New Driver

The Wife has offered to buy me a new driver for Xmas, mine is about 10 years old, and while it may not necessarily change my game, I'm only playing about 10 times a year. Its always good to get something new, isn't it?. No time to go and get fitted etc or try some, so will just be going for standard off the peg online offer. Any views on these options would be much appreciated.

http://www.onlinegolf.co.uk/clubs/drivers/callaway-golf-x-hot-s-driver-264165.html

http://www.onlinegolf.co.uk/clubs/drivers/cobra-golf-baffler-xl-driver-259332.html

http://www.onlinegolf.co.uk/clubs/drivers/taylormade-aeroburner-mini-driver-281429.html

http://www.onlinegolf.co.uk/clubs/drivers/cobra-golf-bio-cell-limited-edition-white-driver-268396.html

http://www.onlinegolf.co.uk/clubs/drivers/adams-golf-blue-driver-283331.html

http://www.onlinegolf.co.uk/clubs/drivers/callaway-golf-x-series-driver-281169.html

http://www.onlinegolf.co.uk/clubs/drivers/taylormade-sldr-s-driver-267570.html

http://www.americangolf.co.uk/golf-clubs/drivers/ping-g20-project-x-black-driver-282287.html

Thanks!!

If you're not a regular player, then no point in being custom fit, probably best just going along to somewhere where you can A) See them B) Hit them and pick which one works best for you.

Doubt you'd be disappointed by any of them, but if you can test some, do so as it all comes down to the shaft in it really.

If off the shelf I'd still suggest hitting them somewhere first, but if an infrequent player I'd suggest looking at ones with maximum forgiveness (assuming that playing relatively little will mean that your strike may not be as consistent as it could be).

Of that list, I would suggest the Taylormade aero mini should be passed over (small head small sweet spot - or smaller area around the sweet spot to maximise mis-hits).

I've used www.clubhousegolf.co.uk before and found them to be pretty good as were www.golfsupport.co.uk (although not used them for a couple of years now) but try and get somewhere to try them if you can.

You really need to hit a few and go with the one you like best. The shafts are so different that you will get very different results with each club. My views on which drivers are best for me will be meaningless to you!

Beninho - I just recently bought the Taylormade Mini Driver that Roller mentions above - and contrary to what he says I've been very pleased with it!

Despite Roller saying smaller sweet spot, Taylormade themselves claim a larger sweet spot for more accuracy and forgiveness.

I'm only a short hitter, but fortunately play most of my golf on a course that is a shorter, but tighter course; As such, in the summer with more roll and balls flying further, I basically gave up on my old driver as it was too unpredictable and coped reasonably well with a regular 3 wood off the tee. As the weather got cooler and the ball rolling less I decided just a few more yards would be helpful and I tested the mini driver. It's basically a smaller driver head (circa 250cc) on a shorter shaft, so it feels very much like a three wood, but I'm getting on average perhaps 15-20 yards more than my three wood. I was never a fan of the giant headed drivers anyway - they always looked unnatural to me, and the balance of the club didn't suit me with the huge but lightweight head on a longer shaft.

So far found it very forgiving - I'm cursed with a fade/slice and last weekend playing into really strong winds at times, my old "proper" driver would have been uncontrollable, but with the exception of one horrible slice, it was very very straight

Note the link above only offers the mini driver in 14 and 16 degree lofts though - I went with the 12 degree.

I too tried the Mini Driver in 12 deg.
It was incredibly easy to hit, but in tests I did it was no longer (or more accurate) than my current 3 wood, so it went on ebay. Was worth the punt though.

I will try and pop down the local american golf and hit some options.

The mini driver does sound interesting. My 3 wood is a taylor made burner, and i can hit it pretty well at times. So something that gives a bit more distance and is easier to control than a big headed driver could be worth a look.

i'm generally inclined to avoid the likes of taylormade and callaway with their longer shafts, to me more length = less control. likes of the sldr also seem to get a bit of a bashing on the 'forgiveness' ratings. adjustability is worthwhile, especially if you're not going to get properly fit as you can tweak your set up if required. that said, i found the fitting experience incredibly worthwhile and the improvements between my previous off the shelf ping and my titleist 913 (fitted at titleist, kingsacre) are very significant.

I decided recently that I "needed" a new driver as my old TaylorMade Burner (also about 10 years old) wasn't going as far as I thought it should. I went to our local American Golf store where a friend (single figure golfer) works and he taped up several new drivers for me to try and compare with my current driver. Firstly I went to the range and hit a few balls and decided I liked the new Cobra and TaylorMade models (forget the price). Took them back to try them in the net on the Trackman and, surprise surprise, they both went as far as my current driver. Very kindly he told me not to waste my money and stick with what I've got. That's what friends are for!

PS I bought an iPad instead

Ladyputt, My wifes buying me this, so even if It gains me 2 yards, im still getting one!

When it comes to the wife Ben, it's all about length

Little man is 16 months old in and its still all about sleeping!

My driver is 8 years old. Is it likely that a newer model would go further or be more accurate?

McLaren wrote:My driver is 8 years old.  Is it likely that a newer model would go further or be more accurate?

Yes, I think the drivers introduced in the last few years do go a bit further. I changed a TM r7 that I'd had for about 10 years for a TM SLDR last Christmas, and it does go further, and it does go straighter and it is more forgiving. Don't expect miracles though. You might get up to 10 more yards, but I'm sceptical about claims of an extra 20 yards.

The TM SLDR apparently has a centre of gravity further forward - don't know if it really has, but all the write ups say to get a bigger loft than you normally would. I tried the 9½ degree, and could barely get it in the air, so went for the 10½ degree. I can hit it lower by teeing it lower, and higher by teeing it higher. It's easy to use, it has a sliding weight to change the flight from draw, to fade. In practice, most people use the weight to correct their normal slice or hook. Mine is set up as 10 degrees (by adjusting the hosel), with a slight draw bias. I like it. Bizarrely, there are two more recent TM drivers - the r15 and the M1 both succeeded the SLDR (even though the SLDR is only two years old). The r15 has two adjustable sliding weights, so you can make finer adjustments, and the M1 has a sliding weight to change the trajectory as well.

Unless your swing is powerful, go with a regular shaft option because you will get better distance and forgiveness than with a firm flex.

I read an interesting article once about golf shafts (as opposed to Mac just reading about shafts) and it concluded that it isn't necessarily true that a stiff shaft is better for lower handicappers or that regular is best for less good players

Of course that's not true .. surely the difference is stiff shaft for people with higher club head speed (which MAY be low handicappers) and regular shaft for slow swings. It may hold true in general that low handicappers are capable of generating more clubhead speed - but I know many good players with slowish swings, and hackers who could almost slow down to a blur

That's what I mean Davie, just because you are a good/less good player, doesn't mean you have a go to shaft flex based on your handicap.

Its also not true entirely on clubhead speed as each shaft company has different guidlines for there particular brand.

When i was fitted for my Driver, clubhead speed was measured at 96mph and recommended i switch from regular to stiff shaft, but when i tested yhis out it completely muckled hy swing and changed the ball flight and it wasn't flying as well.

So its just regilar shafts for me.

Davie wrote: but I know many good players with slowish swings, and hackers who could almost slow down to a blur

You know that old apocryphal story about calculating the apparent speed of a player's downswing?

You multiply his handicap by the speed of his backswing.

So - a two handicapper with a 15 mph backswing looks like his downswing is 30 mph. A 20 handicapper with a 20 mph backswing - 400 mph.

George

So I should be asking for a new driver for christmas?

Mac, there is a very small difference between your rescue and driver. Shouldn't be that small.

Mac - yes, I would get a new driver for Christmas if I were you.

No harm in trying a few drivers out to see what you like. I'd ignore the hype about the latest model, go for the previous model - which will probably be the same anyway but with a different paint job. You'll probably save £200.

Personally, I like adjustable drivers. I know not everyone does, but they do offer some hope that you can alter something if it doesn't live up to your expectations.

George

I had a look in American golf before the season started and thought the Titleists and Ping looked by far the best products.

Super

I know, but what are the chances that club golfer could hone a swing that would give you 250+ yards carry with whatever driver you use? I have yet to play with someone who massively out drives me, which would lead me to believe that I am close to the limitations of what a club golfer can achieve in terms of driver length.

Mac, that's poor logic. By your own admission, you aren't a regular player, you aren't especially good, you have an antique driver, you care more about course design than playing the game and you play at a Muni which isn't a course where driving is the clever tee shot on most holes and which is so sloping and undulating you can't tell how far you're hitting it.

Now, that doesn't mean you can't hit a ball, but it is rather arrogant to suggest that on the basis of how, when and where you play golf you are close to the limitations of what a club golfer can achieve.

The small gap between your rescue and your driver seems to suggest you are wrong and that you very well could hit the ball further than you do.

I regularly play with people who out-drive me by 30-40 yards, and I imagine I am at least a match for you in regards to driving so to say you are virtually at the zenith of what a club golfer can hit a ball is codswallop.

How would you even know how far you hit it seeing as how dismissive you are of distance measuring devices?

Super

It is not arrogant to suggest that if I am getting about 240 carry from my driver, maybe a little more on a good day, that it will be a rare day when a I come up against a club player who hits it significantly further than that. I did not say I was at the "zenith.

I don't know where you got the idea that I am not especially good but this is not the case. I have had periods where I have been an infrequent player but over the years I have played a lot of golf.

My argument was that it would not be practical to put in the time and effort to gain the extra ten yards that would put me on a par with the longest of club golfers.

McLaren wrote:Super

It is not arrogant to suggest that if I am getting about 240 carry from my driver, maybe a little more on a good day, that it will be a rare day when a I come up against a club player who hits it significantly further than that.  I did not say I was at the "zenith.

I don't know where you got the idea that I am not especially good but this is not the case.  I have had periods where I have been an infrequent player but over the years I have played a lot of golf.

My argument was that it would not be practical to put in the time and effort to gain the extra ten yards that would put me on a par with the longest of club golfers.  

That's not exactly what you said though Mac, you said you were close to the limit of club golfers for driving. That's balderdash.
You don't have a handicap, you don't play regularly and you don't play competitively.

You are probably in the top 10% of club golfers length, as 90% of club golfers are rubbish, but that doesn't mean a large numbers of golfers don't carry it further than you, just because you haven't met them at your muni cowp, doesn't mean they don't exist, and doesn't mean that because you haven't seen them that you are near to the upper echelons of club golfer distance, because you aren't.
It is not rare for a club golfer to carry it further than 240, because tons of club golfers actually do.

the arrogance, ignorance and naivety of Mac's argument is astonishing.

I used to think i hit the ball far and i definitely do hit it further than the vast majority of club golfer. I won a long drive competition in our club a few years back- that sounds impressive but in reality there was only about 50 entrants and most of them were uncompetitive. when i won that competition i went on to a regional competition where there was about 16 competitors from different clubs. about half of the guys at this competition were able to hit it 20-30 yards beyond.

i think absolute yardages dont give much info in isolation. there are conditions where a "good one" for me. will go 250 and theres other times when a "good one" will go 350

I think Mac's talking about carry alone Hend.

super_realist wrote:I read an interesting article once about golf shafts (as opposed to Mac just reading about shafts) and it concluded that it isn't necessarily true that a stiff shaft is better for lower handicappers or that regular is best for less good players

Davie wrote:Of course that's not true .. surely the difference is stiff shaft for people with higher club head speed (which MAY be low handicappers) and regular shaft for slow swings. It may hold true in general that low handicappers are capable of generating  more clubhead speed - but I know many good players with slowish swings, and hackers who could almost slow down to a blur

It's more to do with the transition at the top of a backswing than out and out speed. A quick transition will load a shaft more, hence stiffer flexes needed. Nice and smooth at the top, softer flexes needed.

Super

Yes, I was talking about carry.

So why can you carry your rescue 220 and your driver only 240?

I have probably just over estimated how far I can carry my 19° hybrid. Although I do struggle with distance on my longer irons as you know from the 170 4 iron carry thread.

Then I would suggest that you are very far from being close to the limits of distance for a club golfer.

I am quite confident that with the driver I am very close to being among the longest club golfers.

I'm contemplating taking a punt on the mini driver, I'm pretty erratic with my current driver, but more consistent with my 3 wood. I'm not going to get a chance to go and hit any before hand. Whats the worse that can happen?

McLaren wrote:I am quite confident that with the driver I am very close to being among the longest club golfers.

I too am getting a new driver for Christmas..in the form of a voucher so I can go and try a few and get fitted (up?) sometime in the new year.

beninho wrote:I'm contemplating taking a punt on the mini driver, I'm pretty erratic with my current driver, but more consistent with my 3 wood. I'm not going to get a chance to go and hit any before hand. Whats the worse that can happen?

You waste a fair bit of cash?

£129, luckily isn't going to tip us on to the bread line.

That's the spirit Ben. It's new so it will definitely improve your game by several shots a round.

I think it will make me bloody excellent, and stop me from being a weekend hacker!

beninho wrote:I think it will make me bloody excellent, and stop me from being a weekend hacker!

"Wait till it gets to know you" - Lee Trevino

So in the end I held off on buying one off the rack. Just been to my local American Golf and hit a few options. It turned out that while I was as erratic as ever. When I caught a few the best ones were with a stiff shaft. Now I've never thought I'd be anything but a regular. I always thought they were for better players then me. So they want me to go back and have a custom fit to try the best option etc. Which I may well do.