Shaft Question

[bbedell]

I currently play a driver with a 60 gram Matrix X-con 5.5 MOI shaft. I'm thinking about picking up a driver with a 68g Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana Blue shaft. Both are stiff flex...I know the Matrix has a lowish kick point, not sure about the Diamana.

I dont really consider myself up on shaft specifications and how they affect a driver's performance. My main question is this: what if any differences - positive or negative - could I expect between how these two shafts play given their differences in weight and possibly in kick point? Thanks in advance for any help.

[msd3075]

Both of the links below have some good information on different shafts available.

http://www.titleist.com/images/produ...haft_chart.pdf
http://www.titleist.com/golfclubs/sh...ts/default.asp

Granted they are only the shafts that Titleist offers and that there are many more out there, they still should give you a good feel on what different shafts will do and how different specs affect your ball flight. At the end of the day though your only good bet is to get on a launch monitor and see what is best for you.

[James_Black]

http://thesandtrap.com/forum/threads/36964-Shaft-FAQ-s

A heavier shaft will give you more control but you may find you'll get less distance.
A higher kick point will give a lower launch, while a lower kick point will give a higher launch.

[bbedell]

thanks guys that definitely helps. My current shaft as well as the shaft I am looking at are on that chart. Looks like the Diamana will result in a lower spin rate and a slightly lower launch...I'm a bit concerned with that given that my current driver is a 10.5 degree and the new one I'm looking at is a 9.5 degree. Combining the lower face angle with the lower launch as a result of the shaft could be a bad thing distance wise no?

[chilly]

Really depends on what the driver is, and what your typical ball flight looks like. The Diamana Blue isn't really a low launch shaft from the ones I've hit, I'd call it mid flight to high depending on the clubhead it's in.

[James_Black]

thanks guys that definitely helps. My current shaft as well as the shaft I am looking at are on that chart. Looks like the Diamana will result in a lower spin rate and a slightly lower launch...I'm a bit concerned with that given that my current driver is a 10.5 degree and the new one I'm looking at is a 9.5 degree. Combining the lower face angle with the lower launch as a result of the shaft could be a bad thing distance wise no?

It depends if you have the power to keep the ball in the air.

I think most people would benefit from a softer shaft and more loft but that's just me.

[bbedell]

the one i'm currently looking at is the Srixon Z-TX in a 9.5 degree. My current driver is a TaylorMade R7 Limited 10.5 degree. I dont have a particularly high swing speed, probably around 95mph or so...it's been a while since I've had it measured. From the diagrams I've seen, they seem to agree that my current shaft is a mid to mid/high launch shaft and the Diamana is a mid.

[Crey23]

the one i'm currently looking at is the Srixon Z-TX in a 9.5 degree. My current driver is a TaylorMade R7 Limited 10.5 degree. I dont have a particularly high swing speed, probably around 95mph or so...it's been a while since I've had it measured. From the diagrams I've seen, they seem to agree that my current shaft is a mid to mid/high launch shaft and the Diamana is a mid.

Question...why do you want to change? Is it that you are not getting the distance that you want, or are you spraying all over the place?

I would also caution on going to a heavier shaft in stiff given your swing speed...at 95mph you are on the cusp between reg and stiff. On a lighter shaft a stiff may be OK, but a heavier shaft a stiff may not fut you well. I would suggest that you get yourself fitted..... I know is what everyone always says, and most of us seldom do, but when you are trying to take your driving to the next level, making arbitrary decision on what you thinn you want may actually jurt your game more. Get youself on a launch monitor with your current club, and take note of you stats...swing speed, launch angle, ball spin, etc, and then compare to other drivers with similar shafts to the one you are looking at. When I changed to the r7 Limited, I was on the hunt for an Aldila NV 65g Reg to fit my r7 CBG Max, and the sales man told me something that made sence.....when you change shafts arbitrarily you run the risk of not liking the result, because ultimately, you wont know until you hit it. Good luck on your search, and let us know what you ended up with.

[bbedell]

Well I like my current driver just fine, but it's getting older. I found potentially a good deal on the Z-TX, love the way the club looks at address and have hit it a few times at the local shop and like the way it feels. Problem is, I've never gotten on a monitor with it and so I dont have any concrete numbers to prove to me that I hit it better than my current club. I just figured it's a great driver, has gotten excellent reviews, and I like the way it feels so if I can get it for a steal then why not pick one up? This might be totally backasswards and I could be just kidding myself on this one but I wanted to get some feedback on the shaft change before I did anything.

[Crey23]

Well I like my current driver just fine, but it's getting older. I found potentially a good deal on the Z-TX, love the way the club looks at address and have hit it a few times at the local shop and like the way it feels. Problem is, I've never gotten on a monitor with it and so I dont have any concrete numbers to prove to me that I hit it better than my current club. I just figured it's a great driver, has gotten excellent reviews, and I like the way it feels so if I can get it for a steal then why not pick one up? This might be totally backasswards and I could be just kidding myself on this one but I wanted to get some feedback on the shaft change before I did anything.

OK...so you are not trying to correct something specifically....then is all fair game. Try it out you can't go wrong, but here is some food for thought.

- The diamana Blue has higher torque 4.4* (the Matrix is between 4.0* (XCon-5) and 2.5* (XCon-6) The lower the number the less tendency for the shaft to twist. - A heavier shaft may rob you of swing speed, so your 95 mph might drop slightly - If I read the tables correctly, the 68 is X I think this shaft may lead to low slices...you may hit a few spot on, but I think your consistency will suffer from it. It will require some serious practice time to get comfortable. But like I said, if it's a great deal go for it...there is only one way to find out!!!!! Just don't get rid of the r7 just yet! Edit: I found these specs online: Features: • Stiff Flex • 60 grams • 3.1 Torque • Low to Mid Trajectory / Mid to High Kick • .350 Tip / Standard Length Driver Shaft

[bbedell]

Yeah honestly I think the best feature of my current Matrix 5.5 shaft is the low torque, I feel like compared to others it really helps me keep the ball straight on mishits. As far as the Diamana shaft, the one on the driver I hit was a 68 g stiff flex shaft, definitely not X-stiff.

It is definitely a potentially great deal, but it's not really an inconsequential amount of money - in other words, I'd still be disappointed if I spent that money and didnt end up liking the club as much as my current one.

When I was hitting it at the range, I definitely did hit a few slices (not really low I dont think) but I chalked that up to my swing being a bit off that day as I hit a few other drivers during the same session and was having the same problem.

[jpalermo]

Becareful with the specs you read online..... The "made for shafts" are different specs than the real ones.

[Crey23]

Becareful with the specs you read online..... The "made for shafts" are different specs than the real ones.

Yup...the originally posted were the real Ozik....I found the "Made for" specs as well.....they are in my edited comment above.

[bbedell]

Hey guys. I ended up not purchasing the driver. The one I was looking at was on ebay, and the price climbed just a bit higher than what I considered an "absolute steal" (but the end price was still less than 50% of retail!). This combined with the info you guys provided me with kind of swayed me away from the club. I'll keep my eyes open though. TGW is having insane deals right now on used/demo clubs (extra 15% off) so there are lots of things to look at there for minimum monetary commitment.

[mr66]

Help with Equipment I just started playing golf for first time 7 months ago , got all the equipment from a friend, Cheap clubs and a Used Taylor Made R5 Stiff Shaft 9.5 Degrees, that i now dented and cracked a little, i used to swing around 120-130 when i first strted i might be in 125 now cause i swing 85% , if im in the zone with the driver im 310 to 370 yds , but i tend to go OB 2 or 3 times. You guys think i should get a X Stiff and a new Driver and what driver you recomend. I am a 21 Hdc bad golfer but starting to come around maybe new driver and new irons might help. Thanks