YAGT: Yet Another Golf Thread...

[purbeast0]

well tonight I think i'm going to either go to a driving range tha tlets you test out clubs, or check out sports authority, and pick up a new driver. now i am not looking to spend $300 on a driver. my price range really is trying to stay in the $100 price range. i know i won't get the best, but I know i can also get a decent driver.

i am looking to get some sort of stiff shaft driver. my current one is a graphite flex shaft driver, and boy does it bend. and i am starting to not like the bend in the driver. i want it to be stiff.

so are there any drivers in that price range that you would suggest, around $100 or maybe a little more? btw if this matters ... i'm lefty. thanks for advice

 

[richardycc]

the flex has to do with your clubhead speed, if you only swing at like 75-90mph, you will want to stick with a regular flex shaft. IF you get the stiff shaft, and you clubhead speed is low, the ball won't go far, like 100yds or so.

 

[MartyMcFly3]

Just go with what feels right when you test it out. Different strokes (hopefully less for ya with a new driver) for different folks. One person's favorite club is another person's crappy metal/steel/titanium stick.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: richardycc
the flex has to do with your clubhead speed, if you only swing at like 75-90mph, you will want to stick with a regular flex shaft. IF you get the stiff shaft, and you clubhead speed is low, the ball won't go far, like 100yds or so.

are there different degrees of the flex? and am i wrong thinking there are 3 types ... flex, regular, and stiff. or are flex and regular the same? it's just that mine bends ALOT and i really don't like it anymore.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: richardycc
the flex has to do with your clubhead speed, if you only swing at like 75-90mph, you will want to stick with a regular flex shaft. IF you get the stiff shaft, and you clubhead speed is low, the ball won't go far, like 100yds or so.

are there different degrees of the flex? and am i wrong thinking there are 3 types ... flex, regular, and stiff. or are flex and regular the same? it's just that mine bends ALOT and i really don't like it anymore.

There are an infinite number of flexes. There's no set standards for what constitutes stiff or regular. Each company grades shafts in their own way and company A's regular might be stiffer than company B's stiff. Generally, shafts are sorted by L, A, R, S, X for Ladies, Seniors, Regular, Stiff and Extra-stiff. Those grades are meaningless. OEM clubs like Callaway and Taylormade are notorious for listing their drivers with "ego flexes". Guys walk into a proshop and don't want to admit that they're lame-ass golfers with weak swings. If their buddies play stiff they want to play stiff too. The manufacturers will stick a seniors flex shaft in a driver and label it as stiff. Then that guy with the lameass swing hits that fake "stiff" better than real stiffs because it fits his swing better, so that's the one he buys. For bad golfers hitting range balls into a net 10 feet in front of them, the weakest, softest shaft will always feel more powerful. The problem arises when you get out to a course and need to hit a target more than 10 feet away and you have no idea where the ball is going.

If you're going to buy a club by hitting OEMs into a net at a pro shop or Sports Authority, do yourself a favor and don't bother. Throw a dart at an equipment catalog or pick one at random from e-bay. You'll stand the same chance of getting something good that fits you: near zero.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: richardycc
the flex has to do with your clubhead speed, if you only swing at like 75-90mph, you will want to stick with a regular flex shaft. IF you get the stiff shaft, and you clubhead speed is low, the ball won't go far, like 100yds or so.

are there different degrees of the flex? and am i wrong thinking there are 3 types ... flex, regular, and stiff. or are flex and regular the same? it's just that mine bends ALOT and i really don't like it anymore.

There are an infinite number of flexes. There's no set standards for what constitutes stiff or regular. Each company grades shafts in their own way and company A's regular might be stiffer than company B's stiff. Generally, shafts are sorted by L, A, R, S, X for Ladies, Seniors, Regular, Stiff and Extra-stiff. Those grades are meaningless. OEM clubs like Callaway and Taylormade are notorious for listing their drivers with "ego flexes". Guys walk into a proshop and don't want to admit that they're lame-ass golfers with weak swings. If their buddies play stiff they want to play stiff too. The manufacturers will stick a seniors flex shaft in a driver and label it as stiff. Then that guy with the lameass swing hits that fake "stiff" better than real stiffs because it fits his swing better, so that's the one he buys. For bad golfers hitting range balls into a net 10 feet in front of them, the weakest, softest shaft will always feel more powerful. The problem arises when you get out to a course and need to hit a target more than 10 feet away and you have no idea where the ball is going.

If you're going to buy a club by hitting OEMs into a net at a pro shop or Sports Authority, do yourself a favor and don't bother. Throw a dart at an equipment catalog or pick one at random from e-bay. You'll stand the same chance of getting something good that fits you: near zero.

okay thanks for the points man. one thing however is at hte driving range, they let you test out clubs into the actual range, so you can see the path of flight, as oppose to the stupid nets you see at sports authority. with that said, are there any recommendations you could give? i really, if possible, would like to try to pick up one tonight heh thanks!

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: purbeast0
one thing however is at hte driving range, they let you test out clubs into the actual range, so you can see the path of flight, as oppose to the stupid nets you see at sports authority. with that said, are there any recommendations you could give? i really, if possible, would like to try to pick up one tonight heh thanks!

Well, that helps. It's certainly better to be able to see the whole ball flight rather than guessing off where it hits the net. But I recommend getting fit by a professional clubfitter-clubmaker rather than buying off the rack. You'll get something much better for less money. If you insist upon buying a name brand OEM instead of a custom:

1) Bigger is better. Get the largest headsize you can stand.
2) Hit EVERYTHING.
3) Don't buy anything tonight. For most people a golf swing changes day to day and how you're swinging tonight might not be an accurate reflection of your real swing. Tonight narrow it down to the top 3 or 4 choices. Then go back tomorrow and hit them all again. Repeat that a few times. The one to buy is the one that works best over the period of several sessions, not a few good swings on a single day.

 

[gooseman]

If you have a Sams Club nearby, check them out. Mine has a nice Taylor Made and a nice Nike driver, both are 129.98 I believe