Why Seniors need Senior Shafts ???

[veryold]

Hi all
I swore that I will not touch Shaft discussions, here, nor any where else, but cannot resist to ask this.
We hear everywhere: Seniors, Slow Swingers, Ladies, etc., should use Senior Shafts.
Why is that ? IOW, how does a Senior (whippy/torky) shaft help Seniors.
What does it do for Seniors that say, light Stiff shaft cannot do ?
And please, i'm not interested in "feeling" and other subjective explanations, but pure Physics and Facts.
Now, Ladies Golf Balls, I'm all for them for Seniors: just bought couple of dozen recently, and in this cold weather they are perfect for me.
Keep playing and cheers !!!

[rgk5]

The weight of the shaft is the primary reason with bend profile next. Most seniors cannot properly load a heavy, tip stiff shaft to get the proper beam rotation, i.e. the shaft release at the bottom of the swing, which imparts the maximum energy available from the swing speed of the player.

Having used heavy, tip stiff DG S-300 shafts in my irons since the early 1980s, I now use 70 gm. graphite shafts that much better meet the requirements listed above.

[Jasonp]

What rgk said.

The biggest reason is distance. Its to help regain some of that distance lost.

Heck ive hit seniors drivers further then mine. The problem for faster swingers and pros becomes dispersion. The reason pros dont usr a regular or stiff flex is because they wanna hit fairways not maximize distance.

Ive seen video of ur swing VO. Its smooth an rythmic. A perfect choice for senior flex and i can guarantee u it would give u a few more MPH ballspeed which in turn is distance.

[bl8d]

Hi all
I swore that I will not touch Shaft discussions, here, nor any where else, but cannot resist to ask this.
We hear everywhere: Seniors, Slow Swingers, Ladies, etc., should use Senior Shafts.
Why is that ? IOW, how does a Senior (whippy/torky) shaft help Seniors.
What does it do for Seniors that say, light Stiff shaft cannot do ?
And please, i'm not interested in "feeling" and other subjective explanations, but pure Physics and Facts.
Now, Ladies Golf Balls, I'm all for them for Seniors: just bought couple of dozen recently, and in this cold weather they are perfect for me.
Keep playing and cheers !!!

At one time a shaft fitting for Senior men and Ladies revolved around the "they need all the help they can get", so the- lightweight and soft tip was the go-to fitting formula.
It's not often you will see Seniors in a Sim bay, testing the veracity of this disparaging presumption.

In the mid '80 Pelz pushed his scientifically reasoned line of clubs with Featherlite heads and soft shafts on the golfing public, After a enthusiastic reception they faded to a slow death.
The uncontrollable dispersion pattern of the shaft's soft tip were Its biggest detraction.

In some fitting circles the heretic thought that Seniors will benefit from the heaviest shaft they can comfortably manage, is quietly gaining acceptance.
in other words the fitting progression is from a heavy to a gradually lighter shaft, whereas before it was confined to finding a suitable light shaft.

@VO, IIRC you have an engineering background, so maybe Tutel's page will give you some insight as to the how and why.

https://www.tutelman.com/golf/index.php

[TLT Dan]

You have to consider what your tempo is like. If the senior has a fast tempo and transition - they should be playing a little stiffer shaft if they want any control at all. The timing to get the head square with a whippy shaft can be a challenge if they are quick up and back.
I'm not in the camp that just because you are older, your shafts should be senior or lady flex.

[Phatchrisrules]

You have to consider what your tempo is like. If the senior has a fast tempo and transition - they should be playing a little stiffer shaft if they want any control at all. The timing to get the head square with a whippy shaft can be a challenge if they are quick up and back.
I'm not in the camp that just because you are older, your shafts should be senior or lady flex.

True, but these are all relative. Name me one guy who swings around 80mph that ACTUALLY has a quick tempo. It's not that fast. Just like the guys who claim they are smooth in transition but swing 115. It doesn't really exist.

Use the swing speed measurements of <75mph = ladies, 75-85mph = seniors, 85-95mph = regular, 95-105 is stiff, and 105+ is X-stiff, as these are pretty standard across all the shaft manufacturers. They use these because in general, someone who swings 80mph doesn't load, lag, or release a shaft with the same power as does someone who swings at 100mph. That's why you don't see women using steel anymore as well. They typically don't have the same loading parameters as an average male will do.

[Jasonp]

Chris while i agree with some of ur statement i disagree with parts.

while you may be right that if ur under 85mph ur likely not quick. Cuz most people will be at least 90 if not 95 if they had a quick transition.

however u can easily be 110+ and smooth. Look at ernie els, fred couples etc.

My recorded fastest swings are my smoothest transitions at 108+it makes it the most effecient.

[rgk5]

You have to consider what your tempo is like. If the senior has a fast tempo and transition - they should be playing a little stiffer shaft if they want any control at all. The timing to get the head square with a whippy shaft can be a challenge if they are quick up and back.
I'm not in the camp that just because you are older, your shafts should be senior or lady flex.

Dan, I'll agree with you on the fast tempo/transition issue providing the player continues to accelerate. The vast majority of seniors I see do need the lighter, softer shaft as their swing speeds with a driver rarely exceed 78 mph.

[rgk5]

Chris while i agree with some of ur statement i disagree with parts.

while you may be right that if ur under 85mph ur likely not quick. Cuz most people will be at least 90 if not 95 if they had a quick transition.

however u can easily be 110+ and smooth. Look at ernie els, fred couples etc.

My recorded fastest swings are my smoothest transitions at 108+it makes it the most effecient.

J. it is most of the time just the opposite. Most quick transition seniors I have seen in the last 15 years actually de-accelerate after the transition.

[Tintin]

Because you said so yourself in the other thread

That's a possibility, for sure, but as hitting it of the fairway, the lowest loft i can do from the fairway, is a 7 wood, lol.

Put a xstiff shaft in that 7 wood and see you can get it up(no pun intended)

[Tintin]

Unless you can do this

[Phatchrisrules]

It’s also been proven that shafts don’t actually deflect in the manner shown above. What you are seeing is motion blur due to the frame rate or shutter of the camera.

Shafts do load and unload a hair but not nearly as much as these photos would make one believe.

[veryold]

It’s also been proven that shafts don’t actually deflect in the manner shown above. What you are seeing is motion blur due to the frame rate or shutter of the camera.

Shafts do load and unload a hair but not nearly as much as these photos would make one believe.

This pic probably agrees and re-enforces your above submission

Maybe my cataract eyes are fooling me here, but for the life of me i don't see any shaft bend here ?

Dustin with Konica Minolta at somewhere around
1000 FPS IIANM.

[nearace]

I was wondering when or what age you should consider senior shafts ?

[Tintin]

1:6 mark