Effect of a driver shaft that is too stiff ?

With my swing speed, it's always recommended that I play REGULAR flex.    I have a driver with stiff flex that I like, but it has this weird tendency unlike any of my other regular flex drivers to push to the right (not slice, just a straight push) ... consistently, sometimes badly to the point of flying OB straight right on an otherwise nice solid hit.

I know there are alot of variables (maybe it has less offset than my other drivers), but can someone verify in general terms if this is a common symptom of using a shaft that is too stiff ??

Thx.

Shaft Myth #8 – The higher the clubhead speed of the golfer, the stiffer the shaft should be

There are two reasons this is frequently not true. First, as we said previously, with no standards in the golf industry for shaft flex, there are very definitely a lot of R flex shafts that are stiffer than a lot of S flex and even X flex shafts. So it can be very possible for a golfer with a certain clubhead speed to be properly fit with an S flex in one company’s shaft model, but to find that another company’s R flex may in fact be stiffer.

The second and main reason this statement is frequently not true is because clubhead speed is not the main element in the swing that determines how much a golfer actually bends a shaft during the swing. The swing element that applies the chief amount of bending force to a shaft is the golfer’s transition move to start the downswing. Among two golfers with the same clubhead speed, it can be very common for one golfer to have a short backswing with a very forceful, abrupt and sudden acceleration to start the downswing, while the other golfer might start the downswing with a much smoother, more gradual acceleration of the club.

Among two golfers with the same clubhead speed, the one with the stronger, more forceful transition move will always put more bending force on the shaft, and from it, will typically need a stiffer shaft than the golfer with the same swing speed who has a smooth, gradual acceleration of the club during the downswing. It is also not uncommon to see a golfer with a slower swing speed and stronger transition as well as a golfer with a higher swing speed and smoother transition move. In such a case, the slower swinging golfer with stronger transition would need a stiffer shaft than the golfer with a higher clubhead speed but smoother, less forceful transition move.

The bottom line is that while clubhead speed definitely offers a starting point for flex selection, the most accurate shaft fitting involves a careful evaluation of the other swing movements that have a direct effect on how much the shaft is flexed during the swing.

Wow, neither one of you guys answered the OP's question. I would like to know the answer myself. Regardless of variation among manufacturers and what the ideal stiffness for your swing would be, what is the effect of swinging a shaft that is too stiff for you?

He did answer the question. Not all stiff shafts are the same and not all regular flex shafts are the same. There's no standard for a flex. Each manufacturer has their own stiff. It's like asking someone to tell you what color red to paint your car. Some people notice a difference between a regular flex and a stiff. I personally think it's mostly mental. I hit my buddy's x hot 3w probably 50 times at the range to see if I wanted one. Well after I feel in love with it he told me it was a regular flex. I didn't look and I would have never known if he didn't tell me. I swing a but faster than he does but he usually has played stiff so I just assumed that's what he got. I bought a x 2 hot with a stiff because I've always played stiff. I don't hit it any better than I hit his it's just what I prefer but it doesn't preform noticeably better.

Let me ask a bit differently:

Let's say I put some standard-stiffness driver into a golf swinging robot and it his perfect drives. Straight, 0 path, 0 face angle, 300 yards.

Now I tweak the stiffness of that driver to make it whatever the maximum stiffness is that players might use. What might be the characteristics at impact now, assuming the same swing?

He did answer the question. Not all stiff shafts are the same and not all regular flex shafts are the same. There's no standard for a flex. Each manufacturer has their own stiff. It's like asking someone to tell you what color red to paint your car. Some people notice a difference between a regular flex and a stiff. I personally think it's mostly mental. I hit my buddy's x hot 3w probably 50 times at the range to see if I wanted one. Well after I feel in love with it he told me it was a regular flex. I didn't look and I would have never known if he didn't tell me. I swing a but faster than he does but he usually has played stiff so I just assumed that's what he got. I bought a x 2 hot with a stiff because I've always played stiff. I don't hit it any better than I hit his it's just what I prefer but it doesn't preform noticeably better.

I think the general symptoms of a too stiff flex is a lower flight and shorter distance. There are just too many variables (weight, kick point, head weight, swing weight, etc.) to really be conclusive when the stiffness is close to your needs.

No he didn't and neither did you. See quote above. ALL OTHER THING BEING EQUAL, what effect does a stiffer shaft have on a golf shot?

I think the general ASSUMPTION of a too stiff flex is a lower flight and shorter distance. There are just too many variables (weight, kick point, head weight, swing weight, etc.) to really be conclusive when the stiffness is close to your needs.

Let me ask a bit differently:

Let's say I put some standard-stiffness driver into a golf swinging robot and it his perfect drives. Straight, 0 path, 0 face angle, 300 yards.

No he didn't and neither did you. See quote above. ALL OTHER THING BEING EQUAL, what effect does a stiffer shaft have on a golf shot?

Is the golfer aware of the change?

It's not an easy question to answer but typically a shaft that is too stiff for the player will launch lower, tend to start a little more right and fly shorter. Contact could also be less consistent, more off center hits.

Can you tell me when a person (not a robot ) has all other things equal? Professional golfer tweak lofts, lies, shafts, ect... and their swings are much closer to BEING EQUAL than ours are. If you can deliver the club the same every time and hit the ball out of the center of the face every time I'd say it's time to start worrying about shafts. Until your close to that worry about having a more consistent swing. That's my opinion.

With my swing speed, it's always recommended that I play REGULAR flex.    I have a driver with stiff flex that I like, but it has this weird tendency unlike any of my other regular flex drivers to push to the right (not slice, just a straight push) ... consistently, sometimes badly to the point of flying OB straight right on an otherwise nice solid hit. I know there are alot of variables (maybe it has less offset than my other drivers), but can someone verify in general terms if this is a common symptom of using a shaft that is too stiff ?? Thx.