In trying to learn more about how Crazy shafts work and perform I have learned a lot about my own swing along the way. After much contemplation, I built a driver using a Callaway Legacy Aero 10.5* head and Crazy Longest Yard 01 R2 flex. As I noted in my post Crazy Install Part 2 the CPM came out at 239cpm which I retested during the week multiple times on different machines using a 5″ clamp. The final number was 241cpm which is about 15cpm firmer than what I usually play.  So did this build fit my swing, even though the CPM’s were higher than what I am used to?

Before I get on with how the driver worked out for me, I wanted to note that testing the driver only reinforced how important it is to know your swing and be fit for the right equipment. Nothing beats lessons and learning to swing properly but when you’re ready to take your game to the next level, having the best equipment for your swing is a necessity in getting the best performance out of your game and swing.

Over Spec Under Spec…

This brings up an aspect of golf I call Over Spec and Under Spec. It’s the effect of a player playing with a club way under proper specs or way over proper specs which all end up in poor performance and results. In Japan, this is a very common problem. Based on surveys among may Japanese golfers, a large percentage of golfers choose equipment “based on what their favorite pro plays”. The problem with this is that most Japanese average golfers are no where near a pro players playing level, yet they choose clubs that provide little forgiveness and are aimed at single digit players and professionals simply because their favorite pro plays it. This is what I call Over Spec.

Click Read More to find out how the Crazy Shaft worked out for me!

With Over Spec, Average Golfer A chooses a compact cavity and heavy S200 shaft along with a 9.5* compact pear shaped driver with open face and stiff shaft simply because his favorite pro plays it. Turns out Average Golfer A has 90 handicap and a 92 mph driver speed, slices the ball and can’t get enough carry or distance.  The driver low loft and open face, too stiff a shaft and lack of forgiveness only makes Average Golfer A’s slice worse, due to his inability to hit the sweet spot and average distance drop. Might I also add that besides not knowing ones own swing, Over Spec is also sometimes the result of  a golfer’s ego, and stepping beyond their playing level’s comfort zone.

Many actually underestimate their swing…

On the other side of the spectrum is the Under Spec crowd. Believe it or not, there are indeed many Under Spec players. Playing a loft too high, a shaft too soft, a driver face too closed all can be considered Under Spec. I went from being an Over Spec player a few years ago, always wanting the best athlete model clubs which usually had the best feel and looks to realizing I would never get better unless I played more average golfer type of clubs more suited to my handicap. I went from Over Spec to Under Spec because I knew I had a slower swing (88-90mph) and battled a slice. So I always went for the softest shaft, highest loft, closed face driver.  While this worked to some extent, it required a lot of timing and many times erratic control and unpredictable play.

For example with a softer shaft, if I loaded it too much and it could not unload in time, it actually worsened my slice with the shaft not returning the head to a square position at impact, leaving the face wide open. Trying to adjust and time the shaft could sometimes result in over adjustment and a pull or hook and with the high loft, trajectory far too high plus excess spin. This I believe is a problem for many slower swinging average golfers. They right away assume their lack of distance and slice means they need a softer shaft, more closed face or higher loft, which is not always the case. I definitely realized this for myself.

Crazy Longest Yard works… for ME

It all depends on the individual and their swing but for me getting the Crazy shaft which plays stiffer than most brands was a big breakthrough for me. I can play this shaft even though it is more stout and I have to honestly say I HAVE FOUND MY SHAFT. I’ve tried several JDM shafts considered great control shafts including the Tour AD W-50, Rombax 5V06, Bassara Hawk, Axiv V, and of course many many other JDM shafts from all the biggest brands like Mitsubishi, Fujikura, Graphite Design, Ozik etc. The Longest Yard is easily the longest and the straightest.

With the Crazy and Aero combination I have been able to swing away with no thought about timing at all and every drive not only went dead straight, but 10-15 yards further than I usually hit them. On my home course here in Kiminomori, I typically average around 220y but was reaching around 230-235y regularly with the new setup. My playing partners were surprised at how straight I was, and my trajectory actually came down. I was getting less spin and more run. Needless to say I am very excited about the results so far but I still had questions about why Crazy shafts CPM’ed out so high yet were so playable. A member on our forum bogeydog had a Kamui built with a Longest Yard TJ-46 Stiff/Regular flex which CPM’ed out at 266 at 45″ finished length with a 5″ clamp. Again like my build, this was more CPM than he expected and was used to however, he had no problems playing the club and was in fact also 10-15y longer than his usual driver setup.

Why the High CPM numbers?

So this week I contacted Crazy to have a discussion about their shafts and what kind of CPM builds using the Longest yard typically had. Crazy gave me the Longest Yard TJ-46 as an example, since it is moving to the forefront as Crazy’s distance champion. These are approximate numbers that their shafts target with a 45″ finished build and approximately 199.5g head using a 5″ clamp for measurement.

Regular 248-252
Stiff/Regular 258-262
Stiff 268-272
X-Stiff/Stiff 278-282
X-Stiff 288+

Both bogeydog and I while playing CPM higher than what we are used to both agree the club does not feel a stout as the measurements suggest.  Crazy explained that a combination of higher torque and top quality carbon allow for the head to store max energy and always return to square at impact without any worry of timing or loss of control. Though I am sure I have said this many times on the blog here is a quick reminder for those not familiar with different quality grades of shafts. Higher grades contain more glass and metal particles which are more rigid and lower grades containing more flexible rubber particles. With higher grades, flex and rebound of the shaft becomes more predictable equaling more consistent shots and much tighter dispersion. Consistent square impact on the sweet spot equals maximum smash factor and an increase in average distance. The right shaft can certainly contribute to this and help transfer energy efficiently and on target with the ball. But that’s the hardest part, finding the right shaft and knowing your own swing.

So far the Crazy Longest Yard is achieving what I want in a shaft, optimal distance and control without worrying about timing or manipulating the shaft and simply swinging away.

Lessons + the right gear = (^_^)

So its not easy finding the right specs and many people are in fact Over or Under spec. I’m not saying these people cannot enjoy golf or play their clubs, they just may not be getting the best performance they can due to the wrong spec. We all want to have fun playing golf, and we all don’t mind shooting a good score.  Having the right equipment is a step in the right direction.