Imagination ? Does everyone hit stiff drivers?

[Bill Wood]

as the question begs an answer - take a look at the buy,sell,swap forums in Ottawa and Toronto Golf Nuts. I play a regular - but am I correct in assuming that everyone has a swing speed of 90 mph and higher. Wow - I've never seen some many stiff poles traded and sold in my life. In fact - I have trouble finding 'regular' shafts. Played for 40 years and never had a stiff in any woods. Are people getting stronger ?

[mpare]

Some people are stronger, but the average golfer isn't. Many golfers use shafts that are much too stiff for them. My guess is that for many this choice is not made on the basis of science, but is fueled by ego. Years ago, I used stiff shafted clubs but that was when I swung over 115 mph. Now I average about 100 mph, and I have found that what many might refer to as a "regular" shaft does the trick for me both in my woods and in my irons.

Another thing that you should keep in mind is that not all "regular" shafts are designed the same. The way the shaft flexes will be different from one manufacturer to the other and sometimes within the same shaft line. In this regard, a knowledgeable club fitter could help you tremendously. A number frequent this site as regulars.

Hope this helps.

as the question begs an answer - take a look at the buy,sell,swap forums in Ottawa and Toronto Golf Nuts. I play a regular - but am I correct in assuming that everyone has a swing speed of 90 mph and higher. Wow - I've never seen some many stiff poles traded and sold in my life. In fact - I have trouble finding 'regular' shafts. Played for 40 years and never had a stiff in any woods. Are people getting stronger ?

[Chieflongtee]

http://forum.ottawagolf.com/showthread.php?t=54562

Whatever works even if the label does not agree. As an experiment I recently reshafted a 7 wood with an old shaft labeled X-Stiff. It came in a a regular on the frequency meter. It turned out to be a very sweet club and is now staying in hte bag.

[jvincent]

I have a stiff, pink shaft in my driver. Start the jokes now...........

[Chieflongtee]

I have a stiff, pink shaft in my driver. Start the jokes now...........

Roll up the rim to win.......

[quinner]

Personally I got fitted for my driver and they said that I could play a X-stiff but I would be better off later in rounds with a Stiff shaft. I have no idea why there are so many players that play with stiff shafts...maybe they feel it works for them.

Perhaps physical fitness has something to do with it, but then we are heavier now than ever, so I have no idea. However I see where you are coming from.

[DenisO]

I was going to say, so does Bubba Watson and nobody jokes about him. But I remember the commentators actually joking about it during the broadcast when he won the Travelers Championship, so nevermind

I have a stiff, pink shaft in my driver. Start the jokes now...........

[Chambokl]

Also, shafts are now longer so stiff is probably more the norm... When I went for a fitting I was told stiff for the driver and regular for irons...

[nokids]

when i go on ebay i find that sellers are selling mostly stiff shafted clubs. So i guess it means more stiff shafts get sold than any other. but there are lots of regular shafts being sold as well. X-stiff and senior shafts are not as common.

go on ebay and you'll find lots of regular shafts for sale.

[Husband]

Roll up the rim to win.......

winnar!!

I've had my SS measured and it's definitely the right stiffness for me, but I think many people hit stiff shafts when they probably shouldn't. It's an ego thing, I guess.

Case in point is my good friend who is an avid golfer, but only recently started occasionally breaking 100. There is absolutely no way that his swing speed necessitates a stiff shaft (it's painful to watch), but there is no convincing him to buy a regular shaft.

My driver shaft is a 65g Aldila NV shaft, yet my 3wood is a regular flex. I find it works better off the turf. It's a feel thing I guess.

I bet the stiffness of the shaft doesn't really make that much of a difference at all, aside from feel.

[314314]

Playing stiff (4 wood + hybrid) and x-stiff (driver) and I feel that I can control them better... I do not think that I am strong or fast swing.

I used to play stiff at the beginning then switch to regular but I could not control them; I am no back to stiff and it's much better. I do not hit them far but control has improved (day/night).

[justsomeguy]

I play a regular flex, but I'm wondering if I should switch to a stiff. I'm getting tired of pulling everything left, and although I know its mostly due to a swing flaw I still wonder if a shaft change will help a little.

[Shushu]

I play stiff shafts on all of my clubs. Except my 3 wood. It has an X-Stiff Tour Penley shaft. I don't know why....but I think it's great, and anyone that has ever borrowed it feels the same way. I'm sure there is no reason that I would ever need an X-Stiff Tour shaft on my 3 wood, but it works for me

[BC MIST]

I bet the stiffness of the shaft doesn't really make that much of a difference at all, aside from feel.

So true.

The chart I use with my frequency meter shows a "regular" shaft at 45" has a frequency of 251 cpm's and a "stiff" at 261. That's a difference of a whopping 4% and at the butt section only. Put no labels on these shafts and I would wager that most golfers would see no difference in performance and only some could discern a difference in feel.

In many years of hobbyist club making the number of shafts that actually frequencied out at what the label said, were very, very few.

Regular and stiff mean next to nothing.

[leftylucas]

I agree with the Chief, he opened my eyes as to how a shaft plays vs what the flex is rated. I have found a few shafts that work very well for me so I try to play those with similar characteristics, torque, CPMs etc. I do not play with stiff but my best swings are with a shaft around 245CPMs. I currently use the Graphite Design Tour AD YSQ65 and it is fantastic. I am a feel player and I really enjoy how this shaft plays. Another is the Aldila NVS. As for bend point I need a lower bend point as my driver distance benefits from a higher ball flight.

[Break68]

I have stiff shafts in 2 of my hybrids and hate the feel. I have regular shafts in all my other clubs. I am going to try a regular shaft in my ping hybrid. It may all be psychological, but I have always preferred regular shafts. My swing speed is 100 mph.

[Chieflongtee]

I have seen noodles that were labeled as as stiff

[leftylucas]

Yes, the original R7 Taylormade shaft was like that, labelled stiff and swung like an A.

[Gropper]

I have played 2 diffrent driver this year with 2 diffrent shafts. one was regular and one was stiff, they both played fine, it just depends the on the specs of the shaft. In fact i actually felt the regular Grafalloy blue played stiffer then the stiff Voodoo shaft i am using now.

It all comes down to what works, i could care less what is printed on the shaft

[leafseh]

So, 2 part question then. If I used the same head, but just switched the driver shaft from regular to stiff, would I:

a) Be able to maintain the same swing speed?

and

b) Would the distances be affected in any way?


Assuming everything esle stays the same, and the only variable is the shaft; what changes?

[leftylucas]

If its the same type of shaft and same specs I suppose you would see an improvement in dispersion hence distance if that flex matched your SS better

[Jason Munro]

I find a very big difference in my control with different shaft flexs. If I swing in perfect timing with a regular flex it goes a very long way...if not perfect...I spray everywhere (mostly snap hooks).

I have two drivers with X flex shafts...I find a huge difference between the two. With my Launcher I need to swing full bore to hit it straight. With my Cobra the Speeder is a bit weaker and I can actually work the ball.

I think, when you think about it, a little stiffer than needed will help with accuracy. Big deal you lose some distance...I'd rather 20 yards shorter and in the fairway anyday.

[mpare]

I'm not sure about that. My sense is that the shaft flex is of significance. I recall once playing with a set of "soft" rental clubs. On the first couple of holes, every ball was a big sweeping hook. After adjusting to the shafts, I managed to play them reasonably well. On another occasion a golf shop in Ottawa was asked to place my regular shaft into a 9.5 degree Titleist 975D head that I had exchanged for my 8.5 degree Titleist 975D. The first time I hit it the ball went right. So too on every shot thereafter. I couldn't figure it out. It wasn't the head. Eventually, we figured out the problem. In removing the shaft, they had damaged the end of the shaft. Their solution was to trim the tip by a little over a half inch. That half inch changed the playing characteristics in a noticeable way. If I was able to discern that difference in the flight of the ball, then why wouldn't I be able to detect a difference in the shaft flex?

...

Regular and stiff mean next to nothing.

[jvincent]

I think BC is referring to the fact that one company's regular could be another's stiff since there is no real standard.

For me, driver shafts are all about feel. I am very sensitive to total weight. I can hit pretty much any flex once it is above 70-75g. I have messed around with different flex profiles and right now I'm playing the Aldila NVS and quite like it.

I might try out an Xcaliber next for no other reason than I'm curious.

[mpare]

That proposition I understand. As it is there may be variances even within a company's own line of a particular shaft.

By the way, John, we switched from Pinehurst #1 to #5 for tomorrow morning. Apparently, #5 is in pristine condition.

I think BC is referring to the fact that one company's regular could be another's stiff since there is no real standard.

...

[jvincent]

Have fun. I'm jealous BTW.

[downhillslider]

The days of "X", "S", "R", "A" are over and have been for quite some time. Golfers should be looking for a specific "bend profile " that compliments their own personal "swing profile ".

A butt frequency reading is not enough to go on when choosing a shaft. You have a minimum of 4 other areas along the shaft that need to be measured for frequency to get a better over all idea on how a particular shaft will perform with your swing profile. This can only be accomplished via a clubmaker who as the equipment and knowledge required to do so.

Your swing profile is predicated on a number of factors such as your tempo, how you generate your optimal swingspeed, where and when you release the club in your swing, just to name a few.

Another thing that that is important in the procedure is the element of feel because everyone has a unique and personal sense and definition of this. I say this because the shaft is the component that transmits feel. Just because a shaft's profile is deemed to be ideal for your profile doe's not mean that it's the one you should use. Different manufacturing thechniques will give you a different feeling, so a if you were to have a shaft with basiclly the same bend profile from several manufactuers, they all will feel different from each other.

Last point. Your swing profile also requires the proper style of head. This is very important because to many rely on the shaft to perform miracles.