A little confused .Drivers(again)!

[Swinglowandslow]

Hello
Today on the range I was trying out some advice seen on YouTube re hips in the swing, and I was pleasantly surprised to see my swing caddie tell me my speeds had increased a bit.
My problem is not getting my hips thru the impact area before the time of impact, verified by filming the swing. ( I am almost 76 yrs old )
Anyway, I was managing today to get
the driver to 90/92, with my old (over 10 yrs) Cobra driver.
Then the guy in the next bay was trying out the latest Cobra driver, just come into the shop.
He was a good swinger and big hitter ( off 5 ) and this latest Cobra had a stiff shaft.
Well, I asked the pro if I could have a go. And I did. I hit a cracker.

My query is about this shaft business. Because this Cobra had a stiff shaft I thought the rule was that it wouldn't suit my swing speed, but I must say that I thought my strike was brilliant (for me)
Can a stiff shaft suit where the hips are late coming thru, or is it definite that, all other things being equal, I would have got a better result with a flexible shaft.?
IOW, could the stiff shaft be delaying the hit so that it happens after my hips have moved a bit further thru?
See what I mean about being confused😊

 

[Slab]

I think I follow and from my limited understanding I'd think the stiff shaft could compensate against an existing swing fault under certain circumstances (in the same way a club with a fair amount of offset will assist/mask the underlying problem in a slice swing)

Essentially the stiffer shaft is changing the moment within your swing that the club face will reach point of impact (and therefore changing whether it is square/open/closed at impact) compared to your existing driver

So it may correct a problem (for a period of time) but it wont solve the underlying issue

Rather than jump to a stiff shaft its probably also worth considering what else has changed between the two drivers other than the shaft (if one is new and other is 10yrs old) such as any diff in offset, shaft length etc etc, things that might also be helping your clubface alignment at impact

Unless you knew your swing wasn't going to change in the future (tough to say for something that agile) I'd be hesitant about using stiff shaft myself knowing the downside that comes with it is probably a slower club head speed at point of impact (reduced distance) as you prob know anyway, unless you can swing fast enough to 'activate' the benefit of a stiff shaft its a bit counter productive using one

 

[HomerJSimpson]

A big issue is that for stock shafts used by all manufacturers there is no industry standard and so a regular in one may be borderline stiff in the next or even more flexible than the next R version. I understand (and agree) with what Slab says but if you are working on a particular move to clear the hips better and seeing a small swing speed increase, I'd look at perfecting that move without damaging other parts of the swing initially and then review where you are a bit further down the line. Is there any chance of trying a few flex options side by side and see if the new Cobra in an R performs better/worse than the S you tried. Not suggesting you need an upgrade but at least using a later release in different options you'll see what your baseline would be to compare back to your current driver

 

[Grant85]

Would be interested to know if anyone feels they hit the ball better / further / more consistently with a regular flex rather than a stiff flex Driver.

 

[Bwgan]

I use a stiff in my Ping G25 and always get comments on high the ball goes, almost all carry. Last time i was on a monitor it was something like 19* launch and 3000 spin. I have considered x stiff but not sure about that..
On the flip side I was down the range with my old man and he has regular in his TM RSi and god it went twice as high! So I guess no I don't hit it better with R shaft

 

[duncan mackie]

Would be interested to know if anyone feels they hit the ball better / further / more consistently with a regular flex rather than a stiff flex Driver.

I have a right old mix of shafts in my clubs, which may or may not translate to better striking on the day.
However -
At no point can I load and deliver a stiffer, heavier shaft better than a softer lighter one.
I can do it more consistently (through a range of my swings)
I can feel more confident with the stiffer heavier shaft
My best golf is always when I'm swinging well enough to play my lightest, R or even A shafts through the bag - and these will also deliver the best numbers as well, even though they don't feel like it because the shaft is doing the work and the timing overall is good.

 

[clubchamp98]

I have a G400 driver Alta stiff and hit it well.
I have a project x extra stiff shaft I use now and again but it’s not as good as the stiff.
So I am going to sell it.
Sometimes your swing on the range is not as good as on the course or vice versa.
I was always told use the whipiest shaft you can control.
consistency should be your main goal.

But a ten year gap in clubs I would expect it to be better by a big margin especially the shaft.

 

[Grant85]

Thanks folks - reason for asking was I have had a few lessons over the winter and for the 1st time in a long time am hitting my stiff shafted Driver well.

I have an SLDR 10.5 degrees and although hitting it well, was not getting much height (likely on account of it being low spin).

I went to the range last night with my friend, who is not a regular golfer. I didn't have my driver, but tried my old one which I had given to him. It was a Cleveland Classic Regular flex and I was losing everything right.

In my mind, this is because the more flexible shaft is bending on the downswing and opening up the club face. Even with a modest swing speed, probably below 100mph, this appeared to be a problem - leading me to believe that a stiff shaft is definitely better for me, despite conventional wisdom suggesting my swing speed should relate to a reg flex.

 

[patricks148]

I find you can use a reg flex shaft if you usually use a stiff, but your tempo has to be spot on. main advantage with the stiffer is you can really go after it, which you can't with a softer shaft

 

[jim8flog]

The difference in the shafts may well be that the modern shaft is lot lighter (the head will probably be as well) so it may be a simple case of the modern lighter equipment may suit you better.

Ps what is the 90/92 yards or swing speed?

 

[Swinglowandslow]

The difference in the shafts may well be that the modern shaft is lot lighter (the head will probably be as well) so it may be a simple case of the modern lighter equipment may suit you better.

Ps what is the 90/92 yards or swing speed?

Yds or swing speed?-haha,!- Have faith! I may be 76- YEARS-, but I am not decrepit (yet)
As for your other comment, I think you are right. That being the case you may have cost me a lot of money😁 In that I might have now been persuaded to look at a fitting for a new driver!
BTW, I think there is a lot in what is said in the last para of Grant85's post.
Oh, decisions, decisions.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I find you can use a reg flex shaft if you usually use a stiff, but your tempo has to be spot on. main advantage with the stiffer is you can really go after it, which you can't with a softer shaft

I have to agree. I can be borderline R/S in testing and at demo days. I tend to normally to go to the R flex as tempo is a big problem of mine and if I am not in then I struggle. Going after it isn't a problem. Reigning back in is what I've been trying to do and so I think R works best. As I get (even) older I may look at different options again