Opinions on shaft flex

[surefire]

I am planning on getting a new driver soon, as my one is about 7 years old now, so I'm hoping technology may add a few yards. I am planning to have a custom fit session and get fitted for this, but I though I'd ask a few peoples opinions on shafts so I at least have some ideas before I go.

I hit my driver high and straight, about 250-260 yards. It has an R-80 flex.
I have heard that if the flex is too soft, the ball will go high, which it does. However I've also heard that it will draw as well, but I hit it straight.

Is it likely I would need a stiffer shaft so I can get a lower more penetrating ball flight, or is it likely this would just cause me to hit a fade?

Appreciate any thought on this.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Do you have a fast swing speed?

What flex are your irons & woods?

I've been told (by 2 PGA pros) that the driver should be the stiffest flexed club in your bag.

 

[Ken_A]

From my limited know how a stiffer (than required) shaft will make you push the ball as you can not square the driver head in time -

Dont worry about a thing the custom fitting / shop should look at various shafts and lofts to let you find a good or ideal option.

Take your time if you need to dont panic about getting in and out of the shop take your time and try all the options you can. If you dont like the service then dont buy.

 

[TonyN]

It may be that you need a stiffet shaft but there is more to it than, senior, regular and stiff.

Most of it is to do with the swing speed but depending the angle you attack the ball you could end up with either a high, mid or low kick in either a reg or stiff shaft.

My clubhead speed is 90mph and i have a regular shaft with a soft tip(low kick)

Custom fitting will find the shaft that best suits you, Guaranteed!

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Can I give you one peice of advice for your fitting:

Take a 6 or 7 iron with you.

I found in the past that you just try to smack aload of drivers and your swing loses all sense of timing.

If you stop every so often and hit the iron a couple of times it helps to bring your bring back to normal.

As such your choice of club may be more informed as you never hit 50 drivers in a row when on the course!

 

[benny]

I seem to be the exception to this rule at least with a driver anyway.

Soft flex irons or rescue club, I pull them as is per usual from what I;ve read. But with a Driver - soft shafts always go high and right - NEVER left hahah. I'd had enough yesterday, played in the medal and my nike SQ sumo in S-flex was all over the place - left right....mostly right, into orbit. I NR'd so I could test out my partners Titleist 905T.....strewth....loooooong and straight. His is also a S flex but a Titleist S would equate to a Nike XS - Nike shafts are so wimpy. Tried it again next hole - same result.
Got on Golfbidder at work today, got a £90 quote for my Nike SQ, found a Titleist 905T on there for £109, paying ther difference, new driver, happy Benny again.

Be wary of the lack of industry standard with shaft flex. A stiff Nike is like Regular in Titleist and a Cleveland Tour Stiff will just kick your arse for no damn reason at all haha.

 

[surefire]

Thanks for all the replies so far.
I'm not sure whether my swing speed is fast. To me it all seems very slow, but from outside it may well be different. I have been fitted for irons already, and I am waiting for them to arrive. I was never told my speed, and the shafts are 6.0 flex which doesn't mean much to me, although I'm sure it will after a few replies on this.

I think my main concerns are that I don't want to lose accuracy, but it would be nice to get a bit more difference as I hear about average people hitting it 270-280 off the driver.
I also forgot to mention earlier my current driver loft is 8.5 degrees which is pretty low, considering I get a high ball flight. I should add my swing is pretty shallow at the bottom, so I'm not chopping it up, to make it go so high.

Sorry if I sound very ignorant, when I was a junior I used to be a regular golfer, then I went off to uni and found other distractions and I am now getting back into it again after about 7 years off! All the technology seems very different from when I last played!

 

[Deleted member 1147]

270-280 isn't the average club golfers average distance mate!!

I had a 7.5* Great Big Bertha years ago which went incredibly high but, as I was told by my custom fitter, it's the whip in the shaft which gets height not the loft of the club face.

Unfortunatley 6.0 flex on the irons means nothing to me - what make of shaft is it?

Also, chopping down on the ball with a driver will make it go low as you close down the face. You'll get height by sweeping up the ball from the front of the stance.

 

[surefire]

The shafts in my new irons are precision made I think.

From my old days I thought a steep angle of attack would pop the ball up, but I stand corrected.
I think what I really meant by my statement though is that my swing plane isn't really steep, and the pro at my club says my swing mechanics are good, so I think the high ball flight I have is caused by something else.

Thanks for all the help so far, I was worried I might get slated for asking silly questions being a bit of a newbie, but everyones been great so far!

 

[TonyN]

Ok can i just suggest that you may be better hanging fire on the driver and going to see a pro first. Make sure your set up and basic swing is all correct firts as you may go get a driver that suits you now. But you may have the ball in the wrong part of your stance, and when you change it, the club will not work in the same way.

This happened too me and i wasted £270 on an FT-I.

After a lesson or two my set up changed and my swing plane naturally changed so that particular shaft was reducing spin where as my new swing needed the shaft to promote it.

Hope this makes sense.

Its like buying a manual car before learning in an automatic!

 

[mboy1980]

The best advice I can give you is - listen to the guy fitting you for the clubs.

I got a wee surprise when I went to the Ping fitting centre in St.Andrews.

As a 5 handicapper I never in a million years thought I would need a Driver with Draw bias.But this worked best for me and I've noticed a real improvement on the golf course.

Also, don't expect miracles straight away.It took me 3 or 4 months before I was happy with my new clubs, but now I am a lot more consistent due to the custom fit.

 

[madandra]

If someone has touched on this point previously i appologise in advance.

A regular shafted driver will hit the ball further than a stiff shafted club but the big plus for stiff shafts is the consitancy. You will find you spray balls all over the place with a regular driver.

The R80 in your old driver is regular flex aimed at a swing speed of 80mph.

 

[RGuk]

I hit my driver high and straight, about 250-260 yards. It has an R-80 flex.
I have heard that if the flex is too soft, the ball will go high, which it does. However I've also heard that it will draw as well, but I hit it straight.

This tells the story.....it is almost mathematically impossible for you to be hitting the ball at under 100 mph club-head speed. You should be playing with a stiff shaft, no doubt. Ideally most of us should play with a stiff as possible, but yes, eventually the result will be an inability to hit it straight....most probably with a straight push.

 

[TonyN]

Storey of my stiff flex cleveland is straight push!

 

[RGuk]

The R80 in your old driver is regular flex aimed at a swing speed of 80mph.

Happy days......with the right shaft, there could be some major distance gain . R80....reminds me of the old Taylor Made bubbles......

 

[pigmeister]

If your shafts are 6.0 flex then you have rifle shafts, the 6.0 refers to the stifness, which is stiff. You have heard average people hitting it 270-280yds, only with a very strong wind behind on rock hard fairways.I wouldnt believe all you hear, people do tend to think they hit it further than they actually do.We all want to give it a rip, but its better to be more acurrate. That is why custom fitting is good as they will match a shaft to your swing(please take note benny and the pro at bennys club). Take your set of clubs with you, they will get you to warm up before you start. Good luck, hope you get the right club for you.

 

[RGuk]

p_m is right, rifle 6.0 is a stiff shaft. If they didn't tell you your swing speed, they certainly established you are faster than average. If you are hitting an 8.5 degree driver high, that's some feat......but it doesn't surprise me if the shaft is R80 and you are up around 100+ mph.
Get a good custom fit and you'll be laughing. They'll know which kick-point to try if you are still launching it high with a good stiff graphite. Make sure you try a few makes, Grafalloy, Aldila, Fujikura, Graphite Design. I get on well with all but Grafalloy. The fuji R soft tip in my 3 wood is an absolute peach.....but I get on OK with Aldila green (65) and orange (55) NVS.
See if you can try the proforce (ust) V2....not for slow guys but liked by quite a few guys that couldn't get on with all the rest

 

[benny]

That is why custom fitting is good as they will match a shaft to your swing(please take note benny and the pro at bennys club).

Thanks for the tip mate but I have the right driver for me now. Its my stoopid pro who doesnt believe in custom fitting. I asked him if I should get my irons bent up a couple of degrees cos I'm such a lanky streak and he wouldnt let me!!! He just will not have it.
As for the driver.....shame on me for betraying Titleist like that, feels good to be back suckling at Mothers breast once again