Cleveland - Fujikura shafts

[Tommy]

Hi, I just bought a Cleveland HiBore Driver with the stock Fujikura shaft (regular flex) and wondered what others thought of the quality and performance characteristics of the shaft?

The driver is also available with the Aldila NV and ProLauch Blue. How does the Fujikura compare to these two shafts?

Thanks,

Tommy

[SuaSponteMn]

Hi, I just bought a Cleveland HiBore Driver with the stock Fujikura shaft (regular flex) and wondered what others thought of the quality and performance characteristics of the shaft?

Hi Tommy,

I bought the HiBore with that same stock sahft you're talking about, it's not a bad shaft at all. I played it for 3 months that way and the only real issue I had was that it launched a bit too high for my taste with a loft of 10.5. I replaced it with an Aldila NV65 in stiff flex and that has droped my ball flight dramatically, pretty sure the ProLaunch Blue is a higher launchiing shaft that wouldn't be terribly different in terms of height than the stock shaft. If you read most of the threads about shafts here, you'll notice that it's a highly personal thing, what's right for some usually isn't right for others. Everyone's tempo, swingspeed, and when they load the shaft is different. My suggestion would be to play it stock for while before investing another 130.00 in a new shaft.

[warbirdlover]

Hated the Cleveland regular flex Fuji shafts. Stiff are better. Put a NVS in that HiBore and watch it hum!!

[SuaSponteMn]

Put a NVS in that HiBore and watch it hum!!

Opinions vary. I was advised that the mid kickpoint in the NVS would launch the ball too high in a clubhead like the HiBore so I never even considered it. I suppose if someone had an issue with low launch conditions it might fit.

But again, probably a good idea for him at minimum to get on a launch monitor to determine what fits him best right? Probably better to just wait and see

[Tommy]

Thank you both. The NVS is only available in Canada at an additional cost. Normally, I would not consider a stiff shaft because I quite simply don't have the swing speed.

As I don't have any difficulty getting the ball up and given the design of the club, should I consider a stiff shaft?

I really appreciate the feedback. Unfortunately, I don't have access to any facilities where I can demo the various combinations at a driving range and therefore, am trying to narrow my choices - based on theory...

Thanks again.

[SuaSponteMn]

Normally, I would not consider a stiff shaft because I quite simply don't have the swing speed.

All of the shafts you're inquiring about come in regular flex as well, consider those as your options if you don't have the swing speed to use a stiff shaft the benefits should be the same.

As I don't have any difficulty getting the ball up and given the design of the club, should I consider a stiff shaft?

Not sure if launch angle would have much to do with flex, I think that's dictated more by clubhead speed, but there are plenty of gurus here that can confirm that.

I really appreciate the feedback. Unfortunately, I don't have access to any facilities where I can demo the various combinations at a driving range and therefore, am trying to narrow my choices - based on theory...

I still suggest you give it a while, work with the stock shaft, see if it helps you define what you're looking for in a replacement, or if you need to replace it at all.

-Mike

[Tommy]

All of the shafts you're inquiring about come in regular flex as well, consider those as your options if you don't have the swing speed to use a stiff shaft the benefits should be the same.

Thanks Mike. Please forgive the naive questions; the theory surrounding shafts is still a little foggy.

Notwithstanding where the kickpoint is situated, I had always thought that flex did influence trajectory. Therefore, based on the design of the HiBore - I wondered whether a stiff shaft was worth considering. Again, getting the ball up has never been an issue for me. I could be totally off the mark here...

[SuaSponteMn]

Thanks Mike. Please forgive the naive questions; the theory surrounding shafts is still a little foggy.

I suppose flex could impact trajectory to a certain extent, stiffer being a bit lower, but ultimately having the proper flex shaft is really going to limit left to right dispersion. To get any more detailed in this conversation, I'd have to defer to one of the clubfitters on the site, gas_can is about the most knowledgable I've noticed here and has been very helpful to me.

[RX Phoenix]

Thanks Mike. Please forgive the naive questions; the theory surrounding shafts is still a little foggy.

That's a very astute question, i'd say it IS worth considering. When I demoed the HiBore I did it outdoors with the various shafts and found to my surprise that I hit it best with the ProForce V2 stiff shaft so that is what I got. Because of the hilaunch design of the club you might find that you can use a stiff shaft with this driver and gain accuracy while not losing much launch angle and carry. The HiBore is certainly one of those drivers where a stiff shaft should be considered by those who normally would use an R flex.

[gas_can]

I suppose flex could impact trajectory to a certain extent, stiffer being a bit lower, but ultimately having the proper flex shaft is really going to limit left to right dispersion. To get any more detailed in this conversation, I'd have to defer to one of the clubfitters on the site, gas_can is about the most knowledgable I've noticed here and has been very helpful to me.

Mike,

Thanks for the kind words. Many people often refer to the shaft as the "engine" of the system. To me, this is a silly analogy. If I were to classify it in a car "system" I would put the golfer as the engine, the shaft as the transmission, and the clubhead as the tires. You wouldn't put off road tires on a Porsche, the same way as you wouldn't give a 7.5 degree clubhead to a person with trouble getting the ball up in the air. The golfer is the most important factor in the system. Swing mechanics dictate the launch angle, spin rate, and ball speed. The clubhead is the next most important factor in fitting. Clubhead has major effects on launch angle and spin rate as well as dispersion to the left and right. The least important factor is the shaft whose sole job is to deliver the clubhead in the proper geometry in relation to the swing. The reason why people with an early release tend to fit better with shafts softer in the tip while those with a later release work better with stiffer tipped shafts. I think part of the reason why so many people feel the shaft is so important is because they have never been properly fit for their shaft based on their swing and tempo. Knowing the correct bend profile of shaft (flexibility or stiffness in the butt, middle, and tip) which fits your swing, you would be surprised how many different brands of shafts you can play well with.

[Tommy]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

Based on your comments (and an assuring message from Gas_Can), I removed the plastic from the driver and headed to the range several days ago. Its an amazing driver with, I feel, the right shaft.

My experience with the HiBore proved the advertising from Cleveland correct. It flies consistently higher, further and straighter than my 905T...I'm not sure that I'll ever go back .

Thanks again,

Tommy