Hybrid Shafts - Do you change or move on?

[displayname]

I've been gaming a Nickent 3dx 3h for a few years how with an Aldila NV 75 (I believe made for Nickent) shaft in stiff. This club used to be a go to for me, but it just hasn't been working out well for a few months now. I've kicked around the idea of moving back to a 5 wood, a new hybrid, or maybe just a new shaft. I honestly don't want to invest in a new club until I have the cash flow for an in depth fitting and the cash to get the clubs I'm fit for right away.

 

However, that cash flow probably won't happen for awhile, and the 200-210 yard slot is KILLING me. It seems like I always need it 2 or 3 times per round, but I just can't count on it right now. I'm considering changing shafts as a low cost, short term solution. I've debated between steel and heavier graphite as I seem to really like any demo club I pick up that has a 90g+ shaft. I'd like to keep the shaft cost below $40 for the project to make sense. For some details on my game, I'm your average weekend worrier. Try to play 2 times a week, and try to hit the range at least once a week - I get in more when I can, but life happens and it's winter now. I'm a fairly short knocker by WRX standards. Driver is probably 240-250 average, SS around 95, but can get just over 100 when I'm loose and going after it. I can get 260+ when I catch it just right, but that's never what I'm aiming for. 3 wood is 215-230 average. Semi aggressive swinger - I've been smoothing it out. I could also use a little more launch on they hybrid, but height isn't a major issue. I also have done MUCH less ho'n the last year and half. I really only want to get new clubs post fittings these days.

 

Here's some of the shaft ideas I've had. If anyone has experience or comparisons from this list, please feel free to chime in. Obviously open to other ideas.

VS Proto 95 Regular

NV Pro 105 R (iron shaft)

KBS Hybrid

S+ 90 Stiff (would match my driver, and would probably be a pull to stay in budget)

 

Looking forward to everyone's thoughts!

[Stuart_G]

Sorry, but if you do have some cash flow issues, the LAST thing you want to do is put any money into a shaft you've never actually tried. To be perfectly honest, you might be able to find a small tweak in launch conditions (hard to say if that is a 'made for' shaft), but it's very unlikely that a shaft change is going to solve the more major problems or become a miracle cure. If the club used to be a "go to" club and now suddenly it isn't, that's certainly a problem with the swing and not the equipment. You would be much better off to spend the money on a lesson instead.

[displayname]

[quote name='Stuart G.' timestamp='1420629787' post='10700091']
Sorry, but if you do have some cash flow issues, the LAST thing you want to do is put any money into a shaft you've never actually tried. To be perfectly honest, you might be able to find a small tweak in launch conditions (hard to say if that is a 'made for' shaft), but it's very unlikely that a shaft change is going to solve the more major problems or become a miracle cure. If the club used to be a "go to" club and now suddenly it isn't, that's certainly a problem with the swing and not the equipment. You would be much better off to spend the money on a lesson instead.
[/quote]

Good point. Thanks for helping me get my head back on straight with some sound advice. The winter itch is starting to get to me. It's not really major cash flow issues, I just figured when I do a fitting, I'll probably fit for everything between the driver and the irons, so it will probably end up being pretty expensive overall. I guess I'm just letting my mind wonder indoors at the winter equipment itch is starting to kick in!

[Stuart_G]

Don't worry, that 'itch' is an epidemic around this forum :-)

[curran22]

When you say it hasn't been working out well, what do you mean? We talking a pull, a fade???

[Vintage1976]

Try lead tape, [i]display[/i]. On the head first, if you don't like that feel try wrapping it just under the grip. $10 at GS. In the 1/2" high density tape 1" is very close to 1 gram.

[displayname]

[quote name='curran22' timestamp='1420639928' post='10700649']
When you say it hasn't been working out well, what do you mean? We talking a pull, a fade???
[/quote]

I've just had issues with solid contact more then any thing. I feel like I never know if I'm going to get it to fly 190-200 and stop at 200-210 (which is what happened when I was confident with it), or if it's going to drop at 175-180 and just stop dead. It's also been flying lower. I believe the cause would be the result of me smoothing out my swing and transition related to the fact that this is probably the most stout shaft in my bag.

I'll look into practice and lead tape like others have suggested here too. Thanks guys!

[mr_divots]

I have a couple 3DX DC heads still. Man, I miss the old Nickent!
That NV75 shaft was in my 20º when I got it. [i]Great[/i] combo. (And I tend to gravitate to heaveir 90+g hybrid shafts too.)
A 200-210 shot is not all that easy, especially if you play a couple times a week. Your swing changed, not the club. If it worked before, it can work again unless you hit the gym hard or something and picked up swing speed.

I have a couple UST TSPX 100 Red shafts I am thinking of putting in my Nickents for this season. But that NV75 was a sneaky good little stock shaft.

I tried some Aerotech Steelfiber 110 .370" in these heads and that worked quite well for an "iron" shaft.

[Stuart_G]

Was the "smoothing out" of the swing because of the poor results to try to help or was it a more general swing change and the poor results a consequence?

If there was a significant [s]shaft[/s] [b]swing[/b] change, it certainly might warrant a refitting or re-evalation of the shaft or other specs.

For inconsistency, playing length and shaft weight tend to be the more important specs that might help bring things back under control. The flex generally doesn't have a big impact unless the feel itself of the shaft being too stiff is adding a negative influence to your swing. However, these are not really fixes to an underlying swing problem. Although sometimes they can help minimize the severity of the consequences.

[DaRiz]

Shaft change is never a "low cost solution". If you are going to experiment I would look for a new classic like a silver xtd, a12, 913h, or r11 rescue rather than swapping shafts in and out.

[displayname]

[quote name='Stuart G.' timestamp='1420653157' post='10702201']
Was the "smoothing out" of the swing because of the poor results to try to help or was it a more general swing change and the poor results a consequence?

If there was a significant shaft change, it certainly might warrant a refitting or re-evalation of the shaft or other specs.

For inconsistency, playing length and shaft weight tend to be the more important specs that might help bring things back under control. The flex generally doesn't have a big impact unless the feel itself of the shaft being too stiff is adding a negative influence to your swing. However, these are not really fixes to an underlying swing problem. Although sometimes they can help minimize the severity of the consequences.
[/quote]

Smoothing out the swing was to help across the bag. I was very steep, with a very aggressive transition before. A draw also used to be out of the question, and it used to kill my driver due to a downward angle of attack. Now I keep things wider. I still have a fairly aggressive transition compared to some, but it's much more gradual and controlled now. I've completely shifted my big miss from a push or slice to a pull or hook. On the upside, I've also gained more consistent distance, and can hit a fade when I really need to. The changes also have my much easier on my lead knee, which was a bit of a problem before.

I just feel like the NV hybrid shaft is more stout then the rest of my set. I have an NV regular in the 3 wood that works perfectly. I just feel like a slightly heavier weight and/or slightly softer tip might help with the consistency in the hybrid so I don't feel like I have to go after it as much to get it to perform.

[displayname]

[quote name='mr_divots' timestamp='1420652994' post='10702187']
I have a couple 3DX DC heads still. Man, I miss the old Nickent!
That NV75 shaft was in my 20º when I got it. [i]Great[/i] combo. (And I tend to gravitate to heaveir 90+g hybrid shafts too.)
A 200-210 shot is not all that easy, especially if you play a couple times a week. Your swing changed, not the club. If it worked before, it can work again unless you hit the gym hard or something and picked up swing speed.

I have a couple UST TSPX 100 Red shafts I am thinking of putting in my Nickents for this season. But that NV75 was a sneaky good little stock shaft.

I tried some Aerotech Steelfiber 110 .370" in these heads and that worked quite well for an "iron" shaft.
[/quote]

I agree that's it's a good combo. That's why it's been in the bag so long! Maybe I just need to work on it some more. I will end up doing a fitting at some point down the line. Just always itching for that quick fix, haha.

[J_Tizzle]

To actually recommend a shaft rather than swing changes, I think any of the Aldila offerings you suggested are great. I've had NV, NVS, and VS in all different weights to go around. NV for a little lower, NVS for a little higher, and VS for middle of the road (in my experience).

I'm the same way with the Idea Pro hybrids, they always seem to find their way back into my bag even after I sell them all off and swear off of them....

[displayname]

[quote name='J-Tizzle' timestamp='1420660088' post='10703065']
To actually recommend a shaft rather than swing changes, I think any of the Aldila offerings you suggested are great. I've had NV, NVS, and VS in all different weights to go around. NV for a little lower, NVS for a little higher, and VS for middle of the road (in my experience).

I'm the same way with the Idea Pro hybrids, they always seem to find their way back into my bag even after I sell them all off and swear off of them....
[/quote]

Here we go. Everyone just finished talking me off the ledge, and now you've got me right back up there!

[Upgrayedd]

I put a $3.10 Apollo steel shaft in my 4h (which btw looks very much like the nickent) and am loving it. I am usually too stingy to buy a graphite shaft for an older club as I would rather buy a whole new club for a similar amount. The 4h is the oldest club in my bag because it just works.

[Stuart_G]

[quote name='displayname' timestamp='1420659770' post='10703029']
I just feel like a slightly heavier weight and/or slightly softer tip might help with the consistency in the hybrid so I don't feel like I have to go after it as much to get it to perform.
[/quote]

Weight can certainly help with consistency in some cases but it's not an automatic "heavier is always better". You can actually use some lead tape to test out that idea (before buying anything). Go to the range and wrap it around the shaft below the grip (about 14" from the butt section) to simulate having a heavier shaft and then go see if it helps or not. You can add about 5 gm at a time and find the weight range that gives you the best results.

Also, if feeling too stout is actually causing you to swing differently, then it also could be detrimental and a change could be warranted. This is just a feel based influence though, the fact that it is more stout does not really mean you actually have to swing differently or harder to "get it to perform".

[displayname]

Thanks for the input. Overall it sounds like some lead tape should be my first purchase in this process. Will it stay on the shaft pretty well, or will I need to give it some love from time to time?

[Stuart_G]

With most lead tape, if the surface is properly clean, the adhesion generally gets better over time. It's possible there may be some lower quality stuff out there you might have to worry about though. For testing purposes, I'd recommend the high density rolls from golfworks. it's 1 gm per inch as opposed to 1/2 gm per inch of the 'regular' 1/2" wide tape.

http://www.golfworks.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_LT100_A_cn_E_1895

[displayname]

I picked up a roll of high density at Golfsmith during lunch. I sure hope it's more then 1g per inch. That would be allot of tape to get the feel of a 95g shaft.

[Stuart_G]

Yes it will be a lot of tape. Just start at the base of the grip and spiral down the shaft.

[displayname]

[quote name='Stuart G.' timestamp='1420744312' post='10710047']
Yes it will be a lot of tape. Just start at the base of the grip and spiral down the shaft.
[/quote]
Thanks for the tip! I was planning on doing straight strips, but a spiral would probably look cleaner.

[J_Tizzle]

[quote name='displayname' timestamp='1420668595' post='10703969']
[quote name='J-Tizzle' timestamp='1420660088' post='10703065']
To actually recommend a shaft rather than swing changes, I think any of the Aldila offerings you suggested are great. I've had NV, NVS, and VS in all different weights to go around. NV for a little lower, NVS for a little higher, and VS for middle of the road (in my experience).

I'm the same way with the Idea Pro hybrids, they always seem to find their way back into my bag even after I sell them all off and swear off of them....
[/quote]

Here we go. Everyone just finished talking me off the ledge, and now you've got me right back up there!
[/quote]

Hahaha, sorry I'm always on the edge of the cliff myself. I've played around with the weights a lot on the hybrids with 85g(ish) in the 2h and 105g(ish) in my 4h with some level of success. Higher weight than 85g in the 2h and it just feels like a sledgehammer, but works perfect at the 4h length.

Good Luck!

[displayname]

Thanks! Hopefully the lead tape will be a decent and bring some feel back until I can head in for a full fitting at some point.

[displayname]

I decided to just dive right in with 20 grams on the shaft. I cut a twelve g strip and an 8 gram, so if it's really too heavy right off the bat I can go down a weight class. Now I just need some better weather so I can get out and try it!

[Bushwood Country Club]

[quote name='displayname' timestamp='1420590856' post='10697927']
I've been gaming a Nickent 3dx 3h for a few years how with an Aldila NV 75 (I believe made for Nickent) shaft in stiff. This club used to be a go to for me, but it just hasn't been working out well for a few months now. I've kicked around the idea of moving back to a 5 wood, a new hybrid, or maybe just a new shaft. I honestly don't want to invest in a new club until I have the cash flow for an in depth fitting and the cash to get the clubs I'm fit for right away.

However, that cash flow probably won't happen for awhile, and the 200-210 yard slot is KILLING me. It seems like I always need it 2 or 3 times per round, but I just can't count on it right now. I'm considering changing shafts as a low cost, short term solution. I've debated between steel and heavier graphite as I seem to really like any demo club I pick up that has a 90g+ shaft. I'd like to keep the shaft cost below $40 for the project to make sense. For some details on my game, I'm your average weekend worrier. Try to play 2 times a week, and try to hit the range at least once a week - I get in more when I can, but life happens and it's winter now. I'm a fairly short knocker by WRX standards. Driver is probably 240-250 average, SS around 95, but can get just over 100 when I'm loose and going after it. I can get 260+ when I catch it just right, but that's never what I'm aiming for. 3 wood is 215-230 average. Semi aggressive swinger - I've been smoothing it out. I could also use a little more launch on they hybrid, but height isn't a major issue. I also have done MUCH less ho'n the last year and half. I really only want to get new clubs post fittings these days.

Here's some of the shaft ideas I've had. If anyone has experience or comparisons from this list, please feel free to chime in. Obviously open to other ideas.
VS Proto 95 Regular
NV Pro 105 R (iron shaft)
KBS Hybrid
S+ 90 Stiff (would match my driver, and would probably be a pull to stay in budget)

Looking forward to everyone's thoughts!
[/quote]

http://www.aldila.com/products/vs-proto/

VS Proto is the best hybrid shaft I've ever used - I've been able to economically replace all my hybrid shafts with these off eBay ( used ones are findable). Cannot recommend them more highly.

[displayname]

Good to know. Based on how this lead tape experiment goes that might be the next step.

[BPinNC]

OP, if you want a NV 105hy S for shipping cost shoot me a PM.

[mr_divots]

[quote name='displayname' timestamp='1420777208' post='10713289']
Good to know. Based on how this lead tape experiment goes that might be the next step.
[/quote]
Being this NV75 is proprietary, and having played the NV85 and VS Proto aftermarket shafts, aside from weight, I think this NV75 has a softer tip to it than the aftermarket NV and already plays a lot like the VS Proto.

[Stuart_G]

Never got to try the hybrid but I've always been a fan of the vs-proto shafts. Using the 100 gm iron shafts for a while now. Also probably the best bang for the buck now a days - particularly if you do find you like a shaft in the 90 gm range. And, yes, the aftermarket NV is stouter shaft and can be a handful if your preferences are not inline with that type of shaft - which it may not be if you are working on smoothing out the transition.

[displayname]

I was able to make the range today at lunch. It was cold out, but not to bad from the covered bays. The additional weight immediately helped my tempo and finding the sweet spot, which was nice. I think I'd still like to see some more height and carry, but I'll wait for the fitting to determine that. I'm just glad the initial test is showing promise towards more consistency. Maybe it's all placebo, but I'll take it!