Re-sahfting my irons this week...

[The master]

I hate the rifle's in my irons, and I hate them there to heavy and just not right for me.

Anyway I'm getting new shafts for them in the upcomming weeks, and I'm currently 5 8" I might grow another couple of inches but not to sure.

Anyway was thinking of getting 1/2 a inch of the irons for just a bit more control and better feel.

Would anyway say this is a bad idea? I'm just not to sure.

[Andy_79]

Are they 6.5's, yeah ? If so, I would be interested in swapping 'em with you for my Rifle Flighted 6.0's.

I have been advised to opt for at *least* a 6.5 in a Rifle shaft.

I got a new set with one inch longer than standard in the 6.0's, but they are coming out at about 5.7 on the Rifle scale. They're not right at all. I have been advised to go for 6.5's in a Rifle, as opposed to the Flighted, and he (the Pro) even stated he would like to see me hit 6.7's or 7.0's. I ain't so sure about that at all, tbh. The new irons I got were 2 degreews upright, and I have been told that they are in fact 3 degrees upright, bearing in mind the fact that they are an inch longer than standard. Gonna have to send 'em back to Mizuno & plead for a re-make ! Think I'll go 6.5 Rifle Flighted and 1/4 of an inch longer than standard, though not 100% sure. I shall see what the craic is with lie once they're returned.

Let me know if ya fancy swopping, man. Bear in mind my clubs are next to new, though..

[David B]

Andy,

I'll warn you in advance that the Rifle 6.5's are extremely harsh. I bought a set of Callaway Hawk Eye's that were fitted with 6.5's and I can't stand the way they feel... even pure shots feel like hozel rockets.

Once my irons come back from Callaway they're being reshafted with Nippon 990GH's.

Just about every report that I've seen on the Rifle 6.5's say the same thing... comparing the feel to "hitting a curb with a chunk of rebar" or "hitting bricks with a bat"... I think you get the point...

[Andy_79]

Yeah, that haws been my main concern, mate. The fact is, however, I am now lumbered with a set of almost brand-new Mizuno MP60's which are totally, totally wrong for me and I do not know what to do with, or about them.

My other set which I still have are Taylor Made 300 series forged irons. This Pro states that the TM head is better than the Mizuno.

With the Rifle 6.5 issue, however, what swings me in favour of using them is the fact that I am 6ft. 3", weight 16 and a half stone, have a swing-speed with a 6-iron of around the 90mph range, and hit it 175 yards, so I am there or thereabouts with the 6.5 thing.

I do hear what you're saying, though. This same Pro a while ago informed me the same thing: that I needed stiffer shafts. As a result, I went out and bought a set of the same TM clubs BUT with DGX100 shafts in them. Hated them ! Are 6.5 Rifles along a similar line in terms of feel & weight as these ???

Can either ring Mizuno and hope that they sympathese with me re: these MP60's - at the end of the day I was fitted (sort of) by an authorised Mizuno Clubfitter who has advised me pretty damn poorly, to be quite frank.

On the other hand I could cut down to 1/4 of an inch & get someone to (accurately) knock 'em down to standard or 1* upright for me. Don't have the equip. to save each grip, so sending 'em back and blagging them to sort something for me sounds the best ploy. At the end of the day I have hardly hit them & it is all about customer service at the end of the day.

Sorry to rant on....

Andy

[Rockford35]

6.5's....ouch. No wonder you hate them, TM. They're probably 3 flexes too much for you and heavier than hell.

I play 5.5's and I'm pretty sure I could even deal with 5.0's if need be.

R35

[David B]

I'll just say that the Rifle 6.5's are waaay underrated on swing speed, and they're definitely not for someone in the 90mph range... more like 105+.

I may be going against the grain here, but maybe you're playing too stiff of a shaft?

I found that my accuracy with the 6.5's also went down, rather than up, because I was trying to overswing the club to maintain the distance I had with my TaylorMade Supersteel's in R80 flex (about 4.5 in today's Rifle ratings). I hit about 175 with my 5-iron, so my swing speed is just a bit less than yours.

Just keep in mind that trying to select a shaft on swing speed alone is like trying to buy a computer based on how many GHz the processor is (sorry, I'm a computer geek).
There's other factors, such as tempo, launch angle, etc. that you have to take into account. Your tempo will determine where in the swing you load the shaft, and your launch angle will determine where you want the shaft to bend. How you load the shaft pretty much determines what flex you'll need, probably moreso than swing speed alone (at least from what I've gathered).

I'm currently having my fairway woods reshafted to an R-flex from an S-flex, because I was trying to overswing those as well. I recently picked up a TaylorMade Rescue Dual that has the new TaylorMade step shaft in R-flex, and I found that I hit the ball just as far, with less effort, than I did with the stiff shafts in my fairway woods.

With a swing speed at about 90, you're pretty much right between an R and S flex, not between an S and X flex (in my opinion anyway).

Maybe somebody else can chime in and add to this that has a bit more experience with shafting/fitting clubs... my knowledge mainly comes from research (and a bit of hitting experience) as I was looking for new shafts for my Callaways.

Hope that helps... and sorry for the threadjack The master.

[Andy_79]

Originally Posted by David B

With a swing speed at about 90, you're pretty much right between an R and S flex, not between an S and X flex (in my opinion anyway).

Maybe somebody else can chime in and add to this that has a bit more experience with shafting/fitting clubs... my knowledge mainly comes from research (and a bit of hitting experience) as I was looking for new shafts for my Callaways.

http://www.royalprecision.com/precis...eel_rifle.html

I tried out Nippon & Project X shafts in 'X' Flex and found it to have v.good results. Still like my 6.0's, right enough. I am just contemplating whether the 1/4 of an inch onto the shaft wwould lessen the shaft flex enough to bring in down to, say, the number of cpm equivilent to 6.3 Rifles. I reckon that would be more than good for me....

[David B]

Well, while RP might say that you're between a 6.0 and 6.5, I offer this link to you: Assigning a Grade of Flex

I'll call your attention to this paragraph, about 3/4 of the way down the page:

From the RSSR, I decided that the Rifle "6.5" would be the best match my favorite Dynamic Lite. The DSFI and frequency numbers, however, strongly indicate the Rifle "5.5". Sure enough, the 6.5 club turned out to be the stiffest, harshest iron that I or any of my friends had ever hit..

What you should probably do, if you have the money, is have your 6-iron shafted with the 6.5, and have your 5 iron shafted with the 5.5 or 5.0, and see which one feels better and gives you better results... then have the rest of your irons reshafted to whichever one you choose... of course you'll be out about $30 (well, in U.S. $), but if that $30 improves your game, then I consider it money well spent.

[dave.]

Precision have gone bust

[Andy_79]

Originally Posted by dave.

Precision have gone bust

Have they seriously, Dave Dot ? Might explain why they ain't replied to my e-mail I sent a coupla days ago, then.

Davey B: I currently use 6.0 Rifles and reguarly shoot around par figures on a tough golf course, so please eliminate this "5.0 / 5.5 Rifle shaft" nonsense, puuuurlease !

[dave.]

Yup,tits up

[The master]

Andy I'm not going to get rifle's again there just not for me.

Last time on a launch monitor my swing speed varied from 109 -123 but 123 was flat out so average is about 110 which suggests the 6.5's may be a little to stiff for me, I was thinking s400's should do the trick?

Also any thoughts on taking the 1/2 inch off?

And yes percision have gone bust all of their 100 employees will lose their jobs, sad really.

[ualtim]

Originally Posted by dave.

Precision have gone bust

Nooooooooooooo! I am not a big fan of TT products (steel iron shafts to be more specific), so I am hoping that someone is taking over the line.

[David B]

Davey B: I currently use 6.0 Rifles and reguarly shoot around par figures on a tough golf course, so please eliminate this "5.0 / 5.5 Rifle shaft" nonsense, puuuurlease !

Well, what if the 5.5's turned you into a scratch golfer?
If you're already making par (or thereabouts) with your 6.0's, then it sounds to me like you already have the right shafts... I think you'd be sacrificing what feel you have left moving up to the 6.5's.

Have you maybe considered the TT Black Gold shafts? They're frequency matched throughout the set, and they're stepless like the Rifle shafts (and they have a cool color as well). I had considered them before settling on the Nippon's. You can get a set of Black Gold's for about $140 US for 3-PW.

[ezra76]

You should serious take a look at the Nippons. I have the NS1050 pros in the Miuras. I have now gotten used to them and they are the absolute perfect shaft for me. I have never hit so many good iron shots in my life. The ballflight is beautiful, I swear the 5i flies like an 8. I hit a par 5 in 2 today from 180 downhill out of the rough with my 6. It's like the shaft just kept itself on plane for this mighty whack. Now I just need this shaft in my putter. 3 jacked the r-l downhill 20footer.