Driver shaft

[Tiger man]

Looking for your opinions. I hit my driver around 270-290 and have always assumed I need a stiff flex. Bad shot is always a hook, normal shape slight draw. I play with a 60g shaft cut down to 43.5 inch. However I have found the hook creeping in more lately and during a round today hit another one. At which point I asked my playing partner who had just striped one 300 yards down the middle again and I can assure you that is not forum yardage, he hit one 325 today, for a go with his x flex 45 inch driver. I proceeded to hit a couple of shots which shaped perfectly and were barely affected even into a strong wind and left me wanting more! So has anyone else gone from stiff to x and found it has straightened out there driver shots?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

325 in the winter with very little roll and not effected by the wind :rofl:

 

[Andy808]

325 in the winter with very little roll and not effected by the wind :rofl:

Now I've stopped laughing I'm wondering how he's not on the tour!

To be honest I doubt it's the shaft doing it but the club setup.

 

[Tiger man]

325 in the winter with very little roll and not effected by the wind :rofl:

No that was affected by the wind, downwind! But where there was little wind he was hitting it 300 and that is verified by laser, he did shoot a 74 not a bad player:thup:

 

[Foxholer]

Tradition has it that a stiffer shaft WILL reduce the tendency to hook. And at 270-290, it's likely that an X-flex isn't too stiff for you. It's equivalent to going from an R to an S for many others.

It's one of the great benefits of interchangeable shafts! Of course, all 'tests' go very well until it's too late to go back! RIP Stiff is a pretty stout shaft anyway btw. What was his?

 

[srixon 1]

Let the fun begin

ne:

 

[Deleted member 15344]

No that was affected by the wind, downwind! But where there was little wind he was hitting it 300 and that is verified by laser, he did shoot a 74 not a bad player:thup:

So 300 yards with very little roll - so carrying it about 290 ?!? - sorry but I dont 90% of tour , top Amatuer and cat 1 players can hit it that far.

 

[Tiger man]

Now I've stopped laughing I'm wondering how he's not on the tour!

To be honest I doubt it's the shaft doing it but the club setup.

I'm laughing at the fact you think this is superhuman:rofl:

 

[Tiger man]

So 300 yards with very little roll - so carrying it about 290 ?!? - sorry but I dont 90% of tour , top Amatuer and cat 1 players can hit it that far.

Like I said verified by laser and don't feel I need to try justifying what I have just seen to people who where not there? And who said there was no roll? Been dry here. Anyway back to the question has anyone gone from stiff to x flex and found it has straightened out their drives?

 

[Tiger man]

Tradition has it that a stiffer shaft WILL reduce the tendency to hook. And at 270-290, it's likely that an X-flex isn't too stiff for you. It's equivalent to going from an R to an S for many others.

It's one of the great benefits of interchangeable shafts! Of course, all 'tests' go very well until it's too late to go back! RIP Stiff is a pretty stout shaft anyway btw. What was his?

His was the blue Graffaloy one which apparently had been tipped to make it a touch stiffer still? Although I don't know the technicalities of this which is why I was hoping for some input.

 

[Andy808]

I'm laughing at the fact you think this is superhuman:rofl:

Who said anything about superhuman?
I've hit a drive 350 on the 18th of the King's course at Gleneagles BUT it was dry and had A LOT of roll. I've hit 300 plus yards on many occasions BUT when the course is dry and running or heavily wind assisted. I also find it funny that on a day where a drive is wind assisted to 325 yards there was an opportunity to hit a drive with little wind.

As for the shaft I still think it's down the the setup of the club. From my experience the stiffer the shaft the more chance there is for the shot to go left unless the club is setup for your swing.

 

[Stuey01]

So 300 yards with very little roll - so carrying it about 290 ?!? - sorry but I dont 90% of tour , top Amatuer and cat 1 players can hit it that far.

Give it a rest. There are loads of people who can hit it that far, don't pointlessly derail the thread.

 

[Stuey01]

Like I said verified by laser and don't feel I need to try justifying what I have just seen to people who where not there? And who said there was no roll? Been dry here. Anyway back to the question has anyone gone from stiff to x flex and found it has straightened out their drives?

I did last year. A 70g x flex diamana ahina. It was great when I was on it, but lately I've been finding it hard work, and making bad swings to try to get the best out of it. I have just bought a TM R15 with a lighter stiff shaft and to be honest I'm loving it so far. Although I have had a few lefts I'm blaming myself not the shaft for that!

So I went stiff to x, and have gone back again!

For reference I swing it 105 - 115mph, 115 being the absolute top end.

I would say it's definitely worth a try, loads of shafts available on eBay for the 910 to try out. If it doesn't work out just screw your existing one back in, nothing lost.

 

[Foxholer]

His was the blue Graffaloy one which apparently had been tipped to make it a touch stiffer still? Although I don't know the technicalities of this which is why I was hoping for some input.

Prolaunch Blue? Blue and White (or maybe grey) sections or simply Blue (with White label) - or White with Blue label these days?

Tipping does indeed tend to make a shaft slightly stiffer - as the (narrow) tip area is softer than the wider rest of the shaft, even with 'tip stiff' shafts. Grafalloy Blue - which I strongly suspect is his shaft as the Prolaunch Blue is High Launch/Spin, so unlikely - is a bit of an iron bar, even at Stiff. Alvaro Quiros is one of a number of big hitters that use itat X-flex (both Driver and 3W) - I think his are tipped 0.5" more than standard (3W is normally tipped anyway)!

 

[Tiger man]

I did last year. A 70g x flex diamana ahina. It was great when I was on it, but lately I've been finding it hard work, and making bad swings to try to get the best out of it. I have just bought a TM R15 with a lighter stiff shaft and to be honest I'm loving it so far. Although I have had a few lefts I'm blaming myself not the shaft for that!

So I went stiff to x, and have gone back again!

For reference I swing it 105 - 115mph, 115 being the absolute top end.

Thanks for the input, really was not after a slanging match just people's experiences like yours as you have a very similar swing speed to me. Did the hook just about stop with the x flex then?

 

[Tiger man]

Prolaunch Blue? Blue and White (or maybe grey) sections or simply Blue (with White label) - or White with Blue label these days?

Tipping does indeed tend to make a shaft slightly stiffer - as the (narrow) tip area is softer than the wider rest of the shaft, even with 'tip stiff' shafts. Grafalloy Blue - which I strongly suspect is his shaft as the Prolaunch Blue is High Launch/Spin, so unlikely - is a bit of an iron bar, even at Stiff. Alvaro Quiros is one of a number of big hitters that use itat X-flex (both Driver and 3W) - I think his are tipped 0.5" more than standard (3W is normally tipped anyway)!

I did not pay that close attention, so you are saying Graffaloy blue is low spin?

 

[Foxholer]

Ahina is probably the most feel oriented of those 3 shafts with Blue being the most boardy!

If you want to avoid the lefts, then Graf Blue will almost certainly do that! Though, just to demo the exception that proves the rule, I know a fairly long hitting (for his age) Pro whose mind and hands compensate and he hooks everything above Reg!

Flex is more about feel than swing speed btw. Swing Speed is really just the starting point for the process!

 

[Stuey01]

Thanks for the input, really was not after a slanging match just people's experiences like yours as you have a very similar swing speed to me. Did the hook just about stop with the x flex then?

I could still hook it if I put a bad swing on it! But overall I think I spent less time down the left side of the course yeah.
My problem is that I often go straight from the car to the tee, and when not warmed up I found that shaft to be hard work.
Just be aware of that as a possibility, I think at this swing speed it's pretty borderline, of course there is more to it than just speed that effects what suits you.
I'm going to try a slightly beefier stiff shaft in my new driver, hoping it will be a little more stable than the stock stiff but not as much to handle as the x.

I say go for it mate, got to be worth a try! I would say that though I am a serial club swapper and tinkerer.

 

[garyinderry]

In my experience, the more you hit from the top the stiffer you will need. I have always put the speed on from the top. I know this is not recommended but its the way I do it.

If I use a regular shaft and go at it like that, the feeling I get is that the club head is still up around my ear when my hands are at the ball. Its the same with the softer stiffs I have used. example was blue diamana that came with the titleist 910.

You can feel the stress on the shaft with a violent, jerky hit from the top. Stiffer the better in these cases.

I went for a loft fitting recently with the Mizuno jpx850. No shafts in at that time unfortunately. I was launching the stock too high and the fitter handed me a different driver with 8.5 degree head (same loft as the Mizuno) with an x adila rip shaft. First shot, launched lower, went 10yards further carry and over 20 in total.

Only hit about 6 drives as our time was up but the difference between the stock stiff and x was night and day. Can't comment on direction as only hit a few. Can't wait to get a new shaft in my driver though.

Not massively quick either. Topping out at 104mph.

 

[One Planer]

Popcorn anyone?