difference between shafts with regards to slicing

hi ive been using a taylor made tour burner with the re-ax 60 shaft and my drives werent too bad although not great distance wise but ive always struggled against a distance killing slight left to right fade although it was no more than about 10 yards so im still finding the fairways if it happens. anyway i bought a tatlor made r9 tp version with a motore f1 65 shaft which is stiffer and i took it to the range today and my slight fade has turned into a large slice most of the time and if anything my shots are about 10 yeards shorter. is this as a result of the stiffer shaft and my swing speed not being fast enough for it or would the r9 head be less forgiving. it is a bit small than the tour burner but i still fell like im hitting it round about the sweet spot.

i even tried adjusting the head to the furthest closed position with the heavy weight set to promote a draw and i still manage to slice it about 40 yards. its doing my head in. think im going to put it on ebay and sell it as it seems pointless to persevere with a club that is going to make me game worse

 David, it usually is the case that the stiffer the shaft the shorter the shot but it should be staighter so there must be something else in the mix.

Have you tried a senior shaft ? if you have a slow swing then the stiffer the shaft the more fade you should get, (so I've been told ) also you will get much more distance with a senior shaft ! if you have a slow swing that is ! Also, an offset head might help..just try one at the driving range.

Ps... Pat, when do you have a free day mate ! maybe we could invite the Lyth if he's not too busy ?

 Good luck with it David.

 Adrian, yes lets have a game at your place. Is next Thurs morning ok? Perhaps we can get a few more playing. I hear Tim Hawkins does ok at Oulton.

If you're hitting a fade David its not the club, rarely even the shaft, I'm afraid you're hitting slightly across the ball. A fade is not a bad thing but it does frustrate with the lack of distance, in fact most pros prefer a fade shaped shot. If you're swinging the club smoothly then a regular shaft will help. You can still hit a slice with an offset club too, its all in the swing path. Practice you're takewaway of the clubhead from the ball, it should be on the inside.

Paul

I too watched that video, David and thought it might be the answer to my driving problems, even though I do not slice a ball.

I spent three days and four rounds at Chateau Vigiers golf club In the South West of France with three others from my club.

I was excited about this method and the first tee shot certainly did not slice, it just went where it normally does but far worse. In the left hand trees.

They do say that perseverance overcomes resistance but I still managed to hit the trees on the left on every tee shot for four rounds.

I still feel that what the guy in the video says makes real sense, but at the moment I have not mastered it.

The only consolation was that My shots from trees improved a hell of a lot.

I only play recovery golf now, Dave. It is an interesting way to play.

new nickname Seve Pettitt !!

 I've tried it (and played using at at the CGL game last Sun) you do have a tendancy to go left but I found if you pay attention to the club face then it's ok. I must say that the ball flight is the best I've had for a long time. Also because of the positioning then there's more club head speed at impact. No doubt I'll keep using it 'til I've made it unworkable.

 PS I wouldn't recommend it for narrow fairways just yet.

I watched the video and tried out what he was saying in it today, and it worked!

My driving a month ago was the best it's ever been in my life, but over the last couple of weeks it's been creeping back to the old fade/slice.

I hit eight out of ten fairways today with my driver.

The one thing I did was to concentrate on keeping the center of my chest over the same point all the way through the swing, only allowing it to move once the ball had been struck. 

My drives started going straight again, even in the strong winds that were about today.

I just concentrated on turning my body around this fixed point.

Let's see if it continues on my next round.

Russ

Played again today and despite the very strong wind managed to find the fairway with my straight drives!

Paid attention today on making a full turn around my spine, making sure that I didn't sway backwards or forwards.

Did the same thing with my iron shots.

I can say that keeping my spine in the same place during my swing is certainly helping to keep my shots straight.

Might have to watch the video again just to make sure I'm doing it right.

Russ

One of the best bits of instruction I have ever come across. Just have to get it to work. Rotation is certainly the key, Russ, but I am sure that I have been swaying a little whilst attempting to transfer weight, therefore getting out of position.

John, it is amazing how seeing one video can alter something you've been doing wrong.

Over the last couple of weeks I must have been swaying back a bit on my backswing as I haven't been striking the ball as well as the weeks before.

But having watched this video and keeping my body still whilst turning my shoulders has certainly helped.

Russ

OK. I've got a admit I've tried it in the last two rounds and I've managed 9/15 and 10/14 fairways respectively.  I've still got a tendency to fade but it's much more predictable.  The real bonus is that I seem to have gained, for me, a massive increase in distance.  Dave Ley can attest to that, my first drive at Woodbury cut the dogleg out completely and was gps'd at 246 yds and it nearly ran out of fairway!  Bearing in mind that I normally figured on a 200/210 yd drive that was pretty startling. I even managed a couple of 230yd'ers low into the wind.  Same again on Sunday playing with a couple of big hitters (Al Bostock and Chris Brannon) where I was by no means out-driving them, but they weren't out of sight!

Certainly seems to work for me

 Tim Hawkins getting in with the big boys? There'll be no stopping him now.

 Russ, I note you're talking with confidence and have identified the consequences of moving backwards / forwards and try to avoid it which is what I try to achieve. I was wondering about you using the technique for irons as per the video as I thought this was just for the driver? The principle will be the same for the irons but I doubt that having your iron more than an inch behind the ball would be a good thing. I'm assuming you don't move your right leg backafter you line up?

 As well as alignment a nother important point is that your spppine should be straight ie your neck and small of your back should be touching the shaft of a 3 iron if placed placed  down your spine.