On the border between regular and stiff shaft

[Marrsbar]

Hi all,

I know shaft flex is a very commonly asked question and I’ve tried to do as much research as possible before posting this.
I’m getting more and more into golf (got the bug) and find myself around the course quite frequently and want to keep improving. So I updated my irons, to nothing too fancy but I’m loving them. However, my current driver is an old Titleist 975D which is great, but not very forgiving with the smaller head and has a stiff shaft, but I also have a Wilson reflex high launch aluminium head driver I got for cheap which has a uniflex (which I guess is regular) shaft and if I swing gently then it’s pretty consistent but distance is poor and if I swing to hatit slices. I’m just about to purchase a second hand Callaway rogue St Max, but there are two available, regular or stiff.

I was looking at the data from my top tracer driving range and saw my ball speed averages 138mph which based on a chart I found puts my swing around 95-96mph (appreciate this is rough and I should go to have my swing measured properly but when it comes to second hand, time can be of the essence to snap up a good deal). This speed puts me right between the regular and stiff shaft from what I’ve researched.

So my (long) question is, which one is best to go for? My head says as I prefer the stiff shaft on my Titleist and with a more forgiving head that should be the sweet spot, plus I want to push more to improve so the stiff shaft could be best for the future. But I could be wrong as my currently drivers are very different to this newer model and so I don’t think are a great comparison.

Thanks

 

[bobmac]

Buy them both and try them out.
Keep the one you prefer and sell the other one.

 

[spongebob59]

Shaft flex between manufacturers is variable so it's almost impossible to measure like for like unless you have the right equipment.
See post #2.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have always been on the cusp of regular and stiff and ended up getting my set hard stepped which bridged that gap

 

[Marrsbar]

Buy them both and try them out.
Keep the one you prefer and sell the other one.

That’s only going to be helpful if you have the £450/£500 to spend on them both. Then the hassle of trying to sell and hope you get the same amount

 

[bobmac]

Sorry, when you said they were a good deal, I assumed they were under £200 each.

I assume you only got your ball speed tested and not your swing speed or smash factor?

 

[Imurg]

ST Max, like most modern drivers, has interchangeable shafts.....you could buy the club with the stiff shaft and source a regular shaft if it doesn't work out.
Your speeds are similar to mine and I find little difference between the stiff amd regular shafts I have in my STZ 230..
I think weight matters more
My shafts are about 56/58 g....I've had 65+ g shafts and results have been ....let's say less than optimal..
Find the right weight and, unless you're a bomber, you may not feel the difference

 

[jim8flog]

as per Imurg.
The majority of reasonably modern drivers have heads which you can change the shaft on.
Buy such a one, go to ebay and buy alternative shafts resell the one you do not want.

I would buy the stiff* as it normally easier to pick up regular on ebay. It is also not just about flex so you might to try other manufacturers shafts as well.

As you improve the likelyhood is that your swing will get better rather than worse (faster with control rather than slower).

 

[Marrsbar]

Sorry, when you said they were a good deal, I assumed they were under £200 each.

I assume you only got your ball speed tested and not your swing speed or smash factor?

Yeah sorry, I should have said. It’s £230, but the head is new so a pretty good deal haha.

Yeah unfortunately no club speed test just the ball speed

 

[Oddsocks]

It’s also worth considering the age of the clubs you’re comparing. A recent PP had a ping g10 which I believe is around 2000, fitted with a regular shaft. It played stiffer than my cobra (last years model) with a stiff shaft.

I’d also look at the quality you are comparing. Titleist would generally use a higher quality shaft opposed to a cheaper grade stick shaft from Wilson.

There’s more to this than just flex.

 

[Voyager EMH]

It’s also worth considering the age of the clubs you’re comparing. A recent PP had a ping g10 which I believe is around 2000, fitted with a regular shaft. It played stiffer than my cobra (last years model) with a stiff shaft.

I’d also look at the quality you are comparing. Titleist would generally use a higher quality shaft opposed to a cheaper grade stick shaft from Wilson.

There’s more to this than just flex.

2007.

I bought one in 2008.

 

[Marrsbar]

as per Imurg.
The majority of reasonably modern drivers have heads which you can change the shaft on.
Buy such a one, go to ebay and buy alternative shafts resell the one you do not want.

I would buy the stiff* as it normally easier to pick up regular on ebay. It is also not just about flex so you might to try other manufacturers shafts as well.

As you improve the likelyhood is that your swing will get better rather than worse (faster with control rather slower).

Thank you and Imurg,

That’s a great point. I did try and ask that to my local golf shop but they said they would t recommend doing that, but then again I’m sure that’s because they would prefer me to purchase a new shaft and spend the extra money with them.

 

[IanMcC]

Age of the clubs is worth considering, yes, but I think the age of the golfer is more important. Up until I was about 56 I needed stiff shafts. Now that I am in my 60's, its regular and light all the way.
Definitely factor in your age when making the decision.

 

[VVega]

I would recommend going for a fitting, there is plenty of free ones around that use trackman/quad. See what they fit you in, get the actual data on club head speed etc. Then buy whatever on offer version is the closest

 

[jim8flog]

I would recommend going for a fitting, there is plenty of free ones around that use trackman/quad. See what they fit you in, get the actual data on club head speed etc. Then buy whatever on offer version is the closest

Where I play a fitting is £40. Only offsettable against buying new. If you are only intending to buy cheaper secondhand clubs that is a lot to pay out.

 

[VVega]

Where I play a fitting is £40. Only offsettable against buying new. If you are only intending to buy cheaper secondhand clubs that is a lot to pay out.

Agreed, but a lot of places nowadays offer free fittings, from other clubs pros to big retail. Obviously, not universal but it’s worth calling around.

 

[Bratty]

Paying £40 to save having to buy a new shaft seems a small price to pay.
I'd recommend trying to get a fitting somewhere, and of course, your budget should determine where that is.