Any of you old guys play stiff Iron shafts?

[braincramp52]

Just curious because everything about my 61 year old swing says I should be playing regular flex. When I got fitted for my I20's this summer all indications pointed to regular. The guy that fitted me( who I have a ton of respect for) was really surprised at the amount of spin I put on the ball even though my swing speed was not that high. I have struggled with 10-15 yard loss of distance with them and it seems to me I hit them way too high and they just fall out of the sky. Anybody else have that happen and I'm wondering if maybe going to a stiff shaft might actually increase my distance. By the way, if I hit a pitching wedge to a green with a distance ball that's not supposed to spin much, I sometimes will spin it back a couple feet. Seems to me I need to find less spin somehow. What's your thoughts?

[justasgood]

I'm 51 with a ss of 112 and I play x in my woods and PX 6.5 in my irons.

Blessed with good genes and lots - O - flexability.

Find the flex hat works with your swing type. Quick tempo, long and slow, slow then heavy hit, all will work better with the right flex profile.

Age does not equal anything...... It's just a number.

[oldschoolrocker]

Agree it's all in the transition tempo. 59 and just changed flex. Went up to x and having good results so far.

[XYB34A]

53 and have played X flex since 1986 no loss of distance yet

[Wriggles]

I'm also 61. I've remarked before on my experiences, but I'll repeat. I was "fitted" for irons once in 1997, when I bought a set of Tommy Armour Ti-100's at full price. Stiff graphite shafts, upright lie, and oversize grips, supposedly were my specs. 8 irons were well over $ 1,000. I played those huge shovels for 7 or 8 years total, and I can say they were pretty good clubs, if you liked playing shovels.

Sometime around Y2K, I bought a set of old '69 Haig Ultras with aluminum shafts at a garage sale for $9. Nice clubs, just needed polished and new grips. I started playing them regularly and played much better than the shovels. I started breaking 80 once in a while. In 2009, I ordered a used set of Callaway X-12's with uniflex shafts from preowned. Nice clubs, but too offset and although much smaller than the Ti's, still too big. I traded the Ti's that year, and got about 10 percent of my purchase price. I must have traded at a good time, for I've seen them trading on the rip off PGA web site for $ 17.

For Christmas 2010, on a whim, I ordered at new set of 2009 Callaway X-forged, extra stiff shafts, no "fitting" from a discount web dealer. I worried that I would not be able to handle forged or extra stiff shafts. A "pro" at Dick's told me in casual conversation that I was throwing my money away. When I got the clubs a few days later, snow was on the ground, but I decided to hit the 5 iron. Long and down the middle. Distance actually increased with stiff. A week or so later, snow thawed and I could play a few rounds. It was like night and day. A great set of clubs, played my best year last year with the forged and the old Haigs. This year I haven't played as well, due to back and shoulder problems, not the clubs' fault.

I know I've digressed, but the point being, a person has to be his own "fitter." If stiff shafts work, then stiff shafts no matter what the "pros" say.

I also have a set of 1975 Ping's with stiff shafts. I only play occasionally with them, so my scores will increase a few strokes.

[esketores]

Well while I'm 59 and do play regular shaft a gentleman with whom I frequently play is 64. Whenever he tries my regular shaft clubs... well let's just say he'll not be playing anything less than stiff anywhere in the foreseeable future. On a side note; #$R#$ can still carry his drives 280. When he was a kid he NEVER hit the fairway and could make par or better form anywhere. Now all he does is hit fairways. And can't buy a birdie. Or enough putters. LOL!

[dbleag]

OP - earlier this Summer, I tried a set of I20's, but before i got them, I did a ton of research on this site regarding the CFS shaft. Many people has the same issue as you - ball dropped out of the sky too early.

I did not have that problem with mine (age 58, used CFS stiff).

Use the search feature above and see if you can figure out what's up.

[oldschoolrocker]

Understand about being your own fitter. Same sad tale of woe. Over the years went, got fit, paid $$$ and they never worked out. Always went back to older blades I found at bargain prices and the game always improved. Go figure.

[NRJyzr]

How far you hit it being used as a guide for the shaft flex you play is one of the great tragedies of golf club fitting. Someone with a shorter hard transition swing is going to load the shaft a lot more than someone with the same swingspeed, but has a longer, more fluid swing.

I don't know if I quite qualify as an official Old Guy, having just turned 50 a couple weeks ago. But I'll offer up my stuff anyway (LOL)...

I'm still playing a fair amount of X shafts in my bag. My TG-898 Rams have KBS Tour X, my Mizuno MS-11s have DGX, and I just bought a set of ISI-S on BST (Pings are my one CB weakness) with DGX in them. I switched to a stiff in my driver, but it's a Black Tie 7m3, seems to stand up to the swing much better than I thought possible.

I probably could easily drop back to DGS400s, and may do so; I'm able to play my Eye2+ with the ZZ Lites in them, though they sometimes feel a little soft. It's probably only that they feel softer than the DGX, it's not like I'm hooking them.

I should add, I'm far from a gorilla, I only hit my 49° PW about 120, if that far.

[downeastgolf]

I am 57 and usually play Mizuno MP53 with S300 XP. This morning I am going out with a set of Titleist CB690s with KBS Tour X shafts that I found on eBay! These are sweet clubs that I really hope I can hit because I love how they look! The shafts are heavy at 130gms.

When younger I played TT X100 shafts on my Tommy Armours, or the TT Lite when I played Eye2 Plus in the 1990s. We'll see, I can report results!

[Hot Rod 71]

[quote name='lawsonman' timestamp='1382797372' post='8060649']
Just curious because everything about my 61 year old swing says I should be playing regular flex. When I got fitted for my I20's this summer all indications pointed to regular. The guy that fitted me( who I have a ton of respect for) was really surprised at the amount of spin I put on the ball even though my swing speed was not that high. I have struggled with 10-15 yard loss of distance with them and it seems to me I hit them way too high and they just fall out of the sky. Anybody else have that happen and I'm wondering if maybe going to a stiff shaft might actually increase my distance. By the way, if I hit a pitching wedge to a green with a distance ball that's not supposed to spin much, I sometimes will spin it back a couple feet. Seems to me I need to find less spin somehow. What's your thoughts?
[/quote]

The problem could be shaft you are using and not necessarily the flex. I've played the stock PING CFS shafts in the past and had the same issues.

[ScooterMcTavish]

OSR and I have bandied this issue around a bit in another thread lately. Unfortunately, it's more about feel, swing weight, and your swing style than anything else.

My SS is ~90, I'm not a flexible guy, and stop my hands at 9-11 o'clock on my backswing. I come down quick, accelerate through the ball, and am a prime "book" candidate to play stiff. As of 2 seasons ago, everything in my bag was stiff.

My bag currently has everything in an R Flex, and I am hitting my 80s lofted Hogan Radials 10 yds farther than I hit my last set of jacked up GI clubs.

When I swing, I need to feel the shaft load. The Apex 3 shaft (like the DGR300) seems to be a great match to my swing. And that I'm getting the shaft loaded means that I am getting a great forward kick at release, explaining the distance gains.

The stiffer Apex 4 was not a good match to my swing. I could not feel the club load, and I lost the feel for the clubhead in my backswing. Though I still am unable to explain how I can load, and both draw and fade my Hogan Persimmon FWs that have Apex Pro 5 shafts in them.

To your original question, I think the only way you get more distance out of stiff (or x stiff) is if you're overpowering R, and are not letting the clubhead release. Otherwise, the main benefit of going up flex is to tighten dispersion (where I believe OSR is seeing the biggest benefit) because of too much torque on the clubhead due to speed or a fast transition.

[Ol_Pardner]

Lawsonman, have not read all the replies, but from my personal experience: About age 54, tried Apex 3 shafts thinking it was time to scale back, also some DG-R 300 and 400s, found them harder to hit than Apex 4, in the sense that I was swinging harder and getting less distance. Back to Apex 4s, in Apex PC irons, the pre-1980+ Apex shafts being slightly stiffer. Woke up at 57, couldn't find the sweet spot on the PCs anymore. Switched to 1991 BH Grind irons, Apex 4 shafts. Also Apex wds, same yr #4 shaft. Apex shafts of that vintage had different mfr, play softer than older models. So, now I'm 59, age not scores, play softer stiff shaft, not doing this for living, so playing what works for me. [Tell you my launch/lunch monitor story some time.]
Bottomline:
AP: "Swing your swing, . . ."
Pard: "and swing the clubs that YOU know fit you!"

[bobcat]

Even though I will be 68 before the end of this year, the Project-X 5.5 still seems fine for me. Recently tried the Dynamic Gold XP in Stiff and that shafts seemed to work well for me as well. Still playing Stiff in Driver, FW, and Hybrids too. If it ain't broke...

[Guia]

51, 53 and 68 are a looooooong way from being old. I swung stiff shafts until I was 70. If regular is what you need but the flight is too high, then check where the bend point of the shaft is. Perhaps you need a stiff tip for the shaft, that will bring the flight down, or
you could also have the irons hard stepped. There is a difference in model of shaft, even within the same company.

[Soloman1]

The rule of thumb is that you should play the stiffest shafts you can in your irons. It affects trajectory and is not a straight flex vs distance relationship.

A visit to knowledgeable club fitter is worth the time and money.

[Pinsplitter59]

I'm 61 now with a medium only clubhead speed, but i stll prefer S300 shafts, not so much for the stiffness but for the weight and the more solid feel you get at impact.
I hate the feeling of there being nothing between the head and the grip you get from lighter shafts.

[Oldplayer]

You should play the shaft that gives you the trajectory you want. In my experience I can play any shaft from reg graphite to s300 and they still perform well. I am 56 and still a reasonably strong swinger. Softer tipped shafts tend to launch the ball higher, and while that can be good in long irons can be detrimental in the short irons. It also depends on the head used. Many modern irons GI or otherwise have a lot of weight down low. Couple this with a soft tip shaft and you have ballooning short irons.
I tend to go with a shaft that is stiff enough to maintain accuracy and soft enough feel smooth and make loading the shaft properly not too difficult. Nippon 1100 in stiff are about the right combination for me. Also really like the new pxi 5.5 shaft. If I do a combo set I tend to play softer, lighter shafts in my long irons and stiffer in the short irons. My 54 and 58 degree wedges have S400's in them.

[cpriceAP2]

I'm 50, guess that makes me old. I play KBS C Taper S flex in the new AP2 714's.

[ScooterMcTavish]

[quote name='Oldplayer' timestamp='1383172377' post='8080452']
I tend to go with a shaft that is stiff enough to maintain accuracy and soft enough feel smooth and make loading the shaft properly not too difficult.
[/quote]

Bingo. You get a +1 for this Oldplayer. Feel is a part of the game that seems to be overlooked when playing the latest "Rocketbladez ball spanker BJ1000" model. Feeling the shaft load, release properly, and seeing your ball go with that exact shot trajectory you were looking for (with that beautiful blade "true" feel) is something that seems to be missing from the current product offerings (Titleist, Wilson and Mizuno blade offerings excepted).

[BIG STU]

[quote name='Pinsplitter59' timestamp='1383084954' post='8075615']
I'm 61 now with a medium only clubhead speed, but i stll prefer S300 shafts, not so much for the stiffness but for the weight and the more solid feel you get at impact.
I hate the feeling of there being nothing between the head and the grip you get from lighter shafts.
[/quote]I have to agree with you 100% I am 56 still playing S-300s in my irons. In my driver I am playing a Creation Tour only Shaft 3 wood I am playing a Pro force 65 gold with stiff tip and the 7 wood has the same shaft as the 3 wood

[7464]

Interesting thread...I will turn 55 very shortly so I guess that allows me to post here...LOL Well after 2 shoulder surgeries (mulitple items repaired in both shoulders) over the last three years and recently being diagnosed with very bad arthritis in both hips, I am struggling to keep my distance...the combo of all of my physical dilemas which I guess were bound to happen as I got older (very athletic background) has caused me to loose at least a club in distance...if not more

So all of that said to say that I am very interested in finding some of my distance back hopefully through technology. See my sig as I currently game KBS Tour, Stiff shafts (120 grams) and I play my 7 iron at 140-150. With the introduction of the new i25 irons I am considering going to the CFS shafts, stiff (109 grams) to see if lighter and a slightly softer tip will give me back maybe 1/2 club in distance...per the OP's post and based on my experince, I am not sure if it is just a matter of flex that is importnat but the combination of flex, total weight of the club, swingweight and feel. I would think that is what one would want to be optimally fitted for so to get the max distance with good dispersion along with good feel...correct?

[BIG STU]

I have been reading and commenting a few weeks on here and have drawn a conclusion. I think the ages of 50s 60s and 70s are not like the generations before. I think we as a collective group of seniors are in better physical shape so to speak than those before us. I play golf regularly with a couple of guys in their mid 60s and both are retired and in great physical condition. I am overweight but am active and hit the ball pretty good. I don't do a lot of weight lifting but I do a lot of flexibility exercises and it helps me . I do have a good heart rate but all honestly I do need to loose about 100 lbs but I do ok and feel ok

[BIG STU]

[quote name='Soloman1' timestamp='1382913506' post='8065871']
The rule of thumb is that you should play the stiffest shafts you can in your irons. It affects trajectory and is not a straight flex vs distance relationship.

A visit to knowledgeable club fitter is worth the time and money.
[/quote]Priceless Advice Like it stated in the Bible Soloman was a wise man

[oldschoolrocker]

+1 on the flexibility. As I have stated on here before I ditched the weight training, and I had been an avid weightlifter for 50 years having got my first set of York barbells at age 10. However, for Christmas my boys got me a nice set of stretch bands and the easy push-up handles so I have been incorporating those in the routine as well. Seems to mesh better with the stretching while still giving a resistance workout. Also, for years I have been doing isometrics. Really feel that is a superb workout in and of itself. Bottom line use whatever flex works for you. I have vintage sets in everything from ladies to x flex and take them all put for a spin.

[BIG STU]

[quote name='oldschoolrocker' timestamp='1389962296' post='8476757']
+1 on the flexibility. As I have stated on here before I ditched the weight training, and I had been an avid weightlifter for 50 years having got my first set of York barbells at age 10. However, for Christmas my boys got me a nice set of stretch bands and the easy push-up handles so I have been incorporating those in the routine as well. Seems to mesh better with the stretching while still giving a resistance workout. Also, for years I have been doing isometrics. Really feel that is a superb workout in and of itself. Bottom line use whatever flex works for you. I have vintage sets in everything from ladies to x flex and take them all put for a spin.
[/quote]I agree on the flexability 100% I was never a weight lifter but I did quite a bit of heavy labor pulling chains when I was heavy hauling and being a diesel truck mechanic. I still pull chains and cables even now being in the towing and machinery moving business. I just did my DOT physical yesterday on my CDL license. Even though I am bad overweight 6ft 3 @ 355 lbs my doctor was impressed with my flexibility and the fact I could still touch my toes without bending my knees. He asked me how that was so. I told him that I did do heavy work 3 or 4 days a week and streach plus try to swing my heavy weighted golf club at least 100 times a day. I also use resistance bands in addition to when watching TV I am constantly squeezing my hand grippers

[BIG STU]

[quote name='ScooterMcTavish' timestamp='1383179921' post='8081052']
[quote name='Oldplayer' timestamp='1383172377' post='8080452']
I tend to go with a shaft that is stiff enough to maintain accuracy and soft enough feel smooth and make loading the shaft properly not too difficult.
[/quote]

Bingo. You get a +1 for this Oldplayer. Feel is a part of the game that seems to be overlooked when playing the latest "Rocketbladez ball spanker BJ1000" model. Feeling the shaft load, release properly, and seeing your ball go with that exact shot trajectory you were looking for (with that beautiful blade "true" feel) is something that seems to be missing from the current product offerings (Titleist, Wilson and Mizuno blade offerings excepted).
[/quote]We also have at least 2 generations of golfers that don't know the feel and sting of missing a Mac 2 iron when it is cold outside. OHHHH Weeee that hurts!!

[wrmiller]

Was recently on a trackman and had SS of 90 w/7i and 113 w/driver cut to 44". Hard stepped stiff in the irons, x-stiff WB in the driver. I'm 59 years old, but I guess it will be a couple of years before I step down to regular.

[GWD]

I haven't had a stiff shaft for several years.

Wait....is that what we are talking about?

[wrmiller]