When it comes to gear trends on tour, certain setups stick around for a reason. One that continues to show up in the bags of top players? A slightly softer flex shaft in the wedges.
Scan the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking and you’ll see a pattern: the majority are using a different shaft profile in their wedges than in their irons. Scottie Scheffler is a textbook example – True Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 in the irons, Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 in the wedges.
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Same family, but the S400 is softer (and, interestingly, a few grams heavier).
The strategy isn’t exactly new. Tiger Woods popularised it during his prime – X100s in the irons, S400s in the wedges – and the formula still holds up today.
So what’s the reason here? Feel, flight, and control.
Going softer in the scoring clubs usually brings a bit more head response and slightly lower launch – both key when you’re trying to flight a wedge into a tucked pin or control spin from a tight lie. For some players, a softer shaft can even help maintain spin on finesse shots compared to a stiff-profile match across the bag.
As Chris Marchini, master fitter and Golf Galaxy’s director of golf experience, puts it: “When you’re playing from wet turf or thick rough and you need to generate enough spin to hold the green, that added shaft feel can make a difference.”
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There’s also a gear wrinkle worth noting: going softer often means going lighter. That can mess with swingweight and timing if you’re not careful. It’s why players like Scottie and Tiger lean on the S400 – it gives them softer flex without the drop in mass, preserving feel across the board.
“Weight in the wedge isn’t taken into consideration enough,” Marchini continued. “More specifically, how it affects their head delivery and sequencing with their body. It’s very player-dependent. Some like to feel the head a little more, while others want it to feel more balanced.”
You won’t find a universal rule here. Some pros match flex from irons through wedges and do just fine. But considering how many of the best wedge players in the world choose to drop flex, there’s a clear case for testing the setup yourself.
Just don’t assume softer automatically means better. Test it. Feel it. Let the numbers (and your short game) tell you if it’s the right fit.
