tbh I thought range balls are 1 piece balls designed to not travel as far as 2 piece balls you use on the course. I typically get another 15 - 20 yards on the course.

On shaft type it is down to personal preference and the quality of the shaft your using. Something to try when looking at different clubs is to hold the blade in one hand and the grip in the other, twist it and see how far the club head will rotate. On poor quality shafts it will twist too much and this is what will be happening through the swing, especially if you have a powerful. If you have a soft swing though they do help in gaining extra yards, main thing is to get the best shaft type possible.

I personally went from graphite to steel as i prefer the feeling but is just down to taste.

hope this helps