Golfing News & Blog Articles

There’s one area of buying new golf clubs that most golfers still overlook: the shaft. There’s endless chatter about driver heads, new iron models, even grip options, but the shaft? It rarely gets the attention it deserves. Golf shafts are tricky. There are hundreds of options, confusing labels and very little education.

Most golfers assume the shaft they’re given is “good enough.” In reality, the wrong shaft can wreck your timing, cost you distance and make good swings feel like bad ones. Here are six signs your shaft flex is hurting your game.

1. You’re struggling to find the center of the face

If you feel like you’re swinging well but still missing off the toe, heel, high or low, your shaft may be the issue. Consistency is hard in golf and while there is always a chance your issues are swing-related, a mismatch in flex, weight or kick point can throw off your timing and make it hard to find the sweet spot.

If the shaft is:

Too soft? It can release early and shut the face, leading to heel strikes or hooks.Too stiff? It may delay the release, pushing the contact toward the toe.Kick point mismatch? Can alter dynamic loft and make the strike unpredictable.

Use impact tape or a launch monitor to track your miss patterns. If you find it is consistently in one spot, you may want to have your shaft evaluated to make sure it’s the best fit. Trying a few different shafts and tracking the impact position may help resolve the issue.

When LIV Golf started, one of the drawbacks golf fans lamented was that some of the PGA Tour’s villains had left.

They were the guys most people didn’t like—but they brought a certain entertainment element to the Tour.

I always go back to Patrick Reed winning the Farmers Insurance Open in 2021. It wasn’t that exciting an event given he won by five strokes and cruised down the stretch. But, as Reed often does, he inspired a rules controversy and had the golf world buzzing with takes.

The Tour has, in some ways, missed guys like Reed stirring the pot. Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter spent their careers being disliked by many but they made people talk. Bryson DeChambeau was very unlikeable until his image made a 180-degree turn due to his YouTube golf presence. A guy like Cam Smith wasn’t necessarily a villain but he could play the role of spoiler.

A lot of fans didn’t (or still don’t) like these players. They inspired feelings of annoyance or even vitriol.

Cobalt has released a new version of their Q-6 laser rangefinder, the Q-6SM. If you are unfamiliar with Cobalt rangefinders, I wrote a comprehensive review of the Cobalt Q-6 laser rangefinder last year.

If you missed that review because you had a doctor’s appointment or jury duty, just click that link above and you will have the complete rundown on the Cobalt Q-6.

If you are link-click-adverse these days, I’ll give you a quick rundown before telling you what is new with the Q-6SM.

Key Elements: Cobalt Q-6 laser rangefinder

During my previous testing, I discovered the key characteristics of the Cobalt Q-6 laser rangefinder.

First of all, it is fast. It picks up targets quickly with the touch of a single button. The haptic feedback when it locks on targets lets you know the range value is correct. When the pins have built-in reflectors, the targeting time is almost instantaneous.

It’s easy to find out what drivers the longest PGA Tour players are using. It’s a little different for the Champions Tour players. The Champions Tour guys sometimes fly under the radar, even though many of these names will ring a bell for any golf fan. Tracking down their current golf club gear is tough. Many of them don’t frequently switch clubs and manufacturers aren’t always quick to update this information on their websites. Here’s a deep dive into the longest hitters on the Champions Tour and the drivers they’re gaming today.

Ten of the longest drivers on the PGA Tour Champions

Player	Avg Distance	Driver Model
Padraig Harrington	301.2 yd	Titleist TSR3
Stewart Cink	300.6 yd	Ping G440 Max
Cameron Percy	296.4 yd	Ping G430 Max 10.5°
Ricardo Gonzalez	293.3 yd	Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond
Retief Goosen	291.5 yd	Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond
Angel Cabrera	290.1 yd	Ping G430 LST
Ernie Els	290.0 yd	XXIO 13
Vijay Singh	289.1 yd	Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond
Greg Chalmers	288.8 yd	Titleist TSR2
Tag Ridings	288.5 yd	Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max

The Triple Diamond trend: Low-spin tech still works

Callaway’s Triple Diamond variants (Paradym, Ai Smoke, Elyte) show up four times on this list. MyGolfSpy ranked the Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond third overall and the best for distance in 2024, noting its versatility for mid to low swing speeds

The Elyte Triple Diamond earned top marks in low swing speed tests and was the best overall driver of 2025. It’s praised for its explosive distance and accurate performance. These Champions Tour pros aren’t swinging slowly but it’s clear that this low-spin adjustable design delivers for a wide range of players.

Big brands dominate

Titleist, PING and Callaway own the leaderboard. Our best driver of 2024 test ranked the PING G430 Max 10K as the best for accuracy and Titleist’s TSR2 among the best for forgiveness. These drivers offer the versatility Champions Tour players need, blending distance with shot-shaping control.

Ernie Els and the XXIO 13?

Ernie’s using the premium-priced XXIO 13, one of the most expensive drivers in the 2024 test. While the XXIO 13 is intended to be a premium option and suitable for amateur players, it didn’t perform as well as expected in our test.

The takeaway is one of the most important parts of the golf swing. When you get it right, everything that follows becomes easier. But most golfers overdo it. They try to do too much and end up in a bad position before the swing even really begins.

Here are three common takeaway mistakes that can ruin your swing before it has a fair chance to start.

The instant wrist hinge

Some golfers start their swing by snapping their wrists back immediately. It’s an abrupt change that tends to create the following issues:

An open clubfaceDisconnection between hands and chestA narrow, unstable backswing

This early wrist hinge often happens without any chest movement. The arms are already outrunning the body and you’ve lost the ability for natural body rotation and movement.

It’s better to start wide and get the chest and arms moving in sync. The hinge happens gradually, usually around waist height, and keeps everything moving together. You’ll have more width in your swing and better structure.

Richard Bland will not defend his title this week at the U.S. Senior Open, choosing instead to play at LIV Golf's stop in Dallas.

In this week's Rogers Report, we break down what I learned from the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Travelers and more.

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Collin Morikawa split with caddie Joe Greiner after five tournaments together. That decision speaks to the World No. 5's deeper search.

The post Collin Morikawa’s caddie split speaks to star’s deeper search appeared first on Golf.

Should Keegan Bradley be a playing captain in the Ryder Cup, or just a captain? How you approach that debate says it all.

The post Here’s what your Keegan Bradley Ryder Cup opinion says about you appeared first on Golf.

Some players at the KPMG Women's PGA complained that the course setup made them look silly. How did the architect think it looked?

The post Gil Hanse’s design took heat at Women’s PGA. Here’s how he thought it played appeared first on Golf.

The staff here at GOLF has seen a few things and played a few places. As for the essential golf experiences? We narrowed it down to these 50.

The post The 50 best experiences in golf: The ultimate to-do list appeared first on Golf.

Collin Morikawa is in the market for a new caddie -- again -- after parting ways with Joe Greiner ahead of this week's Rocket Classic.

Subpar podcast co-hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz make their favorite bets for the Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club.

The post Rocket Classic Subpar picks: Favorite bets of the week appeared first on Golf.

Patrick Reed knows he's a long shot to make Team USA, but he believes there's 1 path to getting him to Bethpage.

The post Patrick Reed believes he has 1 path to make his Ryder Cup dreams reality appeared first on Golf.

Explore Florida's top golf courses with our comprehensive guide. Discover the best spots for every skill level.

The post Golfer’s Choice: Best Courses in Florida appeared first on Golf Blog, Golf Articles | GolfNow.

In this edition of Play Smart, GOLF Teacher to Watch Christy Longfield explains the differences in weak grips and strong grips.

The post Should you use a weak grip or a strong grip? Top teacher explains appeared first on Golf.

2025 Rocket Classic tee times for Thursday's first round at Detroit Golf Club, featuring Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa and more.

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When out of bounds beckons your tee shots, be strategic with your setup and brave with your swing, says Johnny Miller.

The post Johnny Miller’s brilliant advice for never hitting a tee shot out of bounds appeared first on Golf.

Are you thinking about getting a broomstick putter but want one with a little pizazz? Odyssey is here for you. The brand-new Odyssey Good Good Ai-ONE Square 2 Square Jailbird Broomstick putter is both long in name and in shaft.

Additionally, this 48-inch behemoth features some unique Good Good flavor, including a custom laser-etched sole plate, light-blue split grip with the Good Good logo and a Good Good-inspired Jailbird headcover.

Fans of Good Good will appreciate that the Odyssey Good Good Ai-ONE Square 2 Square Jailbird Broomstick putter has the same $399.99 price as the stock version.

Making the broomstick a boomstick

The Good Good aesthetics make the putter cool but the putt-making parts are pure Odyssey. Let’s take a look at the key components of the Odyssey Good Good Ai-ONE Square 2 Square Jailbird Broomstick putter.

Versa alignment

Odyssey’s black-and-white Versa alignment stripes put the jail in Jailbird. The series of alternating lines sit perpendicular to your target line.