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New vs old drivers


Justin H

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At $400-500 a pop, who can afford to upgrade drivers very often?  Thank goodness for used drivers!

Mizuno JPX EZ driver

Taylormade SLDR HL 3 wood

Mizuno JPX EZ hybrids 3 & 4

Mizuno JPX EZ Irons 4-G

Titleist SM6 Vokey wedge 54.10

Odyssey White Hot Pro V-line putter

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Rick Shiels has been doing some great tests with old vs new drivers from various manufacturers. I think the SLDR was the only driver to show a substantial bump in distance from prior year. In fact, it's still one of the longest based on the low-forward CG. Over the last 5 years, no major manufacturer has really improved on distance. It wasn't until I went through a fitting a few months ago that I realized if I spent $150 on a new shaft, it would do more for my distance/control than a new $500 club. 

Cobra Connect 5 Competitor - Team Chad

  • :cobra-small: King Radspeed 10.5* w/ Hzrdus RDX Blue 60 6.5 tipped 1/2" - Peacoat/Red
  • :cobra-small: King Radspeed Big Tour 3 Wood w/ Hzrdus RDX Blue 70 6.5 Tipped 1/2"
  • :cobra-small: King Radspeed Tour 5 Wood w/ Motore X F1 70 X Flex 
  • :cobra-small: King Utility 4 21* w/ Tensei Pro White 100 X Flex
  • :cobra-small: King Tour MIM Copper Irons 5-G w/ AMT White X100 Onyx
  • :cobra-small: King MIM Black Wedges 55* & 60* w/ AMT White X100 Onyx
  • :taylormade-small: Spider SR
  • :titelist-small: Pro V1x Left Dash
  • Lefty
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The biggest thing that I've noticed with older vs. newer drivers is the ability to dial in settings more.  Some people have the luck, and good enough swing, to grab a club off the rack and go.  No adjustments needed.  I've never been one of those players.  I'm currently playing the Ping G LST.  Even with a lead pipe in a standard driver, my spin numbers are just way too high.  Without the ability to move weights around, I'd be watching my ball go up into space with every shot.  The newer drivers just allow me to eliminate a two way miss, and help minimize my one way miss. 

 

I've seen similar things with fairway woods as well.  I recently went to a Titleist Thursday event, and was amazed by just changing the actual weight inside the head of the new fairway woods how much of a difference it made.  There was a heavier weight that he put in that made the club almost impossible to hit.  It was actually changing my swing.  As soon as the correct weight was in, I couldn't miss with it.

Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Max
3 Wood: Taylormade SIM
3 Utility Iron: Srixon U85
4i – 5i: Taylormade P790
6i – AW: Taylormade P770
SW: Taylormade MG3 TW Grind
LW: Taylormade Hi-Toe 3 Low Bounce
Putter: PXG Battle Ready One & Done

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Rick Shiels has been doing some great tests with old vs new drivers from various manufacturers. I think the SLDR was the only driver to show a substantial bump in distance from prior year. In fact, it's still one of the longest based on the low-forward CG. Over the last 5 years, no major manufacturer has really improved on distance. It wasn't until I went through a fitting a few months ago that I realized if I spent $150 on a new shaft, it would do more for my distance/control than a new $500 club. 

 

I've been watching the 5 year driver tests from Rick Shiels as well, and the most surprising one for me was Titleist. It was the only manufacture that actually improved with every new model. He consistently saw an additional 3 yards of carry for every new model from the 910 to the 917. All other 5 year driver tests I've seen some models gain yardage, others lose yardage compared to the previous. I think this gives some merit to Titleist's 2 year release plan... 

In the Sun Mountain 4.5LS 14-way bag:
Driver: :taylormade-small: M2 10.5° :: Accra FX260
Fairway: :taylormade-small: M5 19° :: Fujikura ATMOS Tour Spec 7X Blue
Hybrid: :titelist-small: TS2 21° :: Mitsubishi Black 80G50
Irons:  :taylormade-small: P790 (5-AW) :: KBS Tour 110
Sand Wedge: :cleveland-small: CBX-2 54° :: KBS Tour 110
Lob Wedge: :cleveland-small: RTX-3 58° :: TT Dynamic Gold
Putter: :cameron-small: Phantom X 5.5
Ball: :titelist-small: AVX
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I have the F6+ with a HRZDUS Black 6.5 75G and it's an absolute beast. I love it. In the bag for years to come. Love that sound.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

So I ended up throwing the F6+ plus and unluckily it hit the cart path and broke. Well I went to the F7 and actually didn't like it at all. One the way home from a terrible round I stopped at the PGATST and hit everything they had. Walked out the Srixon 765 and I love it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

  :srixon-small: Z765 (Project X HRZDUS Yellow 6.0 63g)

:srixon-small:  Z45 (Kuro Kage stiff flex 70g)

:srixon-small:  U65 20* (Miyazaki X-stiff)

:nike-small: VR Pro Combo 4-PW (Project X PXI 6.5)

:nike-small: Engage wedges 52* 58*

:wilson_staff_small: 8802

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Anyone done a test with old vs new? I have a Titleist 905T I've had in the bag since 2005 and recently put in a 915 D2, I get a few extra yards with the 915 but the 905 is so darn accurate and controllable it's not funny. 

 

It's funny how the sounds at impact change over the years, TM still has my favorite muted thud

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I'm in the same boat, I have an old R9 driver. I'd love to get a new one, especially an M2 (winning would be the best LOL), but my old one seems to go the straightest and no real difference in distance when I tested them. If I don't win a new driver by the new year, I will go back to PGASS and retest in Jan.

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It's funny. I watched Rick Shiels new video on the Cobra F8 drivers... Same distances he has been getting from any other driver the past couple years.

 

Let's face it, with the COR limit, there really aren't many more things that can be done to a driver to increase yardage significantly. Weight changes, “aerodynamics”, MOI, face tech, crown/sole tech, etc are all that's being talked about. Jailbreak was tech to make the hit more efficient and lose less energy. Same with Mizuno's new driver sole. Distances aren't ever going to get significantly longer than they are right now, they just can't with the COR limits.

 

I do have one caveat: my KZG VC-460... The Epic SZ was the best vs anything else out there this year until I tried this driver. It MURDERED the SZ. Not even close. Maybe some of these boutique companies have the answer... Maybe the big daddies are limited because they have to mass produce thousands, and thousands of clubs....

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Driver: Ping G430 Max 9*, Ping Tour 70X

Fairway: Ping G425 15*, Ping Tour 70X

Hybrid: Ping G425 22*, Ping Tour 80X

Irons:  Ping i230 4-GW, TT DG X100

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50D/54V/58D:Nippon:Modus 130 stiff, +1”

Putter:  :edel-golf-1: EAS 1.0

Ball: Titleist 2023 AVX

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While distances on center contact may not get longer. The distance improvements will be seen on off center hits as forgiveness improves. Since we can hit the center of the face consistently we get less than optimal results. .

Driver:  :ping-small: G400 Max 9* w/ KBS Tour Driven
Fairway: :titelist-small: TS3 15*  w/Project X Hzardous Smoke
Hybrids:  :titelist-small: 915H 21* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype
                :titelist-small: 915H  24*  w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype        
Irons:      :honma:TR20V 6-11 w/Vizard TR20-85 Graphite
Wedge:  :titleist-small: 54/12D, 60/8M w/:Accra iWedge 90 Graphite
Putter:   :taylormade-small:TM-180

Testing:   SPGC_logo.jpg

Backups:  :odyssey-small: Milled Collection RSX 2, :seemore-small: mFGP2, :cameron-small: Futura 5W

Member:  MGS Hitsquad since 2017697979773_DSCN2368(Custom).JPG.a1a25f5e430d9eebae93c5d652cbd4b9.JPG

 

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I have and can't seem to replace a Mizuno MX500. It pounds the ball still. I have put it head to head against much newer drivers and don't seem to find much gain out of them. Not enough to spend 500 bunch to replace it anyway. I bought an Evnroll instead.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

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  • 1 month later...

Wow. I would have thought there would be continuing comments on this thread. I still play my Titleist 913 ... as nothing seems significently better. Which confirms my take ... it's the shaft ... I will go new when the face collapses.

 

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

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Clearly the marketing emphasis is beginning to shift now from claimed distance gains to selling the benefits of greater accuracy and forgiveness.  TaylorMade's 2018 'Twist Face' marketing campaign represents a huge change in driver marketing philosophy. Gone are those claims of '17 more yards', and in place of that TM suggests you buy the M3/M4 driver because it is more accurate due to 'Twist Face'  

 

Seems the new campaign is finally an acknowledgement from TM that 'real' distance gains for the average player are now quite rare, so TM has  finally decided to abandon the 'myth' of '17 more yards each year', because clearly the consumer doesn't believe that old 'marketing myth' anymore.  

 

Most any driver clubhead that TM has introduced within the past 5-years will be the distance equivalent of the new M3/M4 as long as long as it has been properly fit to a particular player.

 

COR/CT for TaylorMade's Drivers has been maxed out for quite sometime now...the main performance differences between the various TM driver models over the past 5-years have been subtle variations to the spin rate based on moving some weight around both inside and outside the clubhead. Keep in mind that spin rate can affect distance and accuracy in either a positive or a negative way, depending on the unique swing characteristics of a particular player.This explains why TM will continue to offer various driver models with different spin rates for 2018 and beyond.

What's in Bobcat's Bag?  (Showing more than 14 clubs due to options)

 

Driver: :taylormade-small: 9.5* SLDR-C - 45.5" Miyazaki Kusala Black 61s, (1/2" tip)

Fairway: :taylormade-small: Tour issue 15* V-Steel 3W - Fujikura 757 Speeder Stiff

Fairway/Hybrid: :taylormade-small: 15* Rescue Fairway "3-Strong" - VP-90 Stiff 

Hybrids: :taylormade-small: #3 (19*) & #4 (22*) Rescue-Mid TP's - Vista Pro 90 Stiff 

Driving Irons: :taylormade-small: UDI #1 (16*) & #3 (20*) - KBS C-Taper Lite 110 Stiff

Iron Set: :taylormade-small: SLDR Irons (5-8i only) - KBS C-Taper Lite 110 Stiff

Hybrid Wedges: :cleveland-small: 2011 Niblicks 42*PW, 49*DW, 56*SW - Stock

SW/LW: :cleveland-small: CG-16 Black Pearl 58* Low Bounce 8* - Stock Steel Shaft

Putter: :bettinardi-small: BBX-81 Blade - Stock Bettinardi Steel Shaft 

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For me, golf equipment is kind of like computers and smartphones, By the time you fork over the $500,00 for the brand new,longest best, driver on the market. There's already a half dozen better ones hitting the shelves and a dozen more on the drawing board. I am neither rich enough or good enough to "keep up with the Jones" or more like the Johnson's,Speith's and Thomas's. I think a major problem with equipment companies is, if you wait out the newest driver for a few months, and their new newest one comes out, you get the old (6 months old) new driver for hundreds of dollars less. Just my thinking and some thoughts I've read along these lines in other blogs and golf publications. My Bridgestone JGR is a few years old now, and I love it. I just can't fork over hundreds for a driver that may or may not add 5 yards to my drives. At 60 years old, 260- 275 yards is my absolute max and 235-240 yards is more like my average. It is what it is.  :D  :D  :D

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Driver   :bridgestone-small:     JGR 9.5 R Flex Adila 65        

3 Wood  :callaway-logo-1:            XR RFlex Fujikura Evolution

 5 Wood :callaway-logo-1:            XR R Flex Project X 5.5                                     

7Wood  :adams-small:    Speedline LP R Flex Matix HD Radix 5.1                                                                                                           Irons      :bridgestone-small:   4 thru A Wedge  J-15 CB R Flex NS Pro                                                                                                             Wedges :cleveland-small:              56 CG 15                                                                                                                                                                           XE!                      65                                                                                                                                                                       Putter      :EVNROLL:         ER 5  Hatchback                                                                                                                                                Ball          :titelist-small:                 NXT Tour S                                                                                                                                      

 

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For me, golf equipment is kind of like computers and smartphones, By the time you fork over the $500,00 for the brand new,longest best, driver on the market. There's already a half dozen better ones hitting the shelves and a dozen more on the drawing board. I am neither rich enough or good enough to "keep up with the Jones" or more like the Johnson's,Speith's and Thomas's. I think a major problem with equipment companies is, if you wait out the newest driver for a few months, and their new newest one comes out, you get the old (6 months old) new driver for hundreds of dollars less. Just my thinking and some thoughts I've read along these lines in other blogs and golf publications. My Bridgestone JGR is a few years old now, and I love it. I just can't fork over hundreds for a driver that may or may not add 5 yards to my drives. At 60 years old, 260- 275 yards is my absolute max and 235-240 yards is more like my average. It is what it is.  :D  :D  :D

 

Kevin I think you've summed up the market well. I just don't believe the golf marketing. I mean... does anybody? Well yes... they do actually. Just look around your course and count the Epics on any given day. And soon it will be the Rogue. Then later it will be the Rogue Epic and after that the Rogue Epic Sub-Zero. Each one better than the one before. Gimme a break.  I play a 2014 SLDR and absolutely love the club. It's a fairway machine and plenty long for me. I'm a month shy of 63 and still average about 250 off the tee. I just purchased a brand new 2015 Cobra Fly-Z+ for $90. When it came out it was rated by MGS to be one of the top three drivers to come out that year. The Flyz+ had it all they said. Nothing could beat it. I bought mine for fun and games basically. I'm going to mess around with it and see what goes. If I like it and can play it well I'll bag it. If not I stick with the SLDR.

My Sun Mountain bag currently includes:   TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 771CSI 5i - PW and TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges

                                                                               :755178188_TourEdge: EXS 10.5*, TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 929-HS FW4 16.5* 

                                                                                :edel-golf-1: Willimette w/GolfPride Contour

 

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Kevin I think you've summed up the market well. I just don't believe the golf marketing. I mean... does anybody? Well yes... they do actually. Just look around your course and count the Epics on any given day. And soon it will be the Rogue. Then later it will be the Rogue Epic and after that the Rogue Epic Sub-Zero. Each one better than the one before. Gimme a break. I play a 2014 SLDR and absolutely love the club. It's a fairway machine and plenty long for me. I'm a month shy of 63 and still average about 250 off the tee. I just purchased a brand new 2015 Cobra Fly-Z+ for $90. When it came out it was rated by MGS to be one of the top three drivers to come out that year. The Flyz+ had it all they said. Nothing could beat it. I bought mine for fun and games basically. I'm going to mess around with it and see what goes. If I like it and can play it well I'll bag it. If not I stick with the SLDR.

Just did the same with a Wilson Triton. Even paid the same; $90, LOLZ. Lots of guys here like the Triton, and this one had a shaft that interested me. For that price, I wanted to see what it could do. In 2-3 yrs, if an M2 pops up, I'll do the same. Can't ever see myself buying a new first gen driver ever again.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

"Where'd it go?"  "Right in the Lumberyard..."

126422322_PXGLogo_2.png.74a339363ba3931cc4fc226a253621f8.png Gen 2  0811 XF 10.5*  Graphite Design Tour AD DI-6x

126422322_PXGLogo_2.png.74a339363ba3931cc4fc226a253621f8.png Gen 2 0211 15* 3W Mitsubishi Tensei Raw Blue 65-S
:bridgestone-small:  Tour B JGR 15*   Fairway UST ProForce V2 7F5 76g X-Flex

(These two are gonna fight it out in early "24 to see who stays in the bag...)


:bridgestone-small:  Tour B JGR 19* & 22* Hybrid UST ProForce V2 90g X-Flex
:bridgestone-small:  Tour B JGR HF-2 irons (5i - PW)  KBS Tour 130x

:cleveland-small: CBX Wedges (50, 54, 58)  TT Dynamic Gold 115 Wedge Shaft
MATI  Mamo Putter 33"  Super Stroke Football League 3.0 Slim
MX21TOURYLW_NOCOLOR_FRT.jpg.79e37b9c329b3d3a644cb61d2746a057.jpg

:ping-small: Hoofer Camo Stand Bag

:918457628_PrecisionPro: Precision Pro Nexus Rangefinder

:PuttOut:FAN!

1711524086_TheGrintlogo_text_1.png.c1eb3f656b10191d1fc9a14a0fd77f95.png PRO Member

 

 

 

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Kevin I think you've summed up the market well. I just don't believe the golf marketing. I mean... does anybody? Well yes... they do actually. Just look around your course and count the Epics on any given day. And soon it will be the Rogue. Then later it will be the Rogue Epic and after that the Rogue Epic Sub-Zero. Each one better than the one before. Gimme a break.  I play a 2014 SLDR and absolutely love the club. It's a fairway machine and plenty long for me. I'm a month shy of 63 and still average about 250 off the tee. I just purchased a brand new 2015 Cobra Fly-Z+ for $90. When it came out it was rated by MGS to be one of the top three drivers to come out that year. The Flyz+ had it all they said. Nothing could beat it. I bought mine for fun and games basically. I'm going to mess around with it and see what goes. If I like it and can play it well I'll bag it. If not I stick with the SLDR.

You bring home the girl you brought. Or, something like that. Changing clubs every year or two, because something is advertised as better or because DJ uses it, or I can get 5 more guaranteed yards on a drive,is just not financially feasible nor am I DJ.

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Driver   :bridgestone-small:     JGR 9.5 R Flex Adila 65        

3 Wood  :callaway-logo-1:            XR RFlex Fujikura Evolution

 5 Wood :callaway-logo-1:            XR R Flex Project X 5.5                                     

7Wood  :adams-small:    Speedline LP R Flex Matix HD Radix 5.1                                                                                                           Irons      :bridgestone-small:   4 thru A Wedge  J-15 CB R Flex NS Pro                                                                                                             Wedges :cleveland-small:              56 CG 15                                                                                                                                                                           XE!                      65                                                                                                                                                                       Putter      :EVNROLL:         ER 5  Hatchback                                                                                                                                                Ball          :titelist-small:                 NXT Tour S                                                                                                                                      

 

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Or perhaps; "dance with the one that brung ya". :)

My Sun Mountain bag currently includes:   TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 771CSI 5i - PW and TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges

                                                                               :755178188_TourEdge: EXS 10.5*, TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 929-HS FW4 16.5* 

                                                                                :edel-golf-1: Willimette w/GolfPride Contour

 

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Up until last night I was playing the 8 y.o. TM Burner Superfast. I went and picked up the F8+, but I am still waiting on the proper shaft to be sent to me. In terms of distance I am not concerned about any gains. I'm hoping that with a proper shaft I will limit my hook misses from over drawing the ball.

 

Beers & Birdies

In my bag


 


Driver  :cobra-small:  F8+ 


Fairway:  :cobra-small: F8+ (15°)


UT:   :callaway-small:  XForged 18°


Irons:   :ping-small:  i200 (4-PW)


Wedge:   :callaway-small:  62 


Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM6 52 | 56


Putter:  Odyssey Dual Force 2


 

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For me, golf equipment is kind of like computers and smartphones, By the time you fork over the $500,00 for the brand new,longest best, driver on the market. There's already a half dozen better ones hitting the shelves and a dozen more on the drawing board. I am neither rich enough or good enough to "keep up with the Jones" or more like the Johnson's,Speith's and Thomas's. I think a major problem with equipment companies is, if you wait out the newest driver for a few months, and their new newest one comes out, you get the old (6 months old) new driver for hundreds of dollars less. Just my thinking and some thoughts I've read along these lines in other blogs and golf publications. My Bridgestone JGR is a few years old now, and I love it. I just can't fork over hundreds for a driver that may or may not add 5 yards to my drives. At 60 years old, 260- 275 yards is my absolute max and 235-240 yards is more like my average. It is what it is.  :D  :D  :D

 

 

... I have been going to the PGA Show for the last 13 years and play a new driver every season, mostly because I write reviews. Many years I have chosen a Best New Driver that has a different look or sound/feel or less spin or a different trajectory yet more often than not, no performance increase. However a few years I did find a performance increase with the SLDR, Fly Z and Epic among them. Had I not been interested in trying all the new drivers, I never would have discovered these performance increases for my swing. 

 

... And one thing I always take exception to is that golfers do not need a new driver every year. Because many will need a new driver in 2018 for a myriad of reasons. They have not upgraded in 5 years or more. New stock shafts will make a big difference for them. They have improved and need a new driver that matches their swing. They have aged or practice/play less and need a new driver that matches their swing. 

 

... I think every golfer should demo new divers every year. But I also think most will not find something better than what they are currently playing IF they were properly fit with their current driver. I gotta admit I love marketing and it gives you reasons why there may be an improvement for your particular game. Obviously you need to read between the lines as you do with any product being marketed and a "more forgiving driver that increases launch that is longer and straighter" will appeal to a different player than "solid low spin driver with a lower launch that is longer and straighter". Ignore the longer and straighter as every new driver touts this and concentrate on the characteristics that do apply to your swing. And I agree with you that nobody should fork over hundreds of dollars for a driver than may or may not add 5 yds if they have not demoed one with shafts that fit their swing. 

 

... All that said, if you have something that is working for you I also get not even bothering with demoing new drivers. Drivers have been so good the last 5 years it is tough to find a substantial increase or any increase in performance depending on your swing and abilities. Some are willing to pay for 5 more yards and some are not. I could still be playing my 4 year old Fly Z and be very happy yet look forward to demoing the F8 and Rogue this year. Different strokes and all. 

Driver:     :taylormade-small:  Qi10 10.5* ... Ventus Red Velocore 5R
Fairway:  :cobra-small: Aerojet 3/5 ... Kai'li Blue 60R
Hybrids:  :ping-small:      430 Hybrid 22*... Steelfiber 780Hy 
                  :taylormade-small:  DHy #4 ... Diamana LTD 65r 
Irons:       :titleist-small:         '23 T200 5-Pw ... Steelfiber i95r
Wedges:  :taylormade-small: Vokey 50*/54*/58* ... Steelfiber i95r
Putter:     :cobra-small:  Sport-60 33" 
Ball:           Maxfli     Maxfli Tour

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I fully understand and respect your position...........Happy demo- ing.... :D

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Driver   :bridgestone-small:     JGR 9.5 R Flex Adila 65        

3 Wood  :callaway-logo-1:            XR RFlex Fujikura Evolution

 5 Wood :callaway-logo-1:            XR R Flex Project X 5.5                                     

7Wood  :adams-small:    Speedline LP R Flex Matix HD Radix 5.1                                                                                                           Irons      :bridgestone-small:   4 thru A Wedge  J-15 CB R Flex NS Pro                                                                                                             Wedges :cleveland-small:              56 CG 15                                                                                                                                                                           XE!                      65                                                                                                                                                                       Putter      :EVNROLL:         ER 5  Hatchback                                                                                                                                                Ball          :titelist-small:                 NXT Tour S                                                                                                                                      

 

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Or perhaps; "dance with the one that brung ya". :)

Lol...that's the West Texas version........ :D

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Driver   :bridgestone-small:     JGR 9.5 R Flex Adila 65        

3 Wood  :callaway-logo-1:            XR RFlex Fujikura Evolution

 5 Wood :callaway-logo-1:            XR R Flex Project X 5.5                                     

7Wood  :adams-small:    Speedline LP R Flex Matix HD Radix 5.1                                                                                                           Irons      :bridgestone-small:   4 thru A Wedge  J-15 CB R Flex NS Pro                                                                                                             Wedges :cleveland-small:              56 CG 15                                                                                                                                                                           XE!                      65                                                                                                                                                                       Putter      :EVNROLL:         ER 5  Hatchback                                                                                                                                                Ball          :titelist-small:                 NXT Tour S                                                                                                                                      

 

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Last year I used various drivers, depending on course type and weather.

 

Used a titleist 905T (10.5 nv65), Nike Vr Tour (10.5 project x blue 6.0)

Longest stint in the bag and most reliable was a Nike Sq sumo round (9.5 UST tourflight purple stiff).

 

Vr was longest but only by 3-4 yrds compared to sq sumo. 905t was most accurate, but about 7-8 yds. than vr.

 

Shafts and loft come into play, but for me so does strike. Tried a XR pro 9.0 rogue silver and high or low middle strikes, wouldn't work for me. Also experiment with mini driver (975j 9.5 ust purple 65). Decent club on center, but lost chunks of yds on dispersion.

 

Currently settled on ping g30 10.5 tour 60. Feels way easier to launch with right amount of spin, and is a fairway finder.

 

In summation, for me older drivers work when on, but on off days end up in scrupulous areas, so cig placement is key, tied to loft, but most important is strike/forgiveness with off center yardage.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

WITB 2021
Driver: Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo 9* w/ C.Kua Stiff

FW: Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo 15* w/ C.Kua Stiff

HY: Cleveland Launcher Halo 19* w/ C.Kua Stiff 

Irons: Titleist 716 AP1 4-PW w/ KBS 90 Stiff

Wedges: Vokey SM8 50*, 54*, & 60^

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Laguna 2 OR OG Futura

Ball: :titelist-small: ProV1/V1x OR Chrome Soft TT

Bag: Sun Mountain 2019 4.5 14way carry

Clothes: Nike OR Under Armour 

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Initial impressions: 2014 SLDR vs. 2015 Fly-Z+

 

As some of you know I've recently purchased a new driver to test out. It's brand new but old. A 2015 Cobra Flyz+. Yesterday before I played I took it out on the practice tee and after warming up a bit I pulled the FZ+. Granted I didn't have much time before our game to really test it much but my initial thought was positive. The FZ+ is set at 11.5* loft and the flip-zone weight at the rear. I proceeded to hit perhaps 5-6 balls. My ball flight was slightly lower than I'm accustomed to and distance seemed good. However, I was hitting most of these shots slightly to the right. The FZ+ also felt a bit heavier which I guess should be expected since it's got a 65g shaft vs. the SLDR with a 57g shaft. The SLDR head is also lofted higher. It's marked as a 14* head and I have it set at about 12* with a slight draw bias in the sliding weight track. I proceeded to the first tee with the SLDR in my bag and drove the ball most of the day.

 

I'd like to take my SLDR (and FZ+) by a shop and have the clubs measured for weight and loft, etc. to use as a baseline. Maybe later today or over the weekend I'll have another opportunity to work with the FZ+ some more. I have a friend that owns a Golf Headquarters so I might also be able to get a couple of shafts to test.

 

I think this will be an interesting experiment. Besides the shaft I suspect the differences in loft of the SLDR vs. FZ+ is going to be big factor in this exercise.

My Sun Mountain bag currently includes:   TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 771CSI 5i - PW and TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges

                                                                               :755178188_TourEdge: EXS 10.5*, TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 929-HS FW4 16.5* 

                                                                                :edel-golf-1: Willimette w/GolfPride Contour

 

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... I have been going to the PGA Show for the last 13 years and play a new driver every season, mostly because I write reviews. Many years I have chosen a Best New Driver that has a different look or sound/feel or less spin or a different trajectory yet more often than not, no performance increase. However a few years I did find a performance increase with the SLDR, Fly Z and Epic among them. Had I not been interested in trying all the new drivers, I never would have discovered these performance increases for my swing.

 

... And one thing I always take exception to is that golfers do not need a new driver every year. Because many will need a new driver in 2018 for a myriad of reasons. They have not upgraded in 5 years or more. New stock shafts will make a big difference for them. They have improved and need a new driver that matches their swing. They have aged or practice/play less and need a new driver that matches their swing.

 

... I think every golfer should demo new divers every year. But I also think most will not find something better than what they are currently playing IF they were properly fit with their current driver. I gotta admit I love marketing and it gives you reasons why there may be an improvement for your particular game. Obviously you need to read between the lines as you do with any product being marketed and a "more forgiving driver that increases launch that is longer and straighter" will appeal to a different player than "solid low spin driver with a lower launch that is longer and straighter". Ignore the longer and straighter as every new driver touts this and concentrate on the characteristics that do apply to your swing. And I agree with you that nobody should fork over hundreds of dollars for a driver than may or may not add 5 yds if they have not demoed one with shafts that fit their swing.

 

... All that said, if you have something that is working for you I also get not even bothering with demoing new drivers. Drivers have been so good the last 5 years it is tough to find a substantial increase or any increase in performance depending on your swing and abilities. Some are willing to pay for 5 more yards and some are not. I could still be playing my 4 year old Fly Z and be very happy yet look forward to demoing the F8 and Rogue this year. Different strokes and all.

I'm in this boat. I have been to the same demo day for four years straight. All of the major OEMs have their tents and I go through “fittings” with all of the stock options. It's fun, and a great way to see if something DOES provide an improvement. Most times I walk away and don't purchase, sometimes I do find a better driver.

Last year, the Epic was enough of an improvement for me to switch. Then, my KZG blew away the Epic.. How would I have known this had I not gone through fittings? Demo days are free and you get to see firsthand all of the new offerings from Driver to putter. I say why not? If the “stock” shafts don't work perfectly, but you leave intrigued, one can then go to a true fitter and see if a shaft change makes the club come alive.

It's easy to say, “Nothing can beat my——,” but never actually put the claim to the test. Is that any different than an OEM saying, “Nothing can beat our ——,” yet never put it to the test????

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Driver: Ping G430 Max 9*, Ping Tour 70X

Fairway: Ping G425 15*, Ping Tour 70X

Hybrid: Ping G425 22*, Ping Tour 80X

Irons:  Ping i230 4-GW, TT DG X100

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50D/54V/58D:Nippon:Modus 130 stiff, +1”

Putter:  :edel-golf-1: EAS 1.0

Ball: Titleist 2023 AVX

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Initial impressions: 2014 SLDR vs. 2015 Fly-Z+

 

As some of you know I've recently purchased a new driver to test out. It's brand new but old. A 2015 Cobra Flyz+. Yesterday before I played I took it out on the practice tee and after warming up a bit I pulled the FZ+. Granted I didn't have much time before our game to really test it much but my initial thought was positive. The FZ+ is set at 11.5* loft and the flip-zone weight at the rear. I proceeded to hit perhaps 5-6 balls. My ball flight was slightly lower than I'm accustomed to and distance seemed good. However, I was hitting most of these shots slightly to the right. The FZ+ also felt a bit heavier which I guess should be expected since it's got a 65g shaft vs. the SLDR with a 57g shaft. The SLDR head is also lofted higher. It's marked as a 14* head and I have it set at about 12* with a slight draw bias in the sliding weight track. I proceeded to the first tee with the SLDR in my bag and drove the ball most of the day.

 

I'd like to take my SLDR (and FZ+) by a shop and have the clubs measured for weight and loft, etc. to use as a baseline. Maybe later today or over the weekend I'll have another opportunity to work with the FZ+ some more. I have a friend that owns a Golf Headquarters so I might also be able to get a couple of shafts to test.

 

I think this will be an interesting experiment. Besides the shaft I suspect the differences in loft of the SLDR vs. FZ+ is going to be big factor in this exercise.

 

... Good stuff Plaid and I look forward to your follow up. I am not sure you will find much difference between the two or the kind of difference you may find with the non + Fly Z vs the SLDR but it should be interesting. It was no coincidence many Pro's kept the SLDR in their bag for several years, Freddie and DLIII come to mind. I did not find the Z+ to be much more forgiving or longer than my SLDR but have read others that raved about the Z+. I think if you find someone with similar swing characteristics you can get an idea of how a club may work for you but everyone is different and sometimes a club just clicks. Hopefully that is the case with the Z+. Good luck in your testing! 

Driver:     :taylormade-small:  Qi10 10.5* ... Ventus Red Velocore 5R
Fairway:  :cobra-small: Aerojet 3/5 ... Kai'li Blue 60R
Hybrids:  :ping-small:      430 Hybrid 22*... Steelfiber 780Hy 
                  :taylormade-small:  DHy #4 ... Diamana LTD 65r 
Irons:       :titleist-small:         '23 T200 5-Pw ... Steelfiber i95r
Wedges:  :taylormade-small: Vokey 50*/54*/58* ... Steelfiber i95r
Putter:     :cobra-small:  Sport-60 33" 
Ball:           Maxfli     Maxfli Tour

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  • 3 months later...

My two gamer drivers are an X2Hot cut to 44" and a 45" Aeroburner but I visit Calgary often and play out there as well and was there last month so I thought I'd scour the used ads on Kijiji to see what I could find.  With two feet of snow on the ground I thought I'd pick up something cheap and used just to hit some balls in one of the local domes.  I found a guy selling 14 clubs including a full set of Titleist DCI 962 irons and a Titleist 905S and a couple of oddball 3 woods and a 5 wood for the grand total of $75.  Expectations were low but I hit the clubs beautifully.  Faces were in great shape for their age, not looking any different than my own 4 year old Adams irons.   I scoured the internetz for info on the driver and supposedly it was low launching and made for more "serious" golfers, aka not me.  It did launch low but I hit it very well and as consistent as my newer driver and really liked the look of the slightly smaller head.   I hit them so well I think I'm going to leave my game bag at home next time I head out west in August and just play those clubs and save the cost and hassle of transporting my game bag across the country.  Just need to bring some Pure grips with me and make a quick change in the garage and I'm good to go!

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Now that Cleveland has brought back a version of the HiBore, I really want to get a chance to try it out. I had one of the original HiBores and it was maybe the best performing driver I've ever owned. I'm on my third driver since giving it up (2015 M2) and I'm seriously considering another change.

Driver:  :PXG: 311XF Gen5, Tensei CK Pro Orange, S flex

Fariway:  :PXG: 311XF Gen6 3-Wood, Tensei Blue 55g R flex

Hybrid:   :PXG: 211, 3H Project X Evenflow H, 80g, 5.5

              :titleist-small: TSR2 4H, Tensei Blue R (Forum Tester)

Irons:  :titleist-small: T200 2023, Tensei Blue R (Forum Tester), 5-GW

Wedges:   :cleveland-small: CBX2 Zipcore  52*, 56* Project X Catalyst Spinner Graphite Shaft

Putter: :EVNROLL: ER2 Murdered Out

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Now that Cleveland has brought back a version of the HiBore, I really want to get a chance to try it out. I had one of the original HiBores and it was maybe the best performing driver I've ever owned. I'm on my third driver since giving it up (2015 M2) and I'm seriously considering another change.

Well you're in luck. (sort of) I was selected to test and rank the new Cleveland driver by they kind folks here. My current driver is the same as your M2. So while our games could be different I will hopefully be able to give you a good idea of what you can expect between the two drivers. Please feel free to PM me any questions or test requests and I'll see what I can make happen.

 

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

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I've still got an F6 in the bag and it suits me fine. I hit it against an F7 and didn't notice much difference at all. Maybe the F8 would give me a few more yards, but I'm confident with it in the bag. Why mess with that?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

In my  :wilson_staff_small:  carry bag:
:mizuno-small: ST-X 10.5* Kai'li Blue R Flex
:mizuno-small: ST-Z 15* Kai/li Blue R Flex
:mizuno-small: ST-Z 4h Linq Blue R Flex
:cleveland-small: Launcher 5h
:cleveland-small: Launcher CBX 6i-PW
:cleveland-small: CBX 54* & 58*
:cleveland-small: Huntington Beach #10
:bridgestone-small: e12 Contact
CURRENTLY TESTING - Mizuno Long Game

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I've still got an F6 in the bag and it suits me fine. I hit it against an F7 and didn't notice much difference at all. Maybe the F8 would give me a few more yards, but I'm confident with it in the bag. Why mess with that?

 

 

... This is squarely in the two schools of thought when it comes to golf clubs. Some will always demo and give serious consideration to the new clubs that come out, comparing them to what they play and deciding whether or not they should move to the new club. Some will make the move for a few extra yards. Some want to see at least 5 more yards and others even more. Of course some (like myself) will make the move just for a new look, feel or sound as long as the performance is equal to or greater than what they are playing.

 

... That said, it is very difficult to counter " I'm confident with it in the bag" because in the end, that is really all that matters. I too liked the F6 more than the F7. But for several reasons I am playing the F8, including the milled face, Arccos and the carbon crown. But I could put my F6 back in the bag and be perfectly happy. 

Driver:     :taylormade-small:  Qi10 10.5* ... Ventus Red Velocore 5R
Fairway:  :cobra-small: Aerojet 3/5 ... Kai'li Blue 60R
Hybrids:  :ping-small:      430 Hybrid 22*... Steelfiber 780Hy 
                  :taylormade-small:  DHy #4 ... Diamana LTD 65r 
Irons:       :titleist-small:         '23 T200 5-Pw ... Steelfiber i95r
Wedges:  :taylormade-small: Vokey 50*/54*/58* ... Steelfiber i95r
Putter:     :cobra-small:  Sport-60 33" 
Ball:           Maxfli     Maxfli Tour

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