Effects of shaft stiffness

[Petden]

What shaft areyou playing,what is the flex and what is the loft of your driver?

The driver is some dunlop driver. It's a stock shaft, R flex. The loft is 10.5. I am sweeper. Last time I went I was told I had a higher spin rate (I dont look at the number). My smash factor is usually pretty high 1.44+, sometimes I screwup and it drops to 1.38, but it is usually 1.44+. When ss was measured it was 102-104 mph.

[Righty to Lefty]

For most golfers/swings as shafts get "flexxier" the ball will tend to go left (for a rightie). This is because (for most golfers) the shaft is flexxing forward at impact.

Yup, the shaft actually kicks forward at impact and if the shaft is too flexible then that might cause some problems. To flexible a shaft with a closed face three wood could give you some snap hooks if you get to aggressive.

[jcrob902]

The driver is some dunlop driver. It's a stock shaft, R flex. The loft is 10.5. I am sweeper. Last time I went I was told I had a higher spin rate (I dont look at the number). My smash factor is usually pretty high 1.44+, sometimes I screwup and it drops to 1.38, but it is usually 1.44+. When ss was measured it was 102-104 mph.

Then you really need to look at getting fitted for a new driver, my #'s are almost exact to yours and I went from a Ping g10 10.5* with graffaloy red shaft R flex ( 17.5*launch angle, around 4000rpm spin rate carry distance 212 yds) to a Nike sq 460 9.5* aldila nv 65 S flex ( 12.8* launch angle 3200rpm spin rate carry distance 235 yds) not only was there carry difference but with the ping I would leave pitch marks in the fairway, and now I'm getting 10-15 yds and sometimes more in roll.

[extremeld]

everyone is individual as are our golf swings, i have a very high clubhead speed but get the best results from shafts marked r or s.

[indacup]

"... to a Nike sq 460 9.5* aldila nv 65 S flex ( 12.8* launch angle 3200rpm spin rate carry distance 235 yds) not only was there carry difference but with the ping I would leave pitch marks in the fairway, and now I'm getting 10-15 yds and sometimes more in roll.

Your launch angle, for that swing speed and spin rate is waay too low....you are leaving too much airtime/carry on the table.

[jcrob902]

Your probably right,and I'm not done yet, I maded the switch because my ball flight and distance are tremendously better,I'm not going to start messing around with a new driver until the spring after most of the new equipment is released, I just put that out there as an example of the effect that these kind of changes can have on your overall driver distance,and those #'s are just an average anyway I'm not good enough to make the same swing everytime and the #'s change that's why I put one out there 270 and turn around and hit one 235 on the next hole,perplexing is'nt it?

[jcrob902]

everyone is individual as are our golf swings, i have a very high clubhead speed but get the best results from shafts marked r or s.

You are correct sir as different shaft's with the same flex rateing from different companies are no where near the same, in theory if you swing the club 105mph you should be useing a stiff shaft but in the real world that may not be the case depending on the shaft. however that being said I think that anyone trying to improve there game should get a proper fitting before investing hundreds of dollars on golf clubs to see exactly where there at and what they need.

[Petden]

How many of you use graphite shafts for your irons, and do you find that you need a stiffer flex than with steel?

[st0wgolf08]

For most golfers a shaft that isn't stiff enough will cause the face to be more closed and more lofted at impact vs. a shaft with the right flex.

Closed and more lofted don't fit together, please clarify which you mean, open and high lofted, or closed and low lofted.

[st0wgolf08]

Lower ball flight = less distance.

No necessarily, my drivers go very very high, sometimes they suck back, so lower ball flight would mean more distance.

[Titleist Man]

No necessarily, my drivers go very very high, sometimes they suck back, so lower ball flight would mean more distance.

I play some downhill holes and sometimes ill hit some shots that that suck back a few FEET. I go up to the ball and laugh my head off. Its really irritating but its funny at the same time.

[jcrob902]

No necessarily, my drivers go very very high, sometimes they suck back, so lower ball flight would mean more distance.

I've had the same problem especially when it's wet out or on soft fairways I've left pitch marks in fairways and sometimes there in front of my ball when I get to it, frustrating is'nt it?

[DaveLeeNC]

Closed and more lofted don't fit together, please clarify which you mean, open and high lofted, or closed and low lofted.

Re: My statement that, for most golfers, the shaft flexes forward at impact, and this increases as flex decreases (as in going from S to R, etc).

Along with the shaft flexing forward (causing an increase in loft), the toe will bove forward more than the heel (which closes the clubface). dave

[Guest]

This will sound odd but swing the fairway harder at the bottom while staying through the finish. he fairway shaft may be stiffer than the driver and finishing before you do. The YS6 tends to play soft so I doubt the fairways are softer. If the the shaft is done a bit before you are it can both close the face and add loft/spin. Every swing is different and depending on how the parts of your swing are timed the results of soft and stiff can vary. The norm is soft equals hooks but it's not always the case. For example, who hasn't hooked/pulled a ball trying to lay off.

[st0wgolf08]

Re: My statement that, for most golfers, the shaft flexes forward at impact, and this increases as flex decreases (as in going from S to R, etc).

Oh, it was always my general assumption that that couldn't happen, I knew a closed face is less loft and a open is more, but i guess that shaft can contribute too