J5MBF
Head Pro
Someone was using a 'stiff' shafted driver when they only require an R? Your thoughts please?
What would you expect if.......
- Thread starter J5MBF
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fundy
Ryder Cup Winner
as per another thread earlier, the likely outcome is that the ball will come out a bit lower and a bit right of intended
garyinderry
Ryder Cup Winner
With your bog standard reg and stiff I don't think you will notice too much difference.
Seen plenty of people with low swing speeds hit a stiff shaft driver as far as they hit their normal reg ones.
Seen plenty of people with low swing speeds hit a stiff shaft driver as far as they hit their normal reg ones.
the_coach
Journeyman Pro
tad too much of an open question in a sense.
depends to a largely on the standard of the golfer. where they are in their ability to find sweet spot consistently, depends on AoA, & the difference in degrees between path & face angle at impact.
if they'd been fitted for reg & were a ways off CHS for a firmer shaft, but could find sweet spot with both flexes with decent impact conditions - then they would with the stiffer shaft be producing less ball speed at collision so not getting their optimum carry distance, possibly could find it more of an issue to have a 'squarer' face angle at impact so more of a percentage of strikes with the face open to some degree.
depends on the impact conditions of the golfer concerned.
depends to a largely on the standard of the golfer. where they are in their ability to find sweet spot consistently, depends on AoA, & the difference in degrees between path & face angle at impact.
if they'd been fitted for reg & were a ways off CHS for a firmer shaft, but could find sweet spot with both flexes with decent impact conditions - then they would with the stiffer shaft be producing less ball speed at collision so not getting their optimum carry distance, possibly could find it more of an issue to have a 'squarer' face angle at impact so more of a percentage of strikes with the face open to some degree.
depends on the impact conditions of the golfer concerned.
Foxholer
Blackballed
Yep! Vastly too much variation in shafts and golfers to make any sort of generalisation!
At the Aeroburner day, the shaft that was in the Driver that went best for me and my 88mph swing was an X-Flex one! In the Callaway Kings of Distance it was an R-Flex one! Both went straight/touch of Draw. A Regular Miyazaki C-Kua (59gms) was way too floppy for me and caused slicing! I knpw a Pro who hooks anything Stiff or more - Stiffer = Hookier for him!
Weight has significantly more influence than Flex - and is a better starting point imo.
All that said...A stiffer shaft version of the same shaft is likely to fly lower and more right/less left for most players.
At the Aeroburner day, the shaft that was in the Driver that went best for me and my 88mph swing was an X-Flex one! In the Callaway Kings of Distance it was an R-Flex one! Both went straight/touch of Draw. A Regular Miyazaki C-Kua (59gms) was way too floppy for me and caused slicing! I knpw a Pro who hooks anything Stiff or more - Stiffer = Hookier for him!
Weight has significantly more influence than Flex - and is a better starting point imo.
All that said...A stiffer shaft version of the same shaft is likely to fly lower and more right/less left for most players.
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Hobbituk
Newbie
The flex in a shaft adds to the lag between hands and club head
decreasing that lag (increasing the stiffness) means that the contact between club head and ball happens earlier in the swing BUT ONLY IF THE SWING IS IDENTICAL TO THE SWING WITH A REGULAR SHAFT (so unless you can guarantee you will perform the same swing - ie use a robot - it's less predictable)
therefore face wil be open (ball will go right), club will be de-lofted (reduced spin, lower trajectory), and in theory it should be more of a draw than a fade but it's likely you would compensate (or attempt to) and change the swing, so if the end result is different to what happens in theory, then it means the two swings were different
In practice - particularly younger players and new players - will adjust to the lack of flex and the swing will change - not always for the better - to compensate for the difference in flex
the concept that a human will continually smash a ball with a low flight and to the right and not try and change something is arguing against evolution. The assumption is therefore that a human will have a preferred tempo and swing speed, and the club should fit that
however, that's not always the case. If you give someone a stiff shaft they may adapt, speed their swing up and/or make a change of tempo part way through the swing (to get an optimum level of flex - bearing in mind the flex of a shaft is about acceleration forces and not simply speed) and actually hit it further
at the grass roots level (unless someone has a fully autonomous, 100% repeatable swing action - rare!) irrespective of the club you put in their hand, then they will often adapt
This is also true to some degree with club fitting. Unless you can perform the same swing over and over, and guarantee it won't change, then getting clubs fitted is a strange concept (and I've had mine fitted, but not because I thought it would make me a better player)
There is a massive benefit in preference though. If you pick up a club and simply "don't like the way it feels" then of course it makes more sense to go with one you do. That preference is likely to be as a result of how your body performs the swift action. A club that feels like an extension of your arm when swinging is going to be weighted and to a stiffness that suits you
if you feel no difference, then it might be because you're particularly good at adapting
decreasing that lag (increasing the stiffness) means that the contact between club head and ball happens earlier in the swing BUT ONLY IF THE SWING IS IDENTICAL TO THE SWING WITH A REGULAR SHAFT (so unless you can guarantee you will perform the same swing - ie use a robot - it's less predictable)
therefore face wil be open (ball will go right), club will be de-lofted (reduced spin, lower trajectory), and in theory it should be more of a draw than a fade but it's likely you would compensate (or attempt to) and change the swing, so if the end result is different to what happens in theory, then it means the two swings were different
In practice - particularly younger players and new players - will adjust to the lack of flex and the swing will change - not always for the better - to compensate for the difference in flex
the concept that a human will continually smash a ball with a low flight and to the right and not try and change something is arguing against evolution. The assumption is therefore that a human will have a preferred tempo and swing speed, and the club should fit that
however, that's not always the case. If you give someone a stiff shaft they may adapt, speed their swing up and/or make a change of tempo part way through the swing (to get an optimum level of flex - bearing in mind the flex of a shaft is about acceleration forces and not simply speed) and actually hit it further
at the grass roots level (unless someone has a fully autonomous, 100% repeatable swing action - rare!) irrespective of the club you put in their hand, then they will often adapt
This is also true to some degree with club fitting. Unless you can perform the same swing over and over, and guarantee it won't change, then getting clubs fitted is a strange concept (and I've had mine fitted, but not because I thought it would make me a better player)
There is a massive benefit in preference though. If you pick up a club and simply "don't like the way it feels" then of course it makes more sense to go with one you do. That preference is likely to be as a result of how your body performs the swift action. A club that feels like an extension of your arm when swinging is going to be weighted and to a stiffness that suits you
if you feel no difference, then it might be because you're particularly good at adapting
Thexindi
Assistant Pro
I always thought to get the most from a stiff shaft you need to be swinging the driver at least 100mph.
Ive been playing around 6 years and always used a reg shaft last year I had a fitting for the first time for a new Ping G30 driver, My driver swing speed is around 95mph.
I was alittle nervous when the fitter suggested to try a stiff shaft Ping G30 but I'm glad he did,
Stiff went a few yards further alittle straighter and generally felt more solid, And I thought a stiff driver wouldn't suit me.
My Q is how do you really know if they require a R or a S shaft
