A Question For Shaft Junkies

[Snelly]

A quick question.

Having just been custom fitted for the first time ever and being given True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 shafts in my Ping i25 irons, what driver shafts on the market today would match the iron shafts in terms of approximate specification and ball flight characteristics?

The reason I ask is that I am now over a club longer with my irons with the same lofts and am wondering if I should look at the shaft in my driver too as another 12-15 yards off the tee would be marvellous.

I want a shaft that keeps the ball low if that helps.


Any suggestions appreciated and I am aware that I might be looking for the impossible.

PS - current driver shaft is an Aldila VS-Proto 65 and is a nice blue colour...

 

[Alex1975]

The DG TT S300 is low launch and spin and is heavy. There are too many to suggest but that may give you some ideas.

 

[Foxholer]

Fitting for Driver is quite a different 'process' to that of irons - though it uses much of the same rules/techniques.

The Aldila VS-Proto is high launch/spin. If you are otherwise happy with the feel of it, the Aldila NV-65 (Yucky Green) could well be better (not the NVS though). Not sure how much, if any, distance ypou will gain though.

Obvious comment is 'go see a fitter' though. You should be aware of the advantages of doing so - and the ability to try different shafts for immediate feedback and numbers - by the results from your iron fitting!

 

[groundskeeperwilly]

As the others have said above a driver shaft and irons shaft will be two different propositions.

I used PXi 6.0 Irons shafts but a Project X 6.5 Driver shaft - in theory that combo is a bit unbalanced but they give the best results for me!

If you want lower spin from your driver shaft maybe an Oban Devotion, Whiteboard, ProLaunch red, ProForce v2, Graffalloy Blue etc might be worth a try.

Or you could just try to pick ups Rapture driver with a different shaft cheaply from E-bay and do a head to head shootout with your current gamer to see if you can find something more suitable!

 

[Ethan]

Start with a clean slate. You hit down on the irons and compress the ball into the turf. You probably shouldn't do that with your driver so the desired optimal driver flight will require a different sort of shaft. Highish launch with low spin is all the rage these days with the SLDR and other distance drivers like Covert, X Hot etcetera.

Try a few with an open mind and you might be surprised.

 

[Snelly]

As the others have said above a driver shaft and irons shaft will be two different propositions.

I used PXi 6.0 Irons shafts but a Project X 6.5 Driver shaft - in theory that combo is a bit unbalanced but they give the best results for me!

If you want lower spin from your driver shaft maybe an Oban Devotion, Whiteboard, ProLaunch red, ProForce v2, Graffalloy Blue etc might be worth a try.

Or you could just try to pick ups Rapture driver with a different shaft cheaply from E-bay and do a head to head shootout with your current gamer to see if you can find something more suitable!

Thank you all for the replies. I like the idea of picking up another Rapture with a different shaft. So can I modify the question for recommendations on low spin driver shafts that are pretty heavy? Are these good examples? Oban Devotion, Whiteboard, ProLaunch Red, ProForce v2, Graffalloy Blue?

Thanks again.

 

[Alex1975]

Thank you all for the replies. I like the idea of picking up another Rapture with a different shaft. So can I modify the question for recommendations on low spin driver shafts that are pretty heavy? Are these good examples? Oban Devotion, Whiteboard, ProLaunch Red, ProForce v2, Graffalloy Blue?

Thanks again.

They are good examples and have also been around a while so can be reasonably priced.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I have a UST stiff shaft say around doing nothing

It has a R1 tip on it which in sure could be changed easily

Available for a fee that will prob cover the postage ?

 

[Stuey01]

Diamana Ahina was the follow up to the whiteboard too.

You probably want something in the 70gram range. Most off the shelf drivers come with something in the 60s or even 50s.

I have a 70gram ahina xstiff in my covert, it feels nice not too stiff at all. I tried an Oban kiyoshi gold in stiff, and it felt like a piece of rebar compared to my ahina. Something to be aware of, massive variance in stiffness by manufacturer.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Thank you all for the replies. I like the idea of picking up another Rapture with a different shaft. So can I modify the question for recommendations on low spin driver shafts that are pretty heavy? Are these good examples? Oban Devotion, Whiteboard, ProLaunch Red, ProForce v2, Graffalloy Blue?

Thanks again.

Matrix Black Tie HD7

 

[Foxholer]

Thank you all for the replies. I like the idea of picking up another Rapture with a different shaft. So can I modify the question for recommendations on low spin driver shafts that are pretty heavy? Are these good examples? Oban Devotion, Whiteboard, ProLaunch Red, ProForce v2, Graffalloy Blue?

Thanks again.

Oban Devotion: reputedly very good - but expensive. I've only ever swung one once - very badly as Ethan can confirm.
Whiteboard: the standard for Low launch/spin. Very playable (even an 'X') but fairly pricey for an 'experiment'. Ahina is equivalent.
ProLaunch Red: The budget equivalent of Whiteboard. Another that could be suitable - along with the Aldila NV 75/85
Proforce V2 75. Same as PL Red. Good budget shaft to check out. The HL is 'High Launch' with Spin to match!
Graf Blue. Just about as much of an iron bar as you can get! The NV Protopype (Cabrera used these) is the only challenger in the iron bar stakes! Seriously low launch/spin. Plays significantly stiff to flex. Recently changed from Blue with White decals to White with Blue decals.

I'd challenge your need for Low launch/spin. Your current shaft is High Launch/Spin and if you really only want it a bit lower, then I'd suggest Mid Launch/Spin is the way to go. Remember the 17/1700 that TM are pushing! Plenty of mid-launch shafts about. The GD YSQ that Gareth is just auditioning is suitable for probably 90-95% of players. Blueboard in 73 or 83 is still a great shaft. Code 8 or Rul 80 feel soft for flex. XCon launches mid, spins low-mid and feels mid - lighter ones are more common (6 or 7). The Black tie that MiB mentioned is the latest buzz from Matrix, but/so quite pricey.

One of the things that might help is to define what sort of swing you have. Quick transitions suit heavier, boardier styles while smooth ones suit slightly lighter, more 'responsive' shafts.
The Graf Blue is for quick transitions imo. The V2 seems better for smooth swings. The PL Red is in between - but works for smooth. Whiteboard can handle both.

 

[Swinger]

Start with a clean slate. You hit down on the irons and compress the ball into the turf. You probably shouldn't do that with your driver so the desired optimal driver flight will require a different sort of shaft. Highish launch with low spin is all the rage these days with the SLDR and other distance drivers like Covert, X Hot etcetera.

Try a few with an open mind and you might be surprised.

I was under the impression that unless you top a golf shot you never compress the ball into the turf. Are you saying that this is the feeling of hitting down and through the ball or do you think that compressing the ball into the turf is what happens with iron shots?

 

[Foxholer]

I was under the impression that unless you top a golf shot you never compress the ball into the turf. Are you saying that this is the feeling of hitting down and through the ball or do you think that compressing the ball into the turf is what happens with iron shots?

It's feel - not real!

And another thing for Snelly.

If you are going for a heavier shaft, then you will LOSE length, purely because you aren't able to swing it as hard as a light one. Finding the optimum weight is part of the fitting process. I gained almost 20yards at KofD, simply going from my 80gm shaft to a 50gm one - that I could still control! The numbers were pretty much identical otherwise - 18* and 1780 for current; 18* and 1690 for the 50gm.

 

[Alex1975]

Matrix Black Tie HD7

No such thing..... Do you mean 7M3?

 

[Fish]

No such thing..... Do you mean 7M3?

That's what I have in my new SLDR, where I used to launch at 10.4* apparently, I'm now at the perfect 17* and carrying much further than ever before!

 

[Alex1975]

That's what I have in my new SLDR, where I used to launch at 10.4* apparently, I'm now at the perfect 17* and carrying much further than ever before!

Its a nice shaft.... Lots of that launch must be the loft of the head though, no? The Black Tie is Low/Low Launch/Spin.

 

[Foxholer]

Its a nice shaft.... Lots of that launch must be the loft of the head though, no? The Black Tie is Low/Low Launch/Spin.

For a 'hitter'.

Have to say that's a rather expensive shaft for a 20-capper! I hope you got a decent deal Fish! Plenty of lower priced shafts will do pretty much the same thing - the V2 for example! Or even others in the Matrix range.

 

[Snelly]

Given up on this - all the eBay Raptures with posh shafts are still very expensive for an experiment!

Thanks for the replies though. Most helpful.

 

[Alex1975]

For a 'hitter'.

Have to say that's a rather expensive shaft for a 20-capper! I hope you got a decent deal Fish! Plenty of lower priced shafts will do pretty much the same thing - the V2 for example! Or even others in the Matrix range.

I have to say, that's what I expected but it was pretty friendly. Maybe I am a hitter but certainly not a strong player.

 

[shewy]

not trying to threadjack but I'm trying for a lower ball flight and hit a 913 with the ahina 72 in it and got a lower flight and more distance, now I'm not keen on forking out 100 for a 910 or 300 for a 913 at the minute but I have found some Aldila NV75 OR 85 in R flex, seeing as my shaft is 49g which one would you plump for? I've had some success with the NV65 in an old Nike,