FAO Mike: Do a shaftoid feature PLEASE!!!

virtuocity

virtuocity

Tour Winner
Joined
May 13, 2011
Messages
4,952
Location
Ayrshire
Visit site
Calling our editor and chief...

Please could you do a feature (preferably online as well as in print) where you take 3 golfers of mixed abilities to a fitting centre (independent is best), get them to hit the same iron head with multiple shafts, from senior graphite to telephone pole, and the same driver head with multiple shafts and publish the results?
 
Rooter said:
would make really interesting reading! Especially if it were a blind test! Could prove an eye opener to some!
Click to expand...
would certainly do away with any pre-conceptions about what is and isn't right for certain golfers!!

What would be the criteria? Distance, dispersion, flight, spin, feel????
 
hines57 said:
would certainly do away with any pre-conceptions about what is and isn't right for certain golfers!!

What would be the criteria? Distance, dispersion, flight, spin, feel????
Click to expand...

I would say mostly stats based, with feel having a small say, but you can't argue with distance and dispersion IMHO.
 
Spoiler alert, if it could be done where the person does not know what shaft they are hitting at any time there would be minimal difference and the influence of how close the ball is to the sweet spot would far outweigh any difference a shaft would make.
 
Rooter said:
I would say mostly stats based, with feel having a small say, but you can't argue with distance and dispersion IMHO.
Click to expand...

Most good fitters do this anyway. When I'm fitted for my irons I am specifically told not to look at the shaft and just hit it. Otherwise we compensate naturally as an example I felt like I had to 'hit' certain shafts whilst I swung others.

The TM fitter when I was fitted for my R9 driver also did the same
 
I haven't got a clue about shafts so would be very interested in what happens :thup:
 
After about ten hits, you could pretty much hit anything ok. You would just adapt. 20 years ago, this is how it worked. You bought a club, and learnt to hit it.
 
Hacker Khan said:
Spoiler alert, if it could be done where the person does not know what shaft they are hitting at any time there would be minimal difference and the influence of how close the ball is to the sweet spot would far outweigh any difference a shaft would make.
Click to expand...

Cant say I agree with this, last 2 fittings Ive had Ive not known at any stage what shafts Ive been hitting and the difference between the worst and the best shafts has been massive
 
I'm not so sure about this. While it could be interesting and indeed dispel some rumours about what the right shaft is, and while I'm a fan of custom fitting myself, how many of the wider golfing public at large actually by their clubs off the shelf anyway?
 
Hacker Khan said:
Spoiler alert, if it could be done where the person does not know what shaft they are hitting at any time there would be minimal difference and the influence of how close the ball is to the sweet spot would far outweigh any difference a shaft would make.
Click to expand...

I think you're taking it a bit too extreme, surely the basic point is to make the regular amateur a bit more aware of how different shaft flexes effect ball flight and dispersion? Obviously there's many parameters to consider but a general rule of thumb would be helpful to many golfers IMO.
Blind tests were not suggested in the OP anyway.
 
hines57 said:
What would be the criteria? Distance, dispersion, flight, spin, feel????
Click to expand...

Both dispersion and distance, with an emphasis on the latter.

As for blind testing, it's quite a good idea for control purposes. I hypothesise that the stiffness of shaft, AS TOLD BY THE FITTER, actually effects the intentions of the person swinging i.e. if told they are going to be trying out an XXXS 7 iron but are actually hitting a ladies flex, they will change their swing (generally by tensing up and trying to swing faster), no matter of what the actual flex is.
 
Hacker Khan said:
Spoiler alert, if it could be done where the person does not know what shaft they are hitting at any time there would be minimal difference and the influence of how close the ball is to the sweet spot would far outweigh any difference a shaft would make.
Click to expand...

But it has been said 1000 times, on here and elsewhere, that the shaft aids golfers to find the sweetspot more often. The argument from many is that the flex, kick point, tip, colour, shininess (ok, I'm being facetious) affects the golfer's ability to deliver the club square, and improves strike. This assumption hasn't really been challenged. The only ongoing argument relates to distance where shafts have been prescribed as the solution to changing launch angles and spin, and therefore distance. I contest this, particularly when it comes to metal tubes.
 
Beezerk said:
I think you're taking it a bit too extreme, surely the basic point is to make the regular amateur a bit more aware of how different shaft flexes effect ball flight and dispersion?
Click to expand...

No, the basic point I was making (although educating golfers IS important) is that I wanted to put shafts to the test from an amateur perspective. Take this example:

23 handicapper (sorry to pick on Cat 4s) goes for a fitting (like golfers are 'supposed' to), gets a nice pro behind him/her with his/her £10,000 trackman exclaiming, "Yup, that's the shot!", "Oh yeah, keep 'em there" etc and then uses the data to inform him/her as to whether to purchase the brand new Callaways (or other brand) with the £100 worth of shaft upgrades.

Why wouldn't he/she spend £800? The pro has shown the golfer that their dispersion has tightened by 10 yards with the 7 iron they were hitting compared to their old, say, Ping G15s. They are now flying 15 yards further as well! Happy days! During the testing they thought they'd found the right shaft (stiff, stock, which gave same distance gains but no improvement on dispersion) but after trying the Super Dooper Flash Bomb Mega Stick shafts (£100 up charge), they got the dispersion tightened as well.

So, it looks like the upgraded shafts are worth the extra cash, right? Distance gains and dispersion MUST be due to the shaft in the above example, yeah? Put your cynical head on and I bet you could list two dozen other factors to explain these results.

It's this cynicism that led to my OP. I have yet to see anyone PROPERLY control a fitting session to test the effects of different shafts. Funny that.
 
This would be worth reading. Always wondered just how important the shaft fit is as opposed to just getting used to what you've got.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top