Learning to work with the shaft you have.

[FHopper]

I don't get to see good players on the course, just duffers. Yesterday the teaching Pro asked if he could hit my '07 10.5* reg Burner, the first two were admirable shots, slight right movement, then he turned toward me and said there was something wrong with the shaft, that it was slow. I told him that the day before I was hitting in front of a machine and that the fitter told me I needed a lower kick point, he made a guttural noise and teed up again. The next two shots were the most amazing balls I have ever seen, high with incredible carry and straight to the exact same spot on the left side of the range. He said that those were 10.5 shots and he guessed I would be able to work with the shaft!!!!!! What the hell was that all about!
Reading on the net about kickpoints made it seem like those are way too nuanced for a recreational player to worry about, after all the "point" only moves within a range of a few inches anyway. But what would make a shaft "slow"? I asked him if he meant it was stiffer than it should be, he said no and changed the subject.
Argg, all the shaft specs require years if experience to appreciate and the variation in production tolerances means it is all a crap shoot anyway. How could anyone but a touring Pro swing a club and know if the shaft is a problem or not?
I am shaft depressed.

[flopdarock]

wow... that wasnt cool... i could see a teaching pro tell a low hcp student something like that but to tell a high hcp that only messes with their mind

[2bGood]

I wouldn't worry about it one bit. Club fitting is way over rated for a player like you. You need a shaft that it okay for you, but beyond that it doesn't matter. As 30 hdcp you don"t have one swing, and you swing is changing as you get better so you don"t need a dailed in shaft / club - you just need a club that will help you improve.

[Uber$winG]

If that’s the shaft for which you were fitted, then that’s the shaft that fits you.

When the teaching pro at the place at which I practice utters the occasional unsolicited comment to me… I very politely say, “Don’t you have some sweaters to fold in the pro shop.”

[Parker0065]

I agree the Pro was kind of "Out There" analyzing your shaft and not taking the time to explain.

I'm guessing what he meant was a better player with that shaft has to wait on it at impact, but basically a lower kick point will help hit the ball higher and with a 10.5* driver I would hit that thing way too high,,lol.

Three years ago I went to a Mizuno MP-001 8.5*(Exsar 60 Stiff Shaft) and hit it very far but my FIR started going down. I switched to a Taylormade R7 8.5*(Fujikura 60 Reax Stiff Shaft) and my FIR started going back up but I lost about 10 yards on average. This year I changed to a MacGregor MT 8.5*(Bassara 63 x5ct Stiff Shaft) and got the best of both worlds with the length of the MP-001 and the accuracy of the R7. I believe it was all in the shaft as far as the overall perfomance of each driver.

Having the right shaft does make a difference but I would also look at feel and ball flight. Also remember there is no set standard for shaft flex so every company has thier own meaning of Stiff/Regular Flex. If your hitting it good with your current shaft I wouldn't worry about anything the pro or anyone say's!

[zrlaegel]

i agree. if your hitting well dont worry abut what the person is saying. the best thing to do is to go demo a few different drivers and see what you like. check out drivers with UST Pro force shafts, and matrix ozik you may like em. on the websites they explain what each of their shafts do and how it effects ball flight and trajectory.

[MiniMoe]

By slow he was trying to explain the head of the club did not keep up with his hands, so the head lagged behind..... so it was slow. I feel it a lot. I don't have the fastest swing, but the way I load the club and release it, I can tell the difference in shaft flex and shaft weight. I need a heavy shaft that is pretty stiff to be able to "keep" up with my release. I have been told by club fitters that I need to change my swing to be able to hit the clubs they "fit" me to. Funny that they try to make the swinger of the club feel bad to try to sell a club that is "perfect" if only they had a better swing. o

If you have the same miss over time with a good swing, then maybe you need to change drivers... especially if all the other clubs in the bag are under control. Just be aware of the scams out there. Try a bunch of different clubs with a bunch of different shafts. You never know what is going to work best until you try it.

[flopdarock]

i once took a group lesson... this question came up about shaft flex's...
a guy in the group said he thinks he needs x-flex's blah blah blah...
the pro took a 6i from a ladies bag/ a seniors bag/ my bag/ and the guy with reg flex's...
he just started hitting shots and calling them out... high draw/ weak fade/ low punch/ 50yrds/ 100/ etc etc... i just lol'd...
it also reminds me of a friend who carried way diff flex's in his bag... heck i carry reg woods and stiff irons...
for a pro to get in your head about your clubs is kinda weird... unless he was trying to sell you on some clubs or something

[MizunoPlayer]

I think he was just trying to show off or what not. It's not cool for someone to make a comment and then not explain it. He's a teaching pro and should be giving advice; especially when he starts it. When it comes down to it, you enjoy the equipment you have and you have fun playing golf.