R400 Drive World

[Catherine Nicolo]

Prepareyourself to either be amazed by or roll your eyes incredibly hard at the specifications, which I needed shockingly little help to remember off the top of my head:

The Dell XPS R400 was configured from the factory to do work using the 400 MHz Intel Pentium II CPU with 512 kb of L2 cache running at half the CPU speed on a CPU card slotting into the Slot 1 interface. 128 MB of PC100 RAM supported the CPU, and at the time a massive 16 GB 5400 rpm hard drive handled storage. The graphics were produced by an 8 MB nVidia graphics card and sound surrounded when produced by the Turtle Beach Voyetra sound card. A DVD-ROM drive required the assistance of a hardware MPEG2 decoder card, which never worked properly. Additional removable storage fell to a Zip 100 drive and an ordinary floppy disk drive. The Dell communicated with the world by a 56k v.90 capable modem, and late in life had that swapped for a 10/100 Fast ethernet card when cable internet finally came to town. We viewed its glory on a giant 19 inch CRT monitor at a splendid 1024768 resolution.

The PS/2-connected keyboard and mouse are recognized fine by the BIOS, and the keyboard works just fine to navigate it and enter a password. However, just before Win98 starts, the keyboard lights begin cycling left to right, and the kind and mouse no longer respond, rendering the system useless.

While I certainly do not have your swing speed (I'm right at 100 with the driver), I went through an extensive fitting this year and ended up with regular flex shafts in all of my clubs. What might be germane to you was the explanation provided to me by the clubfitter regarding the mystery of shaft flex fitting. He noted that many golfers, especially those who have played for many years, have a certain feel related to releasing the clubhead. As soon as I was in regular flex, you could see my launch monitor results improve dramatically. On the course, my low lefts have been minimized unless I get really quick (which nothing would help!).

Every time I play w a regular shafted driver I get high rights. So I guess it wouldn't surprise me that someone who misses low left would benefit from weaker shafts. But yeah no real or legit explanation. Just go with what works. I'm just happy for ya.

A while back I got fitted for irons on the true temper machine where it measure LOAD ONLY. It recommended X for the driver and r400 for irons!! I have recently been on trackman and my driver SS is 114-116 and my 6 iron speed was 94-96. I tried my friends r300 shafts and was putting them in a small circle from 145. I just can't get myself to play r400,lol. So maybe your LOAD factor fits into a regular. I may get r400's and put x100 stickers on them

I've played weaker shafts for quite some time now. I just like the feel. I also like to work the ball some, so the softer flex really helps.

For what it's worth, I still play the stock ping CS-Lite in my irons and I have them tip weighted a bit so they play nice and soft.

Was with a friend at GT trying out some irons and tried out a 6-iron with a DG XP R300. I was hitting it dead straight or a nice tiny draw when I went after it. Shaft felt good and seem to be able to control the ball well.

My SS is generally 90-95 with a 6-iron, 110 with a driver!

Might have to get rid of the C Tapers stiff I just ordered!!!

what i have seen is as soon as someone goes on a trackman or something else they immediately swing faster, its a macho thing i guess. they get fitted for or think their swing speed is that then go out on the course and swing slower

We had an assistant pro at my club that played semi-pro hockey. He had a grafalloy blue REGULAR in a Mizuno MP-001 Driver and could consistently hit it 360 plus!!!! Our first hole is 354, and he would always be chipping from behind the green for his second shot.

He just had great timing and wrists.

[quote name='BCULAW' timestamp='1323613452' post='3923593']Honeymoon or is there some reason this could be a valid fit?[/quote]

Yes, you're a low spin player. High swing speeds do not correlate with increased loading/bending of the shaft. Daly has played regular flex shafts on tour.

Problem with 48" is finding the sweet spot, and that is [i]very[/i] important.

For me, my problem with regular flex shafts was the occasional "fairway flyer" -- 200 yard 5-iron over the green.

Nothing at all wrong with you playing regular flex. There are a few pros that do it here.

I always played S300 in my irons, and of course I don't have the same speed as you. But about two years ago I went lighter and softer in my irons (NS 950 in R). always thought that would really get the ball high and lose distance and the hooks are going to be nasty. Guess what, I would never go back to the S. I swing smoother, really get the carry that I am looking for, and the moon balls I was afraid of never happened. Now with the driver I stuck with Kai'Li S and tipped 1", which gives me more accuracy, a whole bunch of feel, and absolutely in love with that set up. It's strange to me that I play a 5.0 FCM in my irons and a 6.5 in my driver. Oh well, it works. So in short, there's nothing wrong with going to a shaft that is softer. It's all about what's feeling right for you.

I was recently fitted and the pro confirmed what I've figured out after trying lots of clubs. I use regular in irons and hybrids, woods. I use stiff in driver. Driver is the only club I really go after.

It's all about shaft load. IMO...If you're a smooth loader, any flex low torque shaft can work regardless of swing speed.

My ball speed jumped an avg of 5mph with similar dispersion, spin using reg vs x-stiff.

I am a smooth loader and play a flex softer in my driver. my ss is 121 ish and I play a strong stiff. if I feel jerky I have an old callaway warbird with a reg flex that I pull out to help with tempo. However, I play an x in everything else. steel shafted hybrid, and kbs tours in x in my irons and wedges.

Swing speed 100 mph with the driver.

I play a Wishon THI 919 10* with an Xcaliber 6 Regular shaft tipped 1 inch and I hit it great.

I play a Callaway Fti Squareway 3w 16* with an Xcaliber FW Regular and love it.

Hybrid I play Wishon 3h 775hs 21* with a Wishon GI335 shaft in Stiff.

Irons I play KZG Evolution 4-pw with the FST 115 Stiff.

I don't know my stats but I play the Driver and 3Wood in Regular and my Hybrid and Irons in Stiff and it seems to work for me.

I may be backwards but it works.

I'm 30 years old - been playing golf for about 12 years. Worked at a golf course when I was 18-19 really took a love for the game. I'm a 2.8 index HC and playing baseball my whole life growing up has allowed me to swing pretty fast through the ball and get some good distances with my clubs.

I play a G30 with a stiff flex Oban Kiyoshi purple shaft. Standard length. I love the look of the golf shaft and I really like the flight produced by the combination. Not a big fan of the sound the G30 makes.

I would say my average swing speed is 112-115 with the driver. I go to our local golf store often and always look through the used left handed clubs. There may be about 5 left handed drivers to look at and/or hit so there aren't a lot of options. A couple months ago they had a Cally XR16 with the stock project x regular flex shaft. I typically hate the performance I see with regular flex anything - it just seems too whippy. However, I hit this XR incredibly well. It's inside so I can't see ballflight and I don't typically trust the flight monitors that the golf store have but you can at least compare two or three clubs against each other in terms of swing speed, ball speed, carry distance and spin. This XR was producing a swing speed of 118-120. I haven't seen those numbers since my high school days. I loved the feeling of the club and I loved the results. But I didn't buy that club. I went online bought a used XR16 and found a good x-stiff shaft that I liked. Put the two together and took it out to the course. I hit it alright, but not farther nor straighter than the G30.

Fast forward to this week. I bring my G30 in to the golf store and I look at the used clubs for a bit. There is a slightly used M4 with the stock x-stiff tensei blue shaft. I hit my G30 and that M4 about 20 times. SS around 112-115 carry about 280 total distance 299-305 fairly consistently (top distance of 317 a couple of times). I'm not upset by these numbers, but there is no really difference between my club and the M4.

Also in the used bin is an old model M2 with the stock shaft in regular flex. What the hell. I pick it up and hit one. Bombed. It felt great too. Maybe it was just a coincidence. I continue to hit about 20 balls with this driver and I'm not missing it big right or big left. There is definitely some curve to it but it is completely manageable. My ss was anywhere from 114-118 but the carry distances were crazy. 295-310 with total distance often times 320 all the way up to 338. How could I be hitting this regular flex club 30 yards farther than my gamer? I didn't question it. I just bought the club. I went out to my range and compared the G30 with the M2. I was nuking the M2 and out in the open I didn't miss large left or right. I was just hitting bombs.

I was surprised that now more than ever people are getting "fitted" for their clubs and this topic hadn't been discussed much. It is almost taboo to hit a regular flex shaft if your swing speed is high. Like dude - why are you hitting regular flex clubs? You must not be good.

Started down the path of finding a driver that would reduce that overspin and add control. Was less educated in the equipment area at the time which definitely led to half-assed decisions and tail-chasing, but here's the path I went:

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