HAC

I think the answer, as with most things, is it depends and sometimes people need both. I am a senior golfer and play with other senior golfers. I see a number of them have good swings but need lighter clubs because they don't swing as fast as they used to do. I saw a guy I know in his 80s hit a XXIO driver and gain about 15-20 yards from basically the first drive. He has lost a good bit of distance just in the few years I have known him and I cannot imagine him getting the distance from lessons that he got in this club. Similarly, a good friend in his early 60s just demoed a Callaway Driver with a lighter shaft and hit the ball much better than he was hitting his current driver (a Ping G30). I bought a Ping Glide 3 sand wedge this summer with 14 degrees of bounce and a graphite shaft and am having much more success out of the rough and in bunkers than I did with my old Volkey with a steel shaft and 8 degrees of bounce. I esp. think the combination of more bounce and a lighter shaft is helping me out of the very thick rough we have at my club. But, when I was having trouble driving the ball straight earlier this year I took a couple of lessons from the pro I typically get lessons from rather than buy a new driver to "fix" the problem. I may buy a new driver (I have demoed a few at my club) but only now after I have straightened out my swing. So, as I said I think it depends.

What is a "seeding and validation process"?

Me too, but I have decided to wait a few weeks until Titleist's new clubs come out. I love my Titleist hybrids so I think I should at least try their woods before I buy anything else, esp. when they are coming out soon. [Note that my five wood is about 10 years old now so virtually all new ones should be better, although I do like my current five wood, which is why it is the oldest club in my bag.]

Are you going to get fitted for your new club or just buy it off the rack? If you are going to get fitted, I would think now would be a better time to buy than in the Spring because your swing is in better shape than after a several month layoff. I would think it would be best to get fitted to your real swing.

Even being retired, I still need the alarm clock to make sure I make my tee times.

Hasn't the biggest difference in drivers over the past few years been they are becoming better on off-center hits? Wouldn't that help you and me more than a scratch golfer?

It does not work for everyone, including me. I tried one recently at the driving range at my club. I did hit it further than my Ping G when I hit it perfectly, but was very inconsistent with it. But, a number of people I know (including my wife) love the clubs.

But, the retail price is not relevant. What is relevant is what I have to pay for the ball.

Agree about Srixon's golf balls. I play either the Q Star Tour of the Z Star. When I hear Tony on No Putts Given talk about how you cannot get a quality ball for $20 a dozen, I think about the fact that this is what I paid for the Z Stars in June with their BOGO sale.

From what I have seen at my club with people around your age (I am 65), if you want more distance get a XXIO. I have recently seen someone in this early 80s get 10-20 years more (from about 170 to about 190) with a XXIO.

If you do not like the Cobra F9, why do you think you will like the Cobra SZ better?

Any word (rumors) as to timing on new Titleist woods?

Thanks for the review. I once stayed at the Grove Park Inn for a work conference. I was supposed to play the course one afternoon during the conference, but work got in the way and I had to just stare at the course from a window. Would love to play the course.

That is a question I had. How is this new ball different from the AVX.

This understates the price differences as Srixon balls are often on sale. In June, I got two dozen Z Stars for $20 a dozen as part of their BOGO sale.

My first hybrids were Ping G 15s. I hit them solidly, but they had a big offset, were very draw biased and I had to fight a hook with them. I replaced them a couple of years ago with my Titleists that are adjustable and were fitted to me. Love them.

The original Big Bertha Driver was a game changer.

I cannot say I use every club extensively in every round. But, over the course of two-three rounds, I have used each of my 14 clubs a good bit.

I wear Bionic Stable Grips. A bit more expensive, but they seem to last a very long time - longer than other gloves I have used. Also like the fit and feel of the glove.

I sometimes walk and have a GPS (Bushnell Phantom) and a Laser (Bushnell) to distances when I do. I use the laser when I ride but tend to use the GPS on the cart. But with rain (and cartpath only) and some carts having GPS's that do not work, I like having a second small GPS as well. I have one, so everything has been fine. However, last week I let my wife use the Phantom and now she wants it. So, I need a new item. The Phantom is cheap enough, is simple and works easily enough, so I could get another one of those. But, I also have been thinking about getting a watch instead. I have thought about getting a Bushnell watch as I like the Phantom more than I liked a Garmin watch I used to have. But, then for not much difference in price (if at all) from a watch, I saw this. I don't know whether I will like and find useful (or find a pain in the neck) all the information that one can get from this. But, it is worth trying if the watch is good. [I mean it is only $20 more than the Shotscope pure watch.] So, my question is how is this as a pure GPS watch. Is it as easy to use as a GPS watch as a Bushnell watch would be or should I only get this if I really know that I want all the statistics. Is it as accurate as a GPS as a Bushnell would be? Any help is appreciated.

Another thought. Did you try the P790s with stock shafts? How much different were they than the ones with upgraded shafts? Could you get the P790s with stock shafts now and upgrade the shafts later - divide your purchase into two - maybe a birthday present and a Christmas present.

P790s were introduced in August of 2019. https://golf.com/gear/irons/first-look-taylormade-p790-p790ti-p790udi-irons/ When is TaylorMade coming out with a replacement. If in August, these irons could be on sale soon.

When Srixon is having their BOGO sales, I have recently been experimenting - sometimes getting Z Star and sometimes getting Q Star Tour. Same price for the Z Star that you cite. With BOGO, Q Star Tour is only about $3-4 a dozen less. Keep going back and forth as to which I like better between the two balls. Not sure. But, I don't know of balls for $17-20 or so that I like as much as I like these.

This. Love BOGO

Velocity does not have a urethane cover. Response and Q Star Tour do. Apples and oranges. TXG has a video on last year’s versions of these two and the Tour soft. Very different conclusion.