Change of shafts.

[ainley87simon]

On Friday night I went to the range to hit a basket of balls knowing I wouldn't get out this weekend. I have been told in previous rounds from various people that I need stiff shafts, a point confirmed when on launch monitor. My driver swing speed is 110mph.

Generally speaking my ball flight is much much higher than any of my playing partners / friends and I consistently hit either a fade or a slice from the tee when using my driver. On friday I asked if I could demo the Nike Covert Tour stiff shaft in in my own non-tour driver head (the shaft is heavier than that non tour).

2 things happened to my drives with this new shaft in my club head. 1) My ball flight off the tee came down my good 15-20ft. Giving a much more penetrating shot. 2) My shot shape was either straight or a nice draw.

How can a shaft effect so much in the ball flight, and why? Can anyone give me some insight?

The other thing I had done was have the loft and lie changed in my irons. I am 6ft 4inch tall and had them changed to 1* upright which seems to have removed the fade I had with my irons. I never realised there was so much physics behind a swing...

 

[Ethan]

On Friday night I went to the range to hit a basket of balls knowing I wouldn't get out this weekend. I have been told in previous rounds from various people that I need stiff shafts, a point confirmed when on launch monitor. My driver swing speed is 110mph.

Generally speaking my ball flight is much much higher than any of my playing partners / friends and I consistently hit either a fade or a slice from the tee when using my driver. On friday I asked if I could demo the Nike Covert Tour stiff shaft in in my own non-tour driver head (the shaft is heavier than that non tour).

2 things happened to my drives with this new shaft in my club head. 1) My ball flight off the tee came down my good 15-20ft. Giving a much more penetrating shot. 2) My shot shape was either straight or a nice draw.

How can a shaft effect so much in the ball flight, and why? Can anyone give me some insight?

The other thing I had done was have the loft and lie changed in my irons. I am 6ft 4inch tall and had them changed to 1* upright which seems to have removed the fade I had with my irons. I never realised there was so much physics behind a swing...

The Kuro Kage shaft in the Covert Tour is not only heavier than in the retail, but it is also designed as a lower launch shaft. The Tour shaft is basically the Kuro Kage silver: http://www.mitsubishirayongolf.com/product.php?cmd=kurokage_silver_w&lang=en
and the standard one the Kuro Kage black:
http://www.mitsubishirayongolf.com/product.php?cmd=kurokage_w&lang=en

The combination of weight and launch could easily explain the difference you observed.

 

[MGL]

The best way to think of the shaft is that its like the gearstick in your car - its how you put the power to the engine. If your in the wrong gear (i.e. your playing the wrong shaft for you) then you don't optimise the engine power (in your case going to high - i.e. revving the engine too much!)

 

[Captainron]

The Kuro Kage shaft in the Covert Tour is not only heavier than in the retail, but it is also designed as a lower launch shaft. The Tour shaft is basically the Kuro Kage silver: http://www.mitsubishirayongolf.com/product.php?cmd=kurokage_silver_w&lang=en
and the standard one the Kuro Kage black:
http://www.mitsubishirayongolf.com/product.php?cmd=kurokage_w&lang=en

The combination of weight and launch could easily explain the difference you observed.

I also hit the ball way too high for my liking. My swing speed is even faster than than that of Ainlies. What shafts would you recommend Ethan?

 

[Imurg]

I also hit the ball way too high for my liking. My swing speed is even faster than than that of Ainlies. What shafts would you recommend

A fence post...!!!:rofl::thup:

 

[Captainron]

A fence post...!!!:rofl::thup:

Tried that. Mid point flex really leaked the ball right.....

 

[Imurg]

Tried that. Mid point flex really leaked the ball right.....

Scaffold Pole then - you Beast!

 

[LIG]

Scaffold Pole then - you Beast!

And make sure you have it spine aligned - those scaffold poles are not made for uniformity, just strength.

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

And make sure you have it spine aligned - those scaffold poles are not made for uniformity, just strength.

Scaffold poles are no longer just Putlog or independent, there are system scaffolds, aluminium, platform etc, you really need good advice on this, dont forget it needs scaff tagging and a weekly inspection, erection must be by a reistered scaffolder.

Consider bamboo, this would bypass all EU regs on the matter :lol:

 

[Foxholer]

I also hit the ball way too high for my liking. My swing speed is even faster than than that of Ainlies. What shafts would you recommend Ethan?

Short of going and actually getting (properly) fitted, I'd suggest you find a way to try different shafts out. Possibly from your Pro or a Golf Superstore. It wouldn't seem wrong to have to pay for this service - £25 would seem reasonable to me, possibly dicounted if a subsequent purchase is made.

There are plenty of 'Fitting Carts' that have a range of shafts for the particular brand. The key is to isolate the head soun/feel from that of the shaft.

Btw. From the players point of view - with a lack of perspective - it's often to really difficult see the true flight of the ball, so it can seem to be too high. Much easier for someone standing even just a few paces away to see. I spent a long time trying to get my flight down - primarily to perform better on links - but a mate who i play with occasionally - and has seen lots of Golf -has stated that, even though it still seems quite high, I have one of the lowest flights of anyone he's seen! And it's not just a case of simply using a stiffer shaft. When I suddenly lost swing speed - after a broken ankle - my flight actually went up, which I put down to not being able to load that particular shaft properly. With another 'too stiff' shaft, the flight did/does come down!

There's a pretty simple bunch of 'rules of thumb' about flights etc, but it shouldn't surprise how much of shaft fitting comes down to the personal preference of the player.