff or regular flex steel shafts

[Jeteo2]

I have been doing some research on iron sets. I am interested in purchasing the nike slingshots, but am unsure as to what type of steel shafts to get. I recently demoed the regular flex steel shafts and felt they were great. If anyone could explain the differences and or benefits of a stiff steel shaft it would be greatly appreciated. I am 16 years old, 6 feet tall and about 150 lbs. Thanks a lot.

[Jeteo2]

Please reply I need advice.

[emc]

Do you swing the club fast or slow? A stiff shaft is for faster swings and provides much more control and consistency, two major things in good iron play. A regular shaft would be good if you had a smooth swing and provides more distance than a stiff swing.

[Boomhauer]

The stiffer steel shaft will not release as easily, so you will have to make more solid, and faster contact with the ball. Along that same line, they will send the ball on a truer flight path, as the reflex of the shaft will not be as pronounced. The great thing with steel shafts is you can lengthen them by inserting plugs (I think this is not as easily done with graphite, but I could be wrong), so they will be easy to keep fitted as you grow. At your height, I would advise stiff unless you have an extremely smoothe, slow swing, as your clubs would probably be fitted longer than standard, and the longer you make a shaft, the more flexible it becomes.

[Jeteo2]

I would say that I have a pretty fast swing. Are the stiff shafts forgiving if solid contact isnt made?

[shiva]

I'd say go to a tester and hit the same irons with regular and stiff flex shafts and see how each feels. I'd guess if you have a fast swing and still manage to accurately find the ball.. you'll need a stiff shaft. If stiff is too much for you, however, the ball will probably fly lower and shorter for any given loft, compared to a properly fit shaft. Also, the ball may have a tendancy to fade since the club head on a too-stiff shaft is harder to square (leaving ur clubhead open at impact).

As i said before, go get fitted or see a professional. Visit a demo day or something at a local golf course... its your best bet.

[VolT6]

There is no way anyone of us can recommend the correct shaft flex by reading your swing description online. To do that, you need to see a club fitter.
If you don't have a club fitter nearby, you might want to go the "trial & error" route. Remember, it's not how fast you swing but rather what is your club head speed (at impact). A person with a smooth tempo can achieve high club head speed if he/she whips the clubhead upon release (e.g Ernie Els) while a person with fast swing may end up with slower club head speed if he/she either slows down before impact or fails to release. If you've just started playing golf and are buying your 1st or 2nd set of clubs, on a trial & error basis via ebay, go for "Regular" True Temper steel shaft and see for yourself how it performs on you. If you feel they are too soft, either reshaft it with Stiff flex or get another set with stiff shaft & sell the Regular set. Chances are you'll find the "Regular" good enough. One famous club retailer was once asked what is the most common flex sold and without hesitation, he said the wrong flex. Far too many golfers fail to ask themselves "is this flex soft enough?" instead they ask "is this stiff enough?" . I once fall under that category.
Having said that, not all "Regular" flexes behave the same way. E.g. a "Tour Regular" shaft can be as stiff as "Extra Stiff" shaft whereas clubs made for the Asian market (i.e. Japan) are generally softer than those made for the US or European markets. So a US "Regular" is almost equivalent to Japanese Version "Stiff". To add to the confusion, some golf brands have the category "Firm" which could either mean "Regular Stiff" (in between stiff & regular) or is equivalent to Stiff. Another misconception is that graphite shaft is softer than steel shaft. Stiff graphite shaft can play as stiff as its steel counterpart. The main differences are that graphite shaft is lighter than steel shaft and graphite will be easier on the elbows. There are also other perimeters relating to the shaft such as kick point, torque, grip size etc. All said and done, there are alot of shaft options available to you & hence you will appreciate why it is important to see a clubfitter. 2cts.

[Jeteo2]

Thanks for the input I will go demo both types of shafts. You have all been very helpful.

[graffixjones]

One thing to keep in mind is that the Nike Slingshots 'whistle'... seriously.

You might find it annoying, though the sound is actually kinda interesting... *whistle*-*crack*.

At least everybody on the course will know what irons you're playing. ;)

[shiva]

I hate the slingshots, personally. Nothing against the irons.. I've seen people work magic with em... But they just don't suit my swing at all.. I hit so inconsistant and short with em its not even funny...

I'll stick with some mizunos or taylormades any day...

[ironman]

5-iron goes 175+ yards on a real golf course, not just from the range or on a tee? if not, then consider Reqular Flex steel.

Graphite are harder to generalize, but seems to me DGR300 plays stiffer than some Regular graphites...hmmm...

A lot of it is just what's on your mind: I had thought my S300 (stiff steel) 3-wood was "too stiff", but since my swing's getting better (in ever so slight incremnents) I like it now. But then when i'm feeling a bid cautous, I like my R300 5-wood more...goes high, far, and sits right.

A $100 USGA or Nike Learning pro fitting session at a golf course, with a nifty computer-rader-thing-a-magik, might be among the best dough you'll spend on golf.

[hollywood30546]

I am 6' 3 and weigh 220. I had my swing speed checked at my local pro shop, on a radar that gives you swing speed, distance of shot, and club face at impact. You think I could swing fast, but swing speeds are misjudged, or misguessed. Mine is 80mph. But my swing is more like Ernie Els. I use a Regular Flex. Stiff is fore 90+. Guessing is not a good idea. Get it checked.

[pingman360]

I have been doing some research on iron sets. I am interested in purchasing the nike slingshots, but am unsure as to what type of steel shafts to get. I recently demoed the regular flex steel shafts and felt they were great. If anyone could explain the differences and or benefits of a stiff steel shaft it would be greatly appreciated. I am 16 years old, 6 feet tall and about 150 lbs. Thanks a lot.

i have one question. HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU THINK WE WILL BE ABLE TO HELP YOU WITH JUST A ONLINE DESCRIPTION??? ;)
no, really im sure we would help you but... you need to go to a launch moniter and go off that. if you do that you will be fit in a mater of min.