Curious about Senior shaft vs Regular shaft. ...should I?

[butchammon]

As you might have seen in the other forum, The Grill Room, yesterday was my birthday and I hit 57 years old.  It got me curious about my swing speed, tempo, etc... and am just curious if anyone has toyed with the idea of dropping down to a Senior shaft vs Regular shaft vs Stiff shaft, or whatever.

Driver swing speed:
88 mph
90 mph
89 mph
92 mph
94 mph (if I really crank down on it with everything I got)

Avg is around an even 90 mph according to the machines at Golf Galaxy.  I was wondering about ordering one of those cheap knockoff/component drivers from Diamond Tour or Giga Golf or whatever online internet golf outlet store.  Just a basic, no frills driver, but yet with a Senior shaft instead of a Regular or Stiff shaft.  You know, just something cheap to test out and see if it would be worth it to keep for years...   I'm just a regular buy, nothing fancy, 6'0" 210 lbs (still need to lose a few pounds) and currently have a 45.5" Ping G10 driver, standard length, standard lie, etc...

What do you think?  Anyone ever play around with different shafts in a driver?

 

[MarvChamp]

I'm 72. I have a Callaway with Sr Project X and a Nike with a Tensei Reg. I hit both equally well, but both play a bit more like a soft-stepped Regular. And each have different launch characteristics.

I gave up on stiff shafts at age 65 AND in my search, discovered that few shafts really live up to the labelled flex (read Tom Wishon's articles on this?). They are either a little stiffer or softer. MUST test as you are doing but with different shafts.

But the search sure is fun, isn't it? Best, - Marv

[butchammon]

  On 4/11/2018 at 12:27 PM, MarvChamp said:

But the search sure is fun, isn't it? Best, - Marv

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It sure is!  Hundreds upon hundreds of types of clubs out there with even more varieties of shafts...  I'm trying to decide if it's worth it to go onto sites like Diamond Tour Golf, Giga Golf, Pine Meadow, etc... and have them make me a generic, knockoff, Driver - but yet tailored to my personal specs.  If it turns out to be a POS, well... lesson learned.

Anyone ever do this, or am starting to lose my mind?  LOL... 

 

[cooke119]

Friend of mine has a knockoff Taylor Made and he hits it just fine, sometimes better than his Ping. The club was made by Monark golf. He is using a regular shaft. I myself am 66 and have had three back surgeries, probably about the same swing speed as yours. My drives carry around 200 +/- and I'm using a Cobra with a regular shaft. I've been on launch monitors and the guy at the store(s) always recommends a regular flex. I know little about kick points and all the rest which I'm sure people will weigh in on. Good luck on your search and let us know what you decide to do.

[Typhoon92]

Another avenue would be to see if you can trade in your Ping and pick up another used OEM driver with a senior shaft.  I don't know what kind of stores u have near u.  I'm lucky where I live their is a Golfers Warehouse with tons of used equipment.

Try sites like 3ballsgolf and Globalgolf for used equipment.  Used OEM will be a little more than a new component but at least itll be traceable if you need to.

senior shaft...go for it.

[arturo28mx]

I am 60, average build and strength. I use light shafts that are regular flex (my experience is that a regular flex in a heavy shaft is stiffer that a regular flex in a light shaft).

I have tried senior flex in light shafts and they balloon too much and disperse too much for me. 

[butchammon]

Thanks...  That's what I was wondering with Senior shafts.  I had concern that if a regular everyday guy swung a driver with a senior shaft, and went up to roughly 92-93 mph swing speed, the club would be whipping all over the place from way too much force.  Lord only knows the direction the ball would take!

 

 

[WUTiger]

  On 4/12/2018 at 1:27 AM, arturo28mx said:

I have tried senior flex in light shafts and they balloon too much and disperse too much for me. 

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I've tested the P790 irons recently with different flex shafts. This is the carry dispersion I got with the 6i:

Senior = 145 to 170 /  Regular = 155 to 165 /  Stiff = 145-155.

@butchammon, you're 6-foot-2 (helps your leverage) and have driver CHS of about 90 MPH. I would suspect you would overpower a Senior-flex shaft. If you try out a Senior flex driver, you might go for one that has a shaft with lower torque and medium weight (maybe 60 grams).

[308 Ragin Cajun]

I'm 65 and getting back into golf after a layoff of about 10 year.  after recent experiences at the range, i am having nightmares of having to carry  bag full of hybrids and woods with buggywhip shafts, and those big flanged wedges on TV that promise yo'll sink every shot if you just square it up and hit the ball;🤪

[arturo28mx]

As I have said in many other posts, as a senior my own experience has been that it is much more important to switch to lighter shafts than to switch to senior flex.

[MarvChamp]

  On 7/22/2018 at 10:45 PM, 308 Ragin Cajun said:

I'm 65 and getting back into golf after a layoff of about 10 year.  after recent experiences at the range, i am having nightmares of having to carry  bag full of hybrids and woods with buggywhip shafts, and those big flanged wedges on TV that promise yo'll sink every shot if you just square it up and hit the ball;🤪

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Fear not, my brother. -Marv

[boogielicious]

  On 7/22/2018 at 10:45 PM, 308 Ragin Cajun said:

I'm 65 and getting back into golf after a layoff of about 10 year.  after recent experiences at the range, i am having nightmares of having to carry  bag full of hybrids and woods with buggywhip shafts, and those big flanged wedges on TV that promise yo'll sink every shot if you just square it up and hit the ball;🤪

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  On 7/22/2018 at 10:55 PM, arturo28mx said:

As I have said in many other posts, as a senior my own experience has been that it is much more important to switch to lighter shafts than to switch to senior flex.

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@arturo28mx has a great point. Weight is more important for older folks than flex. Light stiff shafts can perform well. The days of True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 130g shafts may be over. But shafts in the 100g range can feel great.

[MacDutch]

I’m just back from a fitting session. Turns out that my current set with senior shafts produce to much spin. New set is regular. So go get yourself a fitting session!

[ScottyT]

My swing speeds are right about where your's are, as measured during a club fitting.  Fitter said I was in the R flex range (see comments above about flex being somewhat subjective as club maker/designer Tom Wishon points out).  I hit some shafts in the senior flex range;  didn't like the feel and had horrible results.  Fitter checked my flex/torque on old steel shafts and those of the new graphite I ended up getting. He showed me the numbers and they were virtually the same.  But with the lighter graphite shafts, I gained distance and consistency.