Shafts too stiff? - Page 3

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsc123 

I live near bjw, and the only one I am aware of near here is on Rockville pike. They told me to use standard length clubs because I was not tall or short. Since I was buying a set of tm burners, they were actually longer than most clubs. He also said because I swing hard I should have stiff shafts. That was it. The option was stiff or regular. No different brands. No trying them on a launch monitor. And their launch monitor is the type that doesn't measure the ball and tells you that you hit your 3w 30 yards further than you actually hit your driver.

I have been to that GG many times and I am not impressed with their expertise when it comes to what you mentioned above.  They are very nice there and do a great job of regripping my putters and stuff like that, I just would envision going there to get fit for the right shafts and have exactly what happened to you occur.

Thus I made an appointment on Thursday night to go to Olney Golf Park.  I just want to find out the right shafts for my irons and so that is the only clubs that I am getting fitted for.  It's $70, but I hear great things about that place and I really need to know what shafts will help me the most.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsc123 

Hey BJ, how did this work out?

Long story.....after hitting the irons even in warm weather, the shafts just did not fit me.  I found the shafts that seemed to fit my game the best, KBS shafts that come stock in some Taylormade irons.  The shafts that were in the Tour Preferred CB set I had, were Dynamic Gold 300's with stiff flex.  I found that the KBS shafts in stiff flex worked the best.  I'm not sure exactly why because I do not know that much about shaft technology, kick points, etc., but I knew that the KBS shafts were the ones that I liked.

Knowing this, I weighed my options.  I considered having the KBS shafts installed in my Tour Preferred CB irons.  This was going to be expensive however.  Considering that I purchased the irons (they were slightly used) for around $330 which included 4-AW and also came with a 52 and 58 XFT wedges, it was going to run about $200 or more to get the shafts I wanted installed in the Tour Preferred CB irons.

Golf Galaxy was (they may still be) running a special where you received an extra 50% on your trade in value if you purchased something that is on the hot list.  Thus I was able to trade in the Tour Preferred CB irons (4-AW, I kept the 52 and 58 wedges though) for $200.  It went up to $300 with the extra 50%.  I then purchased new Taylormade R11 irons (4 - AW) from Golf Galaxy.  The R11 irons as you may know are very similar in looks to the Tour Preferred CB's.  They also had the shafts that I wanted (KBS stiff flex).  I was able to get the staff to add the additional 50% although they are not on this year's hot list. 

I had to shell out about $150.00 out of my pocket for the new irons.  I would have spent at least this much to get the shafts that I wanted anyway, so everything worked out perfectly. 

In golf, the ultimate result is in the performance though, right?  Well I put the new irons in play right away.  I played this past weekend on Saturday and Sunday.  The weather was actually a little warmer both days with temps in the mid 40's.  I was hitting the ball the same distance as I was with the first iron set I owned (Burner Plus), but I expect that in time I will eventually gain distance as I get used to the new irons and as it warms up.  I am more accurate though. 

Ultimately it worked out as well as I could have imagined because this past weekend on Saturday and Sunday I shot 86 both days!  My ball striking/iron play was a good as it's ever been as I had 52 strokes other than putts on Saturday and only 50 strokes other than putts yesterday (a great day of ball striking for me is when I have 53 or fewer strokes other than putts).

Sorry for such a long post.  It is/was a long story but it appears that the results are promising!

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsc123 

Glad to hear that it worked out.  

I'm starting to think I might have a similar problem, which is why I followed up with you.   I got i20s with KBS Tour stiff (fitted for them at golf tech, but ordered elsewhere).  When I hit my long irons they just aren't getting any distance.  I hit my 8iron to about 150, and my 7 through 4 iron not much more than 160.  I'll hit the ball and from the feel and ball flight I think I hit it well, but when the ball falls I'm shocked at how short it is.  But then again they're new and would likely take some adjustment period (had trouble with the sweet spot at first, but I think i've fixed that), and its been cold and very windy so I am reluctant to make any decision.  Sunday was warm and I played at Reston National, but it was so windy that I couldn't really judge distance on any of my clubs.  Getting a little nervous though.

Thanks....I've got my fingers crossed for you that it works out.  I know how you feel because I was in the same boat with my Tour Preferred CB's and it drove me nuts.  Everyone was telling me that it takes time and such but when you are into golf as much as I am (it sounds like you are too), uncertainty is the worst. 

What I learned from this is that going to someone to get "fit" for clubs can be dangerous, if you only listen to the numbers/statistics.  Those people that do the fitting, many of them are great and know their stuff, I'm sure.  They have great technology that can analyze this and that about your swing and match it to the right clubs/shafts based on the numbers.  The problem is that it's numbers.  Since everyone is different, those "numbers" may mean a perfect fit for some but put others in the position that I was in.  The "numbers" indicated that Dynamic Gold 300 stiff shafts were ideal for me, but my body/swing is the ultimate decider and I learned that listening to that is more important than any computer at Golftec, Golf Galaxy, etc.

I'm not bashing getting fitted for clubs, everyone should do it because it is very helpful and there are many great people out there that know what they are doing.  I learned that I just have to make sure that I do not let only the numbers/statistics dictate my club selection because while the fitting process may help in selection, only my body/swing can truly tell me what is right or wrong.