Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

Anyone who really knows their stuff, I'd love to hear your advice.
My game: shoot in the mid 80s, break 80 once in a while. Currently hit a 9.5 driver 260-280, most control with a cut/fade. My drives dont get super high in the air, so I was interested in looking at the 10.5* loft.

I am looking to get a new driver so I demoed a few on the launch monitor and have decided to get a Nike SQ, but there are three shaft options and two lofts avail.

My swing speed is avg 105mph, ball speed 145-155. Launch angle varies from 7*-12* depending which loft i was hitting. Spin rates were 3500-5500rpm


I hit the 9.5 and 10.5 loft, with the diamana shaft in stiff flex. By the numbers the 10.5 had a better launch angle and similar est. distance. My hangup is deciding how the different shaft options would change the numbers.

The shafts are Proforce V2 (stiff), or the Adila VS Proto (stiff). Not sure where the kick points are or any other specs, but even if I knew them I don't know how they compare to the one i hit or how they change my stats..... so if anyone has any insight shoot away.

thanks

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

Unless I'm missing a bit of pertinent information, there's no way of knowing what the different shafts will do to your numbers.

I can however say the following about your numbers. Your launch angle is inconsistent and you put way, way too much spin on the ball. That is one reason why your ball speed is so low compared to your swing speed.

All things being equal, you should go with the higher lofted driver is for no other reason than you will hit it straighter.

BO

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

Is it possible for you to demo all of them side by side? Ideally you want a higher launch angle and lower spin rate. The higher launch for you will probably come from a higher lofted club, while the lower spin rate will come from shaft characteristics (high/mid kick point)

One caveat to the launch monitor: the readings in my experience tend to promote a launch angle that is a perfect in windless conditions on soft gorund. Keep in mind what type of conditions you are playing in. If you play in windy conditions or on firm fairways then you may not want to go with quite as high a launch angle as the monitor says.
Personally I would rather give up 2-7 yards to have the ability to hit it lower if I play in those type of conditions.

If possible just hit them all a few times and see what the results are...both in trajectory, flight direction, and consistency. Let me know if you have other questions as I have done quite a few driver fittings. (also make sure you try the TM Burner if you havent already, a majority of my fits have found it to be their favorite)

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

thank you sir... so you are saying that there is no general trend for say low kick point shafts hit the ball higher (angle) or something like that?

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

how high is too high? 14deg? 20deg? or is the answer to all my questions... it depends on XXX and YYY.

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

you want about 12-14 degrees and 3000ish RPM's with your swing speed.

Shafts I love:
Aldila Proto VS
Proforce heavy (70g) V2
Diamana's

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

If you're getting low launch with high spin it's more likely your swing. The numbers you give are very vague. Were you getting 7 deg. with 4500 rpm? Or 12 deg. with 3500rpm?

I agree with LimitGod except to say look for the high end of his launch range, with max 3000 rpm.

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

I think the VS proto is your best option, both in terms of being the best shaft of your options and the best for your game.

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

I'll go hit some more balls and get you all actual numbers... not ranges. Thanks for the help

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

[ QUOTE ]
Anyone who really knows their stuff, I'd love to hear your advice.
My game: shoot in the mid 80s, break 80 once in a while. Currently hit a 9.5 driver 260-280, most control with a cut/fade. My drives dont get super high in the air, so I was interested in looking at the 10.5* loft.

I am looking to get a new driver so I demoed a few on the launch monitor and have decided to get a Nike SQ, but there are three shaft options and two lofts avail.

My swing speed is avg 105mph, ball speed 145-155. Launch angle varies from 7*-12* depending which loft i was hitting. Spin rates were 3500-5500rpm


I hit the 9.5 and 10.5 loft, with the diamana shaft in stiff flex. By the numbers the 10.5 had a better launch angle and similar est. distance. My hangup is deciding how the different shaft options would change the numbers.

The shafts are Proforce V2 (stiff), or the Adila VS Proto (stiff). Not sure where the kick points are or any other specs, but even if I knew them I don't know how they compare to the one i hit or how they change my stats..... so if anyone has any insight shoot away.

thanks

[/ QUOTE ]

if you could get you launch angle around 11 or 12 consistently and have the spin rate like <2200 then i think that would be good. if you can you should try some other shafts or something because 3500 rpm is too much and 5500 rpm is like crazy(i am guessing some of you drives spin back sometimes?). i would say you should try to find something that lowers the spin rate because high launch w/ low spin will get you the most distance.

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

[ QUOTE ]

if you could get you launch angle around 11 or 12 consistently and have the spin rate like <2200 then i think that would be good. if you can you should try some other shafts or something because 3500 rpm is too much and 5500 rpm is like crazy(i am guessing some of you drives spin back sometimes?). i would say you should try to find something that lowers the spin rate because high launch w/ low spin will get you the most distance.

[/ QUOTE ]
Naturally he needs to drop that spin rate, but I think a figure of 2200 for him would not be good. The ball would just fall out of the sky. Somebody like Tiger can get away with that number because of the massive ball speed he produces, but with lesser speed the ball would just knuckle into the ground.

BO

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

I have a "cheat sheet" that outlines optimal launch conditions for various swing speeds and based on a 105 swing speed you should have a launch of 13.4* w/ 2445 rpm

Also, your ball speed is somewhat lower (should be 160) for your swing speed. I'm not sure you're getting the best #'s unless you're hitting it solid.

Your spin rate is obv out of control high and I think this confirms you are not hitting it pure. I would stick to a higher loft until you start hitting it better.

Depending on how serious you are about golf the OEM shafts stink. Buy an after market Diamana or a Fujikura, it's well worth it.

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

[ QUOTE ]
I have a "cheat sheet" that outlines optimal launch conditions for various swing speeds and based on a 105 swing speed you should have a launch of 13.4* w/ 2445 rpm

Depending on how serious you are about golf the OEM shafts stink. Buy an after market Diamana or a Fujikura, it's well worth it.

[/ QUOTE ]

As per other thread, I'm looking for a new driver.

The question I have is regarding shafts.

I have a Fujikara 26.3 Tour Platform Series
marked also with "26.3 R-flex".

What does the 26.3 refer to? Is that a model or the length? I remember my fitter saying something about shorter shaft would be better for me (I'm 5'9).

Is there any rule of thumb for swing speed with a driver v/v flex? Anyone have a good link to good reference reading?

I think during testing my swings were 95-100. I've tried swinging faster since then so hopefully I'm playing at ~100 mph swing speed average. (My drives usually carry like 220-230 if I had to guess.)

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

if you could get you launch angle around 11 or 12 consistently and have the spin rate like <2200 then i think that would be good. if you can you should try some other shafts or something because 3500 rpm is too much and 5500 rpm is like crazy(i am guessing some of you drives spin back sometimes?). i would say you should try to find something that lowers the spin rate because high launch w/ low spin will get you the most distance.

[/ QUOTE ]
Naturally he needs to drop that spin rate, but I think a figure of 2200 for him would not be good. The ball would just fall out of the sky.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've noticed on the range and maybe occassionally while playing (2 piece balls) that my ball will have some "sinkerball" movement on it. Is this dropping out of the sky that is mentioned here? Other than that the trajectory of the ball seems fine, i.e. it is straight with a decent launch angle.

It seems that maybe with forward/back-to-front spin the ball might fall faster.

I always attributed this to bad range balls, but maybe I'm coming over the top of the ball?

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

All shots have backspin, unless you hit it straight into the ground off the tee. But if a ball is sinking you may need a little more loft on the driver. The ideal flight is one that looks like it wants to sink but doesn't and just stays in the air.

26.3 is just a model number, although the numbers will mean something about the shafts specs. For instance the 26.3 is a 60+ gram shaft, where the 27.3 is a 70+ gram shaft.

The 26.3 looks like a better than average shaft, and the R flex probably suits your swing speed well.

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

I just bought a Callaway x460 driver, and the guy at the pro shop fitted me with a Graphite Design YS-6+ Stiff shaft. He had me hit a 6 iron while he measured my swing speed, which was consistantly around 105 (with the 6 iron). I am a very novice golfer, I have played only a couple times in the last few years but am going to be playing a lot more. I have a pretty good swing, and am quick with it due to playing a lot of baseball.

Looking at the graphite design website it says the recomended swing speed for the YS-6+ stiff is 95-105 and for extra stiff it is 100-110. I only tried the stiff which felt great (but I don't have much to reference that against), but should I go back and try out the extra stiff? Again I was at 105mph with a 6 iron, I dont know what I swing the driver.

I don't know how much I should expect my swing speed to improve in the near future as my game improves. I am 23 and 6 months out of college, pretty strong solid frame, but packed on a little weight due to too much beer and pizza at college, which wont be around too long, so I dont know how much faster my swing will be after shaping up a little. Should I go back and try the extra stiff? If I swung the 6 iron 105 what would be a ballpark on my driver speed? Does it matter if my swing ends up being 5-10-15 mph faster in a year than the suggested for the shaft?

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

In all honesty I have NFI why a pro would measure your swing speed with a 6 iron to match you for a shaft with your driver. I have never heard of that being done. If you swing a 6 iron 105mph, I'm going to guess (and it really is just a guess) your driver speed at 115mph.

I am not in a position to tell you which shaft you do need, or if the YS-6+ (which the YS series are a good line) stiff, is stiff enough. But I will recommend that you get tested with the driver you are using now, and see what results you are getting on a launch monitor.

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

[ QUOTE ]
In all honesty I have NFI why a pro would measure your swing speed with a 6 iron to match you for a shaft with your driver. I have never heard of that being done. If you swing a 6 iron 105mph, I'm going to guess (and it really is just a guess) your driver speed at 115mph.

I am not in a position to tell you which shaft you do need, or if the YS-6+ (which the YS series are a good line) stiff, is stiff enough. But I will recommend that you get tested with the driver you are using now, and see what results you are getting on a launch monitor.

[/ QUOTE ]It wasnt a pro, just a sales man at a large well known golf shop here, he seemed to know his stuff very well though. I bought the club last night (havent used the actual club I walked out of the store with so it is still new) and am going to go back and ask questions today on lunch. This was after walking 9 holes and hitting a medium bucket of balls so I dont know how much that would increase/decrease my speed. I have always been able to crush the driver and considering I will be stonger and in better shape by next summer I can only imagine that would improve my swing speed.

EDIT: we just used the "SwingMate" radar to test speed. It was set up behind me, not to the side near impact, I dont know if that would effect the reading. I can hit my 8 year old Ram lite flex driver in the 280-300 range so I was a little suprised I only swung 105.

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

[ QUOTE ]
It wasnt a pro, just a sales man at a large well known golf shop here, he seemed to know his stuff very well though.

[/ QUOTE ]

Matching a driver shaft to a 6iron swing speed is retarded. When you go back just point it out and he's likely apologize for being exhausted or hungover or something and get you a better fitting club.

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

I would return the club and go find someone who knows what they are doing to fit me for a Driver. Unless he can give you a proper fitting with a launch monitor, which is standard these days.

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

Alot of people around the 150-160 mph ball speeds have the same problem as the OP, I know that I do. Getting the right conditions for launching without alot of spin.

For me 10.5 was too much launch, 9.5 was too low with too much spin.

The answer is the right shaft, there are alot out there that are very high launching and very low spinning. Something the the OZIK X-CON Altus in stiff or strong flex would lower your spin by several hundred RPM while increasing your launch by about 1.5-2*.

Re: Need shaft/loft advice for driver...launch monitor stats included
 

[ QUOTE ]
I think during testing my swings were 95-100. I've tried swinging faster since then so hopefully I'm playing at ~100 mph swing speed average. (My drives usually carry like 220-230 if I had to guess.)

[/ QUOTE ]

I found my stats 2 yrs ago from when I got my now decapitated driver (KZG Gemini 12 deg).

n= 8 swings

Club speed 98.6
Ball speed 142.5
Vertical 14.2
Total spin 2,645
Downrange 225

I swing harder now and am getting to the point where I'm more accurate swinging harder. I was actually getting to the point where I felt that the regular flex shaft was not "satisfying". I guess I will try out different shafts.

Is the loft of the driver chosen such that you arrive at optimal launch and spin rates or was that chosen for me because I had a <100 mph swing?