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Both the driver head and driver shaft affect disparate parts of the club, and thus, your golf game. Yet just one has the ability to totally make a difference in your play. So, is the driver head or driver shaft more important? Read on.
They Work Together
Because of their design cues, driver heads are produced differently. Therefore, there isn’t a universal driver shaft that’s appropriate for all driver heads. But the head and shaft must correlate. In other words, they must be compatible.
Making Selections
Some golfers, when it comes to selecting their driver head and shaft pairing, will favor a driver head with greater launch and spin attributes to complement a driver shaft with a lower launch and spin. Others will go with a low-launch, low-spin driver head, plus a driver shaft with a more pliable tip and the ability to kick up more.
The problem is that, depending on a swing that’s all your own, you may not end up with what you thought you would.
For example, some driver shafts that are touted to possess a low launch and low spin, when put in the hands of another golfer, will produce a markedly higher launch. Why? The golfer might load the shaft differently or fail to load it altogether due to excessive rigidity.
Complement Your Game
It’s very important to find the driver head and shaft that complement your play. In some scenarios, the golfer may not have selected a driver head that fits their game, as revealed by golf simulator software. But instead of just going back and getting the right one, they’ll instead change their driver shaft. That could be problematic, in that the shaft may not make the desired difference, relative to a different head design.
What with all the driver shaft options out there, it’s vital that you know everything there is to know about the shaft. Further, you must know how to match the shaft with the driver head and its design features. That’s a lot, and it can be overwhelming, which is why it’s always good to have a professional assist you in that regard.
When a golfer mulls fitting, what usually comes to mind are launch and spin. But what frequently gets overlooked or forgotten is the golf club’s dynamics. That includes how the game progresses with the shaft and loft in motion, how it feels when holding the driver and when swinging it, the effect of the balance on your timing, and so forth.
If you don’t have the timing down, you’ll be erratic; your strike point will be irregular when it comes to the club face. That’s just a fact.
What’s the Verdict: Driver Head or Driver Shaft?
When it comes to which is more important, the driver head or driver shaft, many golfers believe the shaft is king, that it powers the club.
Now, it is true that the driver shaft heavily affects your swing’s dynamics, timing, and the way in which it loads to produce the timing.
It’s also true that the shaft allows you to be at one with your game; it is akin to a spring that generates energy and complements your tempo. Said another way, the shafts’ varying bend profiles will affect how you feel.
It is the driver head that propels the ball into flight, in areas of launch and spin. Its characteristics – not the driver shaft’s – affect what happens when the driver is in play. When it comes down to it, then, the driver head informs the ball’s flight more than the shaft.
However, it’s the shaft that puts the head to the golf ball. And if you cannot do that on a regular basis, no head will do much for you. And that’s the answer to whether the driver head of driver shaft is more important.
