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Driver Shaft - How Did You Decide?

Nippon Shafts
JB

JB

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With the current driver you have in your bag or that you regularly game, how did you choose the shaft that is in it?

Is it what came standard?
Went through a fitting and it was best option?
Based on Reviews from others?
Great play on tour or tour success?

Putting something together and really want some honest feedback here. Thanks everybody.
 
It came standard, at the time I didnt know any better and that the shaft was as important or more important then the club head itself. I plan on getting a shaft fit for me in the future thanks to this site!
 
through a fitting
 
Was able to test a few different driver heads and found that I liked the FT Tour, but they only had 2 X flex shafts. One was the stock shaft in the FT and the other was the stock X in one of the newer cobra drivers. However, since the heads weren't the same they didn't perform closely at all. The fitter told me the stock shaft in the FT would be fine so that's what I went with..

Really wish I had an option of testing multiple shafts in the same head to see which would perform best for me.
 
I spent two hours hitting different shafts, and the one I currently play gave me the best numbers.
 
I have a trial and error approach when it comes to golf clubs, some probably think that isn't super smart but I like trying new equipment. I never really thought that much about the shaft before I joined this forum and through observing what others have said I feel like I learned a lot about how important the right shaft is. I was using an R9 460 with the stock non TP motore shaft. Someone locally was selling a R9 TP Fubuki 63g Stiff shaft and i bought it and decided to compare it to what I'd been using. This shaft has effectively eliminated the hook that I've been fighting ever since a wrist injury last year, it gives me a lower, more penetrating ball flight and is a great fit for my swing.
 
I play the stock axivcore in my Dymo. Really trail and error in testing drivers. Its funny cause when I go into stores asking for help or a fitting they always seem too busy or say they are too busy to help. I would love to try sifferent shaft options with a head that I truly enjoy.

It performs well just I know there is better out there for me.


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Previously I relied on the standard shaft and what other said about it. I was recently fit for my current driver and shaft.
 
Sigh.....long process and history.

For my current driver, I had already hit the ideal numbers with my R7 TP-Fujikura 757. I decided with the Supertri-Aldia SVS6 after spending time with a launch monitor to be convinced that I'd gain about 7mph ball speed with the switch. After that, it was a matter of 30 minutes on the launch monitor to find the right Taylormade "supported" TP shaft and another hour beating balls to grow comfortable with it to make sure the club felt and looked right.

The thing that made it really annoying though, is that getting to the decision took forever since all the stores seemed to only carry the Supertri TP in the Motore F1 shaft and not any of the other options so I had to wait until a demo day for that.

As for the Fujikura 757 that I used prior, I have to admit...that was pure luck. I had spent many years playing, taking lessons, purchasing several stock drivers and hating most of them. I knew I needed a really stiff and stable shaft and after looking around online, I think Taylormade was the first to really advertise a "tour setup" with their R7 TP. At that point, I figured why not. I know I'm not tour material, but if they advertised it as such, it had better be stiff and stable. The perfect fit was honestly pure luck along with convincing advertising from TM.
 
I bought the driver out of the used bin at my local golf store several years ago. I am pretty sure it is the wrong shaft for my swing but I continue to play it cause I seem to hit the ball fairly well off the tee and I have yet to find a driver I hit substancially better. I was hoping to work with the Vector machine and someone with knowledge about golf shafts at the last outing but that did not happen. I guess I will wait till the next one and see what it tells me or try to find someplace local I can get fitted.
 
My decision was a very long process, as described below:

1) Internet research to narrow down the number of shafts I wanted to test. This included online reviews, pga tour use, etc.
2) Word of mouth from players that play to a level that I aspire to reach (again to narrow down).
3) Monitor testing and range testing of narrowed down shafts. Most of the tested shafts were tested in my current driver head version so as to reduce variables. This process took several months because it was difficult to find certain shafts and with the specific head no less.
4) Final retesting on monitor or range of further narrowed shaft field.
 
Well I was kind of forced into a change. I liked the shaft that came standard and hit it well but a accident in the hands of a buddy put me in the market for a new shaft. Tried a few shaft in the hunt and peck mode but got tired of that got fitted. So the NV was the call and it has performed very well for me. My problem has been trying to accommodate all the changes my body has been going through this summer.
 
current driver is a Taylor Made R580 XD in 9.5 degree with a Titleist pullout shaft Aldila Voodoo in stiff flex.
previous to that it was a Taylor Made R580 in 9.5 with a 55g Aldila NV in stiff flex.Those two seem to work for me and it was trail and error that got me there.
Another I've had some success with is a Mizuno MX500 10.5 degree with a Aldila NV 65 in stiff flex but it is inconsistant for me compared to the two I've mentioned previously.
I like Aldila shafts as they've felt good to me ever since the first one I hit.
Some others that I tried THIS year before finding the top three for me but had some varying sucess at hitting fairways are a Taylor Made R580XD in 10.5 with a 45g Accuflex Icon lite(was #1 '08 &' 09 for me) and a Mizuno MX500 in 9.5 with a 53g UST Proforce V2 both in stiff flex.
I've tried some regular flex shafts since I beleive I have a fairly low swingspeed but my strong transition has created problems when I use them.If I could just get my tempo smoother I beleive I could benefit from them.
 
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I actually got extremely lucky with the shaft I have. Not having any clue and always having played the stock shaft offerings I was asked to review the new Project X graphite shafts. JB asked me what flex to get and since with PX it's not as simple as S or R I went onto their website and read as much as I could and went through their online fitting and it came back saying 6.5 so I told JB that info and everything has worked out absolutely perfectly for me with this shaft. I could not be happier and was absolutely blown away after seeing the difference from the stock shaft to this PX. I'm a fan!
 
Not very smartly. I've just read lots of threads on driver shafts and noticed what people who had my swing speed were playing. Tried a bunch of those. First was the Fubuki tour and I hated that shaft. Was nice at first but started skying that shaft. Tried a few more that I actually liked(Oban Devo being the best of those) until finally found the Kai'li 70S. That is my shaft. Now I have to figure out if I want to buy the shaft for the FT-IZ or just get the new Titleist 910 with the Kai'li.
 
It's been a mixed bag of everything except proper testing, lol. I was lucky enough to test an Aldila Voodoo for THP last year on the R9 and still have hit on there. I bought several extra shafts with my Nickent 4DX driver and then bought several more from Durt_Guy at the Midwest outing and proceeded to try each of those setteling with a V2 shaft. Now I have a Miyazaki shaft that needs tipped, but may wait to test others and possibly trade for the one that best fit's me.
 
I tested a bunch of different drivers at the outing. I liked the r9 with the ATTAS shaft and the I tried a few Miyazakis until I found the one that gave me the best ball flight. I wanted to use the monitor, but it was about dead by the time I got there. FLTC and JB helped me out.
 
i have what i have in my driver b/c i was able to test a slew of shafts at the first THP outing. not sure if it's the best for me, but it's what gave me optimal launch angle and ball flight.
 
Oh? I did not realize they sell them directly. Wait that wont help I should get tested first...LOL DUH!!
 
Last year, when I went looking for a new shaft for my old driver, I did a bunch of online research. I ended up with only 1 or 2 shafts that were in the running. The PX 6.5 or the Miyazaki Black. (can not remember flex code but likely similar to TC), my biggest concern was lowering my ball flight as I have a tendency to hit moon shots with just about every club. So after looking around for a Project X 6.5 shaft, I found an open box special on my current Nike VR Tour driver for only $19 more than the shaft by itself. So I purchased it without hitting it, and relying on the words of others. (mostly from here)

Now if I could only find a lower launching iron shaft than the DG S300 ;) But that is for another thread

edit: and by last year I mean last March 2010 lol :)
 
White Rhino said:
Oh? I did not realize they sell them directly. Wait that wont help I should get tested first...LOL DUH!!
Click to expand...

yeah, definitely know which one you need first man
 
White Rhino said:
Oh? I did not realize they sell them directly. Wait that wont help I should get tested first...LOL DUH!!
Click to expand...

They dont. TC tested 3 shafts for us as part of a staff testing program and wanted one, so Miyazaki offered him a demo shaft at a slightly reduced price.
 
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