The day will come when you end up with a broken shaft. Now you have two choices, take it to the nearest club maker and have it repaired or you could just replace the shaft yourself. In either case, you will have to know how to choose a shaft.

You will have steel or graphite shaft to choose from. Another choice you will have to make is the shaft flex and the bend point required. You’ll need to decide the correct torque rating for the shaft, and then you will have to decide on the length the club will be when completed.

The original shaft from the broken club would have been made out of steel or graphite. If you decide you want to change the shaft material from the original, there are some differences in the metals you will need to know.

The steel shafts will weight more than the graphite. Their torque ratings will be lower. The steel is more durable and the surface will not have any paint to get scratched. The end results when the club and shaft are assembled together, is the club will be heavier.

The graphite shafts are much lighter than the steel. They have an extensive choose of torque ratings.

The simplest way is to replace the original shaft with a shaft exactly like it. You may want to experiment a little. Maybe for some reason you want more flexibility or strength in your replacement shaft.

The golf industry does not have a standard for the flex rating or the bend point for the shaft. So, for one manufacturer their regular flex will be different from another manufacturer. In essence when playing with two different shafts from two different manufacturers even with the same flex rating will feel and play different. The flex of the shaft will determine the swing speed ratings. The swing speed ratings of a shaft will differ because of the manufacturer’s flex ratings differ. The bend point determines the ball’s trajectory, so you will want to decide on the type of ball flight you expect.

The flex of the shaft refers the shafts ability to bend with the force applied to it by the golf swing. The force comes from the type of swing you have whether it be fast or slow, smooth or jerky.

This most commonly used rating for shaft flex is extra stiff, stiff, regular, senior and ladies. They can be identified by the letters X, S, R, A, and L. Without the right flex for your swing, your clubface will be out of line when it connects with the ball causing your shots to veer off target.

The shaft flex will have an effect on the accuracy, the trajectory, and the distance of your shot. As the shaft flexes during the swing, the position of the club head changes. The face of the club must be perfect straight when it connects with the ball for you to get what you want from the shot. If the flex is wrong for your type of swing there is less of a chance you will make a good connection with the ball. The clubface will not be in a perfectly straight position.

The amount of flex you have in your shaft is totally under your control. You can choose to get a stiffer shaft or a softer one depending on your needs. For you to be able to tell the type of flex you need, you will want to check the distance you can hit your driver. If you can hit the ball with your driver and it goes 250 yards or more, you might want to go with a stiff flex. For 230-250 yards you will want to go with the regular flex. For 200-230 yards you will want a Senior, and for less than 200 yards the Ladies. As a rule only the biggest of the big hitters is going to need Extra Stiff. For most of us, Extra Stiff isn’t even in the running. You will probably prefer a softer flex if you have a very smooth swing, even if you swing really fast. If you swing gets jerky at the top, you will prefer a stiffer shaft. Also you might want a stiffer flex, if your drives move to the left. If it moves to the right, you will want a softer flex in your shaft.

If your flex is too stiff, your ball will fly lower and a shorter distance for any amount of loft in your club. You ball will also have a tendency to go to the right because the clubface is more likely to be open when it connects with the ball. Your shot may not feel solid when you do make the connection on the center of the clubface.

If you shaft isn’t stiff enough, the ball might go into the air much higher with any loft. The ball will also have a tendency to move to the left. You shots will tend to feel really solid when they aren’t.

The recommended method of choosing the proper flex is to see a golf professional for a club fitting. The pro will be able to take a lot of measurements as well as watch your swing so you swing speed can be measured. The pro will also watch your ball flight so the best flex for you can be determined. You can have a club fitting at many of the pro shops, almost all of the golf schools, and from professional instructors.

You could go to a demo day where you will be able to hit many clubs with a different shaft. When you find a club, which seems to work well for you, you will want to note everything you can about it so you can get the same type of shaft and flex for your clubs.