Looking for a new driver

Horseballs wrote:

Pky6471 wrote:HB.. I also tried the new Cally BB couple weeks ago, not any better than my Cally Diablo Edge tour (still don't understand why I could hit this S shaft, in theory I should play R shaft), but can't argue with results
IMO , "loft" and "angle of attack" go hands-in-hands , I played a guy who used a 13* Ping driver and his balls' flight is more like from an 8* loft.

I "think"  15-16* launch angle and low RPM is the way to go... what the hell do I know about golf , NONE.... I just go with the ride for fun

Good luck with your search... Just enjoy life   

I was fitted for all my woods (driver, 3 wood, and hybrid) 3 years ago and they were all aftermarket X flex shafts.  I still hit them great, but since I measured 8 mph less this time around, the recommendation was for stock S flex.  I need to see how this thing looks in the air, because I've been duped by Trackman before.  Like when I was carrying driver 290 at my fitting 3 years ago consistently.  I doubt I've ever carried the ball 290.  Hell I'm lucky to carry the ball 250+ in real life.  Yesterday, according to Trackman, I was carrying 270 on good shots.  I don't think so.  
I make a conscious effort to have a flat or even + angle of attack.  It's night and day how much better tee shots are when you don't hit down on the ball.  I don't think it's possible to hit up on the ball if you're over the top.  

I read somewhere that as we get older we would lose 3-5 mph every year .... and you lost 8 mph? way too much SEX   

Pky6471 wrote:Mongrel ... You da man when it comes to fukkkkkking around with shaft and re-shaft   

How was Pilgrims Oak... I am yet to play it this year

I do mess around with shafts and heads a bit, don't I? Its what keeps me in the game and lets me hit woods and irons about as far and straighter than I did 20-30 years ago.

Pilgrims Oak was a ball-buster. Greens were OK and not too fast. The winds were swirling and gusting in the 15-25 mph range and that me it pretty sporty. I forget what I shot but it was a two digit number anyway. I did par #8 and managed to hit a 7 iron to just off the right side of the green on #12. A first for me. Of course it took me three to get down from 20 feet but that's another story but I think I have the short stuff worked out so that shouldn't happen again.

I have been using the Ram Zebra since I got it and the frequency of three-putts has decreased at least 80%. Amazing.

The one swing thought on the driver I've tried to incorporate to get the positive AoA... Head behind the ball at impact and high left shoulder. Seems to work when I remember to do it.

One little trick I use when I'm really trying to dial it in with driver is to take a dry-erase marker and putt dots on the range or practice balls and tee them up with the dots on the ball equator facing the clubface. After each hit, the ball leaves a colored dot on the clubface where the dot on the ball impacted the clubface. This worked great with the 907D2 head since it had a very hot spot halfway between the vertical center of the face and the edge of the crown. Hitting it there with an upward angle of attack would result in a high launching drive that rose to its apex for me in about 110 or so yards and then continued on a flat plane for another 200+ yards and landed at a pretty shallow angle resulting in good run-out. Damn it all, maybe I need to put another V2 65 reg in that head.

Mongrel wrote:I know there are hundreds of thousands who love their adjustable drivers and I have hit many of them in the hitting stalls at the Golf Smith and Galaxy. But there is something funky feeling about playing a club whose head is not glued directly into the hosel.

I don't like the look of all that stuff on the hosel of my club. I've never played an adjustable driver. I'm currently playing the Ping G5 and it goes just as far as anything else I've hit.

Yesterday, I played in a team matchplay event and my playing partner had Warrior woods and wedges. His driver was a Warrior and was no more than 44 inches long. This guy was killing this thing. He was 58 years old, about 5-5 or 5-6 tall and absolutely crushed a few of his drives. I'm talking 280 to 290 yards.

He said they do a kind of psuedo custom fitting over the phone. Anyway, this got me thinking of shortening my driver to 44.5 or 44 inches. I think it's 45 now.

I currently have several drivers--all Tits -- ready to go into the bag. The longest is 44.5" and the shortest is my 905R 11.5* with Dynamic Gold R300 at about 43.5". Of course that steel-shafter is the shortest but the straightest of the bunch and, despite the loft, hits pretty low bullets. Like stingers without trying to hit stingers. Ironically, the two rounds I played with it last year left me frequently within 5-10 yards of my longer hitting playing partners but almost always in the fairways. Plus I could go full-bore into the drives without worrying about hitting it fat, thin, pulling it left or blowing it right. I highly recommend you try shortening one of your driver shafts but just make sure to get it re-weighted. For me, its usually just a couple of grams of lead tape stuck somewhere on the sole and/or back of the driver head.

Mongrel wrote:I have been using the Ram Zebra since I got it and the frequency of three-putts has decreased at least 80%. Amazing.

I've been telling you guys/girls/AC-DC that it's THE putter, Glad that you like it   

FamousDavis wrote:

Mongrel wrote:I know there are hundreds of thousands who love their adjustable drivers and I have hit many of them in the hitting stalls at the Golf Smith and Galaxy. But there is something funky feeling about playing a club whose head is not glued directly into the hosel.

I don't like the look of all that stuff on the hosel of my club.  I've never played an adjustable driver.  I'm currently playing the Ping G5 and it goes just as far as anything else I've hit.  

Yesterday, I played in a team matchplay event and my playing partner had Warrior woods and wedges.   His driver was a Warrior and was no more than 44 inches long.  This guy was killing this thing.  He was 58 years old, about 5-5 or 5-6 tall and absolutely crushed a few of his drives.  I'm talking 280 to 290 yards.  

He said they do a kind of psuedo custom fitting over the phone.  Anyway, this got me thinking of shortening my driver to 44.5 or 44 inches.  I think it's 45 now.

He probably hits that on the screw at his highest SS.... If you ALREADY hit on the screw, cut it down would screw up your distance IMO

I hit the Big Bertha Alpha outside at the SPCC yesterday. I don't like it. It has zero alignment features, which I didn't think would bother me, but it did. I couldn't line the thing up square and was hitting a ton of shots near the heel. Lots of glancing blows because I have a tendency to open the face at address, but typically alignment features will keep me from opening it too much. I did hit a couple of bombs, but never multiple in a row.
I'm thinking about the Ping I25. No issue with alignment on that thing.

Horseballs wrote:I hit the Big Bertha Alpha outside at the SPCC yesterday.  I don't like it.  It has zero alignment features, which I didn't think would bother me, but it did.  I couldn't line the thing up square and was hitting a ton of shots near the heel.  Lots of glancing blows because I have a tendency to open the face at address, but typically alignment features will keep me from opening it too much.  I did hit a couple of bombs, but never multiple in a row.  
I'm thinking about the Ping I25.  No issue with alignment on that thing.  

Which shaft in the i25? I tried the stock ping shaft. It's interesting that they have a stiff and a tour stiff shaft options. My swing speed on 80% swings is 110 mph. Which is usually between a stiff and an extra stiff. I wonder if the tour stiff would be a good fit. I've tried drivers with lightweight shafts. While my swing speed increased a couple of mph, I wasn't as accurate as the heavier shafts.

Out of curiosity, I went to the Ping website and found specs for these new drivers. The head weight are 207 grams which is pretty heavy. The stock shaft lengths are 45.25" which is a tad long. And the Ping shafts all have torque north of 3.5*. I did manage to find out that their hosels are .335" diameter so there is at least a good bit of flexibility should one want a shaft other than a Ping OEM. One reason I never glommed onto a Ping driver was that they were almost all .350" hosels and I don't like the feel of anything larger than .335". Trivial, I know.

Mongrel wrote:Out of curiosity, I went to the Ping website and found specs for these new drivers. The head weight are 207 grams which is pretty heavy. The stock shaft lengths are 45.25" which is a tad long. And the Ping shafts all have torque north of 3.5*. I did manage to find out that their hosels are .335" diameter so there is at least a good bit of flexibility should one want a shaft other than a Ping OEM. One reason I never glommed onto a Ping driver was that they were almost all .350" hosels and I don't like the feel of anything larger than .335". Trivial, I know.

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I agree the "wt balance" of a club would make a HUGE difference in how we hit it well, unfortunately, most of us would have to do the "trial and error" to come close to it.

Mongrel : are U suggesting that the 335 hosels are better (i.e. more flex than the 350?)

I have several good to excellent 3W, and for my swing the old BB 55g firm flex shaft is still the best for my swing... In fact for my SS the firm flex should not work for me, same as the S-flex on my Cally Diablo Edgre tour driver, can't explain why but I am not arguing with the results. If I remember correctly , the Cally BB II is 16* loft while 15* for others

(1) Cally BB II - 55g firm flex
(2) Cally BB II - 60g system 60 R-flex
(3) Cleveland Hibore XLS, 55g R-flex
(4) Tour Edge Exotic CB2, 65g R-flex

Yes, I suck at golf

The thinner shaft tip diameters are better for me with both graphite wood and steel iron shafts. The thicker the shaft tip is, the stiffer it is with a few exceptions. I think that's why I never liked the feel of Ping and Taylormade drivers as much as the ones using .335" tips. Of course you could install a .335 into a .350 hosel with shims. But somehow, I don't trust the shims although I'm sure a properly shimmed and glued shaft is just as solid. If its in my head, it will translate into my swings. And that is not a good thing. Ping has always, however, used .355" tapered tip steel shafts in its irons. I don't know about their graphite iron shafts but I suspect they are .370" like almost everyone else's. Which makes sense because most graphite iron shafts come in .370" diameter tips anyway.

HB, ever looked at Bridgestone? Picked up the J38 with a regular motore f1 in it which plays pretty stiff. This last winter took it to the local golfsmith store and used it as a baseline tester against a I25, Callaway something or the other and a new cleveland. After a bunch of swings on the simulater, the salesman says, "why are you looking for a new driver"? Hit it straighter and longer than any of the newer stuff.

jt1135 wrote:HB, ever looked at Bridgestone?  Picked up the J38 with a regular motore f1 in it which plays pretty stiff.  This last winter took it to the local golfsmith store and used it as a baseline tester against a I25, Callaway something or the other and a new cleveland.  After a bunch of swings on the simulater, the salesman says, "why are you looking for a new driver"?  Hit it straighter and longer than any of the newer stuff.

Correct, that's why I keep going back to my Cally GBB II 3W 55-g firm flex, which I paid $10-15 for it ...

Ah, the ongoing search for that elusive perfect driver. So yesterday, I hit my 9.5* DComp that I had put a YS-6 in tipped 2.25". Too stiff, dead right but felt real solid going twenty degrees dead right alright. So I went to my golf supplies shop and rooted through the graphite wood shaft pulls of which they have hundreds (thankfully sorted out at least by manufacturer). Finally settled on a Fujikura Speeder for Titleist regular flex fairway wood shaft. Odd choice, I know. Archived 2005 Tit specs say 3.5* torque with mid high flex point and 78 grams which it weighed cut on the nose. So took it out to a range awhile ago to hit it upside two of my other 909 drivers and it came out on top. Playing it this coming Wednesday to give it the old Baptism of Fire.

Mongrel wrote:Ah, the ongoing search for that elusive perfect driver. So yesterday, I hit my 9.5* DComp that I had put a YS-6 in tipped 2.25". Too stiff, dead right but felt real solid going twenty degrees dead right alright. So I went to my golf supplies shop and rooted through the graphite wood shaft pulls of which they have hundreds (thankfully sorted out at least by manufacturer). Finally settled on a Fujikura Speeder for Titleist regular flex fairway wood shaft. Odd choice, I know. Archived 2005 Tit specs say 3.5* torque with mid high flex point and 78 grams which it weighed cut on the nose. So took it out to a range awhile ago to hit it upside two of my other 909 drivers and it came out on top. Playing it this coming Wednesday to give it the old Baptism of Fire.

I fully believe that the correct shaft - for our swing - is the engine of a golf club, or 95% performance of a club and with trial-n-error Mongrel you are proving it for us. I spend more time at the local range and it pays off, I wish I did that 20 yrs ago. All of my colleagues from Taiwan play decent golf, the reason: Golf in Taiwan is expensive , $120-$150 a round and it's a whole day event because they have to drive outside of Taiwan for about 1.5 hr one way, that's why they spend a lot of time at a local driving range

I believe you meant to type "Taipei" instead of "Taiwan" referring to driving a long time to play golf. When I visited the island in the 1960's and '70's, I did not get to experience any golf but did enjoy a fair amount of p*ssy.

Mongrel wrote:I believe you meant to type "Taipei" instead of "Taiwan" referring to driving a long time to play golf. When I visited the island in the 1960's and '70's, I did not get to experience any golf but did enjoy a fair amount of p*ssy.

Indeed... Company site is in Hsinshu, which is south of Taipei... Glad to hear that you enjoyed p***sy there, were they tight ?   

Not playing a driver this year. I've been hitting my G15 3W too nicely. I've developed a really nice draw with it and been hitting, on average, 220 yds.

Hitting the fairway more than I ever have has led to me coming close to breaking 80 on several occasions this year. I'm working on sharpening up my approaches, getting the ball to stop on the green instead of running thru, with my 4 or 6.

jmtbkr wrote:Not playing a driver this year.  I've been hitting my G15 3W too nicely. I've developed a really nice draw with it and been hitting, on average, 220 yds.

Hitting the fairway more than I ever have has led to me coming close to breaking 80 on several occasions this year. I'm working on sharpening up my approaches, getting the ball to stop on the green instead of running thru, with my 4 or 6.

Get a driver you can hit reliably and substitute the 4 or 6 with a 7 or a wedge.

Pky6471 wrote:

Mongrel wrote:I believe you meant to type "Taipei" instead of "Taiwan" referring to driving a long time to play golf. When I visited the island in the 1960's and '70's, I did not get to experience any golf but did enjoy a fair amount of p*ssy.

Indeed... Company site is in Hsinshu, which is south of Taipei... Glad to hear that you enjoyed p***sy there, were they tight ?   

They were just about perfect since I always chose the ones who appeared to be over 20. The guys who went for the really young and pretty girls about always ended up with some venereal disease. Those were the ones the black G.I.'s went for and those guys were the primary VD carriers in S.E. Asia during the war.

Mongrel wrote:

jmtbkr wrote:Not playing a driver this year.  I've been hitting my G15 3W too nicely. I've developed a really nice draw with it and been hitting, on average, 220 yds.

Hitting the fairway more than I ever have has led to me coming close to breaking 80 on several occasions this year. I'm working on sharpening up my approaches, getting the ball to stop on the green instead of running thru, with my 4 or 6.

Get a driver you can hit reliably and substitute the 4 or 6 with a 7 or a wedge.

Yeah, well, I lopped an inch off my G15 9* and it's much better than before. I added lead tape to the bottom and that help some more. But it still does not feel as reliable as my 3W. I just can't seem to miss the fairways with it and as long as I'm scoring better, I'll stick with in in competition. On fun rounds, I take the big dog out, but still don't get the consistancy of the 3W.

My 4 and 6 are both hybrids. I use them for my typical second shot which is usually 160-185 yds. I can never hit that distance with a 7 or wedge.

jt1135 wrote:HB, ever looked at Bridgestone?  Picked up the J38 with a regular motore f1 in it which plays pretty stiff.  This last winter took it to the local golfsmith store and used it as a baseline tester against a I25, Callaway something or the other and a new cleveland.  After a bunch of swings on the simulater, the salesman says, "why are you looking for a new driver"?  Hit it straighter and longer than any of the newer stuff.

In around 2008-2009 I got a J33 460 because I just loved the look of the head. Bought it without ever hitting it, because no one carries Bridgestone near me. I hated that driver passionately. Nothing but low pushes that didn't go anywhere. I let one of the biggest hitters at my club try it and he couldn't hit it for sh!t either. I had my fitter take a look at it, and the stock S flex (think it was an Aldila "By You") rated as 3X. That head was notoriously low spin anyhow, but combined with that shaft, there are probably only a couple dozen people on the planet who could get any use out of it.
It's pretty much soured me on the brand, and like I said, no one carries Bridgestone, so I don't think I'll be getting anything sight unseen again.

Horseballs wrote:

jt1135 wrote:HB, ever looked at Bridgestone?  Picked up the J38 with a regular motore f1 in it which plays pretty stiff.  This last winter took it to the local golfsmith store and used it as a baseline tester against a I25, Callaway something or the other and a new cleveland.  After a bunch of swings on the simulater, the salesman says, "why are you looking for a new driver"?  Hit it straighter and longer than any of the newer stuff.

In around 2008-2009 I got a J33 460 because I just loved the look of the head.  Bought it without ever hitting it, because no one carries Bridgestone near me.  I hated that driver passionately.  Nothing but low pushes that didn't go anywhere.  I let one of the biggest hitters at my club try it and he couldn't hit it for sh!t either.  I had my fitter take a look at it, and the stock S flex (think it was an Aldila "By You") rated as 3X.  That head was notoriously low spin anyhow, but combined with that shaft, there are probably only a couple dozen people on the planet who could get any use out of it.  
It's pretty much soured me on the brand, and like I said, no one carries Bridgestone, so I don't think I'll be getting anything sight unseen again.  

Low spin (rpm) and 16* launch angle... Why the helllllllllllllllll are U complaining