Shaft too stiff?

[rsully]

In reviewing the archieves and other sites, there is so much conflicting information on this, I thought I would open up the discussion again.

I was recently fitted with new irons - stiff shafts. Specifically, I have the PING awt stiff steels shafts, and they are so much stiffer than I my old clubs, they just don't feel "right" to me.

It could be my old clubs were too "whippy" and it is just a matter of gettting used to the new ones. However, part of my thought process is that I tend to hit my Cleveland Hibore hyrids and my 3 wood very effectively, and they are both "regular" graphite shafts.

My distance is reasonable - 7 iron goes about 155-160 in Seattle - heavy air, sea level, and it's February

When is a shaft too stiff?

Ron

 

[2mongoose]

Chew on this one..........

The Manzellion mentioned the other day that shafts are basically timing mechanisms only. I haven't been able to digest that one yet, but I think the idea is that if you've got a quick tempo and load hard you probably need a stiffer flex. For someone w/ a sweep release I'd think you'd benefit w/ something softer. Just a guess

Tom Bartlett talked about how stiff shafts will produce pulls, which I thought was kinda interesting. Maybe he'll chime in.

 

[Chris Sturgess]

If you just got new shafts and you are all of the sudden hitting low fades then your shafts are too stiff for you. Or if you are capable of swinging with a faster clubhead speed then you should try that. If your ball flight is unusually high like a ball that is ballooning into the wind then your shafts are too whippy for you.

Whatever shaft allows you to hit the best shots is obviously the shaft you should have. If you hit a 7 iron 155-60 and hit your driver 250 or over and your swing speed with a driver is in the ballpark of 100 mph, then stiff should be about right. If your swing speed with a driver never gets to 100 and in general you like to swing really calmly and smoothy them out there then you might want to go with regular shafts.

 

[rsully]

Shafts

Mongoose -

Your comments ring true - timing mechanism makes sense.

I purchase a new set of expensive clubs, then my two sessions at the range resulted in one pull after another. Of course, now it is in my head !

This weekend I will try out some additional shafts and see what happens -

Ron

 

[Dariusz J.]

Ron,

Mongoose is right. FYI, ot's not only your SS or distances that matters. Your transition strength, tempo and release has a direct impact on your shaft profile parameters choice. Do not forget also that a stiff shaft from a company X can be very similar to the regular shaft of company Y.
...not mentioning that apart "stiffness" there are other important parameters as bend point or torque of a shaft. Say, two shafts of the same "stiffness" can play differently because of the two above mentioned values.

Cheers

 

[2mongoose]

Question about torque

Ok, I get the concept of kickpoint. But not torque so much...........is this the twisting of the shaft and it's ability to resist it?

 

[Dariusz J.]

Yes, this is it, Mongoose.

Generally, torque has main effect only on feel, but there are examples of its impact on premature closing or 'inability' to close the face due to too high or too low a torque. Of course, it refers only to graphite shafts.

Cheers