drivers.... why titleist and tm?

[One Planer]

An interesting thought for you, Martin Kaymer used a Titleist 910 prior to TM getting the R11 launched.

Are you sure?

He used to play the R9 Supertri, and was still playing it after the R11 was released for a short while.

 

[Captainron]

I have never even considered actually buying a Titleist driver after being loaned one by a pro while mine was being reshafted.It was the same spec as my own but was a complete plinker! Flight and feel wasn't anywhere near my tried and trusted Cleveland. As for TM, most pro's use TM drivers so joe public feels if it's good enough for the top dogs then surely it will benefit them too.

 

[MadAdey]

It is what feels good to you to be honest. Facts are that TM are the most used driver on tour, so that speaks in itself that they use what ever they want but choose TM. TM have always been the brand that pushes the boundaries of driver manufacturing so have always had their noses in front for over a decade now. Look at the R11, no one else offers that kind of customization. Other companies are trying to follow suit but TM always come up with something new. Titleist have always made quality drivers. I have had 3 Titleist and 7 TM over the 21 years I have been playing.

I have tried Callies and all the other makes but really do not like how they feel. The Ping drivers always feel clumsy to me and the callies fore some reason always go to the left when I have tried them do not know why. But hey it is what falls into your price bracket and what feels good when going to get a new driver.

 

[thecraw]

I find the OP's generalisation to be rather wide of the mark if I'm being perfectly honest. However the Titleist 910 Rip 60 gave me the best results comfortably.

I tried the following.

Ping i15
Taylor Made, loads of combos.
Nike Machspeed black
Callaway Octane Black
Cleveland which was like a wedge the amount of spin it generated.

910 just floated my boat. The training shoe was 2nd and was very nearly bought before the 910 was tried. Liked the Fubuki shaft in the Nike.

 

[Monty_Brown]

Cobra...

Out performed both TM and Titleist for me.

Such an under-rated make. Think that'll change if Mr Fowler signs up as reported.

 

[JT77]

Craw, my point was taken from posts on here regarding new drivers, and also personal experience from playing partners etc.
Perhaps you tried a few different models, but are you in the minority? The other point was do callaway not 'float peoples boats' in the same way they used to?

 

[USER1999]

I lost interest in Cally drivers a few years ago. They brought out a particular model that sounded like a cardboard box being hit with a tennis racket. It was impossible to tell if it had been middled. A mate had one for two years, and we are sure he never did.

 

[bluewolf]

I have a Cally FT9 and a cobra S9-1 pro. They are both fantastic drivers. I also had a 909D2 and hated the sound it made. I've never owned anything by TM. My next will probably be a Cally. Come to think of it, I only know one person who has either the TM or titleist.

 

[timchump]

i defintley fall into this bracket ive had 5 taylor made drivers and 1 titleist.
i guess i choose them because they have "outstanding branding"©, and are tour proven

Decided to go for titleist this year as i wanted a driver that sat a little open at address, couldn't afford an r11, so went for a 910 D2, must say im very impressed with it

 

[RGDave]

I don't see it as a 2 horse race. May be on tour tm and titleist are popular but that doesn't mean they are universally thebest for average players.

 

[thecraw]

Craw, my point was taken from posts on here regarding new drivers, and also personal experience from playing partners etc.
Perhaps you tried a few different models, but are you in the minority? The other point was do callaway not 'float peoples boats' in the same way they used to?

Well Callaway clearly floated my boat as I liked the look of it and tried it. The project x shaft just didn't work for me at all, both in the Callaway and the Titleist.

 

[JT77]

Ach fair play, must say the px shaft suited me a lit better than that blur one lol

 

[MadAdey]

I lost interest in Cally drivers a few years ago. They brought out a particular model that sounded like a cardboard box being hit with a tennis racket. It was impossible to tell if it had been middled. A mate had one for two years, and we are sure he never did.

I am with you on that Murph. When ever I have tried callaway oer the last few years they just sound horrific when you strike them. The callies just look awkward for me at address, I like a driver to sit slightly open like the TM TP models do or my R9 which is set slightly open.

A couple of months ago before I broke my shoulder I went for a fitting on a drier at Thorpe Wood using all his latest hi-tech cameras and computer in there. I went there as he has the Callaway, Ping and TM fitting systems for drivers. This is what I tried:
Callaway Razr Hawk and FT Tour
Ping G-15 and K-15
Titleist D2 and D3
TM R11, Superfast 2.0 and Superfast 2.0 TP
He has the fitting systems so I did try all these drivers in various lofts and shaft options. But only one driver stood out head and shoulders above the others and that was the Superfast TP model. Over 10 yards further than the rest including my R9 and a lot tighter dispersal also. SO when the arm is better I will be back to get fitted up for one. MAybe a RocketBallz if I like it as much

 

[Ethan]

It is what feels good to you to be honest. Facts are that TM are the most used driver on tour, so that speaks in itself that they use what ever they want but choose TM. TM have always been the brand that pushes the boundaries of driver manufacturing so have always had their noses in front for over a decade now. Look at the R11, no one else offers that kind of customization. Other companies are trying to follow suit but TM always come up with something new. Titleist have always made quality drivers. I have had 3 Titleist and 7 TM over the 21 years I have been playing.

I have tried Callies and all the other makes but really do not like how they feel. The Ping drivers always feel clumsy to me and the callies fore some reason always go to the left when I have tried them do not know why. But hey it is what falls into your price bracket and what feels good when going to get a new driver.

One of the reasons that TM is the most player driver is that they have a lot more Tour contracts than anybody else, and their contracts usually require driver play. They also pay other players who do not have driver contracts with their manufacturer. Mizuno, for example, generally does not have driver contracts for their players. The shaft is also usually painted in standard TM colours, so some viewers might think it is the same shaft they see down their local AG. It usually isn't. Also, TM produce special driver heads and irons for Tour and elite players, so the club head you see is almost always not the same one you can buy.

Taylor Made has certainly been at the forefront of driver marketing.

But the issue of Tour usage is a red herring.

To say that you just don't like or can't play other makes is absurd. Titleist has 2 heads, each with several lofts, and 83 custom shafts in different flexes. There is a combination in there which suits Rory McIlroy and one suited to a gentle swinging pensioner, and various available for almost every other golfer in between. Callies don't always go left. If you get set up properly, I can promise you there is one available you won't hook.

If you like TM, fine, everyone is entitled to use what they like, but it is always good to be honest with yourself.

 

[Snelly]

I am inclined to agree with Ethan although my rationale is slightly different. My view is that driving the ball well is 5% about the club you use and 95% about the person holding it.

I have tried a few drivers over the years, often having several at a time to compare on the range. Whilst I can certainly make a (usually pretty marginal) decision on which one I like best, I can't ever recall picking one up and thinking that it would ruin my game. Sure enough, I have had a few that would hook easier when trying to hit a big one and others which go the other way but it isn't too difficult to make some minor adjustments to compensate.

For what it's worth, I have always thought that Ping woods are pretty good. Callaway too. But I know nothing about the current range of drivers from any manufacturer really so I should shut up.

Only thing I can recall is that there are white ones now and you can have adjustable models if you wish. Both these features are only for marketing purposes and pretty pointless in real terms. Just my view of course.

In summary then, it's not really about the club, it is about the golfer. I will shut up now......

 

[Tiger]

This all seems to have erupted unnecessarily. Adey I would say that after Bobmac, Ethan is the person whose opinion I respect the most on the forum. His knowledge of equipment is substantial to the point that he is always my first port of call via PM whenever I have an equipment related query. His comments on marketing seem pretty on point to me. True R&D does not sit alongside a one year product cycle and TM are very good at promoting minor changes to enable them to sustain an annual or even quicker product cycle.

Personally I'm convinced that the White driver head was introduced to show how many tour Pro's use their woods.

When you read back Ethan's post it is a reasonable perspective to have. Not so sure what wound you up or is it a case of mad by name, mad by nature?

 

[stevie_r]

Personally I'm convinced that the White driver head was introduced to show how many tour Pro's use their woods.

I'd never considered that, while I'm not convinced it was the sole reason for the white head it's certainly plausible as a factor.

 

[Mr_T]

Personally I'm convinced that the White driver head was introduced to show how many tour Pro's use their woods

I agree, Luke Donald is a perfect example, everyone knows he plays mizuno irons, and he has mizuno headcovers on all his woods so I think it would have been easy to assume he has mizuno woods if he used a black driver, but the white stands out so not only do they know he plays mizuno irons, but they also know he uses an r11, and i think tm's marketing department have done well with this as the official reason is to improve alignment, which is a perfectly plausible reason, but I think the main reason was to be recognised on tour

 

[Phil2511]

I know a guy at our club and he has a contact on the TM tour truck and many of the driver heads and putters are totally different than shop stock models. I have seen them with my own eyes. So what Ethan says is correct.

Personally speaking I found the R9,SuperTri,SuperDeep, Burner Superfast,2.0 and TP and the R11 to be completely rubbish. Tried them all. Even had a go at a Demo Day at our place with multiple options to hit and still nothing could go well for me or make me consider buying it.

Each person likes different sounds and looks as well. But even disregarding that I found the performance for me was extremely poor. I would play anything if it performed well regardless of looks and cost and gave them all a fair trial.

The new guy in our pro shop was raving about TM drivers a few days after he started and I told him I thought they were dung. He replied they are the most popular driver on Tour.

An old guy I know was there and his response was great. He said "There is just one thing you are forgetting...... We aren't on the Tour"

 

[Evesdad]

I love my callaway gear and I'm not a huge taylormade fan but if something worked for me what ever it was I'd use it. As it happens I can't afford new gear at the moment with finishing work at Easter so tend to pick up bargains on last years models etc and like other brands such as md etc. If money was no object I'd live to go and have a full on fitting session and try everything under the sun (hint hint GM for next opportunity) and would take away what ever clubs gave the best results whether they be slazenger or a top draw brand such as taylormade or callaway etc. at the end of the day it's about getting the little white ball into the hole in as few hits as possible.