Will a stiffer shaft help a slice???

**green6767** · July 14, 2006

Hello,

I just started golfing this year with a Taylor Made r7 Quad 425, 11.5, Regular Shaft Driver. When I first started golfing around 2 months ago, I could hit this club pretty good, not so much distance, maybe a 180 to 220 drive consistantly pretty straight, very high, but straight. Now, my swing has gotten more developed and has a faster speed. Could my faster swing speed be conflicting with the flexible shaft, high loft angle, and spin rate to be causing my slice? It seems EVERY single shot off the tee is the same kind of slice. I can occasionally hit a straight shot but I am tweaking my swing to do so and it doesn't feel comfortable and its straight about 10% of the time. Could a stiffer shaft, lower loft angle and spin rate help my slice? Thanks!

Dallas

**cmay119** · July 14, 2006

Hello,

A stiffer shaft should lower ball flight, as the kick point will be higher up the shaft. But a slice will more than likely not be cured by a stiffer shaft unless you've drastically improved swing speed upwards of 100 MPH.

Go to your local pro shop and get fitted for the correct driver for yourself. They will be able to tell you if you need a stiffer shaft.

**DDBowdoin** · July 14, 2006

generally no... your slice is more an issue with your swing plane/and/or the position of your club face at impact. get fit by a local pro, swing speed is a nice determining factor for swing flex... if you break a 100 on the mph scale then a stiff looks nice, but don't over shaft yourself, you'll have little sucess and force yourself to place a quicker swing on all your shots to hit the best shots

**DDBowdoin** · July 14, 2006

sorry... just read your 1st post... slow it down, tempo tempo tempo...

I obviously can't give you tips over the internet but from what it sounds like your tempo is becoming a bit to quick and your coming over the top producing an outside - in swing.... look into working with your swing before you make a big move with a shaft

**green6767** · July 14, 2006

ok, thanks for the input! Sounds like I just need to take my driver to the range for a day or so and just slow my swing down till I get a consistant straight shot. I have noticed that my swing shape is a little bit different than when I first started, so that could be it too.

**FAHooGolfs** · July 14, 2006

ok, thanks for the input! Sounds like I just need to take my driver to the range for a day or so and just slow my swing down till I get a consistant straight shot.

Honestly, take the advice from above and go get fitted by a local pro. They can recommend a good shaft that'll fit your new swing better. And they'll just be able to take the shaft out of your current driver and replace it with a newer, better one.... that way you can still keep the driver head and you won't have to fork out $$$$$ for a new driver... new shaft might cost you $60 or $70 but it'll be much better for you in the long run than trying to "slow down your swing."

There's a lot to be said for what DD said about tempo, tempo, tempo... but thinking about "slowing down your swing" can lead to other problems unnecessarily.

**DDBowdoin** · July 14, 2006

in my earlier post I wasn't promoting him to slow down his swing, but the way he described his previous shots then a quickening of tempo resulted in slices means 90% of the time he's coming over the top because his new "faster" swing is faster but out of balance

**DDBowdoin** · July 14, 2006

I can swing a driver 125mph if I want but the ball will slice, if I dial it down to 110 its long and straight... thats my point, tour pro's swing 80% even on drives

**DDBowdoin** · July 14, 2006

sorry for the multiple posts

if the shaft was to soft you would more than like pull, or hook your drives

**green6767** · July 14, 2006

thanks again for the advice. Do you guys think an 11.5 degree driver is too much. It was great for learning, but now, it just seems annoying that the ball goes so high. Could that be any reason for a slice...too high of a trajectory? Any advice?

**FAHooGolfs** · July 14, 2006

in my earlier post I wasn't promoting him to slow down his swing, but the way he described his previous shots then a quickening of tempo resulted in slices means 90% of the time he's coming over the top because his new "faster" swing is faster but out of balance

I completely understand... I just didn't want him to get the wrong idea.

**muskegman** · July 15, 2006

thanks again for the advice. Do you guys think an 11.5 degree driver is too much. It was great for learning, but now, it just seems annoying that the ball goes so high. Could that be any reason for a slice...too high of a trajectory? Any advice?

Do remember that high launch/low spin are the flight characteristics of the modern driver/ball combo. Of course that goes only so far. It has to be low enough to penetrate with enough spin to keep it in the air.

I was watching Tiger's first Masters win on TGC earlier this week and was surprised at how low ballflights were in those days. I guess in 1997 the Titleist Balata was the ball of choice which kind of rose mid flight instead of getting up immediately like today's ProV1 etc... Much will depend on your launch conditions. Getting on a launch monitor is really the only way to accurately tell if you're playing the right club. Keep in mind a lot of people play a driver with too little loft because they feel that real players use drivers with 9.5 or below. A higher lofted club will likely carry further in wet/winter conditions also. You're going to have less slice/hook tendencies with a driver of higher loft. UPDATE: In my experience a weaker shaft promotes a hook, so a stiffer shaft would promote a push/slice. Your mileage may vary.

**green6767** · July 15, 2006

Well, I was out at the range today and its definately my swing. I was able to tweak my swing a bit to get out of the outside to in and get it more even. The slice went down a bit, but not as much as I had hoped for. From what you guys are saying, its probably not my club as much as it might be my swing and hand position. I think I'm just coming down with an open club face. I will try and locate a launch monitor in my area to get a proper reading. Have any of you heard of Austads? Not sure, but what would a good place be to get this done? Thanks again!!!

Dallas

lafrenz75 · July 16, 2006

I think you have a great oppurtunity to use this 11.5 r-flex with a Sam Snead type swing. I also encourage looking at some of the way professionals drive the ball. You indicated that your swing is faster. It could actually be that your upper body and muscles are adapting to your swing. But the overall mechanics of the golf swing have still yet to be discovered (I am also talking to myself in this regard too!) But the important things that I have heard here are the emphasis on TEMPO and 80% effort on the swing. Both concepts deal with a better oppurtunity of commiting to a swing plain that will drive the ball straighter or more manageable.
BUT THAT ALSO MEANS THAT THIS WILL MAKE YOUR SWING MATCH THE IDEAL SWING OF AAAAALLLLL YOUR CLUBS IN THE BAG!!! That is definitely my goal.
And I think I can do that with my Titleist 905s. I have always thought that I had to kill the ball with the driver. But I noticed that if I just match the tempo with my irons and driver, the consistancy is greater! If you go to www.titleist.com , click the video page called "tips From the tour." http://www.titleist.com/news/tips_from_the_tour.asp Go to category called driving accuracy. You will see what tempo is all about when you see Brad Faxon's swing!! He is not a killer like Tiger Woods. But I have more fun emulating his swing on the golfcourse instead of Tiger's because nobody(even tour pros) developed their swing to Tiger's.
If that does not convince you, go to a PGA event. Most all golfers have the same tempo. I believe that there is a winning formula out there. And they got it with the swing mechanics that correlate an effective tempo!!

**green6767** · July 17, 2006

i appreciate all the replies guys, there was definately some well placed comments and advice here. I thank all that replied!

**wachesawgolfer** · July 17, 2006

Sorry to disagree but a too stiff shaft results in a slice because the face is open at impact and a too soft shaft results in a hook because the face over closes at impact. It takes more swingspeed , not less, to get the face square
at impact with a stiffer shaft,

**wachesawgolfer** · July 17, 2006

Sorry about the multiple posts, but inasmuch as you have only been playing a short while and hit some drive 180 or so, perhaps an A or softer shaft would allow you swing at a smooth tempo and get the head square at impact. Don't get hung upo on the gear if it gets the job done.

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Will a stiffer shaft help a slice???

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