Jump to content
IGNORED

Changing driver shafts - is a fitting necessary?


Note: This thread is 3673 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

I have a TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 driver with a regular-flex shaft and after changing my irons to a stiff shaft due to my swing speed, the driver is now too "whippy" and I'm beating the ball into the ground. I went to Golf Galaxy today (GG and Dick's are my only options) and looked at their stiff, low kick-point driver shafts since I want to get more loft and spin on my drives. The rep said that they would have to schedule me for a driver fitting ($29.99) and find the shaft for me thereafter. My question is is this really necessary? I was looking at shafts and the one I picked out based on what I was looking to do (UST Mamiya 65) looked like a good fit. I'm only a "twice a month" player so is it really necessary to go through and pay for the fitting? Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


I won't say that it is absolutely necessary but it's probably a good idea. If you just buy one off the shelf, it's just going to be a crapshoot whether or not it'll work for you, so you're taking a $100 gamble that you'll get the results you're looking for. Spending the money on the fitting will help you ensure you get the shaft that will give you the results you want. On top of that, most retailers will put the cost of the fitting (or at least a portion of it) towards your purchase if you make one.

Tristan Hilton

My Equipment: 
PXG 0211 Driver (Diamana S+ 60; 10.5°) · PXG 0211 FWs (Diamana S+ 60; 15° and 21°) · PXG 0211 Hybrids (MMT 80; 22°, 25°, and 28°) · PXG 0311P Gen 2 Irons (SteelFiber i95; 7-PW) · Edel Wedges (KBS Hi-Rev; 50°, 55°, 60°) · Edel Classic Blade Putter (32") · Vice Pro or Maxfli Tour · Pinned Prism Rangefinder · Star Grips · Flightscope Mevo · TRUE Linkswear Shoes · Sun Mountain C130S Bag

On my MacBook Pro:
Analyzr Pro

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

If i had the dough to afford top of the line golf gear, all the advertised club fittings, the fancy clothing, super comfy spiked shoes, lessons weekly and weekends at Bandon Dunes and Whistling Hills, you would find me on the cover of Forbes magazine.  But my game may not be improved any.

I have swapped numerous shafts of various flex on woods and irons.  One hour on the range puts me right in sync with the new club. Fitting necessary?  Not for me. When i get to HC 12, i might consider but till then i am too inconsistent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


For me, a driver fitting was a game changer.

If you do not want to spend the $30 - do a search for Taylormade fittings near you - the fitting will be free.

Follow me on twitter

Chris, although my friends call me Mr.L

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

For me, a driver fitting was a game changer.

If you do not want to spend the $30 - do a search for Taylormade fittings near you - the fitting will be free.

I've noticed that your cap has dropped substantially since getting fit for that new driver and 3 wood. Nice work!

Yours in earnest, Jason.
Call me Ernest, or EJ or Ernie.

PSA - "If you find yourself in a hole, STOP DIGGING!"

My Whackin' Sticks: :cleveland: 330cc 2003 Launcher 10.5*  :tmade: RBZ HL 3w  :nickent: 3DX DC 3H, 3DX RC 4H  :callaway: X-22 5-AW  :nike:SV tour 56* SW :mizuno: MP-T11 60* LW :bridgestone: customized TD-03 putter :tmade:Penta TP3   :aimpoint:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

If you only play a couple times a month, it may be better to get a lesson focusing on how to hit the driver, and you'll have it for the rest of your life. If anything your instructor should be able to change your ball flight more than any equipment tweak. I hit my 8.5˚ X stiff driver much higher and farther than I ever hit my first driver, a 10.5˚ regular. It's because of my angle of attack and my having a better swing, but I don't discount how nicely the better equipment feels and performs.

If you pay for the fitting, the reshaft job, and the replacement shaft, it may be that they won't have a major impact. If you're hitting the ball low then more loft and a different shaft should help your average result to be a bit better. Certainly in my case, a stiffer set of shafts helped me a bit but it wasn't until much later that I got better. A fitting will give you some good information and it could make an immediate difference once you're used to it; and you may be able to use the launch monitor data to learn more about your swing. You can always use the great resources on this site to try and get the most out of your new setup.

It's your choice, but just keep in mind the fitting and lesson are in the same ballpark cost and time wise in many cases.

In My Bag:

Adams Super LS 9.5˚ driver, Aldila Phenom NL 65TX
Adams Super LS 15˚ fairway, Kusala black 72x
Adams Super LS 18˚ fairway, Aldila Rip'd NV 75TX
Adams Idea pro VST hybrid, 21˚, RIP Alpha 105x
Adams DHY 24˚, RIP Alpha 89x
5-PW Maltby TE irons, KBS C taper X, soft stepped once 130g
Mizuno T4, 54.9 KBS Wedge X
Mizuno R12 60.5, black nickel, KBS Wedge X
Odyssey Metal X #1 putter 
Bridgestone E5, Adidas samba bag, True Linkswear Stealth
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Who knows, I might even end up trading the thing in for a different club. I was thinking of taking a stiff-shafted driver off of the pre-owned rack and seeing what it felt like compared to the regular shaft as well. Is having stiff irons and a regular driver that big of a deal? Or is it just in my head?

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Who knows, I might even end up trading the thing in for a different club. I was thinking of taking a stiff-shafted driver off of the pre-owned rack and seeing what it felt like compared to the regular shaft as well. Is having stiff irons and a regular driver that big of a deal? Or is it just in my head?

I don't think it's that big a deal, I play X stiff in everything but when I hit demos or other people's clubs that have stiff or regular, I can still put a decent swing on the ball. I played a stiff in my driver, 3w, and hybrid for a while when I had X stiff irons and hit them well enough. But my setup does feel better to me and helps me control the ball a bit better. Personally I didn't get fitted on a monitor, but my results are pretty good and I picked shafts that play about the same in terms of flex because I have the same needs across the whole set. Usually a player who mixes flex in their set might have a softer wedge or 3w shaft to change their flight a bit or add spin, but it's not unheard of to mix whatever feels good to you.

If you can find a used driver you like better, even if you just like how it sets up to the ball, it could help if you actually dislike your current one. Certainly try out some different flexes and weights, and see if it makes a difference for you. I wouldn't expect a drastic change (though some people respond well) and I still say technique is especially important for the driver either way. Don't go in expecting to buy anything at first but just get a sense of what you like.

In My Bag:

Adams Super LS 9.5˚ driver, Aldila Phenom NL 65TX
Adams Super LS 15˚ fairway, Kusala black 72x
Adams Super LS 18˚ fairway, Aldila Rip'd NV 75TX
Adams Idea pro VST hybrid, 21˚, RIP Alpha 105x
Adams DHY 24˚, RIP Alpha 89x
5-PW Maltby TE irons, KBS C taper X, soft stepped once 130g
Mizuno T4, 54.9 KBS Wedge X
Mizuno R12 60.5, black nickel, KBS Wedge X
Odyssey Metal X #1 putter 
Bridgestone E5, Adidas samba bag, True Linkswear Stealth
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

When I bought the Stage 2, I also hit a Callaway, a Nike VR-S and a TaylorMade SuperFast 2.0. The Stage 2 was the one I hit the best. Maybe I'll just take it to the range tomorrow and try to work some kinks out before dropping money on a new shaft or a new driver.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Don't depend on what the shaft is labeled to mean a whole lot. An "S Flex" from one company may be nothing like an "S Flex" from another company and even from the same company they won't be completely identical. Then there are higher and lower kick points that can also be different.

A guy at the course today had a club that was an "S". Mine is an "S". It was obvious they weren't even close to the same and if I hadn't looked I would have thought his was an "R Flex".

Link to comment
Share on other sites


If I were you I would sell your current driver on ebay and either look into a new one or swing some used ones at Golf Galaxy. Find one that has a shaft you like the feel of and a head you like the look of, and pull the trigger.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Note: This thread is 3673 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • TST Partners

    TourStriker PlaneMate
    Golfer's Journal
    ShotScope
    The Stack System
    FlightScope Mevo
    Direct: Mevo, Mevo+, and Pro Package.

    Coupon Codes (save 10-15%): "IACAS" for Mevo/Stack, "IACASPLUS" for Mevo+/Pro Package, and "THESANDTRAP" for ShotScope.
  • Popular Now

  • Posts

    • Makes sense.  Like I said, I wouldn't have been upset at their original offer either, and based on the fine print it seems like they've held up their end of the deal.  
    • If you've only had to adjust retroactively one time in 8 years and have around 5 people each year without handicaps, that's like 40-50 people total so it sounds like you're doing a pretty good job. I think your questions give enough to go off of. This might be a good way to get new people to actually post a few scores during the 6 weeks leading into the first event. Something like "New members will be eligible for tournament money once they have at least 3 posted rounds in GHIN" or something like that. If they can get 3 rounds in prior to their first event, then they're eligible. If not, they'll soon become eligible after an event or two assuming they play a little bit outside of events.
    • This is a loooooong winded narrative so if you don't like long stories, move on. 😉 Our senior club typically gets about 25 new members each year. We lose about 25 members each year for various reasons (moved to FL/AZ, disabled, dead, too expensive). Of the new members, usually 20 have an active GHIN handicap. About 5 each year do not have a GHIN handicap. When they join our club, we give each member a state association membership that includes GHIN handicapping services. We play a series of handicapped tournaments over the summer. When we sign up a new member who does not have a GHIN handicap, we attempt to give them an estimated index until they have sufficient scores posted to have an actual GHIN index.  Our first event typically is around May 15 so, in theory, a new member has about 6 weeks to post a few scores. Posting season in the Mitten starts April 1. Inevitably, several of the unhandicapped individuals seem  to either not play until the first tournament or can't figure out how to enter scores (hey, they are seniors). That situation then leads to my contacting the new member and asking a series of questions: a. Did you ever have a GHIN handicap? If yes, which State and do you recall what it was? b. Do you have an alternate handicap through a non-GHIN handicap service or a league? c. What do you think your average score was last year (for 9 or 18) d. What was your best score last year? Where did you play and which tee was used? e. What do you consider a very good score for yourself? Based on their responses I attempt to give them an index that makes them competitive in the first couple events BUT does not allow them to win their flight in the first couple events. We don't want the new members to finish last and at the same time, we don't want someone with a "20" playing handicap to win the third flight with a net 57. In the event some new member did shoot a net 57, we also advise everyone that we can and will adjust handicaps retroactively when it is clear to us that a member's handicap does not accurately reflect their potential. We don't like to adjust things retroactively and in the 8 years I have chaired the Handicap Committee, we have only done it once. So here are the questions to the mob: Any ideas how to do this better? Any questions one might ask an unhandicapped individual to better estimate their index/handicap? Would it be reasonable to have a new player play once (or more?) without being eligible to place in the money?
    • Wordle 1,013 4/6 ⬜🟨⬜🟨🟨 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
    • Awesome! I got that a while back with my start word! Wordle 1,013 4/6 ⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨 ⬜🟨⬜🟩⬜ ⬜⬜🟩🟩🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.

The popup will be closed in 10 seconds...