Help me with driver shaft selection

smoothie4896 · November 27, 2019

Heres my dilema:

Have been playing for the last season, Ping G400 with the Ping tour stiff shaft. Driver has been good, but could use a little more height and just looking to make a change. Driver plays at 44.5", but my launch is always a little low (around 10 deg) and spin is around 2400. Swing speed is around 105, handicap is a 2. The head is a 9 deg, play it at 9.5, and have tried to loft up but that doesn't really help with launch much at all.

Recently switched to a HZRDUS yellow 6.5, 76gram in my Ping G 3 wood, playing at 15.5 loft and 42.5". Absolute love everything about it, shaft., weight, length feel perfect. Getting carry distance around 240, not much shorter than my driver. The club just feels right, if you know what I mean. Can stand over the ball and just rip it, no reservation. Previous to this, played a R7 TP 3 wood with a Grafalloy Blue (original) stiff at 43" and loved it, played it for years. Felt the same way about this club.

I obviously like shafts that are on the stiffer side, but not sure what to do with the driver shaft. I know that I like counterbalanced shafts, but worried that the yellow wont give me the launch Im looking for in the driver. And the numbers above are based off solid strikes, on a good launch monitor, so the strike location is not the issue. i know if I miss one, that would be the reason for off numbers and bad flight.

Would like to hear suggestions on possible shafts, driver length, etc? Was thinking maybe getting HZRDUS Yellow 6.0 @ 63grams and playing it at 44" (Ive always played drivers at 44.5", don't want to go longer), but worried it might be to light overall. Confused, but know I want some sort of counterbalanced shaft. Or should I get a 6.5? I also know I dont do well with shafts that flex alot (block city). Bottom line, I want a driver that gives me the same feeling as my 3 wood, where i can stand over the ball with it and have the same confidence as I do with the fairway, because it feels the same.

ian-500 · November 29, 2019

Change the driver head for a higher lofted version. Easy fix.

Howard_Jones · November 29, 2019

You need more loft, we cant make it all by a shaft only, but since this was a shaft question, here is some guidelines.

IF you want feel of shaft weight and resistance in your driver to be the same as your 3W, the 63 gram Yellow will be to light.

The average is 5 grams pr inch, while exact shaft MOI for woods in this weight range is somewhere between 3.5 and 4 grams pr inch.

If you keep the driver at 44.50" you have 2 inches and 7-10 grams down to get the same feel, but ONLY from a shaft that has the same balance point.

IF the plan is 44.00" its only 1.5 inch and then the shaft should be 69-70 grams to deliver the same MOi /resistance.

Going more than 5 grams pr inch lighter will be noticed for you, so the suggested 13 grams down is too much, but you might find a shaft "off specs" and to the heavy side if you find a seller who will put them on a gram scale, thats might be the way to go to get the feel you like.