Beakbryce Posted December 26, 2023 Share Posted December 26, 2023 It struck me in the last few days that either I lack any feel and sound discrimination, or the hot new clubs just don't appeal to me. If you have read any of my posts about drivers, the realization that I love my years old Epic driver is well, epic. I just went through the Mizuno long game review process and the driver left me cold. I wasn't into the sound which I felt was not memorable and couldn't feel where the ball hit on the clubface. I passed them on to test to @Silver Fawkes and while he just got them, he already appears to love the sound and possibly the feel. You might want to follow his review as he tries out the driver, 3 wood, and 4 hybrid as it already looks like he is going to be a strong reviewer. Anyway, back to this discussion. When the Stealth first came out I hit one at a demo day and wasn't impressed. I had a chance over Christmas to hit the Ping 430 driver and the Paradym X driver. Both clubs are highly rated for my swing speed. I wasn't enthusiastic about the sound or feel of any of these clubs. This is pretty weird as I have always liked Callaway woods and have felt in the last several years that Ping is building nice woods. I was really hoping in particular the Paradym X would blow my socks off because I have started looking for a reasonable price on Callaway pre-owned and am now rethinking that notion. I'm hoping I can blame the lack of sound to my years being around jets and guns, but feel? Really trying to find an excuse. Please let me know if you have started to discern less feel and sound from the new generation drivers or it's just me! I hate to see a grown man cry, but I can take it. jbern, GolfSpy_KFT, Byrnzee and 3 others 5 1 Quote Driver: Callaway Epic 9 degree, stiff (set at 10 degrees with the movable weight in the center} FW: Callaway Epic 3,5, heaven wood w/ regular shaft (driver shaft in 3 wood, 3 wood shaft in 5 wood, 5 wood shaft in heaven wood, all three set at neutral plus 1 degree) Hybrids: Callaway BB19 4,6,7 (4 set at neutral plus 1 degree and 6 and 7 set at neutral minus 1 degree for gapping purposes) Irons: Callaway Rogue ST Max 8, 9, PW Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM6 50,54,58 Ball: Titleist Pro V1, 1X, Vice Pro Plus or anything I find that day and try out for the fun of it (I haven't bought balls with my own money in at least 10 years) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post cnosil Posted December 26, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted December 26, 2023 10 minutes ago, Beakbryce said: Please let me know if you have started to discern less feel and sound from the new generation drivers or it's just me! I hate to see a grown man cry, but I can take it. As a most wanted tester, I get to hit all the drivers that MGS tests. What I have noticed is that the sound on drivers is becoming more muted. There is obviously a correlation between sound and feel and while I can tell where I hit the ball on the clubface there is only a subtle change in sound/feel. I think you may be on to your issue with the guns/jets. I am guessing you like the higher pitched/metallic sound off a driver? Rob Person, chisag, Silver Fawkes and 7 others 10 Quote Driver: G400 Max 9* w/ KBS Tour Driven Fairway: Paradym AI Smoke Max HL 16.5* w/MCA TENSEI AV Series Blue Hybrids: 915H 21* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype 915H 24* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype Irons: TR20V 6-11 w/Vizard TR20-85 Graphite Wedge: 54/12D, 60/8M w/Accra iWedge 90 Graphite Putter: Render w/VA Composites Baddazz Backup Putters: Sacks Parente MC 3 Stripe, Milled Collection RSX 2 Member: MGS Hitsquad since 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beakbryce Posted December 26, 2023 Author Share Posted December 26, 2023 54 minutes ago, cnosil said: As a most wanted tester, I get to hit all the drivers that MGS tests. What I have noticed is that the sound on drivers is becoming more muted. There is obviously a correlation between sound and feel and while I can tell where I hit the ball on the clubface there is only a subtle change in sound/feel. I think you may be on to your issue with the guns/jets. I am guessing you like the higher pitched/metallic sound off a driver? I like a rifle shot sound so you may be on to something there. I hate the dull thud. I play with lots of people with different drivers and most times I couldn't tell you how the other drivers sound, it's just not memorable. I wonder if the companies have focus groups that listen to driver sounds and vote for the one they would like to play. Would be interesting to "hear" those results. You are right in that with the metallic sound it may be easier to figure out where it hit on the club head as it gets tinnier enhancing "feel". If it is a dull thud all over it just doesn't work. I also wonder if this is a swing speed issue. Want a larger bell sound, hit the bell harder! Gosh I hope that isn't true because I am at that age where the swing speeds begin to decline. Silver Fawkes, MarvChamp, Byrnzee and 2 others 5 Quote Driver: Callaway Epic 9 degree, stiff (set at 10 degrees with the movable weight in the center} FW: Callaway Epic 3,5, heaven wood w/ regular shaft (driver shaft in 3 wood, 3 wood shaft in 5 wood, 5 wood shaft in heaven wood, all three set at neutral plus 1 degree) Hybrids: Callaway BB19 4,6,7 (4 set at neutral plus 1 degree and 6 and 7 set at neutral minus 1 degree for gapping purposes) Irons: Callaway Rogue ST Max 8, 9, PW Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM6 50,54,58 Ball: Titleist Pro V1, 1X, Vice Pro Plus or anything I find that day and try out for the fun of it (I haven't bought balls with my own money in at least 10 years) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Fawkes Posted December 26, 2023 Share Posted December 26, 2023 I eluded to this in my review (which I did the hybrid comparison by the way and will post today or tomorrow), but sound is a massive factor to me. There are two things that determines how a club "feels" to me: the way the shaft bends during my swing and the sound the club head makes when it strikes the ball. I prefer metallic overtones in my woods and hybrids, but it's tricky. The pitch can't be too high or the club feels harsh. If the pitch is too low it feels dead. If it has no metallic overtones at all it's completely lifeless to me. Sound is how I can tell where I hit it on the face. It does take time to get to know a club that way, but that's how I can tell. I mean if I shank it or hit it way out of the toe I can physically feel that through the club, but more subtle off center strikes are communicated through sound. I certainly don't think this applies to everyone and I could be totally alone in this, but I think sound is so important in our perception of club performance. Preeway, GolfSpy_APH, Beakbryce and 4 others 7 Quote Carter the Silver Fox Ping g400 - Driver, 3w, 7w, 4h Mizuno CLK 5H/MP-18 irons Edel wedges and putter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Preeway Posted December 26, 2023 Share Posted December 26, 2023 It would take a lot for me to buy a driver/club that didn’t sound or feel “right”. Like, I would choose the driver that averaged 5 yards less if it felt better or sounded better. I really like the Ping 430, it sounds better than the 425, but I still won’t consider it even though it had the best dispersion out of the 4 drivers I tested. Beakbryce, lyndonbud, Silver Fawkes and 4 others 7 Quote Driver: Aerojet LS, Ventus Velocore+ Blue Shaft - 6S 4 Wood: Rogue ST Max 16.5, Tensei White Shaft - 7S Utility Iron: Fli Hi 3-iron, HAZARDOUS Smoke Black Shaft - S Irons: JPX 921 Tour 4-P, Project X Shafts - Stiff 125g Wedges: 52º, 56º, 60º Putter: Ai-One 7 T CH, 34" Preferred Ball: Z-Star Diamond Pushcart: Nitron Rangefinder: Pro X3+ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnosil Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 2 hours ago, Beakbryce said: I also wonder if this is a swing speed issue. Want a larger bell sound, hit the bell harder! Gosh I hope that isn't true because I am at that age where the swing speeds begin to decline. Not a speed issue, just the way OEMs are making clubs sound like. Rob Person, Beakbryce and Silver Fawkes 3 Quote Driver: G400 Max 9* w/ KBS Tour Driven Fairway: Paradym AI Smoke Max HL 16.5* w/MCA TENSEI AV Series Blue Hybrids: 915H 21* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype 915H 24* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype Irons: TR20V 6-11 w/Vizard TR20-85 Graphite Wedge: 54/12D, 60/8M w/Accra iWedge 90 Graphite Putter: Render w/VA Composites Baddazz Backup Putters: Sacks Parente MC 3 Stripe, Milled Collection RSX 2 Member: MGS Hitsquad since 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chisag Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 3 hours ago, Beakbryce said: You are right in that with the metallic sound it may be easier to figure out where it hit on the club head as it gets tinnier enhancing "feel". If it is a dull thud all over it just doesn't work. ... I do think many of us that grew up hitting persimmon woods and balata balls love that "dull thud" and why I love my Stealth2 HD that sounds/feels exactly like that on center contact. But miss it a little high/low or heel/toe and it certainly sounds/feels different. Not a night and day difference for sure but a slightly higher pitched thud and it just feels "hard" instead of that feeling of the ball melting into the face. Obviously this is pretty subjective so you may "feel" differently. CFreddie, Beakbryce, Rob Person and 3 others 6 Quote Driver: Qi10 10.5* ... AutoFlex Dream 7 SF405 Fairway: Qi10 5 wood ... Kai'Li Blue 70r Hybrids: G430 Hybrid 22*... Alta Hy70r Irons: P770 5-pw ... Steelfiber i80r TP UDi 4 ... Steelfiber i80r Wedges: MG3 46*/50*/54* MG4 58* ... Steelfiber i95r Putter: Custom 5.1 (no alignment) 33" Ball: '24 TP5x/Maxfli Tour X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFreddie Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 We could always just go back to this driver But seriously, it’s def a subjective thing, and one I’ve just grown accustomed too as driver tech continues to advance. chisag, Byrnzee, Silver Fawkes and 4 others 1 6 Quote Driver: Paradym with Ventus TR Blue 60 Stiff Fairways: Aerojet Max 3W & 7W with Hzrdus Smoke Blue RDX 70 Stiff Hybrid: King TEC 5H with KBS PGI 95 Stiff Irons: Forged TEC 5-PW with KBS Tour Lite Stiff Wedges: Haywood Signature Raw Wedges (50 / 54 / 58) Putter: L.A.B. DF3 (aka "Chewie") Ball: 2023 Maxfli Tour Reviews: L.A.B. DF3 Cobra 50th Anniversary Member Testing Callaway Paradym Titleist White Box Testing (2023) Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5.5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russtopherb Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 As I noted in my Mizuno review, the sound of that driver made me think that it was much shorter than my MAVRIK Max. It just sounded and felt weaker, so imagine my surprise when I used them back to back for a round and discovered that the Mizuno was actually longer (and straighter). Sometimes there are going to be trade offs depending on your own personal preferences. I'm gladly taking the extra distance over the "better sound". I also played the Knuth High Heat for a while, and let me tell you, I've never had anyone approach me from another fairway to ask me what driver I was using because the sound was so piercing he could hear it from where he was! Beakbryce, Rob Person and Byrnzee 2 1 Quote In my Big Max hybrid bag: ST-X 10.5* Kai'li Blue R Flex ST-Z 15* Kai'li Blue R Flex ST-Z 4h Linq Blue R Flex Launcher 5h D200 6i-GW CBX 54* & 58* Huntington Beach #10 Tour S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy_APH Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 The other factor is the sound inside vs outside. I am pretty sure it was the Rogue but I made one hit with it and that was it put it away and never once thought about hitting it again. While the Ping G425 was a really good driver the sound was big and offputting. Even though performance was solid it made it much easier to move onto the Paradym that has a very muted sound. Beakbryce, chisag, cnosil and 2 others 5 Quote as of Nov 6, 2023 (Past WITB) Driver: Paradym TD w/ GD ADDI 6X Driver Shootout! Wood: F7 3 wood 14.5* w/ Motore F1 Shaft Irons: T Series - T200 5 Iron T150 6-9 Iron T100 PW/GW Wedge: Toura Golf - A Spec 53,37,61 degree Putter: Mezz Max! Balls: Vice Pro Plus Drip (Blue/Orange) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyBonzo Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 This is interesting to me that sound impacts feel for so many. That has not been my experience. While sound has never been a big factor for me with driver, I have enjoyed very much the muted sound of the Paradym TD, while also finding that it has the best feel of any driver I have hit - I always know where I struck the ball on the face (perhaps bc I hit the center too rarely, but anyway). Query how much the shaft impacts sound too, if at all? This is purely anecdotal, but in my last round with a new shaft I thought my driver sounded even more muted than usual. This had no impact on feel for me at all. And to be clear, I am not saying others are wrong, it’s just interesting the different importance folks place on different things. sirchunksalot, Beakbryce and Josh Parker 3 Quote Working at getting better ... and very slowly getting there. Paradym Max 8* ( Shogun Blue M0 Otto-Phlex) Brnr Mini driver 13.5* ( FX 3.0 140 M1 Otto-Phlex) Paradym X 4 and 5 Hybrids Maltby TS1 (shafts: Tour 120S) RTX6 Zipcore 53*, and 58* mid wedges ( wedge shafts 6.5) Frontline Elite 1.0 Gloves My Official 2024 TaylorMade Qi10 Review: https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/62804-taylormade-qi10-drivers-2024-forum-member-review/?do=findComment&comment=1014200 My Official 2023 Red Rooster Sussex Glove Review: https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/58614-2023-mgs-forum-member-test-red-rooster-sussex-golf-glove/#comment-911042 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Person Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 Driver and woods off the tee I can definitely tell a difference in sound. That Burner 2.o I had was just awful sounding off the box. My 3Hy was also bad sounding off the box. In the fairway the ground muted alot of that. I am playing a TopFlite Driver now and its a huge difference. Its between that thud, thwack, and ting sound. I may not hit it further, but the feel and sound is solid to me. I'm sure as I progress in my game, I will find other equipment will fall into that sound and feel faults. I do notice it too through the ball testing I've done. Josh Parker and Beakbryce 2 Quote WITB- Driver -Titleist 910D, 3w- Titleist 910F, 5hy/7hy- Titleist 910H, 6-PW - Stix , 52⁰, 56⁰, 60⁰ - Stix , Putter- AI-ONE DB / Lombardi Tour 34 custom Just an old newbie golfer, trying to learn and improve 1 club at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NM01 Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 21 minutes ago, IndyBonzo said: That has not been my experience. Same for me. Two different things to me. Some drivers you can tell where on the face it makes contact with the ball. Some get louder on the low heel or high toe compared to a center strike. Some I haven’t noticed a difference in sound between good and bad hits. Feel for me is the feedback I get in my hands and arms from off center hits and how it’s different compared to center strikes. Until the stealth line I was a fan of TM heads and their sound. I think Ping has done a great job fixing sounds since the g30 and before days. My favorite sounding driver was the Bridgestone j715 Beakbryce, Rob Person and Josh Parker 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WFWP91 Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 The golf trend is more carbon in driver/fairway/hybrid heads plus more hollow body irons with hybrid-like performance. I liken this technology transition: persimmon woods/driver to stainless steel woods/drivers and the transition from stainless steel to titanium. Sound has changed with technology, and it seems most golfers have adapted their preferences due to the performance gains each throughout the years. Josh Parker, Beakbryce, MarvChamp and 1 other 4 Quote “Think well of all, be patient with all, and try to find the good in all.”-- Muhammad Ali WITB: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy_BOS Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 13 hours ago, CFreddie said: We could always just go back to this driver But seriously, it’s def a subjective thing, and one I’ve just grown accustomed too as driver tech continues to advance. I came here to post the Cleveland Hi-bore XLS... but this will do! haha @Beakbryce it seems you're in the minority of golfers who like that loud sound from the driver. I know Mark Crossfield has talked about this before too and he's mentioned that some of the people he's fitted don't like that a lot of drivers are sounding more muted, while others love it. Also, I've found the ball can make a significant difference in sound. are you using a softer ball? Might be able to switch into something firmer to get a little more of a crack sound of the driver! Josh Parker, MarvChamp, GolfSpy_KFT and 5 others 8 Quote Qi10 - Terra Forza White | Speedzone 5-wood - Ventus Blue 8S | G430 3-Hybrid - Kai'li White 80s SMS Pro 4-PW - Steelfiber i110S | MG3 Raw Black 50.09, 54.11, 58.11 - DG TI S200 Mezz Max | Pro V1x | Vortex Blade | Ghost Maverick Black Ops - Forum Edition | CaddyLite EZ v8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy_KFT Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 @Beakbryce if you're looking for a louder sound with driver, the Aerojet line from Cobra this year was certainly more "explosive" sounding than what I am used to with my TSi3, but it is not a bad sound at all. I know some others noted this in their review during the Cobra challenge. The feel is good as well for me, you can tell when you miss one vs when you flush one. Prices on those have already come down and will continue to do so when the Darkspeed line is released, so if you haven't hit one of those I would give it a go and see if it suits your ear. It isn't harsh by any means but it is certainly on the louder side for me. I believe @chisag had similar thoughts with it, too. MarvChamp, Josh Parker, GolfSpy_BOS and 4 others 7 Quote Driver: GT3 9|Tour AD-UB 6S (testing in progress) Fairways: GT2 15 & 18|Tour AD-UB 7S (testing in progress) | Aerojet Max 7|Kai'Li White 70X Hybrid: King TEC 3H|MCA MMT 85g Stiff Irons: Aerojet 6-GW|KBS $-taper Lite Stiff Wedges: Vokey SM10 52.12F|56.12D|True Temper Vokey Wedge Flex Putter: Super Select Newport 2.0 Ball: Tour & ProV1 #LeftyGang Titleist GT Long Game Test (Link Here) Cobra 50th Anniversary Member Special Challenge (link here) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy_KFT Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 Ignore the less than stellar swing , but you can hear the AJ Max sound in this video. TJ Hall and Rob Person 2 Quote Driver: GT3 9|Tour AD-UB 6S (testing in progress) Fairways: GT2 15 & 18|Tour AD-UB 7S (testing in progress) | Aerojet Max 7|Kai'Li White 70X Hybrid: King TEC 3H|MCA MMT 85g Stiff Irons: Aerojet 6-GW|KBS $-taper Lite Stiff Wedges: Vokey SM10 52.12F|56.12D|True Temper Vokey Wedge Flex Putter: Super Select Newport 2.0 Ball: Tour & ProV1 #LeftyGang Titleist GT Long Game Test (Link Here) Cobra 50th Anniversary Member Special Challenge (link here) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beakbryce Posted December 27, 2023 Author Share Posted December 27, 2023 15 hours ago, chisag said: ... I do think many of us that grew up hitting persimmon woods and balata balls love that "dull thud" and why I love my Stealth2 HD that sounds/feels exactly like that on center contact. But miss it a little high/low or heel/toe and it certainly sounds/feels different. Not a night and day difference for sure but a slightly higher pitched thud and it just feels "hard" instead of that feeling of the ball melting into the face. Obviously this is pretty subjective so you may "feel" differently. I started with wood woods. Maybe the sound is what drew me to the original GBB when it first came out. What a revelation sound wise. I still have that club, maybe I will take it out in the next few weeks. Probably won't be as impressed. TJ Hall, Rob Person and chisag 3 Quote Driver: Callaway Epic 9 degree, stiff (set at 10 degrees with the movable weight in the center} FW: Callaway Epic 3,5, heaven wood w/ regular shaft (driver shaft in 3 wood, 3 wood shaft in 5 wood, 5 wood shaft in heaven wood, all three set at neutral plus 1 degree) Hybrids: Callaway BB19 4,6,7 (4 set at neutral plus 1 degree and 6 and 7 set at neutral minus 1 degree for gapping purposes) Irons: Callaway Rogue ST Max 8, 9, PW Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM6 50,54,58 Ball: Titleist Pro V1, 1X, Vice Pro Plus or anything I find that day and try out for the fun of it (I haven't bought balls with my own money in at least 10 years) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Parker Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 I don't know that I have a sound preference, as long as I am hitting the ball well with it, I could care less. I will say that looks have played a part in me initially liking a club but it has to perform. GolfSpy_KFT, Rob Person, Beakbryce and 1 other 4 Quote Titleist GT3 11* Tensei 1k blue Titleist TSR2 4w 16* Titleist TSR2 5w 18.75* MKII ZX 5's (4-6) w/ KBS Tour V MKII ZX 7's (7-PW) w/ KBS Tour V Vokey SM9 Wedges 50* 54* 58* DF2.1 Putter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beakbryce Posted December 27, 2023 Author Share Posted December 27, 2023 2 hours ago, RickyBobby_PR said: Feel for me is the feedback I get in my hands and arms from off center hits and how it’s different compared to center strikes. I agree. If it can't be felt in the hands, I am not into the club. Rob Person and NM01 2 Quote Driver: Callaway Epic 9 degree, stiff (set at 10 degrees with the movable weight in the center} FW: Callaway Epic 3,5, heaven wood w/ regular shaft (driver shaft in 3 wood, 3 wood shaft in 5 wood, 5 wood shaft in heaven wood, all three set at neutral plus 1 degree) Hybrids: Callaway BB19 4,6,7 (4 set at neutral plus 1 degree and 6 and 7 set at neutral minus 1 degree for gapping purposes) Irons: Callaway Rogue ST Max 8, 9, PW Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM6 50,54,58 Ball: Titleist Pro V1, 1X, Vice Pro Plus or anything I find that day and try out for the fun of it (I haven't bought balls with my own money in at least 10 years) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beakbryce Posted December 27, 2023 Author Share Posted December 27, 2023 2 hours ago, GolfSpy BOS said: @Beakbryce it seems you're in the minority of golfers who like that loud sound from the driver. I know Mark Crossfield has talked about this before too and he's mentioned that some of the people he's fitted don't like that a lot of drivers are sounding more muted, while others love it. Also, I've found the ball can make a significant difference in sound. are you using a softer ball? Might be able to switch into something firmer to get a little more of a crack sound of the driver! Mostly Titliest Pro V's and Vice pro plus. MGS has shown that higher compression balls work better for every ball speed and I concur with that as I hit a lot of different balls. We find a lot of balls on our course and I have tried them all. Interestingly, I found a Pinnacle Soft the other day and hit it. I kind of thought it was an oxymoron as Pinnacles are rocks. I hit it because I had just read that it would pass the new ball test proposed by the USGA. It went nowhere. I only hit it once so didn't think about the sound. GolfSpy_BOS and GolfSpy_KFT 2 Quote Driver: Callaway Epic 9 degree, stiff (set at 10 degrees with the movable weight in the center} FW: Callaway Epic 3,5, heaven wood w/ regular shaft (driver shaft in 3 wood, 3 wood shaft in 5 wood, 5 wood shaft in heaven wood, all three set at neutral plus 1 degree) Hybrids: Callaway BB19 4,6,7 (4 set at neutral plus 1 degree and 6 and 7 set at neutral minus 1 degree for gapping purposes) Irons: Callaway Rogue ST Max 8, 9, PW Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM6 50,54,58 Ball: Titleist Pro V1, 1X, Vice Pro Plus or anything I find that day and try out for the fun of it (I haven't bought balls with my own money in at least 10 years) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beakbryce Posted December 27, 2023 Author Share Posted December 27, 2023 1 hour ago, Jnoble89 said: @Beakbryce if you're looking for a louder sound with driver, the Aerojet line from Cobra this year was certainly more "explosive" sounding than what I am used to with my TSi3, but it is not a bad sound at all. I know some others noted this in their review during the Cobra challenge. The feel is good as well for me, you can tell when you miss one vs when you flush one. Prices on those have already come down and will continue to do so when the Darkspeed line is released, so if you haven't hit one of those I would give it a go and see if it suits your ear. It isn't harsh by any means but it is certainly on the louder side for me. I believe @chisag had similar thoughts with it, too. Thank you for the info. I am not actually looking for a new driver. My Epic is fine. However, if I can feel it in my hands I would try it, so it is on my list. I had just noted that the sound of the newer drivers was muted thud. From the discussion, it looks like a majority of golfers prefer that so probably why the manufacturers are going that way. I like to feel the hit in my hands so sound isn't as big a factor for me. If the driver was 15-20 yards longer, I wouldn't really care how it sounds... Maybe that's the secret the manufacturers have found in their testing. Everyone can live with a muted thud if the driver outperforms significantly what they have, but if it is too loud, they lose a significant portion of buyers who just won't purchase a loud driver. I have always waited several generations between drivers. They all advertise longer, but my perception is they aren't all that much longer over the last few years, but they are definitely getting straighter. Maybe that's a topic for another day. GolfSpy_KFT 1 Quote Driver: Callaway Epic 9 degree, stiff (set at 10 degrees with the movable weight in the center} FW: Callaway Epic 3,5, heaven wood w/ regular shaft (driver shaft in 3 wood, 3 wood shaft in 5 wood, 5 wood shaft in heaven wood, all three set at neutral plus 1 degree) Hybrids: Callaway BB19 4,6,7 (4 set at neutral plus 1 degree and 6 and 7 set at neutral minus 1 degree for gapping purposes) Irons: Callaway Rogue ST Max 8, 9, PW Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM6 50,54,58 Ball: Titleist Pro V1, 1X, Vice Pro Plus or anything I find that day and try out for the fun of it (I haven't bought balls with my own money in at least 10 years) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Mitchell Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 1 hour ago, Josh Parker said: I don't know that I have a sound preference, as long as I am hitting the ball well with it, I could care less. I will say that looks have played a part in me initially liking a club but it has to perform. Give us a driver that goes down the middle and 10 extra yard an sounds like honking a clowns nose, WE DONT CARE Josh Parker, Beakbryce, GolfSpy_KFT and 2 others 5 Quote Ping 430 Max H/L 10 Degree Geezer Flex Ping 425 7 wood Geezer Flex Ping 425 5H [Not in bag] TM DHY 4/5 Titlist 5-Gap T300's Geezer Flex Wedges Cleveland RTX Fullface Zipcore 52 degree and TM Hi Toe 4 56 degree Putter Scotty Cameron Golo S Center Shafted Ball Bridgestone BXS , Trying The Maxfli Tour S also Bag Titlist 15 Cart Bag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyndonbud Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 18 hours ago, Preeway said: It would take a lot for me to buy a driver/club that didn’t sound or feel “right”. Like, I would choose the driver that averaged 5 yards less if it felt better or sounded better. I really like the Ping 430, it sounds better than the 425, but I still won’t consider it even though it had the best dispersion out of the 4 drivers I tested. I can definitely agree with this, the sound of ping drivers has totally thrown me off with those clubs and i could never see myself playing a driver from them. likewise i’m not a fan of their irons and feels so the only thing i could play from them is their putters/ possibly wedges. TJ Hall and Beakbryce 2 Quote Driver: Rogue ST 10.5 w/ Tensei AV Blue 65X 3 wood: SIM Ti 15* w/ HZRDUS Yellow 6.5 70g 3 iron: GAPR Lo 19* w/ KBS Hybrid Proto X-Flex 4-pw: JPX 900 Forged w/ Elevate MPH 95 Stiff Wedges: 50* TBD, 54* Vokey SM9 Brushed w/ stock wedge flex , 58* RTX 6 Zipcore Tour Rack w/ Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Spinner Putter: Scottsdale TR Anser 2 w/ Slight Arc Shaft Ball: Pro V1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NM01 Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 1 hour ago, Fred Mitchell said: Give us a driver that goes down the middle and 10 extra yard an sounds like honking a clowns nose, WE DONT CARE Not me. I couldn’t stand the sound of the ping g series drivers that were out in the 2013-2016. Despite how good they were i couldn’t game them. The g400 was the perfect shift for Ping to a good sounding driver that performed well TJ Hall 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Mitchell Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 9 minutes ago, RickyBobby_PR said: Not me. I couldn’t stand the sound of the ping g series drivers that were out in the 2013-2016. Despite how good they were i couldn’t game them. The g400 was the perfect shift for Ping to a good sounding driver that performed well With u at a 7 handicap I get it to a point but when i see people who cant break double bogey going on on on about looks, feel and sound of this club and that club while wearing their 5 hundred dollar outfit and looking down thier nose at a guy they got "stuck" in a foursome with whos playing a well used set of off the rack Wilson clubs. Yet he is literally wearing their ass out on the golf course but being patient while they play hide and go seek for their 7th lost ball. I just want to treat ol Biff like a puppy and grab him by the scruff of the neck and rub his nose in a box of X outs. TJ Hall 1 Quote Ping 430 Max H/L 10 Degree Geezer Flex Ping 425 7 wood Geezer Flex Ping 425 5H [Not in bag] TM DHY 4/5 Titlist 5-Gap T300's Geezer Flex Wedges Cleveland RTX Fullface Zipcore 52 degree and TM Hi Toe 4 56 degree Putter Scotty Cameron Golo S Center Shafted Ball Bridgestone BXS , Trying The Maxfli Tour S also Bag Titlist 15 Cart Bag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Parker Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 1 hour ago, Fred Mitchell said: Give us a driver that goes down the middle and 10 extra yard an sounds like honking a clowns nose, WE DONT CARE Absolutely! Haha Fred Mitchell, TJ Hall and Beakbryce 1 2 Quote Titleist GT3 11* Tensei 1k blue Titleist TSR2 4w 16* Titleist TSR2 5w 18.75* MKII ZX 5's (4-6) w/ KBS Tour V MKII ZX 7's (7-PW) w/ KBS Tour V Vokey SM9 Wedges 50* 54* 58* DF2.1 Putter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chisag Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 29 minutes ago, Fred Mitchell said: With u at a 7 handicap I get it to a point but when i see people who cant break double bogey going on on on about looks, feel and sound of this club and that club while wearing their 5 hundred dollar outfit and looking down thier nose at a guy they got "stuck" in a foursome with whos playing a well used set of off the rack Wilson clubs. Yet he is literally wearing their ass out on the golf course but being patient while they play hide and go seek for their 7th lost ball. I just want to treat ol Biff like a puppy and grab him by the scruff of the neck and rub his nose in a box of X outs. ... LOL, there are degrees of madness for sure. I have always said I envy those left brained individuals that can play a club based on performance with no care whatsoever about the look or sound/feel. I am not talking about the fashion golfer that doesn't like the colors or shape of logos on the sole or back of a club they can't see when playing, just those that prefer a certain look in the address position. I have gotten compliments on how sharp my Stealth2 HD head looks with my Ventus Red shaft and I have to say "it's purely coincidental" and when the Qi10 Max comes out and I end up switching to that but head, my Red will not look so sharp. Thankfully my ball and scorecard couldn't care less if my head and shaft make a fashion statement. ... That said my clubs have to at least look and sound in the right ballpark for me to play them. If I am demoing two new drivers and one feels/sounds/looks a little more pleasing but the other produces better trajectory, spin and distance but doesn't sound/feel or look quite as good I can certainly play that club. But if the head shape is off putting or the sound/feel too off the mark I know I will get rid of it after the first bad round. I can play a wedge that isn't the teardrop shape I prefer or has a slightly thicker top line than I like if it performs better than what I am playing but my leniency doesn't go this far: Josh Parker and cnosil 2 Quote Driver: Qi10 10.5* ... AutoFlex Dream 7 SF405 Fairway: Qi10 5 wood ... Kai'Li Blue 70r Hybrids: G430 Hybrid 22*... Alta Hy70r Irons: P770 5-pw ... Steelfiber i80r TP UDi 4 ... Steelfiber i80r Wedges: MG3 46*/50*/54* MG4 58* ... Steelfiber i95r Putter: Custom 5.1 (no alignment) 33" Ball: '24 TP5x/Maxfli Tour X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Mitchell Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 6 minutes ago, chisag said: ... LOL, there are degrees of madness for sure. I have always said I envy those left brained individuals that can play a club based on performance with no care whatsoever about the look or sound/feel. I am not talking about the fashion golfer that doesn't like the colors or shape of logos on the sole or back of a club they can't see when playing, just those that prefer a certain look in the address position. I have gotten compliments on how sharp my Stealth2 HD head looks with my Ventus Red shaft and I have to say "it's purely coincidental" and when the Qi10 Max comes out and I end up switching to that but head, my Red will not look so sharp. Thankfully my ball and scorecard couldn't care less if my head and shaft make a fashion statement. ... That said my clubs have to at least look and sound in the right ballpark for me to play them. If I am demoing two new drivers and one feels/sounds/looks a little more pleasing but the other produces better trajectory, spin and distance but doesn't sound/feel or look quite as good I can certainly play that club. But if the head shape is off putting or the sound/feel too off the mark I know I will get rid of it after the first bad round. I can play a wedge that isn't the teardrop shape I prefer or has a slightly thicker top line than I like if it performs better than what I am playing but my leniency doesn't go this far: I agree there are limits but my exaggerated example of Biff isnt that far of an exaggeration to some I have seen. My biggest peeve is sound. A better player feel has validity and looks can have some play into mental side. But sound the freaking ball is gone, if you are really really good MAYBE but if you are NOT good and trying to get better watch where the ball goes and quit listening to the club. No disrespect to you or anyone elses opinion just expressing mine, if 99 people think I am a peckerhead for saying it and 1 person who really really needs help with his game needs to quit listening to very good players talk about looks/feel/sound/etc and concentrate on results sees this and doubles down on results then call me MR PECKERHEAD. Quote Ping 430 Max H/L 10 Degree Geezer Flex Ping 425 7 wood Geezer Flex Ping 425 5H [Not in bag] TM DHY 4/5 Titlist 5-Gap T300's Geezer Flex Wedges Cleveland RTX Fullface Zipcore 52 degree and TM Hi Toe 4 56 degree Putter Scotty Cameron Golo S Center Shafted Ball Bridgestone BXS , Trying The Maxfli Tour S also Bag Titlist 15 Cart Bag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBoiGolf Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 23 hours ago, Beakbryce said: It struck me in the last few days that either I lack any feel and sound discrimination, or the hot new clubs just don't appeal to me. If you have read any of my posts about drivers, the realization that I love my years old Epic driver is well, epic. I just went through the Mizuno long game review process and the driver left me cold. I wasn't into the sound which I felt was not memorable and couldn't feel where the ball hit on the clubface. I passed them on to test to @Silver Fawkes and while he just got them, he already appears to love the sound and possibly the feel. You might want to follow his review as he tries out the driver, 3 wood, and 4 hybrid as it already looks like he is going to be a strong reviewer. Anyway, back to this discussion. When the Stealth first came out I hit one at a demo day and wasn't impressed. I had a chance over Christmas to hit the Ping 430 driver and the Paradym X driver. Both clubs are highly rated for my swing speed. I wasn't enthusiastic about the sound or feel of any of these clubs. This is pretty weird as I have always liked Callaway woods and have felt in the last several years that Ping is building nice woods. I was really hoping in particular the Paradym X would blow my socks off because I have started looking for a reasonable price on Callaway pre-owned and am now rethinking that notion. I'm hoping I can blame the lack of sound to my years being around jets and guns, but feel? Really trying to find an excuse. Please let me know if you have started to discern less feel and sound from the new generation drivers or it's just me! I hate to see a grown man cry, but I can take it. Most drivers these days have an, ahem, gel-like hot melt inaccurately/haphazardly inserted into them to achieve weight. If you cut a driver head in half or have had the pleasant experience of having a crown pop off, you can see this magical work. Inserting any material or changing the materials of the crown/body will affect acoustic performance, as well as changing the supporting and flex rigidity of the face. It's a reason why all-titanium crowns sound very "bright". As for feel, can't really say much on that, I've been playing the same driver shaft for ages, only thing I really noticed when testing different heads were the sound, they all still feel like aluminum baseball bats. Beakbryce 1 Quote DRIVER: Maltby KE4 TC, Project X HZRDUS Yellow 76 6.5, Tipped 1.5", 45", MOI 2860 kg-cm² 3W: Maltby KE4 TC Pro, Project X HZRDUS Yellow 76 6.5, Tipped 2", 44", MOI 2860 kg-cm² 3H: Ping G425, Aldila NV 2KXV Green 85X, Tipped 0.5", 42", MOI 2800 kg-cm² 4 - 7: Maltby TE+ Forged, Project X LZ 6.5, MOI 2760 kg-cm² 8 - G: Maltby TS4 Forged, Project X LZ 6.5, MOI 2760 kg-cm² SW, LW: Maltby TSW, Nippon Modus 120X, MOI 2840 kg-cm² Putter: OpenSourceGolf Proto Mallie, 375g, 35.5", Bocierri Secret Grip BG0002 Grips: Lamkin UTX Cord Blue Balls: Titleist ProV1x Left Dash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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