Shaft Flex

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By Chris Y

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  1. Chris Y

    Chris Y

    I currently play a 913D2 with a Stiff Whiteboard. As with my previous driver I seem to constantly fight the slice. My swing speed says stiff (108-115) and there are times that I crush the ball straight but more often than not I hit a slice. The times I hit it straight lead me to believe that its my mechanics so I've tried almost everything from ball placement in my stance, strengthening my grip, moving my lead foot a little more closed, etc. I also have a tendency at times to allow my right arm to leave my body causing a "chicken wing" which will also cause a slice, but even when I consciously put all these "anti-slice" mechanics in place I still have a tendency to slice. After searching online for any help I can find I've read that it may possibly be due to my shaft being too stiff which in turn will prevent the club head from squaring itself up at contact. I play a regular flex in my 3 wood and hit it pretty consistently so I'm now thinking maybe my driver should be fitted the same. I believe theres a possibility that my high swing speed may be due to , like most golfers I think, wanting to hit the drive as far as I can and maybe swinging too hard which could be hurting more than it is helping. This could also be the reason for my erratic driving because I believe it may be throwing my tempo off. I treat my 3 wood as more of a precision club and tend to swing a bit slower and as a result I find I hit it quite well the majority of the time. I'm thinking that I will give a regular flex shaft a try but this leads me to another issue. I have a naturally high ball flight on my drives and to combat this I've gone to a 9.5 from my previous 10.5 and also went with a heavier shaft (63g to 72g).  I've been looking online and find that they aren't a lot of heavier shafts offered in a regular flex. The only one I've found so far was the Oban Devotion 7. Any insight into the curse of my slice would be greatly appreciated.

  2. Darius V

    Darius V
    Barrie, ON

    Chris...  Unfortunately I cannot help you with your slice without actually seeing your swing, However I am going to add a little more confusion to your dilemma.

    I used to have a bad slice with my driver mainly because I could not slow down my swing enough to allow a regular flex shaft to straighten out in time for contact with the ball. Once I changed my driver shaft to a stiff from regular, I very seldom slice any more.

    My typical drive is with a slight or moderate fade. I still slice every now and again, just as I am guilty of the odd duck hook. Both are the result of either a lazy swing (slice), or a real tight grip (hook). Or even worse - trying to steer the ball instead of swinging through.

    Hope you get the answer you are looking for.

    Ah yes - the never ending pursuit of IT :)

    Darius

  3. Jeff L

    Jeff L
    Richmond Hill, ON

    Chris,

     

    Did you get fitted for your driver? If not, I would strongly recommend you get fitted by a certified Titleist fitter.

    Based on what you have mentioned about your swing speed, slicing and hitting the ball high, it sounds like you may actually be a candidate for an extra stiff shaft and definitely not a regular shaft. When the shaft is too flexible, you will create too much lag in the club head and will not be able to square up the club face consistently. A stiffer shaft would help you square the club head better and bring your ball flight down.

    I got fitted for my 913D3 driver at the Titleist National Fitting Centre at Eagles Nest and the guys there know how to get you dialed in perfectly. Trust me, they take the guess work out of the equation.

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