No fitters in my area! I need a shaft recommendation.

[caseyclev]

Hey guys. I know this isn't ideal, but I do not live near a golf shop or fitter. (2 1/2 hours). I recieved a Cleveland 588 custom driver for Christmas. I love the head and options for lie and angle unfortunately it came with a stiff shaft and my swing speeds are mid to upper 80's. I'd like a shaft with a average kick point and wieght. Any suggestions and questions about my game are welcome. As I inderstand it I will have to attach a new adjustable tip to the shaft that I order. Thanks in advance Casey

[cooke119]

I would talk to Cleveland first, is the club new? BTW, I have not found much difference between stock regular and stiff shafts (although a lot of people will disagree with me). It is more about the Indian not the arrow.

[caseyclev]

It was new but I have played a few rounds with it 3 or 4. For the two seasons of played with the Cleveland launcher regular shaftand there's a definite difference between the two clubs could be the shaft could be the head but I feel like it's the shaft. Oh and since I don't have that fast of a swing speed I like to get all the help I can from the shaft.

[WUTiger]

BTW, I have not found much difference between stock regular and stiff shafts (although a lot of people will disagree with me). It is more about the Indian not the arrow.

cooke , you need to match the Indian with the right arrows. If you have clubs and shafts that are wrong for your swing, you won't play well.

Last year, I tested out a Callaway Big Bertha Alpha driver. Just for fun, I tried a few shots with a Fubuki ZT 70 XStiff graphite shaft. I got about 170 yds. carry, and the shots got maybe 15 feet off the ground.  With an R-flex shaft,  I got about 210 yds. carry with better height. (But not as far as my older RazrFit driver.)

caseyclev, I can understand a deadspot for golf shops, but are you sure there's no clubfitter or repair person in your area? Just wondering.

If you want some exactness on a reshaft, you'll need the help of a fitter. Do you ever visit the area  2 1/2 hours away for other reasons? If so, make a fitting appointment as part of the trip.  Otherwise, you're in for months of expensive, trial-and-error guessing.

[caseyclev]

WUtiger, I totally understand the need for a proper fitting and I may wait until I am able to get there. Unless I get some some reliable recommendations on a shaft in the mean time. The weather has broke here in Mississippi and I am itching to swing away properly with my new driver.

[cooke119]

I was just going with a real world analysis done by Mark Crossfield on YouTube showing that stiff versus regular shaft really did not make that much of a difference. Now if you start getting into Kick Points, etc. well I guess the replacement shaft maybe different, I suggest you look at Mark Crossfield's review on YouTube.

[cooke119]

YouTube - Mark Crossfield "Shaft Flex Makes No Difference or Does It?

[caseyclev]

I just checked out that video and unfortunately it couldn't be further from the data that is helpful to me. Results concluded that his swing speeds were upwards of 110-115. And fits nicely between a stiff and x stiff shaft. I do not fit nicely between a stiff and x stiff shaft. I and mid to upper 80s swing speed and think that a regular shaft would be better for me. "Think" is the key word there maybe this thread could help me out in deciding if I needs to change from stiff to regular.

[dkolo]

I just checked out that video and unfortunately it couldn't be further from the data that is helpful to me. Results concluded that his swing speeds were upwards of 110-115. And fits nicely between a stiff and x stiff shaft. I do not fit nicely between a stiff and x stiff shaft. I and mid to upper 80s swing speed and think that a regular shaft would be better for me. "Think" is the key word there maybe this thread could help me out in deciding if I needs to change from stiff to regular.

Mark Crossfield has a swing speed about 100-105, depending on the day. The numbers in that video were from Steve Buzza, I think.

If you're in the 80s mph, then you would probably be better in a R flex, maybe a lighter weight shaft more than worrying about flex, to get your clubhead speed up. But the video's point is right: shaft flex isn't really that important. It's tinkering around the edges. A lot of it is personal comfort and feel. I was hitting Big Bertha Alpha 815 drivers in regular flex and the golfsmith guy gave me a stiff one to try. I gained about 3 mph of clubhead speed, and a couple extra yards, but it's margin of error stuff. I might've been swinging harder. I like the feel of a stiff flex, but my current driver is R flex, and is fine. My 3W is stiff and it's fine.

But yeah I think, for you, your focus should perhaps be more on finding a lighter weight shaft to help pick up clubhead speed. I don't think you'd go wrong in a R flex, to address the flex part of the question. You might also consider, depending on how long your current shaft is and your skill with driver, going to something a half inch or inch longer? Accuracy might or might not suffer, but 46" shafts is how Callaway and Taylormade juice up distance via clubhead speed in their XR-series and Aeroburner drivers. I'm throwing out some general ideas for you to consider. It's hard to suggest concretely without you being able to try some at least comparable stuff.

[caseyclev]

Dkolo, thanks for the info. I am not as concerned about getting my clubhead spead faster as I am getting a shaft to fit my existing swing. And was wondering what the forum might suggest to go with a Cleveland 588 custom head.

[bste]

http://@golfworks.com has a lot of shaft info if you would like to do a search for a new shaft.

A good fitter is your best bet to get the proper shaft.

[saevel25]

Hey guys. I know this isn't ideal, but I do not live near a golf shop or fitter. (2 1/2 hours). I recieved a Cleveland 588 custom driver for Christmas. I love the head and options for lie and angle unfortunately it came with a stiff shaft and my swing speeds are mid to upper 80's. I'd like a shaft with a average kick point and wieght. Any suggestions and questions about my game are welcome. As I inderstand it I will have to attach a new adjustable tip to the shaft that I order. Thanks in advance

Casey

Check out a few of the shaft companies online, they usually have some sort of online fitter to get you started.