Fairway wood shafts - stiff or regular? (video included)

[MarcellusW]

I am about to buy a new woods.  I am going to get fitted, but when I bought my driver, I didn't do so well in the simulator.  My driver swing speed averages 95-96.  I only hit 100 on my absolute best days.  I was fitted for a regular shaft which sounded right to me,  but I ended up selling it and buying a Sim2max stiff shaft (stock ventus 5-S) which added 10 yards and straightened out my ball flight.  

 

Currently, I am playing 10 year old Callaway Diablo Octane fairway woods with stock regular shafts.  Today, I measured my 3 wood at 89mph and my 5 wood at 87mph.  

 

I'm just trying to get as much info as I can before I go in, since the fitting didn't work out so well last time.  BTW, I blame me for that, not the fitter.  I was off that day.  Here is a video of my swing.  Thanks.

[Stuart_G]

11 hours ago, MarcellusW said:

I'm just trying to get as much info as I can before I go in, since the fitting didn't work out so well last time. 

 

Well, unfortunately, what constitutes a "fitting" can vary quite a bit from place to place, as well as the knowledge and ability of all the people that call themselves "fitters."   So stories like yours are very common.  IMO, maybe 95% of the people who call themselves fitters don't really deserve the title.  

 

Second, there is not standard for flex - so don't get overly focused on the flex label of a shaft.  What flex might end up as a good fit could be completely different for different shaft models.   So without more detials, we can't even assume that that R flex you were fit into was softer than the stock stiff flex shaft you got with the Sim2max.  It very well could have been stiffer or softer.  Or (just as likely) it may not have been anything to do with the flex but rather something else entirely that caused you to get better results with the Sim2max.  For most - playing length, shaft weight, and swing weight, and face angle - all can be much more influential on the ball flight results than stiffness.  

 

But unfortunately most fitters don't even try to fit for most of those specs.   Although that said, there are some people who can be very sensitive to the feel of the shaft loading and it has to be just right to get good consistent results.

 

So the best advice I can give you going into a fitting would be:

1) Don't ignore or downplay your own sense of feel over what any fitter might tell you.   If a shaft feels too stiff or too soft or too heavy or too light - it very likely is regardless of what the numbers (or the fitter) might tell you.

2) Never hit the same setup more than 2-3 times.   Some players can grove any setup if they get enough swings in a row.  And that is not going to be representative of the on course performance when you only have one swing to get the job done.

3) shaft selection is all about matching the shaft with your own sense of rhythm, tempo, and timing - and therefore consistency and dispersion.  It's not about launch or spin or distance.   That's what the head loft is for.

4) a good driver fitting will at least look at:  grip size, playing length, shaft weight, swing weight, face angle, shaft stiffness and finally head model and loft.   And hopefully roughly in that or a very similar order.   They also should be monitoring not just the ball/club numbers on an LM but also pay attention to face impact location and consistency of that face impact location.   That's actually the most important aspect of a driver fitting.  If you can't get good, consistent center face contact, you'll never get consistent ball flight results.

 

Good luck.

Edited May 31, 2022 by Stuart_G