Stiffness, Torque, and Kick Point in Golf Shafts for Seniors

Whether you’ve just gotten into the game of golf or you’ve been playing for ages now and are officially entering your golden years, chances are you’ve come across stiffness rating.

With respect to stiffness rating, beyond the relatively standard categories - regular, stiff, extra, and tour-spec, there are some nuanced versions.

For instance, there are amateur, ladies, and senior stiffness golf shafts.

This post will break down the considerations associated with the latter class. Here’s what to know about golf shafts for seniors.

It’s All About Swing Speed (and Tempo)

You can stay in shape, and you can stay in good shape, but no matter what you do, aging is going to have an impact on your bone density, muscle tone, flexibility, and strength.

We’ll even go far enough to say that there are some 70 year olds that are in better shape than some 25 year olds. But that same 70 year old isn’t going to be as strong, flexible, or explosive as he or she was at 25.

The truth is, as you age, your bones lose density, and your muscles lose mass. You also lose flexibility and your muscle fibers change, making it more difficult for you to deliver explosive outputs, or to sustain aerobic activity.

Consequently, the case is that most senior players can’t swing as fast, or with a tempo as aggressive, as younger players can.

As a result, there are three main things that golf shafts for seniors offer, with respect to stiffness, torque, and kick point.

Stiffness Rating

The first and most important factor is stiffness rating, and though there is no standard or universal metric that can be applied here in order to quantify things, the fact of that matter is that golf shafts for seniors are more flexible, across the board.

Think of a golf shaft as a big elastic band, or perhaps as the limb of a bow. As you swing, the shaft absorbs some of that energy, and stores it in the arc of the shaft. When you swing through transition and come down, the shaft unflexes, releasing that energy, ideally at the point of impact.

The problem with super-stiff golf shafts is that, while they can be extremely consistent, it’s a lot harder for a player with a slower swing speed or a less aggressive tempo to attain the clubhead speeds necessary to generate desirable carry distance.

And so, when players with slower swing speeds play with stiffer shafts, performance often suffers as a result.

Conversely, the more flexible the shaft is, the more effectively it will load with energy, making it possible even for players with slow swing speeds and more metered tempos to attain the desired carry distance.

And, as a result, golf shafts for seniors are always more flexible than their “regular” stiffness counterparts. Just how flexible they are, though, is up to the manufacturer to determine.

Torque and Kick Point

Torque refers to how much the shaft will twist around an axis that runs through its center. The thing about torque is, like stiffness, it can help with forgiveness. The problem with torque is that if it is too high (that is, if the shaft twists too much) the clubhead will not be square at impact, which can throw a wrench in shot dispersion.

Therefore, while it is beneficial for golf shafts for seniors to be more flexible, it is not always beneficial for them to have a higher torque rating. 

Kick point is another matter that’s tied closely to stiffness rating. A lower kick point generally results in higher launch profiles, which can carry the ball further. It also generally increases spin, though this is not universally the case.

Consequently, players with slower swing speeds - and that includes senior players - tend to play better with shafts that have somewhat lower kick points.

Their Implications on Launch and Spin

Flex rating, torque, and kick point all have a big impact not only on energy transfer, but also on launch angle and spin.

Naturally, a higher launch angle (within reason) will result in greater carry distance. Higher spin can also generate lift due to the unique nature of the golf ball.

Higher launch angles and spin that correspond to greater carry distance can benefit senior players, but there is a tradeoff, as higher launch and spin profiles also generally result in more shot dispersion.

But that is the nature of the game - there are compromises in all aspects of the sport.

Contact Our Fitters for More Information on Golf Shafts for Seniors

Now that you know what golf shafts for seniors generally entail, you’re in a better position to start shopping for shafts for an older player. If you still have questions, get in touch with our golf club fitters and we can answer them and even make personalized recommendations.