Shaft Stiffness for extra distance?

[styles]

HORTON: What you seemingly ignore is it is the disconnected driver head that hits the ball and not the shaft. How do you know what is happening to the driver head through the 400 microsecond Impact Event with your 1000 snapshots taken at various viewing angles. How can you believe everything you see in pictures?

I asked Bob Bush...the Bob Bush that invented Iron Byron and head up True Temper R&D...at the 1988 (first) PGA Teaching Summit 9in front of 1500 people on the microphone) this question: "Mr. Bush, all things equal, clubhead speed, sweetspot contact, same clubhead, same weight club, same KIND of shaft, but one stiff and one not as stiff, lets call it 'regular', which shaft hits the ball farther?"

ANSWER from Bob Bush: The Stiffer one.

Why? hmmm......cause all of this 'disconnected' stuff is not exactly what really happens.

You won't find that in a book. But you read it here.

Sorry for bumping an old thread, but I have been reading/lurking and searching on shafts regular vs. stiff. And this was the best one I found (and if a new person starts a new thread frequently one hears use Search).

I was wondering what you thought about the theory that a golfer should swing the softest shaft they can control? If not, and based on your post above, I should be swinging the stiffest shaft I can ___ ? Thanks.

 

[spktho]

Very tough to recommend any shaft stiffness. It's best to be correctly fitted because of all the variations in types of shaft loading/unloading in individual swing types. By the way some of what that was discussed in this thread has changed.

 

[natep]

Here's a link to an article about shaft loading profiles, etc.

Lessons from ShaftLab

 

[drewyallop]

Some really interesting and surprising stuff on shaft stiffness in the anti-summit video.

Drew

 

[styles]

Here's a link to an article about shaft loading profiles, etc.

Lessons from ShaftLab

Thanks. That was an interesting read.

 

[styles]

Very tough to recommend any shaft stiffness. It's best to be correctly fitted because of all the variations in types of shaft loading/unloading in individual swing types. By the way some of what that was discussed in this thread has changed.

Thanks. I was ignoring most of the thread. I found many threads/posts on shafts; and Brian Manzella had mentioned this Mr. Bush statement a couple of times, but that post in particular was the most complete/specific regarding my question. I on fitting, but was wondering what if the theory of "softest you can control" is being employed by my fitter and that's wrong? FWIW, I'm only going to Golfsmith, launch monitor. I'm kind of 'on the bubble' and they say you can play whichever one you want R or S. I used to play "Firm" which was inbetween R & S.

 

[spktho]

Thanks. I was ignoring most of the thread. I found many threads/posts on shafts; and Brian Manzella had mentioned this Mr. Bush statement a couple of times, but that post in particular was the most complete/specific regarding my question. I on fitting, but was wondering what if the theory of "softest you can control" is being employed by my fitter and that's wrong? FWIW, I'm only going to Golfsmith, launch monitor. I'm kind of 'on the bubble' and they say you can play whichever one you want R or S. I used to play "Firm" which was inbetween R & S.

That's why I suggest being fitted correctly. Unfortunately, imo Golfsmith isn't the best way to go. Do some research on your own prior to your fitting to see what the best combinations of swing speed, launch and spin are for the iron(s) and woods you will be hitting, then try as many combinations of club heads and shafts as you can.

If you can find a tour van stop of one of the major club manufacturers or have Cool Clubs you can get to, that would be ideal.

I know it sounds daunting, but I have done this through mostly trial and error, spending a lot of money on clubs and shafts and learned how to take apart and build clubs until I have a set that feels and works close to how I want. But, I like to experiment on my own.

 

[DCgolf]

i cannot open this video? Where is it Thx

 

[Brian Manzella]

Sorry for bumping an old thread, but I have been reading/lurking and searching on shafts regular vs. stiff. And this was the best one I found (and if a new person starts a new thread frequently one hears use Search).

I was wondering what you thought about the theory that a golfer should swing the softest shaft they can control? If not, and based on your post above, I should be swinging the stiffest shaft I can ___ ? Thanks.

HORTON: What you seemingly ignore is it is the disconnected driver head that hits the ball and not the shaft. How do you know what is happening to the driver head through the 400 microsecond Impact Event with your 1000 snapshots taken at various viewing angles. How can you believe everything you see in pictures?

I asked Bob Bush...the Bob Bush that invented Iron Byron and head up True Temper R&D...at the 1988 (first) PGA Teaching Summit 9in front of 1500 people on the microphone) this question: "Mr. Bush, all things equal, clubhead speed, sweetspot contact, same clubhead, same weight club, same KIND of shaft, but one stiff and one not as stiff, lets call it 'regular', which shaft hits the ball farther?"

ANSWER from Bob Bush: The Stiffer one.

Why? hmmm......cause all of this 'disconnected' stuff is not exactly what really happens.

You won't find that in a book. But you read it here.

Boy what a stupid I was, huh?

Not trying to pile on here, but after talking to 10 scientists at length this year about the swing, the "book" led me up some bad roads.

Making sense out of it....

Bob Bush was saying a that a stiffer shaft would be fractionally heavier in the same type of shaft, and thus would hit the ball fractionally further.

Paul Wood did a better job on this subject at the ANTI-SUMMIT.

 

[drewyallop]

i cannot open this video? Where is it Thx

Here:

http://www.brianmanzella.com/forum/golfing-discussions/14433-now-available-brian-manzella-golf-swing-symposium-anti-summit-i-video.html

 

[dbl]

Could be wrong, but I think this is a spllit thread, and DCgolf is asking about a video from page 1-2 that used to exist.

However, the new stuff is 'probably ' better anyways.

 

[jenhaoyen]

i think this is just common sense...i don't see how people would not get this.

 

[dbl]

Common sense?

Well as mentioned there are two working "theories" out there
1) Use the softest shaft you can control
2) Use the stiffest shaft you can handle

But hop on an analyzer and one 90mph swinger might need a stiff cpm'd shaft and another a senior's to maximize speed or launch conditions.

 

[tongzilla]

getting the exact right stiffness is pretty pointless when you're not going to be swinging at exactly the same clubhead speed on every shot.