Shaft stiffness

[Tiger]

First off I do know my swing needs work and I'm not looking for a miracle equipment fix.

I hit some shots today with the G2 5 wood I borrowed from my friend. Apart from one where I deliberately closed the face they went right, way right.

I was custom fitted for my irons and have Project X5.5 shafts. The fairway wood I used today had a regular shaft. Would that accentuate the slice and should I be trying clubs with stiff shafts? Thanks for your help.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I've said this before in response to another post, shaft stiffness is a very difficult thing to get right as there are no standards. One manufacturers regular shaft could be close in flex to stiff in another. If I were you I wouldn't get to caught up in whether it is regular or stiff and just try to find something you are happy with. Remember as well that particularly at your current level, your swing is gonna be inconsistent so just find something you get on with and start playing. People have said on here before that you are in danger of over complicating things, and shaft flex is very complicated.

 

[Andy]

Generally a shaft that is too stiff will be lost low and right. The opposite being high and left for a shaft that is too soft.

Andy

 

[Tiger]

It's not so much about trying to find the optimum flex but I'm just wandering how much of the slice is due to the club and how much to
my swing flaw. The club shop has some demo clubs I can borrow but just looking for a steer (if it's possible) on the types of shaft to try that's all.

 

[pokerjoke]

As you have the facility to try and use a few clubs with different shaft flexes thats what you should do,im sure you will find the flex you require.Im sure your pro could advise you a lot quicker than we can.

 

[Tiger]

Problem I've got is that my teaching pro is at a different golf club, though I'm hoping to see him for a lesson soon I haven't seen him for a while. Thing is I'm playing Wednesday so if you guys were able to give a steer it could inform the club I borrow for my round that day. Not to worry I thought it might be horses for courses.

 

[Ethan]

PX 5.5 are slightly stiffer than Dynamic Gold S300, so your regular FW is almost certainly quite a bit softer, unless it is a serious high end shaft. It would be more common for players to have regular iron shafts and stiff wood shafts than the opposite.

How the difference in flex affects you will vary according to the adjustments you make, but high left is typical with whippier shafts.

 

[haplesshacker]

Tiger.

You've just started hitting woods, nee, you've just started this game. A beginner hitting a slice. You don't say!!

I know there's a touch of sarcasm in my tone, but it is tongue in cheek.

I know that my comment above isn't helpful to your original question, and I admire your enthusiasm for all things technical with this game. But please, for the sake of your enjoyment, let alone your personnal target and goal. Just relax and enjoy the process.

I'm getting better, through keeping it simpler. I used to be all wanting to know everything. It's especially difficult when you come to golf from a different sport when you've had good success at your previous sport. I know!

It's also difficult when you're 'chatting' with some very good seasoned golfers on here. You don't need to try and impress them, even on a sub-concious level.

I'm concerned that you're gonna 'burn out' long before you reach your goal or 5 years is up. I wonder if you might just get a bit dis-illusioned with it all with the frustration of it all. I'm sure that I'm not the only one to find this game frustrating, without adding the presure that your putting on yourself.

As time passes, you'll start to recognise what the causes and effects are of different things, and that won't take long to get a basic grasp of that.

Go out and play, practice and enjoy yourself. Don't get hung up on every technicality.

Oh, and as always.

I don't have a clue about anything. So please ignore as you see fit.

Good luck, and keep playing.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Fair enough, but I guess my point is it isn't as simple as someone suggesting a shaft to try. There are general rules as to what flex shaft would cause what type of shot but it depends on your swing. I tried the same driver with 3 different regular shafts. 2 of them were clearly too stiff for my swing but the were all labelled regular.

I can't help thinking that at this stage, you should be concentrating on executing what you have been taught with your irons rather than worrying about trying new equipment.

You also need to remember that your swing is going to be inconsistent. You might take a new 5-wood on Wednesday and hit it ok half the time and not so good the other half but what does that tell you? The bad shots may have been better swings with the wrong shaft, the good shots may be not so good swings with the right shaft, but how do you know which is which? You could end up buying the club based on the good shots and find as your swing gets better your shots with the 5-wood gets worse.

I'm really trying not to sound negative about this, I like what your trying to achieve and I really hope you achieve it but sometimes I think you are trying to run before you can walk. I hope that makes sense and you don't take it the wrong way.

You should speak to your pro and get fitted like you did with your irons, that has got to be the best way.

 

[Tiger]

I'm now completely lost and feel more than a tad misunderstood. So many conflicting opinions. When I started I planned to just use my irons for my first season. Everyone on here was up in arms. There's not enough distance in your bag, you can't play a par 5 with a six iron.

So I had a go with a wood and thought wow this is tougher than I thought. I came back on here for counsel what should I do. Buy a 3 Wood, said some, get a driver said others, how about a 4 Wood? Great shout thought I.

My mate lent me one for this month, but then I need to give it back. I think I hit one proper shot with it today, it went high, left and embedded itself in a bunker. The rest were poor shots because my technique is ropey.

I say "I know my technique is ropey but what kind of shaft should I be trying, given what I use in my irons". Trial and error i'm afraid, comes the response and PS you're being too technical. Actually come to think of it why don't you just concentrate on your irons.

Any second now Homer will be telling me to ditch my 3 iron and get a hybrid

All I wanted to know was if I should try stiff or regular shafts or both.

You guys have been really helpful but I think I'm going to go AWOL for a while. Happy golfing.

 

[Andy]

Your original post Tiger said all the bad shots went right, way right. Now they are high and left?

Confused.com

Andy

 

[birdieman]

Tiger, you seem to be suffering a bit.
For what it's worth the slice is down to you and not the flex of the clubs you're hitting. Remember 70% of golfers play with some kind of slice, accentuated by longer clubs. I seem to recall you're pretty tall, that will lend itself to a higher clubhead speed so the stiff flex which you've already got and been fitted for should be just fine in the irons. For the woods you should be stiff too.
Don't get disheartened, we're not experts but we are experienced so have gone through the process you're going through and understand it. Maybe some people are thinking you're trying to progress too quickly, you may improve quick, you may not. Ability in other sports is no guarantee of success at golf so just be patient and enjoy it, that's what it's meant to be played for.
If you're slicing badly but your grip is fine it's likely your weight is staying on the back foot, try and get through the ball so you finish with all the weight on your left foot and upper body facing the target.
On the range hit some balls with your feet together which encourages turning over of forearms through impact. Another thing you can do is split hands drill (hands 6" apart on grip) then swing, gives you the feeling of clubhead release, which is needed to draw the ball.

 

[Ethan]

Tiger

There are several issues here getting mixed up.

One is what type of shaft is suitable for you. You say you were fitted to PX5.5. Pretty firm shaft, but OK if the fitting was done properly, so be it.

The second question is what is a complimentary (matching) shaft for a fairway wood. Assuming you swing the fairway wood at the same proportionate sped as the irons, then you are definitely going to be in a stiff shaft of some sort.

Bit stiffness (and other playing characteristics such as launch) vary among shafts, so either another fitting, or some trial and error is needed. Some stiff shafts are softer than some regular ones, so you need to be more specific than just say "I need a stiff shaft" Ooh, err, missus.

The next part is what are the characteristic features of a swing with a shaft that is too soft (or whippy) or one that is too stiff.

If it is too stiff, you don't get the clubhead back to impact and have a poor release, so the clubface is left open and generally flights the ball low and right. Too regular is generally the opposite - high and left.

However, players make compensations. That may use the hands a bit less and soften the tempo if the club is too whippy, or they may try to give it a flick with the hands for a bit extra is if it too stiff, and this will often work part of the time.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I'm sorry you feel that way but I'm not surprised you are confused, you are making it way too complicated. You should be able to walk into a golf shop, try some clubs, find some you like, get some lessons and practice. Soon enough you'll start shooting in the 80s. When I started playing custom fitting was unheard of, I got my 1st custom fits 5 years ago playing off 13.

A lot of the advice I've read that you have been given is good advice but the two recurring themes are that you are making it too complicated and the best person to advise you is your pro. If you come onto an Internet forum, you will get conflicting advice, that's just the way it is but we are all trying to help.

You need to find what works for you.

 

[JustOne]

All I wanted to know was if I should try stiff or regular shafts or both.

In a 5-wood I don't think it'll make much difference but with your youth and physique I reckon you might aswell go stiff in all your woods/metals. If you are not already then I'd say you will be swinging a driver 100mph+ so stiff it is. Better than that just go get fitted for one and see what they say... you don't necessarily have to buy one..... or better still go and buy a launch monitor (eBay?) and then you can record your own swing stats!

Losing one way off to the right is more about the face of the club being open to the swingpath than it is the club.

 

[pokerjoke]

On a lighter note one Tiger comes another goes.Come on mate if you ask for advice you have to take the rough with the smooth,take a short break and return refreshed.