Hyper X -- shaft help, please

[e-man]

Hey guys. I own Hyper X 10 degree with the stock Fujikura Fit-On shaft in regular flex. I did a driver fitting at Golf Galaxy and this shaft worked best for me (when compared to numerous other shafts, all in regular flex). I am a 6.9 index with a swing speed of 95 mph. I've been working with the club over the past few weeks and seem to be hitting it fairly well, although there's just something that doesn't feel quite right. Basically, it seems like I'm having trouble finding the sweet spot.

So here's the issue. Today at Golfsmith, I was hitting balls in the simulator with the Hyper X 10 reg. I decided to grab a 10 stiff off the rack and take a few swings with it. Within the first swing or two, I immediately noticed a difference in feel and ball speed. It seemed that I was hitting the sweet spot much more frequently (you know what I'm talking about -- the kind of shot where you feel in your hands like you've pured it).

Okay, so you're thinking, great e-man, go with the 10 stiff instead. I wish it were that easy. The simulator indicated that I was launching the 10 stiff much lower than the 10 reg. On the 10 reg, I averaged around 13 degrees. On the 10 stiff, the launch angle was 11 degrees.

Based on these numbers, would you go with an 11 degree stiff? The problem with an 11 degree stiff is that the club doesn't exist in the stores and it would have to be special ordered from Callaway. Let me know what you guys think.

Also, I'd like to know what everyone thinks about the regular versus stiff issue as well. Thanks for your help.

e

[x-forged]

well, i think it would depend on the type of courses you play and your personal preference. If you have quick fairways or often windy conditions, then I would go stiff and it should give you some extra roll with the lower trajectory. On the other hand, if the fairways are soft and slow, you might want to go with the regular to carry the ball farther without as much roll. IMO with a 95 swing speed, I would get a stiff anyways. How do you like the Hyper-X so far, havent had the chance to try one out yet.

[r7 425]

well, i think it would depend on the type of courses you play and your personal preference. If you have quick fairways or often windy conditions, then I would go stiff and it should give you some extra roll with the lower trajectory. On the other hand, if the fairways are soft and slow, you might want to go with the regular to carry the ball farther without as much roll. IMO with a 95 swing speed, I would get a stiff anyways. How do you like the Hyper-X so far, havent had the chance to try one out yet.

I couldnt agree more...the course makes a big deal..certain parts of the United States are a lot different than others because of the terrain, the type of grass, and the climate..this is exactly why a lot of the tour guys have 4 or 5 different drivers for the year...yes i feel that at 95 mph you cant go wrong with the stiff shaft...also remember an important thing about shafts is the Torque of the shaft..maybe try a bunch of shafts with different torques as well. Best Wishes

[e-man]

I went back to Golfsmith today to try to figure this thing out. I was there for about 90 minutes banging balls in the simulator and launch monitor. For what it's worth, here are the cpm and torque specs on the regular and stiff stock Fujikura Fit On shafts:

regular -- 251 cpm, 5.0 torque
stiff -- 261 cpm, 5.1 torque (yes, it has a tick more torque than the regular)

I hit the 9 stiff, 10 stiff, 10 reg and 11 reg. The reg flex shafts definitely felt livelier for me. With the stiff shafts, I felt as if I needed to swing a little harder to get the shaft to react, and when I did, I was rewarded with good, solid results. The problem with me and stiff, though, is that I play at the crack of dawn, and I'm not swinging at 95+ mph for most of the round. These simulators/launch monitors are a bit deceiving in that respect. I hit my driver maybe 12 times in a round, yet I must have hit at least 75 balls in the launch monitor today. In sum, the regular and stiff produced very similar results, and I think in the long run, I'll benefit more from the regular with a nice smooth swing.

As between the 10 and the 11, the 11 launched a little too high and made too much backspin. I'm going to stick with the 10 reg for a while and see what happens.

Let me know what you think. When you're right on the cusp between regular and stiff, is it possible that either will work for you? I appreciate the points about the type of course and conditions I normally play in. That makes a lot of sense. Should you also consider the type of swing you like to put on the ball? In other words, I'm not the type that normally goes after the ball. I like to put a nice smooth swing on the club. Should that be considered as well?

e

[r7 425]

Yes if you have a slow swing speed-you may be suited to a regular flex shaft...I would take into account the Torque of the shaft--the lower the torque--the less the shaft will twist--this is pretty important-try different torques out--sometimes something that is considered "normal" may be different for you--best of luck man

[shortgame85]

I went back to Golfsmith today to try to figure this thing out. I was there for about 90 minutes banging balls in the simulator and launch monitor. For what it's worth, here are the cpm and torque specs on the regular and stiff stock Fujikura Fit On shafts:

I am not sure I can address adequately your question about whether you should select the regular or stiff flex shaft. However, I can say that I have read more experts suggest that many people would benefit from playing a

softer flex than they might otherwise choose. I bought the Hyper X 10 degree with a regular flex stock shaft about five or six weeks ago. Like you, I was fitted for the driver on a Golfsmith launch monitor. I chose that driver because the numbers indicated that I hit it further than several other drivers I tested. I have noticed that the shaft feels a bit stiffer than the lighter Aldila shaft that is in the Cobra driver I used prior to getting the Hyper X. I have played about four rounds with the new driver. I have hit this club very well, it is pleasing to swing and very, very forgiving of off center strikes. I am glad I trusted the numbers on the launch monitor. The results have been satisfying.

[e-man]

Hey Shortgame85. If you don't mind me asking, what's your swing speed and tempo?

e

[shortgame85]

Hey Shortgame85. If you don't mind me asking, what's your swing speed and tempo?

Not at all: I swing between 85 and 90mph. If I'm swinging well, my tempo is pretty smooth. If I'm swinging poorly, I get too quick at the top.

[e-man]

Not at all: I swing between 85 and 90mph. If I'm swinging well, my tempo is pretty smooth. If I'm swinging poorly, I get too quick at the top.

So regular should be perfect for you. My swing speed is around 95 mph but it does get a bit higher than that when I get warmed up, and I would describe my tempo as medium.

I may have to go back to Golfsmith one more time today to hit the 10 stiff. I'm not sure what the stiff would give me that the regular doesn't, but I really need to make completely sure.

[shortgame85]

So regular should be perfect for you. My swing speed is around 95 mph but it does get a bit higher than that when I get warmed up, and I would describe my tempo as medium.

The real answer may be trying them both on the course and checking the result, there, if, of course, that's possible. If that's not an option, I'd certainly trust the numbers on the launch monitor.

Also, accuracy may be a determining factor for you, too. However, this is really one of the most forgiving drivers I've ever hit.

[e-man]

The real answer may be trying them both on the course and checking the result, there, if, of course, that's possible. If that's not an option, I'd certainly trust the numbers on the launch monitor.

Yeah, that'd be nice, but unfortunately, that's not a possibility. I've already hit the 10 regular in the indoor dome, and it feels pretty good, but the stiff felt good too. I called Callaway, and they will switch it out for me if I want that, but I don't want to go switching things around just for the sake of switching unless it will make a real difference. I'm looking at the launch monitor printout right now, and here are the numbers I achieved with the regular over 5 shots:

256.9 yards 143.2 mph ball speed 13 degree launch angle 2844 rpm back spin 236 rpm side spin (draw) 1.6 yard push -.7 yards offline 97.8 mph average clubhead speed

[shortgame85]

The stats look pretty impressive. I would be proud of them. Good luck.

[e-man]

The stats look pretty impressive. I would be proud of them. Good luck.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm plenty happy with the results, but I keep looking at the swing speed of 97+ mph and I wonder if I might do better with the stiff.

[shortgame85]

Not at all, I just wish those stats were mine.