(T)Less Driver - 2023 Forum Review

[tdroma98]

Congratulations Testers! Interested to get your feed back!

[xOldBenKenobiX]

8 hours ago, Golfspy_TCB said:

Welcome all to the (T)Less Driver MGS Forum Member Test!

We have 4 great MGS Forum Members who were selected for this unique and great test! We cannot wait for them to get started and show us what this product is all about!

Please welcome and congratulate our 4 testers for the (T)Less driver!

@Yellow Ball
@drrlramsey
@scotter032
@Paul Hedrick

Congrats testers.

[sglj3]

Congrats!

@Yellow Ball @drrlramsey @scotter032 @Paul Hedrick
 

I will be interested to hear if you use it off the turf in the fairway or only off the tee and general performance.

[giantcaptivfrog]

5 hours ago, sglj3 said:

Congrats!

@Yellow Ball @drrlramsey @scotter032 @Paul Hedrick
 

I will be interested to hear if you use it off the turf in the fairway or only off the tee and general performance.

I hope they'll all try both ways. Seems like a quirky design, not sure it would ever take the spot of my driver or 3W.

[scotter032]

1 hour ago, giantcaptivfrog said:

I hope they'll all try both ways. Seems like a quirky design, not sure it would ever take the spot of my driver or 3W.

Planning on using it with and without tee, from fairway, divots, rough, bunkers, and out of water maybe .... Should hopefully get some good feedback. 

 

[Dweed]

Good luck and have fun. Hittem straight and long.

 

[GolfSpy_BNG]

Congrats guys and ball!  This should be an interesting one. 

[Josh Ross]

Does anyone remember the Kick X Golf Blast Driveway? It had the same idea as this, being good from the tee or fairway, and had a really weird design to it. I won one in a contest once and gave it to my Dad, he didn't use it long. Hoping this is something you all enjoy!

[Josh Ross]

Any updates on this? Do we have any shipping notifications or details about what you guys ordered? I'm clueless about this driver so I don't even know if you can get different shafts and grips or if it's just one option.

[Paul Hedrick]

8 minutes ago, Josh Ross said:

Any updates on this? Do we have any shipping notifications or details about what you guys ordered? I'm clueless about this driver so I don't even know if you can get different shafts and grips or if it's just one option.

The last update I remember was from last Friday, the 29th of April, stating they were building them and it could be up to two more weeks,

[Yellow Ball]

The Teeless Driver delivered yesterday. Today I was off to the driving range to practice all that it said it can do. I even had two other people hit a few shots with it. Not being one to hold my tongue and I've been told I might just be a little too brutally honest sometimes. So here it goes.  

First impressions: 

Looks. Not bad, looks like a driver at address. Mental problem is your looking at a driver. Normally you want to tee this up off the inside of your front foot. Instructions say to play it like a 7 iron. At address you just really have to focus on getting it centered in your stance which is not normal for a head this size.  Bet your wondering what happens if you play it forward a little. ( Slice ) This club has a shallow face, so it is meant to be played on the ground or on a tee flush with the grass. Anything higher will result in a skied shot. 

Did it outdrive my driver? Not one bit.

Did it outdrive my 3 wood? Was it straighter than my 3 wood? No.

It was playing equivalent to my 5 wood both in height and length. 

Did it play well off the fairway? Yes.  Did it play well out of divots? Yes. I took a video of this, and I will post it later on. 

Sound: Horrible. It sounded like a tin can. Even for someone with no ears like me it sounded bad.  

That's my first experience. Let's see what the other two testers had to say about it. 

The first person was a young woman I would guess low to mid 20's. She exhibited the same placement issue. She wanted to tee the ball up and hit it like a driver and play it off her front foot. I let her proceed to see if she would get the same result as I did. She wound up with a high slice. Once I told her how to hit it. She made adjustments and got good high launch and was finding the fairway. She did not like the sound, but she did like the height and distance from playing off the ground. 

The next person was probably a little older than the young woman. But he was definitely a player. I don't know what his swing speed is, but his driver was hitting the trees at the back of the range and that was over 250 yards. this time I told him in advance how to position the ball in his stance. He was hitting it pretty well, but they were all not towering shots. Was it as long as his driver? Not by a long shot. I mean not even close. He did say it was getting the same distance as his 3 wood. But also admitted that he didn't hit his 3 wood all that well to start. But his shots were in the fairway and did go a good distance. Roughly right at 200 yards. He was also not a fan of the sound.   

Day one, off to a good start with testing. 

Sometime next week there will be a senior shoot out at a nearby course. I'll get as many guys to hit it as possible and get their feedback.  

[Yellow Ball]

Day two, more individual testing. 

I played 18 today with the Teeless comparing 2nd shots on par 5's. I was making good center face contact. The Teeless was creating high shots and they were in the fairway as long as ball position was centered in my stance. Picture is a little blurry, but you get the point.  

It still was not longer than my three 3 wood. From a scoring standpoint this club did not help. From my perspective I want to be as close to the green as possible for the shortest approach possible. 

Here is a clip from out of a divot.  If you look closely, you can see the trajectory the ball was taking out of the divot. 

I did measure the driver length and it is 43". So are the 3 wood and 5 wood I was comparing against. The face material is a maraging steel to give you more of a spring effect. However, after yesterday's range session I can already see scratches on the face just from hitting dirty range balls.  My partner in crime wanted in on the action too.  I'm thinking he just wanted to be part of the mile high club. After a little bracing for impact off he went into the wild blue. I might say he did enjoy the trip because he did find the fairway. 

 

So far, the club is doing some of what is stated. It launches high, finds the fairway as long as you hit it from the center of your stance. You can play it out of the fairway, rough, and divots. The only thing I haven't tried yet is hitting out of a fairway bunker. I think this club would be good for a higher handicap golfer or someone that struggles getting the ball up in the air from the fairway where a wood is required on your second shot. Off the tee it might come in handy for narrow fairways. For a golfer with a handicap under 12 or so this might not be the club for them. But saying that, I'm sure this was not designed for them either. 

Looking forward to doing some mass testing from random golfers. I have a spreadsheet put together for feedback. 

[chisag]

3 minutes ago, Yellow Ball said:

 

 

 

... You really take Ty Webb's advice to "Be The Ball" to another level huh? 
 

 

 

[Yellow Ball]

4 hours ago, chisag said:

 

 

... You really take Ty Webb's advice to "Be The Ball" to another level huh? 
 

 

 

But I have always been the ball. And sometimes a ball buster!

[Paul Hedrick]

05/09/2023

So OK, my Driver FINALLY arrived yesterday.  I was out until late yesterday but FedEx sent me the photo on my front porch.  Later, when my wife got home, she brought in in the house and sent me a photo of it standing in the front way.  I was too tired last night to deal with it, so waited until this morning to unbox it. It was well wrapped and arrived without any visible damage.  My original plan, when I thought it was going to be delivered last Friday, was to hit the driving range on Saturday, to get to know it a bit before I attempted to play the club.  Unfortunately, because it did not arrive until yesterday, that cannot happen.  My buddies and I are playing a round tomorrow morning, so on the course will be my first exposure to the new Driver.  For this round, at least, I pulled my 3 wood and installed the T(less) Driver in it's place. I plan on comparing it's performance with my existing Callaway Epic Flash Driver, which I sure would like to see more distance from, and my Callaway Epic Flash 3 wood, which I would like to find better distance and control.

More to follow after first round......

05/11/2023

I had my first experience yesterday with my Teeless Driver.  While I had wanted to spend some time on the range prior to taking it on the course, that could not happen.  I played a course I had never played before.  I did spend a small amount of time warming up on the range, and my first impressions of the T(less)Driver was positive.   From the very first shot, the ball flew straight and pure; no hook or slice, nor a fade or draw.  I had to get used to the sound it made during impact, but other that that, I had no complaints. I did notice that the ball did not fly as high as I am used to with my old driver; a Callaway Epic Flash.  On the range I didn't really have good idea of the distance I was hitting, but was really happy with the straight ball direction I was getting.

Ok, now on to  the course. Using Shot Scope I will find out exactly how far I will be hitting the Teeless Driver, and I was disappointed  While my drives were really great as far as direction, right down the middle of the fairway, I was just not getting the distance I had with my old driver, and I found this unsatisfactory.  As I mentioned previously I pulled my 3 iron out and put the Teeless Driver in my bag, with the idea of hitting each to see how it would go.  With my old driver, my distance was further than with the Teeless Driver.  It did not matter if I hit from the deck, or on a short tee, as suggested by the teeless driver website, the distance for me was just not there.  I tried adjusting my stance, from one I normally use for a driver, to one I typically use for a 3 wood, but I was not successful.  As it sets right now, subject to change of course, I can see the Teeless Driver replacing my 3 wood, but not my Driver.  I got rather frustrated that I went back to my old Driver on the back nine, and used the Teeless Driver as I would my 3 wood.  

Now, all of that said, I am not willing to give up on the Teeless Driver.  I know I need more time with it, and I am thinking the more time I spend with it, the more comfortable I will be with it.  I need to spend some time adjusting my stance, trying different things to get the maximum out of it.  Sadly I will not be able to spend some significant range time with it before my next round of golf, which will be next Friday, but I will spend some rather intense time with it next Saturday, getting to know it better.

05/15/2023

My next opportunity with the T(Less)Driver will be this Friday, and either Saturday or Sunday. On Friday I will play at a course I know well, so there should not be any surprises like I had last Wednesday when I played a course for the first time.  I will report back after Sunday with my results/impressions. 

 

 

05/20/2023 update:

I  have had my second experience with the TlessDriver.  Yesterday I played a local course I know well, and today I had some range time with it; both were unsatisfactory in my mind.  This time at the course I decided to use my current Driver off the tee, and use the TlessDriver as I would my 3 Wood.  As I experienced previously,  the TlessDriver continues to hit straight, but continues to not hit as far as my current Driver; somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 yards shorter.  Also, like my previous time with the TlessDriver, the ball flight is significantly lower than with my current Callaway Epic Flash with a Senior Flex Shaft and set for 13 degrees of loft.

I tend to be a bit superstitious when it comes to my golf fame.  I am compelled to do things in certain ways all the time. As an example I have to clean my clubs after each use so I hit the course with clean clubs.  I have one type of grip on my irons and another on my Driver, Fairways and Hybrid.  A while ago I was having some issues with my Driver, Fairways and Hybrid, so I experimented with grips on these clubs. I settled on Midsize Golf Pride CP2 Wrap Grip, and have had satisfactory results since I switched to these. 

I see that the TlessDriver came with a Lamkin Grip, but I am not familiar with which model. My next attempt with the TlessDriver will be with a new grip on it.  I will order it today and install it before I play next Friday.  At this point I am open to trying anything to get the TlessDriver to perform for me.   My next attempt with the TlessDriver will be Friday the 26th of May.  Updates to follow

 

Edited May 20, 2023 by Paul Hedrick
Update

[Josh Ross]

2 hours ago, Paul Hedrick said:

So OK, my Driver FINALLY arrived yesterday.  I was out until late yesterday but FedEx sent me the photo on my front porch.  Later, when my wife got home, she brought in in the house and sent me a photo of it standing in the front way.  I was too tired last night to deal with it, so waited until this morning to unbox it. It was well wrapped and arrived without any visible damage.  My original plan, when I thought it was going to be delivered last Friday, was to hit the driving range on Saturday, to get to know it a bit before I attempted to play the club.  Unfortunately, because it did not arrive until yesterday, that cannot happen.  My buddies and I are playing a round tomorrow morning, so on the course will be my first exposure to the new Driver.  For this round, at least, I pulled my 3 wood and installed the T(less) Driver in it's place. I plan on comparing it's performance with my existing Callaway Epic Flash Driver, which I sure would like to see more distance from, and my Callaway Epic Flash 3 wood, which I would like to find better distance and control.

More to follow after first round......

Glad it made it to you! Curious what your results will be tomorrow, hope you hit 'em well!

[drrlramsey]

The BIG Day has arrived!!! The club was overnighted to me and I ran to the door as soon as I saw the delivery person on my security cam.

Packaging was good and I had no concerns about the condition of the club. There was bubble wrap secured to the head on top of the shrink wrap.

There was a letter attached to the grip with an introduction and information abou the design and use of the club. I found this to be very helpful and a nice touch by the owners. 

Of course in my excitement, I had to get a feel for the club and waggle it a few times in my hand. It felt head heavy as expected but not in a bad way. I was really looking forward to trying this club and even though I'm currently using JumboMax JMX Ultralite grips with great success on all my clubs I'd try this without them (more on this later as I feel that a fair test for me would include installation of these grips which I am in the process of completing). The club came with a midsize Lamkin grip. 

My intial impressions of the club appearance overall were favorable. There's a nice glossy black finish and the Teeless branding along the 60 gram, Regular Flex proprietary Fujikura Teeless Shaft.

I did notice two distinct markings on the top of the clubhead. I assume these were for lining up the sweet spot during setup and swing. 

The clubhead is a 400cc head design which is squashed down to fairway wood face height. It has a 13 degree loft which is indicated on the sole. This is designed to get your shots in the air quicker from any lie (including divots). Just thinkinhg about the possibilites after a great (or not so great) tee shot has me excited. 

Also included is a well  designed leather head cover that is also well padded and embroidered on both sides. 

I think that about covers my initial impressions during unboxing. I would say that overall my impressions are favorable. On a scale of 1-10, I would give it an 8.5. That's only because some clubmakers get really fancy when it comes to exterior packaging and this was more of a no frills box with great product appearance. So, take that with a grain of salt. After all, isn't it really about the product??

Next Up.....Testing

[Paul Hedrick]

On 4/25/2023 at 9:26 AM, GolfSpy_APH said:

We have sent another note out. From the sounds of it they are getting them out, but had some qc issues which delayed things a bit. 

 

On 4/27/2023 at 11:29 AM, nupezb said:

I played nine holes today on the fifth hole. I drove the ball into the water, so I decided to use the lost ball feature. I grabbed my five iron the X5 detected it on my watch. For my next shot, I grabbed a wedge to Chip it on the green. As I grabbed my putter, the five iron still showed on my watch. I tapped my putter against my watch, and nothing happened. I recorded my score and went to the next hole, and my Tags stopped working. My watch basically went into GPS only for my last four holes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Edited May 16, 2023 by Paul Hedrick

[cnosil]

When I was part of the MGS testing for this clubs, we were comparing g against out 3 wood.   I personally don’t think it will beat out many drivers but would be a solid 3 wood replacement for anyone that struggles there.

[Paul Hedrick]

1 minute ago, cnosil said:

When I was part of the MGS testing for this clubs, we were comparing g against out 3 wood.   I personally don’t think it will beat out many drivers but would be a solid 3 wood replacement for anyone that struggles there.

So far, I am agreeing with that.

[sirchunksalot]

Great stuff so far, everyone! After reading the attached letter that @drrlramsey posted I'll be curious to see how setting up with it like a 7 iron goes for you all. I can imagine it'll take a bit of getting used to, at least visually since we're all used to setting up a larger headed club near our lead heel.

Have fun, everyone! It'll be interesting to see how it works for you all. 

[Yellow Ball]

I my opinion this club would be your fairway wood replacement. If you struggle getting the ball up in the air from the fairway, rough, or possibly a low lipped fairway bunker then this is a good option. Still is a rough mental challenge to play this in the center of my stance. It just doesn't feel right, but that where it works. I found it way shorter than my driver. But also a consideration is to use it on very tight tree-lined par 4's. 

[Paul Hedrick]

My next opportunity with the T(Less)Driver will be this Friday, and either Saturday or Sunday. On Friday I will play at a course I know well, so there should not be any surprises like I had last Wednesday when I played a course for the first time.  I will report back after Sunday with my results/impressions. 

[scotter032]

Same here with Saturday afternoon. I'll post Sunday on it. 

[Yellow Ball]

I've been putting the Teeless Driver through its paces. I had some free time and decided I would try to get a Pro's opinion. So, I called on my good friend Freddie. We have been playing together on an off for a while now. So here we are just chillin waiting for our turn to hit and then I asked him to hit the Teeless. He just laughed at me.  

Then I broached the subject again a little later on and he just threw sand in my face.

Well at least I tried. But we did have a good day together. 

[Paul Hedrick]

05/20/2023 update:

I  have had my second experience with the TlessDriver.  Yesterday I played a local course I know well, and today I had some range time with it; both were unsatisfactory in my mind.  This time at the course I decided to use my current Driver off the tee, and use the TlessDriver as I would my 3 Wood.  As I experienced previously,  the TlessDriver continues to hit straight, but continues to not hit as far as my current Driver; somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 yards shorter.  Also, like my previous time with the TlessDriver, the ball flight is significantly lower than with my current Callaway Epic Flash with a Senior Flex Shaft and set for 13 degrees of loft.

I tend to be a bit superstitious when it comes to my golf game.  I am compelled to do things in certain ways all the time. As an example I have to clean my clubs after each use so I hit the course with clean clubs.  I have one type of grip on my irons and another on my Driver, Fairways and Hybrid.  A while ago I was having some issues with my Driver, Fairways and Hybrid, so I experimented with grips on these clubs. I settled on Midsize Golf Pride CP2 Wrap Grip, and have had satisfactory results since I switched to these. 

I see that the TlessDriver came with a Lamkin Grip, but I am not familiar with which model. My next attempt with the TlessDriver will be with a new grip on it.  I will order it today and install it before I play next Friday.  At this point I am open to trying anything to get the TlessDriver to perform for me.   My next attempt with the TlessDriver will be Friday the 26th of May.  Updates to follow

Edited May 21, 2023 by Paul Hedrick

[Paul Hedrick]

I did order a Golf Pride CP2 Wrap Golf Grip for my TlessDriver on Saturday, and it was supposed to be delivered today.  NOW I am informed it will arrive this Wednesday (Thank you Amazon). I'll have to scramble to get it installed by my round next Friday.

[Paul Hedrick]

My preferred grip arrived yesterday; a  Golf Pride CP2 Wrap.  This morning I changed grips on the TlessDriver, so I am ready to rock and roll with it again tomorrow.  As it stands right now, and assuming nothing will change, this club will remain in my bag as a replacement for my 3 Wood.  I can hit it approximately the same distance as my 3 Wood, but much straighter.  I will continue to use it to hopefully at some point start hitting it longer.

Edited May 25, 2023 by Paul Hedrick

[Yellow Ball]

I had the Teeless Driver ( Mr.T) out on the course again last week. This time I took the 5 wood out of my bag so Mr. T could go head to head with my 3 wood. I used both off the tee box and on my second shot on the par 5's. Two balls in play to see the differences. Same model ball (ProV1) for the test.

Findings:

Distance wise my 3 wood was longer. 

Mr. T did launch the ball higher. But I got more distance and roll out from my 3 wood.

Both were easy to hit off the fairway. Mr. T was a little straighter.

Out of divots Mr.T did better than my 3 wood. Higher ball flight and straighter.

In a little while I have a YB family get together for Memorial Day and I'll get the family's impressions on Mr.T.

[richk9holes]

"I pity the fool who uses a tee!"