A whole lot more goes into finding the right driver than pulling one off the rack, getting to the course (or range), and then gripping and ripping it.
No, if you want to find a driver that fits you – fits your game and your swing like a glove – you need to think about things like how much the shaft weighs and how that influences the club itself.
60 Gram vs 70 Gram Driver Shaft
Though it doesn’t seem like much on the surface, the 10 gram difference between a 60g shaft and a 70g shaft totally changes a driver’s performance – even if you’d have a tough time feeling the 10g difference!
Accuracy
Shafts that aren’t quite as heavy (generally) tend to be a little easier to control, especially over the long haul.
You can expect better accuracy, better control, and a much more consistent drive when you’re rocking a 60g shaft compared to a 70g shaft.
Sure, practice with the heavier stick will let you dial thing in over time. And it’s not hard to get there if you’re playing a lot.
But all things considered, lighter weight shafts are going to trend towards being more accurate.
Distance
In the distance department, though, there’s no question about it – the heavier shaft is going to add a lot more “pop” to your drives.
We’re talking about being able to shoot your drives yards further with a 70g than you would have with a 60g shaft, even if the length, flex, and driver head were all identical.
You might not instant hit 300+ yard bombs just by adding a little beef to your driver shaft. But the odds are good you’ll get a little more juice – maybe 5, 10 yards – straight away.
Really dial in your shaft to your swing (getting fitted is hugely important) and you could see major distance improvements. It’s not unusual to get up to 30 extra yards on your drive when your equipment is totally tuned to you and your swing specifically.
Swing Speed
A 10g heavier shaft (60g vs 70g shaft) is going to slow down your swing speed a little – very, very little – but it is going to happen.
It might not be noticeable, even on a machine that is tuned to track these kinds of metrics. But you’re going to feel a little bit more sluggish through your swing when you’re pulling a 70g shaft through the zone compared to a 60g one.
Feel
As far as feel goes, this is just way too subjective from one player to another to give you any real data about which one (60g vs 70g) is best for you and your swing.
Some people love the way that a lighter shaft feels, especially at the apex of the backswing and just as you’re activating. There’s a little more “whippiness” with a lighter shaft (flex plays a role, too) that you won’t get with a heavier driver.
Some people, though, love pulling out their driver and having it feel a little like Thor’s Hammer.
There’s just something about teeing up high, with plenty of room on the fairway, and just letting a bomb loose – driven into and through high wind and humidity with ease thanks to the extra “oomph” 70g shafts bring to the table.
At the end of the day, though, this is a personal kind of thing.
You’ll want to get a couple of different shafts attached – and then play a couple of rounds or pound some range balls for a few hours – to figure out which one feels best for you.
Is a 70g Driver Shaft Too Heavy for Me?
A 70g driver shaft is right at the line between “average” weighted shafts and heavy ones.
If you’ve got a decent swing speed (high 90s into the low 100s), and like the way that a stiffer, beefier shaft feels when you address the ball, then there’s nothing wrong with keeping one of these in your bag.
If, on the other hand, you’re a younger golfer, a newer golfer, or a golfer that likes a little more flex in their swing you’ll probably want to shave some weight.
Is a 60g Driver Shaft Too Light?
60g shafts are right in the Goldilocks Zone for drivers, that happy medium between 55g and 70g driver shafts that give you a blend of the benefits from both extremes.
You get a shaft that is more lively when you move through your backswing, but you also get a shaft that has the stiffness and feel you need to feel confident and hit consistent shots.
Unless your swing speed is on the higher side of things (anything north of middle 90s is pretty fast) you can get away with using a 60g and not get punished.
High swing speeds, though, are going to want something chunkier to make the most of their power.
Does Driver Shaft Weight Really Make a Difference?
The flex, the length, the kick point, and the amount of torque your driver shaft brings to the table will have a big impact on the club as well.
But the weight of the shaft is hugely important, too.
Far too many golfers (including those that have been playing for quite a while and should know better) are teeing up with driver shafts that aren’t maximizing their biomechanics and swing speed enough.
This is why it’s so important to find a driver shaft with just the right amount of weight and just the right amount of heft.
You want something that you can control completely, but you also want something with enough “backbone” that you’re able to deliver a ton of force to the golf ball when you connect – driving it yards further than you would have otherwise, but also driving it through less than ideal conditions (especially high wind and humidity) as well.
Yes, the weight of your driver shaft – even if it’s just 10 g one way or another – makes a world of difference.
Are 60 Gram and 70 Gram Driver Shafts Legal?
The USGA has very strict rules on what they consider to be legal. In other words, their equipment rules must be followed. Driver shafts even have their own set of rules that they must follow in order to be considered legal. According to the USGA, 60 gram and 70 gram driver shafts are totally legal to use.
Closing Thoughts
So there you have it – (almost) everything you need to know about 60 gram vs 70 gram driver shafts and which one makes the most sense for you.
At the end of the day, though, it’s really important you go out and get fitted personally.
And not just from a big box sporting goods retailer, either.
You want to go to folks that know what they are doing. Folks that can crunch your numbers and get your shaft weight dialed in – then tinker with length, angle, and driver head (amongst other things).
Get fitted. You won’t regret it!