Steel shaft in a driver

[bames]

Background: I have a friend who is about a 3 hcp. (SS=107, high shots with slight fade). He is what I would describe as being a "feel" player. He will hit a 9i on a 110 yd shot if it "feels" like the right club. He has incredible distance control. He is currently playing a 905R with a YS-6+ stiff shaft and really bombs it. His favorite club is is his Titleist 904F 13° DG S300 shaft 3 wood. He kills this club, and has always been wishing to have a driver that "felt" like his 3-wood. He currently has me looking for a 905T with a DG S300 shaft in hopes of capturing the feel of his 3 wood in a driver. He really likes the Black Gold shafts in his irons, but cannot seem to find a BG shaft for a driver.

Questions:
(1) Are there any Black Gold shafts long enough for a driver?
(2) Is there a way to make his 905R "feel" like his 3-wood?
(3) Has anyone else played a steel shafted driver with todays heads?
(4) Will he lose distance with a steel shaft vs. his YS-6+ which he was fitted for by a golfsmith?

[dave.]

(1) Are there any Black Gold shafts long enough for a driver?

Lyle's job

(2) Is there a way to make his 905R "feel" like his 3-wood?

soft tipped shaft

(3) Has anyone else played a steel shafted driver with todays heads?

Tiger Woods and Craig Hawthornthwaite,lives in Rochdale

(4) Will he lose distance with a steel shaft vs. his YS-6+ which he was fitted for by a golfsmith

Does a bear shit in the woods? Does mouse shit roll?

[ezra76]

I can't answer very many of those questions but I was debating the same thing last year. In fact there is probably a thread or 2 from back then. I finally found that I do a lot better with stiffer and heavier shafts. Heavier especially, stiffer just gives me more control and better dispersion with my "try to splatter the ball" swing. Just about any stock driver shaft will be way too light for my liking.

YS-6 stiff would be and ugly mess with my swing. If you literally gave me 100 balls I might hit 10 over 250 into a 50yd. fairway.

Shafts I like that would compare to "steel feel" would be the Speeder 757 for sure and the VS Proto I just picked up.

The 905R is about the best 460cc head for size/feel. Really if you want more 3W feel you need a smaller head. When I first got the 510TP my description was "It's like a 270yd. 3wood" and I still feel that way.

[demon]

You want a steel feeling shaft go with a Diamana blueboard in 103 grams x stiff. If it is going into a 905R do not blind bore it.

[warbirdlover]

Maybe a "heavier" graphite shaft in his driver?

[Crossfire]

A V2 is worth a shot, Seems stiff as steel for most players, exspecially in a bore thru head. I think the heaviest is 87 grams though.

[dave.]

A gorilla on steroids doesn't need a V2 any heavier than that

[bames]

Originally Posted by demon

You want a steel feeling shaft go with a Diamana blueboard in 103 grams x stiff. If it is going into a 905R do not blind bore it.

That is an option. It is not as though he is a beheamoth or anything, he used to have a V2 Stiff, 76 grams, I believe, he had good results, but just did not like the shaft. He tried to describe the feel of the graphite shafts as "too dead, or too muffled".

Originally Posted by Crossfire

A V2 is worth a shot, Seems stiff as steel for most players, exspecially in a bore thru head. I think the heaviest is 87 grams though.

Fitting someone for feel is a difficult thing to do, I'm just looking for any ideas/suggestions. Especially if anyone else has toyed with a steel shaft in their driver.

Thanks for the responses.

[ezra76]

I hit one Nsherman had last year a few times. It was a Nike head with a steel shaft at like 43.5" though. It was dead accurate on the few shots I hit but not even close to my driver distance wise.

BTW I was looking at these Rifle's for my FW woods a while back, they come 46" http://www.swingsciencestore.com/rif...jectx_wood.htm

[demon]

Originally Posted by bames

That is an option. It is not as though he is a beheamoth or anything, he used to have a V2 Stiff, 76 grams, I believe,

This is why I mentioned the blueboard, tons of feel in that shaft. The V2 was the worst shaft I have ever hit, it felt like a dead lead pipe.

[LyleG]

Originally Posted by bames

Questions:
(1) Are there any Black Gold shafts long enough for a driver?
(2) Is there a way to make his 905R "feel" like his 3-wood?
(3) Has anyone else played a steel shafted driver with todays heads?
(4) Will he lose distance with a steel shaft vs. his YS-6+ which he was fitted for by a golfsmith?

1 - not at this time
2 - use the same shaft he has in his three wood, blind bore it to the same depth as the install on his 3 wood, add weight to the head till it weighs the same as his 3 wood head, cut the shaft to the same length.
3 - Quite a few do. I have reshafted a lot of drivers with steel. Helps wild hitters/swingers quite a bit.
4 - It depends. If the steel shaft allows him better control and allows for more center face contact then he probably wont see a noticable decrease.

[bames]

Originally Posted by demon

This is why I mentioned the blueboard, tons of feel in that shaft. The V2 was the worst shaft I have ever hit, it felt like a dead lead pipe.

That is funny you mention the V2 - he just hated the feel. I'll will show him the blueboard and let him know you had the same opinion of the V2.

Originally Posted by LyleG

1 - not at this time
2 - use the same shaft he has in his three wood, blind bore it to the same depth as the install on his 3 wood, add weight to the head till it weighs the same as his 3 wood head, cut the shaft to the same length.
3 - Quite a few do. I have reshafted a lot of drivers with steel. Helps wild hitters/swingers quite a bit.
4 - It depends. If the steel shaft allows him better control and allows for more center face contact then he probably wont see a noticable decrease.

Thanks LyleG, I'm going email this to him.

[solarbear88]

The newer graphite shafts with the metal wound within them come in a variety of weights. They are really nice and your friend could probably find himself a perfect match.

Chances are what he really prefers is the shorter iron shaft over the super long graphite that comes in most driver offerings. I know once my pro cut an inch and a half off my driver, it felt like a whole new beast.