A Franken-driver...?

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

I have never got on with the driver. I can hit them a long way, but the dispersion I get makes it not worthwhile. I think that I don't get on with the long shafts. Luckily I hit my 5&6 irons well enough to get away with playing 3 wood off the tee. In the last year however, my 8/9/wedge play has come on a lot, and I've realised that 20-30 extra yards off the tee would enable me to play approach shots with these clubs.

I've had a look around, but I just don't like the massive heads found on drivers today. For me they just don't look right behind the ball. I thought I'd found the answer with a Taylor "Mini-driver" (which has a smaller head, and I think a shorter shaft than most drivers) but tbh I don't hit much further than my 3 wood.

I have an old Callaway ERC II driver, stamped as conforming to R&A rules, that lives in the bag I keep out here at my holiday place in Portugal. I played a round with the pro last week - he asked me why I had the driver in my bag but never used it. I asked him how the Callaway compared with modern clubs, specifically as its head is smaller and (for me) much better shaped. He suggested that the biggest technology advances have been with shafts not club heads.

Anyway, I am wondering whether I could create a Franken-driver by having the Callaway ERC II head fitted to a modern 3-wood shaft matched to my swing. I expect the workshop at my club would do this for me. This would give me a 10deg clubhead of a size and shape that I like on a shaft that I would expect to be able to control.

I've never tried anything like this before. Is it a stupid idea? I'd be interested in relevant thought and experiences. Thank you in advance.

 

[Imurg]

Welcome to my world - and that of many others..
I've currently got a Callaway Mini Driver in the bag and, with the Speeder shaft, I'm getting more distance than my 3 wood with acceptable dispersion.
It's an area I've struggled with for many moons now. If I hit the driver well, it goes and stays gone but I can't do it consistently enough for my liking.
3w gets a lot of use at my place but I do need that extra distance on some holes and the 1.5 gives me that.
With your "experiment", I'd say "Have a go" . What have you got to lose and if it works, it's a winner...

 

[Maninblack4612]

You'd better go ahead & do it or you'll be forever wondering. It could work very well, you'll have confidence standing up to the ball & that's 50% of it. I agree that the shaft is more important. The only problem is finding the right one. Trial & error could be expensive.

 

[duncan mackie]

1. Just do it
2. You may expect something magical but, as club head speed is inherently linked to shaft length, you will be fundamentally back to your mini equation (give or take a little here and there). If it works for you then great.

 

[shortgame]

If you can afford to do it then do it

The worst that can happen is you're out of pocket for the price of the shaft & fitting

Good luck & let us know how it goes 👍

 

[Face breaker]

You can do anything you want as long as you've the money, Bubba Watson plays a 44" driver and 'Tigger' plays a 43.5" driver (and possibly a mouth organ before long) is it any wonder us amateurs struggle with our 45/46" drivers off the tee's..

On the flip-side to that and from what I can make of it 'Stenson' plays a 3-wood with an extra stiff driver shaft in it, but 'he' and a few others are the exception to the rule...

 

[r0wly86]

I have never got on with the driver. I can hit them a long way, but the dispersion I get makes it not worthwhile. I think that I don't get on with the long shafts. Luckily I hit my 5&6 irons well enough to get away with playing 3 wood off the tee. In the last year however, my 8/9/wedge play has come on a lot, and I've realised that 20-30 extra yards off the tee would enable me to play approach shots with these clubs.

I've had a look around, but I just don't like the massive heads found on drivers today. For me they just don't look right behind the ball. I thought I'd found the answer with a Taylor "Mini-driver" (which has a smaller head, and I think a shorter shaft than most drivers) but tbh I don't hit much further than my 3 wood.

I have an old Callaway ERC II driver, stamped as conforming to R&A rules, that lives in the bag I keep out here at my holiday place in Portugal. I played a round with the pro last week - he asked me why I had the driver in my bag but never used it. I asked him how the Callaway compared with modern clubs, specifically as its head is smaller and (for me) much better shaped. He suggested that the biggest technology advances have been with shafts not club heads.

Anyway, I am wondering whether I could create a Franken-driver by having the Callaway ERC II head fitted to a modern 3-wood shaft matched to my swing. I expect the workshop at my club would do this for me. This would give me a 10deg clubhead of a size and shape that I like on a shaft that I would expect to be able to control.

I've never tried anything like this before. Is it a stupid idea? I'd be interested in relevant thought and experiences. Thank you in advance.

Read up on what Steve Low at Designer Golf says. That the shaft is really the engine of the club and the most important part, as others have said tour pros usually have shortened shafts in their drivers so there's no shame in doing it.

I got Steve to re shaft my 3-wood. Loved the head of my T-Zoid but had a really old steel shaft in it, he fitted me properly and put in a graphite shaft that perfectly fitted by swing and now it's my best club, all for £75

 

[Maninblack4612]

That the shaft is really the engine of the club[/I]

If the shaft is the engine of the club how far would the ball go if the shaft wasn't attached to a golfer? The golfer is the engine, the shaft is, if anything, the transmission.

 

[r0wly86]

If the shaft is the engine of the club how far would the ball go if the shaft wasn't attached to a golfer? The golfer is the engine, the shaft is, if anything, the transmission.

Seeing as the golfer is not the part of the club I'm going to say no. A car won't go unless there's someone in there pressing the peddles, it doesn't make the driver of the car part of the engine

 

[clubchamp98]

With modern drivers you can put any shaft you want in as long as the adapter is the same.
I have tried my 3 wood shaft in my driver , it plays a little stiffer ( lighter head)
only lost about 10 yds.
The dispersion though was massively better, I hardly missed a fairway with it .
Takes a bit of getting used to as it looks very short compared to driver shaft.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Update. Not good!

Leaving Portugal, I snapped the shaft on my ERCII so I could put the club head in my suitcase to bring it back to the UK. When I took it to the pro at my club he said immediately that the club has a "through hosel"(?) and therefore he couldn't fit a 3W shaft. He contacted Callaway who've told him that they can't either. We are now in the process of asking whether they can at least put a new driver shaft in. This may not be possible, in which case the club goes in the bin...

And I thought I'd done my research! Now feeling rather foolish.

 

[Face breaker]

Update. Not good!

Leaving Portugal, I snapped the shaft on my ERCII so I could put the club head in my suitcase to bring it back to the UK. When I took it to the pro at my club he said immediately that the club has a "through hosel"(?) and therefore he couldn't fit a 3W shaft. He contacted Callaway who've told him that they can't either. We are now in the process of asking whether they can at least put a new driver shaft in. This may not be possible, in which case the club goes in the bin...

And I thought I'd done my research! Now feeling rather foolish.

I think the only limiting factor is the shaft size, most modern shafts are .370 or .355 whereas 'Callaways' from that era are .335 tip I think and 'through hosel' just means you can see the tip of the shaft showing on the underside of the clubhead, there's nothing 'Super Carlos Fandango' about it, just get a replacement shaft with a .335 tip and if I remember ritely from when I did my 'Big Bertha Warbird' they're parallel tip as well, not tapered... :thup:

 

[jim8flog]

Some of the older clubs eg Ping used a taper shaft. I have not seen a taper shaft in years.

How small is small.

I have got an old Wilson TI matrix driver, head the size of a modern 3 wood, shaft length overall length 44.5 tours for just the cost of P&P £8

However I would be pretty sure that a club of this era would probably only give the same sort of distance a strong 3 wood of todays era would give.

Saying Stenson only plays a 3 wood is a bit misleading if you listen to his interviews his 3 wood is a very strong 3 wood with a driver length shaft and he only uses it when it gives sufficient length on the particular course he is playing.

 

[Face breaker]

Some of the older clubs eg Ping used a taper shaft. I have not seen a taper shaft in years.

How small is small.

I have got an old Wilson TI matrix driver, head the size of a modern 3 wood, shaft length overall length 44.5 tours for just the cost of P&P £8

However I would be pretty sure that a club of this era would probably only give the same sort of distance a strong 3 wood of todays era would give.

Saying Stenson only plays a 3 wood is a bit misleading if you listen to his interviews his 3 wood is a very strong 3 wood with a driver length shaft and he only uses it when it gives sufficient length on the particular course he is playing.

Who said 'Stenson' only plays a 3-wood ?...

By his own admission he actually plays a hot 3-wood head (as in it's been altered in some way) with an extra stiff driver shaft in it, 3-woods being exempt of the same kind of restrictions that drivers are bound by that is...

 

[jim8flog]

I was just quoting what appears to be a popular misconception. Either last week or the week before he was only carrying the 3 wood and no driver.

I think, from memory, of what he said that it is 12 degree.

Again from memory it used to be a standard option in some Callies.

I used to have the same in a TM a few years back.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Seeing as the golfer is not the part of the club I'm going to say no. A car won't go unless there's someone in there pressing the peddles, it doesn't make the driver of the car part of the engine

The golfer & club are, together, a mechanical system, with the golfer providing the power i.e. the engine. I rest my case.

 

[Face breaker]

I was just quoting what appears to be a popular misconception. Either last week or the week before he was only carrying the 3 wood and no driver.

I think, from memory, of what he said that it is 12 degree.

Again from memory it used to be a standard option in some Callies.

I used to have the same in a TM a few years back.

Ah rite I see, you had me confoosed there for a minute, yeah by his own admission he doesn't get on too well with the driver much preferring his 3-wood and at around the 290yd mark who wouldn't... :thup:

 

[Bobirdie]

Dont bother.
If your driver or 3 wood doesnt work this wont give you the magical answer.

Ive tried every variation. And if my swing is off with one its off for all

Get fitted for a driver or at least grip down it a tad and hit at 70% and see how it goes

 

[One Planer]

Dont bother.
If your driver or 3 wood doesnt work this wont give you the magical answer.

Ive tried every variation. And if my swing is off with one its off for all

Get fitted for a driver or at least grip down it a tad and hit at 70% and see how it goes

He speaketh the truth.

 

[Imurg]

Get fitted for a driver or at least grip down it a tad and hit at 70% and see how it goes

For me, it goes as far as my 3 wood......😣