Stiff or Regular shaft

[Oucheeeeee]

Hi Guys,

I played with a 12 handicap up untill a few years ago when I was advised by my Knee surgeon to pack golf in as I was getting numerous teras in my cartlidge ('cos of my bones - not because of my golf swing).

After not hitting a ball for 4 years, I eventually thought - Sod it! - Golf is the only sport I play anymore and I ain't giving it up. I started playing again a couple of months ago and am feeling a little bandity off 18. (maybe the layoff allowed my muscle memeory to forget the bad stuff?)

My question is:

I used to play a stiff shafted driver after having my swing speed analysed in the states.

I'm about to order a new driver (Mizuno MP-600 fast track)off a website and it is £100 cheaper than in any of the places I looked before. Problem is....I can't get up to Direct Golf for a custom fit. My swing feels pretty much the same as before, do I go for Stiff or Regular shaft? If I go Stiff, and my speed has slowed, what will happen? and conversley, if I go for Regular and my speed is the same as before, what would happen then?

I'm just trying to work out the lesser of the two evils.

Thanks,

Rob
HC 18

 

[USER1999]

Stiff will go low right if you aren't up to it, reg will go high left if you swing too fast.

If you are going to swing easy, due to your knee problem, then I would have thought regular.

You are probably borderline anyway.

How far do you normally hit it? (honestly). I hit about 250 average, with a few around 270 (nearly all on Saturday), and twice at 283 (current record since getting a gps to mmeasure with). My swing speed is 96mph, and I am border line stiff, but could do regular.

 

[RGDave]

How far do you normally hit it? (honestly). I hit about 250 average, with a few around 270 (nearly all on Saturday), and twice at 283 (current record since getting a gps to mmeasure with). My swing speed is 96mph, and I am border line stiff, but could do regular.

Well done Murph.

I hit about 230-40 average, with a few around/up to 260
My swing speed is just over 90, and nearer 95 with the longer shaft in my Wilson Spine Driver.

I think reg is the way to go for anyone UNDER 100 mph.
On just under 100, a stiff might be more accurate, but for most average players, reg will usually optimise on balance....I guess

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'd have thought regular would have given you a tad more flexibilty and that even if it was a tad whippy, would be more usable than a stiff

 

[Region3]

What was your swing speed before you stopped playing?

If it was 100 and slowed a bit now then regular, if it was 120 you would probably still be better off with stiff.

 

[Oucheeeeee]

Speed was 110 when measured and I doubt my knee issue would slow that up. However, my shoulders/elbows/wrists/neck are all goosed as well so as I hit 49, I feel like 60. (I played a rough old sport to European Champions level 20 years ago). I always looked at 250 as being my avg length. I hit a 7i around 150.

At the time, I had a Ping TST regular shaft which often went high left. I switched to a TM Quad R7 stiff and that shot disappeared. Guess where my bad drives are going now...
High Left again.

Think that was what I needed to hear, because I had no idea the high right would have been due to swing speed. So.......
Mizuno R600 - Stiff shaft - 9.5 deg

What's a Pro Launch shaft and do I want one - it's no extra cost?

£150 well spent!


Thx Guys.

Rob

 

[bobmac]

PLEASE, do not buy a driver unless you have hit it on a range and seen how it flies.
How much is the new MP600 costing you?

 

[Smiffy]

What's a Pro Launch shaft and do I want one - it's no extra cost?

The prolaunch is a great shaft.
If it's the "red" it will give you a lower ball flight, the "blue" will be higher. Depends really on how you want the ball to take off.
I have the prolaunch reds fitted to my woods. I love them because it means that on my 3 and 5 woods in particular they don't "balloon" if I am playing into the wind.
I hit a 5 wood at a par 3 yesterday straight into the teeth of a 3 club wind. It stayed nice and low and made the green. If I had tried that shot with my old Callaway 5 wood my ball would have been away with the fairies.

 

[RGDave]

What's a Pro Launch shaft and do I want one - it's no extra cost?

Pro Launch is the name of a group of shafts made by Grafalloy.
Supposedly, the most widely used shaft on tour....which seems a fairly dubious boast.

Speaking from personal experience, the red is excellent but I don't like the blue. The blue comes in a variety of weights (the red does too??) and if you ask me, the weight is probably more important than the dynamics (high/low launch).

If I may be bold about this, I believe that the club makers offer various shafts not to confuse, but to enable golfers to select a shaft they know already suits their game.
For example, If I was buying a driver (maybe one I'd tried already) and the choices were a) b) or c), I might already have some clubs with b) or know that shaft c) works for me.

If none of the offerings make any sense to you, better not to risk buying or go for the most likely choice. I bought a 3 wood off the 'net and chose the stock regular...which plays great. This sometimes doesn't work (at some cost)

 

[Smiffy]

I believe that the club makers offer various shafts not to confuse, but to enable golfers to select a shaft they know already suits their game.

I like the low trajectory that a 9 degree Driver gives me, but prefer the added confidence that 10.5 degrees gives me at address. By choosing the prolaunch red shaft I get the best of both worlds.

 

[drawboy]

If you are borderline on stiff speed around 98mph, regular for distance, stiff for accuracy.

 

[bobmac]

Smiffy
I would suggest you go for 9 deg and then if you want to hit it higher, just
Tee it up a bit higher
Move it forward in your stance
Move the weight onto your right side on the backswing.
In the transition phase, drop your right hip, keeping your left side firm, drop your right shoulder keeping your left shoulder behind your left hip until your right hand passes your right knee, using the centrifugal force of the circular movement of the swing to move the weight onto the left side in the second power phase, keeping 27% of the weight on your right side to ensure a slight upward angle of attack into the back of the ball, adding 1-1/2 degrees of loft to the club.

Simple.
Then hobble back to your buggy

 

[JustOne]

keeping 27% of the weight on your right side to ensure a slight upward angle of attack into the back of the ball,

I've noticed he's only keeping 26% on the right,....

Sort it out Smiffy you slacker

 

[USER1999]

This is getting very complicated guys. I thought you just whacked it, found it and whacked it again.

 

[viscount17]

Smiffy
I would suggest you go for 9 deg and then if you want to hit it higher, just
Tee it up a bit higher
Move it forward in your stance
Move the weight onto your right side on the backswing.
In the transition phase, drop your right hip, keeping your left side firm, drop your right shoulder keeping your left shoulder behind your left hip until your right hand passes your right knee, using the centrifugal force of the circular movement of the swing to move the weight onto the left side in the second power phase, keeping 27% of the weight on your right side to ensure a slight upward angle of attack into the back of the ball, adding 1-1/2 degrees of loft to the club.

Simple.
Then hobble back to your buggy

to be narrated in the style of E L Wisty

 

[drawboy]

I have used the Graf blue regular to good effect, didn't like the red.I would go for the blue in regular as the graffs aren't whippy shafts when you waggle one you won't feel the clubhead flop about and you always know where the head is during the swing.I think they are between regular and stiff lets say firm feeling.

 

[Smiffy]

Smiffy
I would suggest you go for 9 deg and then if you want to hit it higher, just
Tee it up a bit higher
Move it forward in your stance
Move the weight onto your right side on the backswing.
In the transition phase, drop your right hip, keeping your left side firm, drop your right shoulder keeping your left shoulder behind your left hip until your right hand passes your right knee, using the centrifugal force of the circular movement of the swing to move the weight onto the left side in the second power phase, keeping 27% of the weight on your right side to ensure a slight upward angle of attack into the back of the ball, adding 1-1/2 degrees of loft to the club.

Simple.
Then hobble back to your buggy

The hobble back to the buggy I can do.
The rest?
Yeah right

 

[RGDave]

This is getting very complicated guys. I thought you just whacked it, found it and whacked it again.

Yeh! and if in doubt, play with too flexible shafts.

I played 4 holes the other day with kids clubs. Managed 2 pars and 2 bogeys. Took driver, 5 iron to the 300 yard 16th.