Driver fitting questions.

Hey everyone,

I've got a couple of questions here that I'd like some advice/personal experience from everyone.

1. Last season I purchased Taylormade RBZ Stage II 3 wood and 3 hybrid and absolutely love these clubs. Hitting the 3 wood the same distance as my current driver (Callaway Xhot) and considered buying the matching driver for the set. Anyone had experience buying a driver based on how well you hit the 3 wood of the series?

2. My second question is regarding shaft flex as I am 5' 7" and typically need 1.5in off my driver in order to swing comfortably. Understanding that this stiffens the shaft, is it logical to buy light or senior flex in anticipation of the shaft stiffening after being cut down? Maybe my logic is flawed but I'd like to know if anyone has seen this done.

Thanks in advance for replies.

I don't know much about item #1, but I have a few comments on #2. [quote name="techrx" url="/t/80335/driver-fitting-questions#post_1108222"]2. My second question is regarding shaft flex as I am 5' 7" and typically need 1.5in off my driver in order to swing comfortably. Understanding that this stiffens the shaft, is it logical to buy light or senior flex in anticipation of the shaft stiffening after being cut down? Maybe my logic is flawed but I'd like to know if anyone has seen this done.  [/quote] First, I don't think cutting from the grip end (within reason) affects shaft flex that much. It's the tip end that does affect things. I cut an inch or so off my current driver a year or so ago and I don't think it's more stiff. Second, if you're getting fit for your driver, get fit for length too! I used to use the AK-grip on my driver, and found myself hitting the ball better when I remembered to do so. Unfortunately, it was the only club I didn't have fit for length, and I didn't always remember until after I saw the ball flying differently. Cutting it down eliminated this. If I ever get actually fit for a driver, I'm going to be sure to ask about the length. I'm 5'8 and play my irons -.5", although the last time that measurement was taken was 2008 (so maybe my next set of irons need this re-evaluated too). Either way, I wouldn't order a different flex (much less two flexes down) just in anticipation of cutting it down. If you need regular flex -1.5", order regular flex -1.5". Let the club assembler make the decision about which shaft enables the resulting product to fit this description. Of course, my most recently-made driver is a Nike Dymo2 (square), and I currently use a slightly older Mizuno driver. So maybe my next club purchase should be a properly fit new(er) driver.

I would suggest getting fit properly. Watch the ball flight and distance, and decide for yourself what you like. As @Shindig mentioned, getting 2 flexes down might be too drastic.

For reference, my daughter had 1.5" cut off her senior flex clubs and finds that to be pretty much the right fit. We spent some time with a pro at Dick's (before they got rid of them), and he even cut down one club for her to try before cutting the rest. For reference she carries her 8i about 135 yards and driver about 195-205 yards and has roughly your male handicap. She's only 5'4" though, so I'm not that confident that you would need 1.5" taken off unless you have a 3" longer wingspan than height?