Senior Flex Golf Clubs Aren’t Just for Seniors

There’s a widely accepted misconception out there about senior flex golf clubs. That is, most golfers I encounter immediately dismiss it because they believe those are meant specifically for seniors. While they do tailor nicely to seniors, many other golfers could benefit from the advantages that senior flex clubs provide. You can click here if you are looking for the best options for senior golf clubs.

How Do Clubs with Senior Flex help Seniors?

It’s certainly not revolutionary news that as our bodies age, we lose speed and strength. It’s just a part of life. This means that as we get older, our golf swing is going to get slower. A slower golf swing means less distance, and less distance was never a benefit to any golfer.

To combat this, club manufacturers created club shafts that are lighter (made out of graphite rather than steel) and have more flex (i.e. they are more bendy). The lighter shaft makes it easier to swing faster, while the added flex means you can utilize the extra bend in the shaft to transfer more energy and force to the ball at impact. These advantages are particularly useful for senior players.

How Can a Senior Flex Club help Me?

There are many golfers out there besides seniors that could benefit from using a senior flex. The overwhelming majority of males who begin taking up golf have this innate need to swing as hard as they can at the golf ball. Women tend to not have this same issue. But no matter how many times you tell a guy to swing easy, maybe at 70-80%, when they’re standing over a ball they instinctually swing at 110%.

This creates a number of serious problems. The main focus of any golfer when they are just starting out is getting clean contact with the ball consistently. This focus lasts will into the intermediate stage of golfing. The harder you swing your golf club, the harder it is to hit the ball cleanly. And when you’re just starting to learn how to hit the ball, you do not want to make it even harder by putting everything you’ve got into your swing.

Another big problem with over swinging is you develop and cement horrible habits into your swing. Increasing your swing speed is something every player should work on at some point, but only after you’ve got a good grasp on how to swing correctly and you’re able to consistently strike the ball cleanly.

When you’re just starting out, more flex can bring a certain level of comfortability when it comes to swinging easy. You swing easy when you’re learning so you can effectively swing faster when you get better. Until then, the increased flex will give you some extra carry and distance as you exercise self-control by swinging the club more slowly.

Why Doesn’t Everybody Have Senior Flex Clubs?

We mentioned that seniors as well as those just starting out in golf can benefit from more flex in their golf clubs. However, as you improve and develop consistent striking of the ball, you can start working on increasing your swing speed. This directly results in greater distance (provided you are hitting the ball cleanly and straight). As you increase your swing speed, senior flex golf clubs will bend more and more. This makes shots more difficult to control and actually hinders distance. At this point, it’s time for a stiffer shaft.

If you are an intermediate or advanced golfer, you do not want to use clubs with flex for seniors. The club would feel strange and flimsy throughout your swing and throughout contact. You will also lose distance and accuracy. You will certainly want to look for a regular or a stiff flex club, depending on your swing speed.

Conclusion

While we certainly don’t recommend them for everybody, clubs with more flex can be greatly beneficial for more than just senior golfers. It can help you focus less on achieving maximum distance and more on what you should be focusing on: consistency and ball striking. These are easiest to achieve with an easier, more relaxed swing.

Most men will struggle with keeping their swing slow, smooth, and relaxed. More flex will provide greater distance on a slower swing speed, but it will also disincentivize a faster swing because a faster swing mixed with greater flex results in less distance and loss of control. For those of you just starting out, seriously consider using clubs with more flex until you’ve achieved consistency and can regularly strike the ball cleanly.