Advice with Re-Shafting and/or choices!

Hello Everyone,

I am in need of some advice on shaft choices for a Driver I would like reshafted.

I am currently playing a Titleist 975D, 8.5 Degree Loft, UST-75 Stiff Shaft Driver which I've played for years now. I hit the club well in its current "default" build, but I'm looking for a bit of a change. I hit the ball straight for the most part and only really slice the ball if I try to muscle it and get a bit more yardage. This causes me (like most people) to pull my hands in towards my body, causing me to come across the ball and give it the side spin that causes the slice. Anyhow, if I swing within my normal swing I hit it straight with a low to mid ball flight.

My issue is, I would like to re-shaft this club because it feels like a "lead bat" (according to my friends) when I swing it. I've had my swing analyzed and I have been clocked at 125 MPH Club head speed. Like I mentioned earlier, I hit the ball well but I do not get very much carry which makes me rely heavily on roll. With this club I consistently carry the ball approximately 250-260 yards. Even when swinging my "lead bat" I notice the distinct low whistle from a slow swing speed as opposed to different "lighter" Drivers. I have tried other clubs and have found a significant difference in carry and in my opinion, swing speed. The most significant would be a friends "Orlimar HIP-TI 315CC, 9.5 Degree, Fujikura Regular Flex Shaft Driver". With my normal swing I can carry the ball 270-280 yards, which has been confirmed via laser "Bushnell Range finder with Slope Calculation" to a 285 yard Par 4; and I was able to carry the ball to about 4 yards of the flag. I then tried with my driver and was short of the green by at least 30 yards.

I would like to get a new driver but for two reasons, I am hesitant...

1) I am so used to the size of my 975D at address that these new HUGE frying pan drivers are a bit awkward looking.
2) I am not prepared to spend $400+ dollars on a new driver (especially since I bought my 975D brand new, although marked "used" for only $100...it still had the original shrink wrap on it)

I would like to reshaft my current club, but I'm overwhelmed with all the information that I've been reading online about Torque...Kick Point...Tip Stiffness...etc. I am thinking of going with a Regular Flex shaft (mainly because the Orlimar I hit had a R-Flex), but with all these choices now-a-days I'm a bit confused as to which one to get and in what specs.

This may be of importance as well in helping me with your advice. My swing "tempo" is a bit fast. Meaning, I have a tempo more like "Nick Price" as opposed to an "Ernie Els". So I have a fast backswing and a fast through swing.

Any advice is appreciated...I have tried to get as detailed as possible so that anyone reading this will be able to help as best as possible without actually seeing me hit the ball.


Here's a quick description of me and my clubs...

Height: 5' 2"
Weight: 138 lbs.
Driver: 975D-8.5*-UST75 Stiff (Standard 45") Shaft
Woods: Callaway Steelhead Plus 13*-Steel Shaft
Irons: Mizuno TP-11 Blades (3I-PW) Mizuno MP-29 Blade (2I)
Wedges: Cleveland Raw (56* & 60*)
Putter: Ping I-2
Golf Ball: Titleist NXT Tour

Wow - you're clocked at 125 and you're ONLY getting 250-260.

Sir, I suggest for you more loft, or learn to hit up on the ball.

Since you're in the US, there are plenty of clubbuilders out there who can help out, especially with decent gear. Since you like smaller headed stuff, the SMT Nemesis at 405cc or the SMT Spectrum at 391cc are both excellent heads and still in production. Wishon Golf has the 400cc 949MC that increases launch angle for a given loft. Another excellent head.

In fact, find yourself a clubmaker at www.pcsgep.com and use their clubmaker locator. Perhaps you need to change the head, not the shaft.

At your swing speed and tempo (and I'll assume a fairly quick transition), You certainly want a stiff tip, mid stiff and most likely butt-stiff shaft. The AccuFLEX Evolution in R will be OK, it may be too much in S for you. Another one to try may be the Grafalloy Blue in S - again, quite stout for most men, but not at 125.

But it definitely sounds like you need more launch angle. You can either get this through changing your angle of attack (AoA) or your loft - either (or both) need an increase.

Case in point: I swing around 110, and hit the ball furthest with a 12 degree driver - because i have a -4° angle of attack. So my launch angle is 7.x°, and more loft gives me too much spin. So if I could find a way to change my AoA, I'd see more distance by virtue of a better launch angle.

__________________
True Length Technology Fitter - www.truelengthtechnology.com
It's live! - www.ShipShapeClubs.com
PCS Class 'A' Clubfitter

A new highlight: Golfing the home course on Christmas Day.

I say it too often: If it's golf club shaped, you can play with it.

For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

Thank you so much for the help LowPost42.

I see your point in increasing the loft of my club. As I stated, with my friends 9.5* driver I was consistently getting more distance. I thought it might have been the shaft, but with what you said...I now see that it is quite possible that the loft of the club was more of a reason for this than the shaft.

There was a PCS shop near my home and they were actually the one's that clocked me on my swing speed. At the time I was a starving college student and I was only there because a friend of mine was getting his clubs reshafted and the store was pretty slow. So they offered both of us a free club fitting and analysis. They made suggestions as to what loft and shaft I should play, but that was many years and many Cognacs ago...so I have forgotten what they have said... Sadly, they have closed down and moved on. I will however be looking for the nearest one to me, as now I can afford to follow their advice.

I will definitely look into the 2 shafts that you suggested; the AccuFLEX Evolution in "Regular" and the Grafalloy Blue in "Stiff".

I am so grateful for your help...at least I now have a starting point. Instead of the lost, wandering, dizzy and confused state I was in a few days ago. Sometimes there really "IS" too much information out on the internet.


Thank you once again and I'll keep you posted on my progress. Once I find a PCS shop in my area, I will go through their club fitting process once more and this time I'll definitely take notes and I will have them do the reshafting for me.

I recommended both of those shafts because they're stout. They should provide good dispersion at your swingspeed. You may be able to go up in flex on the Evo to S, but you'll loose some feel.