Golf shaft flex chart: every letter and number explained
Flex is printed on the shaft as a letter or a number. Here's what every common code means, where brands disagree, and how to match flex when you buy a used club.
Weight matters as much as flex, and sometimes more: see shaft weight, not just flex.
Checked September 30, 2026. Sources: Hireko Golf's flex guide, Golf Club Brokers' Project X codes and Golfible on uniflex. Driver carry and ball-flight clues checked October 25, 2026: TrackMan on the average amateur's speed and carry, GlobalGolf on a shaft that's too stiff and MyGolfSpy on the same question.
Download the flex cheat sheet (PDF) 1 page, 58 KB. Keep it on your phone for the shop or the garage sale.
Jump to a code: L · A · M · Lite · R2 · R · Uniflex · SR · S · X · TX · 5.5, 6.0, 6.5 · R300, S300 · by swing speed or carry · your 150-yard club · clues it's the wrong flex
What is shaft flex?
Shaft flex is how much a golf shaft bends during the swing. A softer flex bends more and suits slower swings; a stiffer flex bends less and suits faster ones. It's printed on the shaft as a letter (L, A, R, S, X) or, on some shafts, a number (5.5, 6.0, 6.5).
Golf shaft flex chart: every code at a glance
From most flexible to stiffest. Flex is chosen by swing speed and tempo, not by gender or age: “Ladies” and “Senior” are traditional names for the two softest flexes, and any golfer can play any flex.
| Code on the shaft | Means | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| L | Ladies | The most flexible, for the slowest swing speeds. |
| A | Senior | Between ladies and regular. Originally “amateur”; some brands say Lite or Senior instead. |
| M | Usually senior | TaylorMade uses M for “Mature”, its senior flex. A few brands use M for men’s. Check the shaft maker. |
| Lite | Senior, on most shafts | Brands use Lite for a soft flex, usually the same as senior (A). A few use it for ladies. Check the maker. |
| R2 | Softer than regular | Mostly on Japanese shafts (Fujikura, Graphite Design): the equivalent of senior (A). R1 is their regular. |
| R | Regular | The most common flex, for average swing speeds. |
| Uniflex | Between regular and stiff | One flex meant to fit most players, usually closer to regular. Common in the stock steel shafts of big-brand iron sets. |
| SR or R+ | Stiff-regular or soft regular | Depends on the maker: between regular and stiff for some, softer than regular for others. |
| S | Stiff | For faster, stronger swings. |
| TS or S+ | Tour stiff, stiff plus | Stiffer than S but softer than X in the same shaft line. |
| X | Extra stiff | For very fast swings. |
| TX | Tour extra stiff | Stiffer than X in the same shaft line. Some makers use TX for a premium version with a different bend profile. |
There's no industry standard: one maker's stiff can play like another's regular. When you replace one club in a set, match the shaft model as well as the letter.
What does L flex mean?
L is ladies flex, the softest common flex, for the slowest swing speeds. Some brands print Ladies or Women's instead. Despite the name, it fits any golfer with a slow swing.
What does A flex (senior flex) mean?
A is senior flex, between ladies and regular. It originally stood for “amateur”. Some brands print Senior, Lite or M for the same thing. Looking for one? See used drivers in senior and ladies flex.
What does M flex mean?
Usually senior. TaylorMade uses M for “Mature”, its name for senior flex. A few brands use M for men's flex instead. Because M isn't used the same way everywhere, check the shaft maker's own chart before buying a replacement club marked M.
What does Lite flex mean?
Usually senior. Lite (sometimes Light) is a soft flex for slower swings, and most brands use it the way others use A or M. A few use Lite for their ladies flex, so if you're matching a club, check the shaft maker's chart. Ladies (L) flex drivers are on the same senior and ladies flex page.
What is R2 flex?
R2 is softer than regular: the same idea as senior (A) flex, named without the age label. It's mostly found on Japanese shafts such as Fujikura and Graphite Design, where R1 is the regular flex. Don't confuse it with True Temper's R200 or R300, which are regular-flex steel shafts.
What does R flex mean?
R is regular flex, the middle of the range and the most common stock flex in drivers and irons, for moderate swing speeds. Some shafts print Regular in full; on True Temper steel it can appear as R300. Number codes for regular are in the 5.5 and 6.0 table below.
What is a uniflex shaft?
Uniflex is one flex meant to fit a wide range of players: between regular and stiff, usually closer to regular. It's common in the stock steel shafts of big-brand iron sets, many made by True Temper. If you're replacing one iron from a uniflex set, match the uniflex shaft itself; a regular or a stiff shaft will feel different.
What does SR mean?
SR doesn't mean the same thing everywhere. Some makers use it for stiff-regular, between regular and stiff (often also written R+). Others use it for soft regular, a little more flexible than regular. If a listing says SR, find out which maker made the shaft before you assume. Our finder leaves SR blank rather than guess.
What does S flex mean?
S is stiff flex, for faster swings than regular. It's the most common flex in better players' irons, and on True Temper Dynamic Gold steel it's written S300 or S400 (what the numbers mean).
What does X flex mean?
X is extra stiff, for very fast swings: stiffer than S, and softer than TX in the same shaft line. Some shafts print X-Stiff or XS; on True Temper steel it's written X100.
What does TX flex mean?
TX is tour extra stiff, the stiffest common flex, for the fastest swings. Within one shaft line it is stiffer than X. Some makers use TX differently: for a premium version of a stock shaft with a different bend profile, or for a heavier tour-only weight. A TX from one maker isn't the same as a TX from another. TS (tour stiff) and S+ sit between S and X in the same way.
What do 5.5, 6.0 and 6.5 mean?
Project X and a few other shaft makers print a number instead of a letter. The usual conversions:
| Number | Usually means |
|---|---|
| 5.0 | Regular |
| 5.5 | Regular plus (firm) |
| 6.0 | Stiff |
| 6.5 | Extra stiff |
| 7.0 | Extra stiff plus |
The flex a number stands for can change between shaft models: a 6.0 in one model may play like a stiff-plus in another.
What do R300, S300 and X100 mean?
Those are True Temper Dynamic Gold steel iron shafts. The letter is the flex (R regular, S stiff, X extra stiff) and the number marks a version of it: an S400, for example, is a heavier stiff shaft than an S300. Match both parts when you replace a single iron.
Which flex fits your swing speed or carry?
A rough, widely used guide based on driver swing speed. Don't know your speed? Most golfers have a better idea of how far their driver flies, so we've added a carry column:
| Driver swing speed | Usual flex | Or driver carry (our estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Under about 75 mph | Ladies | Under about 165 yards |
| About 75 to 85 mph | Senior (A or M) | About 165 to 185 yards |
| About 85 to 95 mph | Regular | About 185 to 205 yards |
| About 95 to 105 mph | Stiff | About 205 to 230 yards |
| Over about 105 mph | Extra stiff | Over about 230 yards |
The carry column is our own estimate, not a published chart. TrackMan puts the average male amateur at 93.4 mph with the driver and 204 yards of carry, about 2.2 yards of carry for every mph; we applied that to each speed band and rounded. Carry is the flight only, before the ball lands and rolls. Think of a normal, solid drive rather than the longest one you've hit.
Rules of thumb, not a fitting. Tempo and how late you release the club matter too, and a launch monitor session at a golf shop beats any chart. If you're between two flexes, the softer one is usually the safer choice. GlobalGolf puts the choice as a trade: one flex stiffer if you'd give up a little distance to hit it straighter, one flex softer if you'd take a little more distance and a few more wild ones.
Another check: the club you carry 150 yards
GlobalGolf, one of the stores we track, suggests a test you can do on any range without knowing your speed: which club carries 150 yards for you?
- 9-iron or pitching wedgeExtra stiff (X)
- 6-iron or 7-ironRegular (R)
- 4-iron or 5-iron, or the matching hybridSenior (A or M)
- Anything longerLadies (L): a 3-iron or hybrid, or a fairway wood, for 150 yards
GlobalGolf's table has no row for stiff (S). If 150 yards is an 8-iron for you, use the swing speed or carry columns above. Its ladies row is written for women and juniors.
Clues you're playing the wrong flex
A shaft that doesn't suit your swing tends to show up in the ball's flight. What GlobalGolf and MyGolfSpy describe, for a right-handed golfer (mirror the curve if you're left-handed):
If the shaft is too stiff
- HeightLower and flatter than you'd expect, landing short and running on.
- CurveStarts or bends to the right: a weak fade or a slice.
- DistanceShort of what your swing should give.
- FeelLike you have to fight the club.
If the shaft is too soft
- HeightHigher than you'd expect, with more spin.
- CurveBends to the left: a draw that turns over too far.
- DistanceLost to spin, more so into the wind or on soft, wet ground.
- FeelHard to repeat: the shaft releases at a different point each swing.
Treat these as clues, not a verdict. MyGolfSpy notes that a low ball flight can just as easily come from too little loft, the ball too far back in your stance, a steep swing or contact low on the face. Rule those out before paying for a new shaft or a different club.
Steel or graphite
Most men's irons use steel shafts; drivers and fairway woods almost always use graphite, and graphite is common in senior and ladies irons because it's lighter. Graphite and steel shafts marked with the same letter can feel quite different, so try before mixing them within a set.
When you're buying used
Condition matters as much as flex: what each store's condition grades mean.
- Match the shaft model and flex from your other irons, not just the letter.
- Trust the label printed on the shaft over the listing text. If the listing doesn't show the shaft, ask the store.
- A single iron with a different shaft from the rest of your set will feel different. Reshafting costs money, so factor it in.
- Women's sets usually differ in more than flex: shorter lengths, lighter heads and smaller grips. A 7-iron from a women's set may not match a men's-set 7-iron even with the same flex letter, so check the length too.