Does size matter.... Drivers?

[Oddsocks]

Ok, so last night i was going through some old clubs in the garage for my ebay clean through and found my old Taylormade TP Burner that i used in 96 (i think). its a classic, flextwist graphite shaft, 12* head but its tiny.

I compared it with my current bag and i reckon its between my 5w and 7w in terms of head size. Now considering this was the driver i used when my handicap was at its lowest (11.6 or something like that) i cant beleive how well i used to hit this thing although im curious with how it would hold up against todays drivers.

This then poses the question:

Has my swing got that bad i need a driver as big as a shoe box to shoot shores worse than i did as a kid?

for a giggle i've taken my 460cc monster out the bag and tomorrow night im playing with the old girl to see how it fairs against modern technology and more important how bad my card looks after the downsize..

 

[USER1999]

It won't be as forgiving. It probably won't be as long either, unless your current driver is totally unsuited to you.

I hit my longest drives with an old persimmon Wilson, steel shaft back in the 80's. It had a head like a cotton reel.

Would I go back to it. No. It wasn't the club that hit it long, it was me. I was young, and stupid, and would hit it eyeballs out every time. I don't swing like that anymore. If I had had my latest driver back then, I would have hit it even further.

 

[Oddsocks]

so does that mean with the current sweet spot size were a bit spoilt.

 

[USER1999]

Yes.

Very.

Last time I hit an old driver, Callaway H2S2 steel shaft, I could out drive it with my 5 wood.

 

[Oddsocks]

I even managed to find the first big bertha model ever launched too, and a cheapo vantage eliminator copy set of callaway woods in 1w/3w/5w

 

[USER1999]

My H2S2 was the model before the first big bertha.

 

[Nikki]

I do think that if you practice with your old driver you will hit the ball more sweetly then you normally do

 

[USER1999]

Having a shorter shaft, and smaller wind resistance due to the piddly little head, you will be able to tear through it though.

It'll be like a 9 degree hybrid.

 

[Macster]

Murph - I dont agree.

Oddsocks: I have 2 reasonably modern Drivers, a Ping G5/10.5* with Stiff NV-65 shaft, and a Titleist 905R with ProForce V2 shaft in it. The G5 was the first Driver I ever bought only 5/6yrs ago.

However, with both, although long when hit well, I can be horrendously innacurate, as can most of us I think.

However, my yonks old WarBird 4 wood, complete with Steel shaft, is unbeleivably long and reliable, which got me thinking....
I too remembered I had a matching WarBird 'Deuce' 2 Wood in the garage, with a Graphite shaft that I never did get on with, so I found a Club Fitter who just happened to have the same Steel shaft as my 4W kicking around, and who was happy to fit to the Deuce for £40, which I thought was worth a punt in my efforts for length and relaibility.

Well, whilst it might not be quite as long as the more modern drivers, its been a revelation for me to be honest.
In the last 3 weeks with it, Ive Driven our 14th @ 289yds, regularly managed to reach our Par4 16th in 2, which is 469yds, and lots more too.

Maybe its the fact that the head isnt so mahoosive that I want to smash it, or the Steel shaft that I particularly get on with, but it just goes to show that just because technology has introduced the large Drivers, that they will lower your scores in any way.

People need to realise that it isnt just technology that gets you distance, its quality of strike and technique that does the job too. My own swing is described as slow and easy tempo'd, but that doesnt mean I'm short.
Last weekends Medal round I played with a Scratch player and a 5 H/C, and I was 1 iron more than them on any given shot.
Considering I was also 25yrs older, I didnt think that was too shabby.

I'd give the old Burner an outing, you may just be surprised.

 

[Macster]

Oh, and I made sure the shaft was only 1" longer than the 4w too........