Does changing to softer shafts and/or larger grips help?

[hardten]

Arthritis in fingers

Arthritis in last 3 fingers of right hand can hurt like #ell untill loose. Just hit 65 so swing speed isn,t getting any faster either,LOL. Like heavier irons ( current sets have DNG s300,AWT stiff, and new gamer G20 flighted Project X 6.0. Thinking of changing shafts in 20s ie Nippon,or even Ping stock regular,or whatever. No graphite.
I have all the heavy meds so thats covered. Being my swing speed probably dictates softer shafts any suggestions with shafts and if larger grips help.

[maverick]

[quote name='hardten' timestamp='1333301708' post='4624519']
Arthritis in last 3 fingers of right hand can hurt like #ell untill loose. Just hit 65 so swing speed isn,t getting any faster either,LOL. Like heavier irons ( current sets have DNG s300,AWT stiff, and new gamer G20 flighted Project X 6.0. Thinking of changing shafts in 20s ie Nippon,or even Ping stock regular,or whatever. No graphite.
I have all the heavy meds so thats covered. Being my swing speed probably dictates softer shafts any suggestions with shafts and if larger grips help.
[/quote]


I turned 65 the first of the year. I am currently hitting about 215-225 drives with and occasional 250 and I hit one 273 last week. I went down the path of softer shafts, even some 'A' shafts and every time I hit them shorter than stiffer shafts. I am gaming an R11, R stock shaft, 9 degree and really like this driver. I demoed the Rocket balls driver and could not get the distance I do from the R11. (But I love my RBZ 3-wood. It's like and extra driver you can use on the FW LOL) We will have Ping, TM, Callaway, and Titleist demo days coming up soon at the club I play so I will try all of course.

I have very large hands and use mid-size Golf Pride Decade grips on my clubs. Stock grips feel like pencils to me. Larger grips make it harder to break your wrists or so I have read. IMHO softer grips would probably help the most unless you have big hands like mine. Maybe something tacky so you can loosen up on your grip would help or something like the Winn Softies. Maybe someone else will comment on the shafts. I used graphite for a few years and switched back to DG which gave me back more control. I use Rifle Spinners in my wedges, 5.5. I probably should get flighted Rifles but the options are increasing for steel shafts. I bought a PIng 6 iron for a few bucks a while back and test different shafts with it which works pretty good.

I like Greg Norman's advice. "Hit the stiffest shaft you can."

[hardten]

[quote name='maverick' timestamp='1333330247' post='4627085']
[quote name='hardten' timestamp='1333301708' post='4624519']
Arthritis in last 3 fingers of right hand can hurt like #ell untill loose. Just hit 65 so swing speed isn,t getting any faster either,LOL. Like heavier irons ( current sets have DNG s300,AWT stiff, and new gamer G20 flighted Project X 6.0. Thinking of changing shafts in 20s ie Nippon,or even Ping stock regular,or whatever. No graphite.
I have all the heavy meds so thats covered. Being my swing speed probably dictates softer shafts any suggestions with shafts and if larger grips help.
[/quote]


I turned 65 the first of the year. I am currently hitting about 215-225 drives with and occasional 250 and I hit one 273 last week. I went down the path of softer shafts, even some 'A' shafts and every time I hit them shorter than stiffer shafts. I am gaming an R11, R stock shaft, 9 degree and really like this driver. I demoed the Rocket balls driver and could not get the distance I do from the R11. (But I love my RBZ 3-wood. It's like and extra driver you can use on the FW LOL) We will have Ping, TM, Callaway, and Titleist demo days coming up soon at the club I play so I will try all of course.

I have very large hands and use mid-size Golf Pride Decade grips on my clubs. Stock grips feel like pencils to me. Larger grips make it harder to break your wrists or so I have read. IMHO softer grips would probably help the most unless you have big hands like mine. Maybe something tacky so you can loosen up on your grip would help or something like the Winn Softies. Maybe someone else will comment on the shafts. I used graphite for a few years and switched back to DG which gave me back more control. I use Rifle Spinners in my wedges, 5.5. I probably should get flighted Rifles but the options are increasing for steel shafts. I bought a PIng 6 iron for a few bucks a while back and test different shafts with it which works pretty good.

I like Greg Norman's advice. "Hit the stiffest shaft you can."
[/quote]
Thanks for reply. First time I heard a big time pro say stiffer shafts. My hands are wide but not exceptionally large as I take a large or cadet large glove. I like the feel of at least mid size so I will kick that around.
FWIW I wasn,t looking at drivers being totally happy with my Super Tri 10.5 TP. Had a Fubuki73 stiff TP and Matrix X-con 5 reg. TP shafts. Was thinking of getting that Global Golf FT9 deal were the cost gets down to almost nothing but didn,t. While demoing the 9s I picked up a 11*FT-iz at local top 10 retail golf shop with stock regular VooDoo . The shaft was a "made for" and not "real" but the stick was $399.00 new so it must be decent and not a noodle. Bottom line is I haven,t had it on course but has been very impressive on range and LM. Never had 11* but can say the same about a lot of things hitting 65,LOL. If you come across one locally they should be under $100.00 new and I really recommend trying it . For me the LM said it got my launch angle upwhich got me a little longer and really tightened dispersion. Hoping the FT-iz is one of those accidental finds that work. Worth a try. Sorry for getting off subject but thought it might help.

[maverick]

[quote name='hardten' timestamp='1333366158' post='4628957']
[quote name='maverick' timestamp='1333330247' post='4627085']
[quote name='hardten' timestamp='1333301708' post='4624519']
Arthritis in last 3 fingers of right hand can hurt like #ell untill loose. Just hit 65 so swing speed isn,t getting any faster either,LOL. Like heavier irons ( current sets have DNG s300,AWT stiff, and new gamer G20 flighted Project X 6.0. Thinking of changing shafts in 20s ie Nippon,or even Ping stock regular,or whatever. No graphite.
I have all the heavy meds so thats covered. Being my swing speed probably dictates softer shafts any suggestions with shafts and if larger grips help.
[/quote]


I turned 65 the first of the year. I am currently hitting about 215-225 drives with and occasional 250 and I hit one 273 last week. I went down the path of softer shafts, even some 'A' shafts and every time I hit them shorter than stiffer shafts. I am gaming an R11, R stock shaft, 9 degree and really like this driver. I demoed the Rocket balls driver and could not get the distance I do from the R11. (But I love my RBZ 3-wood. It's like and extra driver you can use on the FW LOL) We will have Ping, TM, Callaway, and Titleist demo days coming up soon at the club I play so I will try all of course.

I have very large hands and use mid-size Golf Pride Decade grips on my clubs. Stock grips feel like pencils to me. Larger grips make it harder to break your wrists or so I have read. IMHO softer grips would probably help the most unless you have big hands like mine. Maybe something tacky so you can loosen up on your grip would help or something like the Winn Softies. Maybe someone else will comment on the shafts. I used graphite for a few years and switched back to DG which gave me back more control. I use Rifle Spinners in my wedges, 5.5. I probably should get flighted Rifles but the options are increasing for steel shafts. I bought a PIng 6 iron for a few bucks a while back and test different shafts with it which works pretty good.

I like Greg Norman's advice. "Hit the stiffest shaft you can."
[/quote]
Thanks for reply. First time I heard a big time pro say stiffer shafts. My hands are wide but not exceptionally large as I take a large or cadet large glove. I like the feel of at least mid size so I will kick that around.
FWIW I wasn,t looking at drivers being totally happy with my Super Tri 10.5 TP. Had a Fubuki73 stiff TP and Matrix X-con 5 reg. TP shafts. Was thinking of getting that Global Golf FT9 deal were the cost gets down to almost nothing but didn,t. While demoing the 9s I picked up a 11*FT-iz at local top 10 retail golf shop with stock regular VooDoo . The shaft was a "made for" and not "real" but the stick was $399.00 new so it must be decent and not a noodle. Bottom line is I haven,t had it on course but has been very impressive on range and LM. Never had 11* but can say the same about a lot of things hitting 65,LOL. If you come across one locally they should be under $100.00 new and I really recommend trying it . For me the LM said it got my launch angle upwhich got me a little longer and really tightened dispersion. Hoping the FT-iz is one of those accidental finds that work. Worth a try. Sorry for getting off subject but thought it might help.
[/quote]


It seems opinions on shafts and stiffness vary from person to person. I just was relating my experience with going to softer shafts. I think the mid-size might be just what you are looking for. I still think the Winn softies should help with your arthritis. Sorry I got off subject a bit with the driver stuff. I use mid-size Golf Pride Decade grips with the partial cord but have no arthritis at this point. I have plenty of other problems though. LOL Getting old sucks.

[wrmiller]

I'm younger than many here, at 57, but have recently noticed the day after I play my hands/fingers/wrists at stiff and hurting. This may not be a recent condition, but it has elevated itself to a threshold where I've begun to experience it more.

Anyway, I decided to try an experiment. I found some Aldila VS Proto 85-S stiff shafts on the Bay and stuck them in a set of i3 Blades I had in a box under the bench. Took them to the range once, and then played them for the first time yesterday. Initial impressions are very favorable, to say the least.

I still have a fairly decent swing speed, and accuracy is important to me, so I needed a fairly stiff shaft. These are fairly low torque (2.4?) shafts and pretty stout (I've been playing KBS C-Tapers S flex in a set of S57s, and these don't feel THAT much softer). These Aldilas are not as heavy as the KBS, obviously, nor as stiff, so playability was a concern, but I needed to get some relief from the day-after pain and stiffness.

I shot a pretty good round, score wise, and was impressed with the accuracy of my iron play. The fact that the next day had my hands/wrists/elbows feeling pretty good was icing on the cake. No apparent joint pain in the wrists or elbows, and very little stiffness in the fingers. Perfect!

I even put the same shafts in my VIP wedges. Swing weight of the irons runs D2, +/- .5 through the seven iron, and goes up a point through the wedge. Haven't swing weighted the wedges yet, but I had no problems with playability. Felt pretty good in fact.

FYI...
Bill

[Chris5]

[quote name='wrmiller' timestamp='1335206230' post='4774656']
I'm younger than many here, at 57, but have recently noticed the day after I play my hands/fingers/wrists at stiff and hurting. This may not be a recent condition, but it has elevated itself to a threshold where I've begun to experience it more.

Anyway, I decided to try an experiment. I found some Aldila VS Proto 85-S stiff shafts on the Bay and stuck them in a set of i3 Blades I had in a box under the bench. Took them to the range once, and then played them for the first time yesterday. Initial impressions are very favorable, to say the least.

I still have a fairly decent swing speed, and accuracy is important to me, so I needed a fairly stiff shaft. These are fairly low torque (2.4?) shafts and pretty stout (I've been playing KBS C-Tapers S flex in a set of S57s, and these don't feel THAT much softer). These Aldilas are not as heavy as the KBS, obviously, nor as stiff, so playability was a concern, but I needed to get some relief from the day-after pain and stiffness.

I shot a pretty good round, score wise, and was impressed with the accuracy of my iron play. The fact that the next day had my hands/wrists/elbows feeling pretty good was icing on the cake. No apparent joint pain in the wrists or elbows, and very little stiffness in the fingers. Perfect!

I even put the same shafts in my VIP wedges. Swing weight of the irons runs D2, +/- .5 through the seven iron, and goes up a point through the wedge. Haven't swing weighted the wedges yet, but I had no problems with playability. Felt pretty good in fact.

FYI...
Bill
[/quote]

[Chris5]

I'm 62, and have ben having pain in my fingers for a couple of years. I saw a demo for "Bionic" gloves at a course this year, and tried them. My left hand was pain free after a round, so I bought one for my right. The right hand was much worse than the left, and while not pain free, it is much better since I started wearing these gloves. Its not convenient to wear two gloves when you have to dig into a pocket, but the diminished pain is worth it. The gloves claim to have been developed by a hand surgeon, and they have helped me a lot.

[rc1111]

I'm older than the posters above, but agree fully with the "Hit the stiffest shaft you can" philosophy. I play an X shaft in my driver, and stiff shafts with everything else. The question is when might one feel they are not compressing the ball enough, and so far it still feels pretty solid, and I still hit it further than most. So I go with the X shaft strictly for the better consistency and accuracy factors. I use stiff off the ground because I no longer want to feel the harsh impact and need a little cushing on shots with divots.

[Thrillhouse]

I would give large winn grips and some graphite shafts a go to see if it helps. you could order one 6 or 7 iron with that setup and see if you like it, that way you aren't too committed.

[Ironmaster Oddities]

How about having the grips built up under the right hand? It might cushion the impact a bit as well as making it easier to hold on with out having to squeeze the club as much.

[richard t]

FWIW: I played stiff shafts right up until this year. Eye2s and I 5s. Got a new set of Ping irons. Pro said AWT Regular and hard step once. Sent my G20 Driver back to Ping to remove the stock TFC169 Stiff. Put in a Project X 5.5. My irons seem no different in distance, but much easier to work with. I've gained 10-12 yards with the driver 225 to around 235-38. Some longer. Again it was not distance as much as it's just easier to work with. I'm a straight ball hitter, always have been, SO accuracy is more important to me. At 65 I'm learning to leave the ego way behind. Pro convinced me to go with the lightest flex you can control. I play with a guy who has graphite in everything except his putter. Works for him. (we're both 65). Like Thrill said, give it a one club shot. You never know.

[xgolfx]

[quote name='richard t' timestamp='1338645270' post='5016898']
FWIW: I played stiff shafts right up until this year. Eye2s and I 5s. Got a new set of Ping irons. Pro said AWT Regular and hard step once. Sent my G20 Driver back to Ping to remove the stock TFC169 Stiff. Put in a Project X 5.5. My irons seem no different in distance, but much easier to work with. I've gained 10-12 yards with the driver 225 to around 235-38. Some longer. Again it was not distance as much as it's just easier to work with. I'm a straight ball hitter, always have been, SO accuracy is more important to me. At 65 I'm learning to leave the ego way behind. Pro convinced me to go with the lightest flex you can control. I play with a guy who has graphite in everything except his putter. Works for him. (we're both 65). Like Thrill said, give it a one club shot. You never know.
[/quote][quote name='richard t' timestamp='1338645270' post='5016898']
FWIW: I played stiff shafts right up until this year. Eye2s and I 5s. Got a new set of Ping irons. Pro said AWT Regular and hard step once. Sent my G20 Driver back to Ping to remove the stock TFC169 Stiff. Put in a Project X 5.5. My irons seem no different in distance, but much easier to work with. I've gained 10-12 yards with the driver 225 to around 235-38. Some longer. Again it was not distance as much as it's just easier to work with. I'm a straight ball hitter, always have been, SO accuracy is more important to me. At 65 I'm learning to leave the ego way behind. Pro convinced me to go with the lightest flex you can control. I play with a guy who has graphite in everything except his putter. Works for him. (we're both 65). Like Thrill said, give it a one club shot. You never know.
[/quote]



The only way to find the correct shaft FOR YOU is to experiment. How the installer tips the shaft is crucial. An R shaft can be tipped to be close to an S,or in the opposite to be close to an A shaft. You can also trim a driver grip because you won't choke down a tee club very often. You might also try a three wood length shaft in a five wood head. Also, you might have your 8,9, and wedges the same length . You can always choke down.


CHARLEY PENNA

[idrive]

[quote name='Thrillhouse' timestamp='1337576042' post='4949216']
I would give large winn grips and some graphite shafts a go to see if it helps. you could order one 6 or 7 iron with that setup and see if you like it, that way you aren't too committed.
[/quote]

This is the best way to go.

The rest of the stories pretty much confirm that.

I bought a set a graphite shaft irons to practice with, R flex. I play
Stiff in steel with my gamers.

The difference in the shock on the body is very evident. I wouldn't
be able to practice if I had to use steel.

[weten2]

I'm 63 and started the post Iron Shaft for over 60 a few years ago. You may want to check out the many responses. At the recommendation of several I recently tried the Aerotech steel fiber graphite shafts. So far the reduced weight and shock absorbtion is helping my tennis elbow.
My 52 year old low hcp fitter tried these also in the 95 g version and said for him they have better dispersion then his steel shafts and he is getting 8 yds more.
When I hit the ground they seemed to absorb the shock better than both the steel and graphite.