Again, I would like to thank you for spending so much time on answering my question. I always save your e-mails, because you include so many reasons on why something works or doesn't.
A few years ago you were recommending the Graman Power Lite HL 40, I bought a few of them but was not pleased with the result. I wish I could remember why I didn't but I can't. So now that I remember I still have some of those maybe I'll stick the BOM on one and see what it does. It might be better for me with todays bigger heads.
I will buy theTour Series Ultralight 400 and give it a go. I have also read a few good things about the UL640, could be a sleeper.
Any thoughts on the Graman CF310 or the Ultra-Light FL-50, I have a couple of each of those?
rick
Rick,
Well, I've never hit a Grafalloy shaft I liked, though I'm sure many have liked 'em.
For most of the senior guys and my longer drivers, I've been using a flat black SK Fiber Pure Energy A-flex...mostly because it's a consistently good quality 58 gram shaft, 48" long and under $30. The bore on a BOM is 2�" deep, so I can plug it to 1�", or tip trim, or both to fit 80-95 mph swings pretty well for 46"-48" drivers with that large a head. For $40-some bucks and a bit stronger senior, I also like the Lite Revolution. Seems to be a bit tighter feel on the downswing. For an even more expensive 48" ultralight shaft with a wider profile, the Graman UL640 at $56 seems to play pretty well...if you can stand the "pukey" day-glo green color. Goes OK with a black and chrome of the BOM, though. I also like the older Aldila Longwood 50/50 R-flex at 57 grams and 50". Strangely, the A-flex 50/50s that I've tried have been heavier than the R-flex. The As I've used have been 60 grams..and don't seem to play as well, either.
For the ladies' longer Nancy BOMs, as well as the original BOM, the PE-L or PE-A also works very well. The PEs have some nice color options, too. I don't really like to cut the PEs down to typical lady lengths, though, so use shorter, lighter shafts for most of these under 46".
For shorter clubs, I think there are a lot of 60-something gram inexpensive graphite shafts which work just fine. Pick your price range, but I keep the shaft weight in the 60s for all but the better younger players. Lighter total club weight seems to help most players handle that big head a little better...around 295 to 300 grams depending on grip weight. One shaft I like, the Tour Series Ultralight 400 (TSUL400 which was last year's TS2.8) is a 46" sheet-wrapped shaft at 60 grams with new graphics and is only $19. (Haven't tried the new-graphics model yet, but they say it's the same shaft as the TS2.8.) The Neutral Bending Plane on these shafts is 90� from a sizeable spine plane and aligned NBP to target on FLO, the shaft feels great to me and impact area on the face is very small and consistent. No problem finding FLO on these shafts with spine plane vertical...it's dead on NBP and past graphics have been on top. I haven't had as good results with the Tour Series filament wound shafts I tried (the ACD50, now TSSL400)...they seem to lack some of the zip in the Tour Series sheet-wrapped models...but maybe that's just me. I also liked the 46" Graman TP440 with larger head drivers until last year when I started getting mostly Type 1 bent shafts and they raised the price to $24. I can get a true NBP flex reading and location with my NF4 on bent shafts, but it's a pain in the butt to do. (My NF4 is new and I'm not practiced enough in using it yet.) The older TP440 A-flex shafts were 58 grams and played very well.
Well, maybe that'll give you a few ideas. I think that the BOM is such a good head at 194-196 grams that just about any light shaft which fits your player should work OK. If some long driver guy can set a world record 532 yards (or something like that) with it and sone of my senior ladies can pick up 40 yards with it (have had several who did), the head must be designed OK. :-)
Bernie
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