bernix
Challenge Tour Pro
i have no intention to remove my G10 from my bag
Drivers - Old V New - real game improvement
- Thread starter njrose51
- Start date
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
yes - it took me a while to retire my persimmons...these metal things - not real golf clubs. As I couldn't hit my driver I used my 3 wood. Now a persimmon 3 wood was never going to enable me to keep me up with folks belting these new-fangled metal things miles past me.
And so to about 2005 and after one chastening defeat by a young high handicapper who was blasting his driver 50yds+ past my 3w I went to my Pro and cried 'Help!'. He put into my hands a Callaway Big Bertha Steelhead driver saying there was no point in him selling me a 'large' headed driver as it would be too much visually for me to get used to. The Callaway head was quite a bit bigger than my 3wood - but not absurdly so. Played it for years - loved it - still got it. But the head looks small these days, bit like a 2wood really. I only retired it when I saw the G10 in the seconds bag in the pro shop.
My 'driver' history - like that of all of my clubs - is very limited.
I started with a hickory shafted driver at the age of 12; moved to a Dunlop laminated head 2w in my mid teens; then after 10yrs with that I bought my Macgregor 3w (driver was in the bag for show - it is a bonnie club); then Callaway Steelhead; and then Ping G10. And that is my 40+ yrs of 'driver' history
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njrose51
Challenge Tour Pro
So I went to the range today with my RBZ on hand. Hitting it ok. Tried new M2 - loud hard of the face not very nice. Callaway xr not much better. Ben Ross very nice but the ping g400 was really nice. Great feeling off the face and easier to hit than the RBZ. Started saving already.
Rlburnside
Challenge Tour Pro
Have just got a Ping G400 and it's a good driver, only had one round so far so need to have more rounds to really tell how good it is, unfortunately when I had my fitting I didn't have my Benross driver with me so couldn't compare like for like.
Before committing to the Ping I would advise to have a good try of the Benross they are quilty clubs at fraction of the price of the big name brands.
davemc1
Journeyman Pro
I had a g30 with a tour stiff shaft in it that went miles for me with a draw. I've never played a draw in a driver so it was boss to see. However not having the swing speed to keep up with it meant far too many bad drives.
So I moved it on and got a beat up Rbz stage 2 off a mate. Best feeling driver I've had, not as long but % on fairways massively on the increase.
As an aside, it's got a jumbo grip on it which feels great, even for my baby sized hands
So I moved it on and got a beat up Rbz stage 2 off a mate. Best feeling driver I've had, not as long but % on fairways massively on the increase.
As an aside, it's got a jumbo grip on it which feels great, even for my baby sized hands
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
Now that's a phrase that is totally new to me - local lingo or modern 'yoof' lingo?
cliveb
Head Pro
My current driver is a 5/6 year old Mizuno MX700 with regular shaft.
A few months ago I went for a driver fitting and was told my SS put me on the cusp between regular and stiff.
So I tried both regular and stiff shafts in the following:
- TaylorMade M2
- Calloway Epic & Epic subzero
- Ping GSF & GLS
None of them were more than 5/10 yards longer than the MX700, and none were any more forgiving.
So that was several hundred quid saved.
Bought a properly fitted putter instead - now that HAS made a difference.
A few months ago I went for a driver fitting and was told my SS put me on the cusp between regular and stiff.
So I tried both regular and stiff shafts in the following:
- TaylorMade M2
- Calloway Epic & Epic subzero
- Ping GSF & GLS
None of them were more than 5/10 yards longer than the MX700, and none were any more forgiving.
So that was several hundred quid saved.
Bought a properly fitted putter instead - now that HAS made a difference.
Yant
Head Pro
Went from a R11s with an "off the shelf" shaft, to an M1 with a custom shaft this year. This now means that all of the woods and their shafts in my bag match and the difference in my play is significant.
Rlburnside
Challenge Tour Pro
Frustrating not being able to play because of the weather, only had one round with the Ping G400 driver so far, hoping to get a game tomorrow so will try and get out early and take 10 white balls and use the Ping driver and 10 yellow balls using the Benross driver hitting them off the first tee, that should give me a good like for like comparison.
mashleyR7
Journeyman Pro
Hi,
I've not read any replies so apologies if I'm repeating things that have been said. But my opinion is a massive YES, tech has changed my game!!
Before earlier this year I was always of the view that I'd buy a driver 1-2 years old a huge discount and that my game would be just as good. I was lucky enough this year to win some £££ so treated myself to a driver fitting and a new Callaway Epic and I think that it is worlds ahead of the Xhot2 that it replaced. Slightly off centre hits still travel miles, whereas before not hitting the middle meant poor distance. The Epic is so much easier to hit than anything I've had before.
I'd never been one to believe the hype but now i am.
Rlburnside
Challenge Tour Pro
My brother was fitted for a Epic and he also says the off centre shots are still good he really likes the club, I was also fitted but the Ping G400 came out best for me.
Like you I never thought I would buy brand new ,much better to get 1-2 year old driver much cheaper, but buy I did and jury's still out as I've only had one round, playing tomorrow so report back to tell if I've wasted paying out £349
Foxholer
Blackballed
In that case, try to find a similar spec G30!
While performance difference is quite small, price difference is huge!
Rlburnside
Challenge Tour Pro
Played today and out of 12 drives with the Ping G 400 I hit 9 fairways with good drives and 3 very poor drives which I can't blame the club for because the swing wasn't good.
The distance with the 9 drives was good but I've hit the Benross just as far, it was only around 5 degrees today so the distance might have been better on a warmer day.
So I went back to the first tee and took 10 white balls and ten yellow balls to get a better comparison with the two drivers, hit 20 drives each with both drivers, the farthest drives on each club were just about the same length, overall the Ping was about 5/10 longer but the Benross had the slightly better dispersion.
This was only my second round with the Ping driver but unless it improves after a few rounds I would say it wasn't worth paying the extra £150 cost between the two drivers, and I was also fitted for the Ping,and I would definitely say trying different shafts was worth the fitting.
It also says to me what quality clubs the Benross models are.
The distance with the 9 drives was good but I've hit the Benross just as far, it was only around 5 degrees today so the distance might have been better on a warmer day.
So I went back to the first tee and took 10 white balls and ten yellow balls to get a better comparison with the two drivers, hit 20 drives each with both drivers, the farthest drives on each club were just about the same length, overall the Ping was about 5/10 longer but the Benross had the slightly better dispersion.
This was only my second round with the Ping driver but unless it improves after a few rounds I would say it wasn't worth paying the extra £150 cost between the two drivers, and I was also fitted for the Ping,and I would definitely say trying different shafts was worth the fitting.
It also says to me what quality clubs the Benross models are.
