50 Words or Less
The Special Joy FreeFlex driver shaft is lightweight to boost clubhead speed and engineered to deliver accuracy, with a single model intended for all swing speeds. Surprising results that defy conventional wisdom.
Introduction
When the Autoflex shaft hit the scene a couple of years ago with claims of significantly more driver distance, golfers went into a feeding frenzy. Time has proven it’s not the be-all and end-all of golf shafts, but as Matt Saternus pointed out in his review [read it HERE], it did offer some advantages. And now, another Korean company, Special Joy, has chummed the waters with their FreeFlex shaft.
Also based on a lightweight design to boost swing speed, the Special Joy FreeFlex differentiates itself with the concept that “there is only one flex.” Let that sink in. One shaft for all swing speeds and all swing dynamics. I’ll add a caveat to that later, but to evaluate this concept from both ends of the speed spectrum I engaged Jason Heintschel, a fast swinging Master Club Fitter at Club Champion. The results were shocking.
Looks
In the matte blue carbon version, the Special Joy FreeFlex shaft has a wonderfully subdued presence that my photos don’t do justice. The large, light blue “FREEFLEX” lettering was covered by the grip, leaving just a modest section of branding and specifications that were installed in the down position. A graphic towards the tip denotes the spine, which Special Joy recommends being in the up position.
The FreeFlex 38 is also available in glossy blue carbon, hot pink, and a beautiful multi-color watercolor unique to each shaft. Based on their website and social post photos, I won’t be surprised to see other colors offered in the near future.
Feel
Without the driver head, the shaft seemed rather ordinary, but that changed immediately once the TaylorMade Stealth 2 [full review HERE] head was attached. The Special Joy FreeFlex shaft may not be the king of wiggle, but it certainly has a seat at the royal table. Moving from a waggle to a full swing, the shaft began to show its true personality. My focus quickly shifted from the tip, to the overall smooth feel of the shaft. The FreeFlex felt inviting – akin to “go ahead and speed it up, I’ve got you covered.”
That invitation was important for Jason whose initial concern was breaking the shaft. We both commented that the head didn’t feel lost at the top of the backswing – something often experienced when lightweight shafts are paired with lighter weight heads. Where I felt a smooth transition between the butt and the midsection, Jason, with a faster swing speed, felt the shaft load. Still active, the shaft offered some stiffness that Jason wasn’t expecting. The tip of the FreeFlex felt soft but remarkably stable for both of us.
Performance
My swing speed has been down a bit overall due to injury so I was pleased to pick up 2 mph of clubhead speed on average with the Special Joy FreeFlex shaft. I hit mostly nice draws, but there was a tendency for the ball to stay right of my target centerline. I’m used to swinging lighter shafts, but the FreeFlex truly required me to maintain a good tempo. And it was satisfying to post a 82 mph swing that was 100% playable.
Handing the exact same driver setup to Jason, his first swing was truly amazing – striped down the middle. Hitting a few more balls Jason remarked “the dispersion is impressive.” And here’s the thing, Jason’s normal clubhead speed is 110-111 mph and he was producing 114, easily “without effort.”
To truly see what the Special Joy FreeFlex shaft could offer him, Jason switched to his TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus head. After another dozen balls Jason reached his goal of 170 mph ball speed with an impressive 115 clubhead speed. I just gawked at the 312 yard beauty.
That’s not to say that every swing was peachy. I had a couple of swings that were way right. And on more than one occasion, when Jason really went after it, he produced an extreme hook. The flexibility of the FreeFlex shaft did seem to exaggerate misses when our swings didn’t sync up.
So how can one shaft perform for “both hard, fast swings and even light, smooth swings”? Special Joy describes FreeFlex Technology as this: “Our shafts are structurally engineered to account for and effectively balance the four forces that act upon the shaft during a golf swing. They are torque, bend force during the swing, warping moment, and bending torsional moment.” They don’t give away all the secret sauce, but if you’re into tech speak, their website does offer some titillating details.
I mentioned a caveat in the intro, and that refers to the fact that there are actually two shafts weights available – 38 gram and 45 gram. The FF38 was the original, single, model. The FF45 was created to satisfy the mental hurdle faster swingers had of such a lightweight shaft.
Conclusion
I like this statement by Special Joy on the Free Flex Technology: “Simply, it provides the distance of a lighter and more flexible shaft, while providing the accuracy of a much firmer shaft.” That said, much like the AutoFlex, I don’t think the Special Joy FreeFlex is going to revolutionize the golf shaft industry. The $650 price tag alone makes the FreeFlex a considerable investment.
This shaft does, however, offer an intriguing story line – that one shaft, free of the confines of flex designation, can perform for all golfers. Jason and I proved the basic concept to be true, though I’m also confident that he would agree that the FreeFlex may not be the best fit for every golfer. The search for more distance is a quest, and the FreeFlex shaft can be another stage on that journey.
Visit Special Joy HERE
Matt – aka ‘Meeks’ – is the Senior Writer at Plugged In Golf based on both tenure and age. Matt lives in the beautiful Lowcountry of South Carolina with his wife who allows his golf obsession to stretch the limits of normalcy.