High Kick and Low Kick Shafts....what is the difference?

[jakewalsh88]

can somebody tell me the difference. I currently have a proforce 60 tour low kick and wondering if it is affecting my drives.

[Sgt_Slaughter]

it does affect your drives, low kick shafts give u a high trajectory and high kick shafts give u a low trajectory

[NickBooras]

it does affect your drives, low kick shafts give u  a high trajectory and high kick shafts give u a low trajectory

I disagree, and here is why:

When you swing a shaft, it flexes. When a round tube flexes, it becomes out of round, or ovular (sp?). The kick point (or bend point) is the point on the shaft at which the shaft is most out of round, or most ovular. Studies have been done and it's been shown that all bend points, high or low, are almost in the middle of the shaft. The distance between a high bend point and a low bend point is going to be less than 2" apart. That being said, there is not enough distance between the two to impact trajectory more than a degree or two.

In practice, the location of the bend point only affects feel. A high bend point feels stiff, a low bend point feels more flexable.

If you really want to influence the trajectory of the ball you'll have to read more about shaft bend profile, not bend point. Hopefully that term will disappear in a couple years. It does nothing but confuse people.

[hornyjuan]

A high kick point normally means a stiffer shaft. A lower kick point helps the player get the ball in the air easier. Mid-High kick point is somewhere in between. If you have trouble getting the ball in the air then go with a lower kick. If you hit balloons with your shaft then go with a mid-high to high kick. Of course effective loft is the best way to change trajectory. Different shafts have many different characteristics ie tip bends/middle bends/butt end bends. Go get a fitting and find out which shaft and loft combination gives you the most distance.

[DuffVader]

in my experementing using the same head with different bend point shafts, the ball flight was affected- very noticeably.

high bend = lower, more penatrating flight.

low bend = higher flight with more spin.

[NickBooras]

in my experementing using the same head with different bend point shafts, the ball flight was affected- very noticeably.  

high bend = lower, more penatrating flight.

low bend = higher flight with more spin.

But what was the bend profile of each of the different shafts? If you look at the Grafalloy Blue, it's a high bend point but a mid trajectory shaft. The data just doesn't add up to support your conclusion in my experience.

[DuffVader]

tour release 27.3 =higher ballflight

vista pro 90 =lower ballflight

the data added up just fine.

[NickBooras]

tour release 27.3 =higher ballflight

vista pro 90 =lower ballflight

the data added up just fine.

Well, I don't feel much like digging up data, but I suggest you talk to someone at Fujikura (not a salesman - someone who knows their s**t) and see what they say. I'll eat my words if they back up your opinion, but I've talked about shafts with Tom Wishon and Mike Dugan at Wishon Golf Technologies, and both of them are on my side. I think I'd take the word of two of the most knowledgable people in the golf industry over a couple people on an internet forum.

Just my $0.02.

[TourCraft]

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