Rifle shafts

[bobblehead]

can someone tell me what model of rifle shafts coresponds to reg and stiff flex.

Is this correct?

rifle 4.5 = regular flex
rifle 5.0 = stiff
rifle 5.5 = x-stiff

Thanks.

[spackler]

can someone tell me what model of rifle shafts coresponds to reg and stiff flex.

Is this correct?

rifle 4.5 = regular flex
rifle 5.0 = stiff
rifle 5.5 = x-stiff

Thanks.

I think it's more...

4.5 = R
5.0 = R/S
5.5 = S
6.0 = S/X
6.5 = X
7.0 = pretty damn stiff.

It's all relative though. I've read that S300s come in at around 5.7 on the rifle scale, but I don't think the 'feel' is similar at all.

[mpare]

If the Project X shafts are Rifle shafts, then I may be able to help you with the 5.5 designation. The 5.5 Project X shaft, which I have in my new irons, plays softer than True Temper Dynamic Gold stiffs. I see the 5.5 as lying between the old regular and stiff shafts. If this is any help, I fly my 7 iron about 155 yards.

[jaggy13]

If the Project X shafts are Rifle shafts, then I may be able to help you with the 5.5 designation. The 5.5 Project X shaft, which I have in my new irons, plays softer than True Temper Dynamic Gold stiffs. I see the 5.5 as lying between the old regular and stiff shafts. If this is any help, I fly my 7 iron about 155 yards.

I second this.

I have been playing rifles for about a year now, was worried about the same thing before purchase. I think I am in a 5.5 and fly my 7 about 160. (I was playing regular flex true temper before)

[golfott]

this is pretty much iot, bang on

i have rifle flighted 5.0 in a set, they play about the same as the DG S300s

I think it's more...

4.5 = R
5.0 = R/S
5.5 = S
6.0 = S/X
6.5 = X
7.0 = pretty damn stiff.

It's all relative though. I've read that S300s come in at around 5.7 on the rifle scale, but I don't think the 'feel' is similar at all.

[Chieflongtee]

Comparing TT and Rifle is comparing apples to oranges as they do not have the same bending properties across the length of the entire shaft.
See article below:

http://www.pwsgolf.com/Glossary/flex.htm

FLEX: The golf shaft's resistance to bending when subjected to a longitudinal force. In other words, how much will it bend if you grab the ends and do a Rambo on it. (Actually, it is more often done by clamping one end and hanging a weight on the other end, per the drawing below.)

The five FLEX classifications in common use are: L - Ladies; A - Average or Senior; R - Regular; S - Stiff; and X - eXtra stiff. Also in limited use are XL for eXtra fLexible, RR for softeR Regular, FIRM for Not-Quite-Stiff, and XX for eXtra eXtra stiff. However, each company sets their own standards and definitions for these terms, so one company's R may be another's S or A. Golfsmith tests each shaft they sell and rate it on their own 'RSSR' (Recommended Swing Speed Range) scale, so the various shafts they carry can be compared and rated on a more consistent scale. Dynacraft uses a similar system they call 'DSFI'--- the 'Dynacraft Shaft Flex Index', which is also very useful in comparing shafts from different companies. True Temper has for many years had four levels (100-400) for each flex in their 'Gold' shaft series with 300 being the standard: I.E. R300 is the normal R-flex with R100 being more flexible and R400 a bit stiffer but with both still within what they feel is the Regular range. They use WEIGHT-SORTING to make sure their Dynamic Gold shafts are matched within a flex. Royal Precision (formerly Brunswick) developed the FREQUENCY MATCHING system for determining flex. For their RIFLE series of steel shafts they use a number from 4.5 to 7.0 (based on cycles-per-minute oscillations of the raw shaft) to designate the shaft flex, with 4.5 being the most flexible and most closely matching the A-flex rating used by most manufacturers. A 5.5 shaft is a Regular flex and the 6.5 is a Stiff. As there are no absolute industry standards for these classifications, the same stiffness designation may not mean the exactly the same thing between brands.

[doublepar]

I've heard a variety of formulae for comparing the two types of shafts and to make things even more complicated some folks say that flighted rifle shafts play to a different flex than straight rifle shafts. I am by no means an expert in this so I won't contribute to the comparisons other than to say you should try any irons you're interested in before buying. The weight of the clubhead has an effect on the flex and I've also heard that unless the flex is checked by a clubmaker that the flex can even vary within a set of irons with the same shafts. Since I'm a bit of a hack I would never recommend following me, but when I was fitted for my X-20 Tours I ended up with 6.0 flighted rifles since I thought they felt more stable through the swing than the 5.0's and the distance and trajectory didn't vary that much (5.5's aren't a stock option in my irons). I may be sacrificing a few yards by going with the stiffer shafts, but I like the way they feel and my swing is inconsistent enough that the shaft is the least of my worries . FWIW, my 7i shots carry around 155 yards.

[bobblehead]

Thanks for all the good info

[Chieflongtee]

bobblehead.
Read page 2 of the following if interested about finding out about flex designation:

http://www.calgolftech.com/images/Driver7.pdf

[doublepar]

bobblehead.
Read page 2 of the following if interested about finding out about flex designation:

http://www.calgolftech.com/images/Driver7.pdf

Thanks for the interesting read. Now I can tell people that my 6.0 flighted rifles are why I can't hit most par 5's in 2. Well, that and I can't hit my metalwoods worth a damn.

Honestly though, I wonder how much distance I'm sacrificing with my current shafts. In any case I do like them and seem to do better with them than any other clubs I've hit to date so I should just not worry about it - at least that's what I keep telling myself.