Question on Stiff or xStiff Shafts

[wofat]

I am a moderately long hitter (though not super long like some I read about here). Swing speed is 116 and currently using a Calloway Razr Fit with the stock stiff shaft. I am far from knowledgeable in the club tech area... I'm certainly no equipment ho. However, I've been having a heck of a time controlling my driver and at a ball demo (Bridgestone) I got on the launch meter and am showing very high spin numbers (4200+). Of course, they told me that I need their top of the line ball, but the tech mentioned that I should probably look for a stiffer, heavier, (low kickpoint ?) shaft to reduce spin.

 

What shafts should I be looking at? And what kind of 'tip' do i need? Again, I'm clueless when it comes to this stuff.

 

FYI - I'm a 9 hdcp. I play Ping S56 irons (which I love).

[Tybb79]

You should be swinging a Xflex for sure! It's going to give you more control/ less spin however best thing to do is get fit find the best shaft for you! Fujikura,Matrix,Aldilla and UST all make great shafts!

[Tybb79]

You should be swinging a Xflex for sure! It's going to give you more control/ less spin however best thing to do is get fit find the best shaft for you! Fujikura,Matrix,Aldilla and UST all make great shafts!

[Mob]

There are several factors in determining shaft flex, swing speed being one of them. However at your swing speed, with your complaint of dispersion and high spin, you should probably be in an x flex. I would get this done with a professional builder/fitter as you will get a much better result and save yourself money in the long run.

[Mob]

There are several factors in determining shaft flex, swing speed being one of them. However at your swing speed, with your complaint of dispersion and high spin, you should probably be in an x flex. I would get this done with a professional builder/fitter as you will get a much better result and save yourself money in the long run.

[wofat]

Thanks! I've been to the local fitter for my last driver and honestly he didn't help much. The shaft he put in my previous driver was a slightly heavier stiff flex. Is golftec any good for this type of thing?

[wofat]

Thanks! I've been to the local fitter for my last driver and honestly he didn't help much. The shaft he put in my previous driver was a slightly heavier stiff flex. Is golftec any good for this type of thing?

[Marc21Golf]

Never had any experience with GolfTec, but you could go into any Golfsmith and have one of their expert fitters work with you.

[jchoi]

I'm in the same range as far as SS. I went to a fitter the other day and they recommended I go with the S instead of XS for more forgiven and better dispersion. Anyone else have the same experience?

[Brent1]

Anything over 105 mph. on driver should be XS. The dispersion can be better with stiffer shafts, for fast transitions, not the other way around.

To the original poster, what is your AOA, Launch Angle, club head degree, smash factor and where do make most consistent contact with the face of the head?

[Carter1]

I've just moved to a Fubuki 63g x-stiff flex in an RBZ 9 degree head and coupled it with Bridgestone E-6 balls. Suddenly my slice has been reduced to a gentle fade or just an arrow straight drive and I'm getting 300+ yard drives on the fairway rather than in the rough!

[mike_dmt]

For me its feel. Every shaft is different, even if the flex "rating" is the same. I play an R1. I have two shafts for it, the one I play actual golf with is a Project X, 6.0, tipped 3/4" to make it play stiff+. It is not stiff compared to the UST Mayima 7.0 that I have, which feels boardy, and I just don't swing fast enough to warrant it. I'm in the 105-110 zone.


So, with that being said, nobody can or should pick a setup for you without a proper fitting. Take your driver, share your concerns with the fitter, and hit YOUR driver in between setups so you have a ground base to judge from.

[tap in birdie]

To the OP.. Id be more worried about the kick point in the shaft. This can drastically affect launch and spin even if the shaft is stiff. I play the cally Bertha alpha..speedster shaft made all the difference for me and I swing around the same speed.

[physics&golf101]

There are no industry standards for shaft flex. Just because a shaft is rated as Stiff of Extra Stiff by one manufacturer, means nothing. The same shaft might be called Regular or Tour Stiff by some other manufacturer. Shaft flex rating is almost meaningless. In addition, the shaft may be stiff in the middle, or more stiff in the tip and butt to give it a "stiff" designation. Since there are no standards you will have to go to someone who has a data base or to a fitter who has real knowledge, not just a retail clerk who is selling what he has in inventory.

All that being said, I have used the Grafalloy Pro Lite 35 X flex with great success for people in the 110-120 mph swing range. It sells for around $30 at Golf Works.

[Whit1969]

Lower spin and more control with a heavier shaft. I have always had no less than a 70-75gram driver shaft and my SS is just over 100. If your spin is that high you are definitely over powering that stock shaft. I would look into some of the following just to name a few.

Aldila RIP
Diamana Whiteboard or D+ series
Matrix Black Tie Series

[manima1]

[quote name='Whit1969' timestamp='1441745367' post='12282874']
Lower spin and more control with a heavier shaft. I have always had no less than a 70-75gram driver shaft and my SS is just over 100. If your spin is that high you are definitely over powering that stock shaft. I would look into some of the following just to name a few.

Aldila RIP
Diamana Whiteboard or D+ series
Matrix Black Tie Series
[/quote]

+1 on the Diamana D+ Series shaft. I use an 82g Stiff Flex Diamana D+ shaft on a Titlelist 913D3 8.5 degree head. My driver swing speed is 120. This shaft has tremendously helped improve my control off the tee. It is a low launch shaft so even though it is not XS- I do not overpower it. This shaft virtually eliminated a bad snap hook problem I developed. Heavy shaft is the way to go with your swing speed, nothing less than 72g.

Paul

[Boricua Golf]

[quote name='manima1' timestamp='1442246257' post='12311604']
[quote name='Whit1969' timestamp='1441745367' post='12282874']
Lower spin and more control with a heavier shaft. I have always had no less than a 70-75gram driver shaft and my SS is just over 100. If your spin is that high you are definitely over powering that stock shaft. I would look into some of the following just to name a few.

Aldila RIP
Diamana Whiteboard or D+ series
Matrix Black Tie Series
[/quote]

+1 on the Diamana D+ Series shaft. I use an 82g Stiff Flex Diamana D+ shaft on a Titlelist 913D3 8.5 degree head. My driver swing speed is 120. This shaft has tremendously helped improve my control off the tee. It is a low launch shaft so even though it is not XS- I do not overpower it. This shaft virtually eliminated a bad snap hook problem I developed. Heavy shaft is the way to go with your swing speed, nothing less than 72g.

Paul
[/quote]

^^^THIS^^^, I play the D+ on X Flex, 44.25" tipped .75", low launch, low spin and a small cut flight, love it...

[Chris33]

Another +1 on the diamana D+. Has made all the difference in my game to be able to consistently hit fairways. The heavier shaft gives me much better feel of where the club is in my back swing.

[3woodvt]

Flex has as much to do with tempo and transition as it does SS. Get a proper fitting from a knowledgeable fitter.