Golf Shaft Question

[Murpheeee]

I am looking at getting a new driver and while not a great golfer woudl consider I have a regular swing speed, so was going to get a regular flex shaft.

I see a nice deal on a slightly used club with an A flex shaft.
From what I can determine, A flex is considered senior...ie. intended for slower swing.

If I bought this how would it effect my shot, compared to a regular flex.

As I said I am no great golfer, shooting in the 90's.

Thanks

 

[Patt]

Unless you can't generate much power, a 'senior' type flex will potentially throw off your timing. If your hands are coming through, but the whippy shaft is still bending, it is likely you'll start slicing with your regular swing because the face will be open coming through.

A regular shaft would probably be a better option.

 

[spidey07]

don't get that club.

probably too much flex for you unless you swing like a girl.

What will probably happen is the club head will lag behind causing you to slice/block most of your shots and rob you of power/distance.

how far do you hit a 7 iron?

I prefer stiff in drivers as I have a relatively quick swing speed.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

First, there is no such thing as a "regular" swing speed. Second, there is no such thing as a standard shaft flex. EVERY manufacturer rates their shafts differently. One companies "R" flex could be the same thing as somebody elses "S" and the same as anothers "A". You could move from a regular flex to a senior flex and wind up with something STIFFER.

As a rule of thumb you should be using the softest flex that you can control. Ego forces most guys play shafts too stiff for them and that's why most golfers suck. You need to GET FIT. You need to find your true swing speed and launch angle and get a driver that is proper FOR YOU. Any other method of buying as useless as closing your eyes and picking up a pair of shoes out of a giant pile and buying them without even checking to see if they're you're size.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

flexier shafts are designed to give more distance for a lower swing speed, but provide much less control. If you swing too hard you will hit everything to the right.

General guidelines based on how far you hit a driver (best shot)

Under 230yds = Senior flex
231-255yds = regular flex
255-290yds = stiff flex
over 290yds = Xstiff or tour stiff

 

[Spineshank]

Yea its best to be fitted. I use a stiff flex.

 

[Random Variable]

After seeing golfers with insane swing speeds competing in long drive tournaments using shafts that look about as firm as jello, I tend to believe that the whole thing about shaft firmness is baloney.

 

[Patt]

I'll agree that it is best to be fitted, but it isn't essential unless you're really willing to invest in your game. If you just like to play occasionally picking up a club off the shelf isn't going to hurt you any. If possible, try to hit the clubs at a real range before you buy, and you can get a sense of what works or doesn't.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: Random Variable
After seeing golfers with insane swing speeds competing in long drive tournaments using shafts that look about as firm as jello, I tend to believe that the whole thing about shaft firmness is baloney.

Up until last year there were no limits to length of long drive shafts. They were often using drivers that were 52"-54" long as control means nothing. In LD 1 of 6 in the grid at 350 is better than 6 of 6 in the grid at 349. They're actually using XXX or XXXX or even XXXXX shafts that would be like swinging a piece of rebar for most people at conventional lengths. But at 54" inches long and with a 140mph swing speed things are a lot different. YOU would never be able to load those shafts properly, for them they look like jello because they're applying force that would snap a whippier shaft.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt

Originally posted by: Random Variable
After seeing golfers with insane swing speeds competing in long drive tournaments using shafts that look about as firm as jello, I tend to believe that the whole thing about shaft firmness is baloney.

Up until last year there were no limits to length of long drive shafts. They were often using drivers that were 52"-54" long as control means nothing. In LD 1 of 6 in the grid at 350 is better than 6 of 6 in the grid at 349. They're actually using XXX or XXXX or even XXXXX shafts that would be like swinging a piece of rebar for most people at conventional lengths. But at 54" inches long and with a 140mph swing speed things are a lot different. YOU would never be able to load those shafts properly, for them they look like jello because they're applying force that would snap a whippier shaft.

Yeah, but it still fun to watch.

BOOOM!

 

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: Patt
Unless you can't generate much power, a 'senior' type flex will potentially throw off your timing. If your hands are coming through, but the whippy shaft is still bending, it is likely you'll start slicing with your regular swing because the face will be open coming through.

A regular shaft would probably be a better option.

QFT. The club head will lag behind your hands as you swing through the ball. I generally play the stiffest club shafts that I can find. I used a ladies driver one time (long story heh) and you could literally see the club head lag coming through.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: DaiShan
I generally play the stiffest club shafts that I can find.

Yeah, sure you do. So tell us, what exactly are these stiffest shafts that you can find?

 

[Papagayo]

It also depends on the brand of the shaft..

One brand of stiff flex could be regular flex on other brand. You really need to test the shaft of that brand..

It's like shoe sizes.. Nike size 8 isn't same as Reebok size 8...

If you talk to a golf pro or expert.. they will tell you that shaft makes the biggest difference in performance.
Make sure you get a descent shaft..

 

[nightowl]

You definately want to have someone check out your swing and then buy the according shaft/club. I have swung clubs before and I can feel the head lag behind. It feels like the club broke off when this happens. Now, my swing speed is around 110MPH or so and I have started to move back to steel shafts on woods to help with control as well as provide more stiffness.

 

[calbear2000]

About half the professional long drivers on tour (Remax/LDA/etc) use a club from a tiny company called Alpha Golf (www.alphagolfclubs.com).

In fact small component and shaft companies dominate the long drive tournaments. Once in a blue moon (remax 2003 for example) does a name brand club win

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Originally posted by: calbear2000
About half the professional long drivers on tour (Remax/LDA/etc) use a club from a tiny company called Alpha Golf (www.alphagolfclubs.com).

In fact small component and shaft companies dominate the long drive tournaments. Once in a blue moon (remax 2003 for example) does a name brand club win

Yep, long drive is to pro golf what drag racing is to NASCAR. You don't see any top fuel dragsters running chevys

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy

Originally posted by: calbear2000
About half the professional long drivers on tour (Remax/LDA/etc) use a club from a tiny company called Alpha Golf (www.alphagolfclubs.com).

In fact small component and shaft companies dominate the long drive tournaments. Once in a blue moon (remax 2003 for example) does a name brand club win

Yep, long drive is to pro golf what drag racing is to NASCAR. You don't see any top fuel dragsters running chevys

Wrong-O. Many dragsters will in fact be running Chevy engines.

In golf the brand has nothing to do with it. The distance potential from a big name driver head like Taylormade and Titleist is the same as brands that are big names in LDA like Alpha, SMT and Bang. There are 2 reasons why long drivers choose to use components over OEM. First in endorsements. Alpha gets #1 in LDA usage the same way Taylormade gets #1 driver on the PGA Tour, they spend TONS of money to buy top pros. Alpha isn't better than anyone else, they're merely buying up half the field. Not too much of a shock that they win half the prodiums. But the big reason is that the OEMs simply don't care about or support LDA to any meaningful degree. If a driver brand wins the Masters it's worth millions in sales. If it wins LDA it's worth a couple of hundred heads. Why would the big names spend time and energy on that little potential return? Many OEMs ignore LDA to the point where they offer the players NOTHING. They won't even sell them bare heads. If a guy wants to play Taylormade in an LDA he'll need to buy a $400 driver off the shelf, throw away the shaft and reshaft with a proper LDA shaft as the OEMs don't come with good enough shafts for that use. The component makers focus on LDA because they can't afford million dollar PGA endorsement deals. They sell the LDA competitors the bare heads in the lofts they need at a discount, so the guys can get competitive gear for 1/3 to 1/10th the price of buying OEMs off the shelf.

The LDA follows USGA equipment rules now. The clubs used cannot exceed the allowable specs on the real tour. There are no magic wands. The LDAers are using the best stuff possible and the PGA Tour pros are using the best stuff possible. They're just using different brands because of the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. OEMs spend money on the Tour, components spend it on long drivers.

 

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt

Originally posted by: DaiShan
I generally play the stiffest club shafts that I can find.

Yeah, sure you do. So tell us, what exactly are these stiffest shafts that you can find?

Callaway stiff/x-stiff. I've been playing since I was 4 years old and stiff shafts since I was 14 or 15. I've got a very long swing, a bit past paralell and I get a lot of club speed at the bottom of my swing, I can bang it out around the 300 mark, but since my back swing is so long I have a tendency to slice the ball if my grip is too weak, couple this with a lagging club head and I'd put it in the woods 50% of the time. I also play steel shafts on my ping irons, I've always played steel and I just can't seem to get the feel right when I play my dad's graphite's.

 

[richardycc]

/waits for someone to say they can hit a driver over 300yards...

 

[calbear2000]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy

Originally posted by: calbear2000
About half the professional long drivers on tour (Remax/LDA/etc) use a club from a tiny company called Alpha Golf (www.alphagolfclubs.com).

In fact small component and shaft companies dominate the long drive tournaments. Once in a blue moon (remax 2003 for example) does a name brand club win

Yep, long drive is to pro golf what drag racing is to NASCAR. You don't see any top fuel dragsters running chevys

Wrong-O. Many dragsters will in fact be running Chevy engines.

In golf the brand has nothing to do with it. The distance potential from a big name driver head like Taylormade and Titleist is the same as brands that are big names in LDA like Alpha, SMT and Bang. There are 2 reasons why long drivers choose to use components over OEM. First in endorsements. Alpha gets #1 in LDA usage the same way Taylormade gets #1 driver on the PGA Tour, they spend TONS of money to buy top pros. Alpha isn't better than anyone else, they're merely buying up half the field. Not too much of a shock that they win half the prodiums. But the big reason is that the OEMs simply don't care about or support LDA to any meaningful degree. If a driver brand wins the Masters it's worth millions in sales. If it wins LDA it's worth a couple of hundred heads. Why would the big names spend time and energy on that little potential return? Many OEMs ignore LDA to the point where they offer the players NOTHING. They won't even sell them bare heads. If a guy wants to play Taylormade in an LDA he'll need to buy a $400 driver off the shelf, throw away the shaft and reshaft with a proper LDA shaft as the OEMs don't come with good enough shafts for that use. The component makers focus on LDA because they can't afford million dollar PGA endorsement deals. They sell the LDA competitors the bare heads in the lofts they need at a discount, so the guys can get competitive gear for 1/3 to 1/10th the price of buying OEMs off the shelf.

The LDA follows USGA equipment rules now. The clubs used cannot exceed the allowable specs on the real tour. There are no magic wands. The LDAers are using the best stuff possible and the PGA Tour pros are using the best stuff possible. They're just using different brands because of the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. OEMs spend money on the Tour, components spend it on long drivers.

While Alpha Golf does have endorsements for long drivers, you can't assume that OEM's don't try to sign players on as well.

Callaway, Cobra, Ping, Dunlop recruit players too - I've gone to Remax in Mesquite for the past 3 years and their reps are always there trying to buy their way into the finals. With the deeper pockets that they have, why would a player go to a small company like Alpha, SMT, Bang?

Driver heads do matter. If they didn't, Nike would buy out all the long drive contestants. Long drive players are pocket change in comparison to Tour players. Try hitting an Alpha V2 driver - I guarantee it will be longer than the OEM brands you can buy off the shelf.

And I beg to differ that OEM's "don't care" about long drive wins - do you remember how strongly Callaway was pushing David Mobley's Remax win in 2004? It was on the front page of their website for several months, plus the millions in ads they poured into golf magazines and point-of-sale displays at every golf store I went to, custom or not.

And components in LDA/Remax have always been following USGA equipment rules...

 

[altonb1]

Originally posted by: Murpheeee
I am looking at getting a new driver and while not a great golfer woudl consider I have a regular swing speed, so was going to get a regular flex shaft.

I see a nice deal on a slightly used club with an A flex shaft.
From what I can determine, A flex is considered senior...ie. intended for slower swing.

If I bought this how would it effect my shot, compared to a regular flex.

As I said I am no great golfer, shooting in the 90's.

Thanks

You said Flex shaft. Heh heh heh

 

[Murpheeee]

thanks for all your comments.

I decided against buying online and went to Dicks and Golf Galaxy to hit a few and get a feel for what I liked. I figured once I found it I could buy it online cheaper.

Well I found a discontinued Adams GT driver, last one in the store which wrang up for $29, the other one I liked was a $150 Hogan....so I just went with the bargain...

I see what you mean about different flexes from different manufacturers - the Hogan I was hitting was rated stiff, yet it flexed more than the Adams which was rated regular.

can't wait to try it out now

 

[Papagayo]

Golf is very fun sport.. Good luck..