A-Z of Power
ABC | DEF | GHI | JKL | MNO | PQR | STU | VWXYZ
S is for Shafts (long, short, light, heavy…)
It’s the engine of the club – but which is best for your game?
We posed some hard-hitting shaft questions to Jason MacNiven, a club fitter with over 20 years experience at Golf Principles (www.golfprinciples.co.uk).
Does a longer shaft equal more distance?
Longer and lighter does not necessarily mean more yards. Centre of strike trumps all. If you miss the centre of the club by as little as 2mm you lose performance. Therefore there will be a point where you miss the centre because the shaft is too long. Recently, shaft lengths have reduced as designers realise that a centre hit is king. A great way to test this is to hit a shaft 1” short, standard length and plus 1” and look at the dispersion pattern compared to distance and see which is the best performer.
Is it worth getting an aftermarket shaft?
If you have maxed out the smash factor, launch and spin with the stock shaft then there’s no need. But if you are missing any of those numbers then explore the upgrade options; it might mean lighter, heavier, lower torque, higher launching or lower launching.
What stiffness suits my swing speed?
Swing speed is a poor measure of shaft flex; it’s more where and how you load the shaft. Take two golfers with the same clubhead speed, one with a short punchy swing, the other long and loose. Do they have the same shaft because of their club speed? Probably not, as the load on the shaft is heavier with the short, punchy swing. That golfer should be using a heavier, stronger shaft for more control.
What else can my shaft do to help me hit better drives?
There’s more to a shaft than stiffness and length. I’d also look at what the tip of the shaft is doing during impact. Some players need the tip to stay strong to keep the head square through contact, while others need more flex to get the head square. An expert will fit you for the right weight, tip flex, and balance point, along with the correct loft – resulting in better distance and dispersion.
T is for Transition
One key move at the top can make all the difference.
Efficient power is defined as power generated in such a way that it is repeatable and consistent, creating a solid strike with good flight control. Lots of golfers occasionally flush it a long way, but their swing looks like someone trying to control a stray hosepipe and they spend most of their time in the bushes looking for lost balls! I see lots of amateurs who, despite having fairly solid takeaways, lose power by making mistakes as they start the downswing. This transition should be initiated by planting your left foot hard into the ground, so you feel that your left hip starts to pull away from the right knee. This is how to do it.
Key feeling
My left arm and the shaft form an “L” shape. As you approach impact, this will help you hold the flex in the shaft for as long as possible, creating maximum power.
Push off
A sprinter pushes into the blocks with the front of the foot while their heel is a little in the air to give them that spring-like effect when the gun goes. The same concept applies to golf footwork. Ben Hogan had an extra spike in the front of his right shoe to increase his ability to create ground force.
Stretch out
Imagine you have a piece of elastic or string attached to your right knee and left hip. Set it loose and try to stretch it tight by pushing the front of your right foot down and driving the left hip upwards. This is a key power move and helps you clear your left side fully after impact.
U is for Upgrade
What’s changed since the last time you bought a driver?
The average golfer buys a new driver every five years. “Five years is a long time in club research and development,” says Jason Howarth, Category Director
of TaylorMade. “Five years ago we didn’t know that a 17° launch with 1700rpm spin rate gives the greatest distances
for the vast majority of golfers. Since discovering this, we’ve gone on to make extremely successful models like the SLDR and R15, which feature a lower and more forward centre of gravity to create optimum launch angle and spin rates for the majority of golfers. It has been an incredible half-decade and we expect the technological breakthroughs to continue.”
Hotter faces, more adjustability than ever, shaft upgrades and aerodynamic improvements all mean that today’s drivers could well out-perform the one in your bag.