What A Difference a Shaft Makes!

Golf Gear Head’s Paradise

(Written By: GolfSpy Matt) – Recently, I had the opportunity to return to the gear head’s paradise that is Club Champion.  Fujikura offered to have me fit for any shaft in their line up, so I brought a driver that I liked, but no longer fit me, to see if we could breathe new life into it.  The results that I saw, and will share with you, prove once again how important it is to be fit and what a vital role the shaft plays in the golf club.

As usual, Nick Sherburne, Club Champion’s Master Club Fitter, was more than accommodating.  He allowed me to hit virtually every Fujikura shaft that he had, including his own personal X-Flex Tour Spec model (way too much shaft for my swing).  Getting to hit that many different shafts, all with the exact same head, really helps you to appreciate how much difference the shaft makes.  From one to the next, the balance may be totally different.  The bend profile, stiffness, weight, and torque make a huge difference as well.  Even though virtually everything I hit was in the 60 gram range in a stiff flex, there were dramatic differences in feel and performance.

Stiff Flex – Not All “S” Are Created Equal

One thing that many people don’t understand is that the shaft can influence not just the launch numbers, but how you swing the club.  I was recently testing a shaft that was a little too stiff for me, and the results were…ugly.  I could feel myself going after the ball 110% to try to load the shaft, and, as a result, I was peppering the OB stakes left and right.  Later in that test session, I tried another shaft that was meant for a smoother swinger.  While I’d love to be smooth, I’m just not.  Again, the results were nothing short of tragic: no distance, no control, no fun.  To wrap up the test, I brought back my current gamer, just to restore my faith in my own ability to swing the club.  I’m not going to say that I hit nothing but 300 yard lasers, but being in a shaft that worked with my swing made a world of difference.  The crazy part is that they are all labeled “stiff flex.”

So How Much Difference Did Custom Fitting Do For Me?

Alright, enough preaching, let’s cut to the chase: what did a custom fit Fujikura shaft do for me?  Nick ended up fitting me into a Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 7.0.  Compared to the shaft that was in the driver to begin with, I gained: 3.2 MPH of clubhead speed, 6.7 MPH of ballspeed, dropped my launch angle by 1.9*, dropped 900 RPMs of backspin, and lowered my descent angle 7*.  Some of you may be reading this and saying, “So what?”

Here’s the so what: I GAINED 18.5 YARDS OF CARRY AND 25 YARDS TOTAL.

Please Print This Out & Keep It In Your Pocket

Please print this out and keep it in your pocket.  The next time you have the urge to buy a club off the rack, take this out, and re-read the capitalized portion.  Then ask yourself, “Do I want to leave 25 yards or more on the table?”

Being fit for the right shaft is about SO MUCH MORE than “stiff or regular.”  I have been very lucky to have the opportunity to test many shafts for MyGolfSpy.com and also to go to places like Club Champion.  I’ve also been lucky enough to talk to knowledgeable people like Nick who have helped to educate me.  Having been given these opportunities, I feel that it’s my responsibility to share with you, the MGS readers, what I have learned about the value of true custom fitting.  I hope to hear many stories of MGS readers making similar gains.