Drivers: Stock vs Premium shafts...your experiences

[jaskanski]

As a general rule of thumb (but by no means an absolute) aftermarket shafts are usually targeted towards "known specifics" of a golf swing and a golf club spec. This means that if someone is looking for a specific shaft characteristic in terms of weight, kick, FCM, bendpoint and feel etc, it can normally be found and utilised in the assembly of a particular club for a particular swing. 

The more specific and exotic the search criteria is, this may be directly related to the unit cost. The problem is, consumers normally relate cost with quality and performance - i.e. the higher the cost the better the shaft must be. This is totally false.

There are hundreds (if not thousands) of very good quality "aftermarket" shafts out there that cost less than 50 bucks and if sited to your requirements they will be more than a match for anything 10 times the cost. You just need to find the right shaft - this means finding a decent fitter.

Many unscrupulous "boutiques" will tend to steer you towards some high-end shaft for a hefty upchage and bamboozle you with anecdotes about how shaft X is the best that money can buy. Use your BS filter accordingly.

What I can say is that many stock shafts are indeed one and the same as the aftermarket version or at the very least just as good in quality and performance as the perceived "better aftermarket version". 

This is 2017 folks - the days of the top OEM's using any old junk to sell their claims of performance are long gone - they must indeed walk the walk they're talking. Back in the day of early graphite shaft production, then there could well have been a justifiable case for aftermarket being a lot better than stock shafts, but not today. Unfortunately, too many people still believe in what their peers told them some years ago and try to "buy" a game. I'm here to tell you right now, that money would be better spent on lessons to get better results. YMMV.

[PlaidJacket]

.........

The more specific and exotic the search criteria is, this may be directly related to the unit cost. The problem is, consumers normally relate cost with quality and performance - i.e. the higher the cost the better the shaft  I'm here to tell you right now, that money would be better spent on lessons to get better results. YMMV.

 

Couldn't agree more.

[Jmikecpa]

A couple years ago, I was fit into the SLDR with a premium shaft at Club Champion and it made a world of difference from the stock shaft. One of my favorite drivers ever. Now I'm playing the stock shaft in the XR16 and love it as well. So in my experience, premium shafts can help but it's probably more about the shaft profile and what works best for your particular swing.

Were you fit by Mr. Yenser?

 

 

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[JudgeSmails]

appreciate all this info....just been sitting back and reading it, letting you guys go....thanks

[Philly Golf Guy]

Were you fit by Mr. Yenser?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

No it was the other guy. I forget his name, but know it wasn't Yenser.

[chisag]

The more specific and exotic the search criteria is, this may be directly related to the unit cost. The problem is, consumers normally relate cost with quality and performance - i.e. the higher the cost the better the shaft must be. This is totally false.

 

 

 

... I kinda, sorta disagree with this. Cost is directly related to quality and performance as long as you have the right shaft for your swing. However, there is a subjective correlative increase in value per dollar spent. As a perfect example, I played the Rogue Black 95 and it fit me perfectly. Aldila sent me a Rogue Black Tour 110 shaft and it was better in almost every way. Especially the feel. It has a super smooth feel that is extraordinary. Performance results in slightly tighter dispersion while trajectory and distance was pretty much identical. So the question ... is the performance and feel of a $799 shaft more than twice as good as the retail $299 shaft? For most the answer is: of course not. For almost the same performance I would not pay more than twice as much. However, I may try to find a pull out or find one on a super sale or Ebay. I also have a repeatable enough swing and a good sense of feel to tell the difference. Most do not. Of course there are also those that money is no object and are willing to pay twice as much for a small increase in performance and feel. As well as PGA pro's that don't pay for their shafts. But I agree that the average guy isn't going to see any difference between a very good stock shaft and a premium aftermarket shaft. None. 

 

... But back to the original question. I have talked with many OEM engineers that have done a ton of research about how well a shaft fits the average John Q Public golfer. Gone are the days when a quality driver can have a cheap $10 generic shaft in it and expect to compete with everyone else. What they have done is take a shaft like the Matrix Red Tie in Cobra's F6 and tweaked it's performance to fit a wider range of players. They slightly increased the torque for better feel and made the tip just a little softer to add a slightly higher trajectory and a touch more spin. Considering most average players have no idea about shafts, if they demo a F6 and it doesn't go far or high enough they just think the driver sucks. Not like those of us here that might think I love the feel, look and sound of this driver but hit it a little too high with a little too much spin, and will upgrade or install an aftermarket shaft on our own. Always annoy's me when forum members say a stock shaft is garbage because it is a "made for" having no idea how much more difficult it is to take a shaft and tweak it's performance when it would be so much easier to just throw a Red Tie in the F6 and talk about it being a true aftermarket shaft. But they put much more time and money into a "made for" than an aftermarket shaft because they have tested it with a myriad of golfers and found it gives the best performance to the widest range of players. 

 

... Finding the right shaft profile can make finding the perfect shafts easier. With a modest 100mph swing, a subtle transition and smooth swing, a mid kick, mid torque, mid/low spin and mid trajectory works best for me. I try new shafts all the time to make sure I am still in the same wheelhouse. Played a Rogue Silver Tour 125 this spring and I had to go after it harder than I like to get my normal trajectory and it just didn't feel like I was fully loading/unloading it and went back to my Rogue Black. Previously I played a Kai'li in every driver I owned for the last 8 years and it has the same playing characteristics as the RB. But I enjoy trying different shafts to see what still works best for me and to have a reference for other players. 

[BIG STU]

A couple years ago, I was fit into the SLDR with a premium shaft at Club Champion and it made a world of difference from the stock shaft. One of my favorite drivers ever. Now I'm playing the stock shaft in the XR16 and love it as well. So in my experience, premium shafts can help but it's probably more about the shaft profile and what works best for your particular swing.

You nailed it dead on it. Two years ago if you had told me I would be playing a stock 60 gram R flex Diamana shaft I would have accused you of smoking crack. I was a die hard UST man. I was impressed with the Diamana in my 915 so much I did a swap deal for a Nike Vapor Pro with the same shaft as a spare. I was so impressed by the Mitsubishi shafts that I ended up with fairway woods with Mitsu shafts different models but the profiles match. It is the matching of the shaft profile to one's swing exactly like you said

[ole gray]

You nailed it dead on it. Two years ago if you had told me I would be playing a stock 60 gram R flex Diamana shaft I would have accused you of smoking crack. I was a die hard UST man. I was impressed with the Diamana in my 915 so much I did a swap deal for a Nike Vapor Pro with the same shaft as a spare. I was so impressed by the Mitsubishi shafts that I ended up with fairway woods with Mitsu shafts different models but the profiles match. It is the matching of the shaft profile to one's swing exactly like you said

 

 

The Diamana  Mitsubishi has always been a favorite of mine. The Cally I was testing at DGS yesterday came stock with that puppy and she howled like a beagle on the bay.

[JBones]

If you have never had a fitting, you need to do it for the knowledge you will gain. I always played stock and suffered more accuracy wise than distance. A fitting was eye opening and after one professional fitting, I gained enough knowledge to fit myself on a launch monitor.

 

 

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[Bluesman57]

On 1/6/2017 at 2:23 PM, JudgeSmails said:

So I have never played a driver with anything but the stock shaft it came with.  

For those of you that have gotten fitted and purchased a premium shaft for you driver, did you see real gains in distance and accuracy?

I normally play a regular flex shaft, I've always kind of considered the premium shafts to be for harder swingers, am I wrong?

Just curious on your thoughts if this is something you went through.....With all the new drivers coming out, seems like there is very little performance difference from model to model, I'm wondering if a premium shaft could be a better investment for someone (just got an M1 last year, so not in the market for a driver, but wonder if a shaft would be worth looking into) 

Thanks.

Sorry for resurrecting a necropost, but did you have any luck finding a club fitter in the Fort Wayne area that does a thorough shaft fitting?  Indy is the closest that I have found, and the guy isn't returning voice nor e-mails.  Thanks!

[JudgeSmails]

On 6/21/2021 at 12:55 PM, tony@CIC said:

Thanks for posting - we always go to the Marathon Classic since it's only an hour away.  I like that you can get up close and they never seem to have rowdy crowds. 

This year we also have tickets to the Solheim being held at Inverness in Sylvania.

 

17 hours ago, Bluesman57 said:

Sorry for resurrecting a necropost, but did you have any luck finding a club fitter in the Fort Wayne area that does a thorough shaft fitting?  Indy is the closest that I have found, and the guy isn't returning voice nor e-mails.  Thanks!

Yes Sir.....hit the Golf Garage https://www.golfgaragefw.com/

David is awesome and will take care of you

[RATOUR7]

Drivers are expensive enough let alone going for a shaft change!

I'm not a pro so NO on the shaft swap...

[HDTVMAN]

CAREFUL! Upgraded shafts are not what the pro's hit. The Ventus shaft offered as an upgrade for either zero or a slight charge is NOT the Ventus shaft that costs $500+ used by pros. The name is the same but the shafts are different. Nothing wrong with an upgrade, but if you want a pro shaft you'll pay $500+.

[RickyBobby_PR]

38 minutes ago, HDTVMAN said:

CAREFUL! Upgraded shafts are not what the pro's hit. The Ventus shaft offered as an upgrade for either zero or a slight charge is NOT the Ventus shaft that costs $500+ used by pros. The name is the same but the shafts are different. Nothing wrong with an upgrade, but if you want a pro shaft you'll pay $500+.

The ventus shaft the pros use is $350 aftermaket, $250 upcharge for most manufacturers, just like the graphite design shafts, the aftermarket tensei.

To my knowledge other than the autoflex and dj signature series shafts there’s not an after market shaft that is over $380

And due to large quantity purchases some shafts like the pxg hzrdus, Aldila rogue white 130, the tensei black 1k that are no upcharge shafts from several manufacturers are the same as the after market offerings. 

[Inferno2ss]

I got fitted for the Sim 2 Max last year and ended up upgrading to the HZRDUS Smoke Green shaft and feel it was well worth it.  I think the shaft has given me a few more yards but more importantly a lot more consistency as it is more geared towards my swing.  I think the right shaft, flex and weight is more important than the driver head itself, most of the new drivers are all fantastic.  

[Miinike]

I am a senior age player and I like to swing the Xstiff shafts with low torque tips. The low torque tip allow you to have control of the ball, preventing over-sidespinning of the ball. The dispersion is tight, keeps you on the short grass and low/optimum spinning ball will give you a bit more distance. So I don't bother with the brand it is how you swing that will give you a better result. I currently swing the UST Mamiya ProForce V2 8F4. 1.8 torque. Previous shaft was a Matrix Ozik Black 60 Xstiff. 2.8 torque. even though they may feel a little heavy, the results are great for me.

Edited September 13, 2022 by Miinike

[Everardo]

There are several videos on YouTube about this exact thing and most show the aftermarket one performs slightly better BUT I will say more importantly is getting fit and then having that shop properly build the clubs to the exact total weight, swing weight, CPM or flex, weight sorted, etc. You could have the best fitting but a DIY or crappy club builder can mess it all up. 

[pbclubdude]

I have tried several shafts over the years, but it was Autoflex changed everything for me. Straighter, longer and expensive. I have a G425 Max on it. The loaded, rhythmic swing required to use an Autoflex bled into my other clubs and my game has improved dramatically. I have well over $1200 into this club. It is worth every penny to consistently be in the fairway, around or more often inside of the 150. No other shaft has ever felt like it, worked like it or made the game as fun as it has. 

There is one thing about Autoflex that in my experience is a must for it to work right. You have to change your swing to meet the shafts requirements to maximize its potential. In other words, you must make an even tempo'ed swing and load it at the top. Then a smooth transition into the downswing. Then turn and burn. It really gets to be automatic sometimes. I love hitting driver. 

How much would you be willing to pay for that? Now that I have a taste of it, I would pay more to be honest. 

[divotman]

I've used golfworks for several years. 

• Find a Golf Shaft to Match Your Game
• MPF Shaft Ratings - Updated for 2022

These have helped me choose a shaft over the years.  I've replaced most of my driver shafts from the stock to one that fit my swing characteristics and desired ball flight.

[Middler]

Fortunately all the brands I’m interested in offer enough shaft options that I don’t see a need to go with the considerable added expense of aftermarket custom. I got fitted for a $950 driver at Club Champion, bought the shaft only instead, and it was a total bust - never again. If I have the right weight and flex, close enough for my needs.