Balloon drives

[Bogeyville]

Hi everyone 

My drives are ballooning up, way up, I feel like I'm losing out on a lot of roll, and I feel like I'm it's a crapshoot between left and right, no consistency. ... A guy I played with today suggested I could benefit from an X stiff shaft .I'm wondering about flex/shaft configurations and looking for recommendations

Just curious about most people's experience going to an extra stiff shaft ,has it helped make things more predictable ? Also, any other adjustments people have made to bring the ball down? Thanks

[IndianaDundee]

Xstiff shafts should be for someone with a swing speed over 120mph.  But some manufactures stamp stiff on a shaft so guys can feel manly when they are really swinging a regular flex.  

That said a ballooning driver is more likely due to your swing than a shaft.  Getting under the ball is the the most likely culprit.  What driver, shaft, and loft are you hitting?  Also what kind of yardage are you getting?  Do you know your swing speed?

Also there is a lot more to fitting a shaft than just regular, stiff, Xstiff.  Different shafts have different weights, flex points, and torque.  If your swing is dead on reliable, you can fine tune your ball flight with the right shaft, but is is no where near as simple as a stiffer shaft will give you a lower ball flight.

 

[gregsandiego]

1 hour ago, Bogeyville said:

Hi everyone 

My drives are ballooning up, way up, I feel like I'm losing out on a lot of roll, and I feel like I'm it's a crapshoot between left and right, no consistency. ... A guy I played with today suggested I could benefit from an X stiff shaft .I'm wondering about flex/shaft configurations and looking for recommendations

Just curious about most people's experience going to an extra stiff shaft ,has it helped make things more predictable ? Also, any other adjustments people have made to bring the ball down? Thanks

When I lose control of my drives I spray the face with foot powder - Dr. Scholls. I can see right away where I hit the ball. The feedback helps me on the next drive.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a great driver. But this foot powder trick will help with finding the sweet spot.

[Bogeyville]

Thanks for the note. I'm playing a Callaway XR with their stock stiff shaft, I think a 60 weight, 9 loft. It doesn't seem like I'm getting under the ball, but rather it starts out on a strong line and then balloons towards the middle/end of the flight. I tried teeing the ball down lower and it didn't seem to help...

Swing speed is on high side, 125-128 give or take. I'm getting fine yardage but it just seems like a very unnatural ball flight that started this year/with this driver (old one, very old one, broke in shipping). Maybe this stiff shaft is actually more of the regular flex? It seems odd to go to an new club with better technology and suddenly have a less productive flight 

[IndianaDundee]

7 hours ago, Bogeyville said:

Thanks for the note. I'm playing a Callaway XR with their stock stiff shaft, I think a 60 weight, 9 loft. It doesn't seem like I'm getting under the ball, but rather it starts out on a strong line and then balloons towards the middle/end of the flight. I tried teeing the ball down lower and it didn't seem to help...

Swing speed is on high side, 125-128 give or take. I'm getting fine yardage but it just seems like a very unnatural ball flight that started this year/with this driver (old one, very old one, broke in shipping). Maybe this stiff shaft is actually more of the regular flex? It seems odd to go to an new club with better technology and suddenly have a less productive flight 

With that much speed an Xstiff could help.  You might even look at what the long drive guys use.  Drivers heads like Krank, Alpha, SMT, and my favorite Bang, paired with low torque, X stiff, high kick point shafts, keep the ball low and hot with little spin.

If your ball is starting low and climbing late in flight, you are getting lots of backspin. A driver with less loft, shaft with a higher kick point, and hitting the ball on the upswing will lessen back spin.  

 

[DaveP043]

I'm not a club techie, but doesn't hitting the ball low on the club tend to increase backspin?  From what I remember, most drivers are designed to hit higher on the face to produce a higher initial launch angle with lower spin.  It seems backwards, but simply teeing the ball higher might help a little.

[saevel25]

1. Hit up on the ball not down

2. Hit the ball at or above the middle of the club face

3. If you still get too much spin then go get fitted for a driver.