Picking out a new driver is lots of fun. In fact, 2019 saw the release of the TaylorMade M5 and M6 golf drivers and Callaway released their 2019 Epic Flash Drivers. Last year in 2018, Titleist launched their T2 and T3 Drivers.
But one overlooked factor when buying a driver is your golf shaft!
We’ve written today’s review on the best golf shafts for drivers to give you a buying guide that will recommend not only the best golf shafts but also answer questions with a Q&A section.
Scroll down and read about the techy aspects of picking out the best golf shaft for your driver if you are unfamiliar with shaft flex, shaft weight, kick in point, proper golf shaft length for drivers, and the types of materials you can choose to have your shaft made from.
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4 of the Best Driver Golf Shaft Options
Project X PXV R-Flex Shaft
Project X comes into the scene with one of the best golf shafts of all time. They are known for their best shaft manufacturing which is up to the maximum required standards. Their PXV R-Flex Shaft comes with a smooth feel and with a graphite look ready to give you an incredible performance right from the moment you get it out of the box.
The shaft is lightweight only weighing 52 grams, comes with a standard Tour Velvet rubber grip and is very fast. It’s designed with the cutting edge technology to give you the best experience and suitable for golfers of every level.
It gives an incredible distance and comes with more flex than other options in the market. It is very affordable and is beginner friendly.
Click here to buy Project X Golf Shaft on Amazon
Accra New Tour Z 85 Low Spin LS Driver Shaft
Accra Tour Z 85 Low Spin shaft is a brand new addition in the Accra golf shaft collections, and just like its predecessors, it doesn’t disappoint when it comes to performance. The great quality and performance of this shaft make it the best choice for golfers of different levels.
The shaft comes readily assemble and ready to install into your driver as soon as you get it out of the box. You have the option to select your shaft flex and the driver adopter from the many options available.
It comes installed with a Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip which gives it a good feel and comfortable for most golfers. There are also customization options available so you can easily contact the manufacturer if you need to change your grip of the length.
Click here to buy the Accra Golf Shaft on Amazon
Fujikura Vista Pro 55 R-Flex Shaft
This is the new version of Fujikura Vista Pro series customized to provide golfers with the needed versatility with an aesthetic design. Fujikura Vista Pro comes with professional grade technologies such as Maximum Fiber Content, Cage, and Phantium making Fujikura #1 on Tour.
The maximum fiber content used to make this golf shaft provides it with the required stiffness and enough strength. This enables it to be stable enough, give a good feel and provide incredible distance.
This shaft is installed with the Callaway OptiForce shaft adapter fitting a wide range Callaway Drivers and ready to use right.
Click to buy the Fujikura Golf Shaft on Amazon
Accra New Tour Z 65 Low Spin LS Driver Shaft
The Accra New Tour Z 65 Low Spin golf shaft is made with black and silver graphics giving it a great look. It is made in a way to blend well with whatever driver head you choose to use and comes with a good sense of speed and motion.
It comes readily installed with Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip which allows you to rotate the shaft in the clubhead if you’re using an adjustable driver.
It has a high kick-point and a low torque to keep the launch angle low with low spin rates. This gives it a penetrating trajectory with good ball flight and keeps rolling even after it hits the ground suitable for playing in windy areas.
The low spin design ensures maximum distance and roll-out. It comes with amazing stiffness and is lightweight with a great feel.
Click here to buy this shaft on Amazon
Golf Shaft Buying Guide (Questions and Answers)
Here are common questions you may have about golf shafts when picking one out:
- What purpose does a golf shaft serve for the club?
- What are the types of golf shafts?
- What is golf shaft flex?
- Is the weight of the golf shaft important?
- What is the appropriate length of a driver golf shaft?
- What is the kick in point for a golf club shaft
Why do you need golf shafts?
Golf shafts are of high importance to every golfer as they give consistency. A golf shaft has great effects on how well you play as it results in optimal launch conditions as you strike the center of the face. You need to hit the ball as accurate as possible and get the maximum speed you’ve long desired.
It all depends on the type of shaft you choose, the weight, the length, and the torque. So, before settling on a given golf shaft for drivers, you need to think about what you need to achieve at the end of the game.
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What are the different types of golf shafts?
Steel shafts
Most steel shafts are made from carbon steel while some brands use stainless steel. As compared to graphite, steel shafts are less expensive and are stronger, firmer and durable.
Unlike graphite, steel shafts display a greater emphasis on accuracy than distance.
They do not require faster swing speed to give a good distance hence are suitable for players with a normal swing. They display high levels of precision, accuracy, and impact hence gives a player more control of the game.
There are two types of steel shafts namely:
Stepped steel shaft.
These are made with visible steps that reduce the diameter of the shaft from the butt to the tip. They are cut out of a steel strip then rolled into tubes and mechanically drawn to reach the correct diameter.
The step patterning process aims to narrow the shaft towards the tip while thickening the butt. This process allows for refining of the kick-point and the flexibility of the shaft resulting in a stiff and solid shaft.
Rifle steel shafts.
These types of steel shafts are designed the same way stepped steel shafts are with the exception of the step patterning and have smoother steel from tip to butt. They are designed and constructed using different technologies for performance and consistency.
According to manufacturers, the stepless design technology ensures greater accuracy. They can have customized kick-points for varying trajectories using different styles of clubheads in a single set.
Graphite Shaft
Graphite shafts are lightweight and come with longer shafts. They, therefore, give longer drives but you have to sacrifice on accuracy. Graphite shafts come in a variety of colors and flexes that makes them a popular choice for most professional and amateur golfers.
They weigh between 50-85 grams as compared to steel whose weight starts at 120 grams. On the downside, graphite shafts are expensive and less durable as compared to steel.
Multi-material shaft
This is the latest addition to the shaft types which combines both steel and graphite shafts to make use of all the advantages of the two materials.
They combine the lightweight features of the graphite tip together with the firmness of steel to bring out the best experience to golfers.
The steel section makes a solid shaft that enables the golfer to control the flight of the ball while the graphite tip enables the golfer to have limited whip hence come up with an incredible distance and also minimize vibration.
What is shaft flex?
Flex is the rating of the ability of the shaft to bend during your golf swing. Flex affects your distance and direction hence it’s very important in the shaft. It is important that you get the correct flex in your golf equipment.
If you have a fast swing, you will require a shaft with less flex while if you have a slow swing, then your shaft should display greater flex.
Flex may be rated as Extra Stiff (XS), Stiff (S), Regular (R), Firm (F), Amateur (A), Senior (S) or Ladies (L). If you’re a beginner or you have a less powerful swing, you are going to need a shaft with greater flex. However, the less the bend in the shaft the more the powerful swing you’ll get.
Is the weight of the shaft important?
The weight of the shaft is determined by the weight of the raw, uncut shaft before installation. It is measured in grams and range from 40 to 135 grams.
It is important that you get the right weight for your shaft for a better experience. If you have a slower swing, you will need a lighter shaft.
As you increase your swing speed, the weight of the shaft will also increase. With lighter shafts, you get lighter total weight which also means additional clubhead and more distance.
What is shaft torque?
The torque is the twisted movement that occurs during a golf swing. Every shaft whether graphite or steel comes with some amount of torque. It is measured in degrees and shown in rating.
The higher the rating, the more the shaft twists and the lower the ratings, the lesser the shaft twists. A shaft with a higher torque feels softer than the one with the lower torque. Most steel shafts come with about 3 degrees shaft hence are stiffer than graphite shaft.
Torque also has an effect on ball trajectory with a lower torque producing a lower trajectory. Shafts with higher torque will likely result in higher spin and higher launch and mis-hits correction.
What is the appropriate length of the driver shaft?
Longer shaft lengths result in higher clubhead speeds and more distance. However, with a longer length, you have to sacrifice on accuracy and precision since they limit your control of the club during a swing.
If you want to have more control over your drives and achieve decent accuracy, then shorter shafts should be your choice.
However, if you prefer more distance and great speed, then you should go for longer shafts. It all depends on what you want to achieve and your preferences.
Graphite shafts come with longer lengths as compared to steel shafts which have shorter lengths.
What is shaft kick-point?
This is the bending point of the shaft hence affecting the trajectory of the shot. A higher kick point will give you a low shot trajectory. A low kick-point will give you high shot trajectory.
Kick-point also affects the feel of the shaft. Kick-point is important for golfers with a smooth tempo and transition, and they definitely want a medium to low kick-point.
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