When MyGolfSpy Talks, I Listen!

[Will Par]

I'm normally an infrequent poster but I wanted to start this topic to thank MGS for the MyGolfSpy Lab Report - Shaft Flex Shocker! (Are You Playing the Wrong Flex). Blog August 21st . This lab report was a huge benefit to me in selecting shafts for my irons.

 

I went to a demo sometime last year to test the Mizuno MP59 irons. The rep handed me a 6 iron with the Dynamic Gold Dynalite XP x100 shaft. I knew immediately the extra stiff shaft was probably wrong for me, but I hit several shots with it anyway. I was surprised that I really liked the shaft. I also tried the S300, but still liked the X100 better. I left the demo puzzled because my driver swing speed is only mid 90s and by all accounts I should be borderline between a regular and stiff shaft.

 

I've been playing a set of 1999 Hogan irons (4 thru 9 iron) that I found in excellent condition for $40. They had been reshafted with DG R300 shafts and even though I have always played stiff, I decided to play them anyway. I found that I could hit them quite well, but I always knew the shaft wasn't the best fit for me.

 

Then last month I read the Shaft Flex Lab report. It reminded me of the demo where I hit the x100 shaft and really liked it. That article convinced me to throw out all preconceived notions about shaft flex and to have my Hogan irons re-shafted with the Dynalite XP x100 shaft. I now have three rounds and several practice sessions with the new shafts and I'm absolutely thrilled with them. I'm hitting the ball really solid with much more control... the kind of solid precision that you remember long after the round is over. I'm more thrilled with these irons (and shafts) than I would be if I had spent $1K for a full new set.

 

I would never have made this move without that lab report. If I had purchased a set of irons, or re-shafted without reading the report, I would have certainly selected an S300 shaft instead of the X100. The report recommends that everyone go to a fitter and get properly fit. If you do that, keep an open mind and try flexes that are not standard for specific swing speeds... regardless of what the fitter recommends. You may discover something that really works for you like I did.

 

I'm enjoying my game much more because of that very informative lab report. Thanks MGS!!!

[RoverRick]

I was a mid 90's swinger also, and had been to the "Fitters" and the were recommending the R and S shafts. In Feb, I went with a heavier shaft for the driver trying to get rid of my spin problems. This was great, and it had a ripple effect in the bag, I ultimately went with the X Flex for spin, but now my club head speed is 105 and seems to be increasing.

 

I was so happy when they did the labs about the flex because so many fitters are only concerned with swing speed at least at the big box stores. No one was concerned that I was close to 7000 rpms with a 6 iron. I mentioned this and the guy said that was good I would be able to hold the green.

 

I found out that all of the Project X shafts were not a good match with my swing and neither were the KBS Tours. But the Dynamic Gold X100 and the C Tapers were great with it. I soft step the X stiff C Tapers and they are awesome. The X100s are also great and I have these in my backup irons.

 

I also went wtih the Talamonti PD80 X Flex in my driver and now three wood.

[Matt Saternus]

Will,

 

That is AWESOME to hear. I am seriously thrilled to know that at least 1 person took what I wrote to heart and has benefited from it. Thanks so much for posting this.

 

Best,

 

Matt

[JMiller]

I got into a big debate with GolfSpy T on this one because I made a bunch of comments that the Lab was incomplete and you couldn't draw a conclusion from it in the blog. I respect Matt and what he has to say 95% of the time but there are rare cases that I will not agree and take something at face value because I know better. What sort of promoted my posts was that the numbers looked piss poor on all three flexes and the shaft model didn't fit any of the 3 people that actually had numbers posted for them.

 

A shaft that has a spin rate of over 3000rpm in any flex is not a good fit for a player swinging over 110mph they are getting robbed of distance big time. You can use the flight scope trajectory optimizer to figure that out pretty fast. If you keep the launch angle, ball speed and spin axis the same (the max height won't matter and doesn't effect the optimizer from what I see leave it blank), then just play with the spin rate changing nothing else you will see the distance change by a ton between 3600 and 2600 rpm. 165mph ball speed, 12.5* launch angle, blank, 0* spin axis, {insert numbers for spin here}.

 

SHAFT PROFILE is WAY more important then shaft flex alone. I can take True Temper forexample in there PX / TT lines and give you 3 to 5 different shafts labeled "Extra Stiff" that all will play a lot differently. PX 6.5, TT DG X100, TT DG SL X100, TT DG XP x100, TT TourConcept X100, I could probably list a few more if i wanted to dig harder into TT company and all there lines. Even KBS has two drastically different iron shafts the KBS Tour Extra Stiff (stepped shaft, mid launch, mid spin) and KBS C-Taper Extra Stiff (stepless, low launch, low spin).

 

You have to fit someone to a shafts PROFILE in terms of butt stiffness for transition load, and tip stiffness in terms of there release. That is what the Mizuno Shaft Optimizer attempts to do is grab your tempo (for transition purposes), your release factor (if you are early / flip, or late / hard lag), your toe down amount to see how much dynamic droop on the shaft in the release you put on the club. These are a lot more important then simple SS and Flex in my honest opinion for the proper fitting.

[Matt Saternus]

I got into a big debate with GolfSpy T on this one because I made a bunch of comments that the Lab was incomplete and you couldn't draw a conclusion from it in the blog. I respect Matt and what he has to say 95% of the time but there are rare cases that I will not agree and take something at face value because I know better. What sort of promoted my posts was that the numbers looked piss poor on all three flexes and the shaft model didn't fit any of the 3 people that actually had numbers posted for them.

 

A shaft that has a spin rate of over 3000rpm in any flex is not a good fit for a player swinging over 110mph they are getting robbed of distance big time. You can use the flight scope trajectory optimizer to figure that out pretty fast. If you keep the launch angle, ball speed and spin axis the same (the max height won't matter and doesn't effect the optimizer from what I see leave it blank), then just play with the spin rate changing nothing else you will see the distance change by a ton between 3600 and 2600 rpm. 165mph ball speed, 12.5* launch angle, blank, 0* spin axis, {insert numbers for spin here}.

 

SHAFT PROFILE is WAY more important then shaft flex alone. I can take True Temper forexample in there PX / TT lines and give you 3 to 5 different shafts labeled "Extra Stiff" that all will play a lot differently. PX 6.5, TT DG X100, TT DG SL X100, TT DG XP x100, TT TourConcept X100, I could probably list a few more if i wanted to dig harder into TT company and all there lines. Even KBS has two drastically different iron shafts the KBS Tour Extra Stiff (stepped shaft, mid launch, mid spin) and KBS C-Taper Extra Stiff (stepless, low launch, low spin).

 

You have to fit someone to a shafts PROFILE in terms of butt stiffness for transition load, and tip stiffness in terms of there release. That is what the Mizuno Shaft Optimizer attempts to do is grab your tempo (for transition purposes), your release factor (if you are early / flip, or late / hard lag), your toe down amount to see how much dynamic droop on the shaft in the release you put on the club. These are a lot more important then simple SS and Flex in my honest opinion for the proper fitting.

 

There was nothing in the lab that said we were trying to fit anybody to optimal. The premise was simple: does shaft flex matter? If so, to what extent? The conclusions we came to were:

 

1) Yes, shaft flex matters, to a large extent.

 

2) You can't fit shaft flex on swing speed alone.

 

I'd love to know how you can look at the data and tell me these aren't valid conclusions.

 

No one is arguing that shaft profile isn't important. In fact, it might even be a good thing to do a lab on...oh wait...already did that. LINK

 

Weight and torque are important, too. One of those labs should be showing up on the blog any day now; the other is halfway home.

 

-Matt

[GolfSpy Tim]

I've been fit into three different flexes in three different brands over the last 6 months for driver shafts, and each of those shafts is still a GREAT shaft for me and I'm still switching back and forth between the three different shafts.

 

Flex matters, but like mat said - can't base that on swing speed - gotta try it, look at the numbers and compute.