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advise on shafts
poisonivey
Professional Champion
 
165 Views    32 Replies    1 Like   I like it!
I am looking into getting new clubs I spoke with a custom fitter who stated I need to go with reg shatfs which I have now. I hit driver very high and average 225 to 245. I have the tm burner 10.5 reg shaft. I played with a man who has played pro golf and teeing off on 18 he asked to see my driver he then advised I hit the ball to high and I need to switch to a stiff shaft that would keep the ball from going so high. I told him my swing speed last time I check it in simulator was around 90 to 95. He said their was no way I swung the club faster than that. I do not want to order new clubs and get wrong shafts anyone have thoughts.
Mark Simmons
Legend
 
# 1    1/8/2011 7:16:50 PM   
Shaun, my guess is the guy's observation that you are hitting it too high is correct. However, his solution is pretty simplistic.

Shaft stiffness is only one of several factors that influence how high you launch the ball. The club's loft, center of gravity, kick point, and a bunch of things about your swing all influence how high the ball goes. The ball you use can also influence the result. A high spin ball may also be enough to make your drive balloon, or at least be a contributing factor.

Even if shaft stiffness turned out to be the culprit, just picking any random stiff shaft won't do. "Stiff" simply describes a range of shaft flex which isn't even uniform from shaft manufacture to manufacture.

Having said all that it sound like you could really benefit from getting fitted. Find a good fitter and get on a launch monitor with him/her. It sounds like you could shave a few strokes just by doing so. Now wouldn't that be cool!


Robert Premeaux Jr.
Professional Champion
 
# 2    1/8/2011 8:37:34 PM   
Get a stiff graphite shaft and enjoy the extra roll.

Stiff graphite = regular steel. You can flex it.


bmoody16
Professional Champion
 
# 3    1/8/2011 9:20:26 PM   
you don't need a stiff flex with only 90-95 swing speed. there are many other better solutions. Pall position, or type could be changed. you can work on a more shallow swing path. you are probably not lagging the club enough, so you are releasing early and adding loft to your shot. Work on holding your wrist hinge as long as possible. You will increase distance with your clubs too.

Pick a spot a few feet infront of your ball, imagine you are holding your wrist hinge until your hands get to that spot. You won't really be doing that, but the feel will help.


Robert Premeaux Jr.
Professional Champion
 
# 4    1/8/2011 9:44:15 PM   
Does everybody on this web site swing women's flex steel shafts in their irons?

Stiff graphite is not that stiff, poisonivey. Find a place you can test drive one and see what happens. 90-95 MPH is PLENTY fast enough to make a stiff graphite shafted driver (especially with 10.5º of loft) work for you. You'll drive the ball lower, get more roll and have no trouble hitting 260-80.

But don't listen to us. Try one out.


dewsweeper
Legend
 
# 5    1/8/2011 11:04:35 PM   
I would almost bet that the launch angle and spin rate was too high to cause the high tee shot.

I would do the following and in that order.
(1) get a lower loft on the driver.
(2) change to a shaft that has hier kick point.
(3)Change the golf ball to less dimple ( larger dimples )


LukeTuzinski
Professional Champion
 
# 6    1/9/2011 3:23:44 AM   
Regular steel = stiff graphite is a good rule of thumb. Flex ratings are pretty arbitrary and vary by manufacturer. Every shaft has a different flex profile; torque,tip stiffness,bendpoint etc. The best way is to find a place that has a wide variety of lofts and shafts to demo and swing away to find the combo you like. The rating of the shaft does not matter as long as it produces the ball flight you want, it doesn't matter if it has an L an X or something inbetween painted on it.


Slicer_1
Professional Champion
 
# 7    1/9/2011 9:06:38 AM   
I was told i needed regular flex so i switched from my stiff shaft. Worst mistake i ever made. I hit the ball much higher and lost a ton of distance. I switched back to a stiff shaft and now hit the ball much longer and lower. But definitely go get fit on a monitor from a couple different fitters. You can't fit someone without seeing them hit the ball.


poisonivey
Professional Champion
 
# 8    1/9/2011 12:50:07 PM   
Thanks for advise may try a stiff shat I have from the r7.


bmoody16
Professional Champion
 
# 9    1/9/2011 3:09:23 PM   

I was told i needed regular flex so i switched from my stiff shaft. Worst mistake i ever made. I hit the ball much higher and lost a ton of distance. I switched back to a stiff shaft and now hit the ball much longer and lower. But definitely go get fit on a monitor from a couple different fitters. You can't fit someone without seeing them hit the ball.


Definitely true. I still don't think you need a stiff flex, but getting fit is the best way to know. If you don't want to put time into changing your swing it might be the best option. What people said about variety in shaft flex, despite the mark on the shaft, is true. Pros will get 5 of the exact same driver and pick the one they like the best. We can't do that, but if you get fit you will know what you need better.


Robert Premeaux Jr.
Professional Champion
 
# 10    1/9/2011 5:18:49 PM   

Regular steel = stiff graphite is a good rule of thumb. Flex ratings are pretty arbitrary and vary by manufacturer. Every shaft has a different flex profile; torque,tip stiffness,bendpoint etc. The best way is to find a place that has a wide variety of lofts and shafts to demo and swing away to find the combo you like. The rating of the shaft does not matter as long as it produces the ball flight you want, it doesn't matter if it has an L an X or something inbetween painted on it.


There's no substitute for demo clubs, demo days and any other kind of demo opportunity you can find. My driver's shaft turns my 9.5 into about a 9 and, if I need to, I can hit it like an 8.5 ... but had I not demo-ed a couple of different shafts, I might've mistakenly bought a shaft that turned my 9.5 into about a 12.

Titleist's shaft chart is awesome, and I trust it enough to use it, but it's not blind faith. I'd still want to hit the shaft before spending $300 on it ... or, to be honest, even $30.


gj24
Legend
 
# 11    1/9/2011 9:03:20 PM   
You need to go get fitted for them, any Golfsmith or Edwin Watts or PGA Superstore, have swing cages to hit into that are hooked up to computers. Its all based on your swing speed and the angles at which you attack the ball. You may be hitting your driver 225-245 w/ a regular shaft now, its possible you use the same clubhead and put in a stiff shaft with a high bend point for a lower trajectory you could gain 20 yards with the same head. So if it was me, I wouldn't settle for listening to what someone is telling you, istead, go get professionally fitted. The biggest problem with the Drivers you see in the Proshops, the longest, straightest, newest and greatest thing is, they are mis-shafted. They are basic shafts. The shaft is so important any more, especially if your trying to accomplish, the biggest, straightest, longest Driver. Good luck!!


dewsweeper
Legend
 
# 12    1/9/2011 9:29:26 PM   
Swing speed,launch angle and spin rate all played a part in the total distance carried.
Here is an interesting article.

http://www.golfsmith.com/displ..


PeteG512
Legend
 
# 13    1/10/2011 9:59:55 AM   

You need to go get fitted for them, any Golfsmith or Edwin Watts or PGA Superstore, have swing cages to hit into that are hooked up to computers. Its all based on your swing speed and the angles at which you attack the ball. You may be hitting your driver 225-245 w/ a regular shaft now, its possible you use the same clubhead and put in a stiff shaft with a high bend point for a lower trajectory you could gain 20 yards with the same head. So if it was me, I wouldn't settle for listening to what someone is telling you, istead, go get professionally fitted. The biggest problem with the Drivers you see in the Proshops, the longest, straightest, newest and greatest thing is, they are mis-shafted. They are basic shafts. The shaft is so important any more, especially if your trying to accomplish, the biggest, straightest, longest Driver. Good luck!!
I would think that if you go to either Edwin Watts, Galaxy Golf, PGA Superstore and test out a few clubs with a stiffer shaft on thier monitors they can fine tune it to your swing.


bmoody16
Professional Champion
 
# 14    1/10/2011 10:06:52 AM   
The guys at the major golf store are always really nice; however, they never seem very interested in helping you do a custom fitting. They will give you a few stock drivers to hit, but rarely suggest different shafts,etc. You will have to be very assertive on that issue from my experience.

This is probably because if they give too much info people will just go buy on the internet. So you might want to make it clear you are willing to pay $50 for a fitting even if you don't buy, or whatever it is they charge. You might get better help that way.


Robert Premeaux Jr.
Professional Champion
 
# 15    1/10/2011 11:31:39 AM   

The guys at the major golf store are always really nice; however, they never seem very interested in helping you do a custom fitting. They will give you a few stock drivers to hit, but rarely suggest different shafts,etc. You will have to be very assertive on that issue from my experience.

This is probably because if they give too much info people will just go buy on the internet. So you might want to make it clear you are willing to pay $50 for a fitting even if you don't buy, or whatever it is they charge. You might get better help that way.


Yes! I love the big stores, but those guys can be a bit robotic.

If your options are limited, the big stores are fine. Bmoody16's "assertive" advice is spot on. Patient, polite but assertive. Make em do their job.

If you have the patience to look around and/or wait, see if you can't find an upcoming "Demo Day" at a nearby golf course. If you're lucky, you might find one that has multiple companies at it, so you can try out the TaylorMades, try out the Callaways, see that Titleist isn't just for scratch golfers, give the Nikes a swing ... whatever you have the time and patience for ... AND the guys working their stations at most "Demo Days" LOVE to talk golf and work with you.

I did say "most", of course ...


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