# Budget Driver For A Beginner. Ram Golf Evolution, Fazer Firepower?



## PeteHoram (Feb 24, 2011)

I want something forgiving mostly. I have a taylormade rescue 3 I got for free and it is a nightmare - I can't not slice it, yet with iron's i'm mostly alright. Anyway I don't want to spend much more than Â£50 unless it really is necessary. I've seen this 

Fazer Firepower Â£25? Can I go wrong?

http://www.americangolf.co.uk/golf-clubs/golf-drivers/fazer-firepower-geometrix-driver--graphite-/

Ram Evolution Driver Â£50 (I know the old fx9 got good reviews)

http://www.ramgolf.co.uk/products/evolution/driver

Any other suggestions or would you recommend either of these? What degree is best 12 or 10.5?

Cheers,
Pete


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## daveyc2k2 (Feb 24, 2011)

Â£50 isn't going to get you much. I'm sure most people will recommend the MD range as they are cheap and meant to be great kit for their price. Check them out and see if they are in your budget.


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## PeteHoram (Feb 24, 2011)

The MD seem to be around Â£80-100. 
Is this a taylormade burner driver for Â£100 killer deal and well worth it by the way?


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## NWJocko (Feb 24, 2011)

Have a look at benross. Their drivers seem to be well thought of and you'd be able to get something around 50 notes i would have thought, maybe last year or two model wise but sound enough at that price.

If you can find a few extra quid the Cleveland launcher from a couple of years back is 70-80 quid which is very good value.


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## NWJocko (Feb 24, 2011)

The MD seem to be around Â£80-100. 
Is this a taylormade burner driver for Â£100 killer deal and well worth it by the way?
		
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Must have posted at the same time! For a 7 hole old burner it is a good deal. Thnk someone was selling the previous tour burner for 60 quid in the for sale section aswell.


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## GB72 (Feb 24, 2011)

Try this

http://www.onlinegolf.co.uk/product/Benross-VX-Proto-Driver/p53025.aspx

In my opinion you will not find better for Â£40


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## thecraw (Feb 24, 2011)

I would have to agree with the above in relation to that Benross driver.


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## ScienceBoy (Feb 25, 2011)

I would suggest for an absolute beginner they start playing with a 3 wood first and move onto the drive once they get the hang of hitting the shorter club first.

Going out gung ho with a driver can bring in a few swing faults. I would simply avoid it and buy a 3 wood which would also be cheaper!


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## PeteHoram (Feb 25, 2011)

Is a 3 wood the same as a taylormade rescue 3? I can hit a couple of hundred hards with it but it nearly always slices way right 

Cool might check out Benross. No praise for ram?

These are some good sales on callaway bb diablo, taylormade burner and Nike SQ if I want to go up to Â£100 but maybe it's too much to spend at first is it?


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## One Planer (Feb 25, 2011)

Nah they are completley different.

A 3 wood is the next club down from your driver. A 3 resucue/hybrid is an easier to hit version of a 3 iron.


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## PeteHoram (Feb 25, 2011)

I actually wish I had a 3 iron instead of the rescue 3. Any idea why I find it so much more difficult compared to a 5 iron? What's wrong in my technique?

So I could do with recommendations for a 3, 5 wood and a driver? Do I need 2 woods and a driver or just one wood and driver?

With the benross driver should I get: 

regular or stiff?
10 degrees or 12?

Or with benross fairway woods there's 

3 wood 15 degrees, 3 wood max 18 degrees
5 wood 19 degrees, or max 21

What do I need?
Cheers


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## ScienceBoy (Feb 25, 2011)

So I could do with recommendations for a 3, 5 wood and a driver? Do I need 2 woods and a driver or just one wood and driver?
		
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A full set is overcomplicating things for a beginner.

If it is your first set I would go for just a half set. Get a putter, sand wedge, 9,7,5 irons, 3 hybrid and a 3 wood.

Then get some lessons to learn to hit those. 

This simplifies club selection and you will not regret it as in the future as you will have learnt distance control a lot quicker than if you had 14 club in the bag and learnt how to control clubs in all sorts of conditions.

Too many start with 14 clubs, in my opinion its best to start with the set stated above for the first few years.

Of course it is your choice what you do but I would say don't give in to peer pressure and blast away with a driver, follow what you think is best for your situation.


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## PeteHoram (Feb 25, 2011)

I've got a full set of Taylormade RAC OS IIs and the taylormade rescue 3 and a putter. I can take out half of them and just keep the ones you said for now. 

I'm currently having lessons and they seem to be going well - I had lessons when I was younger. I can hit with 7 and 5 irons pretty consistently long and straight. I'm really struggling with my rescue 3 at the moment - I can occasionally hit a straight one 200 yards but mostly it's just a pure slice shot. It's not really made for off the tee either I suppose.

I guess I just want to a good club I can hit long for off the tee. Played a 9 hole the other day (my second round ever) and ended up 12 shot over which I thought was alright. I seemed to lose a lot of shots putting mostly. 

What flex and loft would you recommend for the 3 wood then? Are the benross vx ones as good as the driver?


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## ScienceBoy (Feb 25, 2011)

I still think introducing a driver will make you worse rather that better but its good to see a decent score isnt it, 12 over isnt bad at all!

One idea is to take out only the clubs you are confident in and play with those, try a bit of shotmaking.

I would not worry about shaft flex etc just yet, get something cheap with a stock shaft, learn to hit it well and when you are more consistent you will find a good shaft makes a difference.

For me a season with the stock shaft in my driver and wood was fine. By the end of the season I was shooting mid 80s and then getting custom fit for a driver shaft helped me start finding more fairways.

Golf improvements seem to come in big chunks, then you spend a few months making it consistent then it happens all over again!


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## PeteHoram (Feb 25, 2011)

The thing is the benross which are only Â£40 give me all these options so I have to choose really.

Are more degree's loft better for beginners?
Is more flex better for beginners or does it offer less control?


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## Region3 (Feb 25, 2011)

The real answer is 'it depends' unfortunately.

Generally more loft would be better for a beginner, unless you already hit the ball very high? I'd say at least 10Â° but preferably 11-12.

Shaft flex is roughly based on swing speed although there are other factors that are involved as well.
Do you know either your swing speed with any particular clubs, or distances that you hit certain clubs (carry distance)?


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## Smiffy (Feb 25, 2011)

Where are you based Peter?


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## PeteHoram (Feb 26, 2011)

Hi, I'm based near Lancaster. 

I'm not sure of my swing speed. I hit a 7 iron about 150 yards and my rescue 3 about 200 yards when I hit it well. I'd say the 5 iron is just short of 200 yards.

Cheers


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## ScienceBoy (Feb 26, 2011)

Hi, I'm based near Lancaster. 

I'm not sure of my swing speed. I hit a 7 iron about 150 yards and my rescue 3 about 200 yards when I hit it well. I'd say the 5 iron is just short of 200 yards.

Cheers
		
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Thats not bad, at the moment in winter on the course I hit my 6 iron 150 and my 5 wood 220. You must be doing something right at least, defiantly not beginner distances those! I have been playing seriously for just under a year.


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## Scouser (Feb 26, 2011)

Just bought last years MD superstrong TI 460 for Â£60.... I have an excellent slice    and on the 9 hole course today when i used the MD for the first time hit 4 out of the 5 fairways ..... very very happy


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## ScienceBoy (Feb 26, 2011)

Just bought last years MD superstrong TI 460 for Â£60.... I have an excellent slice    and on the 9 hole course today when i used the MD for the first time hit 4 out of the 5 fairways ..... very very happy  

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By aiming well left?


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## Scouser (Feb 26, 2011)

Just bought last years MD superstrong TI 460 for Â£60.... I have an excellent slice    and on the 9 hole course today when i used the MD for the first time hit 4 out of the 5 fairways ..... very very happy  

Click to expand...

By aiming well left?
		
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By aiming for the other fairway


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## PeteHoram (Feb 26, 2011)

Why do you think the MD golf driver stopped you slicing? Or have you just got better? Sounds like a good choice if I can stop doing that! Is that the square version or the offset model? Which would be best for me? Is it stiff, regular, 9, 10 or 12 degrees?

I can get the offset for about Â£70 - for not much more (Â£100) could get a taylormade burner or callaway diablo but are these suitable for slicers and beginners?

Today I was on a different range at garstang and was hitting under or around 150 with a 5 iron and about 125 with a 7, it was pretty windy but the distances seemed a lot different from the ones at ashton 9 hole driving range.  I feel reasonably confident with the 5, 7, PW and SW. The rest i'm pretty awful. 

How can I stop slicing the 3 and sometimes the 5 to the right. When I do the same thing with a 7 it goes dead straight a lot of the time. I don't get much height with the 3 either. This golf is confusing stuff! I think i'm starting to get addicted though!


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## Region3 (Feb 26, 2011)

Hi, I'm based near Lancaster. 

I'm not sure of my swing speed. I hit a 7 iron about 150 yards and my rescue 3 about 200 yards when I hit it well. I'd say the 5 iron is just short of 200 yards.

Cheers
		
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Out of 9, 10, and 12 I'd say go for the 12 unless you hit the ball VERY high.
With those distances I'd say you could probably use regular or stiff, is there no way you could try both?

What shafts are in your current clubs?


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## ScienceBoy (Feb 26, 2011)

Today I was on a different range at garstang and was hitting under or around 150 with a 5 iron and about 125 with a 7, it was pretty windy but the distances seemed a lot different from the ones at ashton 9 hole driving range.
		
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I bet the markers are out at ashton! Not uncommon for ranges to be way off the mark. The only way to get true distances is to laser them or go to a range that has lasered from each bay, the rest are 90% off by about 10 yards from personal experience.


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## PeteHoram (Feb 26, 2011)

The 3 I always slice with is graphite and I think my irons are steel taylormade rac OS IIs. I'm not sure if I like my clubs the light feeling of the taylormade rescue 3.


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## Scouser (Feb 26, 2011)

Why do you think the MD golf driver stopped you slicing? Or have you just got better? Sounds like a good choice if I can stop doing that! Is that the square version or the offset model? Which would be best for me? Is it stiff, regular, 9, 10 or 12 degrees?
		
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Its the offset 10 degree.  Defo haven't got better i used to use an offset driver before this. I think slicing it less comes down to the quality of the equipment in my case.

I have only just recently satring playing once a month sometimes twice and have ordered MD superstrong irons they were really easy to hit and a lot better than the Â£100 starter set I had before.  They are on order and should be here by mid march.   

Where abouts in Preston do you play im around that neck of the woods at times??


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## NWJocko (Feb 26, 2011)

Pete,

I have a callaway diablo draw version that i no longer need. Face is closed, albet you can determine by how much by the way you address the ball.

In mint condition, with headcover etc. I got it when i was starting again and slicing, held the club less closed as i improved. A good driver though, i wouldn't have changed.

If ur interested in it pm me. Happy to keep to ur budget as i got a shiny new one courtesy of GM


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## Scouser (Feb 26, 2011)

OH And for the record Pete i also hit some willson clubs that were more expensive than the MD but still aimed at my level (which is sh*t) and couldnt hit them.....price means nothing as i found out


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## NWJocko (Feb 26, 2011)

Pete,

Ive sent u a pm as i hadnt seen u were in Lancaster, im just outside preston myself so could meet if u want to see the callaway driver.....


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## PeteHoram (Mar 1, 2011)

So I managed to try out the benross vx proto and the callaway edge and it was rather embarassing. I could only top the ball a hundred yards at best and not at all straight. I can use irons but I haven't a clue with the driver so I don't know what's best to get? 

Maybe the Â£25 fazer until I can hit the damn thing properly and then work out what I need?


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## hangover (Mar 1, 2011)

http://www.kitbag.com/stores/kitbag/products/product_details.aspx?pid=65483

absolute bargain


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## PeteHoram (Mar 2, 2011)

I still haven't a clue what to go for. 
So my options are:

Used callaway draw
MD golf superstrong
Wilson smooth 
Benross VX proto

Are the Wilson smooth and Callaway draw worth their previous Â£200 price tags in terms of technology, quality and results for a beginner?


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## PeteHoram (Mar 2, 2011)

Found out my swing speed is about 76 mph by the way


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## hangover (Mar 2, 2011)

You won't go wrong with a Wilson staff smooth for that price. Â£40 is a amazing price. I've used the driver and I found it as good as anything else I've used


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## GB72 (Mar 2, 2011)

That Smooth driver at Â£40 is a total bargain.


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## PeteHoram (Mar 4, 2011)

As good as your nike? Would it blow benross and MD golf out of the water as I improve my technique? Fair enough I might just buy that and see how I go on with it. What do you think of Nike drivers? They seem to be really popular: 

SQ Machspeed STR8-Fit Driver Â£80
Nike SQ Sumo Square 5900 Driver Â£90


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## robbest3offthetee (Mar 4, 2011)

But do you really want to go spending Â£80/90 quid on something you may not like/be able to use,i would go for the cheaper and see how you get on!!!


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## PeteHoram (Mar 4, 2011)

Yeah it's a fair point. I just get excited when I see the pro name and see the reductions lol. I can get the 10.5 callaway edge used for Â£50 or should I just get the new wilson?


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## robbest3offthetee (Mar 4, 2011)

Have you tried either club,if so,which one felt better,drivers,as with all clubs are personal choice...


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## PeteHoram (Mar 4, 2011)

I tried the benross vx and the callaway edge. To be honest they both felt the same...bloody impossible to hit. I can hit with irons but not with a driver, let alone tell the differences between them. I think i'd need to get good with a driver before I could develop a preference really.


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## robbest3offthetee (Mar 4, 2011)

To be honest then,i would go with the callaway,only on the fact that if you dont get on with it,should have a better re-sale value...     Pete,with a driver i find its trial and error,just keep hitting one(in practice)till it feels right,it will come...


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