Driver Shaft Fitting Feedback from Golf Galaxy

[bobgeorge]

All,

I called my local Golf Galaxy today about getting a shaft fit for my current driver which is a 9.5 degree Nike Machspeed with a stock shaft. He asked me me a few questions like club speed & distance. I told him my club speed was between 95-103 mph & that my avg distance was 240 yards. He asked me what benefits I was looking to get out of it & I said optimal spin & more distance. He said 'to be honest, we can test you & fit you for a different more expensive shaft, but he said 90% of problems are caused by swing flaws & a different shaft really can't fix that'.

Any opinions on that feedback/advice?

Thanks, J

 

[ripper]

So a fitting is only required 10% of the time?????

 

[RxGus]

Getting fitted for a shaft lowered my launch angle from 18 degrees to 12.5 degrees... HUGE difference.

 

[Snap Hook]

All,

I called my local Golf Galaxy today about getting a shaft fit for my current driver which is a 9.5 degree Nike Machspeed with a stock shaft. He asked me me a few questions like club speed & distance. I told him my club speed was between 95-103 mph & that my avg distance was 240 yards. He asked me what benefits I was looking to get out of it & I said optimal spin & more distance. He said 'to be honest, we can test you & fit you for a different more expensive shaft, but he said 90% of problems are caused by swing flaws & a different shaft really can't fix that'.

Any opinions on that feedback/advice?

Thanks, J

Wow, that's night and day difference from my Golf Galaxy. My buddy works at the G G here in town and he says their manager is constantly pushing extra stuff and services into their transactions whether or not they need it. He told me a story once about over hearing the manager throw in a fitting at 50% off for a new set of Ping Irons. Yet Ping irons use the color coded system to ensure a proper fit........ Yea maybe the customer might have needed longer shafts or something, but that wasn't what the Manager had in mind.

 

[DBjr]

Boy now I don't know what to do I was thinking of doing the same thing at the GG in my area. I suppose it can't hurt to make the call and see what this manager has to say.

 

[bobgeorge]

So a fitting is only required 10% of the time?????

I guess what the guy was getting at was a after market shaft has the ability to improve your #s, but they are not going to correct the swing faults that might be causing the problems. $$$ might be better spent on lessons to correct those flaws :}

If you don't have a consistent repeatable swing do different shafts really matter?

 

[Snap Hook]

I guess what the guy was getting at was a after market shaft has the ability to improve your #s, but they are not going to correct the swing faults that might be causing the problems. $$$ might be better spent on lessons to correct those flaws :}

If you don't have a consistent repeatable swing do different shafts really matter?

Yes and no. I would say that if given a choice, I would spend my money on learning a repeatable swing first. But if you're already somewhat consistent then shafts do help. I'm not saying if all you got is a junior girls club then it's ok to use it cuz shafts don't matter. My buddy when he first started playing golf was worried about his shafts being regular despite his fast swing speed. I told him to play a little more and develop a taste for golf. What I mean by taste is after a few months he developed a fondness and a hatred for certain styles and such. Once he became a regular golfer and was getting more consistent, then he went out and got that certain set he wanted.

 

[SW]

Not exactly a driver shaft but I was really struggling with my 3 wood after yanking my driver out of the bag for a while. I was taking lessons at the time at PGA SS, so I asked my instructor about reshafting it he crunched some numbers and determined the Aldila NV would help me. I still have some flaws, ott and holding the face open when I get sloppy, but the new shaft has helped immensely. I say play what fits you and works best for you (we don't use gas to put out fires) if your using the wrong thing then the learning curve is steeper. All just my opinion.


I get my posting on the run

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

Wow, that's night and day difference from my Golf Galaxy. My buddy works at the G G here in town and he says their manager is constantly pushing extra stuff and services into their transactions whether or not they need it. He told me a story once about over hearing the manager throw in a fitting at 50% off for a new set of Ping Irons. Yet Ping irons use the color coded system to ensure a proper fit........ Yea maybe the customer might have needed longer shafts or something, but that wasn't what the Manager had in mind.

There is a lot of difference between being fitted by a qualified club builder, and being fitted by a salesman. A chain store would be the last place I would go for a fitting.

 

[SW]

Why? There are some great and knowledgable people that work in chain stores, of course there are the bad apples that only worry about bottom lines but usually they give themselves away pretty quickly.

There is a lot of difference between being fitted by a qualified club builder, and being fitted by a salesman. A chain store would be the last place I would go for a fitting.

 

[WestTex]

Without seeing your ball flight, its kinda hard to say what you might need and what you don't. If you are seeing a lot of ballooning or think you hit the ball way to high, then I'd go get it checked out. Same with the I only hit it 20 feet in the air drive. If neither of these are obvious then it really may not make that much of a difference.

Of course there is also the other way to look at it. If you know what driver shaft is optimal, then the driver head itself won't make that much of a difference. I know people who swear by whiteboards and such that no matter the driver, they re-shaft to "their" shaft. Right or wrong, this is a popular way to do things.

 

[CharlieMoy]

90% of problems IS caused by swing flaws. Hell Id even say 99% of problems is caused by swing flaws. Especially with a SS between 95 and 103. Thats kind of a big window. I wouldnt call, Id just show up with a pen and paper.

 

[rhinogolfer]

Maybe take a driver lesson from a local pro and tell him you're thinking about getting a different shaft. He (or she) will take a look at your swing and be able to see if there are major flaws or maybe just some fine-tuning that needs to be done. Another thing to consider is how do you like your ball flight.

I was in your situation a few months ago. I wanted to get another shaft, and because the teaching pros at my local muni do free driver/irons fittings, I booked one. Based on that fitting, he recommended working on the swing some more. I did that (and still am) but ultimately, I re-shafted my driver because my ball flight was too high and the shaft was too light. I have found that the shaft change, for me, helped my swing overall.