Shaft questions

[hoofreak7]

I have a CobraL4v Driver and i really love how the ball comes off the clubface.......when i bought it, i had been using a stiff shaft for a while but i would occasionally lose it right (now im learning that it was most likely more swing problem than shaft problem then) and i was coming off of an injury that caused my swing speed to go down slightly so i hit the driver with the regular shaft (demo day) and thought it was the better choice so i got it.....overall ive hit it straight but ive never been able to hit a cut with it whatsoever.....and lately ive been having some weird shots that seem to not even come close to hitting the center of the clubface and will take a dead turn left after i hit it (by the way im right handed)......my swing speed is anywhere between upper 90's low 100's.......should i move up to stiff and if so what shaft? (also by the way the stock shaft is a diamana blue board)

[Ken Smith]

The only way to really determine the appropriate shaft is through a swing frequency analysis. My initial thought is that your shaft is actually too stiff for your swing timing, which correlates to the shaft coming back to straight and square prior to impact. The result is a clubhead that is past square (more closed) at impact, making it extremely hard to deliver a fade. Of course this is purely speculation at this point. I cover this topic in some detail on my own blog if you're interested in reading more.

[iWALK18]

The only way to really determine the appropriate shaft is through a swing frequency analysis. My initial thought is that your shaft is actually too stiff for your swing timing, which correlates to the shaft coming back to straight and square prior to impact. The result is a clubhead that is past square (more closed) at impact, making it extremely hard to deliver a fade. Of course this is purely speculation at this point. I cover this topic in some detail on my own blog if you're interested in reading more.

I am no expert, but based on what I've read, I believe your analysis is not correct. Here is my thinking:

Due to the flex and resulting lag, a softer shaft gives the club head more time to square up, or in some cases get a bit shut. I would recommend a stiffer shaft if he is experiencing hooks.

[Ken Smith]

If the shaft is too soft, there would still be lag at impact, which would result in a consistent push or slice. But, since his issue is an ability to hit any cut at all, the shaft cannot be too soft.

[trjohnson2]

good move on the l4v, its a great club. I found in my tryouts with different shafts there wasnt a huge difference in workability with any given shaft, seeing as the club is designed to hit it long and straight. Ive got mine set up now to play a slight draw, but am still struggling to play a consistent high fade. You may want to look at your swing mechanics before you switch shafts.
If you do decide to go with a new shaft, I love mine (see sig), check it out.

[verse214]

If the shaft is too soft, there would still be lag at impact, which would result in a consistent push or slice. But, since his issue is an ability to hit any cut at all, the shaft cannot be too soft.

From what i've read i thought that iWalk18 was correct: I thought that generally if the shaft is too soft the individual would experience hooks and if it is too stiff you would tend to lose the ball to the right... also, with a swing speed of high 90's-100's most manufacturers suggest a stiff shaft, yes i know it's more about tempo but i don't know of anyone with a ss of 100 or more with a reg flex shaft first thing I would do would be to switch to a stiff shaft or if you like the regular flex try hitting a shaft with a lower torque and see how your balls turn out...

[Ken Smith]

You're partially right, in that swing speed is not as important as swing timing. You have to understand that the amount of load placed on the shaft is not important, as it is only the time interval that makes the first basic frequency selection. A lot of club fitters never grasp this concept, but it is easily proved by placing a shaft in a frequency meter and deflecting it several different amounts. No matter how much you load the shaft, the meter will always present the same basic frequency. I call this the basic frequency because a correction has to be made to arrive at the final golf club fitting and shaft selection. So to take it one step further, the correction is based on the centrifugal force acting upon the clubhead. When a golf shaft is flexed during the downswing, the centrifugal force generated by clubhead speed is attempting to straighten the shaft, which reduces the amount of spring action required to bring it back to straight and square at impact. If there were no centrifugal force applied, then the basic natural frequency would be the answer. But, since clubhead speed is the precurson to centrifugal force, then the correct relationship can be derived as a function of clubhead speed, which would translate to reduced frequency (softer shaft) as clubhead speed increases. This basic understanding goes against the general shaft selection of the majority of the golf club industry. So, if two players have the exact same time interval between shaft release and ball impact, the one with the higher swing speed actually gets a softer shaft than the player with the lower swing speed. Why? Because the player with the higher swing speed is getting more help from centrifugal force, and requires less spring action to bring the shaft back to straight and square at impact. I once fit a long drive competitor who had a 130+ swing speed. By industry standards, everybody would agree that he should be playing the stiffest shaft as he could find. After conducting a swing frequency analysis on him, we learned that he had a very early release, and actually needed a very soft shaft. After putting him into the properly-tuned shaft, his accuracy improved, as did his carry.

[MiniMoe]

I agree with the idea that when you release the club really determines the shaft flex. I swing at 105 - 110 mph, but I release very late.... Sergio late. I need an x flex shaft to be able to control the ball. Now, the stiffness of the shaft will keep the ball a little lower, but I have a lot of control. My overall distance is great. I was fitted by a tour caliber club fitter, and was told I need a softer shaft with more loft to increase ball carry and over all distance. He made me a driver and I did carry the ball a bit farther, but I lost control and overall distance. Too much is placed on carry distance. The most important part is control. Never lose control over distance. Every shaft is different and every shaft will react different to your swing. It takes time and some experimentation to find the perfect shaft and flex for your swing.