Hi, I have recently put a deposit on an R7 Draw driver. (deposit as they didnt have a stiff felx in stock). The guy in store said that I needed an S-flex. I asked if I possibly could be swinging too hard in store, but the response was that I would need to swing 30kmh less to use a Reg flex.

Then….My instructor said I should be buying a Regular flex shaft, although he wasnt up to speed with what driver I was looking at it was just a general comment.

Is the R7 shaft in Reg flex softer than other reg flexes?????

Hopeully someone can help me out, I’m confused

Bottom line. I’d listen to your instructor. He’s seen you hit balls out doors. 30kmh slower is total BS. How fast were you swinging?

He didnt even say. That’s why I asked him if it would be a major difference if I slowed it down. I certainly seem to swing firmer/faster than most that I play with but as you said, I am erring on the side of the guy who have seen me hit balls!

I reckon I’m a reg flex kinda guy, but I demo’d both shafts at a demo day in the R7 425 and I hit the stock stiff shafted alot more consistently. I reckon a lot of stock shafts are softer than their prescribed shaft stiffnesss – I mean, how many forum users admit they should use regular flex? Most younger hackers consider themselves gorilla’s when it comes to swinging the big stick.

Dan is right, Stock shafts tend play a flex softer. Just like when the club head has the markings of 10.5 they would tend to be around the 12-12.5 mark. Its just basic marketing by some of the big OEMs.Just a quick note about what flex you should play, its not just swing speed that you should consider, tempo, transtion and wrist release should also be taking into account as well. Vman wrote some good stuff about this on a tread about a week ago. Also you could check out the section on fitting of shafts in the main page of ISG under equipment and repair. Cheers Nigel Oldridge PCS member

Great. Thanks for that.

what quailifacations does the bloke in the store have as to the person your getting instruction from? when you think about it there is no point getting instruction and then following the recommendations of a salesman who’s interest lies in selling products and has never seen you swing a club outside the door of his shop, where the instructors interest lies in coaching the best golf swing he can out of you and has seen your swing on many occasions. cheers peter

Sadly a large proportion of sales staff in this industry make a good living telling golfers they swing it a ton. Amazingly, even the guy who knows full well he hits it 50 yards shorter than his regular playing partners gets a warm buzz from it.

I agree that the guy instore is not anywhere near educated on my swing as much as the guy teaching me. The reason I question what the Instructor said was due to the fact he didnt want me to buy a stock off the rack driver, but get one fitted custom.

He also made the comment (which I know from Ice hockey shafts in previous experience) that different manufacturers have different ratings but both call a shaft “R” or “S”.

Regarding the comment about distance, I seem to be the guy hitting it further than my playing partners with equal club in hand, as stated above I feel I have a frimer/stronger swing than most guys I play with.

Thanks for all the responses.

Dan is right, Stock shafts tend play a flex softer. Just like when the club head has the markings of 10.5 they would tend to be around the 12-12.5 mark. PCS member

My coach told me the exact same thing, most OEM’s 10.5 drivers being a 12-13 deg to give the average punter the misguided confidence of launching the ball into the air…

Well I ended up getting the Regular flex shaft. Went to the range and the first two carried 220M-ish dead straight. I thought I was in heaven. Even though it doesnt seem to have the length when I got onto them that my old driver had.

Then the trouble…Couldnt hit another one straight, seemed to be slicing worse with the odd snap hook. Oh well I’ll work it out.

What’s the general rule if you are sky-ing every second shot?. I mean like, Pitching Wood type shots. Tried teeing lower than rec.n etc didnt seem to help.

I need to learn to swing better with my driver I certainly know that, but I also wondered if any of the signs above could be attributed to a softer shaft, as I seem to be even less consistent with this sucker.

What’s the general rule if you are sky-ing every second shot?. I mean like, Pitching Wood type shots. Tried teeing lower than rec.n etc didnt seem to help.

Take up lawn-bowls.

Well I ended up getting the Regular flex shaft. Went to the range and the first two carried 220M-ish dead straight. I thought I was in heaven. Even though it doesnt seem to have the length when I got onto them that my old driver had.

Then the trouble…Couldnt hit another one straight, seemed to be slicing worse with the odd snap hook. Oh well I’ll work it out.

What’s the general rule if you are sky-ing every second shot?. I mean like, Pitching Wood type shots. Tried teeing lower than rec.n etc didnt seem to help.

I need to learn to swing better with my driver I certainly know that, but I also wondered if any of the signs above could be attributed to a softer shaft, as I seem to be even less consistent with this sucker.

A shaft won’t make you miss hit like that, The best engineer golf club will never out engineer a poor swing. More than likely you started swinging a bit harder to make up for the lack of distance, then the miss hits would of started. Work harder with you instrutor. It will come good. Cheers Nigel. PCS member

Then the trouble…Couldnt hit another one straight, seemed to be slicing worse with the odd snap hook. Oh well I’ll work it out.

What’s the general rule if you are sky-ing every second shot?. I mean like, Pitching Wood type shots. Tried teeing lower than rec.n etc didnt seem to help.

I need to learn to swing better with my driver I certainly know that, but I also wondered if any of the signs above could be attributed to a softer shaft, as I seem to be even less consistent with this sucker.

It sound like you were getting ahead of the ball with your body which leads to you getting steep with your arms into the ball. Result weak cuts, snap hooks & sky balls. Remember to stay behind the ball at impact. Again I’ll post a pic of a colleague of mine to illustrate.

1. Get some lessons.

2. Believe the PGA pro. He’s not trying to sell you a shaft to feed your ego and his pocket. Make sure you’re fitted using a launch monitor. LMs don’t lie.

3. Get some more lessons.

rowand. Moitors lie all the time. Believe your eyes would be a better method.

I’ll back tim on that one.

What’s the general rule if you are sky-ing every second shot?. I mean like, Pitching Wood type shots. Tried teeing lower than rec.n etc didnt seem to help.

Take up lawn-bowls.

If I was hitting every shot like that, I would!!...Irons and putting are fine. I’m just wasting two shots per hole, one into the trees off the tee, one out of them. :) Bloody frustrating part, maybe I should just tee off with an Iron till the swing is better.

Although I did hit it much better today. Mainly when I slow my swing down. At least this gives me time to think about how I’m swinging, (for what my instrutor has told me in my CONTINUED lssons for the guy above) :) although I am losing distance doing this I have noticed.

Anyway, thanks for all the responses.

What’s the general rule if you are sky-ing every second shot?. I mean like, Pitching Wood type shots. Tried teeing lower than rec.n etc didnt seem to help.

Take up lawn-bowls.

If I was hitting every shot like that, I would!!...Irons and putting are fine. I’m just wasting two shots per hole, one into the trees off the tee, one out of them. :) Bloody frustrating part, maybe I should just tee off with an Iron till the swing is better.

Although I did hit it much better today. Mainly when I slow my swing down. At least this gives me time to think about how I’m swinging, (for what my instrutor has told me in my CONTINUED lssons for the guy above) :) although I am losing distance doing this I have noticed.

Anyway, thanks for all the responses.

Mate i’m ownly throwing this idea out there. I’ve been having some pretty wild times off the tee myself. So I sucked it up put away the driver and built myself a thriver. 14deg 460cc head and 43.5” lenght shaft. My mates might hang s#it on me when where playing golf, but the simple fact is i’m hitting fairways and not losing any where as many balls.

It sound like you were getting ahead of the ball with your body which leads to you getting steep with your arms into the ball. Result weak cuts, snap hooks & sky balls. Remember to stay behind the ball at impact. Again I’ll post a pic of a colleague of mine to illustrate.

That’s not a golfer, that’s a long-driver. Terrible example.

That “long driver” also happens to be a PGA pro who won a pro am this year with the same action. His action is “tour quality” have no fear of that. While the pic is taken from slightly in front of the ball at address it still gets the point across does it not? Shall we try another….maybe you know this guy?

Not with that pic I don’t (although I have my suspicions). It’s a much better looking body position through the ball though (to an untrained eye).

Mr Woods is going incognito today….ha ha.

you can’t seriously say that the long driver, has a good impact position…. it’s crap lol

he may have a good impact not swinging out of his shoes, but that picture is not good.

dpac are you serious???? Apart from Tiger having his right heeel off the ground both players are remarkably similar.