Driver adjustments

[filbert]

This is kind of long, but I need some input here. 

 

I have two Callaway drivers, a stock Razr X Black and a stock X Hot, 10.5 degrees.  Both have stock shafts, the Fujikura F8 Motore and the Project X, respectively.  Both are regular flex and I have a mid eighties swing speed.  With either driver, I average about 210 yards if I hit it straight.  The X Hot seems to have the greater potential to be longer but I like the feel of the Razr Black a little better.   The Project x shaft is lighter at 55 grams than the Fujikura at 16 grams. 

 

I find that the Razr Black has for me, a normal moderate trajectory with the normal flight a slight fade or slice, depending if I can control it.  A shortened backswing helps me keep the ball straighter.  It is pretty consistent but I tend to miss fairways to the right.

 

The X Hot for me has a very flat trajectory, bordering on worm burners with long roll outs. I will also hit a straight pull but I do not hit a slice with it. With the club set at its open setting, I can mitigate the pull and carry a slight fade which works but I am never quite sure what I am going to get.  Oddly I am in the fairway more than with the Razr Black, but the shot shape is not consistent and uphill drives and long carries can be problematic. 

 

The question is whether there is a middle ground.  I am looking for the consistency and trajectory of the Razr Black while minimizing the slice.  Assuming the shaft has a lot to do with the differences I am seeing, I am considering fitting the x Hot with the Fujikura shaft.   Ebay has had that shaft in regular, senior and stiff flex.  I understand that the answer here is “sure, why not?”  But is there a more informative response someone can make considering the relative shafts on the X Hot and the Razr Black, stiffness, kick point, etc?

 

Thanks. Phil

[Jmikecpa]

Best bet is to try and get on a launch monitor and get some baseline data since not every shaft performs the same in each head.  I have had shafts in the past that I loved in a certain head and it did not translate to another head.

[markb]

Too many variables to know which to change and which to build on.   Your results are too spread out.

 

If you had a head that you felt had potential, you could fiddle with shafts to see which gave you improvements.   Likewise, if you had a shaft you felt good about, you could try different heads to see what gave you the best union.

 

Example 1:   Consistent slicers can try heads that correct the slice like that specialty version of the G30, what's it called?   Or a Sldr set to draw, or a Big Bertha set to draw, etc.   But if they go left AND right on you, what you probably need are some lessons, it's unlikely that you'll find a head that'll keep it in the middle for you.   However, I will say that when I was having erratic left-right misses, I switched to a low torque shaft and they went away quite a bit.

 

Example 2:  One thing I do is keep multiple units of my favorite fitted shaft with different tip adapters mated to it.  I have it in a old style Ping, Cally dual cog, Titleist and TMag at the moment.   So when a new head comes out, I can try it in all of them, thus eliminating one variable.  I've tried the Optiforce 440 and 460, Big Bertha Alpha and regular, and X2Hot regular and Tour all with the same shaft at the same length.   There may be shaft-head combos that are better than what I tried, but I know for a fact which head performs best with a shaft fitted to my launch, flex, torque and spin requirements.

[Blade]

What Jmikecpa said is true.  I have an Amp Cell Pro with a Diamana D+ shaft that just feels better than any driver I've had.  I wanted to try the Bio Cell Pro because of it's claims of lower spin. 

 

I had another D+ with the same flex and weight to put in it. I got it to match the swing weight of the Amp and the cpm matches within 2 cycles. Same grip too. 

 

For some reason, it feels very different and not in a good way. I miss the sweet spot.  It feels like I lose the club in the swing.  When I catch it right, the results are good, but if the percentage of solid strikes are down, it's no advantage.  

 

So the other day I decided to try a Kuro Kage Silver in it I had on the bench. The swing weight went up by a couple points and it flexed out slightly softer. Be darned if that didn't make it feel great. I haven't taken it to the course yet, but swinging it inside I like it and am back on the sweet spot.  

 

I thought I could replicate the feel of a driver I like in another similar head by using the same shaft. It doesn't work that way all the time.  I happened to pick up that KK for $30 in Golf Mart. It was a new pull. I like that shaft in a hybrid I have but never tried one in a driver.  Wasn't even sure I would use it. Glad I grabbed it now. 

[JMiller]

Just to state some obvious things that haven't been talked about yet.

 

1) It is a possibility that your two driver heads have drastically different lofts

2) The same shaft installed in different positions in the same head can feel different to a player

3) Every shaft has a different profile and specs, there is no good or bad shaft, just ones that fit and don't fit.

 

 

Exampling on point 1

Make sure to actually measure the driver for loft / face angle.

~ The loft stamped on the driver is not the true loft, normally the true loft is higher then the stamped loft.

--> I have seen an Adams Speedline F11 stamped 10.5 measure to 11.2

 

~ The CG placement will move the true sweet spot a little higher then the dead center of the club. With the roll of the face from sole to crown you are likely going to get a higher loft reading at the true sweet spot then you will at the center.

--> This starts to matter more the higher swing speed / ball speed of a player that is getting fitted.

 

 

Expanding on point 2

The same shaft can have different CPMs in a 360* circle.

~ Example :: 246 at the horizontal plane (target line) in the head, 253 at vertical plane (ground / sky)... If you turn that shaft 90* then it feels differently to the player.

>> This is where Flat Line Oscillation (FLO) can play a big rule in getting shafts consistently feeling the same between heads.

--> Te one exception I have experience with of not having drastic changes in CPM in a 360* circle is a shaft company called RT Technologies. The owner hand tests all shafts before they get sold and makes sure they come out to 1 CPM within a 360* circle, I guess that's why the RT part stands for "Rigorously Tested"

 

 

Expanding on part 3

The "stock" shafts tend to be designed to fit average swing speed and average golfers tendencies.

~ The manufacturing process is also a bit cheaper to help profits on the club, normally the wall thickness on a "stock" shaft will be thinner then the same shaft in the "aftermarket" version.

--> That just means the "stock" shaft will deform and twist in the swing easier when someone is swinging it creating more inconsistencies.

 

You will need to find a shaft that fits your dynamic loft and spin for the ball you normally play to maximize the control & distance of your tee shots.

~ There is no right or wrong, just what is good for you and your swing currently. To better find this out find an experienced club builder and get fit.
--> In general, stay away from big box stores and places that employees work off commission.

[BIG STU]

IMHO The first thing I suggest is what J Miller said that is to check the lofts of the respective heads. Like he stated the advertized loft may not be correct. I have seen that a lot with mass produced mainstream heads from All manufacturers. Custom component (not clone) are usually dead nuts on especially Wishon and Infiniti. When you figgure out the correct lofts for your clubs then you can go from there with your shaft selection for what you want to acheive. Even with the adjusters I would check the lie angle also. Again my own opinion and it is not etched in stone I would find me a good compentent clubfitter and have them fit you up. this step may save you a lot of time,aggrevation and money in the long run and a good compentent fitter will do all the suggestions above that others and I have suggested. Good luck keep us informed