Are Forum Member Reviews Realistic?

[PlaidJacket]

I got to wondering this morning just how legit are the forum member reviews we do around here. Maybe legit isn't the right term.... realistic perhaps? The reason I'm bringing this up is because the clubs we review are not custom fit. I did a review a few years ago and my club was OTR basically. All I did was select a generic shaft stiffness and perhaps a grip size. It was the 2014 14* SLDR.

 

I'd say a large percentage of us that participate regularly in the forum are all fit to our equipment. In fact, I also guess most of us do not buy OTR equipment without a fitting. We have discussion all the time about how important fitting is and how we get fit for this and that. Yet, all the equipment we review isn't fit at all. It's basically OTR.

 

So, I suppose what I'm saying is... if for instance you are selected to test a set of irons, or wedge, or a driver, etc., these clubs you're receiving are not custom fit for you. Mine wasn't. Therefore, how can our reviews be considered realistic? All you can request are a few basic options. Perhaps things such as generic shaft stiffness, or a certain lie angle, or grip size. And even then you're just guessing. It's not custom fit to you. And it can't be in this environment.

 

Look, I'm not trying to put-down or be overly critical or suggest our reviews don't have merit. I enjoy reading them and even participated in one myself. But club reviews based on non-fitted OTR equipment might not be your best indicator if you're thinking of buying equipment.

 

What say you?

[fozcycle]

Those are good questions PJ......However, the Cobra F6 irons were custom fit for me......I requested 2* flat, standard length with regular flex graphite shafts.  and that's exactly what I got.......and let me tell you, they have performed admirably.

 

As for the reviews, I believe that they can provide a much needed analysis of the new equipment.  Sure, not everyone testing equipment will be the right fit for their game, but they still provide insight.

[oaks]

For me I think that my review was very realistic and relevent of the JPX-EZ irons.  Mizuno offered to have us custom fit for the irons (unfortunately that was one thing that was lacking as they supposedly couldn't find me a fitter - I knew of 2 or 3 in my area, but so be it).  That being said I was fit by TaylorMade on 2 different occasions for my current irons - both fittings came out identical - I got very similar dispersion and distance with either the DG X-100 or the PX 6.5 so I was comfortable with either shaft choice.  

 

I ordered exactly off of my TM Specs - same lie angle, same length, I ordered the PX 6.5 this time around instead of the DG's (not sure it would have made an overall difference in my not liking of the irons) and I went with MCC+4 instead of standard MCC's.  

 

Maybe I was lucky in that I was able to order exactly what I wanted and how I wanted it from the menu - I just didn't care for the taste.  

[Undershooter]

Well the best thing to do is to take out any variable that would make things different. For example, if you have been previously fit for irons then try and make sure the specs are very similar and the shafts match up. If you can't make the shaft match then get as close as possible and then make the lofts, lie angles and length match up. While there is no way to get fit for them alot of the time you can at least match them up to previous fittings and see how that works. 

[revkev]

It's a very good question. 

 

I've been a tester for a variety of equipment at MGS.  The only one of those tests that would have required a fitting was the SCOR wedge one.  I've also been the winner of a significant amount of equipment in 2 "contests."  Since one of those prizes included SCORs and also a fitting I was simply able to tell the folks at SCOR what I had been fit into so those clubs were fit as were the irons that I was comparing them to so it was apples to apples. 

 

Generally our testing parameters are pretty specific and if you read the upfront info it may well be that the tester is expected to replicate what the normal consumer would experience, ie. use the online fitting tool or give the Forum Moderator your specs - that might be a better way to test than going to get fit, fit.

 

In the end the wise consumer should use the results and comments made by testers as a starting point not the ending point in regards to equipment.  I think the addition of personal information about each tester is a great move by MGS.

[hckymeyer]

Like the guys have mentioned above me, for a lot of the equipment we test you are able to order certain specs.  I'm currently testing the Hogan PTx and while I couldn't specify the shaft I wanted, I was able to order the lofts, lie, length, swing weight, grip size and shaft flex I wanted.  I was also able to soft step the flex to hopefully be a better fit.

 

Some products being reviewed aren't going to have that ability to order different specs, but that should be stated in the review as well so you know what you are looking at.

 

That said I have been fit several times for irons and know my specs.  Not all testers are going to have past fitting experience to go off of.

 

That's one thing I really like about the re-vamped review template.  It gives the testers a chance to tell us about their game and swing.  Hopefully that helps when reading the reviews as you can see if someone has the same tendencies that you do and can then more easily relate to one reviewer over another.

 

The last thing to remember is that 90+% of people are buying OTR clubs.  Getting fit is still in the vast minority as far as the general golfing population goes.  I would say that the review process is even MORE relevant if that is the case.  If an OTR product works for a certain reviewer that seems to have a similar swing and game to your own it might be worth more than a review of a product that was custom fit for that individual golfer.  Especially if the guy reading the review isn't planning on getting fit.

 

At the end of the day all these reviews are just starting points in the search for equipment.  Read them all with a grain of salt and then go out and hit a bunch of clubs and see what works.  Or as you've stated go get fit and remove any doubts about what should work for you

[Golfspy_CG2]

Good topic.

 

I will say as a new member to the site and one that has read a handful of the product reviews, I find them helpful and believe them to be solid information.

 

Two points,

The first main one is @hckmeyer hit the nail on the head, most consumer buy off the rack without a fitting, so the information provided here may help them in that case.

 

Two, I would think the vast majority of the members here who sign up to be a tester already have a pretty good idea of their specs, and as long as the OEM is willing to send out products to those specs (as long as they are pretty normal), you should be getting a product that is what your used to spec wise.  i understand they may not send out custom tour level shafts but generally the L/L/L should help.   I understand some testers may have a X speed swing an need a low torque shaft.   Maybe they can test the standard shaft to an extent, then come back later if they have it re shafted with their own.

 

I much prefer the forum testing to another site that I have frequented that pretty much is 98% staff writer reviewed.  I like the variety of the feedback here from different level of players. 

[BIG STU]

The one test I did for the Renegar Wedges was and I stand by it. Now I will say that I have the equipment and know how to custom fit myself. In fact out of the box they would not worked for me but neither would any other brand in any shape fashion or form. I did my initial evaluation and then sent a PM to John and asked if it was acceptable in this test for me to 'fit and modify" to my needs , He responded with yes just detail and document the changes in the test which I did. Most clubs from the factory rightfully so are engineered to fit the general masses. In my case I play my wedges a little more upright than most at 65* and have to have them really bottom end heavy around D-9 or so. That comes from learning the game many moons ago with the old bottom heavy Macgergor and Wilson wedges of the day. That test was a real learning curve for me personally> I had never worked with the KBS Wedge shafts before and learned a lot about them main thing that I had to add a lot of weight to the bottom to get them to kick to fit me. But some folks are different and can take a stock club out of the box and do just fine with it. I happen not to be one of those guys

 

In a nutshell I read all the tests even if that piece of equipment does not appeal to me. I learn a lot from how others present their tests because one of my faults is having trouble expressing my thoughts written down. In person with club in hand I can express what my thoughts are good. All in all I think everyone on here does an objective and honest test. And others ask honest to the point questions and they get a honest answer. Here on MGS this is a good thing

[BIG STU]

Like the guys have mentioned above me, for a lot of the equipment we test you are able to order certain specs.  I'm currently testing the Hogan PTx and while I couldn't specify the shaft I wanted, I was able to order the lofts, lie, length, swing weight, grip size and shaft flex I wanted.  I was also able to soft step the flex to hopefully be a better fit.

 

Some products being reviewed aren't going to have that ability to order different specs, but that should be stated in the review as well so you know what you are looking at.

 

That said I have been fit several times for irons and know my specs.  Not all testers are going to have past fitting experience to go off of.

 

That's one thing I really like about the re-vamped review template.  It gives the testers a chance to tell us about their game and swing.  Hopefully that helps when reading the reviews as you can see if someone has the same tendencies that you do and can then more easily relate to one reviewer over another.

 

The last thing to remember is that 90+% of people are buying OTR clubs.  Getting fit is still in the vast minority as far as the general golfing population goes.  I would say that the review process is even MORE relevant if that is the case.  If an OTR product works for a certain reviewer that seems to have a similar swing and game to your own it might be worth more than a review of a product that was custom fit for that individual golfer.  Especially if the guy reading the review isn't planning on getting fit.

 

At the end of the day all these reviews are just starting points in the search for equipment.  Read them all with a grain of salt and then go out and hit a bunch of clubs and see what works.  Or as you've stated go get fit and remove any doubts about what should work for you

Well Stated there Hcky

[BIG STU]

It's a very good question. 

 

I've been a tester for a variety of equipment at MGS.  The only one of those tests that would have required a fitting was the SCOR wedge one.  I've also been the winner of a significant amount of equipment in 2 "contests."  Since one of those prizes included SCORs and also a fitting I was simply able to tell the folks at SCOR what I had been fit into so those clubs were fit as were the irons that I was comparing them to so it was apples to apples. 

 

Generally our testing parameters are pretty specific and if you read the upfront info it may well be that the tester is expected to replicate what the normal consumer would experience, ie. use the online fitting tool or give the Forum Moderator your specs - that might be a better way to test than going to get fit, fit.

 

In the end the wise consumer should use the results and comments made by testers as a starting point not the ending point in regards to equipment.  I think the addition of personal information about each tester is a great move by MGS.

that last bit was something some of us together came up with in a panel last winter. MGS Staff gave some of us an opportunity to have input on the new testing policies. That goes to show one of the reasons this site is so great along with great members

[PlaidJacket]

I'm finding comments to be interesting.

 

What I think I'm hearing/learning is that you can pretty much order your test clubs to fit you. Sort of. And by that I mean if you have or know the specs from a set you currently play and like. Therefore, I guess I'd order my test set to the same specs was my Wishons more or less. But that would still be somewhat like OTR. Another interesting point.... is Custom Fitting really all that necessary? For you? For me personally I'm completely sold on custom fitting. I seriously doubt I'll ever buy another piece of golf equipment that isn't custom fit. (I need all the help I can get) In years past I'd get a new set of irons and then set about re-training my swing to fit my clubs. Not with custom fitting.

 

Foz has a set of Cobra's he's testing and loves them. The 3 or 4 basic specs he requested worked great for him. So much so he's giving away his previous beloved set of Bio-Cell's. He didn't require any fancy professional fitting. Other guys like Big Stu, Rev, Hcky, Undershooter, have the experience and knowledge I believe to better understand fitting and the specs they require in a club. They can request detailed shaft designs, head weighting, etc. Where a guy like me relies on an expert to figure all that out and get it right. But then again.... the reviews here on MGS are not reviews of custom fit clubs. Maybe a close fit?

[null]

I believe a good forum review shouldn't be about how well a club fits the reviewer. I can review a driver that spins too much to be my gamer, but still provide a review that meets the needs of the community by explaining who the driver would be a better fit for and what the driver's strengths and weaknesses are.

 

Just because a driver like the Bio Cell or X2 Hot didn't jive with me doesn't mean they were bad clubs.

 

It's so easy for a reviewer to focus on how well the club fits him rather than focusing on the club itself

[Golfspy_CG2]

I believe a good forum review shouldn't be about how well a club fits the reviewer. I can review a driver that spins too much to be my gamer, but still provide a review that meets the needs of the community by explaining who the driver would be a better fit for and what the driver's strengths and weaknesses are.

Just because a driver like the Bio Cell or X2 Hot didn't jive with me doesn't mean they were bad clubs.

It's so easy for a reviewer to focus on how well the club fits him rather than focusing on the club itself

Can I like this post 100 times!! Okay double exclamation marks will have to do.

[Thatginger96]

I struggle with fittings to be honest. No matter the store or the launch monitor, I always swing slower and shorter than I do out on the course. I got custom fit for a set of irons back in 2015 by my areas top TaylorMade fitter and I was not happy with my fit. He had me in a regular flex set claiming that no matter my swing speed I didn't need more than a regular flex. I normally play a stiff or X stiff flex for the record. He also put me into a shaft that I had used before and never got along with. I asked to stop the fitting following him recommending I get 3 degrees flat and 2 degrees strong of lofts for extra distance. I thanked him for his time and paid for my fitting, but I did not buy the irons. I am saying all of this because I personally think that OTR is great for the majority and I don't think that the custom fit of clubs should matter too much into the review process. I see custom fitting as an option to fine tune and modify a club, but not a must for a club to work.

[Jmikecpa]

I think it is a matter of opinion. I have tested the Hogan Ft. Worth 15s and TK wedges as well as the Ft Worth 15 Hi. I know my specs and what works for me and did the homework to compare my specs to the Hogan specs and ordered them to my spec. Did I get custom fit....no. Did I get equipment that fit me...yes I did. When it came to shafts Hogan's online tool put me into Recoil 110s in an X stiff. I have never played graphite iron shafts in my life but they worked out very well. And if they didn't then the community got some of my thoughts on the shafts as well as the fitting tool. I view the testing as one of the aspects that makes this site great and have really enjoyed doing the reviews that I have done.

 

On the aspect of fitting there is a lot of value in it for most golfers. My specs have not changed in 15 years in terms of lie and flex. However, when it comes to shafts in my woods and hybrids that could change from model to model. I will be going to the Titleist 917 line when it comes out and will use my current setup as a starting point but not as the ending point of what I get. When I got fit for my 915s I was between a D3 with a D+ 70x and a D2 with a Kiyoshi Black. The numbers were not far apart so I went with the D3. Had some issues with my elbow and needed a driver that I did not have to hit full bore 12 times a round. Now I have a D2 with a Kiyoshi Black in the bag. That is a combo that you would not be able to grab off the rack and hit so the fitting had a lot of value to me.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[oaks]

I completely concur with all of these statements.  A few years ago when I was fit for my irons, I also was fit for a driver.  My irons were my irons and I knew approximately what I wanted and what I ended up getting.  The indoor launch monitor had me getting a SLDR 430 9* with a Matrix RedTie 7X.  This driver was a disaster from the start - to say I couldnt keep it airborne would be an understatement.  

 

Thankfully this was when TM was all but guaranteeing the SLDR driver and performance of it.  I was able to swap it out of a SLDR 460 10.5 with the Motore Speeder 7.3.  This driver has primarily lived in my bag for the better part of two seasons.  Is it the best driver I have ever hit - not sure on that.  Is it pretty good and does it give me great distance - yup, it just lacks in forgiveness.  Now I just play around with shafts and settings.  Currently I am trying to give my ACCRA FX370 that I reviewed on here another shot.  

 

I think that a fitting can be great if it is done properly, if you are swinging in near game conditions and you have access to a lot of different things.  Once you have that it is pretty easy to know approximately what works and what doesn't work for you - I know that a Diamana Red won't work for me, but it might work for you.  Off the rack is great for 90% of the public - us addicts are just fine-tuning our equipment - or so we hope :-)

[cksurfdude]

The original question is a bit of a tautology, in that the end of the question kinda answers itself ... ie.: Yes! The member reviews *are* - by definition - "real".

 

Done by real people, drawn on their actual personal experience (with not just limited range time but with plenty of on-course action, too) and then they relate it back to us in their own words.

 

IMHO, what it looks like you're really asking is something more like: 

"Should I go a fitter and [put my trust in them and] have them tell me what to use?" Or, "Should I do some online research and then go spend time in stores to test test test test until I find the thing that 'speaks' to me, and also maybe find an outdoor demo day near me, and _then_ go to a fitter with my pick to make it personalized?"

 

Some people are more DIY (like me, obviously, though I'm nowhere near as hardcore as some of you other guys here! -you know who you are..) and some prefer the more consultative/guided approach. Which is great ... it takes all kinds of people to make the world go 'round!!!! (and to make an online forum more interesting!)

 

That said, this Winter I may schedule a driver fitting with a privately-owned shop not too far away that has earned a "Top 100" fitters badge. Not that my equipment demands are so high, but I don't think with this club I did the best DIY job I could have last time around. Also, to me it seems that the driver shaft is the most critical one to get right out of all the clubs in the bag, and I freely admit I need some expert help here. BUT: if they're recommending a particular driver head that I just cannot stand the feel of, despite numbers, then I'll let them know and ask for something else to try. 

 

Anyway, to compare and contrast what I see as "real"...

As an example, I read Golf Digest^ and I do look at their "Hot List". Sometimes, but not always, they include a few pages showing the testers; and there's (let's call him) Brad from Kentucky who sports a 3.6 handicap. Good-looking guy, and obviously a very good player, but - that's the sum total of what I know about him and his game. 

 

What happens next is GD aggregates all the 50(?) or however many testers' impressions into one single star-rating for each of four categories. So this new iron I might be considering has 4 1/2 stars for "Consistency". Excellent!!! But .. wait a second .. what exactly does "Consistency" mean here, and how exactly does that apply to *my* game....?????

(and what did Brad think? I was starting to like Brad...)

 

Here's a response I posted to Fozcycle's topic:

"Have you purchased based upon the Product Reviews?"

= = =

"Reading reviews from regular, amateur players - who describe their game; the good and the bad - and so give such a great "context" with which one can then judge the suitability of the product to their own game and style. 

 

Certainly, cute taglines like "pick your distance" or like "fast and forgiving" cannot really do much to help indicate if this or that products fits into _my_ game."

 

( this topic is at:

( http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/16191-have-you-purchased-based-upon-the-product-reviews/?p=214017 )

= = =

 

These personal, "real" reviews are one of the key features that drew me into this site and has turned me into a (chatty) participant.

 

* Disclaimer:

I was recently selected as an equipment tester (Hogan VKTR hybrids - so please look for that topic when it comes out); have not yet received the clubs, but heck yeah you can call me biased towards this aspect of this site ;-) !!!

 

note:

^ In addition to Golf Digest, I also look at Golf mag, and a local 'Golfing' publication - which also runs subjective-based gear reviews, and read the info on manufacturer's sites, and look at other online forums with gear reviews and.......

[revkev]

I think this is an important discussion that needs to move elsewhere so that it doesn't get buried in amongst all of the important reviews that are going on at this time. 

 

I'm going to start something under fitting - I hope everyone involved in this discussion will join in there - thanks for starting this Plaid - even though I haven't been active over the past week I've been thinking about this one a lot (I've been tied up with the start of school and family matters)

[808nation]

Yes. It is a review for the people by the people

 

Sent from MyGolfSpy mobile

[cksurfdude]

I think this is an important discussion that needs to move elsewhere so that it doesn't get buried in amongst all of the important reviews that are going on at this time.

 

I'm going to start something under fitting - I hope everyone involved in this discussion will join in there - thanks for starting this Plaid - even though I haven't been active over the past week I've been thinking about this one a lot (I've been tied up with the start of school and family matters)

Thanks - post the link in here whenever you get a chance.

[BIG STU]

I believe a good forum review shouldn't be about how well a club fits the reviewer. I can review a driver that spins too much to be my gamer, but still provide a review that meets the needs of the community by explaining who the driver would be a better fit for and what the driver's strengths and weaknesses are.

 

Just because a driver like the Bio Cell or X2 Hot didn't jive with me doesn't mean they were bad clubs.

 

It's so easy for a reviewer to focus on how well the club fits him rather than focusing on the club itself

That was exactly one of the issues we addressed when we did our little teams and gave staff ideas on revamping the test processes. I agree with you 110% there are clubs on here either in tests or someone's WITB. that I would not play myself but You will never see or hear me put something down that someone likes. My #1 saying has always been "play what works for you"  I am not brand loyal unless you count Macgregor (the old ones) but I also like Mizuno and Miura. I actually always have played a mixed bag Right now with 5 different brands (and vintages) I probably play the most mixed bag on MGS but trust me I am sorta tame now I can remember when I had probably  8 different brands in my bag. I also don't get into that crap of cutting down a company because of their marketing practices either. 

[STUDque]

There was some really good knowledge shared in this thread. I would say from my experience that the forum testing over the past 2 years has definitely slanted closer to the players getting fit. Either they use their own specs they were fitted for or go out and get a new fitting for the new clubs.

 

For my Odyssey review, I had all the options and adjustments available to me when I ordered the putter. I ordered what setup I had been playing and it just didn't work the same so I had to make adjustments to give the putter a better chance. I guess that's the tricky part of fitting, specs for one club may not translate apples to apples to another.

 

 

To directly answer the title question of this thread......I'd say that, because the forum tests are a small sample, they should always be taken with a grain of salt. Always trust but verify with your own game. I will say this though, the members of this forum are a very smart group. Once you get a handful of players that all feel the same way about certain characteristics of a product, that tends to be correct. I've bought a bunch of stuff over the last year based on feedback from the forum and have yet to be disappointed.

 

 

Edit thought: Plaid is always asking the brain bruisers isn't he? Great thread PJ!

 

Sent from #throwbackthursday

[M.Duchesne]

I got to wondering this morning just how legit are the forum member reviews we do around here. Maybe legit isn't the right term.... realistic perhaps? The reason I'm bringing this up is because the clubs we review are not custom fit. I did a review a few years ago and my club was OTR basically. All I did was select a generic shaft stiffness and perhaps a grip size. It was the 2014 14* SLDR.

 

I'd say a large percentage of us that participate regularly in the forum are all fit to our equipment. In fact, I also guess most of us do not buy OTR equipment without a fitting. We have discussion all the time about how important fitting is and how we get fit for this and that. Yet, all the equipment we review isn't fit at all. It's basically OTR.

 

So, I suppose what I'm saying is... if for instance you are selected to test a set of irons, or wedge, or a driver, etc., these clubs you're receiving are not custom fit for you. Mine wasn't. Therefore, how can our reviews be considered realistic? All you can request are a few basic options. Perhaps things such as generic shaft stiffness, or a certain lie angle, or grip size. And even then you're just guessing. It's not custom fit to you. And it can't be in this environment.

 

Look, I'm not trying to put-down or be overly critical or suggest our reviews don't have merit. I enjoy reading them and even participated in one myself. But club reviews based on non-fitted OTR equipment might not be your best indicator if you're thinking of buying equipment.

 

What say you?

[M.Duchesne]

Few things here from my opinions it is good to know that it is first base on honesty and non objective comments,

Wath I mean by that is that we absolutely have to describe the cons and pros of a club always from our specific swing type ,speed,and all with the more details possible before describing anything the club itself and how he reacts (the club) upon our true fact results,

Truth from within is the only way to be understood by the tribunes.

And foremost to know and have learned over a least 10 years about most of clubmaking products and Demo days.

Thanks

[StrokerAce]

I was fit for the F7 driver when I tested it. I thought it was very important to find the proper shaft to go with the head since that makes a huge difference. Yep, I paid for it myself and it was the best thing I could have done.... ultimately it's up to the tester but they should be sure to specify that in the review.

 

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

[Badfish]

If you have been fitted then you know what specs accommodate you.  If you buy off the rack then...well you take what you're dealt.  So I would think that an accomplished player knowing his or her swing could either adjust the clubs themselves, or know where to go to do so.  Off the rack people would still review the same as if they just bought off the rack.  In short the players in "the know" have the experience to review a club knowing the discrepancies versus a perfect fit.  At least that's what I will continue to have faith in as I read and evaluate these reviews.

[AH1980MN]

I think that as long as the tester is clear weather or not they've been fit the review will be useful. Many of us get fitted, and that's great for showing the "ultimate" potential of a club, but by getting a club dialed in to their swing, a tester may inadvertently pull the club away from the middle of the curve. In that light, an otr review may be more realistic for many others of us, and can show the "potential" potential of be that club. Which interests you more?

[PMookie]

They've been allowing custom requests the last couple years. I know I was able to spec out my Cleveland wedges.

Yeah, if I weren't able to get what I need, there's no doubt my review would be inaccurate for sure!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[HardcoreLooper]

I'm not sure there's any perfect solution to this. If I get custom fit, then is the review appropriate for someone that buys OTR? If someone 5' 10" (like me) reviews an OTR set, is that appropriate for someone 6' 4"? We can tie ourselves in knots over this.

 

I figured the only way I could give the Cobras a fair review was to get fit.

 

Sent from my SM-T550 using Tapatalk

[cksurfdude]

I'm (a lucky dog, and..) part of an upcoming driver review. The reviewers were allowed to select any upgrade shaft out of the manufacturer's custom catalog, plus specify shaft length and grip. If I were looking only at the description and stated specs of the "stock" shaft, under other circumstances - eg. buying OTR - I might have said, "Oh, that seems in the range of what I can use."

 

But given this opportunity to get any shaft I took myself over to a Club Champion and started by showing the fitter the custom catalog plus a subset that I had filtered out - based on flex, as I'm a "regular" guy ;-) - and then sorted those by Launch and then by Weight. So based on that plus looking at the shaft makers' websites, I had a few in mind ... if I were picking on my own.

 

When filling out the fitter's questionnaire for "Goals today?" I put down: "reduce my dispersion".

 

The first shaft tested was not the "stock' shaft but what the fitter said was functionally equivalent.

 

An hour and a half and eight or so different tested shafts later, I ended up with something totally unexpected ... but it was the shaft that yielded the best dispersion and produced the best smash factor (even at the end of an hour and a half of making a LOT of driver swings).

 

So... to make all this relevant .. and realistic .. to forum members and web-searching non-members looking for qualitative reviews of this driver, if I adequately describe the type of golfer I am - especially vis-a-vis the specific equipment under consideration - and also discuss whether my current equipment is OTR or fitted and further whether the tested equipment is OTR or fitted PLUS if fitted what did I do? ... then the reader should have plenty of information at hand to judge whether it's worth his/her time and effort to go and test that equipment for themselves.