Better players: how often do you try a shaft-head combo that you just can't hit?

[RoyalMustang]

Better players; I love to hear from those who go through fittings and hit a lot of clubs. Do you just ever find something that is complete garbage? Something that you just can't find the center of the face with and that feels terrible? 

 

I'm not talking about a 70 year-old hickory stick club. I'm interested in something modern that just feels off. I had that experience recently and was wondering if it was just me having a really bad day with a club in my hand.  

 

The other side of that would be the statement that a good player can play any shaft and head: they will adapt. It might not be ideal but they'd find the center of the face if they were hitting with a NERF golf club. 

[jholz]

I rarely find that a shaft impacts my ability to make contact with the ball. It's generally about the same, regardless. 

Ball flight can be a totally different story. There I'm looking at height, carry, and dispersion - which can vary widely from one shaft to the next...

 

...and yeah, I built a shaft once, and knew within three balls there was no way I could ever put it in play.   

[Kmagnuss]

I just experienced this... bought a new set of irons without hitting them first and I'm really struggling to find the center of the face.  I just seem to be hitting everything low on the face although the ball flight is good.

 

Not that I'd consider myself a 'better player', but I'm typically flirting with shooting in the 70's (and almost never do) so I'm not awful either.

[getitdaily]

Shafts...for me, it's all shafts.

 

I cannot hit anything tensei or hzrdus consistently well. 

 

I can hit just about any head but always have to adjust weighting.

[AdmiralPicard]

Many moons ago when I’d hit everything and anything at a demo day, it happened a lot. 
 

I could NOT hit that taylormade Burner with that crappy “bubble” shaft back in the 90s. Didn’t matter what I did. That and the Ping Tisi drivers. Zevo irons I couldn’t hit either and there’s no reason why. Even putters. I’m dating myself here, but does anyone remember the really old Taylormade “Nubbins”? I couldn’t get those going the right speed if you put a gun to my head. 
 

Then there were combos I couldn’t miss with. The old tight lies woods come to mind, as does anything from the Titleist DCI line up until the 762. I hit them fine just…yuck. 

 

It’s a funny old game sometimes. 

[MountainKing]

I can hit pretty much any combo of head/shaft, just might not get the desired launch/spin out of it.

[btyh]

I've always played around with taylormade drivers since they are a top driver each year. I hit them far but dispersion sucks. Last one I had in the bag was 510tp

Edited October 9, 2023 by btyh

[beluga99]

1 hour ago, getitdaily said:

Shafts...for me, it's all shafts.

 

I cannot hit anything tensei or hzrdus consistently well. 

 

I can hit just about any head but always have to adjust weighting.

Weird, same as me.  I tried a U505 at the golf shop on the weekend, hit the first one flush then after that could not time it.  HZRDUS whatever is in there.  Liked the old Smoke shaft but other HZRDUS I have tried don't work.  Had a Tensei white in a Titleist driver which was hit and miss.  Out of interest what shafts do you really like?  I jive with the Modus 120, Aldila Tour Green, Ping Tour shafts in the drivers also work well.  Like the LZ in a 6.0 also.

[sniper]

I struggle with Project X and LZ and don’t like Hzrdus shafts. 
 

The one that perplexes me is the $-Taper.  I’ve played KBS Tour, C-Taper and C-Taper Lite with success.  But for whatever reason I don’t get along with $-Taper. 

[TwistedSister]

There are a lot more combos that I don't like hitting than I can't hit!

[getitdaily]

5 minutes ago, beluga99 said:

Weird, same as me.  I tried a U505 at the golf shop on the weekend, hit the first one flush then after that could not time it.  HZRDUS whatever is in there.  Liked the old Smoke shaft but other HZRDUS I have tried don't work.  Had a Tensei white in a Titleist driver which was hit and miss.  Out of interest what shafts do you really like?  I jive with the Modus 120, Aldila Tour Green, Ping Tour shafts in the drivers also work well.  Like the LZ in a 6.0 also.

$taper in irons.

Ventus black in driver and 3w

Ventus blue in hybrid

 

Getting ready to try tr red in 3w to see if I can get launch up. I have room for a touch more spin.

[Socrates]

TaylorMade Irons - Just can't hit them or like the sound.  Last TM iron that I liked was the TP Tour Preferred.   Same with Titleist irons since the 714 AP2's.  The T100-T200-T300's are a no-go for sound.  Sounds like the ball is cracked. 

Can hit pretty much any driver though as long as the shaft isn't too strong.  Like the looks of a lot of irons, just don't like hitting them (sound and feel).

 

Hybrids are forbidden in my bag (Hooksville).

[MtlJeff]

I couldn't hit the Ping G430 LST. I have a 105ss and already am very low spin with driver (mid 2000's even with a mid launch shaft and standard head)

 

So the G430 LST, even with a mid launch shaft was a knuckleball machine . I also couldn't launch it high enough. If i remember i was launching it like 9 degree with like 1900rpm. I mean it was comical...

 

I get who it would make sense for----but that wasn't me

[Mitchell]

C-taper, HZRDUS shafts, and Tensei Orange- sensing a theme? Counter-balanced shafts are no bueno for me. 
Can I hit them? Sure- just why make compensatory moves to do so? 

Edited October 10, 2023 by Mitchell

[craz-e]

For me I struggle with Modus and C-Taper iron shafts.

 

Not sure if I fit into the "better play" category though 🙃

[tatertot]

I'm a 3ish cap most if the time ...

 

I can usually hit anything ... I can swing harder at some stuff, I have to lay off of other stuff to get it to work.

 

Except hybrids. Hybrids don't work. Ever.

[granata10]

I can normally find the center of the face but it's the ball flight and feel for me. I am very sensitive to weight, "Blue" type of driver / fairway wood shafts I hook too much. I cannot stand how C-Taper or Project X feel.  I just did an iron fitting, I am wanting to change to graphite for my golfers elbow.  Everything I tried in the 95 gram -105 gram weight felt like something was missing and dispersion was all over the place. Tried a MMT125 and ball flight and accuracy came back!

[bnperrone]

Usually for me the feel is so bad I don’t even pay attention to the results. Project X, Modus 120 both come to mind. I could hit them and all but they feel awful. But I really like Modus 105 and Project X LZ. I don’t like the HZRDUS line but I love their Evenflow Black. That said, the Evenflow White is hot and cold for me, the Blue is just weird for me, and the Riptide didn’t work at all. 

 

The exception was a Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi driving iron with the stock Project X IO. I was under the impression that was smoother than the normal PX and the weight is ideal for me. Felt like I was hitting rocks AND I couldn’t hit the club at all. I’m a 4 and on paper the club was fine but I couldn’t hit one good shot. 

[Jc0]

5 hours ago, RoyalMustang said:

Better players; I love to hear from those who go through fittings and hit a lot of clubs. Do you just ever find something that is complete garbage? Something that you just can't find the center of the face with and that feels terrible? 

 

I'm not talking about a 70 year-old hickory stick club. I'm interested in something modern that just feels off. I had that experience recently and was wondering if it was just me having a really bad day with a club in my hand.  

 

The other side of that would be the statement that a good player can play any shaft and head: they will adapt. It might not be ideal but they'd find the center of the face if they were hitting with a NERF golf club. 

 

I feel like that's the point at a fitting though. You don't want to adjust your swing so there are a few shaft that are going to just not work. After 10-15 I'll figure out how to hit it but I won't like it.

 

Also I think people over state the need for a good player to be able to hit any club. I went to a playoff event once and it appeared a player was testing a new shaft. He literally duck hooked 5 shots in a row with it and then just never touched the club again. A good player will just walk away from a club if it doesn't work for them.

[Phabs]

More often than not 

[glm]

iron shafts, I've tried them all. TT s200 works

I guess I was the only one on the planet that could not hit the Ping G400 driver

[RCGA]

Scratch golfer with a 118ss (cruising) 

 

When it comes to drivers, I cannot hit:

 

- Counterbalanced shafts 

- Swing weights under D5 

- Shafts under 70g 

- Anything smaller than a midsized grip 

- Low spin/launch head/shaft combos 

 

A lot of trial and error (+ $$$ & frustration) to get to that point. 

[Bye]

Depends, somethings don't last very long whereas others hang around for a bit. 

 

I was fitted for Nippon Modus 3 125 shafts for my irons around a year ago. From day one I wasn't convinced, but it has taken a year to switch them out. At the same time I got a Ping G425 Hybrid with a Tour AD DI shaft, that lasted 1 round. 

 

Sometimes it takes a while to really figure out something is not right.  

[Orchardist]

Of course a lot of what I test feels like garbage.  A lot of it is garbage for my game.  It might not be for someone else’s. That’s why I test it.  

[ProV1Killa]

I don't think it is a head problem.  I think it is a shaft issue.  I hit a lot of balls, upwards of 500 - 600 a week, and have timing pretty much on auto pilot with my shaft profile.  I play C-Tapers which are stout and very stable, but fit my late release very well.  I can stripe ball after ball with that shaft with my eyes closed.  If you hand me a shaft that is more active, goes into deflection sooner etc., you would think I had never swung a club before.  Put my shaft in almost any head and I am fine.

[brutusflash]

Literally any driver with a AD DI in it, it felt like a medicus with the hinge in the middle!

Flash

[SwooshLT]

23 hours ago, MtlJeff said:

I couldn't hit the Ping G430 LST. I have a 105ss and already am very low spin with driver (mid 2000's even with a mid launch shaft and standard head)

 

So the G430 LST, even with a mid launch shaft was a knuckleball machine . I also couldn't launch it high enough. If i remember i was launching it like 9 degree with like 1900rpm. I mean it was comical...

 

I get who it would make sense for----but that wasn't me

 

Bit off topic but I'm a slower left but trying a softer , high launch shaft with great results!!! Fubuki V 50 reg 

[Pepperturbo]

On 10/9/2023 at 1:22 PM, RoyalMustang said:

Better players; I love to hear from those who go through fittings and hit a lot of clubs. Do you just ever find something that is complete garbage? Something that you just can't find the center of the face with and that feels terrible? 

 

I'm not talking about a 70 year-old hickory stick club. I'm interested in something modern that just feels off. I had that experience recently and was wondering if it was just me having a really bad day with a club in my hand.  

 

The other side of that would be the statement that a good player can play any shaft and head: they will adapt. It might not be ideal but they'd find the center of the face if they were hitting with a NERF golf club. 

I fit myself and 'yes'.  Only I don't refer to them as garbage, just clubs not for my mechanics.  Sure, I am able to make any club head and shaft combo work, but that is not something I promote.  It's NOT my job to adapt/adjust to a club, it's the clubs job to adjust to my mechanics. 

 

I won't buy any club if it doesn't feel right in my hands.  Buying something that's less than right essentially sets me up for disappointment; not good decision-making.  However, that was the case when I bought T100S irons.  My underlying hope was strong lofted irons would regain some yards lost to aging; all they presented me was too much spin.  Yes, I could have made them work, but again, that's wrong.

 

During all the tournaments I played in, I did not want to have to think about my clubs.  When I reach for a club, I expect to strike the ball and the ball do what I envisioned. 

[bladehunter]

C taper. Most any other counterbalance shaft .  Never liked anything Hzrdus and for some reason I loathe ADDI in a driver. But I’ve loved many 3 woods and hybrids with one. 
 

ventus driver shaft.  Just don’t get on with any of them.  I’ve owned them all. 
 

steel fiber iron shafts.  Hate the feel.  Happens often with a driver or 3 wood. I either love it first swing. Or it’s never going to work.  
 

thought of another. 99 % of all driving irons out there.  They feel like hitting a rock with a hoe handle.  No sweet spot.  They’ll Go. But the feeling is horrible. 

Edited October 11, 2023 by bladehunter

[bladehunter]

23 hours ago, Jc0 said:

 

I feel like that's the point at a fitting though. You don't want to adjust your swing so there are a few shaft that are going to just not work. After 10-15 I'll figure out how to hit it but I won't like it.

 

Also I think people over state the need for a good player to be able to hit any club. I went to a playoff event once and it appeared a player was testing a new shaft. He literally duck hooked 5 shots in a row with it and then just never touched the club again. A good player will just walk away from a club if it doesn't work for them.

Yep.  100 %.  2-3 swings is enough. After that a good player will start adjusting to it. That a bad thing.  Put it down.  It’s not worth the rabbit hole misery.