I currently own 17 18 some are rececent most up to 5 yrs old and a couple very old.

In alphabetical order:

Alpha 830 460 12*

Bridgestone J33r 460 10.5

Cleveland Launcher 400 9.5 

Cobra X Speed 460 8.5

Cobra SZ 460 9.5

Cally FT 9 Tour 9.5

Epon 460 ZR 10.5

MaGregor NV2 460 10.5

Maruman Perssimon  12

Nakashima NP1 460 9.5

Nakashim NP1 420 12

Ping eye 2

Snake eyes Viper Tour 460 10.5

Tourstage 405 9.5

Tourstage 435 9.5

Tourstage 430P limited edition 9.5

Tourstage 460 9.5

Almost forgot my KZG 395 9.5 no shaft snapped it over my knee at NvS 2010

Crikey, Dave!!!!!!!!!!!  That will take some topping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ignoring the drivers that I have built for sale, I always have around 8 - 10 drivers which I may compete with in any one year. They are all identically shafted and identically gripped, and of the same length. They are also all spine aligned with dominant neutral facing target - 9 o'clock position.  Only the heads vary.

Two drivers which appear identical can perform very differently due to manufacturing variations even if their true head lofts are the same. That is why serious LD competitors may take several identical looking drivers to a comp. Such also underwrites breakages. 

Yes I understand that from our experiences with P Glazier, do you deal with House of fordged Ivan ? we havn't since Paul moved back to Dartmouth.

I find it hard to sell them on as I sometimes go back to an old driver and it will perform great.

Dave,

I still have a few of the outstanding quality HOF www.whiteshaft.com shafts / drivers for sale but if one wants a high flexing shaft then the new kid on the block is Aerotech 'Claymore.' They are spineless and thus easier for the amateur golf club builder to work with. Aerotech are doing very well in  the early season USA LD comps. and could well dominate this year's World Longdrive Championships. Aerotech's iron shafts are also reputed to be of unsurpassed quality.

But all credit to HOF. I fitted them in all of Tom Hollingworth's 2010 drivers, and one HOF XXX shaft was recently used by him to take the European distance record with 478 yards.   (HOF / Geek / Iomic). 

But, I prefer a low flexing shaft and so use the UST V2 LD-2 (X grade). Golfers appear to take more interest in the illusion of 'shaft stiffness' and 'brand name.'  For me, driver shaft fitting starts with finding out which shaft profile fits better, and I'm a low flex man. Albeit I started my LD career with Grafalloy Blue LD X and XX shafts.

For me personally I don't give a fig about name. I simply want something which works for me.

For a golfer not wishing to go for a fitting, and not wishing to spend a fortune, I would choose the  SK Fiber Lite Revolution 1. It's a £200. + value shaft which possibly sells for around £70. - £80.

If a golfer can afford it then I have yet to see anything give more satisfaction to all buyers than the MitsubishiRayon Fubuki Tour version shaft. An eliptical bending shaft which would not cause offence to golfers who would normally prefer either a low or high flex profile.  But expect to pay around £270. for a genuine one! Phil. M. of course uses one.

You know all of this Dave (but may not agree with all of my views) and the above notes are for everyone.  

Leyo needs all the drivers he can get his hands on.

Especially as he lets an old blind duffer with a cheap £50 second hand driver out boom him 

Lets see....

Nickent 4dx Evolver - 9* - this is my current "gamer"
- various shafts (interchangeable) GD YS6+ (s), Nippon N.S. Pro tour 85g (s), Penley Stealth (x)

SMT Indio - 8.5* - SMT miridio (x) shaft

SMT DB plus - 8* - GD Throttle (LD X) - this one got damaged though at the range

Adams RPM 460D - 8.5* - Aldila NV (s)

Hangtime 460HT - 9* - GD YsqST (75g x) 

Cleveland Launcher 460 - 9.5* - Graffaloy comp NT (x)

Geek DCT - 6* - GD throttle (LD x) - just an experiment - hace been thinking of cutting this down (or swapping out the shaft) to a legal length for normal play.

DM it's about time that alarm clock went off in your house! WAKE up you fool!!

Chris,

You have some quite heavy duty tackle there.

How far are you hitting and with what?

Have you measured your swing speed?

Ivan do you have a Claymore there?

Dave,

Sorry no. I know of no-one in the UK (not even wholesaler Golfsmith Europe) that stocks them as there are so many models, and carrying any level of stock in the present economic climate is inviting suicide.

I have been offered an Aerotech agency but their minimum opening order is $1,000 USD.

Until such time as things improve, any one shaft orders I get will go through Golfsmith, and they will no doubt already have in place a way around the  initial minimum order quantity.      

P.S. I would have thought that with all the plugs which I have recently given Aerotech they would have sent me at least one free shaft for testing. (Hint).

https://www.golfshaftwarehouse.com/claymore.htm

Are these the same ones Ivan they want $80

Dave,

Yes that's them. Essentially they make two types of wood shafts - 46" for regular golfers, and 50" shafts for Longdrivers. I do not know how many layers of XXXX they use, but HOF use around 16 layers of prepeg in their 46 inch shafts and 27 in their 48" shafts so obviously generally speaking LD shafts tend to be twice the price.

If you bought a shaft for $80. in the USA it would cost you approximately the following to get it into the country:

Shaft  £52.

Postage  £21.

VAT £10.

Import Duty £2.

Duty Clearance Fee £10.

TOTAL: £105. (estimate only - possibly slightly less)

The way to get shafts in more cheaply is to buy in bulk at wholesale price and spread out the postage and packing charge and clearance fee across several shafts. Or bring in shafts yourself from a USA trip, subject to import regs.

Here is a link to Aerotech:     http://www.aerotechgolfshafts.com/

I've just been tolld buy my club building partner we can get them for £54 + vat each over here.

Dave,

The only £54. plus VAT price I know of is UK wholesale, with no shafts in stock. And, special order only.

Leyo, if you stick a price next to your drivers I'm sure you'd shift a few

You have to let go at some point

Just one. Nike SQ 5000 13 Deg Aldila One 65-R shaft with a low launch tip.

Its strange, the more I practice the better it works!

But when you can smack just the one 320yrds as straight as an arrow why would you swap?

Sanders,

The only time I have measured my swingspeed was at American Golf over a year ago - and it was in the range of 110 mph on decent swings....but to be honest the guy didn't seem to know what he was doing with the software (I had to get the laptop working for him!). Where would one go to be able to have a play on a launch monitor for a few hours?

I have a natural tendancy to hit the ball high so I find I can get on with low lofts just fine, as for distance it varies massively depending on the course and conditions, I wouldn't say I'm a big hitter - but longer than average with a driver.

Chris,

There are centres all across the country with such equipment. You simply need to find one and negotiate say a half day rate.

I used to do similar when I played on tenpin bowling tours: I would need to rent a practice lane by the hour. A serious player could not possibly afford to buy time by the game!

Likewise if you are into launch equipment then you need to strike such a deal. A weekday morning would likely be best for negotiating such.  

I cannot use Strikeright Golf's equipment any more as John is in the process of moving to Scotland. Indeed he may have already gone.

I recently met Andrew Ash of Designer Golf Ltd. of Desborough. He may be willing to cut you a deal. But no promises. It depends on where you are based (Gainsborough, Linc/s.?)  as to how practical it is to travel there.

My own golf 'business' is a part-time hobby only and although I own all of the necessary club building equipment I do not own a studio where balls can be struck. I rent a studio as and when necessary. In the absence of sponsors I simply try to  fund part of my Longdrive expenses, not per se make a profit.

Having recently played with Chris B, I can vouch for the fact that he has a very fast and powerful swing and he will tell you that I did mention that he hits the ball way too high to have any control on how far forward it is going.

John,

Thanks.

'Too high' is often a far easier challenge to overcome than too low. A lot of professional Longdrivers create too high a ball and consequently use 4d (or even less) of head loft. Some swing experts state that if one of the world's longest hitters  needs less than 6.5 d of head loft then the swing needs adjusting, rather than the head.  I believe that such is very likely correct.

With such a challenge slo mo film is often a better route to go than a launch monitor for a golfer wise enough to appreciate that equipment change is not always the ideal answer.

When a swing correction is made it very often has a secondary effect of not only solving what appears  to be the problem, but additionally of correcting a flaw which inhibits the efficiency of  levers and power release mechanisms .

My own coach Pete Machin at Delapre Golf Centre (Northampton) has software for analysing such and he, or similar, may possibly provide the best initial route to go.  

"But when you can smack just the one 320yrds as straight as an arrow why would you swap?"

I only managed 310 yesterday, I'd better get the loft checked!

I have 2.

Mizuno mx700 9.5 stiff fujikura e150 shaft

Wilson Staff smooth 10.5 regular fujikura e160 (ball flies too high with this)

"Just one. Nike SQ 5000 13 Deg Aldila One 65-R shaft with a low launch tip.

Its strange, the more I practice the better it works!"

Make that 2, Just bought a new Callaway FTI Q!!!

I knew you couldn't resist, I'll look forward to giving it a hit

 Just one, Cleveland Launcher 460 10.5 reg fujikura, great club!