Home » New Golf Equipment Reviews » Best Golf Clubs » 60 vs. 70 gram driver shafts – (and heavier driver shafts, pros and cons)
When looking for a new driveshaft, one of the factors to consider is the weight of the shaft.
Two of the most popular driver shaft weights on the market today are 60 and 70 grams.
Want to know what driver shaft is the right weight for your golf swing?
The Tell Me More Golf Team tells you the difference in performance between 60g and 70g driver shafts and what you need to know to find the perfect driver shaft for your golf swing.
60 Vs 70 gram driver shaft – (and heavier driver shafts pros and cons)
60 Vs 70 gram driver shaft – (and heavier driver shafts pros and cons)
This swing speed typically correlates to an average drive of 250-255 yards and a player’s handicap index in the mid-teens in the high single digits.
60g driver shafts are heavy enough to give golfers a sense of stability during their golf swing.
It’s important to remember that swing weight is only part of the formula for selecting the right shaft for your driver.
Shaft flex and kick point are other important factors to consider when considering a driver shaft.
A good golf club fitter can help you find the right driver shaft to maximize your swinging efficiency.
Golfers with slower swing speeds below 90mph can still use a 60g shaft if they are happy with the distance and dispersion of their shots.
Golfers should use 70 gram driver shafts with swing speeds between 106-115 mph.
Golfers should use 70 gram driver shafts with swing speeds between 106-115 mph.
This swing speed typically correlates to an average drive of 285-290 yards and a handicap index in the high to mid single digits.
As a golfer’s swing speed increases, so does the torque applied to the shaft during the golf swing. It’s one of the reasons a 70g shaft helps you reduce the spread of your shots.
Golfers who have a high launch from their driver should also look at 70g driver shafts, as heavier driver shafts tend to generate less spin and a lower launch angle than lighter shafts.
Again, it’s not just the swing weight of the shaft, but the combination of swing weight, flex and kick point of the shaft that must be considered when finding the right driver shaft for your game.
The best thing you can do is find a professional club fitter who can try different combinations that suit your swing to achieve the perfect shaft weight.
The Tell Me More Golf Equipment Team easily calls the Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 60 Stiff Shaft the best 60g driver shaft.
It has a stiff tip, but the middle and end of the shaft are soft enough that you don’t have to swing hard to get the ball flying off the rider’s face.
You’ll find the Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 60 shaft with adapters for most major driver brands including Callaway, Ping, Titleist and TaylorMade.
Best 70 gram driver shaft
Best 70 gram driver shaft
Tell Me More Golf Equipment testers love the Project X HZRDUS Smoke 6.0 70G driver shaft.
You’ll find the Project X HZRDUS Smoke 6.0 shaft with adapters for most major driver brands including Callaway, Ping, Titleist and TaylorMade.
Heavier driveshafts pros and cons
Heavier driveshafts pros and cons
If you have a faster swing speed, a heavier driver shaft could be an excellent solution for your golf swing.
However, if you have an average swing speed, that extra weight can do more harm than good to your swing.
So let’s explore some of the pros and cons of heavier driveshafts.
Advantages of a heavier driveshaft
Advantages of a heavier driveshaft
Faster Swing Speed – For some golfers, a heavier shaft weight can help maximize muscle activation and lead to faster swing speeds than swinging with a lighter shaft.
Less Spin – When you combine a fast golf swing with a heavier shaft, the result is less spin off the clubface and a lower ball flight, which can help maximize distance off the tee.
Better Stability – With a higher swing speed, the torque on the shaft also increases.
Lower Ball Flight – Faster swing speeds combined with heavier shafts create a lower trajectory than lighter shafts and prevent the ball from blowing off the tee.
Disadvantages of a heavier driveshaft
Disadvantages of a heavier driveshaft
Slower Swing Speed – For some golfers, the heavier shaft doesn’t work well with their swing and they may lose clubhead speed with a heavier shaft versus a lighter shaft.
Lower Launch – A heavier racquet shaft with a slower swing speed can cause a lower launch and lose distance off the tee.
As a general rule, golfers with above average swing speeds will likely get better results with a heavier driver shaft than a lighter one.
Conversely, those with average to below average swing speeds will do better with a lighter driver shaft.
For most golfers with average swing speeds and pace, 70g is too heavy for a driver shaft.
According to the 2020 USGA Distance Insights Report, recreational golfers hit the ball between 185 and 240 yards on average.
The average male amateur golfer has a swing speed of 93, which is on the low end of what is recommended for using a 60g driver shaft.
However, if you have a swing speed of 105mph or higher, you may need the extra stability that a 70g driver shaft can provide.
There are several factors that come into play when deciding how many grams your driver shaft should be.
Using the numbers above, if you’re hitting your driver an average of 220 yards, your swing speed is between 80 and 90 mph.
These factors would mean that you should look for a 60g driver shaft at most.
When you’re averaging 280 yards or more from the tee, you begin to push into 70g territory based on your swing speed alone.
Remember that swing weight is only part of the equation for finding the right driver shaft, and that flex and kick point can also play big factors in how the shaft works with your swing.
Does a heavier shaft help a slice?
Does a heavier shaft help a slice?
But yes, a heavier shaft can help a golfer slice as it typically has less torque and therefore less twisting than a lighter shaft.
However, heavy shafts can make it difficult for a player to let go of the racquet mid-swing, leading to slices and blocked shots.
You also need to consider shaft flex and kick point to determine what is causing you to slice the ball and whether your swing is more vertical or flat.
If you are looking for a new driver shaft, the most popular weights are 60g and 70g.
60g driver shafts are excellent for golfers with a swing speed between 90-105 mph and an average shot distance of 250-255 yards with their driver.
70g driver shafts work well for golfers with swing speeds between 105-115 mph and averaging 285-290 yards with their driver.
Based on your average shot distance, you can roughly calculate which shaft weight suits your game.
When choosing a driver shaft, however, golfers should not only rely on the swing weight, but also on the flex and kick point of the shaft.
The combination of factors can impact shaft performance for any golfer.
Lighter driver shafts encourage more spin and higher ball flight, helping players let go of the club and close the face during the swing.
Heavier driver shafts encourage less spin and lower ball flight, and keep the shaft more stable throughout the swing, which can reduce hooks and draws.