Driver advice needed... Move to x-stiff?

Hi fellow Santrappers,

Just seeking some honest advice...

I bought my driver 11-12 years ago, a Titleist 975J, 9.5*, with a stock Titleist stiff shaft.  It is/was a great club and gave me a lot of years of good service.  If fact, I am rather attached to it.  I am offended that they are selling on Ebay for $30.  I think I'll keep it rather than sell it at that price.  At any rate, I took the last 5 years off the game and am now getting back.  I am swinging much faster than before.  I could explain the why but it's not important.  My short irons are about 10 yards longer than when I used to play.  The long irons have gotten ridiculously long.  I don't know my swing speed but I play my 7 iron for 175, 8 iron for 163,  9 iron for 150, PW for 138, swinging smoothly at 80% as always.  I am probably capable of hitting each farther, but I dial it down for consistency (in theory).

Back to the driver, I am really struggling to control the thing and suffering a lot of penalty strokes/bad lies/recoveries as a consequence.  The launch is much higher than it used to be, the ball spins like crazy both left and right, and I simply do not feel the club like I used to.  It used to feel like a long hammer.  It now feels like trying to swing a feather.  I feel like I am making good swings and getting overly random results.  Even taking a bunch off of the driver does not seem to make a difference.  It goes 300+ pretty easily on 80% swings, when it goes straight.  In fact is goes a lot farther when I swing easy as compared to when I swing harder.  My buddy seems to think that I'd get a benefit out of a new driver with a much stiffer shaft.  I tend to agree but I don't want to drop $400+ and still hit the same crappy shots.  I have been shopping a Titleist 910 D3 but still need to figure out shaft.

Anyone out there with my length get a big benefit from going stiffer and newer?  What shaft worked for you?  Anybody have a guess of what my swing speed is?

Fitting at the local Titleist advanced fitting center is $75 if you buy and $125 if you buy elsewhere, but they are pretty much charging retail for the driver.  That puts me out $475 + tax and shipping (Ouch...).  Not that money is too much of an object but getting ripped off sucks...  Should I shut up, pony up and just get fitted, and buy the club there?  Or do I get fitted and buy online (with all the nuances of online purchasing)?

Or, do I take lessons because my club is fine,  I suck, its my swing?

I know it's a lot of questions, but that's what forums are for...

Pay the $125 and get fitted. Then shop around. There are plenty of drivers for much cheaper than you are looking at. You can probably find something that would do much better for under $200.

If you are hitting the other clubs well beside the driver, it is obvioulsy the fit of the driver.  Many places will fit you for free if you purchase the driver from them.  You can get a nice driver for $200-$300 total. It is also more complicated than just going from regular to stiff or stiff to extra stiff.  There are many other variables that come into play even between five drivers with a "stiff" shaft.

I bought my first new driver a few months ago.  I got five of my favorite drivers.  I hit three of them nicely.  One of them I was killing dead straight.  The other one I couldn't hit worth a flip.  It wasn't my swing, but it was the varying shafts.

You also don't have to use a launch monitor to get a great fit. I could have taken those same five drivers out on a range and come to the same result.  I do think you will get your best fit using a launch monitor.  Good luck.

Did a bunch of mirror work and it seems that I have some pretty serious swing flaws... The club face is very closed due to considerable cupping of the left wrist at the top and the plane is much too flat as well.  The butt of the the club at 3/4 is pointing well outside the ball and target line.  I end up getting stuck (club head under the proper swing plane) and trying to square the club up manually.  I swung the club this way as a kid, incidentally, it didn't work so great then.  I am goint to change my setup as well.  I don't like what it looks like.  Too much flex in the knees, slumping the shoulders a bit, spine not straight enough.  All stuff I corrected seven or eight years ago.  I guess taking 5 years off sets you back a bit.  Anyway, I am going to implement for a few weeks and see what results.  I don't think it should be too hard to do since I have been through this set of changes before with good success.

I will probably still go for the new driver with a good fitting of course... just not immediately if I am going to make swing changes, I want to wait to see what results before assessing equipment.  Thanks for the advice...  I may still ask for more in few weeks.

I was in the same boat with you for my driver shaft.  I had the aldila nv 65 r and had exactly the same problem as you it was going everywhere but when you swing much slower it goes ok but that is hard to do all the time.  Anyway I decided to put an x stiff aldila nvs into mine with the theory that it will go straighter and not balloon because of the x stiff shaft.  Anyway it went straighter but still really badly ballooned so I currently don't have a driver.  I'm hoping to go get fitted for a titleist 910.  I hope to get fitted for the px shaft since im using 6.0s in my irons.  So to answer your question it is very likely the shaft but don't assume you just need a stiffer shaft.  It could just be a different kick point or weight you need.  You will have to go down and get a fitting session its the only thing you can do.  By doing that you will actually save money by finding out there and then what shaft is best for you rather than trying them all and finding out the hard expensive way.

I forgot to mention you could also get a lesson with your pro.  Just get a check up to have an idea where your swing is at.

Sorry then, whatever the opposite of cupping is.  I am in fact very closed at the top.  Looking forward to getting back out and trying the new swing...