Draw Bias Or Not?

[Chico84]

I am fairly new to the game having played for just over six months but am really enjoying it. I’ve taken both beginner and intermediate courses of lessons and am now having some one to one coaching which is really progressing my game well.

One area I’m looking to develop is my drives. As with most beginners I have a tendency to slice the ball pretty heavily with the driver (my irons tend not to slice) but with my coaching I’m getting a bit more consistency.

I went for a driver fitting the other day, primarily to see whether a more modern driver than my hand me down 8.5 degree Cleveland launcher would help me any further. This came out with two potential contenders - the Taylormade SIM Max D and the Ping G410 Plus.

My swing is still pretty inconsistent with the driver but I hit some decent shots with both clubs and even began to see a baby draw with the TM. Interestingly I started off with the weight on the Ping in the draw position but found I was hooking it loads so moved it back to the centre. The SIM just about shaded it between the two though.

My question is this - would I be better off working on my swing and getting it more consistently straight and then go and get another fitting or should I go for the SIM Max D now? Is it worth buying a draw biased driver when I seemed to be hitting some good shots with the non-draw biased G410 Plus? I’m assuming (hoping) my driver swing will only get better as I take more lessons so would I be limiting myself with the draw bias club at this stage, or even letting poor form into my swing because the draw bias might hide it?

Genuine questions from a newbie who doesn’t want to shell out £400 unnecessarily on something sub-optimal!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I am fairly new to the game having played for just over six months but am really enjoying it. I’ve taken both beginner and intermediate courses of lessons and am now having some one to one coaching which is really progressing my game well.

One area I’m looking to develop is my drives. As with most beginners I have a tendency to slice the ball pretty heavily with the driver (my irons tend not to slice) but with my coaching I’m getting a bit more consistency.

I went for a driver fitting the other day, primarily to see whether a more modern driver than my hand me down 8.5 degree Cleveland launcher would help me any further. This came out with two potential contenders - the Taylormade SIM Max D and the Ping G410 Plus.

My swing is still pretty inconsistent with the driver but I hit some decent shots with both clubs and even began to see a baby draw with the TM. Interestingly I started off with the weight on the Ping in the draw position but found I was hooking it loads so moved it back to the centre. The SIM just about shaded it between the two though.

My question is this - would I be better off working on my swing and getting it more consistently straight and then go and get another fitting or should I go for the SIM Max D now? Is it worth buying a draw biased driver when I seemed to be hitting some good shots with the non-draw biased G410 Plus? I’m assuming (hoping) my driver swing will only get better as I take more lessons so would I be limiting myself with the draw bias club at this stage, or even letting poor form into my swing because the draw bias might hide it?

Genuine questions from a newbie who doesn’t want to shell out £400 unnecessarily on something sub-optimal!

Frankly I'd say that - especially with you being a newcomer - shelling out £400 of a new driver is a total waste of money. But as others in other threads say - it's your money. Have lessons instead.

Note - I've been playing a long time and I am not sure I know what you mean by 'draw bias'...methinks you've been looking a bit too tech for a newbie - but just my feeling.

 

[Imurg]

The SiM D will have extra weight in the heel of the club to, in effect, speed up the toe end and help present the face square.
G410 has a movable weight that can be in either heel(draw), toe(fade) or central for neutral flight.
The downside of the SiM is if your swing improves you still have a draw bias driver and you'll be fighting it.
Might be worth looking around for a 2nd hand club with movable weights - TM and Callaway have done movable weights for ages now (2014 Big Bertha, TM R15)
They'll be cheaper but still very decent drivers

 

[simonm8]

Like mentioned above, I would avoid the SiM.. I went with a mate He was advised that the SFT (similar to the SIM D) offer around 20yards of forgiveness where as the G410 plus with the weight in Draw offer about 10.. but is moveable as your game and swing improves... Also is worth noting... generally if you go for an adjustable driver and loft up, this can help you...LOFT is your friend..

 

[Crow]

I'd say you just need a more lofted driver.

Look on ebay or such and find an 11 or 12 degree driver for £50 or less, sorted.

 

[garyinderry]

I'd absolutely avoid paying 400 quid for a driver in my first year playing golf.

Treat yourself to a nice putter and a couple of wedges.

 

[Chico84]

Thanks for all the responses, genuinely very helpful to hear and confirms a lot of what I was thinking. £400 is a lot of money and I suspect I’d get more out of the same value of lessons. It is always tempting having something shiny and new in the bag though!

I think I’ll see how my lessons go over the next few months and have a rethink later on in the year.

 

[jim8flog]

As a beginner I would certainly sat ditch a driver with just 8.5 degrees of loft.

In the meantime I would look for secondhand around 10.5 degree.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Draw bias is a waste of time, you can get the same effect by strengthening your grip i.e. moving the hands clockwise around the grip slightly. Your slice is caused by the swing path pointing left at impact & the clubface being open in relation to the path. Using a driver with draw bias (= closed face) will only cure the latter at the most, leaving you with a pull to the left (swing path to the left face square to swing path). Getting the swing to go from in to out oftrn cures the slice without having to do anything else.

P. S. Get a used Taylormade M1, M2 or something similar. It may leave you 5 yards shorter than the latest stuff bu would you pay £400 plus for that?

 

[clubchamp98]

All good advice.
Have you considered a SH Callaway Epic it has a sliding weight on a track.
This will allow you to move the weight to a more neutral setting as your swing improves.
There have been several drivers like this with movable weights and I think this would help you with practice.
£400+ is not nessesary the modern ones are no better than 2 yr old ones to a beginner.
As long as you get the right shaft.
Do you have your fitting results ,? If so get a SH movable weight driver as close as you can to them.
Enjoy.

 

[Chico84]

This is all great advice. I think based on this I’ll get myself a cheaper drover with a higher loft and adjustable weights so I can have a bit more forgiveness whilst I work on my swing. I think I’ll wait a while before dropping £400 ish on a driver!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Thanks for all the responses, genuinely very helpful to hear and confirms a lot of what I was thinking. £400 is a lot of money and I suspect I’d get more out of the same value of lessons. It is always tempting having something shiny and new in the bag though!

I think I’ll see how my lessons go over the next few months and have a rethink later on in the year.

It's only shiny and new until you hit it - it's then used

Honestly - as Crow and Garryinderry say - you don;t need to spend £400 so soon into the game - and you'll be able to get a great driver for £50 - and it'll almost look brand new.

 

[Chico84]

I’ve managed to get hold of a second hand TM M1 so will use this to (hopefully) improve my driving. Either way it should be more forgiving than my Cleveland. Thanks for all the great advice from everyone. I shall indeed be investing the money saved into more lessons (and balls to replace the ones I lose!)

 

[stueyginger]

Interesting topic..... Just found out this info following a change in driver head

I have an epic flash 10.5 which was set down to 9deg and unknowingly to me apparently opens the club face

Sounds confusing, I thought that as well but with adjustable drivers if you're decreasing loft it will open the club face, increasing loft will close

Yes it's absolutely fractions but when hitting 50 balls with both I ended up swapping my 10.5 head for a 9deg head

Certainly worked, or made a difference to my ideal flight and shape.....may also me all in the head who knows!!!

 

[Imurg]

Interesting topic..... Just found out this info following a change in driver head

I have an epic flash 10.5 which was set down to 9deg and unknowingly to me apparently opens the club face

Sounds confusing, I thought that as well but with adjustable drivers if you're decreasing loft it will open the club face, increasing loft will close

Yes it's absolutely fractions but when hitting 50 balls with both I ended up swapping my 10.5 head for a 9deg head

Certainly worked, or made a difference to my ideal flight and shape.....may also me all in the head who knows!!!

I think it's about 1.8° face angle change per degree of loft change
So adding 2° loft closes the face by about 3 1/2°.
Not an inconsequential amount.

 

[clubchamp98]

Interesting topic..... Just found out this info following a change in driver head

I have an epic flash 10.5 which was set down to 9deg and unknowingly to me apparently opens the club face

Sounds confusing, I thought that as well but with adjustable drivers if you're decreasing loft it will open the club face, increasing loft will close

Yes it's absolutely fractions but when hitting 50 balls with both I ended up swapping my 10.5 head for a 9deg head

Certainly worked, or made a difference to my ideal flight and shape.....may also me all in the head who knows!!!

Yes it’s the good thing about adjustable clubs.
Messing about trying different settings does concentrate the mind .
But on a range your swing is grooved shot after shot .
The real test is does it do it every 15 mins on the course.?
Hope so

 

[stueyginger]

Yes it’s the good thing about adjustable clubs.
Messing about trying different settings does concentrate the mind .
But on a range your swing is grooved shot after shot .
The real test is does it do it every 15 mins on the course.?
Hope so

Totally understand what you're saying about being on the course, but I hit between 5 and 10 with each driver and then swapped so I wasn't forcing my myself into certain swing thoughts etc
It was the dispersion I noticed most
Note that both driver heads were set to neutral, with the sliding weight remaining in the middle at all times
I could work the ball a hell of a lot better with the 9deg head than I could with the 10.5 knocked down a few deg's

 

[clubchamp98]

Totally understand what you're saying about being on the course, but I hit between 5 and 10 with each driver and then swapped so I wasn't forcing my myself into certain swing thoughts etc
It was the dispersion I noticed most
Note that both driver heads were set to neutral, with the sliding weight remaining in the middle at all times
I could work the ball a hell of a lot better with the 9deg head than I could with the 10.5 knocked down a few deg's

Yes , I always think if you move the head and it opens / closes it must affect the centre of gravity of the head .
So one designed to be 9* will be more stable.
Although it’s millimetres ,but when you hit it 250yds it shows.