As the leader of the Golf Instructor team here at Tell Me More Golf, I am honored to write this buying guide in order to help you purchase the best driver shafts on the internet.
Our expert review guidelines; used by our review team in order to research the best driver shafts for you are as follows:
- Spin rate
- Launch angle
- Feel
#1. Aldila NV Green NXT – Best Low Spin Driver Shaft
Many golfers play in conditions where hitting a drive with a high spin rate and launch angle is the perfect recipe for extra distance.
However, for golfers who play in windy conditions, driving the ball with a low spin rate and a lower launch angle is critical for cutting through the wind and getting the ball to roll down the fairways.
The Benefits:
The Aldila NV Green has been one of the most popular after-market driver shafts for over 15 years. The NV is known for its lower ball flight and low spin rate, thanks partly to its stiffer tip section.
This low spin, low ball flight profile is perfect for golfers who hit the ball too high off the tee.
The shaft also offers stability and consistency for golfers with different swing tempos. Our testers loved the feeling of control they felt throughout the swing.
A low-launch and low-spin shaft might not be an excellent fit for golfers who naturally hit a lower trajectory shot. However, this combination is ideal for most golfers as reducing spin and lowering the launch angle will result in a greater distance off the tees and more fairways hit.
#2. Grafalloy ProLaunch Senior Flex – Best Driver Shaft for Seniors
One thing that senior golfers battle is losing distance off of the tee. Our reviewers focused on a driver shaft that would do better for seniors.
The Benefits:
This shaft is designed for senior golfers with more deliberate tempos who need help launching the ball higher into the air to get the most distance from the driver without overswinging.
Its tip-responsive design promotes more spin, which helps produce a high launch trajectory without losing accuracy off the tee. Our senior testers loved how responsive the shaft felt without feeling whippy in the downswing.
The ProLaunch Blue shaft can feel stiff to senior golfers who are used to shafts with more kick and whip at the bottom of the swing. However, the shaft is designed to promote a higher launch and spin without having to speed up your swing and tempo.
#3. UST Proforce V2 HL – Best High Launch Driver Shaft
Many golfers are looking to hit the ball with more spin and a higher launch angle, so it carries further before rolling out. These are the guidelines we were looking at with this shaft.
The Benefits:
UST built this shaft specifically to promote a high launch, and this shaft does not disappoint. It is perfect for golfers with either smooth or aggressive tempos looking for a higher initial launch angle and longer carry distances.
Its stiff tip technology helps to give golfers more feel and control of the spin on driver shots for more consistent ball flight with a low dispersion of shots.
Our testers with quicker and slower tempos commented that drives were not floating off the clubface but had a penetrating flight at a higher angle than expected.
Golfers who hit a naturally high driver flight might find the launch angle is too high with the Proforce V2 shaft. However, in reality, most golfers will benefit from the higher launch, which typically means they will carry the ball further; making it the best high launch driver shaft in our recommendation list.
SUBSCRIBE for FREE GOLF TIPS from our EXPERT INSTRUCTORS!
#4. Project X New HZRDUS Black 6.5 75g – Best Driver Shaft Swing Speeds Over 105 MPH
Golfers with higher swing speeds need a shaft that can handle the stress put on them from the violent transition of their swing. We made sure this shaft was abiding by our guidelines for higher swing speeds.
The Benefits:
The HZRDUS Black shaft was designed to handle the most aggressive, fastest swings on tour. It spreads the stiffness throughout the shaft, from butt to tip.
The result is a low-spin, low-launch driver for those golfers who love to grip it and rip it and still want stability throughout the swing without sacrificing feel. Testers felt like the ball came off the club face low and straight like a “guided missile.”
Our testers with slower tempos felt like it was too stiff and caused them to block drives. This shaft isn’t for golfers with slower speeds and tempos. It is a tour-level shaft that golfers with above-average swing speed can use to keep the flight of their drives lower.
#5. Project X New Even Flow – Most Forgiving Driver Shaft
The average golfer is going to mishit drives now and then. Our review team made sure that this driver hits more fairways because its shaft profile, focusing on forgiveness by producing mid-spin rates and launch angles.
The Benefits:
The Project X Even Flow Blue by True Temper is designed for the everyday golfer. It is a mid-spin rate, mid-launch driver for golfers with low to above average swing speeds looking for solid distance and accuracy off the tee.
The balanced design of the shaft gives it an exceptionally smooth feel, providing golfers added confidence in their swing.
Our testers enjoyed the kick they could feel at the bottom of the swing providing crisp contact without feeling whippy. One tester commented on how the shaft seemed to help his tempo when swinging the club.
Often golfers with a quicker tempo don’t like to feel any kick in the shaft during a swing. The Project X Evenflow’s design naturally promotes your natural tempo giving golfers more feel and confidence in their swing.
How to Choose The Right Shaft For Your Driver – The Tell Me More Golf Buying Guide
The technology in driver shafts has evolved in the past couple of decades from steel shafts for fairway woods and drivers into the carbon fiber shafts found today.
Driver Shaft Options
There are many options to look for when selecting the right driver shaft for your clubhead and swing. The shaft’s flex, length, and weight are some of the most important.
The best shafts will come with adapters that allow them to fit the specific driver heads of popular models on the market. For example, shafts for Taylormade Drivers will have a particular adaptor for each model.
One of the most common ways to classify shafts is by their flex. Flex is the amount of bend in the shaft during the golf swing.
Driver Shaft Flex Options
Finding the best golf shaft for drivers will take some time and research. However, most golf retailers, brick-and-mortar stores, and online should have a driver shaft selection to pair the right one with your swing and driver.
The first thing to look for in a golf shaft is the flex. Typically, the faster your swing speed, the stiffer shaft flex you will need.
There are five main golf shaft flexes; Extra Stiff, Stiff Flex, Regular Flex, Senior Flex, and Ladies Flex.
Extra Stiff – X
Extra-stiff driver shafts are denoted with an X. They are the best driver shaft for 105 mph swing speeds and higher.
Still Flex – S
Stiff driver shafts are denoted with an S. The best stiff shafts for drivers are designed for swing speeds between 97 and 104 mph.
Regular Flex – R
Regular driver shafts are denoted with an R. The best regular flex driver shafts are designed for swing speeds between 84 and 96 mph.
Senior – A
Senior driver shafts are denoted with an A. They are designed for slower swing speeds of between 72 and 83 mph.
Ladies – L
Ladies’ driver shafts are denoted with an L. They are designed for clubhead speeds less than 72 mph.
Driver Shaft Length
Driver shafts have gotten longer over the years, going from 43″ up to 45.5″ today as players search for longer distances off the tee. The physics don’t lie, the longer the shaft, the more swing speed you can create and the further you can hit the ball.
However, a longer shaft increases the potential for hitting inaccurate shots.
Finding the ideal shaft length will vary from golfer to golfer.
Factors to Consider for Ideal Shaft Length
- Height
- Age
- Swing Speed
- Distance vs. Accuracy
The best way to find the proper shaft length for your driver is to work with a club-fitter who will let you try different shafts and driver configurations to fit your swing.
Driver Shaft Weight
The weight of the club head and the shaft will determine how fast you swing the golf club. The more swing speed you can create, the more ball speed you can generate and the more distance you’ll have.
Like with the flex of the shaft, as swing speed increases, so does the weight of the golf club. Therefore, the stronger the flex, the heavier the driver shaft will be to withstand the torque generated by a faster swing speed.
However, any mechanical advantage gained with a longer, heavier shaft can be offset by impacts on a player’s swing leading to less consistent, quality contact with the golf ball.
Let’s look at some pros and cons of heavier and lighter golf shafts for golfers.
Pros of a Heavier Shaft
- Low Torque Reduces Slices and Hooks
- Less Spin/Lower Launch Angles
- Better Tempo
Cons of a Heavier Shaft
- Decrease in Swing Speed
- Harder to Release the Club
- Too Little Spin/Launch Angle Too Low
Pros of a Lighter Shaft
- Generate More Clubhead Speed
- More Spin/Higher Launch Angles
Cons of a Lighter Shaft
- Loss of Control With More Clubhead Speed
- Erratic Dispersion of Distance and Accuracy
- Too Much Spin/Launch Angles too High
Working with a club-fitter and a launch monitor is the best way to determine the flex, length, and weight when selecting the perfect shaft for your golf swing. What feels good and works for one golfer might not work for another.
How to Pick a Golf Driver’s Head
One of the best things about picking out a golf driver today is the number of options. No longer are PGA Tour players the only ones with access to a professional club fitter to help them find the correct driver for their swing.
High-quality driver manufacturers like Callaway, Titleist, Ping, and TaylorMade all offer adjustable drivers. They use adapters on the hosel, which alter loft and lie angle, and weights on the clubhead, which change the fade or draw bias of the club by adjusting the center of gravity.
Look for a driver head that promotes the type of ball flight you’re looking for with the driver. When combined with the correct shaft, you can get outstanding distance and accuracy out of your driver.
Another thing to consider when choosing a driver is how it looks to you from above when setting up your shot. For example, can you line up your drive quickly? Does it look natural when it sits behind the ball?
The best way to pick the perfect driver head is by hitting golf balls with a club-fitter or on a launch monitor to see how it looks, feels, and plays in your hands.
Tell Me More Golf – Frequently Asked Questions
What shaft is the best for golfers with a quick tempo?
Golfers with a quick tempo naturally have a quick transition that can create a lot of torque on the driver shaft. This shaft is the perfect shaft for golfers who swing out of their shoes and are looking for low-spin, low launch drivers off of the tee while still having a great feel for their swing.
What is the best driver shaft for a mid-handicapper?
Because mid-handicappers can have swing speeds that vary dramatically, picking the right shaft can be difficult. We recommend this driver shaft for mid-handicappers because of the balance of forgiveness and distance that it offers, as well as the way it naturally promotes a smooth tempo.
What is the best shaft for higher ball flight?
Golfers who struggle getting the driver up into the air to get more carry and distance out of their drives will think this shaft is excellent. It offers exceptional high launch with penetrating ball flight while still giving golfers the control to hit fairway after fairway off of the tee.
SUBSCRIBE for FREE GOLF TIPS from our EXPERT INSTRUCTORS!
No one type of driver shaft is perfect for every golfer because each individual has a different swing due to their age, skill level, height, swing speed, and tempo.
Think about the ball flight you want out of your driver and then find the shaft with the right attributes like flex and kick to help create that launch angle when paired with that driver’s head.
Going to a club-fitter with a launch monitor can give you the feedback and guidance to find the driver shaft that fits your swing type.
You want a driver shaft that feels good when you swing it, which will build confidence in your swing resulting in your hitting more bombs out on the course.