Long Drive Shaft for Competition

[An Abnormal Riddle]

After the last 2 years of people playing with me saying I should go try to enter the Long Drive circuit, I am finally taking the steps to actually enter competition. 

 

Need assistance in selecting a shaft that I will use at the max 48" length.

 

Currently I have the Mavrik Sub Zero 9.0* playing at 45.5" and on standby, I also have the Epic Flash Sub Zero. My current Shaft is the 2020 - Project X HZRDUS Smoke 6.5 70g. As a 6-foot, 215lbs Hockey Player with a natural swing I prefer the heavier options I can lean into and really feel the club. The lighter heads and shafts I feel are like twigs and I lose track of the head in my swing. 

 

I've read a lot about carbon fiber being introduced into shafts and now HOF is introducing Kevlar-reinforced shafts. Don't know what is a gimmick and what is real, so I turn to you faithful GolfWRXers for the God's honest truth.  

 

The two shafts I am deciding between are the following. Feel free to float something as I may not have come across it.

House of Forged KVLR LD- in XXX

Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 84g Tour Extra Stiff

 

Below is a single swing at an event on Monday with the Mavrik Sub Zero. It was a mishit left off the heel that missed a 40-yard fairway 5 yards left, and the total distance was 328. I am aiming to get to 140+mph and 200+ ball speed, so need a shaft that can keep up with that much speed/torque. 

 

Thank you in advance for your help! 

 

[Trippels]

Paderson is the go to brand for long drive guys

 

If you want to get into long drive then the trend seems to be going soft and light and then learning how to load and time it. Unusable for actually playing golf considering how big the misses are, but good for long drive because it maximises speed.

 

If you want something that maintains some control, which I don't see why you would at 48 inches, then something super stiff and heavy might be a better option. I'm currently at 195 max ball speed at 45 inches, and find the Ventus black TX plenty stiff. It's certainly stiffer than the RDX black.

Could also check out Bryson's LA golf shafts.

[AdamMH]

It's not very likely you're going to lose club head feel at 48 inches - quite the opposite. I wouldn't go to a heavier shaft or head to achieve feel if you're going longer.

[An Abnormal Riddle]

@Trippels This shaft would only be for competition, not playing a round. At 33, physically fit, and 25 years of being a Defenseman in hockey, loading, and timing is all we do from the point, whether a slapshot, one-timer, or snapshot. That's one thing baseball players have a hard time figuring out when going to golf. The swing profile is the complete opposite. A Hockey slapshot is identical to a driver swing. Loaded weight at the start is 70% on the left foot, hands, shoulders, hips, on the backswing in sync turning and shifting to the right hip loading up, releasing the hip with hands and shoulders following, and then driving with an elongated arc, while torquing to drive through the puck. 

 

The LA shafts are very intriguing but at $450 I can't justify spending that amount when there are options in the $100 to $150 range that could provide just as good performance? 

 

On weight, I am and always have been an open critic of going lighter. Same thing in hockey when they developed the one-piece super light sticks. I always preferred a heavier feel in my hands. Maybe it is just my strength that biases my preference, but I don't like the lighter feel of a shaft. 

 

@AdamMH I only mentioned the feel part because I recently tested out some new driver heads and specifically the Epic Speed felt like there was nothing at the end of the shaft. I brought my shaft to test it out and wasn't a big fan of the new Rogue ST Triple Diamond either. My Mavrik Sub Zero comparable smash factors still produced a better ball flight, carry, and dispersion. 

[CROCN]

I am a HOF guy who has tried a few of their shafts with my Callaway XR16 LD 5.0 head. I am 5'9" so with my swing the lighter HOF Raptor shaft in 2X has shown to create the most speed but also increases my spin rate. I have also tried the HOF Maximus shaft which is heavier with good Success. It takes off about 400-500 rpm of spin for my mid 130's swing speed.  Long carry or a flat roller, depends on the wind conditions.  I haven't tried the Paderson shafts yet so I can't comment on them.

[pcruz]

Whichever shaft gives you the best high launch low spin numbers.

 

[CROCN]

On 8/4/2022 at 1:33 AM, CROCN said:

I am a HOF guy who has tried a few of their shafts with my Callaway XR16 LD 5.0 head. I am 5'9" so with my swing the lighter HOF Raptor shaft in 2X has shown to create the most speed but also increases my spin rate. I have also tried the HOF Maximus shaft which is heavier with good Success. It takes off about 400-500 rpm of spin for my mid 130's swing speed.  Long carry or a flat roller, depends on the wind conditions.  I haven't tried the Paderson shafts yet so I can't comment on them.

Finally got 2 Paderson shafts, they jumped my SS up to the low 140's on a warmed up swing or an adrenaline swing in competition.