Aftermarket driver Shaft

[MarkH]

I have a 2022 Callaway Rogue ST Max with the factory Fujikura Ventus blue 5 regular flex shaft.

Been doing lot of reading on aftermarket shafts and have myself convinced I "need" one.

I am your average golfer who shoots 90 for a round. Sometimes mid to low 80's. I tend to push the ball to the right off the tee and rarely go left. (right handed) Would going to a shaft such as the Ventus with Velecore or the Mitssubishi Tensei AV Raw Blue 55 be something that someone such as I would benefit from?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[cnosil]

16 minutes ago, MarkH said:

I have a 2022 Callaway Rogue ST Max with the factory Fujikura Ventus blue 5 regular flex shaft.

Been doing lot of reading on aftermarket shafts and have myself convinced I "need" one.

I am your average golfer who shoots 90 for a round. Sometimes mid to low 80's. I tend to push the ball to the right off the tee and rarely go left. (right handed) Would going to a shaft such as the Ventus with Velecore or the Mitssubishi Tensei AV Raw Blue 55 be something that someone such as I would benefit from?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Can’t answer that.  What you score isn’t completely relevant to the equipment you use.  The equipment is driven by the swing and how you load/unload the shaft and how you deliver it at impact.  The only way to know would be to try the shaft or,if you were able to provide launch monitor numbers an expert might be able to tell you a direction to go that might work.   
 

what are you hoping the shaft will do for you?  Help close the face faster so you don’t push?  If so,  that probably isn’t shaft related but more swing and entire club setup.  

[RickyBobby_PR]

There are a lot of “aftermaket” shafts that are being offered as no upcharge shafts. Aldila rogue white, hzrdus smoke rdx blue and black, all other hzrdus non handcrafted versions.

These are bought in extremely large quantities by the club manufacturers and use the quality materials stated on the spec sheets.

Then there are shafts from those brands that offer other shaft lines as an upcharge with varying prices based on the deals the club manufacturers work out with the shaft companies. Titleist for example offers the ventus with velocore for $335 while TaylorMade and others offer it for $250. Titleist and others offer the graphite doesn’t shafts for $250 upcharge.

Then there are some shafts that can only be add via an authorized dealer or shaft companies that won’t sell their shafts to club manufacturers and you can only get from authorized dealers.

Now with all that said whether an aftermarket shaft whether paying full retail price, upcharge or as part of the noniocharge offering is better for a player or not isn’t determined by their score/handicap, their age, their swing speed or even their miss. What shaft world best for someone is the shaft that provides the right weight for the club and the right feel and allows for the golfer to make consistent swings and contact while optimizing ball flight.

For the op you probably have a path that is too inside the out and have an open face. It’s quite possible that the ventus shaft would make this worse because the tip will be stiff and you may not not get the face closed or worse open more. You could also not load it as well and will lose spin and control resulting in worse short and/or distance loss. It’s possible it could help you but really the only way to know that is for you to actually hit and nobody here can say one way or the other how it will effect your swing, because we don’t know how sensitive you are to feel, weight or even what your swing looks like.

The short and sweet is to go get fit for the best head and loft along with shaft that works for your swing. The other option which can get rather expensive is to buy shafts you are interested in and test them out. 

[MGoBlue100]

If it's an option, you can cruise a nearby Golf Galaxy or PGA Tour SS and check the PreOwned rack for your Rogue ST head with some different shafts.  You may strike out, but you may find a few to hit that will start to give you some type of baseline.

[GaDawg]

As others have stated, get fitted by trying many different shafts. Additionally, the shaft may not be the issue with your drives going right. Check for proper alignment.

[MarkH]

2 hours ago, MGoBlue100 said:

If it's an option, you can cruise a nearby Golf Galaxy or PGA Tour SS and check the PreOwned rack for your Rogue ST head with some different shafts.  You may strike out, but you may find a few to hit that will start to give you some type of baseline.

Would be nice idea but neither store in my area.

[MarkH]

Thanks for all the input.

I know the best option is to find a place where I might be able to try some different things and properly be fitted. Could have worded my question a little better, just was mostly curious if folks see some positive improvement from a better shaft then what comes on a driver. Being just an ok golfer wasnt sure if shafts such as I mention really show thier stuff to average golfers are really meant for those that can golf better and see some refinement from them. And I know, lot of variables play into all this. 

Its kinda like this, I am big into Archery and I use all the best equipment that a guy can buy. I shoot pretty decent and do well. Would someone thats just so so be better with top of the line gear? In my opinion no. They would shoot about the same with average equipment as compared to the best that money could buy. Thus why my question, as being not what you call a great golfer, maybe a $250-$400 shaft isnt going to really show me much more than my factory Ventus blue 5 (non-velcore). 

I think I probably just answered my own question? LOL

[MGoBlue100]

I'm not trying to send you down the rabbit hole; Lord knows enough of us down there already.  How-evah....  As you're playing a Callaway, you can find driver shafts with adapters and grips already installed at places like CallawayPreOwned.com or Global Golf.  Sometimes you can get them pretty inexpensively and it's good fun to install a different shaft into the driver and just see what happens.  As many have mentioned, if you can find a fitter who can help you, that'd be the best option, and your game certainly would benefit, as it does all of us.

[Kansas King]

1 hour ago, MarkH said:

Thanks for all the input.

I know the best option is to find a place where I might be able to try some different things and properly be fitted. Could have worded my question a little better, just was mostly curious if folks see some positive improvement from a better shaft then what comes on a driver. Being just an ok golfer wasnt sure if shafts such as I mention really show thier stuff to average golfers are really meant for those that can golf better and see some refinement from them. And I know, lot of variables play into all this. 

Its kinda like this, I am big into Archery and I use all the best equipment that a guy can buy. I shoot pretty decent and do well. Would someone thats just so so be better with top of the line gear? In my opinion no. They would shoot about the same with average equipment as compared to the best that money could buy. Thus why my question, as being not what you call a great golfer, maybe a $250-$400 shaft isnt going to really show me much more than my factory Ventus blue 5 (non-velcore). 

I think I probably just answered my own question? LOL

You mostly answered you're own question. Odds are a shaft isn't going to make a dramatic improvement. However, if you find a shaft that feels way better and that you feel you can more comfortably swing faster, you may find some success. Blindly throwing darts at the popular $300+ aftermarket shafts in unlikely to make much of a difference. The key is to keep you're mind open because a cheap shaft may be the best fit for you. Cheap and expensive shafts can perform equally in golf. If you like to spend top dollar on your hobbies, go spend a few bucks on proper driver fitting. Getting a proper fitting for you may even be more beneficial since you already have the head you will be fitting into so you don't have to worry about any head tolerance differences. Launch monitor numbers are great and shouldn't be ignored but don't forget to focus on the feel of each shaft. Our minds actually depend on feel a lot during the golf swing to get the maximum effort out of our muscles. You'll know when you find a shaft you like the feel of because you'll have a sense of confidence with where the club is throughout the swing. When you're confident about where the club is in a swing, it kind of gives your brain the green light to swing freely. The feeling generally includes being able to feel some loading in the shaft and enough weight or "heft" that you'll know you won't be able to completely overpower it during the swing. You will likely be able to find a better shaft if you weren't fit when you bought your driver. Will is cure any swing faults? No, but I would say a good fitting shaft can remove some barriers. 

[RickyBobby_PR]

5 hours ago, MarkH said:

Could have worded my question a little better, just was mostly curious if folks see some positive improvement from a better shaft then what comes on a driver. Being just an ok golfer wasnt sure if shafts such as I mention really show thier stuff to average golfers are really meant for those that can golf better and see some refinement from them. And I know, lot of variables play into all this. 

Shafts that come with drivers are tested by the club manufacturers and they choose their “stock” offerings that fit the vast majority of golfers off the shelf. Most golfers need help getting the ball in the air and need spin due to swing speed.

They also understand that not all golfers are alike and that’s why they have other shafts in their matrix that are different weights and profiles and offer them at no upcharge. These are golfers who are going to do some level of fitting and will buy what works for their swing. Then they know there’s another segment of golfer who wants/needs something different this is where they bring in aftermarket shafts at some level of upcharge cost. 
 

Let’s look at PX and Fujikura. Two of the more popular shaft brands out there. Both also have shafts currently or in the past that were made specifically for a club manufacturer. PX with current hzrdus red fairway, in the par im10, t800 as a couple examples. Fujikura has the ventus red and blue non velocore in a couple brands. These club companies talk to shaft manufacturers about what their hot shaft is and ask them to make a version that will fit a wider category of golfer so you get these made for shafts.

PX does a lot of business with the club manufacturers so their volume is quite large and why they can take a shaft like hzrdus smoke yellow, black, green or newer rdx blue, black and red as stock offerings in most brands. That is still a $350 shaft if anyone wants to buy it as a shaft only from an authorized dealer,  no different than Fujikura ventus w/velocore. 
 

Many times a shafts aftermarket cost is from a single piece of material what is called a flag like in the ventus w/velocore it’s the 70t material used. It could be the paint like the pvd finish on the px smoke shafts as well as the material or like the t1100 where the pair cost would blow peoples minds.

With all that said it doesn’t matter what the material used is and how it will perform for a golfer. What matters is how the shaft design, it’s weight and how it feels paired with the clubhead and how the golfer reacts to that in their swing. Also shafts don’t spin or launch that’s the golfer. However they can influence a golfers swing dynamic and that will determine how the golfer swings and what the results will be.

Theres some good info in this video as well as many others txg has done about shafts and “premium” vs stock

 

 

[chisag]

7 hours ago, MarkH said:

I know the best option is to find a place where I might be able to try some different things and properly be fitted. Could have worded my question a little better, just was mostly curious if folks see some positive improvement from a better shaft then what comes on a driver. Being just an ok golfer wasnt sure if shafts such as I mention really show thier stuff to average golfers are really meant for those that can golf better and see some refinement from them. And I know, lot of variables play into all this. 

Its kinda like this, I am big into Archery and I use all the best equipment that a guy can buy. I shoot pretty decent and do well. Would someone thats just so so be better with top of the line gear? In my opinion no. They would shoot about the same with average equipment as compared to the best that money could buy. Thus why my question, as being not what you call a great golfer, maybe a $250-$400 shaft isnt going to really show me much more than my factory Ventus blue 5 (non-velcore). 

 

... With all the fittings available today, it is a no brainer to take advantage of being fit. I did 2 fittings with Callaway as my first used only the Rogue Max and we ran out of time and I didn't get to try the LS. My 2nd fitting was scheduled for 1/2 hour and the fitter kept me a full hour and it was the best driver fitting I have had. He had me hit everything, even shafts he thought wouldn't work but we had the time, the launch monitor and I was swinging very well so he was really into it. 

... Some shafts felt off with the first swing and some took two swings to be pretty apparent it wouldn't work for me. He never let me take more than 2 swings if it wasn't producing the trajectory, spin and most importantly the feel I liked. He narrowed down group of shafts I hit well and liked and we went back and hit them all again. In that group, the shafts that didn't make it to my final 3 were all shafts I could easily put in play and be happy. But without the fine tuning in this fitting, there is a good chance I would be playing a shaft that works just fine but not optimum. 

... What I personally found very interesting is I ended up with a stock shaft in the Tensei AV Blue 55 s flex, the Made For Callaway RCH 65 s flex and the Graphite Design AD-IZ in s/r flex. The difference came down to feel with the AD-IZ feeling best producing a nice tight kick but honestly not that much different then the other 2 shafts. Considering it is a $250 uncharge and the other 2 were stock shafts I would have no problem playing either of them and saving $250. 

... I have fit myself for years and have always done reasonably well and never felt I was in a shaft/head combo that didn't work for me. But it can always be better. The big question is how much better is worth paying a ton of money? Like the AD-IZ ... is a 5% better feel with similar performance worth $250? For me no, for someone else maybe yes. So I would highly recommend going to a demo day, take advantage of a golf store launch monitor or go for a paid personal fitting and then you know you are playing what is best for your swing. 

[MarkH]

Been spending time this week at the range and really working on my grip, my setup, posture and really thinking hard on what I am doing. 

Last night it all clicked and i am hitting the ball extremely well and consistantly straight or with a very very slight fade. 

Now that I have a routine that works I am curious to find time to go in someplace for a fitting and try some other shafts just to see if there is another level to obtain. 

But this combo I have now (Rogue S Max with Ventus blue non velcore) is working quite well. But if going to something else adds a little more yardage then I would be curious to see it. Plus I think it would be fun to have a couple different shafts in which to swap out if I so felt the urge.