[sFs4aOok]

The "kick point" of a shaft, also known as the "bend point" or "flex point", is the point of maximum bend when the shaft is bent. Without arguing over the way to measure it, let's talk about its effect on the performance of the club. There are two things affected by the kick point:

Feel: Shafts with a high kick point feel more "one piece" than shafts with low kick points, at least for golfers sensitive enough to feel the difference. Shafts with a low kick point are more "tip-flexible" and feel that way.

Trajectory: The position of the kick point makes a difference in the trajectory of the ball, though not a large one. In general, the lower the kick point, the higher the trajectory. There is still much debate whether this is even true, so let me conclude this section with a discussion of the pros and cons of affecting trajectory with kick point

In the first place, talking about a kick point being low or high is even less standardized than shaft flex:

There are no industry standards about how to designate, or even measure, the position of the kick point.
One manufacturer's entire range of kickpoints -- low to high -- may lie completely above or below another manufacturer's.
In any event, the most complete study of shafts found a range of less than 2.5 inches between the lowest and the highest, and a range of about an inch within any one manufacturer and material.

In the second place, controlled experimental evidence does not support the notion of large changes in trajectory due to kick point. The only measurement I've ever seen suggests that the ball may fly one degree higher for each inch lower of the kick point.

However, this experiment used shafts well-matched to the swing speed of the testing machine. In my experience, a high-risk high-reward shaft (that is, a shaft more flexy than the ideal match for accuracy) will give a higher trajectory than a well-matched shaft. This is supported by theory; the increased forward bend of the shaft at impact adds loft to the clubface.

In the case of flexy shafts, the added loft may be further increased by a low bend point. Try this thought experiment: suppose the shaft were two rigid pieces hinged at the bend point. The amount of flex in the shaft is the distance by which the clubhead leads the line of the shaft under the grip, at impact with the ball. For the same flex, the shaft with the lower hinge (lower "kick point") would require a larger angle to reach the distance, thereby adding more loft to the clubface. This has definitely been my experience when I have played with shafts too soft for my swing.