Conundrum about what driver to play

[b101]

I'd also agree with going to a shorter shaft - a proper fitting is the best way, but most of us amateurs just can't handle the 46' shafts. In my fitting a month or so back, the fitter subbed out the standard Aldila Tour Blue 46' shaft (S flex) for a Project X Black 6.5 (S verging on XS)at 44.5'. Before, I was swinging at around 104 mph, now it's 105 mph - which I didn't see coming based on shortening the shaft. It's also made it a lot easier to find the middle of the clubface. My longest prior to the new shaft was 321, now up to 326, but the average is way up due to the better loading of the shaft and it kicking at the right time in the downswing. Would thoroughly recommend a proper fitting, but I guess the main point I'm trying to make is that cutting the shaft down won't necessarily reduce your clubhead speed - assuming you're getting the right shaft put in.

[mtsalmela80]

Man you guys are hitting some bombs. I'm the longest average hitter with the guys I play with and a fair average for me is 250-260.

I agree with the shorter shaft. I completely arbitrarily shortened an old Burner driver a few years ago and it worked miracles. I bought a brand new Rocketballz later on and struggled all over the place.

A couple weeks ago I put the Burner back in the bag, and it was almost as if I could hit the ball as hard as I possibly can and keep it in good play.

I can almost fade it or draw it on command, and I'm a bogey golfer.

[Duff McGee]

I'd also agree with going to a shorter shaft - a proper fitting is the best way, but most of us amateurs just can't handle the 46' shafts. In my fitting a month or so back, the fitter subbed out the standard Aldila Tour Blue 46' shaft (S flex) for a Project X Black 6.5 (S verging on XS)at 44.5'. Before, I was swinging at around 104 mph, now it's 105 mph - which I didn't see coming based on shortening the shaft. It's also made it a lot easier to find the middle of the clubface. My longest prior to the new shaft was 321, now up to 326, but the average is way up due to the better loading of the shaft and it kicking at the right time in the downswing. Would thoroughly recommend a proper fitting, but I guess the main point I'm trying to make is that cutting the shaft down won't necessarily reduce your clubhead speed - assuming you're getting the right shaft put in.

That's really great to hear. I appreciate the advice. What is your degree loft on the club? These 10.5's feel deadly accurate but, again, I am losing a lot of distance in the simulators.

[Duff McGee]

Man you guys are hitting some bombs. I'm the longest average hitter with the guys I play with and a fair average for me is 250-260. I agree with the shorter shaft. I completely arbitrarily shortened an old Burner driver a few years ago and it worked miracles. I bought a brand new Rocketballz later on and struggled all over the place. A couple weeks ago I put the Burner back in the bag, and it was almost as if I could hit the ball as hard as I possibly can and keep it in good play. I can almost fade it or draw it on command, and I'm a bogey golfer.

My average distance is probably around your average distance if you consider the 10% shank I'm currently experiencing. Most of the time I really can hit bombs over 300 but those rare snap hooks that appear once a round are absolutely killing me.

[b101]

That's really great to hear. I appreciate the advice. What is your degree loft on the club? These 10.5's feel deadly accurate but, again, I am losing a lot of distance in the simulators.

It's a 10.5 up to 11.5. I should probably put it up to 12.5, too as I tend to hit down on the ball more than I should do - something for the range tomorrow!

My average distance is probably around your average distance if you consider the 10% shank I'm currently experiencing. Most of the time I really can hit bombs over 300 but those rare snap hooks that appear once a round are absolutely killing me.

How do you shank a driver?! Do you mean a toe hit that flies way left?

I can almost fade it or draw it on command, and I'm a bogey golfer.

Honestly, I can be pretty much 100% certain you'd be better than a bogey golfer if you just played your stock shot, be it draw or fade and trusted it. Or, whichever is more controllable on the day. I'm currently trying to learn to hit a draw, with relatively good success, so that I can take the slice out of play, but unless the draw is completely unplayable (i.e. I'd run out of fairway), I wouldn't try to do anything else with the driver. Trying to chop and change at our level only ends up in the rough (and usually worse).

[Jon Hoover]

You could probably go to a shorter driver and reduce the loft to keep the same distance, you should be setting your loft relative to your club head speed. According to a table from The Search for the Perfect Golf Club by Tom Wishon, the ideal driver loft to maximize carry distance for each of the below swing speeds (based on a swing angle of attack of +2.5 degrees as the average golfer has a slight upward angle of attack with the driver) is as follows:

60mph - loft of 19* for a carry distance of 122yds
70mph - loft of 19* for a carry distance of 156yds
80mph - loft of 13* for a carry distance of 185yds
90mph - loft of 13* for a carry distance of 213yds
100mph - loft of 10* for a carry distance of 236yds
110mph - loft of 9* for a carry distance of 257yds

Hope that helps.

[Duff McGee]

You could probably go to a shorter driver and reduce the loft to keep the same distance, you should be setting your loft relative to your club head speed. [COLOR=282828]According to a table from [/COLOR][COLOR=282828] The Search for the Perfect Golf Club [/COLOR][COLOR=282828] by Tom Wishon, the ideal driver loft to maximize carry distance for each of the below swing speeds (based on a swing angle of attack of +2.5 degrees as the average golfer has a slight upward angle of attack with the driver) is as follows:[/COLOR][COLOR=282828] [/COLOR][COLOR=282828] [/COLOR][COLOR=282828]60mph - loft of 19* for a carry distance of 122yds[/COLOR][COLOR=282828] [/COLOR][COLOR=282828]70mph - loft of 19* for a carry distance of 156yds[/COLOR][COLOR=282828] [/COLOR][COLOR=282828]80mph - loft of 13* for a carry distance of 185yds[/COLOR][COLOR=282828] [/COLOR][COLOR=282828]90mph - loft of 13* for a carry distance of 213yds[/COLOR][COLOR=282828] [/COLOR][COLOR=282828]100mph - loft of 10* for a carry distance of 236yds[/COLOR][COLOR=282828] [/COLOR][COLOR=282828]110mph - loft of 9* for a carry distance of 257yds[/COLOR][COLOR=282828] [/COLOR][COLOR=282828] [/COLOR][COLOR=282828]Hope that helps. [/COLOR]

Actually that helps a lot. Thanks!

[b101]

You could probably go to a shorter driver and reduce the loft to keep the same distance, you should be setting your loft relative to your club head speed. According to a table from The Search for the Perfect Golf Club by Tom Wishon, the ideal driver loft to maximize carry distance for each of the below swing speeds (based on a swing angle of attack of +2.5 degrees as the average golfer has a slight upward angle of attack with the driver) is as follows:

60mph - loft of 19* for a carry distance of 122yds

70mph - loft of 19* for a carry distance of 156yds

80mph - loft of 13* for a carry distance of 185yds

90mph - loft of 13* for a carry distance of 213yds

100mph - loft of 10* for a carry distance of 236yds

110mph - loft of 9* for a carry distance of 257yds

Hope that helps.

Very good advice, but I wouldn't underestimate the bit in red - the angle of attack usually needs some work as it's so different to with the irons.

[Duff McGee]

So would you guys say that my very long driver shaft is more responsible for my inconsistency than the 9 degree loft? Because the couple drivers I've tried out at Pro Golf Discount and out playing have all been 10.5 and I am deadly accurate with them (they also have a much shorter shaft, obviously).

[b101]

So would you guys say that my very long driver shaft is more responsible for my inconsistency than the 9 degree loft? Because the couple drivers I've tried out at Pro Golf Discount and out playing have all been 10.5 and I am deadly accurate with them (they also have a much shorter shaft, obviously).

Yes, but I wouldn't assume that the other drivers you've tried have shorter shafts. For example, the Callaway X2 Hot I have came with a stock 46' shaft - most new ones do nowadays.

[billchao]

@Duff McGee , you're going to score better in the long run by keeping the ball out of trouble. The big bombs you hit with your driver don't gain you enough strokes over the big misses you get. In your example, let's say you gain 0.5 strokes for every long bomb down the fairway, but you lose 1 on the shots in the woods or the big hook. That's 1.5 strokes gained vs 3 lost. You're hitting the bad shots too often for the good shots to offset them. You seem to like to hit the big bomb, which is perfectly fine if that's what you want to do, but if you're looking to score better, I suggest getting another driver.

[Duff McGee]

@Duff McGee , you're going to score better in the long run by keeping the ball out of trouble. The big bombs you hit with your driver don't gain you enough strokes over the big misses you get. In your example, let's say you gain 0.5 strokes for every long bomb down the fairway, but you lose 1 on the shots in the woods or the big hook. That's 1.5 strokes gained vs 3 lost. You're hitting the bad shots too often for the good shots to offset them. You seem to like to hit the big bomb, which is perfectly fine if that's what you want to do, but if you're looking to score better, I suggest getting another driver.

Thanks Bill. I believe you are correct. I like the "big bombs" not for the ego part but for reaching par 5's in 2 and also getting writhing a pitching wedge of the green on longer par 4's. But you are definitely right about the penalty strokes killing my game. The other day I was having a great round and I blasted a ball to the right of the fairway on a long par 5 that landed in the middle of the fairway about 300 and it kept rolling until it hit the water. I stead of having a chance to hit a 5 iron to the green in 2 I had to take a drop and it killed my round.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

@Duff McGee Did you end up getting that new Ping driver you were looking at buying this week? Have you hit it?

[Duff McGee]

@Duff McGee Did you end up getting that new Ping driver you were looking at buying this week? Have you hit it?

Hey thanks for asking! Actually I just got it yesterday morning and I love it! I didn't have any time to get used to it before my round so I wasn't as accurate as I think I will be ultimately (one of the reasons is that I'm actually hitting the ball where I'm aiming, which is hard to get used to, lol). But man that was a fun driving round for me. I still hit some "bombs" that were around 275-285, but they were so much straighter. My "bad shots" we're mis-aims and I was testing it out and was able to draw the ball or fade the ball mostly at will. In sum, I love it!