Sean D.

Thanks for welcoming me into your community and listening to me talk about my golf game.  I have a few good buddies I golf with but none that want to listen to me talk about golf all day long.  Merry Christmas again.  Hope you all are having a good one.

... One of the constants I have seen with all golf forums is as the snarky comments start they are rebutted by more snarky comments. I thought several like Paul on GO and Derrick on the GEA ruled with the reigns too tight but after watching them all go downhill quickly when Mods don't keep members in check, I think more control is better than less. A few here are borderline snarky but I have them on ignore or just ignore their posts. When 2 (or more) members disagree in less than friendly terms I have yet to see it end in one or the other changing their opinions. Differences of opinion are fine of course if done respectfully or after one less than friendly exchange, drop it and move on. As we all know, some just like the drama. 

You just made my day.   I miss GO terribly.  I co-founded GolfOpinions.com with eight other individuals and we happily ran it for years.    As the site grew and more and more time was required from each of us, we decided to sell it.   GO was a labor of love, not a living for any of the partners.   GO sold at least one more time after our sale which eventually lead it to being a part of GolfWRX.   So, the "redesign" you're referring to was not us (the original owners), but the group that bought GO from us.   I'm still in touch with several of my old GO partners and even made a trip to Pinehurst with Snowdale (if by chance you remember the GO name) back in June.   
Thanks again for making my day!  
 

Hello fellow MGSers,
Intro:
The journey to finding a new driver has been a long one, and it was worth the wait. I have been gaming a TaylorMade Burner for a decade, but just in 2021 have I been playing seriously (few times a week instead of a few times a year). I was fit in January to TaylorMade P790 irons, but the driver fitting didn’t produce a driver that outperformed my Burner. Most of it was my fault. Horrible swing mechanics, grip, swing path, everything. Every month or so since the original fitting I have been going in and trying again.  Every time, the most premium offerings were head to head with my Burner, and my Burner was holding its own. I am not sure if the improvements in my swing or fitness had everything to do with it, or that I may not have tried this club at previous fittings, but my June fitting went differently. It started the same. Burner up first; hitting 225, a slice every few swings, and a terrible launch. Then SIM2 was up, and it was nearly identical numbers. Ping G425, same story. Cobra Radspeed, slight improvement, but not $500 improvement. I was thinking I was doomed. Then, for what I am pretty sure was my first time trying it, the fitter brought me a Callaway Epic Max. Details to follow, but I went home with it that day, along with a big smile. 
 

Fitting:
So as I had mentioned in the intro, I had been to many fittings for driver to try to update my big stick. The Burner has been good to me, but it was time to move on. With this being the fourth driver I tried during the fitting, I was not optimistic. The fitter set me to a stiff Hzrdus Smoke Green shaft, the hosel set to Draw and +1 degree, and the sliding weight just slightly towards the heel. First swing was not love at first sight. I got way under it, the ball hit the metal frame at the top of the projector screen, ricochets back at me, and hits me in the face! Just below my eye! Hurt terribly, looked even worse. Sorry no picture of the damage. I shake it off, and switch the rubber tee to a lower one. Send the second ball, and it reads 250something carry. Okay, not bad! Some improvement! Third 260something carry! Fourth 260something again! And this kept happening! Better yet, the dreaded every couple shot slice I have lived with my whole life wasn’t showing up! Some shots were even drawing a little. It was amazing! I was sold.

On Range/Course:
I wasted no time in getting out to try this thing. I was so excited about it. I never had a new driver (Burner was used), and never one with adjustability. The sound was amazing. Like you hear on TV. The Burner sounded like it looked, tired and ugly. The feel on center strikes was just how I remember hitting the sweet spot in baseball. You just know. I made the mistake of playing with the adjustments. It’s shocking the difference it makes, and I finally understand why every company has these options. I was quickly back to what the fitter set me to. I have hit nearly every fairway, and my misses have all been left. I never missed left before. It really changed how I play golf! Just yesterday, I was playing a par 4, 320 yards, and with some help of a nice breeze and a healthy bounce, I ended up on the fringe. The forgiveness must be second to none, because even heal and toe strikes are finding the short grass. I am experiencing an overall gain of 40-50 yards off the tee, and sometimes even more. 
 

Pros:
The biggest pro to me is the look at address. Having that square, slightly closed look at address has fixed my mental block. My Burner had an open look, which would play with my mind, make me swing to adjust, and cause a major slice. I never realized it until I got this driver. Other pros include the amazing sound (which I can’t seem to capture on video? Every shot sounds muffled regardless of club). The weight distribution makes the club seem super light, but not too too light. The feel is incredible. You know when you hit it good, and you know when you miss. The biggest pro, outside of fixing my slice, is how hot this club is. The increase in distance, for me, is incredible. The speed frame and AI forged face make the ball explode off the tee. Amazing.

Cons:
There isn’t much and they are mostly fixable. The worst was the stock grip. It comes with a black GolfPride with the Align technology, which I was excited about. However, whoever or whatever adds the grips to the drivers in the factory doesn’t ensure the grip is aligned properly. Mine was turned a bit forward, so the Callaway logo on top made me want to open the face for it to align with the ball. That also makes the Align technology off, and almost MAKES me hold the face open. I took it back to the store, and we compared it to others on the rack, and almost all of them were slightly off, like mine. The fix was getting a new grip that you see pictured. Went with U of M colors (Go BLUE!). Another gripe is the head cover. Suuuuuuper ugly. Some may like the look, but I sure don’t. Thankfully I have a head cover that matches my bag, so no harm no foul. The last gripe, and again, a minor one, is the cogs for the hosel. There is two of them, and they are pretty tricky to get lined up to fit together. Seems like the system could have been put together better. Again, no big deal, just a gripe.
Bonus:
So I wasn’t aware of this until they were handing me the receipt, but I purchased this club during the purchase period for the “If Callaway Wins You Win” giveaway. For anyone not aware (as if there is anyone on this forum that isn’t), if you buy a Callaway driver between x and y dates, you pick what Callaway pro you think will win the US Open, and if that person wins, your driver is free. Pretty cool deal. I found out recently that you can mail in a pick and win the driver with no purchase at all. Well, right now, you look at the list of Callaway pros, it is hard to not pick Jon Rahm. He is playing some stellar golf. I went with Rahmbo, and I am glad I did! Just a last week I got a $586 gift card in the mail to Dicks Sporting Goods! Just another AWESOME thing that came out of this purchase. 
 
Overall, anyone looking for some more distance off the tee, and adjustability to combat some swing flaws, look no further than the Callaway Epic Max. 
 

I’ve had a few days with my “Wunder Style” Apex ’21 Irons and I must say, the experiment has paid off in spades. My Callaway box was at my doorstep when I arrived home from Muirfield Village and I took them out right away. First impression? WOWZA. I’ve played three rounds with them so far and these are my takeaways 
I’m 8 yards further with each club (On Avg) I typically hit about 10 greens per round and I’ve hit AT LEAST 13 with Apex ’21 My gapping got better before I had a large gap between the 4 iron/4 utility/4 hybrid and my 5-wood. Now I don’t. See new numbers below.  My miss hits are of the same quality as my solid shots with my X-Forged CB.  I’m better. My iron game has been an eyesore but with the Apex ’21 done my way, im a good iron player again.  Let’s get into the numbers, shall we? I had a chance to do a gapping session so I have hard data to back up the performance. Keep in mind that my miss with any iron is center thin and it happens about 30% of the time. 
Old Set: X-Forged CB ’21/Apex MB Combo w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (Soft Stepped), Std Length, Std Lie, D3
X-Forged CB (4-7) Apex MB (8-PW)
Loft/Carry Distance
XF 4-iron: 22.5, 210
XF 5-Iron: 26, 195
XF 6-iron: 29, 180
XF 7 Iron: 33, 165
Apex MB 8 Iron: 37, 150
Apex MB 9 Iron: 41, 135
Apex MB PW: 46, 125
New Set: Apex 21 (Wunder Spec) w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (Soft Stepped), Std Length, Std Lie, D3

Loft/Carry Distance

Apex 4-iron: 22.5, 220
Apex 5-iron: 25.5, 205
Apex 6-iron: 28.5, 190
Apex 7-iron: 32.5, 175
Apex 8-iron: 36.5, 160
Apex 9-iron: 40.5, 145
Apex PW: 45, 130
Here is how the whole bag gaps out now: 
Carry Distance in normal conditions: 
Driver: 280
3-wood: 255
5-wood: 235
Apex 4-iron: 22.5, 220
Apex 5-iron: 25.5, 205
Apex 6-iron: 28.5, 190
Apex 7-iron: 32.5, 175
Apex 8-iron: 36.5, 160
Apex 9-iron: 40.5, 145
Apex PW: 45, 130
Jaws 50/10S: 115
Jaws 54/8C: 105
PM Grind 60: Who Cares
This new setup helped my gapping tremendously, my entire bag has been a weird puzzle lately but now it all kind of makes sense. The problem was from 4-iron thru 6-iron I just wasn’t getting the ball speed and performance to do anything but guess. It’s hard to play well that way. Not anymore. 

Here is how the whole bag gaps out now: 
Carry Distance in normal conditions: 
Driver: 280
3-wood: 255
5-wood: 235
Apex 4-iron: 22.5, 220
Apex 5-iron: 25.5, 205
Apex 6-iron: 28.5, 190
Apex 7-iron: 32.5, 175
Apex 8-iron: 36.5, 160
Apex 9-iron: 40.5, 145
Apex PW: 45, 130
Jaws 50/10S: 115
Jaws 54/8C: 105
PM Grind 60: Who Cares
The point is, for better players that struggle with the irons or are finding deficiencies in their setups, going into something like this and bending/tweaking the set to match what you need is a no-brainer. 

I’m a gear head to the core and as much as I want to strut around with Raw TCB’s, that path won’t help my golf game. I want to play well far more than I want a bag full of players’ irons. To be honest I truly believe I’ve cracked a code. I offset the extra loft and launch by going into a heavy low spin shaft, I combat the lack of spin by playing a spinny golf ball (CSX) and BOOM. I’m having a blast. Try it. I dare you. You won’t go back I promise you. 

Didn’t play the course due to the price, but had drinks from the bar out on the patio and watched folks finish. Ate dinner there as well.

spoken like a true Ho. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. I’m proud of you!

Interesting though. CG has been quite a talking point lately in the wedge world.

You’ve piqued my interest [mention]PMookie [/mention]

even if I’m not in the wedge market. I love a good tech story.

im always down for buying something

I have been there a few times. You have to see it to believe it. The condition of the course is incredible. There is nothing like it. They even have the bathroom situation and concessions down to a science. The food is very good and cheap compared to any other event. I prefer to go to a practice round. The players are more relaxed and sociable. Thursday through the weekend most of them won't even look you in the eye. You are a distraction from them doing their job. But the biggest drawback is the roar of the crowd on a hole that you aren't at. "What just happened" you have to wait till you get to a leaderboard and see who made a birdie or eagle. The best place to watch it is on TV but if given the opportunity you should go at least once. 

Finau and smith making moves. This 8 under group is gonna be fun to watch on the back. Looks like some low scores on the final round coming in

We all know the pandemic has disrupted supply chains all over the world and the golf industry was not spared.  Place an order for a club today and your delivery window can be weeks out and it might even get pushed further out as you wait for a shipping notification  
From people in the industry I’ve talked to, the main issue is components: Grips and Shafts. 
For example the X Flex Aldila White shaft that’s a stock offering in the Ping line? Not available until April
The most popular/basic grip of all time, the Golf Pride Tour Velvet? Nobody knows when they’ll be readily available again. 
 
My advice when placing a custom order is try to talk to the OEM customer service to see if there are certain shafts/grips that are delaying fulfillment times. Your driver might be delayed for weeks, but it may only be due to a $10 grip choice

They look like a solution in search of a problem. 

Fitting data for sure. I tried recoils on a whim and they just weren't right for me. Steelfiber in the correct weight/flex are just fantastic things! I even have the CW 115 in the wedges. I have played primarily X100 for ~twenty years but there's just no question these are easier on the body and feel great.

Steelfiber but in S flex. It gets a good amount of use on the tour, but almost everyone is playing stiff and not x. 

I received my custom Wilson staff wedge in about 7 working days which I found to be outstanding.

Fitting data for sure. I tried recoils on a whim and they just weren't right for me. Steelfiber in the correct weight/flex are just fantastic things! I even have the CW 115 in the wedges. I have played primarily X100 for ~twenty years but there's just no question these are easier on the body and feel great.

It seems these are the two most dominant, best performing composite shafts on the market.  I've just started playing with Recoil 95 F4's, albeit as part of an exploratory test using P-CB irons which may or may not be ideal in assessing performance. For those of you who have spent time researching composite shafts and/or playing them, what are your opinions about these two mfg.'s and their portfolio of products?  
I'm going to let the fitting data drive my decision, but am leaning towards composite shafts if that is an option... for sure if there is "truth" to the happier joints claim. And, we all know where the "truth" can be found regarding all things golf 🙂.

Take a sharpie and mark a big thick line on a ball. Set that line towards club face vertically. Sharpie will leave mark on club face, straight up is correct lie. 

... True dat. The only question is do I have an iron that covers my yardage gaps. I am currently playing T100-S which are "distance irons" with "jacked lofts". I am playing the same courses I played with all my old irons. It took a little while to figure the distance for each of my new irons, but not too long. I love the way they look at address, love the feel, trajectory and control. I honestly, really REALLY, double pinky swear, would pass a polygraph test that I don't care what is on the sole. That ship sailed a loooooong time ago so I got on board and now I play golf with my irons. I birdied 4 holes today and not a single one of them asked me the loft of the club that I used to hit the green, they just provided a box for me to enter how many strokes I took. 🤪

... If you are on the fence, Steelfibers are a great choice. Don't really feel like steel and don't really feel like graphite but somewhere in-between. They also play about 1/2-1 full flex stouter depending on your swing style. As cnosil already said lots of great choices out there, Recoils are popular with 95 and 110 weights available and unlike Steelfibers they have a soft and dampened feel many love while some find too different than steel. I am currently playing Kuro Kage Tini 105's and have been playing graphite in my irons for close to 20 years and would never go back to steel.