Driver question

[timwat]

This shouldn't happen...should it?

This is my first post, please excuse the length -

I'm an 11.4 index, normally hit an '09 Burner (stock regular shaft) about 240-260. I think I only swing around 95 or so, last time I was on a machine at a Golfsmith.

Last week my 24 year old son shows up with a brand new R11 (stock stiff shaft - the blur 60). Starting at eighth hole, I start hitting his R11 for fun.

Whoa. I'm hitting it dead straight, much lower ball flight. First drive is over 280. Second drive is 272. Then 282. And so on, and so on. I presume a lot of it is due to a lot more roll that I'm not getting with my Burner (which I hit typically much higher). And I can't seem to NOT square up the club face. Everything is going straight, penetrating, and really far.

Posted an 81 - my best score ever. Would have broken 80 if not for poor putting on three holes. Was just about to head straight to a store and buy one...but how can this be? I don't swing fast enough to use a stiff shaft.

Question 1) How can I be hitting that thing so long?

Question 2) Should I be thinking of getting the Burner reshafted? Just bite the bullet and buy a stiff stock R11, even though the numbers say it's the wrong shaft for me? Get fitted for a shaft? And then what head do I get?

I'm scratching my head and would like some informed suggestions / guidance / enlightenment.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[jdmorris1980]

The stock blur is not that stiff of a shaft. i would say that it plays slightly soft to flex, between R and S due to the weight of the R11 head . You can go get fit for this driver at a good fitter (not GG or GS or Dicks) and it may just be the right fit for you. Who knows they may even be able to tweak a few of the settings and even squeeze out a little more for you. Sometimes we just stumble upon what works for us, golf is a funny game.

[professor_doom]

Check out the settings and specifications on his driver. Maybe they're more in tune with what you need.

In terms of actual playing and performance characteristics (bend, torque, deflection, etc.) flex designations vary from manufacturer to manufacturer (and from model to model within a single manufacturer's offerings). To characterize a shaft solely with "R," "S," or "X" and to use this characterization as the sole means of selection is to paint in extremely broad strokes.

I'm not a TM user or expert (although I've owned and played some fine TM products in years past), but I have found with other manufacturers that stock shafts with a given flex designation tend to play weaker than their aftermarket equivalents. For example, I usually have to swing harder than I like to load an X, hence I play stiff and swing easy. But the last Cobra "stiff" that I played felt more like a regular, and most shots would blow up for me. Callaway "made for" shafts have the same problems.

One possibility is that, either consciously or unconsciously, the stiffer shaft is encouraging or enabling you to make a harder swing than normal. Another possibility is that you swing harder than you think (or your swing just results in high loft/spin conditions) and the stiffer shaft is reducing the spin and giving you more distance.

Also keep in mind that conventional guidelines regarding numbers are just that--guidelines. Not strict, "works in every case without exception" rules. If it works, it works; it's impossible to argue with actual, on-course results.

[FAIRWAYFOUND!]

If you are hitting it 280 yards then your club head speed is faster than you think and the R11 is giving you better launch conditions. The difficult part will be duplicating the same club off of a retail rack. I'd have his club measured for actual loft and how open or closed it is and measure the cpm of the shaft and then see if you can find one more that is close. Otherwise you may not get the same results by just going out and getting another "stiff 9.5*".

[Carolina Golfer 2]

See your first post on the site and you're already turning into a club ho

Seriously, as others have said getting properly fitted (especially for this club with all the options) is essential if you're going to spend that kind of money. But it sure is exciting to see those kind of increases isn't it!!