Are my DG S300s too flexible for me?

[bunkerputt]

I've been playing Dynamic Gold S300 shafts in my irons for a couple of years now. I've started using the ground a lot more in my swing and lately the S300s are starting to feel like wet noodles. I've been hitting the ball longer than before (225 6-iron, 150+ PW) so I decided to try the X100 shafts. These shafts feel great and stay on line much better. Still quite a bit of shaft loading with these clubs, but not nearly the wet-noodle-where-the-hells-the-clubhead feeling I was getting with the S300s. I've always believed that you should play the most flexible shaft possible, so I'm hesitant to bite the bullet and go for the X100s. But I'm getting tired of having to block my release to keep from hooking long and left. I know a lot goes into picking a shaft flex for a swing, so I don't expect anyone to know exactly what I need. My question is more related to the consequences of getting a shaft that is too stiff, versus not stiff enough. Is it likely that the X100s would be too stiff for me? What should I look for trajectory-wise to see if the X100s are too stiff?

[CPHoya]

First of all good lord you're hitting it deep.

Second it sounds like if there's a person X100s are for, it's you. Should lower the trajectory a bit and tighten your dispersion. Still, hit them a few times first. Would probably benefit you.

[goblue107501]

Have you tried the Project X 6.0? I have the same problems sometimes with my S-300. After some demo time with a PX 6.0 I get a much better ball flight without the 'whippy' feeling. Might be worth a look without having to go all the way to the X-100.

[jcrew]

I really apologize if you are an anamoly but I call BULL on your 225 6 iron. If you mean downwind, down hill, pured, once-in-a lifetime, stars-aligned, shot then maybe. I know one kid that is ridiculously long (he carries his drives close to 300 and he flew a 155 yard green with his pw) and he definitely can not hit a 225 yard 6 iron. Anyways, if you are even close to a 225 6 iron then you should definitely be hitting x100s. If you're holding off to make sure you don't hook, you definitely need a stouter/stiffer shaft.

[rycur12]

No way you hit a 6 iron 225 yards. That be a bit ridiculous. Anyways, it sounds like you can def go with the x100. I just got some MP33 with Rifle 6.5 which should play really stiff. I currently play S300 and will hit the MP33 tomorrow. I will let you know what play a really stiff shaft does to my distance and trajectory.

[thumper07]

try the s400, plays stiffer than the x100

[kekoa]

there isn't even one guy on tour that hits a 6-iron 225. Btw, lets say you do hit it 225, how often do you hit it straight?

Anyhow, what's your swing speed?

[CPHoya]

Haha, yeahhh . . .

. . . I didn't want to say anything but hey, why not.

To put this in perspective, Adam Scott at the Mercedes Benz season opener in Hawaii had a slightly downhill second shot, from the fairway, on a par 5 and he went with 3-iron from 245 yards . Nick Faldo, commentating, said, and I quote, "this would be a career 3-iron from Adam." Scott, of course, pured it and wound up past the cup for a 2-putt birdie that was a little surreal.

So you're telling us that you have that shot in the bag with a 4 or perhaps a 5 iron? You're reallllllly hitting it deep. Hope it's true, because that's sick.

If you're hitting the 6-iron even 190 you pretty obviously need something stiffer than the S300s.

Serious question: does Bubba have that shot? I don't think he does, but he might crack 210 MAX.

[Ben]

I've been playing Dynamic Gold S300 shafts in my irons for a couple of years now. I've started using the ground a lot more in my swing and lately the S300s are starting to feel like wet noodles. I've been hitting the ball longer than before (225 6-iron, 150+ PW) so I decided to try the X100 shafts. These shafts feel great and stay on line much better. Still quite a bit of shaft loading with these clubs, but not nearly the wet-noodle-where-the-hells-the-clubhead feeling I was getting with the S300s. I've always believed that you should play the most flexible shaft possible, so I'm hesitant to bite the bullet and go for the X100s. But I'm getting tired of having to block my release to keep from hooking long and left. I know a lot goes into picking a shaft flex for a swing, so I don't expect anyone to know exactly what I need. My question is more related to the consequences of getting a shaft that is too stiff, versus not stiff enough. Is it likely that the X100s would be too stiff for me? What should I look for trajectory-wise to see if the X100s are too stiff?

I play with a kid at my club and he cranks on irons like you seem to. He plays a little stinger, trap, draw shot that goes forever. Coincidentally just a few days ago he asked me about switching from the S300s he plays now to the X100s. I told him if he wanted to get rid of the draw and hit'em straight like it seems you are doing, go for it. I personally think it depends on what you want. This kid has this little draw dialed in right now, I don't think he's going to switch until it starts going south on him. In the same regard, it seems like you aren't all too pleased with the style of swing you are taking with the S300s, so, why not switch?

[fusioncal]

I've been playing Dynamic Gold S300 shafts in my irons for a couple of years now. I've started using the ground a lot more in my swing and lately the S300s are starting to feel like wet noodles. I've been hitting the ball longer than before (225 6-iron, 150+ PW) so I decided to try the X100 shafts. These shafts feel great and stay on line much better. Still quite a bit of shaft loading with these clubs, but not nearly the wet-noodle-where-the-hells-the-clubhead feeling I was getting with the S300s. I've always believed that you should play the most flexible shaft possible, so I'm hesitant to bite the bullet and go for the X100s. But I'm getting tired of having to block my release to keep from hooking long and left. I know a lot goes into picking a shaft flex for a swing, so I don't expect anyone to know exactly what I need. My question is more related to the consequences of getting a shaft that is too stiff, versus not stiff enough. Is it likely that the X100s would be too stiff for me? What should I look for trajectory-wise to see if the X100s are too stiff?

Holy sh*t! 6-iron = 225 yards? There's no shaft in this world suitable for your swing unless True Temper came up with XXX100 or you get reshafted with steel pipes.

Anyhoo, the stiffest shafts I could think of is S400 hardstepped. Or is there X200? PS: What's your swing speed?

[907golfer12]

I have read about X700 shafts, but they are super expensive and hard to find since almost no one needs X700 shafts.

[bunkerputt]

Sorry. I didn't intend for this to become about my swing speed. I think more realistic averages are around 205-210 for the 6-iron and around 145 for the PW. This is at a strong 85% or so. Really good ones will creep out to the 220+ range, but 225 certainly isn't average and is more like 95+% effort. I pretty much always swing hard, but I think my swing speed varies day by day, depending on my level of fatigue. Regardless, some days S300s feel pretty decent and some days they feel like wet noodles; lately more of the latter. I've heard that if a shaft is too stiff you will tend to miss right, but if it's too soft, you can miss wherever. Given that, it seems more reasonable for me to give up a little distance to avoid a two-way miss. But I really have no idea if any of this is accurate. I bought a couple of iron heads and some X100s and I'm going to try them out. At the very least, I'm hoping it will let me regain some control. Any opinions on this option or what to look out for?

[bunkerputt]

Sorry Fusioncal. I didn't see your P.S. With the driver, using the medicus powermeter, a swing that feels pretty comfortable for me is in the upper 1-teens to low 120s. I"ve gotten that thing as high as low 130s, though. On the image processing based launch monitors, it all varies quite a bit. Usually driver at impact is between 118-123. I'm definitely not comparable to the fastest tour players, and I think it's definitely mis-guided to mention my game in the same sentence as them. Remember when Tiger hit a wedge out of heavy rough 190 yards? Now that's incredible.

[fusioncal]

Sorry Fusioncal. I didn't see your P.S. With the driver, using the medicus powermeter, a swing that feels pretty comfortable for me is in the upper 1-teens to low 120s. I"ve gotten that thing as high as low 130s, though. On the image processing based launch monitors, it all varies quite a bit. Usually driver at impact is between 118-123. I'm definitely not comparable to the fastest tour players, and I think it's definitely mis-guided to mention my game in the same sentence as them. Remember when Tiger hit a wedge out of heavy rough 190 yards? Now that's incredible.

Swing speed at around 118-123 is still amazing. Plus, you have +1 inch extension on every irons length there, which means you're roughly 2 clubs longer (based on .5 inch standard irons increment).

Okay, you might not be hitting 225 yards with 6-iron. But your swing speed definitely tells that you require stiffer shaft than S300. Like I posted earlier, you might want to try S400 hardstepped if you wish. Or even X100. Other option would be Project X. From what I heard PX plays stiffer than DG on the same level. Perhaps between 6.5-7.0. Get fitted to know for sure. Hope that helps.

[bunkerputt]

Thanks for noticing the +1 inch. Plus, I play the ball pretty low which makes my 6-iron roughly equivalent to a 4-iron. I've tried the Project X's and they don't really give me enough spin. I've built a couple of clubs with the X100s and it seems like it's working out for me. Thanks for the posts.

[bunkerputt]

I checked my 6-iron swing speed with the medicus power meter and it's around 100, and never above 106. On the LM at golfsmith, I was getting around 102 or so, so the two devices are fairly consistent. Not sure if they're reading high or low, though. How far does a well struck shot at 100 with about 4500 RPMs of spin and an 18* launch angle go? Low 200s would be my guess with a ball speed of roughly 145.

[hilltopper]

With a swing speed around 100 with the 6, I think we all agree you need to go with a stiffer shaft. Just go demo some and see what you hit best. Like the Handicap of Pi also.

[bunkerputt]

In regards to Bubba Watson's distance and whether I can hit it farther than him (lol) as the earlier post seemed to strangely suggest:

"I never try to club him," said Jim Ritterbeck, an old friend from back home in Pensacola, Fla. who caddies for Watson. "It's impossible. ... In a tournament in Utah, he hit a 6-iron 250 yards. In Midland [Texas], he hit a 6-iron 242 yards out of a trap, uphill. I've seen him hit a pitching wedge 170. He has so much talent, has all the shots."