What shaft and shaft length for a Wilson D9 Driver?

[grod90]

Hi, 

I'm about to buy my first driver and I'm looking for a budget driver. However, I don't have the option to get fitted...which complicates things. 

I have a Wilson D9 3H with which I'm pretty happy, and I'd like to buy the Wilson D9 Driver as it fits my budget and I've read excellent reviews about this driver. I'm going to customize it as I don't like the standard Wilson Lamkin grip that comes with my 3H. 

My 7 iron swing speed is around 80-82 mph, and I'm a high handicap (28+). The options for the shaft are:

• Tensei CK Blue in Regular or Stiff flex
• Project X Even Flow Blue 65 in Regular or Stiff flex (+18 euros)
• Project X HZRDUS Black 65 in Regular or Stiff flex (+18 euros)

The standard shaft length for the D9 driver is 45.65 inches. I've read in several articles that the average shaft length has been gradually increasing, but that a shorter shaft is typically easier to hit. 45.65 inches is apparently on the long side, and I'm 5'9 and my wrist-to-floor is 35 inches. I have the option of shortening up to 1 inch in 1/4 intervals (so 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 or 1 inch). 

I'd greatly appreciate any suggestions on the shaft, shaft flex or shaft length - cheers.

[GolfSpy_APH]

57 minutes ago, grod90 said:

Hi, 

I'm about to buy my first driver and I'm looking for a budget driver. However, I don't have the option to get fitted...which complicates things. 

I have a Wilson D9 3H with which I'm pretty happy, and I'd like to buy the Wilson D9 Driver as it fits my budget and I've read excellent reviews about this driver. I'm going to customize it as I don't like the standard Wilson Lamkin grip that comes with my 3H. 

My 7 iron swing speed is around 80-82 mph, and I'm a high handicap (28+). The options for the shaft are:

• Tensei CK Blue in Regular or Stiff flex
• Project X Even Flow Blue 65 in Regular or Stiff flex (+18 euros)
• Project X HZRDUS Black 65 in Regular or Stiff flex (+18 euros)

The standard shaft length for the D9 driver is 45.65 inches. I've read in several articles that the average shaft length has been gradually increasing, but that a shorter shaft is typically easier to hit. 45.65 inches is apparently on the long side, and I'm 5'9 and my wrist-to-floor is 35 inches. I have the option of shortening up to 1 inch in 1/4 intervals (so 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 or 1 inch). 

I'd greatly appreciate any suggestions on the shaft, shaft flex or shaft length - cheers.

Stock Tensei shafts are pretty darn good. 

45" could be fine for length or just choke down a bit.

You could try this: https://truegolffit.com/

It's free and can give you a decent starting point, even though you have a driver in mind which you want.

[cnosil]

1 hour ago, grod90 said:

Hi, 

I'm about to buy my first driver and I'm looking for a budget driver. However, I don't have the option to get fitted...which complicates things. 

I have a Wilson D9 3H with which I'm pretty happy, and I'd like to buy the Wilson D9 Driver as it fits my budget and I've read excellent reviews about this driver. I'm going to customize it as I don't like the standard Wilson Lamkin grip that comes with my 3H. 

My 7 iron swing speed is around 80-82 mph, and I'm a high handicap (28+). The options for the shaft are:

• Tensei CK Blue in Regular or Stiff flex
• Project X Even Flow Blue 65 in Regular or Stiff flex (+18 euros)
• Project X HZRDUS Black 65 in Regular or Stiff flex (+18 euros)

The standard shaft length for the D9 driver is 45.65 inches. I've read in several articles that the average shaft length has been gradually increasing, but that a shorter shaft is typically easier to hit. 45.65 inches is apparently on the long side, and I'm 5'9 and my wrist-to-floor is 35 inches. I have the option of shortening up to 1 inch in 1/4 intervals (so 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 or 1 inch). 

I'd greatly appreciate any suggestions on the shaft, shaft flex or shaft length - cheers.

to start,  you are asking questions that people on a golf forum are unable to answer.  The shaft/head combination you need is based on your swing and how you deliver the club and without swinging the club and seeing measured results everything is simply a guess that may or may not work for you.

With that caveat,  If we generalize,  with an 80-82 MPH swing,  I would lean toward a Regular shaft and would only consider stiff if you have an aggressive transition.  I'm 5'10 and can swing a 46" driver.   Height and wrist to floor is probably more relevant to lie angle than length.   Additionally, you adjust length to help center contact on the face so unless you know where you are hitting the ball on the face, we are again guessing on length.   Maybe you can swing a 46" or maybe you need a 44.5";  unfortunately I can't tell you.   After purchase you can always shorten the driver if it is too long.  

As for the shaft, I'd go Tensei or EvenFlow as they seem to fit a pretty wide range of golfers. 

 

[grod90]

On 11/19/2022 at 9:33 PM, GolfSpy_APH said:

Stock Tensei shafts are pretty darn good. 

45" could be fine for length or just choke down a bit.

You could try this: https://truegolffit.com/

It's free and can give you a decent starting point, even though you have a driver in mind which you want.

Thanks for the reply - much appreciated. 

[grod90]

On 11/19/2022 at 10:01 PM, cnosil said:

to start,  you are asking questions that people on a golf forum are unable to answer.  The shaft/head combination you need is based on your swing and how you deliver the club and without swinging the club and seeing measured results everything is simply a guess that may or may not work for you.

With that caveat,  If we generalize,  with an 80-82 MPH swing,  I would lean toward a Regular shaft and would only consider stiff if you have an aggressive transition.  I'm 5'10 and can swing a 46" driver.   Height and wrist to floor is probably more relevant to lie angle than length.   Additionally, you adjust length to help center contact on the face so unless you know where you are hitting the ball on the face, we are again guessing on length.   Maybe you can swing a 46" or maybe you need a 44.5";  unfortunately I can't tell you.   After purchase you can always shorten the driver if it is too long.  

As for the shaft, I'd go Tensei or EvenFlow as they seem to fit a pretty wide range of golfers. 

Cheers, I appreciate you taking the time to reply. 

The second and third paragraphs is kind of what I was looking for. I'm perfectly aware that without a fitting I won't get the ideal combination of shaft, head and shaft length for my swing, but then again, as a high handicapper who's working on his swing, I'm not sure that the fitted club will be the best option 2 years down the line. I'm hoping my clubs will last me 5 years playing 15-20 rounds per year and going to the range 3 hours per week. 

I have standard length irons and I'm typically more comfortable gripping down a bit with my normal stance (at address the toe is slightly up with my 5i-7i), I think if I had custom clubs I'd probably had shortened them a bit. 

I've read several articles and seen two videos on manufacturers increasing shaft length to get the additional distance for marketing purposes, but how that typically increases dispersion disproportionately more than the it provides distance, as well as many comments arguing that shortening the shaft to 44" or 44.5" has dramatically improved their consistency with the driver. That's why I was asking about shaft length. 

I think since I'm going to customize the club as there's no additional cost and I want a different grip, and I'm typically more comfortable with slightly below standard shaft lengths, I will ask for the shaft to be 1/2 shorter (that's 45.15 inches) which seems to be pretty average and shouldn't significantly alter the lie angle and swing weight of the club. 

 

 

[NM01]

On 11/19/2022 at 2:34 PM, grod90 said:

My 7 iron swing speed is around 80-82 mph, and I'm a high handicap (28+). The options for the shaft are:

• Tensei CK Blue in Regular or Stiff flex
• Project X Even Flow Blue 65 in Regular or Stiff flex (+18 euros)
• Project X HZRDUS Black 65 in Regular or Stiff flex (+18 euros)

The standard shaft length for the D9 driver is 45.65 inches. I've read in several articles that the average shaft length has been gradually increasing, but that a shorter shaft is typically easier to hit. 45.65 inches is apparently on the long side, and I'm 5'9 and my wrist-to-floor is 35 inches. I have the option of shortening up to 1 inch in 1/4 intervals (so 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 or 1 inch). 

Swing speed is one of the lowest FS it’s in determining shaft flex. Also shaft flex has no standard across the industry and the 3 shafts you lost all have different profiles and will play and feel different even for the same flex stamped on the shaft. Wrist to floor also doesn’t do much because you swing the club and it’s a dynamic movement. @Golfspy_CG2is 6’7” and during a titleist fitting at their tpi facility he was fit to their standard length irons and the fitter even consider going 1/4” short. Nobody would ever suggest that if he said his driver swing speed is 90-92 and he’s 6’7”. So going off these type of numbers don’t help either. As cnosil said how you swing is more important. So things like what is your normal ball flight? What is your typical miss? What are you looking to get out of the club? Are questions that need to be answered.

The hzrdus black is probably going to Be the worst fit because of its extremely stiff profile and usually is a shaft for high swing speed players.

1 hour ago, grod90 said:

I'm perfectly aware that without a fitting I won't get the ideal combination of shaft, head and shaft length for my swing, but then again, as a high handicapper who's working on his swing, I'm not sure that the fitted club will be the best option 2 years down the line.

 Many think this way and it’s just not reality. Most peoples specs don’t change even with swing improvements. My swing is different from where it was 15 years ago and my lie and length of irons hasn’t changed and I still fit into similar shafts in driver. 

[grod90]

On 11/23/2022 at 2:31 PM, RickyBobby_PR said:

Swing speed is one of the lowest FS it’s in determining shaft flex. Also shaft flex has no standard across the industry and the 3 shafts you lost all have different profiles and will play and feel different even for the same flex stamped on the shaft. Wrist to floor also doesn’t do much because you swing the club and it’s a dynamic movement. @Golfspy_CG2is 6’7” and during a titleist fitting at their tpi facility he was fit to their standard length irons and the fitter even consider going 1/4” short. Nobody would ever suggest that if he said his driver swing speed is 90-92 and he’s 6’7”. So going off these type of numbers don’t help either. As cnosil said how you swing is more important. So things like what is your normal ball flight? What is your typical miss? What are you looking to get out of the club? Are questions that need to be answered.

The hzrdus black is probably going to Be the worst fit because of its extremely stiff profile and usually is a shaft for high swing speed players.

On 11/23/2022 at 1:09 PM, grod90 said:

I'm perfectly aware that without a fitting I won't get the ideal combination of shaft, head and shaft length for my swing, but then again, as a high handicapper who's working on his swing, I'm not sure that the fitted club will be the best option 2 years down the line.

 Many think this way and it’s just not reality. Most peoples specs don’t change even with swing improvements. My swing is different from where it was 15 years ago and my lie and length of irons hasn’t changed and I still fit into similar shafts in driver. 

Well, then we are screwed. I guess the only way to get a club that fits reasonably well is going to a club fitter. It seems like height, wrt, and swing speed - pretty much what shaft and club manufacturers suggest to be used - are not very useful. 

[cnosil]

23 minutes ago, grod90 said:

Well, then we are screwed. I guess the only way to get a club that fits reasonably well is going to a club fitter. It seems like height, wrt, and swing speed - pretty much what shaft and club manufacturers suggest to be used - are not very useful. 

The question is how well do you want the driver to fit your swing?   Club manufacturers select stock shafts that are designed to adequately fit a large percentage of the golfing population.  Could you get a better configuration that just picking stock?  The answer to that is maybe.    When swinging a club, players react to how it feels and that drives performance of that club.   There are cases where a person swinging 80MPH is optimally fit in a long XStiff shaft (Of course shaft flexes aren't standard across the industry or even across the same manufacturer) and a person swinging 110 will be in short regular flex.   Players that seek higher launch will pick shafts that are labeled as "high launch" and not see that type of performance for reasons like the shafts feel causes the player to deloft the club or there is no actual definition for "high launch".   You went down a fitting path and fitters look at performance and not the manufacturers recommendation.

What do you consider the definition of "fits reasonably well"  to be and how can we make a recommendation without seeing any swing data?  

If you want general recommendations, I'd say not to get the D9.  Reasoning is because it didn't do extremely well in the 2022 MGS most wanted testing which looks at stock configuration in your swing speed range.    I could also point you to the OttoFlex thread where players are utilizing shafts with low targeted swing weight, 46" in length, 2 flexes and 2 weight classes below what would be recommended in the data you are taking about.  Many are reporting increased distance and increased accuracy.  

 

 

[NM01]

24 minutes ago, grod90 said:

Well, then we are screwed. I guess the only way to get a club that fits reasonably well is going to a club fitter. It seems like height, wrt, and swing speed - pretty much what shaft and club manufacturers suggest to be used - are not very useful. 

Those are used by manufacturers as guidelines because they can’t watch your swing and see launch monitor numbers.

It gets people into a general idea of a club, but because there are no standards for flex picking a shaft is just guess work. Some stiff shafts as an example play softer or stiffer than others. The customer could pick the wrong shaft and have a bad fitting club that makes golf harder.

If you do to a fitting the fitter isn’t looking at swing speed. Ball speed, how you swing the club and how that influence ball flight. He/she is using what they hear from contact, how the ball moves thru the air, confirming or showing the golfer with the launch monitor data. They are taking the golfers feedback to make adjustment. 
 

If it’s a fitter that deals with multiple vendors then they are going to swap between heads and lofts to see what produces the right launch window. A Ping 10.5 my new better than a Callaway or titleist 10.5 or it maybe a 9 in one that’s better. Head design, shape, cog all affect the performance of the golf ball and how things look affect the confidence of the golfer.

none of that can be done in a fitting tool online. Fitters at tpi, the kingdom, ecpc don’t use wrist to floor and these are the guys that work with the pros and thee best at what they do. Ping was big on the wrt and in 15 years of watching it being fit by Ping I have yet to see them use that at any demo day and I’ve done 3 fittings with their fitters at hq

Bsck to your question about shafts using a 7i swing to determine driver shaft makes little sense because people swing irons differently than driver. As for the shafts you listed

The evenflow blue is going to play slightly stiffer than the tensei. The feel in general is going to be different between those two based on where the weight and stiffness of the shaft is. 
 

So back to the questions that matter.

What is your current ball flight?

What is your miss?

What ball flight are you looking to achieve?

Where on the face do you make contact?

Do you have a smooth or aggressive transition?