Describe - 'feel' of a shaft

How do you describe the feel of a shaft? I have limited experience. When reading all the specs on driver shafts - I find it a bit vague. My experience is limited to 4 shafts. Here is how I describe them. What is the industry or accepted terminology?

DGX100 - Heavy, thick, smooth - limited kick.

- Industry Std forever (I am old school) - actually played with X300 and X500 for a time.

Harrision Ultralite pro 2.5 X 65 grams I think - Lite, crisp, firm - limited kick.

- Favorite shaft - played it for 8-10 years

Graffaloy Blue (stiff) - thick but smooth - very thick feeling - felt much heavier than total weight

- Didn't like that thick feeling - felt like a graphite version of the x100

NV 65 g Xshaft - Lite, Crisp, pretty stable, some kick.

- Nice shaft - similar to Harrision only not quite as stable.

Overall the Harrison was my favorite shaft - anybody know which Diamana fits that profile/description?

What is the proper terminology?

Don't hear too many people say "thick." Most people say "boardy" or "harsh." I have swung shafts that feel thicker. The True Temper TX-90 shafts feel like they are wider in the butt. The TT Epic shafts feel that way to me too.

Smooth usually means it is soft in the mid section and midsoft to soft in the tip. An easy shaft to load. I think you go that one.

Stable is good too, kind of describing a shaft that is not so smooth but still pretty easy to load and not too much vibration.

Harsh shafts probably are tip stiff to very tip stiff and butt stiff and you can feel every little vibration in your hands.

Shafts today are trying to get the tip stiff to lower spin but have a softer mid section and butt section for good feel.

"Crisp" might refer to flexpoint or bend point. Maybe try to describe that "Crisp" feeling a little better. Crisp to me would be mid-kick for a neutral trajectory ball flight and good ballspeed. Excellent release through transition.

I can understand "Lite." I have an Aldila RIP 60x and it feels like an 80 gram shaft, I would describe it as a "Soggy" 60g shaft in your terms perhaps. The NV 65x is a lite shaft, it feels lite, and is not very demanding. A joy to swing.

[quote name='markheardjr' date='01 February 2010 - 04:30 PM' timestamp='1265063422' post='2220185']
Don't hear too many people say "thick." Most people say "boardy" or "harsh." I have swung shafts that feel thicker. The True Temper TX-90 shafts feel like they are wider in the butt. The TT Epic shafts feel that way to me too.

Smooth usually means it is soft in the mid section and midsoft to soft in the tip. An easy shaft to load. I think you go that one.

Stable is good too, kind of describing a shaft that is not so smooth but still pretty easy to load and not too much vibration.

Harsh shafts probably are tip stiff to very tip stiff and butt stiff and you can feel every little vibration in your hands.

Shafts today are trying to get the tip stiff to lower spin but have a softer mid section and butt section for good feel.

"Crisp" might refer to flexpoint or bend point. Maybe try to describe that "Crisp" feeling a little better. Crisp to me would be mid-kick for a neutral trajectory ball flight and good ballspeed. Excellent release through transition.

I can understand "Lite." I have an Aldila RIP 60x and it feels like an 80 gram shaft, I would describe it as a "Soggy" 60g shaft in your terms perhaps. The NV 65x is a lite shaft, it feels lite, and is not very demanding. A joy to swing.
[/quote]

very interesting - thanks for taking the time to provide the feedback.

* Thick doesn't really mean boardy or harsh to me. Thick I think describes what you are saying as smooth - Not crisp and no kick really. Soggy seems like a similar term. Not a feeling I like.
* I am good with boardy/harsh as long as it feels crisp. The Harrison was like that. The NV is crisp but not boardy or harsh.

So are you saying that the RIP feels more thich/soggy/smooth and less crisp with some kick?

Thanks again. For some reason I am more interested in the feel than the performance. I want both but I don't want the performance without the right feel (takes some of the fun out it ... if that makes sense). The Graffaloy Blue was like that - it performed pretty well for me - but didn't like hitting it.

[quote name='ssp' date='02 February 2010 - 09:59 AM' timestamp='1265126352' post='2222025']
very interesting - thanks for taking the time to provide the feedback.

* Thick doesn't really mean boardy or harsh to me. Thick I think describes what you are saying as smooth - Not crisp and no kick really. Soggy seems like a similar term. Not a feeling I like.
* I am good with boardy/harsh as long as it feels crisp. The Harrison was like that. The NV is crisp but not boardy or harsh.

So are you saying that the RIP feels more thich/soggy/smooth and less crisp with some kick?

Thanks again. For some reason I am more interested in the feel than the performance. I want both but I don't want the performance without the right feel (takes some of the fun out it ... if that makes sense).
[/quote]

SSP,

"Feel" is so different for everybody, it's tough to put into words, but the best way to describe a feel is in your own words, just as you have done. No right or wrong.

The "feel" of a shaft is more important than most folks realize, especially for good players. A Titleist fitter I respect very much once told me that's the toughest part of fitting good players. After a couple of balls, they are able to change their swing to more closely match a shafts profile. It's not that tough for a good player to change a swing to launch a ball into a preferred window.

He told me if one type of shaft feels way better to a good player, don't fight it. It is his preferred "feel" and he will adapt to make it work.

Not very scientific, but in the real world science is only part of the equation.


Good topic!

Kevin

[quote name='kevcarter ' date='02 February 2010 - 10:06 AM' timestamp='1265126778' post='2222038']
[quote name='ssp' date='02 February 2010 - 09:59 AM' timestamp='1265126352' post='2222025']
very interesting - thanks for taking the time to provide the feedback.

* Thick doesn't really mean boardy or harsh to me. Thick I think describes what you are saying as smooth - Not crisp and no kick really. Soggy seems like a similar term. Not a feeling I like.
* I am good with boardy/harsh as long as it feels crisp. The Harrison was like that. The NV is crisp but not boardy or harsh.

So are you saying that the RIP feels more thich/soggy/smooth and less crisp with some kick?

Thanks again. For some reason I am more interested in the feel than the performance. I want both but I don't want the performance without the right feel (takes some of the fun out it ... if that makes sense).
[/quote]

SSP,

"Feel" is so different for everybody, it's tough to put into words, but the best way to describe a feel is in your own words, just as you have done. No right or wrong.

The "feel" of a shaft is more important than most folks realize, especially for good players. A Titleist fitter I respect very much once told me that's the toughest part of fitting good players. After a couple of balls, they are able to change their swing to more closely match a shafts profile. It's not that tough for a good player to change a swing to launch a ball into a preferred window.

He told me if one type of shaft feels way better to a good player, don't fight it. It is his preferred "feel" and he will adapt to make it work.

Not very scientific, but in the real world science is only part of the equation.


Good topic!

Kevin
[/quote]

I agree ... very tough to put into words. I also agree about a player adjusting to make a shaft work. I have adjusted to each shaft I have used (see list above). What is nice about the newer generation equipment is that you have flexibility in how you can adjust.

Example: The old x100 days with a persimmon head - you really only had one swing with that club to make it work. If I wanted to swing it easy - the club didn't work. It only worked for a very small window of clubhead speed. In my case - I was 113 - 116.

Example: NV 65X with Cleveland Comp - I can swing it anywhere from 105 - 115 with minor setup adjustments. Hit it high or low.