Is it me or is everyone gaming a X stiff driver shaft? Am I missing something?

[LowAndLeft32]

I have been researching and reviewing shafts and also looking for shafts on the BST. It’s seems like so many people or gaming and X stiff driver shaft and almost every shaft on the BST that I look at is an X.  I was also going through the Ventus velocore, the new Epic driver threads, and Tensei 1k threads and there are so many X stiff shaft people. 

 

Are there really that many players on here with high swing speeds requiring and X stiff? Or are people going to X for the added stability or something else that I may be missing. It just seems like disproportioned amount of X stiff. 

For reference, I’m an just an old guy trying to find the right shaft for my 104mph driver speed. 
 

edition info: 

I’ve never tried or had a clubfitter say that I need to try an X stiff driver shaft. I know my swing speed probably doesn't qualify at 104mph. But, reduced spin and more stability potential haven’t ever been mentioned by a fitter. For reference spin is around 2750mph. But then again the fitters in my area are terrible at best. I have messed around with DG 120 X100 iron shafts even though my teacher said that was way to much shaft for me. I actually didn't reallynotice much performance difference from my s300 gamers. 

 

 

Edited March 27, 2021 by LowAndLeft32

[NHemming11]

I'm pretty sure it's for stabilityand also to drop some spin. my swing speed is is around 117 but I can get it to 124, seriously back pain afterwards 😂 but I play a 50 gram stiff because I can't load x for some reason

[SwingMan]

Yes, some peeps here are young and speedy.

 

Shafts ... tough. Sometimes, you've got to take a chance. Sometimes, you're gonna' be wrong.

[NHemming11]

Here is my first drive today on trackman. You don't always need silly stiff like alot of people think 

[Chadwickog]

I currently play x-stiff, but it depends on the shaft for me.

 

As someone else said, its stability. I don’t like a boardy shaft, but stiff in other shafts feels too whippy and feels like the head is all over the place a lot of the time. 

[LowAndLeft32]

I take those numbers. Haven’t seen 300+ yrds consistently in a long while. 

Edited March 27, 2021 by LowAndLeft32

[Liveonce]

12 minutes ago, NHemming11 said:

Here is my first drive today on trackman. You don't always need silly stiff like alot of people think 

I believe as a non-professional you need to be 6-8* up for angle of attack to get distance. I’ve steadily been working my way up there, around 4* up now from relatively neutral

[ssp]

I agree with your observation.  I have thought the same.  A lot of xstiff on bst.  

[minhjn]

There's a lot of really young and fast players on this forum for one. I'm borderline S and X but I play X for the stability and feel. I don't ever want the shaft to feel whippy and unstable. 

[MtlJeff]

A lot depends on weight too. 60g stiff shafts are pretty floppy these days. You can swing 105mph which isn't nuts, and feel more comfortable in X with a lighter shaft.

 

I use 70-80g shafts so use stiff. My SS is around 110 with driver 

 

With a 60g shaft I would for sure get X

 

[Mainehacker21]

This is a really good topic, I’ve noticed the same thing. With that being said I 100% agree with the fact that it depends on the shaft. There are some X stiffs that still feel a bit whippy compared to say a 6.0 hzrdus. 

[martinbns]

A few years ago I joined three young guys  at my then course in Moncton, all were playing Nike blades and a variety of drivers and woods.  They all acted like scratch players, all were playing Xstiff drivers shafts and Dynamic Gold x100's in the irons.  On the first tee they all looked like body  builders standing over the ball.  Me the middle aged fat guy 10-11 handicap shot 40 on the front, started chatting about their equipment since none of them broke 45.  Turns out they all bought their clubs on this site and bought their driver shafts before they bought the heads they were playing.  I picked up $12 that day, one the front and the back.  None of these guys should have been playing tour type equipment or X shafts, then Tiger wannabes

[Tree Levino]

You'll also notice a ton of shafts on BST that are tipped excessively that people can't game. Can't count the amount of Ventus with TM adapters I've seen up for sale as stock tipping is 1". Guys swinging 110-112 are not hitting a Black 7x tipped an inch very well I can tell you that for sure. I do think there is ego involved. When people get fit and are on that cusp of 105, they want the X even if it isn't the best option for them. Feeling comfortable with the build is a huge deal. 

[getitdaily]

Yes, you're missing something 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clubhead speed 

[Nixhex524]

Could just be a lot of people trying out an X and then moving on.  We have all been there, or most of us.  I'm in the 105 range and like a 70g stiff mainly in driver.  The real difference in most isnt even 10g in reality which is barely noticeable.  I think the key is either, getting fit, or getting lucky and finding a shaft you like the feel and performance of and sticking with it regardless of what the label says if it works.  

 

First time I ever got fit for driver, Trackman had my SS at 100 tops, mostly around 97-98.  I was using a Matrix Proto X flex in a Fly Z head... That combo performed as good as any stiff shaft combo I was "fit" into, arguably better.  Every shaft is different and every swing is different, take most of it with a grain of salt.

[MtlJeff]

The other thing that needs to be said is the BST here is hardly a good gauge of the market. It's like going to the used section of a high end car dealership and being like "Wow, sure seems like everyone owns Mercedes G Classes, i guess everyone is too rich!"

 

We have a few stores around here that sell used clubs and i don't think i've seen a single X shaft in the past 3 years. The BST here is a very small subsegment of the market

[LowAndLeft32]

I’ve never tried or had a clubfitter say that I need to try an X stiff driver shaft. I know my swing speed probably doesn't qualify at 104mph. But, reduced spin and more stability potential haven’t ever been mentioned by a fitter. For reference spin is around 2750mph. But then again the fitters in my area are terrible at best. I have messed around with DG 120 X100 iron shafts even though my teacher said that was way to much shaft for me. I actually didn't really notice much performance difference from my s300 gamers. 

[LowAndLeft32]

Great points on the BsT. I agree. But I was also going through the Ventus velocore, the new Epic driver threads, and Tensei 1k threads and there are so many X stiff shaft people. 

4 minutes ago, MtlJeff said:

The other thing that needs to be said is the BST here is hardly a good gauge of the market. It's like going to the used section of a high end car dealership and being like "Wow, sure seems like everyone owns Mercedes G Classes, i guess everyone is too rich!"

 

We have a few stores around here that sell used clubs and i don't think i've seen a single X shaft in the past 3 years. The BST here is a very small subsegment of the market

 

[Ripken08]

1 hour ago, LowAndLeft32 said:

I have been researching and reviewing shafts and also looking for shafts on the BST. It’s seems like so many people or gaming and X stiff driver shaft and almost every shaft on the BST that I look at is an X. Are there really that many players on here with high swing speeds requiring and X stiff? Or are people going to X for the added stability or something else that I may be missing. It just seems like disproportioned amount of X stiff. 
 

For reference, I’m an just an old guy trying to find the right shaft for my 104mph driver speed. 

And yes you're right.  Every one of them has to list it in their replies on thread and in their sig too 😂

[A.Princey]

I most certainly don't have the SS to necessitate an X, but I like the feel and numbers it gives me. Not only that, one of the boardiest shafts in history, Graf Blue, tipped some to boot! That's why I loft up in driver. If I miss left now, that's on me!

Edited March 27, 2021 by A.Princey

[HappyGilmore22]

I always played stock stiff shafts off the rack and struggled with ballooning ball flights I couldn't control left or right. Just super inconsistent off the tee I felt like Spieth being all over the place. Got fit one day a few years back into an x-stiff shaft and it's made a world of a difference. No more balloon balls and my misses are still hardly offline. SS is 118-120 for reference.

[Valtiel]

12 minutes ago, MtlJeff said:

The other thing that needs to be said is the BST here is hardly a good gauge of the market. It's like going to the used section of a high end car dealership and being like "Wow, sure seems like everyone owns Mercedes G Classes, i guess everyone is too rich!"

 

We have a few stores around here that sell used clubs and i don't think i've seen a single X shaft in the past 3 years. The BST here is a very small subsegment of the market

That is a good point. Also consider that the faster players are on average going to be more sensitive to a shaft's bend profile and overall performance (or at least believe that they are), therefore they are more likely to go through a number of different models before settling on something, if at all. You'll end up seeing more of their second hand pieces for sale as a result. 

[Cactus Jack]

I swing 115+ and play X. I do so for stability and dispersion. My misses are unpredictable and dramatic playing S flex. With all the motion and flex in the shaft I completely lose awareness of the club face.  

[MPAndreassi]

8 minutes ago, Valtiel said:

That is a good point. Also consider that the faster players are on average going to be more sensitive to a shaft's bend profile and overall performance (or at least believe that they are), therefore they are more likely to go through a number of different models before settling on something, if at all. You'll end up seeing more of their second hand pieces for sale as a result. 

I play my shafts on the stiffer side, and I’m an oddball around here. I’m not particularly in tune to the way shafts feel or not. I really haven’t found something I have trouble loading, maybe that’s why, but I know what types of profiles don’t work well for the way I load it. 

Edited March 27, 2021 by MPAndreassi

[mizuno player]

I play X in woods and irons for a few reasons. 

1). I have a fairly hard load/transition

2). 7 iron 93 driver 108-112

3). Spin reduction

4). Dispersion

5). Lower ball flight. For me. 

 

I'm sure many here play for similar reason. It's not always swing speed. Plus, this site has some guys that can really move it. 108/112 would t be in the top 100 here!! 

[JDMRN81]

1 hour ago, minhjn said:

There's a lot of really young and fast players on this forum for one. I'm borderline S and X but I play X for the stability and feel. I don't ever want the shaft to feel whippy and unstable. 

Same reason for me. I have an aggressive transition and the X just feels more stable. 

[bladehunter]

1 hour ago, TigerInTheWoods said:

You'll also notice a ton of shafts on BST that are tipped excessively that people can't game. Can't count the amount of Ventus with TM adapters I've seen up for sale as stock tipping is 1". Guys swinging 110-112 are not hitting a Black 7x tipped an inch very well I can tell you that for sure. I do think there is ego involved. When people get fit and are on that cusp of 105, they want the X even if it isn't the best option for them. Feeling comfortable with the build is a huge deal. 

100 %.  Notice the velocore barely peeking over the adapter and I laugh.   Yep. Shaft ruined for most. You can’t hit that.  Which is why it’s for sale.  Ventus Black is a mans shaft.  I don’t care who you are. It doesn’t need much tipping.  
 

and also x isn’t x and s isnt s.  Brand to brand it can be a huge swing.  The TB 70x I’m playing doesn’t feel half as boardy as  he ventus black 6s I had before.  And launches several degrees higher.  

Edited March 27, 2021 by bladehunter

[LowAndLeft32]

13 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

100 %.  Notice the velocore barely peeking over the adapter and I laugh.   Yep. Shaft ruined for most. You can’t hit that.  Which is why it’s for sale.  Ventus Black is a mans shaft.  I don’t care who you are. It doesn’t need much tipping.  
 

and also x isn’t x and s isnt s.  Brand to brand it can be a huge swing.  The TB 70x I’m playing doesn’t feel half as boardy as  he ventus black 6s I had before.  And launches several degrees higher.  

Good points. I j e been looking into the TB shaft also. Can I ask your driver swing speed? Thx 

[bladehunter]

Just now, LowAndLeft32 said:

Good points. I j e been looking into the TB shaft also. Can I ask your driver swing speed? Thx 

Well.  I can see 123ish on good days.  But I’d say 118 average. I’m not 120 plus every day. It’s a crap shoot how loose I am when I wake up anymore.  
 

but honestly I don’t think speed is the determination you should rely on.  I’m tall and swing smoother than some. I can play an R flex shaft if I want.  I’m playing the TB in 70x with only 1/2 inch tip trim.  Which is basically none. It plays like an S to me. High launch and doesn’t need to be gone after to load. But yet super stable at impact. Highly recommend the shaft IF you need help launching it for max carry. I’m not a ballon ball hitter , most everything I hit is flatter than most.   So this shaft really upped my carry numbers.  

[Callmechief]

Interesting topic, my personal belief is that at least half of the golfers playing an X flex are making a mistake. Did they get fitted by a quality facility or fitter?? Launch monitor used?? Did they use their specific golf ball choice, or did they use range balls?? Being a Golf Galaxy employee for over 15 years & tested hundreds of golfers, 5% of these fitted in to an X flex. Big egos is the first problem, lots of X flexes for sale on this site, I wonder why?? Yes an X flex can reduce spin & add stability for some(college players, tour pros, scratch players) Let's face it swing speed generally goes down as we get older. You are not Dustin or Bryson. My advice get fitted on a quality launch monitor, bring your own choice of golf balls, and swallow your ego.