Consequences of a shaft that is too flexy?

[Aaronsrix17]

My driver shaft is a regular flex 50 grams taylormade burner shaft. Everytime I hit it on the range people say it is felxing a ton right when by backswing starts. I seem to have been having trouble hitting a drive straight of late. It's either a slice or a snap hook or a really high ball. I just got a stiff proforce 75 shaft in my burner 3 wood and I love it. Do I need a stiff flex driver?

[ks8829]

They say to play the most flexible shaft in your club that you can control. How long have you had your driver and have you been fitted, swing speed measured?

Consider bring in your club to the local golf store and try a stiff version of the same club and see the difference and get a recommendation from a knowledgeable person there.

[CG031]

My driver shaft is a regular flex 50 grams taylormade burner shaft. Everytime I hit it on the range people say it is felxing a ton right when by backswing starts. I seem to have been having trouble hitting a drive straight of late. It's either a slice or a snap hook or a really high ball. I just got a stiff proforce 75 shaft in my burner 3 wood and I love it. Do I need a stiff flex driver?

Sounds like you do. Too weak of shaft flex usually results in a very high ball flight or a snap hook, which you've claimed to have both issues. So, I'd say, yeah, a stiffer shaft could help that.

[Aaronsrix17]

at the local golf store my swing speed was around 93 with my 3 wood. So maybe Im like 97 with my driver. My average drive when I hitting the ball decently is like 250 with a little roll

[CG031]

at the local golf store my swing speed was around 93 with my 3 wood. So maybe Im like 97 with my driver. My average drive when I hitting the ball decently is like 250 with a little roll

Yeah, you're right in the edge of stiff and regular flex it sounds like...

If you want more control, what I did with my driver, is I got it cut down an inch. Most of the tour pro's play with a shorter driver than what us "normal" guys play off the shelf. If you were to shorten the shaft (will cost you about 15 bucks at Dicks/Golfsmith, including a new grip of your choice) it would stiffen it just a bit as well, and give you more accuracy because it will be easy to manage. Just an idea I'm throwing out there.

[clearwaterms]

Yeah, you're right in the edge of stiff and regular flex it sounds like...

this may not be 100% accurate. It will slow down your club head speed, but it won't stiffen the flex of the shaft. If you want to stiffen your shaft without replacing it, you could have the head removed, cut the 1" off the tip of the shaft, and have the club reassembled. The butt end of the shaft doesn't make that much of a difference on the flex of a shaft.

[clearwaterms]

Also, the Taylor made shafts are not generally considered HIGH end shafts, you can reshaft your club to a shaft that is more fitting of your swing, and you might find the results are everything you expect. A qualified club fitter can help you through that process.

[Leftygolfer]

I play with a shaft in my driver that I know is a bit too whippy. For me it is so easy to load and makes me swing at a good tempo. I have tried other drivers with stiff shafts and lost a bit of distance. The pull hook does come into play though for me. I would say the high shot and the hook are helped by the more flexable shaft, but the root orgin is the swing (at least for me). When I am driving it well, I couldn't get a better trajectory or distance so I still have old trusty.

[Ruckus]

at the local golf store my swing speed was around 93 with my 3 wood. So maybe Im like 97 with my driver. My average drive when I hitting the ball decently is like 250 with a little roll

Swing speed does not necessarily tell you the whole story about flex, it's a starting point. For years, I played a stiff shaft because that's what young men do, right? Recently, I got fitted for an R9, and my 102 MPH swing was recommended for a regular shaft. It felt weird at first, but I am getting more distance and higher flight (which I needed). The stigma of playing a regular shaft is gone, as I am hitting it great and don't have to overswing.

[allin]

Yeah, you're right in the edge of stiff and regular flex it sounds like...

A good idea.

[clearwaterms]

another thing to think about.

Your 3 wood is a heavier club, and you are using a heavier shaft. THe 50 gram shaft in your TM club might be causing you to swing to hard, which is causing too quick a transition at the top of your swing. The heavier shaft might be slowing you down and you don't even realize it.

A qualified fitter should be able to review your swing and tell you, you might not need more flex, you might need more weight.

[enis750]

your swing speed does play a key role in choosing your shaft, but as mentioned is NOT everything
one thing i learned, recently...is ball flight or "launch angle" and shaft torque
i swing at 110-115mph w the driver....on the verge of a X-Stiff shaft

but my ball flight or "launch angle" was too high...good is around 11-12.5 or so..i was 14-16...so it was to the moon!
i was loosing a lot of distance and was in trouble in the wind
i recently purchased a UST Pro Force V2 Stiff shaft...why not X-Stiff?
it's all about torque
my old shaft was a Diamana Stiff Blue Board 63g, 4.4º torque
check this link out and see where that shaft lies for ball flight: Titleist Shaft Comps.
the lower torque will stiffin the tip and the shaft, so it will play stiffer than the 63g
the new shaft is 77g and 2.1º of torque

the Diamana was the wrong shaft for me, with a mid/high launch - i needed a low launch
see where the pro force is, compared
my ball flight is now WAY better and more managable, now tracks at 11.5 launch angle
all it was, a little bit of research and $90CDN and my driver is BACK baby!

sorry for the long post, but i went through this same issue recently
long story short: decide what you want out of your shaft/driver, research the shaft's and pick what fits...i did this all for FREE, as sometimes the dudes at these stores "fitting" you don't know sh*t!

hope this helps you