Do I need a high spin shaft?

Doucer · October 28, 2014

So my quest for the best shaft continues. With a 95 mph swing speed and today's low spin driver heads, do I need a high spin shaft? I know I need a certain amount of backspin at this swing speed to keep the ball in the air to maximize distance. So does that mean a med to high spin shaft? Also, won't this type of shaft hurt my accuracy as I hit a fade that occasionally meanders into a slice?

Any help is appreciated. If the answer to the above is yes, then what shaft falls into this category?

What are other 95 mph swingers using to get the most distance they can?

Also please no responses about getting fitted. I've tried that several times and the results were disappointing.

Doucer

Stuart_G · October 29, 2014

There are two things to look at.

1) Depends on the mechanics of your swing. The shaft will impact launch and spin only for players with very late release and the higher the swing speed the more it will impact the launch. If you are in neither of those categories then it's likely the shaft will have little [u]direct[/u] impact on the launch conditions and thus distance (and you do not "need" any particular type of shaft to get the most distance).

Even if you are in that category in part, changing the the head's loft will ALWAYS be more effective and altering the launch conditions to get optimal launch conditions and the best distance for your swing. When I use 'direct' impact, that's assuming the exact same swing motion with two different shafts.

If you are not getting enough launch angle and spin with whatever club you have, going to a higher loft is always the first step to take, not change shafts.

2) Some people can be sensitive to the feel of the shaft flex and bend profile. In those cases, if the feel is outside a range of what the player is expecting, then that can cause changes in the swing itself that are very subjective and can not really be predicted. push, pulls, hook, slice, less club heads speed, etc.... And on the other hand, the player will usually produce the best results when the shaft does match those expectations for what the shaft should feel like. For players with this type, this feel aspect will dominate the shaft choice. Whether you are one of those players or not, no way to tell w/o trying different shafts and looking at how the bend profile does impact things like club head speed, face and path control, and even tempo and rhythm in some cases.

This last case is really how a shaft can have a noticeable impact on accuracy or control. With the large majority of amateurs, It's not the case where softer is always less accurate or firmer always more accurate. For those without that sensitivity to the feel of the bend profile, the shaft bend profile plays a very minor part in the area of accuracy or control. Shaft weight, on the other hand, can play a big role.

Doucer · October 29, 2014

[quote name='Stuart G.' timestamp='1414573983' post='10366753']
There are two things to look at.

1) Depends on the mechanics of your swing. The shaft will impact launch and spin only for players with very late release and the higher the swing speed the more it will impact the launch. If you are in neither of those categories then it's likely the shaft will have little [u]direct[/u] impact on the launch conditions and thus distance (and you do not "need" any particular type of shaft to get the most distance).

Even if you are in that category in part, changing the the head's loft will ALWAYS be more effective and altering the launch conditions to get optimal launch conditions and the best distance for your swing. When I use 'direct' impact, that's assuming the exact same swing motion with two different shafts.

If you are not getting enough launch angle and spin with whatever club you have, going to a higher loft is always the first step to take, not change shafts.

2) Some people can be sensitive to the feel of the shaft flex and bend profile. In those cases, if the feel is outside a range of what the player is expecting, then that can cause changes in the swing itself that are very subjective and can not really be predicted. push, pulls, hook, slice, less club heads speed, etc.... And on the other hand, the player will usually produce the best results when the shaft does match those expectations for what the shaft should feel like. For players with this type, this feel aspect will dominate the shaft choice. Whether you are one of those players or not, no way to tell w/o trying different shafts and looking at how the bend profile does impact things like club head speed, face and path control, and even tempo and rhythm in some cases.

This last case is really how a shaft can have a noticeable impact on accuracy or control. With the large majority of amateurs, It's not the case where softer is always less accurate or firmer always more accurate. For those without that sensitivity to the feel of the bend profile, the shaft bend profile plays a very minor part in the area of accuracy or control. Shaft weight, on the other hand, can play a big role.
[/quote]

Great. Thanks for the help Stuart. Really appreciate it. Would a heavier shaft help with control (e.g. 70 gm range)?

Stuart_G · October 29, 2014

[quote name='Doucer' timestamp='1414588967' post='10367239']
Great. Thanks for the help Stuart. Really appreciate it. Would a heavier shaft help with control (e.g. 70 gm range)?
[/quote]

It's possible it could help or hurt or make no difference. Shaft weight is one of the major factors determining the total club weight. Getting this weight "right" is considered very important to have the best control and accuracy however it's not a case of "heavier is always better". It's a matter of finding the best weight match for your particular sense of rhythm and timing. Both too heavy and too light can cause various potential issues with the swing and thus the control and accuracy. Faster or more aggressive transitions or folks with inconsistent timing issues tend to favor heavier shafts but that is just a very rough generalization. It takes some trial and error testing to find where that right match is.

It's actually fairly simple to test if heavier will help or not with just some lead tape (I'd recommend the high density tape). You can simulate having a heavier shaft by wrapping the lead tape around the shaft below the crip about 14" from the butt end of the club. You can try various increments as there no hard and fast rule, most work in about 10 gm increments though since that's the more common increment used by the shaft manufacturers. Unfortunately, the only way to test lighter is to actually install and hit with a lighter shaft.

hogan1 · November 18, 2014

What Stuart is saying in his first post above is true in my case. I had the same question last year when I got the TM R1 clubhead. I had a number of shafts at home and could barely get the ball airborn with any of them. So I studied a little and bought the Graphite Design Tour AD Quattrotech in 55 g which is a high launch high spin shaft. (not the Quattrotech AD)

To my surprise it didn't help one bit, so when TM offered a fitting experience in town, interestingly enough, I got fitted with the stock shaft. It worked much better but not perfect.

When TM later last year released the SLDR I bought it with the stock shaft. It didn't work at all. I then finally tried it with my green Quattrotech and it worked beautifully! That shaft is still in my driver, though I have tipped it 1/2" since.
I'm about the same ss as you (93-97 mph). So what I'm saying is that for me it was trial and error and that fitting worked with the R1, but I would never have bought it if I had tried it beforehand.
Trial and error is the expensive way to go and it's frustrating too. To my defence with the R1, nobody could launch it high enough, not even scratch players with 103-107 ss.
If you are palying the SLDR, my bet is that there are a number of players at your club gaming the same weapon. So if you don't want to get fitted, ask other players if you could test their clubs or their shafts in your head.
Or get in a trackman if that fails and try out another driver and see which feels and performs the best. Then take that exact driver (not a similar one off the shelf).

RocketballzTP · December 8, 2014

If you have an adjustable driver, add more loft. That will increase launch angle and add some spin. It will also help you cut down on some of the fade.