Shaft stiffness

[Papas1982]

Just after some feedback from anyone brave enough to be honest.

Had a a gapping session midweek and the swing speed was comsistent through irons and woods. Good hits being suggesting I should have a driver swing speed of approx 103 mph.

The he problem I sound was that if I tried to hit the driver full tilt. I was pulling/hooking the drives. As such I was apparently swing within myself.

The big hits were suggesting carry of 240 (launch monitor was set for an 18 degree day, no wind), but these were always left and further left. Having read online that approx 95-100 is the crossover for regular/stiff shafts. Has anyone got experience of moving from one to the other?

 

[fundy]

probably not want you want to hear but if its going left and further left a slightly stiffer shaft isnt going to fix it. Would be more concerned with swing path and club face at impact and as such would go and see a pro to find out what is causing it

 

[Papas1982]

probably not want you want to hear but if its going left and further left a slightly stiffer shaft isnt going to fix it. Would be more concerned with swing path and club face at impact and as such would go and see a pro to find out what is causing it

Sorry, when I say left and left. Was just emphasising its direction it isn't a massive hooker as such. Just starts out left. A lesson is booked for a fortnight (pro away). I'd just read online that lighter shaft may be ore closed at impact.

All insight welcome.

 

[Blue in Munich]

The honest answer is that there are so many factors in the way shafts perform and the way golfers release the club, choosing a shaft stiffness purely on swing speed is not a wise decision.

Regular & stiff are manufacturer designations; one manufacturer's regular may well be stiffer than another manufacturer's stiff, the shaft profile will vary how the shaft feels and consequently how the golfer responds to it.

You might find these interesting, written by a man who's probably forgotten more about this subject than I ever knew to start with;

http://wishongolf.com/golf-shaft-fitting-selecting-the-shaft-so-you-dont-get-the-shaft/

http://www.golfwrx.com/286911/wishon-what-shaft-flex-should-i-use/

 

[Crazyface]

Viagra is your friend !

 

[GeneralStore]

I have a driver swing speed similar to yours, what I can tell you is:
1) I have been for 2 driver fittings in the past with some pretty well respected fitters
2) I ended up with a shaft that I felt gave me the best results and I got there based on trying different shafts to find out what worked for me
3) The fitting experience helped me learn about what I did and didnt like

Not sure how much that helps. I often struggle with my timing and get quick in the transition so I found a stiff shaft that is heavier helped me keep things more 'stable' and also helped me feel where the club is...which I am terrible at. I play an Aldila Rogue 70 gram shaft in stiff...I have also played a few rounds with an Aldila Tour Green in regular, but the weight was also around the high 60 mark and that worked really well for me as well. So in short...each shaft is a unique combination of stiffness, weight and profile and you need to find what suits your type of swing, once you have found it, then choosing shafts will be easy because you will know what works and what doesnt.

Hope that helps

 

[mikejohnchapman]

I always used stiff steel shafts in my irons but as I got older the fitters have moved me to regular but slightly heavier shafts. These seem to keep the club more stable through impact but give better numbers. Still use stiff graphite in woods / hybrids. My swing speed is similar to yours and wasn't fast enough to get my S300 shafts to work properly.

Another option suggested was for a lighter stiff sharf as used by women professionals - similar impact but slightly less stable at my swing speed.

Went with the regulars in the end.