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New Driver for beginner


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Hello All, 

I am in the market for a new Driver. I was looking at the speedzone xtreme, mavrik max, epic flash, radspeed xd, pingg410 and titleist TS3. I am a beginner, I slice the ball, top it at time etc. I am LH. So I can't go try out alot of these. Wanted to get everyone's experience, advice etc. Looking for distance and forgiveness. Any suggestions and advice is appreciated.

Thanks

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Honestly, as a beginner you are not going to be able to discern the minute difference between those drivers right now. Your best bet is to pick-up a cheap used late model name brand driver on ebay, Facebook or Craigslist, get some lessons, develop a repeatable swing and then get fitted for a new driver. If you've got money to burn you could try the Dollar Driver Club where you can try out a few different drivers each year till you find one you like. 

Driver: :cobra-small: Speed Zone 9* HZRDUS Smoke Yellow Shaft

3 Wood: :cobra-small: King Speedzone 13.5* HZRDUS Smoke Black Shaft

2 & 3 Hybrids: :cobra-small: Speedzone Recoil 480 ESX Shaft

Irons: :cobra-small: Speedzone 5-GW Recoil 460 ESX Shafts

Wedges::callaway-logo-1: PM Grind 54* & 58*

Putter: :odyssey-small: Dual Force Rossi II

Ball: Whatever I find in the woods

:Arccos:

HCP:18

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Something I have done in the past is check out the older MGS most wanted. This can give you a decent idea of where to start. All that being said Ping G400 Max or SFT are great spots to start. Still used by a ton of golfers out there, few iterations old so it won't be too expensive and Ping is a good forgiving driver that offers good distance as well. Can't recommend enough and think you should be able to find them for a steal. Also along these same lines the original Taylormade M2 was super popular and may not have the newest and greatest tech, but again was and is still used by many and was considered to be far better then the 2nd version of the M2. 

Also shouldn't go without saying welcome to the lefty club! Happy to see another on the forum!

⛳🛄 as of Nov 6, 2023 (Past WITB
Driver:  :callaway-small: Paradym TD w/ GD ADDI 6X Driver Shootout! 

Wood:    :cobra-small: F7 3 wood 14.5* w/ Motore F1 Shaft

Irons:   :titleist-small: T Series - T200 5 Iron
                                          T150 6-9 Iron
                                          T100 PW/GW

Wedge:  Toura Golf - A Spec 53,37,61 degree 

Putter:  Screenshot 2023-06-02 13.10.30.png Mezz Max!

Balls:     Vice Pro Plus Drip (Blue/Orange)

 

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22 minutes ago, Headhammer said:

Honestly, as a beginner you are not going to be able to discern the minute difference between those drivers right now. Your best bet is to pick-up a cheap used late model name brand driver on ebay, Facebook or Craigslist, get some lessons, develop a repeatable swing and then get fitted for a new driver. If you've got money to burn you could try the Dollar Driver Club where you can try out a few different drivers each year till you find one you like. 

Good advice, in my opinion

  • Bag             1590477705_SunMountain.png.3391233ea391e8b6fde951d09bc76f6b.png  C130, 14 way Cart Bag
  • Driver         Titleist2.png.8b09d3ee0000870a77d83dce357a0efd.png      TSR1
  • Fairway      default_callaway-small.jpg.aef84328349c576af498d3d5dca1addb.jpg               GBB Epic 5
  • Hybrid        default_callaway-small.jpg.aef84328349c576af498d3d5dca1addb.jpg               Epic Flash 4H
  • Iron             lazarus.png.24092c99689747a2f7bd9cb786badde7.png              2 iron
  • Irons          635785482_Cleveland3.png.bafd9f7d003e9f8afcafc6c28e307467.png      Launcher HB, 4 through PW
  • Wedges     635785482_Cleveland3.png.bafd9f7d003e9f8afcafc6c28e307467.png      CBX2, 54 & 60 degree
  • Putter        Seemore3.jpg.1cb64ec83d2511c1ee1a386340a04d4e.jpg    Seemore Si1 Putter
  • Ball            Titleist2.png.8b09d3ee0000870a77d83dce357a0efd.png       Titleist pro v1x
  • Other        2000014788_ArccosSig.jpg.af5434230b907b708eb89aebd4125f95.jpg

 

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Ping g400 sft

 

Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4

Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white

Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid

Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60

Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1

Ball: Titleist Prov1

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3 hours ago, Headhammer said:

Honestly, as a beginner you are not going to be able to discern the minute difference between those drivers right now. Your best bet is to pick-up a cheap used late model name brand driver on ebay, Facebook or Craigslist, get some lessons, develop a repeatable swing and then get fitted for a new driver. If you've got money to burn you could try the Dollar Driver Club where you can try out a few different drivers each year till you find one you like. 

I'd agree - as a beginner you can't tell the difference. I've got a Ping 410SFT which is pretty forgiving but also still pretty pricey for a beginner since it may not be the right driver for you in 2 yrs. BTW G400 SFT has gotten great reviews and may be a much lower price point. 

In addition to other recommendations, I'd also check out 2nd swing or other reputable online vendors - be careful of ebay as there are counterfeit clubs sold there. I can personally tell you lefty heads are tough to come by - selection even in new drivers is challenging so be patient. While you trying to find one, you can always use a 3 or 5 wood off the tee. . 

Find a good used club, put a new grip on it and take a few lessons. Then, of course, get fit, The latter will save you $$ long run.  

Left Hand orientation

:taylormade-small:SIM 2 D Max with Fujikura Air Speeder Shaft 

Cobra  Radspeed 3W/RIptide Shaft
:ping-small:  410  Hybrids 22*, 26*

Cobra Speed Zone 6-GP/Recoil ESX 460 F3 Shafts 

:titelist-small: SM7 54* Wedge

:ping-small: Glide 3.0  60* Wedge

:odyssey-small: O Works putter

:ShotScope: V3
:918457628_PrecisionPro:NX9-HD

:CaddyTek: - 4 Wheel 

EZGO TXT 48v cart
:footjoy-small: - too many shoes to list and so many to buy

:1590477705_SunMountain: And  BAG Boy

Golf Balls: Vice Pro Plus 

2020 Official Teste:SuperSpeed: Beginning Driver Speed  - 78

2019 Official Tester :ping-small:  410 Driver

2018 Official Tester :wilson-small: C300

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've gone through this as I've only been playing regularly since April. My swing had developed a lot since then and I've gone from a stiff TM R7 to a Cobra F6+ and now on an x-stiff Radspeed. 

As my swing has got more consistent I've learned a bit more about what I need. Buying cheap on eBay was what I did - that way you can get back most of the outlay if it's not right.

Once you know a bit more about your swing, get a fitting but may be worth a lesson or 2 to iron out any obvious mistakes.

:cobra-small: RADSpeed 9° Matrix Black Tie X-Flex 🐺 

:cobra-small: F9 3/4 Wood Aldila NV 2KXV Blue 

:mizuno-small:CLK 19° Hybrid Speeder Evo HB S 

:mizuno-small: MP54 4-PW Nippon Modus³ Tour 115 X

:titleist-small: SM8 50° F-Grind 

:titleist-small: SM8 54° F-Grind 

:titleist-small: SM8 58° K-Grind 

DStar 'Malvern' Putter 

:titelist-small: AVX & -ProV1X

:footjoy-small: Tour-X 

"Hey mister, your clubs are the wrong way round"..

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If you have the time and money, I'd suggest getting fit - maybe full bag if you can score one of the many specials the various companies offer. From there you will have the important decoder information to begin shopping new and used options.  The fitting process is, IMO, important.  This coming from someone who thought it was largely hype and a waste of money.  My .02 cents fwiw.  Good luck with the search, welcome to the game, and to the forum.  

:ping-small: G410 Plus, 9 Degree Driver 

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 16 Degree 3w

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 19 Degree 5w

:srixon-small:  ZX5 Irons 4-AW 

:ping-small: Glide 2.0 56 Degree SW   (removed from double secret probation 😍)

:EVNROLL: ER5v Putter  (Evnroll ER5v Official Review)

:odyssey-small: AI-One Milled Seven T CH (Currently Under Product Test)

 

 

 

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Some might think this is heresy but instead of getting fit right away I like the combo advice@Headhammer and @GolfSpy_APH.  You say you are a beginner so look for something relatively inexpensive from the used market based on past most wanted reports.  You probably don't want to get a full bag fitting, spend $$$ and find out in 4 months you don't want to play any more and have a "Peloton" to get rid of.  😁  

But I would recommend getting a lesson or three to go over the basics of grip, set up, and swing to get you started the proper direction since its hard to unlearn bad habits.  After you get a few rounds in and decide you are hooked then get fit.  The person giving lessons could probably make a suggestion or two about what to be sure to try out in the fitting.

Modern Bag:  :ping-small: G410 LST 10.5*, Hzrdus Smoke RDX 6.5 Flex;   :titelist-small:  915F 3w, Diamana S+ 70 S flex;  Snake Eyes 18* 2h, 23* 4h & 27* 5h; :mizuno-small: JPX 900 Forged 6 - PW, PX LZ 6.0;  Edison 2.0 49*, 53*, 57* KBS Tour 120 S;   :ping-small:  Heppler Fetch;  Ball - :Snell: MTB-X; Bag - Jones MyGolfSpy Edition! 

Shot Scope H4, MG600 Rangefinder

Classic Bag:  Driver - :wilson_staff_small: Persimmon; 3w - :Hogan: Speed Slot; 5w - :wilson_staff_small: Tour Block; 3 - pw - :wilson_staff_small: Dynapower; sw - Ram Tom Watson;  putter - bullseye standard or flange.

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11 hours ago, Shapotomous said:

Some might think this is heresy but instead of getting fit right away I like the combo advice@Headhammer and @GolfSpy_APH.  You say you are a beginner so look for something relatively inexpensive from the used market based on past most wanted reports.  You probably don't want to get a full bag fitting, spend $$$ and find out in 4 months you don't want to play any more and have a "Peloton" to get rid of.  😁  

But I would recommend getting a lesson or three to go over the basics of grip, set up, and swing to get you started the proper direction since its hard to unlearn bad habits.  After you get a few rounds in and decide you are hooked then get fit.  The person giving lessons could probably make a suggestion or two about what to be sure to try out in the fitting.

Good points.  I can't speak for Jamie and @Headhammerbut suspect we were thinking beginner as opposed to never played.  Certainly lessons are priority one in that case. I mean presuming he's of typical stature and falls within the two sigma distribution of the playing population, it's likely 7/10 used sets of clubs on the market will be playable.  I keep forgetting that my thinking about all things golf has been corrupted since June 2018 😄.

:ping-small: G410 Plus, 9 Degree Driver 

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 16 Degree 3w

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 19 Degree 5w

:srixon-small:  ZX5 Irons 4-AW 

:ping-small: Glide 2.0 56 Degree SW   (removed from double secret probation 😍)

:EVNROLL: ER5v Putter  (Evnroll ER5v Official Review)

:odyssey-small: AI-One Milled Seven T CH (Currently Under Product Test)

 

 

 

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... You should at least get on a LM and see what kind of trajectory and spin you are producing. Even a beginner can spin the ball too much or not spin it enough, so finding the right driver is paramount to improvement. More forgiving the better as long as you have spin and trajectory in the right ball park. Even advanced players need to fine tune if they have not been fit. My last fitting a year ago showed me I did not produce enough spin with my Cobra SZ and switching to a Sim improved my carry with similar roll. I could hit some real bombs with the SZ but on average my drives were farther and straighter with the Sim. I would add I had no interest in changing drivers before my fitting and just wanted to dial in a shaft. 

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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If you're set on buying a driver, I'd recommend the Ping G400 Max or a Callaway Fusion Heavy (1" shorter weight adjusted). But I'd seriously recommend an adjustable 5-wood (17.5°) and set it to 16° or 16.5°, and use it off the tee as a 4-wood. You might be surprised how far and straight you hit it while getting better to the point where a driver makes sense.

Certified Club Fitter.

Ping G425 Max Driver 10.5° w/Fujikura Ventus TR

Ping G425 Max 5-7-9 Fairway Woods w/Ping Alta CB

Ping G425 Irons 5-U w/Ping Alta CB (Power-Spec Lofts)

Ping 4.0 Eye2 Glide Wedges 54°-58° w/Recoil SmacWrap

Ping Redwood ZB Putter w/PP58

PING Pioneer Cart Bag

Lamkin Sonar+ Wrap Mid-Size Grips

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keep your driver.  get a few lessons.  or work up your skill on a 3 wood.

Driver: PXG 0211, A flex Evnflo Riptide (2021). And an old Callaway 454 TI (2004) on regular flex.

3 W: Callaway Steelhead Xr A flex Tensei CK 55 gram. The rest are Regular flex.

5 W : Titleist TSi 1 on Aldila Ascent regular flex.

Driving Iron: Mizuno MP 18 MMC 3 18 degree, on Mamiya Recoil reg flex.

4 iron:  Mizuno Fly-Hi, 24 degree hybrid iron, GFF, even tho it is a hollow body iron.

6,7,8,9,wedge: Ping I 500, on Recoil reg flex shafts.

Gap wedges: 52 x 9 Mizuno forged S5, wedge shaft; 60 x 6 Mizuno forged T7, wedge shaft.

Sand: Old original Hogan Sure Out on Apex original shaft, probably 56 / 12.

Chipper:  (yep I carry a chipper) old Don Martin "Up n In" bronze? copper? 🙂

Putter: Just switched Jan 2024 to a Odyssey Stroke lab "R" Ball with the 2 piece, multi material shaft.🙃

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On 12/2/2021 at 7:39 AM, Headhammer said:

Honestly, as a beginner you are not going to be able to discern the minute difference between those drivers right now. Your best bet is to pick-up a cheap used late model name brand driver on ebay, Facebook or Craigslist, get some lessons, develop a repeatable swing and then get fitted for a new driver. If you've got money to burn you could try the Dollar Driver Club where you can try out a few different drivers each year till you find one you like. 

@Jay412 ^^^^this^^^^.  no driver fixes a slice or a top. 

Mavrik Max Driver

M2 5W

818 hybrids

Steelhead XR Irons

ZipCore wedges

SeeMore PR M7X

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There are great suggestions above! One thing I would add (unless I missed it) is "loft is your friend." As a newer player, choose a driver with 10 or more degrees of loft to allow you to get the ball in the air more easily.

  • TaylorMade Stealth2+ 9° - Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore 5-S
  • TaylorMade M5 15° - Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore 6-S
  • Callaway CF-18 18° - KBS Tour Prototype 85 S
  • Srixon 4-AW Nippon Modus 3 105 R
  • Cleveland ZipCore 54° Mid and 58° Mid DG Spinner
  • Scotty Cameron Super Select Newport 2 35"
  • Titleist Pro V1
  • Arccos Gen 3 sensors
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I have the g425 lst in my bag and am amazed at the forgiveness of ping drivers across the line. I have a few friends who game the g410 and would recommend it. My lather in law also play the 400 max which is a fantastic driver 

:taylormade-small: Stealth 2 Plus 9deg Kai' li Red

:taylormade-small:Stealth 2 13deg Aldilla Rogue Silver

:taylormade-small:Stealth 2 15deg Aldilla Rogue Silver

:mizuno-small: JPX 921 Hot Metal 4-PW Nippon Modus 120s

:vokey-small: SM8 54 and 58deg Dynamic Gold Wedge Flex

:titleist-small: Scotty Cameron Newport 2

Titleist ProV1

:ping-small: Hoofer Stand Bag

Stewart Q Follow Electric Caddie

:callaway-small: 300 PRO Rangefinder

Official Nippon Regio B+ Driver Shaft Review

Official Stewart Q Follow Review

 

 

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A few things. First, as a beginner, your swing is very, very likely to change if you continue to play and improve.   Your improving swing is  ultimately going to decide what driver is best for you--- shaft specifications, loft,  draw bias,  length etc.   I would say if you currently have a driver that was released in, say, the last 10 years, keep using it and pay for a few lessons. Better use of your money and time.   Then, you can make an informed decision about what driver fits you. 

I am partial to PING drivers.  I had a new  R1 and M1, and have owned COBRA and Callaway drivers in the last 5 or 6 years.   I keep coming back to PING for consistency.   But,  I know people that hit TM or Callaway exclusively, and drive the ball beautifully.   

If you are going to buy a "new driver",  a fitting will only optimize your equipment to your current swing and ability.    You could, instead, go to a stock driver -- say 10 degrees of loft with a regular shaft and some degree of adjustability.   There are really affordable options online at 2ndswing, Global Golf, Callaway Preowned and similar sites.   You can use Google for the brand and model (ex:  Ping G30 driver used), and then use the 'shopping' option to see who might have something available.    Use that and then upgrade when you are comfortable with your swing, your shot patterns and your results.  

----------

PIng G410, 10.5 set at 9.5/  Cleveland 3+ Hy-wood (18*) / Titleist 915 7w / Callaway XR 4h / Tour Edge HL-4 5h / Mizuno JPX-921 Hot Metal 7i - GW / Tommy Armour 845 CB wedges (52, 56*).   Ping Sigma 2 Fetch Putter.   SkyTrak in the Garage.  

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As noted, no club can cure a slice. If you can move that to a fade, then the PING MAX 400/410 or a SIM Max Draw can help. If money is no object, then 425 or SIM 2 versions with a fitted shaft will get the most benefit. But you may need to get help to cure whatever swing fault is resulting in the slice before getting fit. We can only share opinions, a professional can directly work on flaws specific to you. 

Titleist TSR 11 degree, HZRDS Red R 44.75 LH

Titleist TSR-1 5/7 Woods LH

Titleist TSR-1 23 Hybrid LH

Titleist T200  7-48 - T350 6 Tensai AMT Red LH

 Titleist SM9 50-54-58 TT AMT Red LH

Scotty Phantom X 7.5 RH

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Most people taking up the game of golf slice the ball; if you don't, consider yourself lucky... even if you hook the ball (hooks are easier to fix).  The problem is that instead of seeking out a professional to identify what is causing the slice for YOU, most golfers look for quick fixes to not slice anymore.  That was me years ago.  There are many reasons why we slice.  The problem is that we don't know the root cause of OUR slice, and any "fix" will could make things worse.  A quick fix can lead to other compensations in order to make halfway decent ball contact.  Lessons on setup, backswing and transition are needed, drills to feel the proper movements, and lots of practice to replace our old bad habits and engrain those proper movements.  Change feels awkward.  If it doesn't, you haven't changed anything, and it takes time for the change to not feel awkward.  

Getting a new driver to replace an old driver won't change your swing.  It's not a magic bullet.  If you don't have a driver, a quality used driver that's a few years old will save money and provide the same experience as a brand new driver... hopefully a fun experience!

We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.”

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Great advice given so far.  Technology doesn't change all that much in drivers every year (despite what the latest marketing  push would have you believe), so a five year old driver will not be dramatically shorter or dramatically less forgiving than the brand new models.  For instance, the G400 Max was pushing the limits of MOI when it came out (I believe it was ~2018), so the incremental changes to get ever-closer to that limit will NOT make a world of difference as far as forgiveness.  Finding fairways is MUCH more important than an extra few yards!

I'm decidedly brand agnostic -- but a bit less so with my recent change from a PING driver

:titelist-small: - TSi2 10.5 Driver - Tensei AV Raw Blue 55 R

:titelist-small: - TS2 4W - Graphite Design Tour AD DI 6 RS TS2 7W - Alta CB 65 R

:cobra-small:- Baffler 23* - Aldila NV-HL 65 R

th.jpg.d6e2abdaeb04f007fd259c979f389de6.jpg - Original Series 0211 - 5-PW - MMT 80 S

:cleveland-small: - CBX2 50 / 54 / 58 - Rotex

image.png.49fcc172a1ed0010d930fbe1c5dc8b79.png - Directed Force 2.1 (Nickel) - KBS Tour - Press No. II 3*

:Snell:- MTB  Black

datrek-brand_1456761019__86876.original.jpg.7c24f9ae71c7730ce29a828226731487.jpg - DG Lite II cart bag attached via Top-Lok to image.png.77fe07cbfea697deca64bd4a4263a151.png - Quad XL and Tracked by :ShotScope: - V3

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In addition to the Tour Edge DTC brand noted above, I recently swapped out my Ping G410+ for a Sub70 849 Pro that I reviewed.  I have given up nothing in distance or accuracy and the Sub70 new price will be close to a used Ping.

Modern Bag:  :ping-small: G410 LST 10.5*, Hzrdus Smoke RDX 6.5 Flex;   :titelist-small:  915F 3w, Diamana S+ 70 S flex;  Snake Eyes 18* 2h, 23* 4h & 27* 5h; :mizuno-small: JPX 900 Forged 6 - PW, PX LZ 6.0;  Edison 2.0 49*, 53*, 57* KBS Tour 120 S;   :ping-small:  Heppler Fetch;  Ball - :Snell: MTB-X; Bag - Jones MyGolfSpy Edition! 

Shot Scope H4, MG600 Rangefinder

Classic Bag:  Driver - :wilson_staff_small: Persimmon; 3w - :Hogan: Speed Slot; 5w - :wilson_staff_small: Tour Block; 3 - pw - :wilson_staff_small: Dynapower; sw - Ram Tom Watson;  putter - bullseye standard or flange.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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