OT: The best driver (golf)
- Thread starter RUinPAC10land
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There really isn't one "best" driver as everyone's swing is different. My swing speed is pretty high, as is my normal ball flight, so I need a lower trajectory club.
I just moved to the Taylor Made M1 from SLDR.
The M1 is definitely longer..... I noticed immediately how much further my drives went into the woods.
I'm kidding. Yes, its a little longer, sometimes a club longer (hit an 8 iron into a green whereas last year was a 7), but only when I hit it on the screws.
I also got the M1 3 wood and have not seen an improvement over my 8 year old 3 wood.
Funny story though, last year I went to a Titleist demo day looking for a new driver. I told the guy that I bought my previous driver (the SLDR) right off the rack, and he cringed, telling me it was the biggest mistake golfers make etc. After about half an hour swapping club heads, shafts etc, he determined the best fit for me was a stock stiff shaft and head (that's what she said...). I said, "oh great... I can go buy this right off the rack..." He was not amused.
In the end though, I wasn't thrilled with the Titleist driver, though I love their irons.
I just moved to the Taylor Made M1 from SLDR.
The M1 is definitely longer..... I noticed immediately how much further my drives went into the woods.
I'm kidding. Yes, its a little longer, sometimes a club longer (hit an 8 iron into a green whereas last year was a 7), but only when I hit it on the screws.
I also got the M1 3 wood and have not seen an improvement over my 8 year old 3 wood.
Funny story though, last year I went to a Titleist demo day looking for a new driver. I told the guy that I bought my previous driver (the SLDR) right off the rack, and he cringed, telling me it was the biggest mistake golfers make etc. After about half an hour swapping club heads, shafts etc, he determined the best fit for me was a stock stiff shaft and head (that's what she said...). I said, "oh great... I can go buy this right off the rack..." He was not amused.
In the end though, I wasn't thrilled with the Titleist driver, though I love their irons.
Love my Ping driver, bought it last year after using Calloways for years. Adds length and forgiveness, both of which had been diminishing with age.
Spraying the ball all over the place is a function of the swing, not the equipment. A good golfer is still gonna be good with any set - even a ladies set. They might not hit the ball as far or be as accurate but they will still be able to manage it around the course and score well.
If you are spraying the ball all over the place and want to get better, take some lessons.
As far as the driver goes, it is the most important club in your bag if you want to get better but the least important if you don't care about your score. I play 100+ rounds a year and know of nobody that tees off with a 3 wood on a regular basis. However I think it's a great strategy if you are a 5-10 round a year player.
If you are spraying the ball all over the place and want to get better, take some lessons.
As far as the driver goes, it is the most important club in your bag if you want to get better but the least important if you don't care about your score. I play 100+ rounds a year and know of nobody that tees off with a 3 wood on a regular basis. However I think it's a great strategy if you are a 5-10 round a year player.
A friend of a friend got the Golden Ticket and played Pine Valley a few years ago. On the first tee, he asked his caddie for his driver, the caddie pulled the 3 wood. The guy insisted on the driver, then proceeded his OJ one into the woods. The caddy took the driver from him and announced they would just leave it on the first tee and pick it up when they finished...
Haha. It reminds me of this kevin sorbo stpry. He played at augusta and was trying o decide between clubs - be more aggresive or play it safe. Caddie says to him "when is next time you will play at augusta?"
BLIND TEST.
Don't let the brand or extras win you over.
And don't blind test solely with a launch monitor or cameras... A bunch of golf pro's that I play with have told me that they've heard people turn down or turn off the spin rates on launch monitors to only show you optimal #'s when you're club testing.
you'll end up doing what you want to do at the end... but Blind test at the range and go with what feels best off of the face and the one that you hit most consistent with... don't feel like you need to man up and swing w/ an extra stiff shaft...
once you groove the driver head, you can change out the shaft to match your swing...
I also wouldn't buy the day of... I'd go back and hit it a few times over different days.
don't get caught up in all of the marketing (Low CG, Big Face, Color Changes for alignment, etc).
And new tech always doesn't = results.
I used to pipe my old HiBoreXL whiteboard w/ a fade or draw on command.
When TM sent me a new R Tour Ahina... it screwed me up for a season... and I can still hit the HiBore better than the R Tour.
whenever you want to go play... hit me up... let's play (yoshi@djyoshi.com)
Don't let the brand or extras win you over.
And don't blind test solely with a launch monitor or cameras... A bunch of golf pro's that I play with have told me that they've heard people turn down or turn off the spin rates on launch monitors to only show you optimal #'s when you're club testing.
you'll end up doing what you want to do at the end... but Blind test at the range and go with what feels best off of the face and the one that you hit most consistent with... don't feel like you need to man up and swing w/ an extra stiff shaft...
once you groove the driver head, you can change out the shaft to match your swing...
I also wouldn't buy the day of... I'd go back and hit it a few times over different days.
don't get caught up in all of the marketing (Low CG, Big Face, Color Changes for alignment, etc).
And new tech always doesn't = results.
I used to pipe my old HiBoreXL whiteboard w/ a fade or draw on command.
When TM sent me a new R Tour Ahina... it screwed me up for a season... and I can still hit the HiBore better than the R Tour.
whenever you want to go play... hit me up... let's play (yoshi@djyoshi.com)
Aside: Played high school basketball against Leonia HS's Evan (Big Cat) Williams, one terrific hoops player, who went on to a career as a golf pro known for his prodigious drives. A 1978 Sports Illustrated article ...
http://www.si.com/vault/1978/06/05/...he-game-that-he-plays-best-is-suited-to-a-tee
http://www.si.com/vault/1978/06/05/...he-game-that-he-plays-best-is-suited-to-a-tee
If you check out the statistics for PGA wins in 2015 the top driver manufacturer is Taylormade , followed by Titlist and than Calloway. But again what a pro swings and what we hit is very different. The drivers within each family that the pros were hitting also differed so I don't take a lot from that. I am changing out irons and have hit every major brand of irons over the past year in golf stores as well as a demo day and finally my club pro let me borrow his clubs for a round of golf and viola I found my sticks. The point I am making is I think it is about getting fitted, which I did through my club pro and than going out and trying different drivers in any forum that you can.
Funny you say that. I had the same experience. Needed to get fitted for irons. Pro/club fitter requested a bunch of modifications. Specific lie angle, extension, flex, shafts etc.. Came to driver and the stock fit was what was recommended.
Settled on the Teitlest AP2's and Callaway XR driver. Never was a fan of the Callaway product. The XR is a beast. Easy to look at and provides a nice ball flight that is easier to shape.
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I bought new irons a few weeks ago. I had been playing with stock Nike Victory cavity Irons with graphite shafts for 5-6 years and play 100 rounds a year. My index is a 13 but I never hit my irons really long and had to play them kinda close to hit them flush. I have the luxury of trying different irons that were in stock at my local pro shop both on the range as well as well as on the course. I was leaning towards the titleist AP1 irons.
I decided to go over to the TPC Sawgrass where they have a club-fitting facility which is utilized by many professionals. After trying many different club head/shaft combinations I came away with the following. Cost was $125 and well worth it.
Correct fitting is so important for the Driver. The bottom line is the longer and more accurate you hit your driver the better your scores will be.
I decided to go over to the TPC Sawgrass where they have a club-fitting facility which is utilized by many professionals. After trying many different club head/shaft combinations I came away with the following. Cost was $125 and well worth it.
- I bought the TaylorMade M2's. I have a steeper attack angle that creates more spin. The Titleist are a better players clubs and the higher spin was causing the ball to balloon. Better players do not have steeper attack angles. With the M2's there was significantly less spin and longer carry.
- We got my shafts 1 inch longer. Not because I am tall but because my arms are a little short. This allows me to get the ball away from my body slightly and increases distance.
- The lie is 1 degree upright - not flat. With a standard length shaft we would have gone 2 degrees upright.
- The shaft is stiff metal not regular graphite.
- I also got to try many different balls and now understand better how different balls are affected by my swing.
Correct fitting is so important for the Driver. The bottom line is the longer and more accurate you hit your driver the better your scores will be.
Agreed.
I'm 1/2 short on the shaft (slight case of monkey arms)
Reg light steel shafts 105gr (IIRC)
Lie is standard
I'm in the low teens too.
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Never really loved their drivers. Do like the Vokeys too.
Clubs are way overrated. I used to hit so good with old Sam Snead offset wooden clubs. I rarely ever sliced the ball.
Then I upgraded to new clubs and learned the found out that they are not slice proof.
I only used to carry one sleve of balls in the old days. Now I have a bag full of balls and they are all used by hole 9.
I think the ball makers pay the club makers to make the club inaccurate so they can make a lot of money.
Then I upgraded to new clubs and learned the found out that they are not slice proof.
I only used to carry one sleve of balls in the old days. Now I have a bag full of balls and they are all used by hole 9.
I think the ball makers pay the club makers to make the club inaccurate so they can make a lot of money.
Thank you everyone for your input. I just got my irons on friday and took them to the range. I really didn't have it but I am pretty sure that it was my swing. Nevertheless, I am not sure that these clubs have improved my game so I am going to probably wait a year or so before I put my money on a new driver and fairway woods. Therefore, I went to ebay and bought some used Titleists.
Same here. Love their irons and Vokey's, also the Pro-V's, but never liked the drivers. Not sure why.
I did just get the Titleist rescue and in the four rounds I have played with it, and relatively happy, but not quite ready to declare it a total winner yet.
Disagree, clubs need to fit you, otherwise you need to do something in your swing to compensate.
Or get clubs that fit. Poor fitting clubs will produce the same error, slice, draw, low ball flight or high ball flight from club to club. He said he was spraying the ball which is infinately more about swing.
Yup. Which is more about still being in the learning phase where hes not prepared for a fit yet because natural tendacies are not fully formed
Haven't been out much this year.. only twice... with the wedding coming up, I'm in the Good Lord getting married is expensive mode!
But i'm definitely able to get out and play. hopefully at least twice a week.
email me and let's figure out a date so we can book a tee time somewhere.
yoshi(at)djyoshi.com
and please... PLEASE don't listen to the hype of a club with an open face, closed face, weighted face to fix your poor trajectory, back or side spin.
Sure a closed face is supposed to promote a draw... an open face a fade...
but just because it's supposed to "promote" doesn't mean that it's what's really going to happen.
Once you get comfortable and groove your swing, fix the swing and not the club...
after you have your reliable swing that only you can swing... then play with the equipment...
but the clubs you hit should at least be fit for you with length, lie...
stiffness and launch... you can play w/ by purchasing a shaft that's fit for you.
Sure a closed face is supposed to promote a draw... an open face a fade...
but just because it's supposed to "promote" doesn't mean that it's what's really going to happen.
Once you get comfortable and groove your swing, fix the swing and not the club...
after you have your reliable swing that only you can swing... then play with the equipment...
but the clubs you hit should at least be fit for you with length, lie...
stiffness and launch... you can play w/ by purchasing a shaft that's fit for you.
Would love to play you. You sound like a good guy, but I live in California. Let me know if you're in the area. Congrats on getting married. I took 5 lessons and then I stopped because I had to study hard core for my anesthesiology boards. After that, I got married myself and then had 2 kids. Long story short, my wife and I agreed that I can start golf lessons again. I've been out 4 times and finally broke 100 on a par 72 for the first time this saturday. I am hooked!
