Tl;dr: Learn how the right driver shaft can improve your accuracy and distance off the tee. Plus, discover if a custom driver shaft is right for you (or if it’s a waste of money).

Did you know that using the right driver shaft can have a huge impact on distance and accuracy? If you’re like most golfers, chances are you spend all your time researching clubheads, trying to figure out if a Callaway, Titleist, Mizuno, TaylorMade, or other brand is the one to help you hit bombs off the tee.

Trust me, I get it. Earlier in my career, that’s all I focused on too. I loved testing out new driver heads to see which one could help me gain distance and find more fairways.

However, after doing a custom fitting with a professional, I quickly learned the importance a driver shaft plays in your average drive. I’ll help you understand this major concept so you can buy the right club/shaft combo to take your game to new heights. If you still have questions after reading this article, please reach out to one of our Curated Golf Experts for more guidance on which driver shaft would be best for you.

What Are Driver Shafts?

Golf driver shafts are one of the most important and misunderstood parts of the game. The right shaft can help you hit it longer and straighter and have a big impact on your tee box performance.

Think about it, you always see commercials on TV for new drivers when watching golf, but you never hear them mention anything about the shaft. It’s always nonstop coverage about the head adding yards, improving ball speed, and making your mishits a lot better.

However, the shaft of your driver can make or break your tee box performance. You need to find the right shaft flex, weight, and launch to find the proper spin rates for your golf swing. Everyone is different based on swing speed and golf swing fundamentals.

Sometimes buying a stock driver shaft is a great fit to help your game, while some golfers need to buy upgraded, premium driver shafts for optimal performance. These could cost an extra $100-$300 (or more) depending on the brand.

What to Consider Buying Driver Shafts

Most golfers do not need premium driver shafts. Why?

Because they are designed for golfers who swing with an above-average swing speed, which isn’t a huge percentage of the golf population. Higher speed needs lower launch and lower spin shafts. Otherwise, the golf ball will lose accuracy and distance (more on this coming up).

When it comes to finding the right driver shaft for your game, you want to ask yourself these three important questions.

What Is My Swing Speed?

Swing speed (clubhead speed, not ball speed) is arguably the most important factor when it comes to finding the right golf club shafts. Your average clubhead speed with the driver will make it easy to determine which shaft flex you’ll need.

The easiest way to figure this number out is to warm up and then hit 10–15 balls with a driver with a launch monitor. A launch monitor makes it easy to measure your swing speed, ball speed, distance, and other metrics depending on the make/model.

Once you hit 10–15 balls, average the swing speed out and use this general fitting chart:

• Senior flex (lite flex): 72-83mph
• Regular flex: 84-96mph
• Stiff flex: 97-104mph
• Extra stiff flex: 105+mph

The faster you swing the golf club, the less flex you need to minimize spin, optimize launch, and find more fairways.

What Are My Goals?

Are you happy shooting in the 80s and playing a couple of times per month? Or, do you want to become the club champion and shoot in the low 70s? Are you obsessed with the game (like myself)?

The reason this is so important is that your commitment to the game will determine what clubs/shafts you should play. If you’re more of a casual golfer and don’t take it too seriously, you don’t need to spend a couple of hundred bucks on a new driver shaft. It’s likely not the best investment in your game and won’t see a huge benefit unless you’re an avid player with above-average swing speed.

What Is My Budget?

If you’re on a tight budget, it might not be the best idea to spend your money on a high-end, premium shaft. Drivers are already expensive enough — between $300 to $600 — and an aftermarket shaft might make it closer to $1,000. Sometimes you can find them used on apps and eBay, but not always. Also, you’ll have to pay a fitter to make sure it fits your driver head. Each type of driver has a different adapter, so you’ll need to ensure the shaft fits.

Different Types of Driver Shaft Options

Most drivers come with one to three shafts to choose from at no extra charge. For example, both the popular Callaway Paradym and Titleist TSR2 come with three stock shafts.

Regardless of brand, there is always the option to upgrade to an aftermarket shaft. Here are some of the most common examples that you might find in the driver shaft market.

Project X HZRDUS (True Temper)

Project X is a popular driver shaft that is sometimes offered without paying an upgraded fee. For example, the Titleist TSR4 has three stock shafts available, including the HZRDUS Black 4G. But a lot of their premium shafts do cost extra.

Benefits:

• There are 10 shafts available based on launch and weight.
• Good weighting options. I love the 70-gram shaft and think it has had a big impact on hitting more fairways.
• Very reliable. I’ve used one of these in my driver since 2019 and never had to replace it despite hitting thousands of golf balls.

Be Aware:

• They have a ton of shaft choices, so make sure to do your research for the ideal weight and launch profile.
• Stay away from the green HZRDUS Smoke Green (I call it the “Hulk” shaft) unless you average 115 mph.

Tour AD Series by Graphite Design

Another popular shaft that is available in driver, woods, and hybrids is the Tour AD series. I started using one of these in my hybrid in 2023, and it made a big difference in my launch and shot dispersion. After doing a fitting, it was clear this was the right shaft for my game, but it still hurt to drop $200 on a hybrid shaft (the driver ones are $300 or more).

Benefits:

• Most shafts have two color options.
• The nanoalloy material technology increases stability for better feel.
• There are 10+ types to fit all players based on how stiff you want the butt, mid-section, and tip.

Be Aware:

• Not always easy to find used.
• The extra-stiff flex versions can get very heavy, so make sure to double-check the weight.

Fujikura Ventus

One of the most popular shafts in professional golf is the Ventus collection. Some of the notable players to use these shafts include Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Dustin Johnson.

There are three main types: Ventus Black (low launch), Ventus Blue (mid-launch), and Ventus Red (mid-high launch).

Benefits:

• There are three types of shafts to fit different player preferences.
• The ultra-stiff tip is ideal for faster-swinging golfers, as it can improve shot dispersion.
• The Velocore technology helps improve stability through transition and at impact to maximize the moment of inertia (MOI).

Be Aware:

• The Ventus Black is extremely stiff and not recommended for 99% of amateur golfers. Without enough swing speed, you’ll end up losing distance and feel like you’re swinging a sledgehammer, not a golf club.

Features to Look for in a Driver Shaft

Now that you have an overview of some common premium driver shafts, there are a few features to consider.

Weight of Shaft

As mentioned above, the flex of your club is pretty easy to determine based on average swing speed. However, the other big factor when choosing shafts for irons, wedges, and woods is the weight. This is more of a personal preference than a hard and fast rule in the club-fitting world.

Ideal Shaft Weights by Ability

In general, the lighter the shaft, the faster you can swing it, but that might come at the cost of sacrificing accuracy. For example, when I was swinging at 100mph, I used a 60g stiff shaft. As I started playing more and began swinging faster (close to 110mph average now) I moved to 70g and extra-stiff flex. This helps me get my spin rates closer to 2,000rpm and maximize my drives.

It’s a good idea to test out different weights to see which feels the best for you and which has the best spin rates, as lighter ones might cause too much spin and launch the ball to balloon in the air.

Launch (Low Kick Point vs. High Kick Point)

Another component of a driver shaft to consider is the launch profile. Driver shafts are available as low launch, mid-launch, mid-high launch, and high launch.

Lower-handicap golfers want a lower launching shaft, which is referred to as one with a high kick point. These types of shafts are meant to keep spin to a minimum to optimize distance that comes with faster swing speeds.

Mid-to-high handicappers use shafts with more launch (less kick point) to make sure the ball has plenty of launch and carry distance. Average and slower swing-speed golfers need these types of shafts to get the most out of each drive.

Golf Grip

The final component of any club is the grip. If you’ve done the research or invested in a custom fitting, it’s time to make sure the grip is right for your hands.

It’s the best practice in golf to play the same grip on every club in the bag. This gives your hands consistency and makes it easy to grip the club the same way on each swing.

Depending on which driver and shaft you buy, you might need to regrip your club to match the rest of your set. Also, you might need to regrip this club more often if you practice regularly. Otherwise, it might get worn down and affect your grip pressure, which plays a pivotal role when hitting the driver.

How to Choose the Right Driver Shaft

Below are some examples of different types of golfers and what driver shaft would work best for them.

Travis — 20 handicap

Travis is a casual golfer who likes to play nine holes after work a few times per week and maybe once on the weekend. He doesn’t get a chance to practice and consistently fights a slice off the tee.

Features Travis should look for:

• A draw-biased driver head
• A driver shaft that is stable and weighs between 50-60g

Examples: His best pick is a stock shaft that comes with a driver (such as a Mitsubishi Tensei) as an upgraded one likely won’t be worth it.

James — 10 handicap

James is shooting in the mid-80s and trending downward. He plans to be shooting in the mid-70s in the next 12 months, thanks to a good work ethic and regular golf lessons. Also, he’s getting into speed training to increase his driving distance.

Features James should look for:

• Mid- to low-launching driver head
• Stiff stock shaft that weighs 60-65g

Examples: His best pick is to do a custom club fitting and try out different aftermarket shafts to see how they can improve his tee box performance.

Abe — Avid Golfer

Able is an avid player who speed trains, works out regularly, and swings the club fast. His normal swing speed is about 110 mph, and he loves playing tournament golf.

Features Abe should look for:

• Steel shaft irons
• Low-spin driver head
• 60-70g X-flex, low-spin shaft

Examples: His best pick is likely the Ventus Blue, HZRDUS Smoke Black, or a Graphite Design graphite shaft. He should also do a custom fitting to test each driver shaft head to head.

Find the Best Driver Shaft for You

Don't neglect golf shafts when buying clubs — their characteristics play a big role in getting the most out of your game.

To hit all the shots you want, it’s vital to find a good driver head with the right shaft to optimize distance, hit more fairways, and improve your mishits.

If you’re an avid golfer who wants to become a single-digit handicap or even a scratch golfer, you should consider an upgraded shaft. It doesn’t mean you always need one, but let the data from a club fitting do the heavy lifting. This makes it easy to test out different shafts (weights, launch types, etc.) and see which one feels and performs the best.

If you aren’t sure which driver is right for you or have more questions, don’t hesitate to contact a Curated Golf Expert today for free, personalized advice on how best to improve your game.