Get the Right Shaft to Hit Your Driver Straight and Long
Bombing and Gouging
The problem with bombing off the tee and gouging from the rough is that for us average golfers, it only works 13 percent of the time, according to a study done by Golf Digest and TrackMan. But we also know that getting 20 more yards off the tee can drop up to 3 strokes off your game. So the real answer is to hit your driver long AND straight. The secret is getting the proper shaft to make this happen!
Getting the Right Fit
We always advise you on what happens when golf shafts are not right for your swing. A lot of golfers that have never been through our fitting process, think that the majority of their miss-hits are caused by their swing. Fortunately, that is not always the case! We help golfers of all abilities hit longer, straighter drives by selecting the proper length, shaft weight, shaft flex, swing weight and shaft profile (trajectory and spin) for their unique swing.
First off, you will NOT be happy with clubs bought off-the-rack, regardless of how they tested in the shop. The consistency of shaft flexes and weights from one club and one manufacturer to another is not very good. Each year we find shafts that play very soft or very stiff to the stated flex resulting in poor performance. See our related blog on testing stock drivers here.
I will make some predictions for misses with your driver based upon a right-handed golfer, including how swing direction makes a big impact.
Use our Fitting Wizard to find out what driver shaft works best for you!
What Your Misses Tell You (Right Handed Golfer)
Misses Both Left and Right:
The shaft too flexible in butt section (A flex when should be an R, for example). Can also be caused by a shaft that is too light or swing weight is to light. This can happen to golfers that have both a inside-to-outside swing direction (push) and an outside-to-inside swing direction (pull).
Misses Mostly Right(Push or Push slice)
Shaft may be too stiff in the butt section (S flex when should be an R) or shaft is too heavy. The shaft profile may also be incorrect with the tip section of the shaft being too stiff. These misses are mostly caused by an inside-to-outside swing direction. In some cases, the impact on the face is on the heel causing the ball to move from left to right. This could mean the shaft is too long or too heavy. The average driver length on the PGA Tour is under 45 inches. The average off-the-rack driver length in 2018 is 45.5-45.75 inches. Our recommendations for the average golfer is 44.5 inches! Making the driver length shorter gives you more control. It will also help you hit the driver on the sweet spot more consistently creating more distance, not less!
MISSES STARTING RIGHT AND DRAWING OR HOOKING BACK LEFT
Typically caused by a strong inside-to-outside swing path and a shaft that is too soft in the butt and/or tip section. Stiffening the butt section only could create more of a push/draw. Stiffening the tip too much could cause a push/fade or slice. If you have a launch monitor, if your path is more than 5 degrees in-to-out this could be and issue.
MISSES STARTING LEFT AND TURNING BACK RIGHT (PULL FADE OR SLICE)
Typically caused by an outside-to-inside swing path and a shaft that is too soft in the butt and/or the tip. Stiffening the butt section first MAY help but you typically need a firmer tip section to keep the ball from moving to the right as much. If you have a launch monitor, any path that is more than 5 degrees to the left and face is open to the path will cause this shot pattern.
Misses Mostly Left(Pull or Pull Hook):
Shaft is too flexible in the butt section and/or shaft is too light. The shaft could also have too soft of tip section causing the club face to close at impact. These misses are usually caused by an outside-to-inside swing direction that can actually be made worse with the wrong shaft.
Misses Off the Top of the ClubFace:
Too steep of swing (negative attack angle) or way too soft of butt section or tip section causing toe droop at impact. We see this a lot with aggressive swingers that are taller and have a steeper swing. Usually a heavier, stiffer shaft will improve this as well as changing ball position(more forward) and spine tilt.
Misses Mostly Low:
The shaft butt section and tip section are too stiff and club loft is too low. This can also be caused by a high positive attack angle (swinging up on the ball with tee height too low). Getting a positive attack angle with the driver is a great thing! Long Drive competitors are usually in the plus 5-6 degree range. Our average golfer is negative 2-4 degrees. Hitting the ball low on the face usually causes additional spin and loss of distance. With the proper shaft stiffness and profile, our golfers pick up distance AND accuracy.
So, don't let the hardest club in your bag to hit get you down! We can help dial you in to the best shaft for longer, straighter and more consistent drives!
Use our Fitting Wizard to find out what driver shaft works best for you!
Dan Sueltz
