Steel shaft Drivers

[United]

I've been looking all over for a steel shafted Driver (not like itll help me break 80 ).  So far after 2 hours of searching, all I can come up with is fairway woods, not what im looking for.

Could anyone here by any chance find a website or 2 where I can find Steel Shaft drivers, or any tips on how to hit this graphite shaft thing of mine?

Thanks in advance!

 Little background info on why im asking:

I bought a graphite shaft driver about 2 years ago, and have had a horrible slice with it that I still havent cured. I'd go to the range about 2 times a week and hit half a bucket with this thing, and everything I hit slices.  So, I demo'd a steel shaft driver at the same range, and amazingly I hit about 50 balls within 10 feet left or right of my target.  I did everything the same with this driver as I did the one I bought, and so Im now convinced that I'm either clueless on how to hit it, or the graphite is too flexible.

[ravells]

Do they make them anymore? All of the driver shafts I've found are graphite or some sort of composite...

I suggest you go to the god  of golf.

Nothing better than ping for mid handicap players like me.

ravs

[United]

Whew... Thanks for the suggestion, but Ping is a little bit outta my price range as of now.  

I found these on ebay that had steel shaft drivers: (best thing being theyre veeeeeeery affordable )

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1515&item=3685948448&rd=1#ebayphotohosting

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=36195&item=3685403817&rd=1#ebayphotohosting

which of these two would you recommend ravells, cause they seem about equal to me and ive had no experience with either brand of club.

[MwXX]

Dunno who you have been talking to, but any golf pro shop can get you any steel shaft you want. If your swing speed cant handle graphite, and you like the feel of your fairway woods (with steel Shafts) I take it....do it. You can have almost any Driver with a steel shaft. Some hozzles cant, but most can.

My suggestion is go to well known golf shop and speak to the "guy in the back" lol, he will hook you up. I dont know of any golf shop that wont change out a shaft for you. Better yet, find the head you want, Ebay or used, and Just have it re shafted. And fit to you!

Good luck and happy tweakin!

[United]

Thanks MwXX.  It completely slipped my mind that I could go to the pro shop.  I don't have any fairway woods (Got my trusty 1 iron ) so I cant compare them to anything.  But I do think that I'll go on down to the pro shop and see if they got anything cookin back in the supply room.

Thanks Mw.

[Saurdaukar]

It isnt the material, its the flex.  What is happening when you hit the ball?

[ravells]

lol...I'm crap with a 1 iron. Give me a 3 wood anyday.

between your selections...spalding seem more value for money. At the end of the day it's the club you're most comfotable with, and you only know that by playing with them.

Having said that, I'd go with MwXX. if the pro like you, then you'll get to try them all. (and he can reshaft them for you too)

Ravs

[United]

If this is a "If he likes you or not" kinda deal, then im screwed.  As of now the pro doesnt like me cause I beat him on 9 holes one time .  Of course, ive never shot anywhere near that good since.

I think Ima go on down and see whats going on.  Thanks for your help guys.

It isnt the material, its the flex. What is happening when you hit the ball?

Well, I tee the ball up to about halfway above the top of the driver face, so if you look at it from ground level and behind, all you can see is the top half of the ball.  I also have it just inside my left foot, which I believe is where its supposed to be.  When I hit it, it goes perfectly straight for about 220 yards, give or take 20, the cuts hard right the last 40-50 yards.  My driver is the only thing thats done that, and coincidentally (maybe?) its the only club I have thats got a graphite shaft.

Ive experimented in many ways to try and fix it.

1.) tee the ball up further in my stance.  It still slices badly right, but its a low liner and barely gets over 220 yards.  So, what happens is im still in the trees and about 50 yards shorter than normal.  So, scratch that.

2.) Tee the ball up higher.  No slice, but I sky it straight up and about 150 yards.  So, im now straight, but I can outhit that with a 6 iron.  Scratch that, use the 1 iron.

3.) Close the clubface.  Still a slice, but it starts out going about 10 yards off the ground and barely carries 200.  So, im straight, but I can outhit that with a 3 iron, so scratch that.

4.) Swing softer, and try to be more controlled.  Same results as #2.  Scratch that

5.) Tee the ball in the middle of my stance.  Same results as #3, but it slices far to the right, as bad as #1.  So, scratch that as well.

6.) Hit the 1 iron off the tee.  Works great, 220-240 yards and straight.

7.) Borrow a buddy's steel shafted driver and hit the ball the sae as #1, but it goes straight and a little further than 280.

BTW, its a uniflex shaft, so that may be the cause.

[sling322]

I used to use regular flex graphite shafts and had a problem slicing all the time...even with offset heads.  I switched to a stiff shaft driver with an offset head and no more slice for me.  I use an Adams Redline that I got off Ebay for $150.  Its a monster 460cc clubhead but it gets the ball out there and straight.  I think the flex on my old driver shaft was causing the clubhead to get to the ball late and it would be way open every time.  The stiff flex does me good.

[United]

Well, sling, Ive noticed the same things in my swing.  I can just hold the grip in my hand and wave it around and I can see it wobbling in the middle.  So, if the stiff flex graphite shaft did that for you, i think Ill give it a go too.

Thank ya!

[Golfer]

try the Edwin Watts catalog, or any golf proshop catalog or something of that sort and pick out a good shaft.

I myself use a UST Proforce 65 shaft with my 8 degree callaway Great Big Bertha.  (Nobody freakin uses these anymore)

I put it in during my junior year of high school (I kept breaking callaway's shaft, in all sorts of different places.  They don't like clubhead speeds in excess of a buck twenty for some reason) and have had no trouble.  Its an X-Stiff and has nearly no torque (Twist in the shaft due to the clubface hitting the ball) so consistancy is there, at east on the equipment end.

I've played around with a few steel shafts in some other drivers, and like some things and don't like some things (weight is the main issue for me, and its just my personal opinion)

Reshafting a club is a very simple process, you just need a torch, ferruel (i killed the spelling of that, but its midnight and i am allowed) and some good epoxy.  I rotated the shaft of my 3 wood (Titleist PT 14.5 degree) to make the printing on the shaft not be visible when I was swinging it, along with the 'golf pride' on the grip.  I heated the head, used soft tip pliers (technical term for using a towel wrapped around the shaft) and pulled the shaft.  A little bit of light sanding to remove excess epoxy (emphasis on LIGHT, you dont want to score heavily the shaft tip) and then reglued it in place the way i liked it.  Let it sit, for 24 hours and voila...good as new.

Any proshop (i.e. golf galaxy, and many places that deal with equipment fitting, regripping or reshafting) can do the work.  If you're going to go for a steel shaft, I'd go with the Tru Temper Sensicores.  They're good shafts and dampen vibration that will come up the shaft for extra comfort.  I use them in all my irons and my 7 wood.

And just for fun i'll recap my equipment

Callaway 8 Degree Great Big Bertha, UST X-Stiff shaft
Titleist PT 14.5 Degree 3-1/2 wood (nice and high trajectory)
Callaway 7 (Heaven) wood, Tru Temper Stiff sensicore shaft.
Titleist 962 Irons, PW-3 Iron, Stiff Sensicore Shafts.
Titleist Vokey S-Wedge, 56 Degree.
Cleveland 60 Degree Chrome Lob Wedge
Odyssey White Hot #1 Putter, 32" Shaft (yep, its short)

If you'd like, I can walk you through the steps to reshaft/regrip your clubs (its VERY simple once you do one or two grips) or you can just take it to a proshop and they'll help you out.  Good Luck!

George 'Golfer'

[TequilaChaser]

Originally posted by Golfer

And just for fun i'll recap my equipment

Callaway 8 Degree Great Big Bertha, UST X-Stiff shaft
Callaway 7 (Heaven) wood, Tru Temper Stiff sensicore shaft.

George 'Golfer'

Wow Golfer, nearly same woods as you use....

Callaway War Bird 8 Degree Great Big Bertha, with a Grafalloy ProLite  shaft

Callaway 7  wood,  with a Grafalloy ProLite  shaft


only problem with me is, since my shoulder injury ( last October  Doc won't let me set foot on a golf course or driving range....( I'm left handed by the way was hard to come by my Left Handed Golf clubs , I had to hit some country club pro shops to get them )

[United]

Thats some excellent information Golfer.  As of now I have never tried any tweaking or such on my clubs, and dont want to ruin my only driver as of now because of inexperience.  I may take you up on your offer a little later on after I replace my existing one.

P.S.  How far are you hittin the ball with that driver?  Cause with a 120mph+ swing speed you must be knockin the **** out of it!

[Saurdaukar]

Originally posted by United


BTW, its a uniflex shaft, so that may be the cause.

Sounds like it.

Usually if the ball fades (and the club is at "fault" - as opposed to the player) it means the shaft is too soft for the speed of your swing - its never coming fully around.

Try a slightly stiffer shaft and you should be ok - but dont just go buying equipment intil its fixed - it gets expensive.  Try out a bunch of stuff.

Personally - I like the durability of steel shafts (I go through at least one graphite shaft each season) but I prefer the weight distribution of a graphite shaft.

[United]

I have been experimenting lately with a bunch of new set-ups.  Ive tried steel shafts, uniflex graphite, stiff graphite, but not X-stiff graphite.  I've also got some help from a 0 handicapper down at the course and he's convinced that either the shaft is too flexible, or I just plain suck at teeing off.  Either way, im going to go down to the range sometime in the near future and try out what you all suggested.  Thanks a bunch guys!

I prefer the steel shafts as well, but I like them because of 0 flex and I like the stiff feel they have.  Im not a fan of the soft, smooth feel because I think it gives less feedback on how well you hit the ball.