Drivers - £100 v £300 - What's the difference ?

R

Roops

Head Pro
Joined
Dec 23, 2009
Messages
451
Visit site
So, MD golf make a 460cc Ti./Graphite driver. It gets pretty good reviews. nothing particularly wrong with it according to most reviewers. It costs around £100. Taylor Made provide a driver with similar specs. for £350.

Now obviously name makes up some percentage, but what's in the Technology that justifies the difference in price ?

Anyone know, or hit a cheapy against and big name driver ? Are they more forgiving, easier to shape ?

TIA

Roops
 
Id bet a lot of money is swallowed up in the actual make up of the company and where it spends its money, ie sponsorship, larger research facilities, distribution etc.

MD do sponsor and advertise but not to the extent of Titleist etc.
Nothing wrong with their clubs whatsoever, got the odd wedge or two from them myself.
 
To me Drivers are all about the loft and the right shaft IMO it is worth spending the money to get the right shaft, and keep away from anything that is done for a company such a the Diamana whiteboard for Nike or the Voodoo for Titleist just watered down versions and not worth it, pay the extra and get the real one.
 
Nothing...
Technology between the upper and mid-range brands is virtually identical.
Never buy this years model always get last years at least half price.
Don't worry about brands...high profile brands = more expensive.
If in doubt buy a Benny and with a shaft that you like.
 
The 'Benny' drivers have a good reputation, especially for the price. I also have an MD wedge, which I really like.

Tour player sposorship probably rack up the cost of clubs, regardless of how much they cost to make.

Anyway. This years £350 club is next years bargin bin special.

Sorry. Not much help to your question though.
 
Best thing is to try a few different makes and models and see. I remember a couple of years ago I tried a RAM driver and a Cobra driver,both 12*. They both performed the same but one was about £160 & the other £100. still bought the dear one. I can also remember one of the pros at range hit a mates ram driver and said it was as good as anything. More expensive doesnt mean its better.
 
I don't get the disparaging comment regarding 'watered down OEM' shafts.

If you get c/f for a driver, and that was the shaft that suited, then what is wrong with it. Ok, so the non OEM version might have a different torque value (in the case of the Matrix Ozik xcon for titleist v. the non Tileist one), but then you wouldn't have been able to hit that anyway, or they would have c/f you for a different shaft with a higher torque?
 
I don't get the disparaging comment regarding 'watered down OEM' shafts.

If you get c/f for a driver, and that was the shaft that suited, then what is wrong with it. Ok, so the non OEM version might have a different torque value (in the case of the Matrix Ozik xcon for titleist v. the non Tileist one), but then you wouldn't have been able to hit that anyway, or they would have c/f you for a different shaft with a higher torque?
Click to expand...


Its more a case of I don't see the point in them, why not call them something else, why call something something when it is completly different. I think it just adds to the general confusion over shafts you no longer just have to take into account flex there is Tip Diameter, But Diameter, Torque, Kick Point and launch angle it is getting to the stage where it is almost imposible to not get custom fitted for a driver, and now you can't beleive one Xstiff Voodoo has the same properties as another Xstiff Voodoo.

I just don't see what is in it for the shaft company either because if you didn't know any better you my try one and be put off, I know that before I realised, I had a Nike driver with a watered down Blue Board that was supposed to be X stiff but felt like a fishing rod, I thought the Diamana shafts were rubbish which they aren't.
 
I personally think its more to do with the shaft than the clubhead. I use a Benross V6 Trimass that only cost £75. Has a Aldila NV 65 shaft that suits my game as it has a high kick point giving a lower ball flight. Have tried other more expensive drivers, but none give better results. Therefore I have no need to change. Sometimes cheap can be cheerful
 
I don't get the disparaging comment regarding 'watered down OEM' shafts.

If you get c/f for a driver, and that was the shaft that suited, then what is wrong with it. Ok, so the non OEM version might have a different torque value (in the case of the Matrix Ozik xcon for titleist v. the non Tileist one), but then you wouldn't have been able to hit that anyway, or they would have c/f you for a different shaft with a higher torque?
Click to expand...

Hmm. Interesting.

I have UST shafts across the board (not irons) and some of these can't even be found in the spec list on the UST site.
The AVIX Nike shaft is not listed, and the Wilson Pro-force V2s are different overall specs to the "buy-from-your-pro" listings. I asked and asked (and asked some more) about these being inferior or less suitable or indeed some sort of rip-off compared to the stock shafts and everyone I spoke to said NO.

Since all my clubs (woods/rescue) have "designed for" or whatever shafts, I am more interested in their suitability for my swing....which is hard to moan about, since they were custom fitted.

I have a collection of some 3 drivers, 2 x 3 woods, 1 x 5 wood and 2 x rescues all with shafts fitted by one manufacturer for another one. No complaints from me. Other than one driver that was £119, the rest have all been £60-70 clubs.
 
It's all down to how fast they put out a new product,lots of buyers want the newest,latest, look at what I'm using gear.Manufacturers play on this. They know that the price of last seasons model is probably nearer to the mark price wise, still a good mark up though but hey let's put it out at this much sell a few at top whack and then when the new one comes out we heavily discount the old model. Bob's your uncle we are still getting more than it's worth they still win no matter what. That's why every new model is the longest,most accurate club we have ever produced...for a few months anyway.
 
I think that pretty much sums up TM's policy. I have been lucky in that I got my R7 Ltd free and my Tour Burner was only £79 so hardly breaking the bank on two decent models.

That said I've hit a lot of the ones out there and it's true that for an average golfer (with a dodgy swing) there is very little to choose between a £350 new TM and last years Yonex or MD. Of course if you are buying from a large shop (AG) there isn't usually a huge choice of shaft other than regular or stiff so I guess if you want to try other options you need to start going down the C/F route. I think the fact that MD in particular don't have a huge advertising budget to cater to (how many ads for their gear do you see?) means that they can afford to make top quality gear at an affordable price
 
I'm in a similar position here where I'm looking to buy a new driver, buy my first 3 and 5wood and maybe a hybrid to replace the 3 iron.
I see all these clubs and think about the shafts and just get confused by it all. If you want a decent shaft then you might end up paying £400-£500 total for your driver with the decent shaft and that price to me is out of my range when you have 4 clubs you would like this spring.
I've been to AG as well as hit other peoples drivers/woods and I don't see a massive difference in standard for the money.
Maybe if your a scratch golfer then you might see the difference but for my type of game I just want to hit the fairways and greens and feel at this moment in my game I don't need a £300 shaft to do that.
Just my opinion... :)
 
Well my mind is made up, I am going to give an MD a try before I try any of the premium brands. I reckon I can get a demo for an on course thrash.
 
Roops, I use a MD 3 wood and 21* hybrid and I rate them. Very easy to hit and for £70 I can't see what would beat them.

I'm happy with the V2 Rapture driver at the moment so I'll hold off trying the superstrong driver, keep my pennies in my pocket ;)
 
I have a Benny with a pro Launch red shaft - I got it new for £80. Its as good as any driver I have hit, and that includes the top brands.

The 'other' golf magazine has a piece in there about the new Benross driver. It retails at £150, which is the same price as the shaft it has in it! Lower brands are really making good clubs for little money now, and are passing on those savings to teh customer.

I was in a pro shop recently when I overheard a sales bloke trying to sell what looked like a very high handicapper (from the few swings i saw him take) an R9. The poor chap fell for it too. Would have been fine with a sub-£150 offering from MD, Benross, Ben Sayers etc.
 
Fair play Roops, give it a go. I'm sure AG will stock it for a demo and if it feels good and you like it then happy days are ahead on the tee. Good luck. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Yosser
How many clubs have you owned over the years – what happened to them?
2
Replies
33
Views
5K
Liverbirdie
Liverbirdie
tallpaul
Play Your Best Challenge 2012 – Break 100: Club Fitting
2
Replies
33
Views
4K
HickoryShaft
HickoryShaft
Top