Shaft guide and premises...

[Coagulator]

Ok- so i've been on this forum about a week or so and I really dig it, you guys really seem to know your stuff!

As I stopped playing over 10 years ago and have now restarted I am way behind on equipment knowledge.

I see a ton of talk on shafts- something I never really even thought about. I am sure that at this point in my progress that my steel shafts are "just fine" and that until I get back to actual ball striking I won't need to worry about this.

I did a search on shafts and found a ton of posts but no actual "guides" or "primers". So here are my questions:

1.) How do you get your swing speeds? I know that when i was fitted with my clubs they used a little radar device to calculate it- but I am not sure how cool it is to go into a shop and just ask them to do that again for me assuming that my swing speed changes after lessons, practice, etc.

2.) Where and when do you start considering shafts? When I break 90, 80, 75? Or is there some other parameter?

3.) I always thought that graphite shafts in irons were for slower swing speeds- I'm sure that this isn't the case but what are the benefits of graphite shafts in irons?

4.) How do you choose your trajectory? Is it just a personal preference or should it depend on club length? home course?

5.) Any other insights, ideas, advice, etc. would whole heartily be appreciated!

Please excuse this post if I missed this information in my search, if you could just send me a link to the thread I'd appreciate that as well.

-Coag

[Eracer]

[quote=Coagulator;144990]

Ok- so i've been on this forum about a week or so and I really dig it, you guys really seem to know your stuff!

As I stopped playing over 10 years ago and have now restarted I am way behind on equipment knowledge. I see a ton of talk on shafts- something I never really even thought about. I am sure that at this point in my progress that my steel shafts are "just fine" and that until I get back to actual ball striking I won't need to worry about this.

Shafts are, to me (and I'm an 18 handicap) the most under-appreciated part of the game. Steel shafts are "just fine" in irons, but there are varieties of those, just as there are graphite shafts, and some experimentation is needed to find the shafts that fit your game. I love the steel Dynalite Gold shafts in my irons. I tried several different shafts one at a time in my 6-iron, and the ball-flight. distance and feel of these shafts fits me.

I did a search on shafts and found a ton of posts but no actual "guides" or "primers". So here are my questions:

1.) How do you get your swing speeds? I know that when i was fitted with my clubs they used a little radar device to calculate it- but I am not sure how cool it is to go into a shop and just ask them to do that again for me assuming that my swing speed changes after lessons, practice, etc.

Yes - the shafts that work for you now may not be right for you as you improve. Nature of the beast. Fortunately, steel shafts are cheap. And I personally don't have a problem walking into a shop and paying them a reasonable fee for using their launch monitor. Most places will let you use it for free if you throw at least a little business their way.

As far as choosing iron shafts goes, it's a matter of balancing dispersion characteristics with yardage. I tighten up my dispersion pattern a bit if I use stiff steel shafts, but I lose 10-15 yards per clubs, and I'm not willing to do that. So I use regular flex. Personal preference.

I can tighten up my dispersion by learning to swing better. Point is that the shafts I have feel "right" to me.

2.) Where and when do you start considering shafts? When I break 90, 80, 75? Or is there some other parameter?

I would say when you can shoot in the 90's consistently, and can hit a 7-iron farther than 120 yards, you should start looking for the shafts that fit you.

3.) I always thought that graphite shafts in irons were for slower swing speeds- I'm sure that this isn't the case but what are the benefits of graphite shafts in irons?

The main benefit of graphite is to lighten the club, thus generate higher swing speed, thus give more yardage. The secondary benefit is vibration absorbtion. Older players can benefit from the reduction in stress-related injuries like tennis elbow that graphite shafts can provide.

4.) How do you choose your trajectory? Is it just a personal preference or should it depend on club length? home course?

I think personal preference and course conditions are both important factors.

5.) Any other insights, ideas, advice, etc. would whole heartily be appreciated!

Test, Test, Test. Demo, Demo, Demo. Don't be afraid to spend a little bit of money testing different shafts in one of your irons. Once you find the right shafts you will find it money well spent.

Driver shafts are almost always graphite. Here is where the more advanced players can really benefit from the right shaft, and lesser ballstrikers like me can see even more dramatic improvements. I've hit the same driver head with two different shafts, and it was like they were two completely different golf clubs. Unfortunately, the search for the perfect driver head/shaft combo is where all the $$$ goes, and where people like me turn into blithering idiots.

Please excuse this post if I missed this information in my search, if you could just send me a link to the thread I'd appreciate that as well.

-Coag

[Coagulator]

awesome info - thx again bud!

[Eracer]

No, I have issues with figuring out how to use the "Multi-Quote" function...

Sorry about the mix-up. Hope my real post is more useful...

[Coagulator]

Whew! Thanks bud! No worries

[RickinMA]

some good questions - there's so much information out there it's crazy - I agree with much of Eracer's points

later tonight when I'm not at work I'll try to post more, but generally, I'd recommend reading Tom Wishon's book "The Search for the Perfect Golf Club" and it might not be a bad idea to see a professional clubfitter to get on a launch monitor and see what works and what doesn't for your swing - if you're interested in getting more into it, I would also recommend taking a look at the shaft buyers guides that golfsmith and golfworks have out there - and check out the posts by some of the more knowledgable guys

A couple of quick shaft thoughts,
Shaft flex letter (R vs S) means nothing between brands - and sometimes within lines of the same brand - for example, a Stiff flex Aldila NV is quite a bit stiffer than a Stiff flex MAS65 shaft found stock in many taylor made drivers - you need to find what fits you - once you have and idea about swingspeed, transition, and desired feel, you can get help narrowing it down

Flex profile is important for maximizing distance and feel - I was fitted for a driver last year, and had the best results with a driver with a stiff graffalloy blue prolaunch shaft - this particular shaft has a low flex point which increases launch angle - to get the ideal launch angle for max distance, my swing benefited from the higher launch properties of the shaft. Others like to keep the ball lower so they play shafts with higher flex points

length - most people play shafts that are too long for them

[Coagulator]

Thanks alot for those resources!

I thought I was doing myself a real service by getting fitted, but after reading some posts on here I don't think I was properly fitted. My "fitting" consisted of me swinging the 2 clubs ( r7 draw and X20's) I had chosen on a black hitting mat with impact tape applied to the base of the club, and a swing meter placed behind me. It took all of 5-10 minutes in which it was determined that I needed a standard length and lie.

When I put in my measurements in Golfsmith's custom fitting guide I get that I need a 2 degree flat lie and a 1/2 shorter shaft length.

I have read though that fittings vary from place to place and you never really know if you're being properly fitted.

I just purchased a 3 and 5 wood r7 Draw set off of ebay (sadly it appears that I am becoming a "ho" ) Seemed like too good a deal to pass up...so your comments on the TM shafts are very interesting to me! Taylor Made r7 Draw 3 & 5 wood (set 2) Regular Flex NEW on eBay Clubs, Golf, Sporting Goods


Thanks again!

Brad

[LyleG]

Originally Posted by Coagulator

Thanks alot for those resources!

I thought I was doing myself a real service by getting fitted, but after reading some posts on here I don't think I was properly fitted. My "fitting" consisted of me swinging the 2 clubs ( r7 draw and X20's) I had chosen on a black hitting mat with impact tape applied to the base of the club, and a swing meter placed behind me. It took all of 5-10 minutes in which it was determined that I needed a standard length and lie.

This is called a dynamic lie fitting. It is the most accurate way of determining what lie angles will best suit your swing.

Originally Posted by Coagulator

When I put in my measurements in Golfsmith's custom fitting guide I get that I need a 2 degree flat lie and a 1/2 shorter shaft length.

That golfsmith guide is complete and utter garbage. To determine length you need to know your wrist to floor measurement. Your height has nothing to do with club length at all.