Does Shaft Flex Make a Difference?

[Penleyguy]

15 minutes ago, Club Rat said:

Yes most certainly.
I was only giving an example of club availability in a search for @MuniGrit  He never specified specs on his driver (Loft or Shaft Flex) 

 

Ok, got it, makes sense now.

[MuniGrit]

1 hour ago, Club Rat said:

Yes most certainly.
I was only giving an example of club availability in a search for @MuniGrit  He never specified specs on his driver (Loft or Shaft Flex) 

 

SLDR-S Stiff speeder stock Stiff shaft with 10 degrees of loft.

[Club Rat]

I now recall hitting that driver several years back when it came out and it did launch the hell out of it.
IMO, that club was designed to get the ball in the air and designed for players with a lower swing speed (senior players mainly)

I would suggest looking at different drivers. The M1 or M2 would most likely be a better choice if your a TM guy.
Probably not what your wanting to hear, but fiddling with different shafts would still leave you with a high launch designed club.

[colin007]

34 minutes ago, Club Rat said:

I now recall hitting that driver several years back when it came out and it did launch the hell out of it.
IMO, that club was designed to get the ball in the air and designed for players with a lower swing speed (senior players mainly)

I would suggest looking at different drivers. The M1 or M2 would most likely be a better choice if your a TM guy.
Probably not what your wanting to hear, but fiddling with different shafts would still leave you with a high launch designed club.

I thought it was the opposite? I thought lower swing speed players were having trouble keeping the ball in the air because it was so low spin. Certainly over 3k spin with a SLDR is too much.

[MuniGrit]

2 hours ago, Club Rat said:

I now recall hitting that driver several years back when it came out and it did launch the hell out of it.
IMO, that club was designed to get the ball in the air and designed for players with a lower swing speed (senior players mainly)

I would suggest looking at different drivers. The M1 or M2 would most likely be a better choice if your a TM guy.
Probably not what your wanting to hear, but fiddling with different shafts would still leave you with a high launch designed club.

I got a friend who TM gives clubs and he gets the m4 next week. He will sell me his M1 with a 70 gram hzrdous black shaft. I am going to try that driver and see what I get from it and buy it from him if it fits me. I do like my SLDR-S look though. I thought the club was meant to be low spin and you could use more loft? They seemed to fade out real quick though. 

[Club Rat]

 

https://golferhill.com/best-golf-drivers-for-seniors/

 

[iacas]

I disagree that the SLDR is a good driver for seniors.

They generally need more spin.

[MuniGrit]

2 hours ago, iacas said:

I disagree that the SLDR is a good driver for seniors.

They generally need more spin.

That's what I thought. I thought it was a low spin driver so people hit it in higher lofts.

[Mr. Desmond]

SLDR? Not good for seniors in general due to its lower spin and less forgiveness. It may launch a knuckleball that quickly falls out of the sky, especially if you did not hit it on the screws. 10 degrees? Loft up with SLDR, more like 14.5 at least. Might as well find a good 3 wood.  Someone is trying to see old SLDR inventory -- it has a more forward COG and less MOI, and is best for speedy players who hit the ball on the sweetspot consistently and can create spin. The only version of the SLDR that is more forgiving as they took out the sliding weight would be the SLDR-C, which had higher MOI than the original SLDR - but that's not saying much.

If someone wants a popular driver for slower speed seniors, Try , for example, an XR16,  BB Fusion or Epic in mid to higher lofts - light and forgiving. Pings also have a higher MOI but did not feel as light through the ball until the G400.

Edited January 24, 2018 by Mr. Desmond

[MuniGrit]

Ok I finally tried a quick bandaid. Instead of pumping a ton of money into the SLDR with a super expensive shaft, I decided I would put an old shaft that I used on a 983K that I loved. I put a Aldila NV-75 X flex in it for 45 bucks and see how it went. Talking to my club builder he agreed that was a good idea and if I was going to drop a lot of money get an M2 or M1 with a good shaft. So far I love the new shaft. It flys at a much better trajectory and feels a lot more solid. The run out after the carry is awesome.

[MuniGrit]

I put the SLDR in play with the new shaft and it made a big difference. I feel like I picked up 15 yards and I have a much lower ball flight and the run out is great.

[MarvChamp]

On 1/17/2018 at 3:09 PM, arturo28mx said:

My experience: shaft flex makes a difference but shaft weight makes an even greater difference. First find the right shaft weight for you, then worry about flex.

I agree. As I sped right out of my 60's into my 70's, and came back to golf, shafts have been my first consideration. I have found a bit lighter shaft is best for me, in most clubs. Nippon are my favorite steel. I had my steel shafted clubs one soft-stepped to a Regular Minus. The Project X 5.0 shafts in my more or less usual irons were stock, and felt light and less than Regular flex to me. Now, to get back to playing again...Maybe June? Best to all, -Marv