First Driver Fitting

cheffor

verified 20 handicap
Joined
Sep 2, 2010
Messages
1,605
Reaction score
4
Location
Danville, IL
Handicap
16 (OOB)
And I'm more confused then ever. Started off with my R9 and hit about 8 or so shots distances on the LM seemed to coincide with what I've been seeing on the course the last few times I've gone out club head speed was 90-94 launch angle was around 18-20 spin 3300 average distances 200-210, just kind of what I figured hitting it super high and super short. We stopped and he asked me what I was looking for, I told him I'd like to either get a shaft that better fit me or a new driver that better fit me and gave him a few suggestions of what I was looking for.

He grabbed a Callaway Razr Adilia Rip Stiff 10.5 with a stiff shaft averages were club head 96.86 launch 18, spin 3181, carry 207 and total 229. While I was swinging he suggested I move the ball back in my stance to bring the launch down a bit

Next was a Cleveland 290 Stiff Club head 93.20, launch 16.4, spin 2955, carry 205 total 227.

Razr 9.5 Adilia Rip stiff shaft club head 94.65, launch 16.2 spin 3430, carry 194, total 214.

Ping G15 stiff shaft club head 91.27, launch 14.9 spin 3072, carry 200, total 221

Taylormade Burner 2.0 TP 10.5 Matrix Xcon stiff club head 91.30, launch 17.7, spin 2837, carry 200, total 221

Burner 2.0 10.5 Matrix Xcon Regular club head 95.28, launch 15.8, spin 3238, carry 204, total 225.

Cleveland 290 regular club head 93.99, launch 16.8, spin 2986, carry 205, total 227.

Nothing really stood out for me, but it seemed like I was just getting too much spin on anything and that was killing my distance. He agreed but had no suggestions on how we could change that. I asked if I could hit my r9 again to see if changes in ball position and being warmed up made a difference.

My R9 at the end Club head 93.80, launch 16.7, spin 2929, carry 210, total 232.

So after all of that the best driver that I hit that day was my R9. He seemed baffled that I would hit a regular flex shaft better then a stiff although I thought at my club head speed that would be the case. I still feel that I'm losing distance due to the launch angle and spin but numbers don't lie, I'm getting all of the distance that I'm going to get and a newer driver won't help. I do wonder if there is a better shaft out there for me but he had no suggestions on shafts and had no clue about the Graffaloy platinum that I have in my R9 other then at 75 it's heavy. Overall I expected a bit more input from the fitter on what might work better for me and how the different shafts would change spin/launch angle but he just didn't seem to know. Overall I'm glad they were having a 50% off fitting sale.

The two burners I hit seemed darn good as well and I wonder if the Matrix shaft would be a good fit for the R9. Does anyone have any suggestions on what shaft might bring my launch and spin down just a bit more to get me the distance I'm looking for?
 
I could be wrong but your spin seems just fine for your swing speed. Launch seems a bit high though.
 
I might be wrong but I think the xcon is a higher launching shaft. Check the homepage for the matrix review TC did recently. Also their website is outstanding for finding shafts to met your criteria.

--
tapatalk
 
I could be wrong but your spin seems just fine for your swing speed. Launch seems a bit high though.

Only reason I mention spin is every drive that was decent was around 2500. While my average was much higher on all drivers.
 
I agree with my ninja friend Jrod. Those spin numbers seem about right. Not enough spin and you'll lose distance in some cases. Sometimes we play stiffer shafts than we should. Maybe thats why the regular shaft worked better for you. Id even say you could put this in the ask the pro thread and Im sure Andy could give some great advice.
 
The same thing happened to me. My r9 460 worked best for me out of every new driver out there. When I got fit, my ss was 94-97. The regular shaft gave me the best numbers. I think it is best to play the weakest shaft possible. That is just my opinion though.
 
Well I feel better then guess I just need to work on my swing. Thanks for the information.
 
I am not nearly as educated on shafts and heads as many on here, but wouldnt a lower lofted head bring down launch and spin a little?
Also, with a 95mph SS, 220 seems to be kinda short distance wise. Could missed contact cause the higher numbers you see?
This is a question as much as anything. Good luck with the new stick!!
 
I am not nearly as educated on shafts and heads as many on here, but wouldnt a lower lofted head bring down launch and spin a little?
Also, with a 95mph SS, 220 seems to be kinda short distance wise. Could missed contact cause the higher numbers you see?
This is a question as much as anything. Good luck with the new stick!!

Yes, a lower lofted driver head could bring his launch angle down, but it can also cause a lot more side spin too. I would stick with the 10.5 degree head and look at some lower launching shafts, but with those high launch angle numbers, my guess would be there is a swing quirk in there causing that launch angle. The spin numbers are about right, but the distance seems a little short for your SS. Keep working at it man, and I`ll be interested to see how you do going forward.
 
At that swing speed, those spin numbers shouldn't be an problem, even a bit higher would give you more carry... A regular flex IMO would be ok. Don't get caught up in what flex you play. Go with what works, do you know what your smash factor was?
 
Nothing on the print out I see indicating smash factor, the only other items I didn't list were ball speed, PTR (unsure what this is) and Deviation. My average PTR for the R9 was 138.7 optimal was listed as 150. I thought the distance was a bit short for the speed/launch/spin myself but it is pretty spot on with what I've been seeing GPS'd on the course so it seems accurate albeit a bit disappointing.
 
Optimal smash factor is 150, meaning your ball speed is 1.5 times your clubhead speed... So for example 100mph of club head speed should give you 150 mph of ball speed at perfect contact. I'm not a shaft expert but I'm sure JB or TC could help you out and give you some more direction.

On a side note, if your current driver is giving you the best numbers, then that's ok. You don't need to drop money on a new driver!
 
Your smash factor is a little low I think, but that should have been explained to you in the driver fitting.
 
Your smash factor is a little low I think, but that should have been explained to you in the driver fitting.

Not much was explained at the driver fitting, he just kept saying high launch low spin is what you're looking for but gave no suggestions on how to achieve that.
 
Well the good thing is you don't need a new driver as much as a shaft change. Plenty of low launch shafts at reasonable prices for you to choose from. I recommended the UST V2 for you as they are low launch with a much stiffer tip than what you have now. As for GG's "fittings", mine was from a kid who didn't know anything other than what the machine showed him. He couldn't wait to have me swing a R11 hoping i'd run to the cash register with it. He couldn't name one shaft that would fix my launch angle. Thats when I took my printout and left. If you are still liking your r9 then reshaft and save some money for other things.
 
Not much was explained at the driver fitting, he just kept saying high launch low spin is what you're looking for but gave no suggestions on how to achieve that.

Where did you go? I want to be sure not to go there!
 
If you like the way your Grafalloy Platinum shaft feels, then for a lower launch, you may want to try the Grafalloy Red which is a lower launching shaft. The shaft weight also plays a role though, so be somewhat careful going to a lighter shaft as those should launch higher than a heavier version of the same shaft.
 
Hey Cheff , you know I have the Z-Star( reg flex ) and am not real impressed with it at all ( selling it or throwing it into the lake ) , I hit it around 220 -240 and when I catch it 250 . ( you have seen me play )
I have been using my bosses new G15 Ping with stiff shaft and holy moly I hit it on average 250 -260 ( been measuring it with gps ) . I think you need to get these clubs on the course and see ball flight and get a feel for these drivers .
I am not all impressed with launch moniters in a closed invironment ( just my opinion ) as I went to a Cleveland driver fitting and hit all 3 of their new drivers in different flexs and it said I was hitting it 200-220 and I know i dont hit it that short ........... LOL
And you sure hit that G15 at the 2011 outing strong !!!! You might try it in a 9.5 stiff , I know I am before I pull the trigger on a new driver , I am also looking into the Adams 9088 UL driver coming out at the end of the month .
 
I went to golf galaxy, they were have half price fittings. I guess I'm glad I can keep my R9 since nothing really performed much better with it I was just hoping that another driver would really show some improvements.

I really liked your zstar Spray heh I hit that thing better then I hit my own driver on the range that day, let me know what lake you throw it into =). I really didn't mind the feel of the G15 and it was the most consistent according to the LM that day, the course I play at mostly carries Ping I might see if I can take a demo out for a round and see how it performs on the course.
 
Oh thats right you did hit my driver and did rather well with it !!! I think the shaft isnt the right one for me in the Z-Star is why I struggle with it , should of gotten a stiff in it and I may of fallen in love with the club .. LOL ..... but having payed $400 bucks for it and buying a new 2 or 3 hundred dollar stiff dromo shaft for it isnt going to fly with me ! I'll either sell it or trade it in on someting different !

All I know is I really like that stiff Ping TFC 149 D shaft they have in the G15 and K15 , I can really snap my hands through at impact and not loose it hard right like I do with the Z-Star even when I have it closed 2 deg. .
Hope you find someting you can build confidence in !!!
 
Kind of an update, I purchased a UST Proforce V2 tour from milehighgolfer and when it arrived I immediately took it out to the range. First 3 shots were just what I was looking for and I didn't even feel the need to put the other shaft back in I could tell by the flight and where the ball was landing this shaft was performing much better. I can't wait to get it on the course and see if the improvement continues.
 
cheffor, glad I could hook you up. I love this shaft in my supertri as it has such a stable tip mishits still fly far and fairly straight. Now that I have the proper flex, I am back to the length I used to have without any loss in direction. Enjoy your shaft, it will give you great confidence on the tee.
 
WOW, finally got on the course with the new driver shaft and what an amazing difference. My last time out the GPS'd distances for my drives were 207, 201, 211, 232, 232, 192, and 225. Today my distances were 234, 251, 241, 247, 236, 269, and 270. So I went from a 214 average to a 250 average with just a shaft change. The 269 came on a short par 4 of 259, I was past the green on the right side I was amazed at where I had ended up, the 270 was the 9th hole just blasted it down the left side of the fairway, now I just need to get my 2nd shots figured out so I can start hitting some GIR's.
 
Back
Top