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Peter · 04-19-2006, 04:50 PM

Hi, I'm looking for woods and irons, but I'm not sure whether to get regular vs senior shaft. Please help me determine what's ideal for me.

Build = medium
Height = 5' 5"
Wrist to floor = 30.5"
Age = 43
Sex = male
Swing speed = 5 iron = 60-70, Driver = 80-85 using 460 CC
Handicap = 25
Open/close face = I'm not sure but I tend to grip it very strong.
Outside-in/inside-out = more chance outside in..

I currently use big bertha II 415, 11 degree driver and 15 degree 3 wood and iron in callaway x-14. I trimmed the butt end by 3/4 inch all clubs and also made my irons flat by 2 degrees along with cutting 3/4 inch from the butt end. I'm not sure what this did to the flex and the swing weight.

I'm thinking about replacing all my set with regular shaft (probably in callaway line) but I want to make sure this is what I need before deciding.
Please help. Thank you.

geline · 05-12-2006, 12:00 AM

Hello, Peter, got a little research and hope this answer helps!

Purchase your new clubs at a place that provides clubfitting. A good fitter should be able to answer all of your questions. And before making your decision, hit as many different brands of clubs as you can. Of course, I would recommend staying with Callaway.

Prea · 05-15-2006, 04:51 PM

There are a couple websites that do that also, I think that www.tgw.com and www.golfsmith.com do that sort of thing, I am not sure though.

Looking at that I would say a seniorflex due to your swingspeed being around 80, a senoirflex will add whip and therefore might give you some extra distance on the side.

sroh · 05-16-2006, 03:13 PM

Hi Peter,

I am not an expert, but there are some things I've learned over the past several years of clubfitting for myself and watching friends go thru the same process with a world-class clubfitter in the bay area.

By cutting your shaft, you increased stiffness. Not sure about swing weight. What stiffness are you using now? If you're using a senior shaft now, it's probably playing closer to a regular. If you're using stiff now, it's playing close to an X-stiff!

One thing I learned is that the stiffness listed on the shafts are not necessarily accurate!!! I took my Rifle 6.0 shafts (standard stiff, similar to DG S300) that came standard on my irons to be tested, and they came in at frequencies between 7.5 and 8.0!!! Yikes, this is like Tiger Woods country. I was told that DG is also not very good with their consistency. No wonder I was hitting my irons low, with a tendency to fade. I had them changed out for a true stiff shaft, and overnight, I started hitting high draws.

There are other factors beyond swing speed that should determing the right flex for you. Is your swing tempo quick or smooth? How you 'load' your club during a swing has a big impact on ball flight. If you're quick, you are better off with a stiffer shaft.

This leads to the following conclusion. There is no way to know for sure unless you spend some time with a good fitter who has access to a launch monitor. You are in the right ballpark with a senior or regular shaft. Now you need to hone in on the right combination.

Having said that, I have a couple of recommendations. As geline mentioned, try as many club/shaft combinations as you can. Also, at your swing speed, you should try higher lofts in your woods. You know how pros always said most amateurs would be better off hitting a 3-wood off the tee, not only for control, but also distance? Well, they are right, except that big-faced drivers are so much more forgiving and has the trampoline effect to increase distance. Manufacturers are now making drivers in large sizes with greater lofts (13-14*). These may help your game. A friend who has a driver swing speed of 90mph was told to try a 13* driver (he was using 10.5* before). He is hitting it higher and longer than before. Now, he tended to hit the ball pretty low before. Your situation may be different. Again, this gets back to not being able to make specific recommendations without seeing your ball flight.

Anyway, hope this helps and doesn't confuse you further. Best of luck. Let us know how it goes!