Shaft/Loft Advice for New J33R Driver

[Shibumi]

I've just ordered a new Bridgestone J33R 460 driver. I ordered the 9.5 with a Speeder 757 Stiff at 45". Since I can still change the order, I would appreciate any advice on shaft and loft. I currently have an 8.5 degree R7 TP 757 Stiff and like the mid-height, boring trajectory, but am looking for a little larger clubhead with some extra forgiveness. Also want to move to a 9.5 degree driver, if anyway to keep my trajectory and spin rate down, because I find it a little easier to turn the ball over. If not, will stay at 8.5.

 

My SS is 107-110 and I have a fairly fast tempo with a strong move at the ball. I'm an 8 HC and a pretty consistent ball-striker, and a decent drive for me is in the 275-280 range. I'm able to load the 757 Stiff in my R7 pretty well, though I don't overpower it. though my typical big miss is a high push fade. My current launch angle and spin are approx. 14 degrees and and 3,200 rpms (even with the weights in the low neutral position). I play MP60 irons with PX 6.0 (1/2" over; 2 degrees up) and usually hit my 6 iron ~175 and fairly high.

 

I'm getting a great deal on the driver and am only paying $70 for the upgrade to the Fuji 757. In case the combination will be optimal, I will probably end up sending the club to Joe Kwok for reshafting, using my results with the 757 to help him fine-tune.

 

Given my typically high launch angle and spin rate, I was thinking that I should maybe change to a 757 X-Stiff (or tip the Stiff by 1/2"), or else stay with the 757 Stiff, but change to an 8.5 degree loft. Any thoughts on loft, flex. or other considerations for my J33R?

 

:)

[joey3108]

THe J33 460 has about at least .5* lower trajectory than the TM driver IMO.

 

So you should be fine w/ 9.5* w/ mid high or high kick point shaft.

 

However, i can pin point it better if you can call and talk to me more detail.

 

Please take your time, i'm always be here. :)

 

 

 

Joe

[gunmetal]

I've just ordered a new Bridgestone J33R 460 driver. I ordered the 9.5 with a Speeder 757 Stiff at 45". Since I can still change the order, I would appreciate any advice on shaft and loft. I currently have an 8.5 degree R7 TP 757 Stiff and like the mid-height, boring trajectory, but am looking for a little larger clubhead with some extra forgiveness. Also want to move to a 9.5 degree driver, if anyway to keep my trajectory and spin rate down, because I find it a little easier to turn the ball over. If not, will stay at 8.5.

 

My SS is 107-110 and I have a fairly fast tempo with a strong move at the ball. I'm an 8 HC and a pretty consistent ball-striker, and a decent drive for me is in the 275-280 range. I'm able to load the 757 Stiff in my R7 pretty well, though I don't overpower it. though my typical big miss is a high push fade. My current launch angle and spin are approx. 14 degrees and and 3,200 rpms (even with the weights in the low neutral position). I play MP60 irons with PX 6.0 (1/2" over; 2 degrees up) and usually hit my 6 iron ~175 and fairly high.

 

I'm getting a great deal on the driver and am only paying $70 for the upgrade to the Fuji 757. In case the combination will be optimal, I will probably end up sending the club to Joe Kwok for reshafting, using my results with the 757 to help him fine-tune.

 

Given my typically high launch angle and spin rate, I was thinking that I should maybe change to a 757 X-Stiff (or tip the Stiff by 1/2"), or else stay with the 757 Stiff, but change to an 8.5 degree loft. Any thoughts on loft, flex. or other considerations for my J33R?

 

:)

 

 

You may want to consider going to 44" or 44.5" as that doesn't make the club play any more forgiving but it certainly means more "on center" shots and the distance you'll lose will hardly be noticeable. Also don't be afraid to experience with 10* loft. Even at 110 you can benefit from a little more carry. Sounds like a pretty sweet setup, nonetheless. My 2 centavos.

 

As a side note, I just used the word "nonetheless." Would the opposite of that word be "alwaysthemore?" :cheesy:

[turbodog]

i am not too far off from your specs, and i have played the 8.5* in the r7 tp (10-2-2-10 weights), r510df and r510tp, all with high or mid-high kick 80g+ shafts.

 

i just picked up a j33r 460 8.5* and have found what joe says to be absolutely true - it plays lower to loft than any of those, at least in the dead center of the face it does. it has a slightly higher face height, a heavier, longer hosel, an open face and that turbo rubber, and i believe the head to launch lower as a result of all of those. i struggled hitting higher on the face for a little while, mostly because i hardly get to practice but also because i had to get used to the larger head. once i found the upper middle part of the face, the launch returned and the carry and spin worked out really well.

 

long/short, if i were to do it all again, i would go 9.5* and might even consider for the first time in my life as a high-ball hitter going to a 10.5* because of the low spin of this head! it would allow more misses in the middle of the face to get higher launch.

[Shibumi]

Thanks for the great feedback.

 

Any other thoughts on shaft flex for the 757, though? I'm considering going from a Stiff to an X-Stiff or a Stiff tipped an inch.

 

I've been at the practice center the past two days, and I was consistently hitting my driver about 270-280 and my 5 iron about 190. I was practicing next to a pro, Kevin Na, and noticed that he had a much better trajectory with his driver. My drives were not ballooning, but seemed to take off at a much higher trajectory (I would guess in the 15 degree range). I could also really feel the shaft flex when I went after it, with an occasional hook.

 

Just wondering if a slightly stiffer shaft would help provide a more manageable trajectory and better control.

 

Any advise would be apprecited. Thanks.

[turbodog]

i'm a bad person to ask about the 757, as that shaft doesn't suit me at all... the bend profile is just all wrong for me. sounds like it might not be ideal for you either, since the reason i don't like it is because it balloons and hooks on me. i prefer something softer in the butt and stiffer at the tip than the 757 since i have a late release and a smoothish transition.

[Shibumi]

Thanks turbodog, I may have the same issue.

 

Does anyone else have any experience with whether an X-Stiff might help lower the ball flight, or maybe even just tipping it 1/2" to 1"

 

I want to get it as optimal as possible and see how it works. My plan is that if it isn't perfect, I'm going to ask Joe Kwok to reshaft and then I'll pull the 757 to use in my old 983K, which has a bore-thru hosel.