What Is Wedge Flex? — Everything You Need to Know

Are you shopping for wedges to help improve your golf game?

If you are, you should learn about the right flexes for your club shaft before making your choice.

But I don’t know anything about that…

DON’T WORRY.

In this guide, we’ll answer the question, “What is wedge flex?” for you.

We even have some product suggestions to make things easier!

What Is Wedge Flex?

Simply put, wedge flex means how flexible the shaft of your wedge club is.

These are typically stiffer and heavier shafts compared to any regular flex club.

That’s why they’re called “wedge flex shafts.” If you’re wondering what a regular flex club is, just think of your typical iron.

The Purpose of Wedge Flex

Just like your typical woods and irons, different wedge shafts have different levels of flex.

If you’re wondering what flex does, here are a couple of points:

• It’s what dictates how much your wedge shaft whips back on your backswing and follow-through.
• This whip, meanwhile, has an effect on your ball flight, speed, and launch angle.

How Wedge Flex Affects Your Performance

While you play, you’ll typically use a wedge to hit your full shots and chips. That also means you’ll need your wedge to provide either a higher or lower ball flight.

For QUICK golf club swingers, their ball would tend to have an unusually high trajectory and too much spin if their shaft’s flex isn’t stiff enough.

On the other hand, a player with a SLOWER swing and a shaft that’s too stiff would get less flight and spin after landing a hit on their ball.

In a nutshell, the flex of your wedges plays a role in how much control, spin, launch, and speed you get after landing a hit on your ball!

How to Choose the Right Wedge Flex Shafts

Wedge flex, in fact, affects your golf game in such a way that it should match certain characteristics of your golf game.

Let’s briefly talk about the two below.

#1 Your Tempo

The first key factor in choosing the right flex is your short game tempo:

• If your pace is quite fast and aggressive, a stiffer flex should do you some good.
• If you like to take your time and get into a nice rhythm, a softer flex might be better.

#2 Your Swing Speed

The second consideration when choosing the right flex is your swing speed.

It also plays a role in choosing the right material for your shaft!

Golfers With Fast Swings

For golfers with fast swing speeds, a stiffer shaft may fit their game better. That’s because it doesn’t give them unwanted flex. This means avoiding the standard wedge flex.

That would also mean that they’ll probably perform better with a steel shaft. That’s because steel shafts are typically heavier and stiffer than graphite shafts.

Those playing with a faster swing won’t have a problem with the added weight of a stiff flex.

Golfers With Slow Swings

Golfers with slower swing speeds, on the other hand, would probably play better with softer shafts. As a suggestion, try playing with graphite wedge shafts.

Aside from the option of softer flex shafts, a graphite shaft will also be lighter. The added flexibility will also offer players with slow swings more loft at launch!

The Difference Between Wedge Flex and Stiff Flex

If you’re wondering whether or not there’s a difference between the two, THERE ISN’T.

Stiff flex and wedge flex are the same.

That’s because wedge flexes ARE stiff. Some wedge clubs are lighter and less stiff. Meanwhile, others are heavier, and each of them would have a stiff shaft!

TRIVIA: The weight difference between each level of stiffness is typically 5 grams!

Different Wedge Flexes

If you’re wondering about the different flexes available for wedge shafts, here’s a list:

• Senior flex
• Ladies’ flex
• Regular flex
• Firm
• Stiff
• X-Stiff (this just means it has an extra stiff flex)

As for lengths, they can be cut differently. For the average golfer, the standard length is fine.

If you’re extremely tall or very short, you can have your shafts cut to a custom length.

Extra Tidbits

Here are just some follow-up points we’d like you to take note of:

• A shorter shaft is, obviously, lighter than a longer one.
• The stiffer a shaft is, the more weight it has.

How to Know if You Have the Right Flex

There are different signs that tell if your shaft is too soft or too stiff. We’ll briefly cover them here.

Your Wedge Flex Shaft Is Too Soft If…

You have a tendency of ballooning wedge shots and having abnormally high levels of increased spin.

This simply means you need a stiff shaft. Think of something comparable to an iron shaft.

Typically, this is a problem for golfers with a FASTER SWING.

Your Wedge Flex Shaft Is Too Stiff If…

You need more spin and better control, especially when playing around the green.

This simply means you need a softer shaft flex. Your usual choices would range from senior flex to regular flex.

This is typically an issue for players with a SLOWER SWING who find it challenging to get a decent loft and spin.

Best Wedge Shafts: In Case You Need Suggestions

Now that you have an idea of how to choose the right-fitting wedge flex shaft, here are some products we highly recommend.

1. True Temper Dynamic Gold S200

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We’ll first introduce the True Temper S200. They’re steel shafts that offer a low trajectory and low spin.

The Dynamic Gold S200 has flex levels that are actually lower than wedges with higher flex ratings.

They also suit golfers with a faster swing!

As a testament to the quality of Dynamic Gold shafts, Bob Vokey, a designer of high-performance wedges, stated that Vokey wedges have been using the same shafts for almost 20 years.

In fact, even a PGA professional would know of Titleist’s wedges designed by Vokey!

2. KBS Wedge Shafts

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The next shaft for wedges we’d like to mention are KBS Wedge shafts.

They have multiple flex options, leaving you room to choose based on your preferences.

If you need something for proximity shots, these are the right shafts for you.

It has a firmer tip section that offers you less ball spin and better control.

3. True Temper Project X Steel

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The True Temper Project X Steel is another shaft for players with fast tempos.

They’re great shafts for not only wedges, but also irons!

They also offer a lower ball flight and less spin, which is perfect for golfers with a quick swing.

If you want to check their prices, click here.

Shaft Flex FAQs

We’ve covered everything you needed to know so far.

In this section, we’ll answer any possible questions you still have leftover.

1. How Is a Regular Flex Wedge Shaft Different From One With Senior Flex?

The differences between regular flex and senior flex are quite simple.

Regular flex shafts are designed for typical golfers with swing speeds of 90 to 100 mph. They still whip and bend with every hit, but they’re stiffer than other clubs with senior flex.

As for senior flex wedges, they’re appropriately named for older golfers with a slower swing speed (70 to 85 mph).

2. Should My Wedge Shafts Match My Irons’ Shafts?

Typically, yes.

However, regular shafts may not work for you if you have an extremely quick or unbelievably slow swing.

Having custom-fitted shafts on your wedges might be better, especially if you’re serious about improving your golf game!

Here are some points we’d like you to take note of:

• Most wedge manufacturers don’t sell a graphite shaft as a stock option.
• If you’re accustomed to using a graphite shaft, it takes a while to adjust to steel shafts which irons typically have.
• If you don’t use your wedges for many full swings, it’s okay to stick with a stock shaft.

Also, don’t forget to take these into consideration:

• The shaft flex doesn’t matter as much if you’re only using wedges for small chip shots and pitches around the green.
• The flex and weight of your wedge shaft are more important when you use it to take a full swing.

Conclusion

Choosing the right flex for your club shaft takes a bit of consideration. Don’t forget to ask yourself the following questions:

• How fast is my playing tempo?
• Am I a quick or slow swinger?
• Do I find it difficult to get proper control and a good trajectory?

Once you have your bases covered, having the proper shafts in your golf bag won’t be an issue!

We hope our article has helped you. If you have any questions, just leave a comment below!