Does a driver shaft matter for the average golfer?

[timsummers]

so here is the deal guys and girls,

 

i recently purchased a driver head and am in need of putting a shaft in it. The head is a 910 D2 in case that matters for some reason.

 

I am an average golfer, i can say that i dont always hit my drives with a consistant strike point or AoA. Most of the times i hit a fairly straight ball to a slight fade and at my worst when i try to swing too hard a push...large fade.

 

I would say that i have a club head speed between 100-105 mph (i think, if i hit it right i carry about 260). Does a driver shaft really matter for a person of my skill level? Or should i just go with whatever is most affordable for me?

 

I know that shafts matter more the faster your SS as well as how long you hold the lag. As far as the lag i would say that i am average (i probably start releasing at about 7 or 8 oclock, im a lefty). i am basically looking to get the most bang for my buck as far as a shaft goes, i definitely dont need to get into the high end market tho. Please feel free to recommend a shaft for me, id appreciate it.

 

 

I am definitely looking forward to your responses and recommendations, thanks in advance

[MJisGOAT]

Matters to some, and not so much to others.

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/748747-shaft-talk-by-mark-crossfield-spin-rates-dispersion-edition/

[timsummers]

[quote name='MJisGOAT' timestamp='1400690480' post='9340049']
Matters to some, and not so much to others.

[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/748747-shaft-talk-by-mark-crossfield-spin-rates-dispersion-edition/"]http://www.golfwrx.c...ersion-edition/[/url]
[/quote]

im familiar with this video. He is using an iron in it tho. That video is the reason that i dont pay too much attention to shafts in my clubs. I have heard that it matters quite a bit more in a driver than other shafts. that is why i started this thread.

[caller]

I have seen so many plus handicappers using off the shelf drivers with stock shaft and play well.

[nova6868]

It's really just about finding a shaft that you like. The weight, flex, "feel", etc. Sure there may be MINOR differences in performance, but is your swing consistent enough to notice that "shaft x" gives you 100 rpm less spin? I know mine isn't.

The prices in the shaft market are also insane. I suspect that market may be tumbling soon... With reports showing golf sales in general down 10%, and this economy... How many people are really buying these $400 shafts? Sure, I have tried a couple. Used. No way I'm buying a new one.

[Barney Boom]

The questions we should be asking is
1-what is your current
2-what ball flight do you normally produce , too high , too low or happy with ball flight
3-what is your preferred shape

knowing this and that the 910 D2 is a mid - high spinning driver , will help to find you the optimum
shaft for you

[MadGolfer76]

What did Tom Wishon say? If you have a later release, it matters more. Generally, I think weight and length are the bigger concerns.


edit: That's what she said...

[apras]

[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1400787580' post='9348771']
What did Tom Wishon say? If you have a later release, it matters more. Generally, I think weight and length are the bigger concerns.


edit: That's what she said...
[/quote]

yeah matters more with the bend profile stiffness of the butt, mid, and tip. You need to know and get fitted with the correct weight, length, and bend profile first, and then the flex.

[Goopher]

I'm with apras and MadGolfer76

Weight and lenght are the most important factors for performance ... with a very late release bend profile gets more important than with an early one (were it is basically meaningless)

Get help with finding the best weight/length and then decide on feel (that's what bend profile is more important for)

I've just lately had players with roughly your SS ending up with a rather soft Tip Regular Shaft and with a much heavier X-Stiff ... it all depends on your feel

If you go to any clubfitter ... most of us are rather proficient at finding something that performs well for you ... if you go to a good fitter, he will focus on finding something that feels perfect for you as well (and that's what the shaft is for - mostly)

[inthefairway]

[quote name='apras' timestamp='1400940892' post='9359551']
[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1400787580' post='9348771']
What did Tom Wishon say? If you have a later release, it matters more. Generally, I think weight and length are the bigger concerns.


edit: That's what she said...
[/quote]

yeah matters more with the bend profile stiffness of the butt, mid, and tip. You need to know and get fitted with the correct weight, length, and bend profile first, and then the flex.
[/quote]
I agree, and the right setup will mean less strokes!!!

[steviethev]

In my situation, it mattered a ton.

When I have the right shaft in my driver, I am super consistent. The way the shaft feels in the swing helps guide my tempo and release so that I am making much more consistent shots. I may miss a couple right or left, but the misses are maybe 10 yards and barely off the fairway.

When I don't, things can be all over the place for me. I'll miss shots really right, left, hit some nice ones, but continually get frustrated with the unpredictability of the shots.

The nice thing about the 910 is that it is pretty easy to try a bunch of shafts in it. I messed around with a few in my 910 before I found the right one. Sure, I had some good ideas from a fitting, but sometimes the feel just wasn't what I wanted it to be. I knew basically what specs fit my swing and tried a couple shafts in that range.

[HighlandLaird]

I've been playing golf a long time (59 years) and used X flex shafts when younger, changing to stiff flex in my forties, but now I'm 72 and was persuaded to use regular flex shafts, at recent "fittings". I became VERY inconsistent, with my main fault being "fat" iron shots. I have since reverted to stiff flex shafts in woods and irons, and hit the ball much more consistently, with good contact on the sweet spot. I also did not gain any distance at all with regular shafts, and indeed, lost distance, probably as a result of poor contact.(Mind you, over the years, I have lost many yards, especially with the driver, where I am more than 50 + yards shorter than when I was in my twenties and thirties-----I doubt there is much I can do about that at my age, but more flexible shafts are certainly NOT the answer, at least for me).

[RSinSG]

[quote name='HighlandLaird' timestamp='1403017024' post='9514363']
I've been playing golf a long time (59 years) and used X flex shafts when younger, changing to stiff flex in my forties, but now I'm 72 and was persuaded to use regular flex shafts, at recent "fittings". I became VERY inconsistent, with my main fault being "fat" iron shots. I have since reverted to stiff flex shafts in woods and irons, and hit the ball much more consistently, with good contact on the sweet spot. I also did not gain any distance at all with regular shafts, and indeed, lost distance, probably as a result of poor contact.(Mind you, over the years, I have lost many yards, especially with the driver, where I am more than 50 + yards shorter than when I was in my twenties and thirties-----I doubt there is much I can do about that at my age, but more flexible shafts are certainly NOT the answer, at least for me).
[/quote]

Me too. When I retired 5 years ago (age 58) my buddies bought me a complete set of Taylormade R flex - Driver through LW. Irons all had graphite shafts. I guess they figured I would need the added flex as I was now officially a geezer. My game quickly went to crap, and after a year I sold the set and went back to S flex woods and S flex steel shafted Mizuno irons. My HC has continued to drop and while I don't hit the driver as long as I used to, my scores are way better and I'm a much happier golfer.

Some day I may be in R flex clubs, but age alone should never be a factor when making that decision. BTW - I recently got fitted on a LM for a new driver and the fitter recommends S flex still.

[Trickyputt]

I played with some self described Geezers the other day, off the front tee. One fellow was hitting a stiff driver, shooting par for the most part. Not bad for 80 years old.

[Bushwood Country Club]

I don't think there is any question that shaft "matters" - otherwise, the market would not support the selection.... "capitalism is a demanding scorekeeper". The question is how much difference will you notice? And will you have more confidence playing a shaft that you feel is "right" for you based on a fitting?

If cost is your concern, used shafts are always a good option, and you can upgrade your shaft for less than $100.

[jmerr55]

Personally I'm not anal about my shafts and don't see much difference from when i used to be

[playa]

I honestly don't think there is any huge difference between R and S in golf shafts. There are other factors more important than flex imo. Bend profile, tip stiffness, torque and weight have much more effect on a shafts performance flex. It is more important imo to get the right shaft for your game than the right flex. I think most players could more easily play a different flex in their current shaft than they could play a different shaft in the same flex as they now play. I can easily move between R and S in my favorite shafts, depending on what is available at the time I reshaft. I guess what I'm saying is that people put far too much stock in shaft flex, if you like your current shaft in S, you would also like the same shaft in R and vice versa.

I will qualify my comments by saying the above refers to graphite shafts in drivers. With irons there can be a noticeable difference in stiff from regular. Eg S300s play a lot stiffer and harder to launch than R300s.

[HackerD]

Titleist offered a nice array of shafts for the 910: 'Ahina, Kai'Li, 'Ilima, Bassara, Project X Tour. You're not limited to these of course but probably wouldn't go too wrong to find the best fitting one of these for you. I'm sure there are threads discussing all of these shafts specifically as they play in the 910 D2. I'm not a shaft expert but I'm guessing you could probably eliminate some of these immediately (e.g., Bassara - very lightweight). Also can consider shafts for the 913 as the same adaptor works for both. Many affordable shafts on ebay with adaptor installed if you want to go that route.
Link to what Titleist says about the 910 driver and the different shafts:
[url="http://www.titleist.com/images/products/pdfs/910_drivers.pdf"]http://www.titleist.com/images/products/pdfs/910_drivers.pdf[/url]

[DrSchteeve]

Yes, shaft matters. A great deal. And yes, probably more for your driver, but still a great deal for all clubs (except putter).

That said, it's mostly a matter of finding out what your tendencies are so you know what general categories of shafts you should be trying. Spin and launch angle are likely the most important, as shaft type can complement your tendencies.

[Stuart_G]

The shaft weight ALWAYS matters - regardless of how good a player you or your swing mechanics are. That is the primary factor that determines the total static club weight and can be very important for maintaining any type of consistency in the swing.

The flex and bend profile can be less important. For those with higher swing speeds and later release, it can have some impact and be used to tweak the launch conditions and optimize distance.

The one exception is for players who have 1) are fairly sensitive to the feel of the shaft loading and unloading AND 2) have built up some form of expectations of what that behavior should feel like. For those players, if the feel deviates from those expectations, that deviation can have a negative impact on the swing and finding a shaft that feels "right" can be very important.

[GameDayDog]

I haven't given my golf shafts too much thought either. I found a "wood" shaft with a mid kick point and then picked one based on the color. I have the same shaft in all 4 of my woods. Not that they pay me, I guess I'm OCD about it. I browsed Hireko & Golfsmith.

[Brassie3]

[quote name='timsummers' timestamp='1400690248' post='9340025']
so here is the deal guys and girls,

i recently purchased a driver head and am in need of putting a shaft in it. The head is a 910 D2 in case that matters for some reason.

I am an average golfer, i can say that i dont always hit my drives with a consistant strike point or AoA. Most of the times i hit a fairly straight ball to a slight fade and at my worst when i try to swing too hard a push...large fade.

I would say that i have a club head speed between 100-105 mph (i think, if i hit it right i carry about 260). Does a driver shaft really matter for a person of my skill level? Or should i just go with whatever is most affordable for me?

I know that shafts matter more the faster your SS as well as how long you hold the lag. As far as the lag i would say that i am average (i probably start releasing at about 7 or 8 oclock, im a lefty). i am basically looking to get the most bang for my buck as far as a shaft goes, i definitely dont need to get into the high end market tho. Please feel free to recommend a shaft for me, id appreciate it.


I am definitely looking forward to your responses and recommendations, thanks in advance
[/quote] My best driver ever was some $18 composite head, $5 TT lite shaft tipped back to 43". Then the head fell apart a few years later and they didn't make them anymore.. I have always hit X shafts in my woods. You may give up a yard here or there, but, you will always be less wild. Now, for you, and likely me, a dynamic gold X100 at 42 or 43 inches with a bit more weight in the head will help most people. you can swing it harder, with better contact, and lose nothing. I could go on, but, I need to drink..

[drb1956]

I would go to GG or GS or PGA, and try hitting demo clubs in the bays. Like grab something close to what you have and hit R-flex, than hit the "tour" version, which is usually fitted with a stiff flex shaft, and see what "FEELS" better. For me with an slower SS, R-flex felt like butter, but the stiff was like swinging an axe handle to me, with little feel. You'll also find out what your SS is while you're there. Good luck!!!

[butch33611]

I found a shorter driver was huge for me. 44 inches is a perfect driver for me. Now my driver is easy to keep in play and I lost very little distance since im now hitting most shots on the center of the face.