The effect of shaft flexibility on junior golfers' performance

The aims of this study were to examine the effect of shaft flexibility on the performance of junior golfers and to determine whether there is a relationship between golfers' physical characteristics (16 anthropometric measures, age, experience, strength), performance and shaft flexibility. We assessed the performance of 30 male golfers, aged 7-10 years, with three 7-iron golf clubs of different shaft flexibility at a driving range. The performance parameters measured for equipment evaluation were ball distance achieved, shot dispersion and impact position of the ball on the clubface. The results suggest that there is no particular shaft flex suitable for the age group considered and that experience, strength and arm span are the significant factors when selecting optimal shaft flexibility for children.