X-Stiff Driver Shaft - Unexpected Result for a High Handicap

[Forgivemefatherforihavethinned]

I am a high handicap , been playing for a year or so and am in my addiction phase. I love learning about the game and do some reading and most of my YouTube watches are golf related but unfortunately don’t get much time on the course.

I try to play as much as I can when I’m on vacation and that’s always with rental clubs. 
 

My regular driver is a 11 degree Nike Sq with senior flex shaft. The driver is my least favourite club because my most frequent shot is a high weak block/slice which makes it about 200-220 yards.

 

About two weeks ago I went to a decent course with my Dad and the only clubs they had were some sort of Srixon CBs and a titleist 917 8 degree Xstiff 65g driver, which should be way above my pay grade , but too my complete surprise it was the best driving performance I’ve ever had. Hit a few beauts . One of my drives flew the green on a 310 yd par 4!! This was completely unexpected . From all those YouTube videos , I know that a titleist 917 isn’t the most forgiving driver ever made , moreover, with what I thought was my swing speed , Xstiff should be completely the wrong choice?? 
 

Has anyone gone through this or fitted someone like this as well? I’m really interested in finding out more.

[saevel25]

Do not take this the wrong way, and it is a possibility you drove the 310 yard par 4, but did you actually GPS or Laser the flag for distance? A lot of times, courses will use the up tee boxes. They will also just outright not measure the hole correctly. Just saying, I would always question the scorecard. The best way to figure out your driver distance is to use a launch monitor. 

That being said, the person reacts to how the golf shaft flexes in the swing. Since there is no industry standard to shaft flex, just ignore the flex on the golf shaft. The make/model of the golf shaft matters more than the flex written on it. It is very much possible you might have been compensating for the feel of the golf club with the weaker golf shaft. Also, it could be just a good day of driving (timing). The more swing faults you have the more timing you need. You could have had a good day. 

I would say you would need to use that new driver for a few more rounds and track the results. It could be you end up going back to your normal miss of slicing the ball. 

 

[SG11118]

Congrats - It's fun to be able to bomb it once in a while.

Tough to provide a whole lot of advice on your topic.  There is quite a bit of difference between a 8 degree loft and a 11 degree loft driver, and there is quite a bit of difference between a senior flex shaft and an extra stiff shaft.  You obviously have some good swing speed to be able to hit it 300+.  Neither the loft of the shaft is going to be the reason you were hitting it 100 yards better than usual though.  I'd assume that for whatever reason you were hitting the ball towards the middle of the clubface that day, and if you could do that similarly with your own driver, you'd be seeing a lot better results.  Either that or your Nike head is damaged and you need to get rid of it. 

[GolfLug]

21 hours ago, Forgivemefatherforihavethinned said:

I am a high handicap , been playing for a year or so and am in my addiction phase. I love learning about the game and do some reading and most of my YouTube watches are golf related but unfortunately don’t get much time on the course.

I try to play as much as I can when I’m on vacation and that’s always with rental clubs. 
 

My regular driver is a 11 degree Nike Sq with senior flex shaft. The driver is my least favourite club because my most frequent shot is a high weak block/slice which makes it about 200-220 yards.

 

About two weeks ago I went to a decent course with my Dad and the only clubs they had were some sort of Srixon CBs and a titleist 917 8 degree Xstiff 65g driver, which should be way above my pay grade , but too my complete surprise it was the best driving performance I’ve ever had. Hit a few beauts . One of my drives flew the green on a 310 yd par 4!! This was completely unexpected . From all those YouTube videos , I know that a titleist 917 isn’t the most forgiving driver ever made , moreover, with what I thought was my swing speed , Xstiff should be completely the wrong choice?? 
 

Has anyone gone through this or fitted someone like this as well? I’m really interested in finding out more.

Cool. Since it's dad, can he lend it to you for a few rounds? Then go find someone with a launch monitor. A few hits does not make a game, but very possible you would need something than a senior flex regardless of brand.

[p1n9183]

Shafts flex is more about club speed than index. If you drove a 310 hole then your club speed should be above 110 m/h so you should play and x-stiff shaft, stiff at the softest. regular, senior or ladies shaft are going to be in detriment four your consistency. 

[Forgivemefatherforihavethinned]

17 hours ago, saevel25 said:

Do not take this the wrong way, and it is a possibility you drove the 310 yard par 4, but did you actually GPS or Laser the flag for distance? A lot of times, courses will use the up tee boxes. They will also just outright not measure the hole correctly. Just saying, I would always question the scorecard. The best way to figure out your driver distance is to use a launch monitor. 

That being said, the person reacts to how the golf shaft flexes in the swing. Since there is no industry standard to shaft flex, just ignore the flex on the golf shaft. The make/model of the golf shaft matters more than the flex written on it. It is very much possible you might have been compensating for the feel of the golf club with the weaker golf shaft. Also, it could be just a good day of driving (timing). The more swing faults you have the more timing you need. You could have had a good day. 

I would say you would need to use that new driver for a few more rounds and track the results. It could be you end up going back to your normal miss of slicing the ball. 

 

Thanks saevel25. 

interesting point about swing faults and timing and stiffness.

sounds like a fitting is in order

15 hours ago, p1n9183 said:

Shafts flex is more about club speed than index. If you drove a 310 hole then your club speed should be above 110 m/h so you should play and x-stiff shaft, stiff at the softest. regular, senior or ladies shaft are going to be in detriment four your consistency. 

Thanks 

last measured swing speed an year ago was 85. Maybe things have progressed since then

[saevel25]

19 hours ago, p1n9183 said:

Shafts flex is more about club speed than index. If you drove a 310 hole then your club speed should be above 110 m/h so you should play and x-stiff shaft, stiff at the softest. regular, senior or ladies shaft are going to be in detriment four your consistency. 

It's also more about how the golfer swings the club. You can have a golfer who has the same golf speed as another golf and may need like 20 grams heavier golf shaft, and a much stiffer tip section to the golf shaft. 

Shaft flex should only be thought of as a way to compare the golf shafts of the same make and model.