Help needed with determining the right flex shaft for my driver

[Pegmondo125]

Hi everyone. , i went to american golf a couple of weeks ago to buy a new driver, i was put on some sort of indoor swing monitor system and hit about 10 balls. My average swing speed came out to be 118 And they said i need a stiff flex shaft so i went with there advice and purchased a Calloway xhot driver off them with a graffalloy pro launch 60 stiff flex shaft. However after a couple of weeks use I've noticed that when i swing really hard I'm not getting consistent results off the tee with it and someone has commented since saying that i need a x flex driver to cope with my swing does this sound logical? Or should i go to another club fitting and see someone who really knows what they are talking about as the lad that served me was about 17 n just seemed like he wanted me to buy something. Thanks for your replies in advance. Adam

 

[fundy]

welcome to the forum Adam

118mph swing speed is the sort of speed you would expect of a tour pro and almost all at that speed will be using an X flex shaft of some sort. At that speed you really need a proper fit with somewhere that is able to supply you with shafts that may suit you (and that is unlikely for DG I would expect). If it was me I would look to get another fitting personally, ideally with somewhere which has trackman/gc2 machine for the stats but also where you can hit balls outside so you can see what is really happening with the ball flight.

There is also a chance that he measured your swing speed wrong so first port of call when going elsewhere would be to clarify your swing speed, but also look at other data such as angle of attack, launch angle and spin

 

[Foxholer]

Hi everyone. , i went to american golf a couple of weeks ago to buy a new driver, i was put on some sort of indoor swing monitor system and hit about 10 balls. My average swing speed came out to be 118 And they said i need a stiff flex shaft so i went with there advice and purchased a Calloway xhot driver off them with a graffalloy pro launch 60 stiff flex shaft. However after a couple of weeks use I've noticed that when i swing really hard I'm not getting consistent results off the tee with it and someone has commented since saying that i need a x flex driver to cope with my swing does this sound logical? Or should i go to another club fitting and see someone who really knows what they are talking about as the lad that served me was about 17 n just seemed like he wanted me to buy something. Thanks for your replies in advance. Adam

What colour is the shaft? Red/Maroon?

That swing speed would indicate X as a starting point to me, though there are lots of other variables. I'd also think that the 60 could be a bit light - again depending on other variables like speed of transition.

You don't seem to be the 'usual' AG customer and the cynic in me wouldn't be surprised if you weren't shoe-horned into a club they happened to have! As the shaft is swappable, I'd suggest you find a real fitter and go with their recommendation. Perhaps going back to the AG and discussing it with their Pro might be a good idea. That way they get a chance to 'redeem' themselves and keep a customer 'happy' while still making a sale! There is still a decent chunk of responsibility on the buyer to be happy with what's recommended when spending that amount of money!

What area are you in?

Oh. Welcome aboard btw!

 

[the_coach]

Average driver swing speed on PGA in 2013 was 113 mph.

In 2014 so far.
Bubba around 125mph.
Tiger around 120 mph.
Stenson & McIlroy around 123mph
Keegan Bradley around 119mph
Paul Casey around 119mph
Victor Dubuisson around 118mph
Lee Westwood around 116mph.

All of the above x flex & stiffer .............

 

[Pegmondo125]

Firstly thankyou for the warm welcome, the shaft is a black n white one ( cant find another one the same on the whole of the internet and believe me iv looked ) im based in the west midlands near birmingham.

 

[Foxholer]

Like this perhaps? http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-TAYLORM...FALLOY-PROLAUNCH-AXIS-BLACK-60X-/140991619059

I think that's actually a new version of the Platinum (the 'Axis' model). I've seen another Ebay ad that states that. Certainly if it says 'Axis' on it.

Mid Launch and Spin. Stiff is designed for Swing Speeds 95-110; Torque 3.3 (Mid-Lowish) weight 63 (lowish).

These guys look like 'proper' fitters http://www.macleonard.co.uk/ in your area. Not used them myself, so cannot recommend or otherwise except to say they look pretty right! Membership of PCS is normally a good sign. Give them a call and check them out or ask for their recommendation.

Or, as I posted earlier, go back to AG and say they spec-ed you wrongly and that an X was what you should have been supplied, so can you please have the right one!

A couple of things to check though...What Handicap are you? (not that that's a huge indicator). How far do you hit when you actually middle it and it goes straight? That will give an indication as to whether they frigged their Launch Monitor as well - which is something that can be done! What irons do you use? And which one do you use to hit 150yds?

 

[Pegmondo125]

yes exactly like that one, but stiff not x. I went back to American golf and asked them if i could re-test my swing speed and my average was 114 this time round, however the pro said i was seeming to block a couple of the shots which is probably a fair comment. he Didn't seem like he was going to offer to swap out for an x flex though. so for now i think i'm going to stick at it and concentrate on my technique and see how things go i might consider going to an x flex at some point in the future or even going to mcleonards for a fitting to get something taylored to my swing. i hit my 7 iron to get it to just past the 150 marker but (another question for you) the shafts in my mizuno mx-23 irons are dynamic gold r300 lites which i have been thinking that i need to change to s300 or maybe even dg x100, should i be considering doing this? thanks again for all of your help oh and when i do middle it, it goes about 260y with carry.

 

[the_coach]

yes exactly like that one, but stiff not x. I went back to American golf and asked them if i could re-test my swing speed and my average was 114 this time round, however the pro said i was seeming to block a couple of the shots which is probably a fair comment. he Didn't seem like he was going to offer to swap out for an x flex though. so for now i think i'm going to stick at it and concentrate on my technique and see how things go i might consider going to an x flex at some point in the future or even going to mcleonards for a fitting to get something taylored to my swing. i hit my 7 iron to get it to just past the 150 marker but (another question for you) the shafts in my mizuno mx-23 irons are dynamic gold r300 lites which i have been thinking that i need to change to s300 or maybe even dg x100, should i be considering doing this? thanks again for all of your help oh and when i do middle it, it goes about 260y with carry.

Just wondering both times when you went on the LM were you 'trying' to give it your all, rather than swing easy more akin to the speed of your swing when you deep into the back 9 & a ways tired.

No good really trying to match your 'shafts' to the very best passes through the ball that you can muster, just give you a shaft that's a good ways too stiff for you for the majority of the time you're swinging it.

If you pushing a good number to the right, then it's no surprise the Pro not keen to give you an even stiffer shaft.

Apart from the pushes you don't really describe your shot flight with driver or perhaps more to the point with the 7i. There's a bit of an anomaly there to be honest, 114mph -118mph which puts you a deal higher then over half of the PGA tour, yet your 7i is flying just past 150 with a regular shaft in it, so unless you're hitting that a real ways too high, as you don't mention that at all & it's something that would stick out a country mile to you even on the range, that would seem not to be the case.

You don't mention what your skill level is like, handicap index?

So imo for what it's worth you definitely don't want to be looking to have a stiffer shaft in your driver the pushes are coming because your already with the shaft in the driver you're not getting the club face back to square through impact. But maybe a lesson to get some better rhythm & balance through the swing may be a better ways to go.

As an example, my average SS with driver with Stiff low launching end of the spectrum shaft falls between 113-115 mph, if I go after one, not often I maybes but not always guaranteed squeeze a couple extra out because it's then a swing at max limit which then doesn't always make it solid & centered, because it's also about being regularly able to get a centered strike. Centered strike being the most important part of a golf shot.
But with some S+ low launching shafts in my irons & under normal weather conditions, level land, for 150 yards I'd be using a normal swing with a 9i.
So from what you say so far, i wouldn't be looking for an X, X+ shaft in your driver or a S in your irons, unless the flight with all the irons is way way too high, but also if the iron shaft has too much flex for your swing you'd be hitting most all of them a good ways left of target which as you don't mention that would seem not to be the case.

 

[Foxholer]

H'mm!

There are. indeed, some anomolies in there!

On the Driver swing speed numbers, I would have thought S was possibly a bit soft, but Carry of 260 doesn't reflect a centred 115mph strike - that should be 285+. And unless you are holding back on the irons, 7i 150 is 'pretty normal/nothing special' - even in the old style 'non-cranked' lofts of MX23s - great heads btw! As the_coach states, the flight for an too soft iron is typically very high and balloony and often hooky - though I know a Pro who plays Regular shafts because he hooks Stiff ones! Even with my low 90s swing, I hit High rights if the shaft is too soft, so that's not particularly typical either!

Slightly disappointed that they didn't allow you to try a 'X' flex shaft - even just to confirm that it isn't right for you!

It's possible that they have frigged the numbers to massage your ego a bit, but I thought AG no longer did that sort of thing - if they ever did! And if it's Trackman, I don't believe it's the Swing Speed numbers that are 'friggable'.

I think you are taking the right approach. Get your swing sorted by/with your own Pro. If you and he feel/decide that the shaft is holding you back, then go to a 'proper' fitter and see what they say. That shaft is the classic 'mid everything' that works well for the majority of folk. If it does turn out that you are hitting your iron shots way too high, then getting irons re-shafted is not economic imo - better to sell to fund purchase of new 'right-fit' ones.

So...Keep with the current set-up unless you feel it may be holding you back. If you do feel your kit is holding you back, check with your Pro or go to a proper fitter. The Drier shaft is easily swappable and shouldn't cost a huge amount to change - if it needs to. If the iron shafts aren't suitable, that's likely to be a considerably more expensive change.

Hope that helps. Good Luck