Shaft Length and Flex

cleatsupkeep · March 21, 2006

Looking for More Control and a Higer Ballflight

I am looking for a shaft upgrade for my Nike SQ. I am a fan of the stock shaft, but it is giving me a little too low ballflight and not that much control.

I was looking for something that would have a higher ballflight and more control.

2 Questions:

1) What length shaft should I be looking for to play in 44.5" in the Nike SQ?

2) Should I look to try a lighter shaft with a stiffer flex, or a heavier shaft with a softer flex. Which of these would give me a higher ball flight with more control.

I have around a 100-105 SS, a quick tempo, and am looking for a higher ballflight and more control. Any suggestions or advice would be most appreciated.

Thanks,
Brian

cleatsupkeep · March 22, 2006

Bump, someone has to have some info from testing.

Difference in trajectory between 65S and 75R. I know I am being general, but is there any way I can figure this out without just reshafting the club?

taylormadefan · March 22, 2006

As far as length goes, I think you should play the longest shaft you can control and consistently hit in the center of the clubface. I imagine you're playing the SQ now at 45", how's the contact? I think you'll be surprised at the difference a 1/2" shorter can make in terms of consistency and eliminating that really bad miss that can ruin a round.

As far as shaft flex and weight, you should be fitting those two things seperately and not trying to overcome one with the other. As far as weight goes, pick a shaft that is light enough for you to swing as quickly as possible, but not so light that you lose your tempo and timing. Flex and bend profile (the type of shaft) should be fit based more on swing dynamics (transition, wrist **** release, tempo, club path). If you can tell us some info about your swing (tempo, swing dynamics, swing speed, ball speed, etc), that will help the more knowledgeable people on the board reccomend a shaft and flex. In the end the best way to test a shaft is to get it out on course with real golf balls and try them out. For those two reasons, I'd go find a good clubfitter in your area and get his/her opinion on what's going to work best for you.

cleatsupkeep · March 22, 2006

As far as length goes, I think you should play the longest shaft you can control and consistently hit in the center of the clubface. I imagine you're playing the SQ now at 45", how's the contact? I think you'll be surprised at the difference a 1/2" shorter can make in terms of consistency and eliminating that really bad miss that can ruin a round.

As far as shaft flex and weight, you should be fitting those two things seperately and not trying to overcome one with the other. As far as weight goes, pick a shaft that is light enough for you to swing as quickly as possible, but not so light that you lose your tempo and timing. Flex and bend profile (the type of shaft) should be fit based more on swing dynamics (transition, wrist **** release, tempo, club path). If you can tell us some info about your swing (tempo, swing dynamics, swing speed, ball speed, etc), that will help the more knowledgeable people on the board reccomend a shaft and flex. In the end the best way to test a shaft is to get it out on course with real golf balls and try them out. For those two reasons, I'd go find a good clubfitter in your area and get his/her opinion on what's going to work best for you.

Thank you for the post. I swing between 100-105 mph, and my ball speed ranges from 140-150 on the course, and I know I can crank it out to about 155-160 on the simulators when I don't care where it goes.

I am more of a hitter, than a swinger, working on slowing my tempo down, but I still have a pretty quick move through the top and through the ball.

I had a few shafts in mind that might fit my swing, such as the ProLaunch and Aldila NVS in a 75R, something which is a little heavier but more flexible, which allows me to have a little more feel, control, and a higher ballflight, which should get me more distance.

I am a bit erratic on the clubface contact, so I was thinking about having the shaft play to 44.5", and it turns out the SQ plays to 45.25", it just looks quite a bit shorter due to the head size/shape.

I was curious the differences between these two shafts, and you belive they could be right for my swing based on the information I gave you here. If there is anything else that could help, let me know. I do have a video of my swing w/ an 8 iron, not in good quality, but it would give you a sense of tempo. PM me if you think it would help.

Thanks,

Brian

taylormadefan · March 22, 2006

Thank you for the post. I swing between 100-105 mph, and my ball speed ranges from 140-150 on the course, and I know I can crank it out to about 155-160 on the simulators when I don't care where it goes.

I am more of a hitter, than a swinger, working on slowing my tempo down, but I still have a pretty quick move through the top and through the ball.

I had a few shafts in mind that might fit my swing, such as the ProLaunch and Aldila NVS in a 75R, something which is a little heavier but more flexible, which allows me to have a little more feel, control, and a higher ballflight, which should get me more distance.

I am a bit erratic on the clubface contact, so I was thinking about having the shaft play to 44.5", and it turns out the SQ plays to 45.25", it just looks quite a bit shorter due to the head size/shape.

I was curious the differences between these two shafts, and you belive they could be right for my swing based on the information I gave you here. If there is anything else that could help, let me know. I do have a video of my swing w/ an 8 iron, not in good quality, but it would give you a sense of tempo. PM me if you think it would help.

Thanks,
Brian

Interesting about liking softer shafts. You've definately got the swing speed to probably be hitting at least a stiff (especially if you're a hitter). Have you swing a stiff shafted club?

Do you have a preference between the Prolaunch and the NVS? I'm not surprised you like them both since they're pretty close bend profile wise. However, although they're both relatively soft tipped, the prolaunch tends to feel a lot tighter to me than most other tip soft shafts on the market. I imagine you have an early release of your wrist ****? Soft tip shafts are good for that since they keep the head lagging behind the hands for longer.

Another shaft you might want to try is the Fujikura Tour Platform. Soft tip with a very smooth feel. Really nice shafts that won't break the bank.

Hope that helps, I think you should put your swing up in the swing fix forum, it might be fun to see what others think about your swing and what you can work on. :drinks:

cleatsupkeep · March 22, 2006

I wanted a heavier shaft to improve feel, help me feel where the clubhead is, but I feel like a 75-S would be a little too stout for me, so I was thinking 75-R, but if I was going to play a soft tip shaft, I could check out the NVS or the Prolaunch in a 75-S, and I have heard good things about the Tour Platform.

The stock SQ Shaft I have is a stiff, but I am hitting it a bit too low for my liking, and I like the feel of a heavier shaft, so I was thinking that a heavier shaft in a regular would be a good compromise for me,

The Prolaunch is at a good price, and I am a fan of the shaft, so if it fits well, then that would be a good way to go.

What length should I be looking at to play to a 44.5" in the SQ? 43 in shaft? 43.25? 43.5?

Thanks for all the advice.

taylormadefan · March 22, 2006

I wanted a heavier shaft to improve feel, help me feel where the clubhead is, but I feel like a 75-S would be a little too stout for me, so I was thinking 75-R, but if I was going to play a soft tip shaft, I could check out the NVS or the Prolaunch in a 75-S, and I have heard good things about the Tour Platform.

The stock SQ Shaft I have is a stiff, but I am hitting it a bit too low for my liking, and I like the feel of a heavier shaft, so I was thinking that a heavier shaft in a regular would be a good compromise for me,

The Prolaunch is at a good price, and I am a fan of the shaft, so if it fits well, then that would be a good way to go.

What length should I be looking at to play to a 44.5" in the SQ? 43 in shaft? 43.25? 43.5?

Thanks for all the advice.

In the end, it's all about your feel since you're the one who's swinging the club. If you're comfortable with a 75g prolaunch R, then that's what you should play. However, I'd still try and demo a stiff just to be sure. :drinks:

As far as length, a new prolaunch (and most shafts for that matter) come at 46" raw. I imagine the SQ is a standard bore (I'm not sure, hopefully someone else can confirm). Grafalloy reccomends tipping 1.25" (due to the extended 4.5" tip) in standard bores, so cut that off, install it, and butt cut it to length.

cleatsupkeep · March 22, 2006

I wanted a heavier shaft to improve feel, help me feel where the clubhead is, but I feel like a 75-S would be a little too stout for me, so I was thinking 75-R, but if I was going to play a soft tip shaft, I could check out the NVS or the Prolaunch in a 75-S, and I have heard good things about the Tour Platform.

The stock SQ Shaft I have is a stiff, but I am hitting it a bit too low for my liking, and I like the feel of a heavier shaft, so I was thinking that a heavier shaft in a regular would be a good compromise for me,

The Prolaunch is at a good price, and I am a fan of the shaft, so if it fits well, then that would be a good way to go.

What length should I be looking at to play to a 44.5" in the SQ? 43 in shaft? 43.25? 43.5?

Thanks for all the advice.

In the end, it's all about your feel since you're the one who's swinging the club. If you're comfortable with a 75g prolaunch R, then that's what you should play. However, I'd still try and demo a stiff just to be sure. :drinks:

As far as length, a new prolaunch (and most shafts for that matter) come at 46" raw. I imagine the SQ is a standard bore (I'm not sure, hopefully someone else can confirm). Grafalloy reccomends tipping 1.25" (due to the extended 4.5" tip) in standard bores, so cut that off, install it, and butt cut it to length.

I could also tip it a bit more and make it play to a firm, between a regular and a stiff. The question I was asking, is if I wanted to play a pre pulled shaft, what length should I look for?

taylormadefan · March 22, 2006

I could also tip it a bit more and make it play to a firm, between a regular and a stiff. The question I was asking, is if I wanted to play a pre pulled shaft, what length should I look for?

I'd call or e-mail Nike and ask them what the bore depth is (and what kind of bore for that matter). I'd be interested to know as well.

cleatsupkeep · March 22, 2006

I sent the email, should be a good reply. What is the standard length for a shaft pull to play 44.5"?

taylormadefan · March 22, 2006

I sent the email, should be a good reply. What is the standard length for a shaft pull to play 44.5"?

For TM's standard bore, a 42.5" pull is needed to play @ 45, so I'd imagine 42" is what you're looking for.

Be careful with pulls, it's a good way to save money if it's pulled correctly, but if you don't know who's doing the work it can kind of be a gamble. Most places won't guarentee a pulled shaft and you never know about tipping (unless you've got a raw one to compare with).

If you were buying a $300 diamana, then a pull might be a good idea to save some $. However, for a $60 Prolaunch I'd just buy the shaft new and not have to deal with the extra hassle.

cleatsupkeep · March 22, 2006

I sent the email, should be a good reply. What is the standard length for a shaft pull to play 44.5"?

For TM's standard bore, a 42.5" pull is needed to play @ 45, so I'd imagine 42" is what you're looking for.

Be careful with pulls, it's a good way to save money if it's pulled correctly, but if you don't know who's doing the work it can kind of be a gamble. Most places won't guarentee a pulled shaft and you never know about tipping (unless you've got a raw one to compare with).

If you were buying a $300 diamana, then a pull might be a good idea to save some $. However, for a $60 Prolaunch I'd just buy the shaft new and not have to deal with the extra hassle.

I picked up the Prolaunch 75-R, the main influence for this was my 4 wood, which I have a Graffaloy NT Prototype 85R, and it is more solid and gives me a better ballflight than any stiff shaft I have tried in a FW, I wanted to try a similar thing in my driver.

I figure, worst case, I try the Prolaunch, if it doesn't work, I put the stock shaft back in there cut down an inch, and see what it does on control. I did want to try this shaft in a driver though, I am a big fan.