Tennis Elbow Got Me Switching to Graphite—Wedge Shaft Advice?

[poizster]

I’m turning 40 this year and have been dealing with tennis elbow in my right arm (right-handed golfer) for almost a year. It’s been creeping into my left arm now too. I’ve done a ton of PT and strength training, and while things have improved a little, the injury still lingers.

 

I’ve seen a lot of folks on here say that switching to graphite helped with similar injuries, so I went in for an iron fitting yesterday and tested a bunch of graphite options. My current gamers are Mizuno JPX 923 Tours with DG 120 X100 shafts. Love them, but they’re tough on the joints.

 

During the fitting, I landed on the Miura TC-202 paired with the OTi 105 X shaft. I tried Steelfiber, MMTs, Recoils, you name it. Nothing felt as soft and easy on my joints as the OTi/Miura combo. For reference, I was only swinging 6 irons and my average clubhead speed was 93.5 mph.

 

Now I’m trying to figure out what to do with my wedges. I currently play SM10s in 50, 54, and 58 with S200s. I noticed Titleist doesn’t list the OTi shafts as an option for SM10s. I could go with the MMT Taper 105 or 125, but I’m also confused why Titleist doesn’t offer the MMT Scoring Wedge shaft, just the Taper Irons.

 

When I asked my fitter what to do, he suggested maybe going with a softer steel shaft, like the R300, which caught me off guard.

 

I’m not much of a gear expert, so I’m hoping to get some input here:

If you’re a scratch player swinging a 6 iron around 93.5 mph and looking to ease joint pain, what graphite shafts would you recommend for wedges?

 

Appreciate any insights.

Edited May 20 by poizster

[animalgolfs]

17 minutes ago, poizster said:

 

If you’re a scratch player swinging a 6 iron around 93.5 mph and looking to ease joint pain

This sorta leaves me out - BUT I do have psoriatic arthritis & been playing Recoil Proto W (124g) for few years now without any pain - also recently purchases Dart V wedge(they seem fine on joint pain). I'd imagine MMT would be just fine 

[Streuner]

I have made very good experiences with MMT Wedge shafts and also the 105 PW iron shaft , they give a superb feel and response without hurting you when you get deep into the ground. very good spin numbers too

Edited May 20 by Streuner

[DooZ]

I don't have a shaft suggestion, but have you tried a bigger softer grip to take some of the shock? Best thing I ever did for my tennis/golfers elbow. I'm almost 60, switched to Jumbo GP CP2's the last couple of years and my elbow issues are now non-existent. 

[Mike_C]

12 minutes ago, animalgolfs said:

This sorta leaves me out - BUT I do have psoriatic arthritis & been playing Recoil Proto W (124g) for few years now without any pain - also recently purchases Dart V wedge(they seem fine on joint pain). I'd imagine MMT would be just fine 

I was just going to recommend Recoils.   I had some wedges with the Recoil Proto 125 F5, very stout, if that is what you want.   I also have a set of irons with the Dart V 105s, which feel pretty good. There is a Dart V TSPX 105 and 120 "score wedge" shaft. Flex is "wedge", not sure how different that is from the standard Dart V. 

 

[animalgolfs]

23 minutes ago, DooZ said:

Jumbo GP CP2's 

Agree on this - Jumbo GP CP2 & Recoil shafts provide the most relief IMO

[Noodler]

56 minutes ago, poizster said:

I’m turning 40 this year and have been dealing with tennis elbow in my right arm (right-handed golfer) for almost a year. It’s been creeping into my left arm now too. I’ve done a ton of PT and strength training, and while things have improved a little, the injury still lingers.

 

I’ve seen a lot of folks on here say that switching to graphite helped with similar injuries, so I went in for an iron fitting yesterday and tested a bunch of graphite options. My current gamers are Mizuno JPX 923 Tours with DG 120 X100 shafts. Love them, but they’re tough on the joints.

 

During the fitting, I landed on the Miura TC-202 paired with the OTi 105 X shaft. I tried Steelfiber, MMTs, Recoils, you name it. Nothing felt as soft and easy on my joints as the OTi/Miura combo. For reference, I was only swinging 6 irons and my average clubhead speed was 93.5 mph.

 

Now I’m trying to figure out what to do with my wedges. I currently play SM10s in 50, 54, and 58 with S200s. I noticed Titleist doesn’t list the OTi shafts as an option for SM10s. I could go with the MMT Taper 105 or 125, but I’m also confused why Titleist doesn’t offer the MMT Scoring Wedge shaft, just the Taper Irons.

 

When I asked my fitter what to do, he suggested maybe going with a softer steel shaft, like the R300, which caught me off guard.

 

I’m not much of a gear expert, so I’m hoping to get some input here:

If you’re a scratch player swinging a 6 iron around 93.5 mph and looking to ease joint pain, what graphite shafts would you recommend for wedges?

 

Appreciate any insights.

 

Technically this is Golfer's Elbow since it's in your trailing arm (medial epicondylitis).

 

 

I suffered from this over the course of a season and also tried to go to graphite shafts as a possible solution.  That did very little.  What healed my injury was using the correct exercise that is specifically for Golfer's elbow.

 

"Reverse Tyler Twist" for medial epicondylitis ("Golfers Elbow"

Edited May 20 by Noodler

[animalgolfs]

14 minutes ago, Mike_C said:

I was just going to recommend Recoils.   I had some wedges with the Recoil Proto 125 F5, very stout, if that is what you want.   I also have a set of irons with the Dart V 105s, which feel pretty good. There is a Dart V TSPX 105 and 120 "score wedge" shaft. Flex is "wedge", not sure how different that is from the standard Dart V. 

 

I have the 105 & 120 scoring wedge shafts....just really haven't put them to the test yet - guessing when I decide to get new wedges 

[poizster]

49 minutes ago, DooZ said:

I don't have a shaft suggestion, but have you tried a bigger softer grip to take some of the shock? Best thing I ever did for my tennis/golfers elbow. I'm almost 60, switched to Jumbo GP CP2's the last couple of years and my elbow issues are now non-existent. 

I have midsize CP2s. Does the jumbo help?

[poizster]

23 minutes ago, Noodler said:

 

Technically this is Golfer's Elbow since it's in your trailing arm (medial epicondylitis).

 

 

I suffered from this over the course of a season and also tried to go to graphite shafts as a possible solution.  That did very little.  What healed my injury was using the correct exercise that is specifically for Golfer's elbow.

 

"Reverse Tyler Twist" for medial epicondylitis ("Golfers Elbow"

It's tennis elbow. Pain is on the outside of both elbows.

[DooZ]

8 minutes ago, poizster said:

I have midsize CP2s. Does the jumbo help?

They have helped me tremendously. I do wear an XL glove though, so the jumbos may be too big for some. It did take a little to get used to, but the reduced taper along with the bigger diameter has been a game changer. I used GP tour wraps for years prior to switching. 

[Noodler]

13 minutes ago, poizster said:

It's tennis elbow. Pain is on the outside of both elbows.

 

Then use the Tyler Twist on both arms.  Do you have a flexbar?  Have you ever done this exercise regularly to fix this injury?

 

Honestly, it can't hurt to do both the Tyler Twist and the Reverse Tyler Twist exercises on both arms for a while.  I do so at the beginning of every season to avoid ever having this problem again.  I have never had a re-occurrence. 

[SheriffBooth]

It's hard to find some of the more unique graphite offerings from OEM's.

 

If you're fully committed to the OT shafts, I think the best option is to buy the wedges you want and have them reshafted into matching OT's.  But the MMT is not a bad fallback and I think the only way you'll know a difference between the Taper and the "Scoring Wedge" would be to hit them side by side in the same head - I have no trouble with spin generation or height using the Taper shafts in my wedges.

 

If you're OK with having heavier shafts in your wedges, and you want them installed by Titleist, I'd go with the 125 in stiff.  I personally just use the same MMT 105 stiff in all my irons and wedges.  If you put the 105 TX in your wedges you'll get closer to matching weights with the OT, but I think you'll be sacrificing feel.

[poizster]

15 minutes ago, Noodler said:

 

Then use the Tyler Twist on both arms.  Do you have a flexbar?  Have you ever done this exercise regularly to fix this injury?

 

Honestly, it can't hurt to do both the Tyler Twist and the Reverse Tyler Twist exercises on both arms for a while.  I do so at the beginning of every season to avoid ever having this problem again.  I have never had a re-occurrence. 

I have all the flexbars. I've been doing Tyler twists with the blue for almost 9 months.

[Stuart_G]

2 hours ago, poizster said:

When I asked my fitter what to do, he suggested maybe going with a softer steel shaft, like the R300, which caught me off guard.

 

Try not doing anything with the wedge shafts.  Continue to use what you're currently using.   Unless you really go after your wedges (or use them a lot on hard range mats), the weight or impact will generally not be as bad due to the slower swing speeds and higher loft.

 

Everyone is different but FWIW - I had to switch to graphite shafts in my irons in my mid-30's due to severe arthritis in the hands.  The pain was bad enough that I was close to giving up the game.  The switch to graphite was amazing - but the main point I want to make here is that I kept playing stock steel shafts in my SW/LW for about 15 years with no problems at all.   And when I did have to change them out, it was just because I needed to go lighter, not because I needed to go to graphite.

 

If you find you're different and do need to do something with the wedge shafts - STAY AWAY FROM STEEL.  It's not the softness of the shaft that makes a difference, it's the shock absorption properties of the composite that gives the relief.

Edited May 20 by Stuart_G

[Red4282]

Graphite will help, although in wedges especially the lob and sand, where 80% of those shots are partial, it really doesnt make a difference. Sometimes the only relief is to take some time off to let it heal. Avoid mats and hardpan. Good luck 

Edited May 20 by Red4282

[me05501]

I used graphite in my irons for the same reason as the OP but I've never swapped out my wedge shafts. 

As @Red4282 said above a large percentage of wedge shots are less than full swings.

 

My other reason for not switching has been that wedges are more likely to be replaced more often and I don't own a shaft puller to save my expensive graphite shafts. 

[rx1232]

+1 to keeping the wedge shafts as is, just see if the iron shaft switch helps first. 

[Lobsterzilla]

3 hours ago, Noodler said:

 

Technically this is Golfer's Elbow since it's in your trailing arm (medial epicondylitis).

 

 

I suffered from this over the course of a season and also tried to go to graphite shafts as a possible solution.  That did very little.  What healed my injury was using the correct exercise that is specifically for Golfer's elbow.

 

"Reverse Tyler Twist" for medial epicondylitis ("Golfers Elbow"

 

you can get golfer and tennis elbow in both arms my friend. It's just the location of the discomfort, lateral vs medial

 

Elegant Ladies play tennis, Fat Men play golf.

 

Tennis elbow is lateral epicondylitis, golfers elbow is medial. In a typical swing it is most likely to get Golfers elbow on the trail arm and tennis elbow on the leading arm, but people have some jank mechanics lol, all sorts of things could be happening.

Edited May 20 by Lobsterzilla

[Nickb333]

I went MMT 105s in my wedges with about 2” of lead tape on the heads. All other irons are same shaft and no lead tape. Couldn’t be happier. 

[SVTM5]

I had the same issue as you. Switched from steel to graphite two years ago. I use mmt 105 and accra tzi 115. I can never go back to Steel. My whole bag is graphite. Both my iron sets. My elbows have thanked me since making the switch

[Jayjay_theweim_guy]

4 hours ago, poizster said:

I’m turning 40 this year and have been dealing with tennis elbow in my right arm (right-handed golfer) for almost a year. It’s been creeping into my left arm now too. I’ve done a ton of PT and strength training, and while things have improved a little, the injury still lingers.

 

I’ve seen a lot of folks on here say that switching to graphite helped with similar injuries, so I went in for an iron fitting yesterday and tested a bunch of graphite options. My current gamers are Mizuno JPX 923 Tours with DG 120 X100 shafts. Love them, but they’re tough on the joints.

 

During the fitting, I landed on the Miura TC-202 paired with the OTi 105 X shaft. I tried Steelfiber, MMTs, Recoils, you name it. Nothing felt as soft and easy on my joints as the OTi/Miura combo. For reference, I was only swinging 6 irons and my average clubhead speed was 93.5 mph.

 

Now I’m trying to figure out what to do with my wedges. I currently play SM10s in 50, 54, and 58 with S200s. I noticed Titleist doesn’t list the OTi shafts as an option for SM10s. I could go with the MMT Taper 105 or 125, but I’m also confused why Titleist doesn’t offer the MMT Scoring Wedge shaft, just the Taper Irons.

 

When I asked my fitter what to do, he suggested maybe going with a softer steel shaft, like the R300, which caught me off guard.

 

I’m not much of a gear expert, so I’m hoping to get some input here:

If you’re a scratch player swinging a 6 iron around 93.5 mph and looking to ease joint pain, what graphite shafts would you recommend for wedges?

 

Appreciate any insights.

Not a scratch, but I've liked the LA Golf wedge shafts.  115 grams, and pair well with the L-series iron shafts.

 

They ain't cheap, though.

[AllWorkNoPlay]

I’ll echo some of the above, had the same pain, could hardly play anymore. I switched to graphite in my irons and pain went away nearly immediately. I kept my X100 in wedges to see if it would be fine and still have them with no pain

[glowchoy]

Same.  Switching to graphite in irons fixed my elbow pain immediately.  I did try graphite in wedges as well, but now continue to use steel in wedges with no issues at all.

[Phabs]

Accra Tzi 115's and BPC 157 cured my elbow tendon issues with in a month. 

[Hawkeye77]

You don't need to be a scratch golfer to understand tennis elbow and switching to graphite shafts.  Handicap has little to do with it.

 

I'll assume you are seeing a physician and not self-diagnosing either injury or solutions but if it's starting to develop in the left I'd sure see a doctor if you haven't and do whatever you can to get it headed off at the pass if you can.

 

Having dealt with it in the left elbow and having had surgery . . . I switched to graphite before surgery and actually ended up with a stiffer graphite (an S isn't an S isn't an S and I just goofed thinking the stiff version would be comparable) than I was used to in steel in my irons didn't help and actually it got worse, but I was on the road to surgery just a question of when --- I'm not doubting the shock absorption aspect as the major benefit, but too stiff can also contribute to pain/issues in my experience and it hurt when swinging any club and more to do with the motion of my swing and not that much to do with turf in general (except for hitting one really fat . . .).  About 85 gram graphite regulars these days in the irons but my wedges are around 110 and also a regular shaft in steel. I did just order a 52 degree in the same model wedge with a lighter steel shaft to do some comparisons and keep the feel more consistent from GW to Vokeys. 

[FIJI]

Used steel fiber 125 stiff with a lot of success in various miura wedges over the years. 

[b_smith07]

Cant definitively answer your question, but I have tennis elbow in both elbows now - started in my right elbow during covid when I had a sim and hit off mats alot - braces and cortisone cream helped a little and rest. Put axoims in my irons and that helped alot, but kept breaking them at the hosel (355 taper irons and what I assume to be poor tip prep). Went back to my Modus 120X with CP2's and it was fine for about a year - but now through a season of winter golf and mats only on our range and its back in right elbow and now left elbow. I avoid mats at all costs and its manageable. But I did throw the Axiom 125X's back in a new set of 243's and just reshafted my Vokeys yesterday with Recoil Proto 125 F4's. We will see how it goes. In west texas we get a ton of firm lies that are not soft - we shall see how it goes. FWIW I hit a lot of full wedges so that was the thought into going graphite in my wedges too. You can pick up a set of the Recoil Protos for 3 wedges for about $100 with shipping on eBay right now.

[b_smith07]

I hit the wedges on the range at lunch today and so far I really like them. Feel is good, maybe even improved over the S200's, and I feel like the full swings are coming out in a better window, with the slightest draw, where the S200's were always a slight cut/push. Partial 60's felt good and look like they produce plenty of spin. Steep or heavy shots didnt hurt, and were significantly dampened over steel.

 

I also hit my 243's with Axioms 125x at lunch - and shocker, the 8 iron is already breaking at the hosel again. Weird thing about Axioms were I was hitting the long irons on a rope, but the short irons felt a little loose/off. Im tired of the hosel issue and it makes me uncomfortable traveling or playing serious rounds with these due to worrying about breakage. Vibrations and shock were greatly dampened with the Axioms on less than ideal contact vs. my Modus 120X, but for now my Modus 120's are more accurate.  Part of me wants to try out the Recoil Proto's in my irons as well - just not sure if the F5 would be too stiff/boardy or if the F4's would be stout enough.

[phizzy30]

15 hours ago, b_smith07 said:

I hit the wedges on the range at lunch today and so far I really like them. Feel is good, maybe even improved over the S200's, and I feel like the full swings are coming out in a better window, with the slightest draw, where the S200's were always a slight cut/push. Partial 60's felt good and look like they produce plenty of spin. Steep or heavy shots didnt hurt, and were significantly dampened over steel.

 

I also hit my 243's with Axioms 125x at lunch - and shocker, the 8 iron is already breaking at the hosel again. Weird thing about Axioms were I was hitting the long irons on a rope, but the short irons felt a little loose/off. Im tired of the hosel issue and it makes me uncomfortable traveling or playing serious rounds with these due to worrying about breakage. Vibrations and shock were greatly dampened with the Axioms on less than ideal contact vs. my Modus 120X, but for now my Modus 120's are more accurate.  Part of me wants to try out the Recoil Proto's in my irons as well - just not sure if the F5 would be too stiff/boardy or if the F4's would be stout enough.

I had the recoil proto F5 back in the day.  I wouldn't say they feel too stiff since you're playing Axiom 125X.  They do tend to be higher launching/spinning though.