Another Lockdown Purchase - Driver with X-Stiff, but is it going to be dangerous with my swing speed

[shadymg]

I just can't help upgrading my bag with all this free time stuck at home. And honestly, the purchase is done and i'm bored, so thought i would get everyone's opinions on my recent purchase, hope nobody minds!!

My current driver was a Ping G Driver 10.5* with Stock Stiff Atmos Driver 55g

Carry would be around 235-250 typically on the range using SC200 to monitorMisses typically would be overdraw or snap-hooky to the leftDriver swing speed: Around 104-111mph (yeah yeah, i'm working on consistency! lol)

NEW Recent driver purchase: Cobra F9 Speedback 9* with fujikura ATMOS Black Tour Spec 6 (i believe this is 65g)

Thoughts? Do i have the swing speed to handle the new bad boy?

[Tree Levino]

That shaft isn’t hard to load at all. Plays soft to flex if anything and it’s very smooth. Pings older drivers spin a ton so you’ll likely pick up distance. Work on strike and consistency and it’ll be a fine purchase.

[jvincent]

@shadymg if you swing speed is really 104-111 you should be carrying it a LOT further than 235-250.
Where did you get those numbers from?

[Red4282]

Stiffness is really about feel more than anything. If it feels great, then fire away.

[shadymg]

I use a Swing Caddie SC200, which typically reads around 103-107, but that seemed too slow. So then i bought an SSRT Swing Speed Radar which said it was more 110-111. Since my nearby golf shop uses the SSRT for fittings, i figured it's more exact, but either way the truth i would imagine is in the middle somewhere. I should note that i do tend to get a lot of air on my driver, so hopefuly the 9 degree will benefit me from the high flight drives.

[shadymg]

That's the only nervousness about this lockdown, no way to test before buying. But it looks sooooo purrrrrrdy :-) Figured worse case i can easily sell it for more than i snagged it for

[Rapatt95]

Like jvincent said, if you’re swinging 110, you’ve got 160+ potential ball speed and 270+ potential carry. It may be worth evaluating both how your driver fits your swing and if there is anything you can change swing-wise to tap into the ball speed your swing speed can create. What better time than now too, eh?

 

Either way, sounds like you’ve got a pretty cool setup for practice!

[SUMM1T]

If you're truly swinging 104mph topping out around 111mph and only carrying the driver 235-250, we need to really be looking at what is handicapping your distance. Something is blocking you from some fairly significant carry, assuming those numbers are accurate.

[Pworld]

I swing 100mph and the Atmos Black TS 6X has been the most solid shaft i have ever played. Straight arrows for me.

It just comes down to how you load a shaft. I have never played a X-Stiff in my life. But this is magic. Try it out.

[Howard_Jones]

Thats the short version of it....

The longer version is, Shaft flex and profile is a TRIGGER for how we load and release the shaft. The "stiffer" it feels, the more power will the player use on it, so we should never go to strong (for THIS player), that will trigger the player to swing out of his shoes to load that shaft and make it "feel better"...Shafts that feels "soft" might slow down the players tempo and aggressiveness.

Its about finding "what triggers THIS player into the right path for him"

So, never underestimate the FEEL factor, it has a large influence in how you will swing that club, and by that, what you get out of playing that shaft.

 

 

Those of you with a deeper interest for how the different parts of the shaft influence on the players swing, and how a club fitter or playing buddy can SEE if the shaft is right or not without even asking the player, follow this link, and you will get some insight in how our BODY LANGUAGE speaks out load without filters depending of both total weight, flex and profile. the chapter belongs to my DIY driver tune up, and is post #8 in this link and has the title VISUAL FITTING. In the same post you will find a ling to a European LPGA player who had been trough this type of fitting from my Golf lab, and her swing is like it "should" look like when club specs is right for the player. Post #1 and #8 will help anyone to make this on their own, without any advanced tools at all.

Those of you who knows post #1, just scroll down to post #8

If you after reading post #8 DONT find anyone with a mutual interest to help you, use your mobile or what ever to take videos of your own swing from the front, and be your own "club fitter".https://forums.golfwrx.com/discussion/909991/diy-driver-tune-up-diy-fitting/p1

 

[mgoblue83]

Sorry both of those launch monitors are not accurate enough for this purpose. The only accurate number on the SC200 is ball speed, what does it read? Guessing in the 130-140mph range. The SSR is decent for using with speed sticks and tracking speed improvements but it is NOT accurate as far as your actual speed.

 

IMO your actual swing speed is in the 95-100mph range and that new driver could work for you but will probably feel significantly stiffer and heavier than your current driver.

[shadymg]

 

Maybe, Maybe not. My local fitter has a gc quad, but still uses the ssr for swing speed because he says it's more reliable.

[Z1ggy16]

Those must be some trash golf balls to swing 110 and only carry it 250. That, or you're swinging too hard for your current ability and you're hitting everything off the heel or low (which would cost you ball speed and jack up your spin).

But to answer your original question... at 110, a X stiff shaft is almost certainly fine. I'd possibly try to spray some foot powder on the driver face though and make sure you're making good contact or dial back just a bit for a bit. Could be that shaft is s bad fit, causing poor strikes. At 110 MPH, even with junk range balls, you should easily see 265-270 carry. With actual golf balls... 280 carry isn't out of the question.

[mgoblue83]

I really dislike GCQuad for a few reasons (inflated club head speed combined with inaccurate distance and dispersion on low spin shots) but there is no way a $100 unit designed for measuring a baseball bat is more accurate for fitting golf clubs than a $15k unit designed for golf.

That said, the biggest problem with a "fitter" using something that only measures swing speed is that CHS doesn't even matter. All launch monitors measure CHS differently so the number should be ignored in most cases and the focus should be on things like Ball speed, Spin, Launch angle, spin axis etc. The second a fitter starts talking about CHS and "smash factor" is the second you need to find a new fitter.

[mgoblue83]

The point is he's not swinging 110, probably more in the 95-100 range. The monitors he is using are not accurate.

[mukster]

I have two Diamana S.+ shafts. I got the driver with a stiff and purchased an X to play around with. Both are cut down 0.5”

The X is permanently in the driver now. It feels great and I get better results than with the stiff. I believe the last time I checked my SS it was around 104.

I am not an athlete, I’m a lightweight, never got near 6’ and I’m 58. I just have a very aggressive transition and this shaft flat out works for me.

If it works, use it.

[Z1ggy16]

The super speed radar works pretty well. I have one. It might ere a little too the fast side but it doesn't add 20%.

[serveitup911]

The SSRT reads the toe, so the readings will be a bit higher than actual. How much higher depends how fast your rate of closure is at impact.