"I would suggest a firm shaft with 11 or 12 degree loft. One reason you hit your Orlimar so good is because of the loft (loft helps the ball go straighter). The longer the shaft, the more the ball tends to go off line. Clubs have gotten longer, as heads have gotten lighter. Most titanium drivers are 45". Good Luck!" - Mike Clayton, Teaching Professional

Chad: Okay, a couple of things I might suggest to you. First the reason you are slicing with an 8.5 is there isn't enough loft. Your 13 goes straighter because it is more forgiving (3iron VS 9 iron). You want to hit the ball lower than check shafts not heads. Next time you go out to hit try a 10 and see if it doesn't help. If I can be of any help please don't hesitate to e-mail." 
- Chip Ebert, Teaching Professional

"Hi Chad: Your question came to me via find a lesson...Concerning the flex of your driver: Usually if the flex is too light for a player the ball will tend to go to the left.....however, you state a firm shaft in the Orlimar works great...Why not try swinging the new Titleist in a firm shaft to compare? Your average swing speed is a stronger swing speed and could justify a firmer flex. Try a slightly higher loft just for the sake of experimentation, but I don't see this as contributing to your problem. One other thing: When you try to swing too hard there is the tendency to pull your hands and arms "into" yourself instead of

down the target line, resulting in an open face at impact and a sure ball flight to the right!" 
- Lorie McCabe, Teaching Professional

Indiana
"Chad: The best suggestion I can make is to go to a local PGA or LPGA Professional for a club fitting before doing anything. They should be able to tell you the correct shaft, shaft flex, loft and length you will need. Also, once you have this information ask if it is possible to hit a demo with these same specs." - Chris Lovrine, Teaching Professional

"Hi. I would suggest you re-read your letter. I believe the answer is there. You obviously don't need another club, you simply want one! Take the money and do something good with it. Stick with the one that brung ya'. Good golfin'." - Perry Leslie, Teaching Professional

"Good choice. I hit the 975J after being very pleased with the 975D. The J is definitely straighter, longer, and more forgiving.  I would suggest at least 9.5 or 10.5 on the loft. I use a 10.5 with a Grafalloy firm, but started with the Titleist 55 gram Regular. It was a little too soft and though it launched the ball nice and high which is what you want, it didn't allow me to work the ball. Your EI-70 is a mid-weight graphite, but is very tip stiff as it was originally designed for very good players. I would suggest you try several shaft and loft options before buying." - Warren Lehr, Teaching Professional

"Hi Chad: Nice to see your request on Find a Lesson...I just switched to the 975J and am pleased.  A driver is like a woman to marry. You should get it right the first time! So many armatures and pro's just keep trying new drivers hitting a few balls or small bucket, maybe playing one round with it.  AND IT'S A DONE DEAL. What I did was the best (finally). Titleist has a fitting truck that comes to our area once a year. I waited and went to this.  Well it's to great to explain the whole computer aspects of the great job they do. Needless to say, they have 400 J drivers there, you hit only pro V I balls! From your form filled out they start you with the driver they think is best, hit 3-4 balls, move to another shaft. I went thru 4 shafts until I screamed "that's it!". They had me try one level more and then got me that one. Now...this deal is usually for pro's. I was able being on staff to take two good students who were serious about

buying the club. This is what you need to do hook up with a pro that has the in to take you and WAIT until they come around. "Stiff Shaft" does not mean your swing speed it in the high 90's...it depends on your attack angle to the ball. I am a sweeper and I use a regular shaft,  a swinger with a down attack swing might need a stiff shaft. Also consider the 975 fitting system ,at your club perhaps, for your irons. That was also a great jump for my game getting just the right shaft and lie for me. I am heading to Palm Springs to teach for 5 weeks, and can't wait to work on My game, the rain season here is getting me down. Thanks for your question." - Tom Blair, Teaching Professional

"Chad: Finding the correct driver for any golfer involves establishing the correct relationship between the following components: a) Loft of the head; b) Length of the shaft; c) Flex of the shaft; d) Kickpoint of the shaft. Each component has an effect on the others, so it's important that you keep that in mind when you change one and not another. Making a recommendation on a shaft for you without knowing more information about you and your swing is going to be a tall task for anyone. If you have access to a facility with a launch monitor and a fitting system where you can actually try different component combinations and truly find out which works best for you, that would be my professional recommendation. Best of luck." - Ben Witter, Teaching Professional

South Carolina
"Hello Chad: It sounds to me like the shaft could be appropriate, but the loft you are using might not be doing you justice. What a lot of golfers do not understand is that less loft does not equate to longer distance. Professionals spend many hours testing driver/shaft combinations to get the correct initial launch properties. This is how they gain optimal distance. With the scores you are shooting, you should consider more loft in your driver, possibly between 9 and 10 degrees. This might not seem like a big difference, but it will make a difference in how the driver can correct miss-hit shots. The more loft a club has, the more self-correcting a club becomes to miss-hit shots. This was marketed as the “gear effect” by many companies. Basically, drivers made of wood have a pronounced curvature of its face.  This is known as bulge and roll. This curvature enabled a player to be less accurate in hitting the middle of the club. Today’s metal woods do not have the pronounced bulge and roll that woods did, but the design effect is still built into the club. Metal woods are more dependent upon loft helping correct imperfect shots. As far as a firm flex in your 3 wood, I would disregard the fact that the driver is regular and the 3 wood is firm. Because the tools are made by different companies, you bring into play different construction guidelines and thresholds. A firm flex to on company could be an “A” flex to another. I would also not be concerned about a 45” shaft. I would not go any longer than that length. Remember, the longer the shaft, the less control of the club. Do consider a 44” shaft with your next purchase. You will probably find that you will only lose a couple of yards, but your accuracy will be noticeably better. When you do make a purchase, insure that you have gone to a company certified fitting professional that can help you put the right shaft and loft combination in your hand." 
- John Hughes, Teaching Professional

"No and I don't think the equipment will help yet. I advise students not to get hi tech until they break 85 regularly." - Jeff Dukehart, Teaching Professional

"Just came back from a seminar here in the Southern Texas PGA on club fitting and we talked about the trend in longer driver and how a lot of the tour players are going back to more of a standard length clubs. 43 1/2 to 44 inch drivers. They can hit them just as far but much straighter. Your 3 wood is shorter and easier to hit. With the longer club it also changes your swing plane more because of the length which makes you create a different swing and for a middle handicapper it hard to adjust that quickly to the extra length. Stay with the R shaft but cut it down a little. The 8.5 may be a little flat but I would try cutting it down first." - Fred Collins, Teaching Professional

Texas
"Dear Chad: Sounds as if you need to spend more time learning the proper technique and feel of the golf swing.  With proper training and practice your need for the "perfect" golf club will diminish. A golfer with good technique and feel of the swing will outplay a golfer with the "perfect" equipment every time!
Many times, golfers look for that instant "fix" which is like putting a band-aid on a severe wound.  Sure, it may work temporarily, but sooner or later you need stitches!  The only way to improve your situation is to take the money you would spend on a new "perfect" driver and seek a good instructor in your area for instruction.  Then, practice the golf swing to learn how to draw and fade the golf ball.  Once you have learned the "perfect" technique, your need for "perfect" club takes a back seat! I have competed in the National Long Drive competitions for over twenty-six years and qualified for the finals seven times... so, I know quite a bit about drivers, he he! Good luck, Chad!" - Dan Howard, Teaching Professional

Utah
"Chad, what's happening when you are swinging hard and you are getting a hard slice is 1 of 2 things or a combination of both. 1) the shaft isn't stiff enough for you so the head of the club is behind it when you are going through the ball, thus leaving an open face and putting a hard slice on it. 2) you might also be turning or rotating your shoulders at the top of your swing thus coming hard outside in on the ball and creating that slice spin on the ball. And it could be a combination of the both. The 975J has a bit of a closed face and also promotes a higher launch angle. If you want a higher ball flight go with a UST or EI70 stiff flex, or for a lower ball flight, I'd go with a Grafalloy stiff flex. Either way you need a stiffer flex shaft. We can do a change like that for you or if you want a J we will give you a great price. There and many places you could go and demo a 8.5 975J with a Grafalloy pro-lite shaft stiff flex." - Brent Wootton, Teaching Professional