Adjustable Drivers - A Good or Bad thing?

[Up_Point_1]

I'm still struggling to get my head around these if i'm honest. I've just bought a new driver but opted not to go for an adjustable one and got last years Titleist 909D Comp instead, at a decent price too

I appreciate that new golf technology is always going to be developed so really I shouldn't be surprised at the latest 'adjustable' offerings.

I just can't help feeling these are taking the game a step too far by removing some of the skill required to hit particular shot shapes. With the latest offerings available they can be set up to virtually eradicate slices / hooks.
All this serves to do (as far as I can see) is mask inherant swing faults.

Perhaps i'm just old school (and at 35 that's worrying) in my belief that shot shaping should be as a result of the skill of the golfer, and not as a result of the club set up.

It's been bugging me for a while now so thought i'd ask the GM Forum their views on the matter. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

UP1.

 

[fundy]

for me its a good thing, if it was allowed to be adjusted during the round would be a bad thing but as it is it allows the amateur golfer to adjust it or maybe just change the shaft, rather than having to buy a whole new driver

 

[stevek1969]

A good thing ,i gained 30 yards,went from a hook my bad shot to a nice draw by opening the face 2 degrees and putting a heavy weight in the toe to keep it square thru impact.

 

[Oddsocks]

for me im not sure which is why i havent gone out and purchased yet. As it is if i hit my current club wrong i know what i have done or atleast have some idea, with an adjustable driver would i know just blame this shot on the club being set up wrong.

With this said im holding off on shelling at the money at this moment in in time.

 

[Oddsocks]

Another thing holding me off is no matter what price i have found every shop wants to charge extra (Around £40.00) for a set up lesson, which im inclinded to think they should be doing as part of the service. Why have an adjustable driver if it isnt set to suit you, and im by no means a pro able to set a club to suit my own faults/

 

[Bacardibatman]

for me its a bad thing

golfs becoming more about the equipment - Not the Golfer or their ability


i did do a massive post about the subject a few weeks back i lost when i got the server error while posting

 

[One Planer]

I have an R9. I still have it set up, as it was the day I brought it.

My drive shape is the same it's always been (straight, with a slight fade). As stated in a previous thread, I'm going to set it up to try and stop the fade and produce a straight drive, possibly a little draw. If it works, great. If not.... it'll go back to how it was as I dont mind the fade.

As for them being good or bad... I think they are a good thing.

Take Tiger Woods as an example. He probably has every aspect of this driver custom-fitted to every aspect of his swing by Nike. It doesn't stop him hitting the odd bad one (although the "odd one" has become alarmingly regular with him lately).

I'm no expert but I would say your technique will have far more influence over your drive than the customizations you could potentially make to the club.

 

[freddielong]

I would say they are a bad thing in almost every case the only thing I think is good are the ones where you can easily swap the shafts

 

[Losttheplot]

I'm not a big fan of all these adjustable drivers. I believe you should be able to hit the ball properly and if you want a draw then learn to hit one.

Saying that I wouldnt say no to owning one because I'd happily have it set to neutral and never change it. I love the look of the R11 and that's adjustable so for me to say I'd never have one would be a big fat lie!

 

[Region3]

I think it's a good thing, but don't believe for a second that the adjustability can fix swing faults.

There was a list somewhere of the Titleist staff players and what setting they had their driver on. They aren't masking swing faults, it just gives more choice.

Before they could probably have their drivers adjusted how they liked by the tour van. Now the masses have that same level of flexibility, if they know what they want and how to achieve it.

 

[Ethan]

Good or bad thing? Yes, no and maybe.

The adjustability is a gimmick to some and a useful tool to others. With the Titleist at least, it isn't meant to be a substitute for eradicating swing faults, rather a way to fine tune the fitting or modify the flight in different conditions.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Do they really make that much difference? I know people who have them who still play of high h'caps and miss a lot of fairways. Can anyone actually tell me of anyone who has bought an adjustable driver and actually improved their h'cap because of it? At the end of the day the reason you can't drive straight is because you have swing faults and those faults are still there with your irons and you still have to chip and putt.

If people think they are helping them then that's great for them but personally I'm not convinced.

My R9 is set to neutral and will stay there, I'll change my swing before the club

 

[Smigger79]

I've got an adjustable taylor made and have never touched the weights in 2 years. My swing has far more "left to right adjustability" than even the R11.
I did once play with a bloke who hit a big fade but hit exactly the same shape every time. Somebody like this may well profit from one but I would say most people just aren't consistent enough to benefit.

 

[surefire]

Personally, I feel it's quite good, but you shouldn't be using the adjustability to replace shot shaping or to mask faults.

My thinking was that the adjustments were there to effectively enable more custom options, without producing loads of heads. If you'd go and get fit for a driver, whats the difference between that and having an adjustable driver set to the same specs?

 

[sweatysock41]

My R9 was set up during one of my lessons and I haven't touched it since. As the pro said at the time it is easier for them to find adjust the 'standard' club to your particular swing at that one point in time.

So for me it was a good thing - as for adjusting then prior to each round to suit conditions as is part of the sales pitch - way beyond me. It is really each to his own but I love mine.

 

[Region3]

I personally couldn't care less about the left/right adjustment, other than I've messed with it just to get the face looking square at address, but I have mine adjusted to max loft because that gave me the best launch angle at the fitting.

Does that mean I have a swing fault that means I hit the ball too low?

I can live with that, and if my swing changes and I start hitting it too high I can go down up to 2.25° instead of shelling out for a new driver.

I don't see the downside.

 

[Ronnoc1980]

Have pro's not been using lead tape for yrs?

 

[Owen_Thomas_14]

I would have it on neutral so dont see the point in buying one. Each to their own though .

 

[Smiffy]

Mate of mine had his Cobra set up for a fade and I was hitting a lovely draw with it

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not a fan. I'm too much of a tinkerer and a bad shot couldn't be me. I'm not realy a fan of draw bias either even though I was the owner of a Cleveland XLS Hi Bore 10.5 draw.


The way I see it a lot of club golfers have inherent swing faults anyway which is one of the reasons handicaps don't come down. With this changeable technology, you can mask a swing fault for a while but eventually another will creep in and so you tweak the setting again. Sooner or later this fault will manifest itself throughout the bag and without being able to change other clubs where do you go then. Given the cost (interestingly HID saw an invoice from TM for the R11 the other day - trade price £139.67) why not invest in something more repeatable and solid.