Driver question

Ok.

I just received my Cleveland monster xls, 10.5, reg gold, standard length of 45.5".

& i cannot stop hitting a rather pronounced fade with it. Even venturing into the slice neighborhood. Which for me is virtually unknown territory for 3-4 years. I had a hibore xl before this with 10.5 & 11.5 both reg gold & i hit the snot out of both.

Is this a length issue or a mental driver honeymoon issue?

This is just a band-aid but add some lead tape to the heel of your driver.

Depends, any number of things can cause an issue with timing. Just keep using it until you get the feel for it.

I went from a 44 inch shaft to something in the 45 inch range (I forget the exact measurement) and had the same issue. It'll take some time. I practiced a little and played a little. What got me out of it was playing a lot of draws...mainly because it was very windy here in April and I had to...but I got used to the shaft because I was swinging flatter anyway. Over time, I just got it, probably because I had gotten accustomed to the longer shaft through the crucible of having to work the ball a lot and hit tons of different ballflights to hit the 2nd shots I wanted.

Before adjusting club etc. Have some check your position at address. Because of the shape of a driver it's easy to start out with a open or closed position. slice would equal a open position

With longer shaft, you'll need to place the ball further left. Not inside your left heel, but on your left toe.

You can also try to grip down half an inch. If that works, you might want to cut down the shaft to 45" lenth.

I am hitting a 6 degree Adams 9016D with a 48" fuboki XX shaft and straight or sometimes I have a baby draw. I am 65 years old and average 280 off the tee, I would get a teacher to look at your swing and not waste a minute making any changes he suggests. Why suffer. The old adage: "It's not the arrow, it's the indian." applies

My guess is you paid close to $499 for this new, off the shelf club. Did you know that before the advent of graphite shafts, the average men's driver length was 43.5"? Did you also know that the average driver shaft on the PGA tour is 44.5" - a full half to one inch shorter than clubs sold to the average Joe in golf stores? A shaft that is too long for one's swing results in more mis-hits and off-center hits, resulting in less yardage - not the "longer" club the sales guy sold you, eh? Anyone with a handicap in double digits (like me and like you) should not be hitting 45.5" giant clubs. We should be fitted for proper swingweight, shaft flex and club length based on our swings, not our desires.

That's my two cents worth ... P.S. My Snake Eyes Python, I swingweighted to D-0 and is 44.25" long. I still fade it or slice it or push my drives on occasion ... know why? Swing flaws. Always the Indian, hardly ever the arrow.

PGA pro's on regular tour are not 64 years old. For us older guys and those of you who stuggle with distance, longer shaft+lower loft=distance

I doubt I could keep that on the same golf course, let alone the same hole. My hat is off to you, sir.

I know this is a troll, but...

Absolutely, 100%, purely false. Quite the opposite. Tom Wishon did extensive stuides with loft and shaft length. One of the biggest reasons people lack distance is they have too little loft, and too long and stiff of a shaft.

Interesting replies. Especially the "lower loft + longer shaft + distance" one.

I'll just shaft up this 4* SMT with a grafalloy blue XX @ 48"& problem solved! Goose killer!

Anyways, two things.

1-it's definitely a swing flaw/hitch in there somewhere. I've been at it for two days on & off & it's spreading around the bag. I'm finally going to have a pro look at my swing after 7 years of making it up as i go.

2-i'm not completely lost when it comes to my swing. I'm a high handicapper because i have a young family & often only get to play once or twice a month. If i played 2-3 times a week id probably be a 10 +/- by now. Maybe better. That being said, this hibore feels different than the XL. When i really catch it the ball comes down alot sooner than expected. The xl was more of a monster than this thing so far. The stock regular feels a bit firmer. I know you big boppers like to go stiff with everything, but i like to feel a bit of 'kick' on the way through. That's why i've had so many graphite design shafts in my drivers & fairways. They've got to have the best feel out there.

& for the gent who mentioned 499 at retail for this thing, that will never happen. I bought retail once when i first started playing & got gouged bad. Lesson learned. The golf shop is worse than a car lot when you leave.

Thank goodness for ebay & golf forums!

....and remember what lack of loft is....Lack Of F...kin' Talent...sorry couldn't resist.

Yeah, I've heard that one too.