So I am having some shaft confusion. I've read all over the internet and forums to always error on the side of a "softer" shaft, and that the majority of men are hitting shafts that are too stiff for them. I also read that the effects of too stiff of a shaft are low shots to the right and too soft of a shaft are high draws. This mechanically doesn't make any sense to me, unless your highest point of acceleration is well before impact. From golf.about.com, "The ball may tend to draw a bit more from the forward bending of the shaft at impact causing the face to rotate past square to be slightly closed." If you are accelerating through the impact as you are supposed to, a soft shaft club head would still be bent open behind the shaft at impact. At least to my understanding of physics.
I bring this up because I have been fighting a high slice with my driver for years. I knew some of it was mechanics, swing plane and swinging too hard but always had an embedded itch that the damn club face was lagging too far behind. I have done work on a simulator to understand and fix my swing plane and I hit my irons well. But I could never get the driver to go straight unless I slowed down my swing quite a bit. This is a very unsatisfying and un-athletic fix in my head and put an artificial ceiling on my game. I had planned on going to a pro and being fitted for a driver properly at the end of the season, but when a great offer showed up I took a gamble. I ignored all the information above and went with my gut and got an extra stiff shaft. I definitely seem to be hitting the new driver much straighter and a better height. Is this a placebo effect? Something else? I know that regular/stiff/etc are arbitrary and there are no standards, so I tried to compare weight, torque and kickpoint. Torque and bend are the same from all I can find, but my old shaft was 58 grams( I think) and the new one is 76. I do have a good swing speed, over 100mph I'm sure. My inexpensive simulator clocks me at 110-115, but Im not sure if I believe it.
My new driver has a 60 day money back guarantee, so Im trying to get help understanding whether this is in my head, new driver love, or a stiffer shaft was the correct fix for me despite all the info to the opposite. Thanks for your time and hit em well!