According to True Spec Golf, players with fast swing speeds are built to swing clubs with a stiff flex shaft. A golfer producing a slower swing speed should consider a senior or ladies’ design; when the average swingers perform the best with a regular flex shaft.

In this post, I assess stiff vs extra stiff iron shafts. I’ll evaluate the pros and cons of each design to see which construction suits your game.

In addition, I have provided a rundown of the performance features of each shaft. This helps you determine which option is better aligned with your desired launch, spin, and distance goals.

A Quick Overview of Iron Shaft Stiffness and Why They Matter

Shaft flex plays a role in the outcome of every strike. The right shaft flex is essential in achieving your desired launch, shot shape, distance and spin.

If you are a slower swinger and play with extra stiff shafts you may be struggling to generate the required clubhead speed for an enhanced coefficient of restitution (COR). As a result, you do not produce the necessary ball speed to achieve a high launching, long shot. Therefore, your golf ball flies low, and you lose distance.

In addition to the distance loss, a stiff design challenges your accuracy. A stiff flex shaft raises the challenge of squaring your face up through impact. The stiffer, heavier shaft delivers less torque. Therefore, it produces less whip from the club on your downswing to bring it into position.

This is why the average golfer tends to leave the club face open through contact and slice their ball. That means your dispersion will reflect shots consistently to the right of your target.

Pros of Stiff Shafts

Low Spin

The first advantage that a stiff shaft produces is low spin. This is ideal for longer iron shots, as it delivers a piercing flight to encourage maximum distance.

The stiffer a golf club shaft is, the less spring it provides the clubface through impact. This causes you to strike the ball with less loft, leading to a lower launch with less spin. Therefore, you enjoy increased forward roll upon landing for added distance in your long game.

Low Launch

I mentioned that a stiff shaft produces lower spin thanks to a sturdy lofted club face at contact. That causes a low launch and reduces the apex of your ball flight, which is welcomed in windy conditions.

In addition, the low launching nature of these shots prevents faster swinging golfers from ballooning their shots. This ensures increased control on approach shots for optimal distance control through the bag.

When fast swinging golfers play a lighter shaft, the added spin and high launch cause them to lose, carry, and total distance.

Built For Fast Swing Speeds

Stiff shafts are best suited to golfers with fast swing speeds. Golfers fitting into this category typically swing a 6-iron between 84 to 91 mph. Stiff iron shafts help fast-swinging golfers produce their desired launch, ball speed, and spin levels for satisfactory results.

Low handicap players typically fall into this category. While the rest of the amateur golf fraternity produces slow or average swing speeds.

Cons of Stiff Shafts

Reduced Spin

The reduced spin is a blessing for fast swing speed golfers seeking a consistent launch for optimal distance control. But, the situation is different for slower swinging amateurs.

The lack of spin causes the ball to fly low, and if you do not produce sufficient ball speed, it will hit the ground sooner than intended and lead to a loss of distance. Although spin is the enemy in the wind and hampers your yardage, you need some to get off the ball airborne.

Furthermore, the lack of spin can cause your ball to roll off the green on approach. As a result, you will need a precise short game to consistently get up and down.

Loss of Carry Distance

A stiffer shaft construction restricts the bend of the clubhead into the ball at impact. Therefore, your clubface strikes the ball with a sturdy lofted face and sends your golf ball along a low trajectory.

Failure to generate sufficient ball velocity will cause the ionomer to drop out of the sky sooner than planned, causing a loss of carry distance. This messes with your distance control and is dangerous when trying to clear a water hazard or a bunker.

Sliced Shots

If your grip, wrist angles, and angle of attack are on point, but you still slice your shots, your club shafts may be at fault. Stiffer golf shafts provide little assistance on your downswing. As a result, your rotation, rhythm, and tempo must be on point for a clean strike.

Failure to execute a clean transition from the backswing to the downswing can leave your clubface open at impact. This position generates left to right sidespin, which causes a slice. In this scenario, you might consider switching to a regular shaft.

Pros of Extra Stiff Shafts

Lowest Spin

I touched on the beauty of low spin in my review on stiff shafts. However, an extra-stiff design takes it to the next level. You will not find a shaft that produces less spin rpm than an extra-stiff construction.

Golfers who generate excess spin with a stiff shaft should contemplate an extra-stiff setup. This may help limit spin for a more controlled ball flight.

Lowest Launch

The result of the lowest spinning shaft is the lowest launching shot. This suits golfers looking for piercing flight to achieve consistency in their distance and accuracy. Plus, it prevents very fast swingers from ballooning their shots and losing yards.

Built For Super Fast Swing Speeds

Extra stiff shafts are reserved for the fastest swingers in our game. These are golfers producing more than 92 mph of velocity on the downswing. An aspiring professional and PGA Tour Pros are the most likely golfers to fill this bracket.

I suggest that these individuals test steel iron shafts and see how they go. If you launch your shots too low, think about a graphite shaft with the same flex.

Cons of Extra Stiff Shafts

Limited Spin

Extra stiff shafts provided limited spin assistance. This means you are required to do all the work, and failure to generate sufficient spin will lead to a low-flying golf shot. This reduces your carry distance and, at times, causes the ball to roll further than intended.

Erratic Dispersion

When your shaft is too stiff for your swing, it leads to erratic dispersion. The lack of clubface spring through impact makes it difficult to square the grooves up through contact. This results in a wayward shot caused by an open clubface that prompts shots to the right of your target.

How to Determine Which Type of Iron Shafts Better Suit You

Swing Speed

Swing speed provides a guideline for golfers who have no idea how to find the best iron shaft constructions for their game. Those who swing a 6-iron between 75 and 83 mph have an average swing speed. Therefore, regular flex designs are considered best for your game.

Moreover, a 6-iron swing speed below 75 mph is set up for a seniors shaft. A ladies’ shaft is also worth testing if that is still too stiff for your game.

Launch

The next factor to analyze is launch. Are you producing your desired launch and ball flight to maximize distance control and accuracy in your iron game? If you are launching the ball consistently low, your shaft may be too stiff for your swing. Therefore, you need to consider a more flexible design.

Conversely, players who frequently balloon their shots may opt for a stiffer flex that takes out an additional clubface spring through impact.

Spin

Spin is necessary to get your ball airborne and landing softly on the green. However, excessive spin can cause you to sky your shot and lose considerable carry distance. Conversely, inadequate spin can send your ball flying low and hitting the ground earlier than intended.

Ultimately think about a lighter and more flexible shaft if you demand a higher launching shot. However, lower ball flight seekers should stick to stiffer shaft constructions.

Dispersion

Several factors can prompt an erratic shot wide of your target. This starts with a bad grip, followed by a lack of rotation, then by a wrong angle of attack. These factors produce an open or closed clubface sending the ball left or right of the landing zone.

If your coach is satisfied that your swing mechanics are optimized and your grip is secure, your shafts may prove the issue. Typically, extra stiff shafts cause slower swinging golfers to leave their clubface open at impact, causing a slice.

On the other hand, a light, flexible golf shaft can prompt a player to close its clubface through contact and hook their ball.

Therefore, if you are consistently slicing your shots and have your swing and grip in order, contemplate a more flexible shaft. Conversely, golfers frequently hooking their shots should consider a stiff shaft design.

Our Top Picks for Each Category

If you’ve decided to go with stiff shafts, here’s one of my favorites:

But if you’re swinging hard and want to go with some extra stiff shafts, I recommend these steel shafts:

Related Reading: If this post made you realize you need to switch out your golf shafts , read our post on how much it costs to reshaft irons. The process is far more straightforward than you may think.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years. Current Handicap: 8

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Choosing the golf clubs that make it into your bag can be difficult.

With only being allowed 14 clubs, the decision as to whether to include a combination of hybrids, long irons, driving irons, and fairway woods really confuses some golfers.

I’ve always found that one of the most important steps is to understand the difference between clubs like a driving iron and a hybrid. Take a look at driving iron vs. hybrid, which one you should have in your bag, and why!

Main Differences Between a Driving Iron and Hybrid

Sometimes when looking at a driving iron or a utility iron and a hybrid, you can see quite a few similarities. In addition, both of these clubs are intended to get players’ distance and help with improving tee shots and overall performance in the long game.

However, where you see big differences between the driving iron and the hybrid are in the ball flight, forgiveness, carry distance, and playability.

Ball Flight

Traditional long irons have a low and penetrating ball flight. These clubs have less spin than others in the bag and are designed to have slightly less carry distance but plenty of roll.

When you replace these long irons with a hybrid, you will notice that the ball goes considerably higher. The center of gravity in a hybrid is positioned low and in the center, and it increases the ball flight that players get from their shots.

With a higher ball flight, expect that the ball will stop on a green easier and you can use the hybrid for approach shots with ease.

Driving irons, on the other hand, are very similar to long irons in their ball flight, launch angle, and trajectory. This club is designed to keep shots a bit lower and cut them through the wind and rough conditions.

Both of these shots can be important. The way I always decided which was best for my game was by looking at the golf bag as a whole and deciding where these gaps in performance were. If I already have many high flying shots in my bag, the driving iron may help give me more variety.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness in golf clubs is something that will vary from one manufacturer to another. Sometimes a hybrid golf club can be made to be highly forgiving, and other times it is more of a players hybrid and will instead be workable.

The forgiveness of a hybrid is traditionally a bit higher than a driving iron or a long iron. This is why the club has so much popularity. Traditionally speaking, the average golfer does quite well with the hybrid clubs and their ease of use, especially from the rough.

With driving irons, you tend to see less forgiveness, but this sometimes has to do with the total loft. The lower the loft of a golf club, the harder it is to hit. Many driving irons have a 2 iron or 3 iron loft because they are designed to help a golfer have an alternative to a driver off the tee.

Carry Distance

Carry distance, roll, and total distance are the three parameters used to determine how far a golf ball will travel.

With a driving iron, expect slightly lower carry distances but long total distances. Hybrid golf clubs will have higher carry distances but lower total distances.

Again, this decision will require you to pair up your current level of play to the equipment that will make the most significant difference in your game. For many golfers, carry distance is the most important factor when it comes to accuracy and approach shots that land near the pin.

Playability

The playability of the club refers to your ability to control the ball’s flight and trajectory, as well as the type of lie that you can use the club from.

A hybrid is typically not the most workable golf club in the bag. Even when you make a great swing, you will notice that the ball goes relatively straight and high, and it’s hard to control this. However, hitting a hybrid out of the rough or even out of a divot is quite easy to accomplish.

On the other hand, the driving iron is tough to hit out of the rough or sloped lie. This is a club that should be saved for clean fairway lies or even on a tee box on a long par 3, or a par 4 with a tight fairway.

However, one of the great things about a driving iron is that you can hit a cut or a draw with this club in hand quite easily.

Pros and Cons of a Driving Iron

There are both positives and negatives to any golf club in the bag. More and more players realize that the driving iron can be an alternative not just to the hybrid or long iron but also to fairway wood and, for some golfers, an alternative to a driver.

Pros

• Comes in a wide range of lofts that help fill in the golf bag
• Low spin typically increases total roll and accuracy
• Shaft choices in both graphite and steel shafts
• Lightweight and aerodynamic for increased clubhead speed
• More and more options are brought to market each year

Cons

• Does not have as much forgiveness; the sole is narrower
• It can be difficult to hit out the rough
• Seems to be a better fit for the higher swing speed players

Pros and Cons of a Hybrid

The hybrid golf club has really revolutionized the game of golf. So many more players are taking out their long irons and putting in hybrids. However, there are still some players who state that the hybrid is a poor decision for their game.

With a hybrid golf club, you are not going to get perfection. Instead, the club does a great job of combining both forgiveness and distance to give players what they are looking for and make the game more enjoyable.

Pros

• Very easy to launch
• Great club for replacing the long irons
• High launch out of the rough
• Available in many different lofts
• Lightweight graphite shaft options for higher ball speed
• Easy distance

Cons

• Not as workable as other golf clubs
• It can be hard to control the ball flight
• Not as many options for the lower handicap player

When to Use Each Type of Club

Now that you have a better idea as to what the hybrid and driving iron have in common and where they can benefit your game, it’s time to understand where it makes sense to use each of these clubs.

Club selection is what helps golf course management, and golfers that are good at it have much better results from a scoring perspective.

Off The Tee Box

You can use either the hybrid or the driving iron off the tee box. However, my preference would be the driving iron.

If you are a player that struggles with a club that can be your go-to choice for a straight drive that catches some extra roll, the driving iron is a great club to consider. The tee box allows you a perfect lie on a slightly elevated tee, making it easier to hit the driving iron.

When hitting from the tee box with the driving iron or even the hybrid, it can be smart to learn how to hit a stinger-type golf shot that encourages increased roll.

Clean Fairway Lie

The clean fairway lie is another area of the course where you can hit either the driving iron or the hybrid. This would be a situation where you should choose a club based on your confidence level as well as the goal of the end result.

If you are just trying to advance the ball down the fairway as far as possible, the driving iron makes the most sense. For golfers that want to get a shot to land 10 feet from the pin, try the hybrid.

Think about your game as a whole, and try to remember that golfers who have a slightly faster swing speed tend to have better luck with driving irons from these types of lies.

Out of The Rough

When hitting a shot out of the rough, the hybrid is the clear winner. Hybrid golf clubs have an incredibly high launch, and since their clubhead is designed with a bit of extra weight, the club tends to cut through the rough with ease.

Hitting the ball out of the rough requires paying careful attention to the lie to ensure if it’s going to be a flier or if it may knock down the total distance. If your ball is sitting up nicely and you have a driving iron with a bit more loft, don’t be afraid to give the driving iron a shot.

Smart players will know how to read a lie and then combine that knowledge of what the lie will do with their ability to pull off the shot.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children. Current Handicap: 1

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