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Regular vs Stiff for driver shaft

Nippon Shafts
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semi

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Hoping you guys can help settle this debate for me. I am currently looking at a new driver (G30). My swing speed is right on the border between stiff and reg. But usually fitting into stiff every time i buy clubs. However, i am pushing the ball right with almost every driver i own. I have started to transition my swing to a more relaxed controlled swing (smooth) over my 101-104 mph average swing speed. I am now swinging around 95-96 mph.

I had one fitter at Golfsmith tell me stiff is better as it promotes a draw, and one fitter at GGalaxy tell me i should maybe try regular if i am hitting to the right -slight fade or slice. Now, i am working with a new instructor who is not a fitter, on my driver swing. The last few years i have been pretty straight off the tee, but this year something happened that i can't figure out (after a long cold winter). Everything is pushing or slicing right. My thought is maybe my controlled swing needs a regular shaft.

Anyway, can someone help settle this debate? My thought would be a regular shaft would keep the face open a bit at my swing speed but the guy at GG is saying that's not the case.

i am also looking for shaft recommendations for my swing.
 
Really need to just get on a launch monitor with the same driver head with 2 different shafts and see what the numbers say.
 
Slice or push usually means open clubface at impact. That also usually means your arms haven't returned the clubface to square at impact. So either your body turn is too fast, or your arms aren't turning over fast enough. Next time, try being more aggressive in squaring the clubface as you turn. That usually works for me. But definitely fix the swing first before getting the shaft. The regular shaft will need even more aggressive squaring of the clubface at impact to prevent a slice.
You can also mess with your ball position at address, meaning positioning your ball more towards your left foot at address. I swing at around the same speed as you do, I just personally like stiff shafts because I don't like the feel of the clubhead lagging behind in regular shafts.
That said, regular shafts may add more distance with slower swing speeds as they accentuate the "snap", provided you can square the clubface at impact.
You can also try a regular shaft with a draw-bias head.
Still, always better to fix the swing first before buying new gear.
 
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As far as I know shaft flex has more to do with how you load he shaft not as much to do with swing speed. But I could be wrong
 
theoverswinger said:
You can also mess with your ball position at address, meaning positioning your all more towards your left foot at address.
Click to expand...

You can play with the ball position, but you'll want to move the ball farther back towards your right foot. This will make you swing farther in to out, and provided you can square the club face with your hands, will help you straighten the slice and maybe even hit a draw. When you move the ball too far forward, you have to almost lunge at it to make good contact, which opens your shoulders and causes you to swing out to in, causing a cut/slice.

Hox30 said:
As far as I know shaft flex has more to do with how you load he shaft not as much to do with swing speed. But I could be wrong
Click to expand...

I know a guy who has a SS of about 80, but he casts the club and plays an extra stuff shaft because it's more stable for him through impact. Using a launch monitor would be a best case scenario, but swing speed definitely is not the only factor when choosing shaft flex. Conventional wisdom says to play the most flexible shaft you can, but it all depends on your swing and what you're looking for.
 
The problem with golf, or rather golf swings, is that no two are alike and each of us 'normal' players rarely get two consecutive swings the same. This alone can be a nightmare for any fitter. These guys would generally have an easy day fitting Westie or Poulter etc as their swings are more consistent.

When it comes to shafts, that is yet anotehr variable in the pot. Firstly there is no such thing as Reg, Stiff or XStiff. Yes they all have these words emblazened in the paint job, but there is no standard anywhere for shafts. One company's Reg is like another's Stiff. For this reason shafts might just as well not come with any flex codes at all if a player is going to get fitted for them.

Head shape/size will also have a bearing on SS, which will then poss change the type/flex required.

Ultimately you need a proper fitting where you can get feedback from numbers with lots of combos, and then once numbers are okay, hit that combo outdoors as launch monitors are only any good up to a point, and need to be judged together with the type of flight/spin/roll you will get in the RW rather than the software world. If you can get to one of the Hackers Driver days I am sure JB would be able to give you some feedback.

Essentially what I am trying to say is don't get hung up on the numbers(flex, SS or launch numbers) as these are only really a starting point. If you are still having the lessons, stick with them until things calm down in your swing as putting a good shaft on a work in progress swing will not cure very much.
 
The one thing that helped me with the slicing is my grip. I never realized what A weak grip I had, I rolled both of my hands over a few inches and it really helped.
 
I don't think flex and clubhead speed should really be anything more than a loose guide. I have a clubhead speed around 104, but Stiff flex always feel kinda loose and whippy to me, But X-Flex I feel like it loads and uncoils through the ball, even when I lay off a bit. I think it has more to do with timing and release than overall speed.
 
Like others have posted before I don't think the shaft flex is really the issue. I recently got fitted for new irons and I ended up not needing new irons but heavier shafts. So I had the fitter look at my driver numbers. I use a stiff flex stock shaft Cobra Fly-Z driver. He found exactly what I knew that I was leaving my face open at impact. We changed to a draw biased which helped and it did sort of. Then we started playing with different shafts. He gave me a heavier shaft and it really helped me smooth out my tempo. It's crazy that a 10 grams heavier shaft would make a world of difference.

This post is not to say get a heavier shaft but figure out your issue and get whatever you need to help you.

My instructor noticed that my driver swing is less aggressive on the downswing before I even told him about my new shaft. He was working with me to slow my tempo down and to be less jerky on the downswing and take the club head back slower on the back swing. The heavier shaft helped with both.
 
You got a bunch of horsesh!t advice at the stores.

You swing fast enough for stiff. If it feels good, use that. If you like it softer, go regular.
 
Launch monitor. It will help tremendously.

Jack
 
theoverswinger said:
Slice or push usually means open clubface at impact.

That also usually means your arms haven't returned the clubface to square at impact. So either your body turn is too fast, or your arms aren't turning over fast enough. Next time, try being more aggressive in squaring the clubface as you turn. That usually works for me. But definitely fix the swing first before getting the shaft. The regular shaft will need even more aggressive squaring of the clubface at impact to prevent a slice.

You can also mess with your ball position at address, meaning positioning your ball more towards your left foot at address. I swing at around the same speed as you do, I just personally like stiff shafts because I don't like the feel of the clubhead lagging behind in regular shafts.

That said, regular shafts may add more distance with slower swing speeds as they accentuate the "snap", provided you can square the clubface at impact.
You can also try a regular shaft with a draw-bias head.

Still, always better to fix the swing first before buying new gear.
Click to expand...


Lots of good counsel here.

About 85% of where a ball starts is from where the face is pointing at impact. Sounds as if you are open.

Open can be okay if your swing path has a 2:1 ratio to the amount of open face.

Problem with moving the ball back is that the face will be even more open although you may get a draw because the path is more in to out.

BUT if you fix the face and move the ball back, you are looking at disaster, and you've made your angle of attack more negative, meaning more spin. With today's drivers, you want more launch, less spin (tee it so it hits center face at an upward angle of attack)

I would relax the arms, move the ball up towards the left toe and synch your arms and body -- that's why you have an instructor -- to help with the swing. There is a drill for closing the face at impact. With relaxed arms, you essentially (flatten the left wrist) turn down the left wrist slightly towards the ground.

Shaft Flex - at 95-98 mph (like me) and a moderate transition and load (not too quick, not keeping the lag forever), a stiff flex will offer you more consistency.

Try punching drivers on the range at 50-75% speed and 3/4 swing to drill instead of full swings.

Good luck with drill and lessons.
 
I am in the bracket to be playing X Flex shafts (110mph SS with driver), and I still prefer stiff on all but my 3 wood. I think that it just depends on your preferred feel and what gives you the best results.
 
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