Fitting shaft to driver head, or vice versa? (LTDX LS Ventus)

[JermWRX]

I have an LTDX LS that I get along with pretty well. Right now I'm using the stock IO 65 6.0 shaft. When I got it it had a Diamana Raw White, and I had a hard time keeping it in the air. Spin was way too low. I'm getting a Ventus 6s Blue today and it's my first venture with a Ventus shaft (thanks to wrxer chavycha). I was thinking if I have a hard time with the LS head, maybe I would trade it for a standard LTDX head. Anyways, it got me thinking, do you guys fit a shaft you love to a head, or a head you love to a shaft? I'm sure it's more complicated than that, but this forum is always so great with info. Thanks!

[Honman]

Fitting is as a much art as it is science. I would suggest both ways are valid, but I think give slightly different results.

 

Fitting for shaft first you're dialing in consistency delivering the club to the ball. Then you're finding a head that works with that to maximise the potential. 

 

Head first you're generally looking for ballspeed above all else and then you try and dial in launch and spin with a shaft. 

 

A good fitter will probably end up in the same final club, but I do think it can lead to different outcomes. 

 

Edited March 6, 2023 by Honman

[Red4282]

Generally people find a head first then match a shaft. Most oems offer 3 types of heads (low spin, middle of road, and “max”) now so you should have an idea which one is the best for you. 

Edited March 6, 2023 by Red4282

[Sean124]

Shaft feel is much more important to me. I’ve had the same Ventus Black in 4 different driver heads across 3 different brands. 
 

If I hit a driver too low, I need more loft, not a different shaft. 

[MattM97]

When I did my driver fitting it was kind of a wide cast net. Different head and shaft on every driver, but I'd be giving my feedback of what I liked and didn't. Then found a shaft/head that just stood out above the rest, then after trying a few more shaft was decided. Then asked to try each head that had a chance with the shaft and end result was found.

 

Every fitter is different and also depends on the person swinging the club but as long as they get to the same end point that's the main goal. 

[Stuart_G]

22 hours ago, JermWRX said:

Anyways, it got me thinking, do you guys fit a shaft you love to a head, or a head you love to a shaft? I'm sure it's more complicated than that, but this forum is always so great with info. Thanks!

 

Neither. 

 

The simple form of the answer is that you fit each individually to the player, especially the shaft.  You don't fit them to each other.

 

Shaft is fit to the players preferences for (static) weight feel and stiffness feel (after the playing length is fit).  With the primary considerations being the consistency of the delivery and face impact location and face/path control.  Accuracy and dispersion.  This is generally going to be independent of the particular head model - assuming playing length and swing weight are fit for first and each new model compared are set-up to match that length and swing weight.

 

For the head aesthetics and visual (and face angle and even lie angle for the most part) the fit is generally going to be independent of the shaft. As well as some general characteristics - e.g.  high MOI vs low spin.  But the loft selection can be dependent on the shaft so it's usually best to do the shaft first.  That leaves the loft selection as the last spec to be fit for to get the most optimal numbers for your swing.

 

Edited March 7, 2023 by Stuart_G