Has anyone tried any of the new drivers?

[jim8flog]

One of my mates is a sucker for new clubs.

He bought the Stealth II and traded in his Stealth, he now regrets doing so. Mind you he changed for a 12 degree with a low launch shaft to a 10.5 with a standard shaft.

His driving now is all over the place compared to a nice steady draw he had previously.

 

[jim8flog]

Agree regarding range balls. Ping @ Gainsborough is the only place where I've hit proper balls in a fitting (ProV1).

Did make a difference and I'm seeing the ball flight from the range now accurate when playing on course with the same ball.

The pro where I play only uses ProV1 balls for fitting in the studio because they have the Trackman dots on them.

 

[Bamberdele2.0]

Just returned from the second visit. Fitter was brilliant. He agreed that the SFT was the completely wrong fitting for me. He said I hit my G425 well but was reluctant to admit I was hitting it better than pretty much every set up he gave me. He said if it was Ping I was after then the max would be the one but the data was also short of the G425. The only one that came close was the Callaway Paradym. He was pretty keen to fit me with something I was happy with but unfortunately everything I tried wasn’t any better than what I currently have. Which is the cold hard truth.

I said I will sleep on it and decide what I want to do tomorrow but because he has admitted the driver fitting was wrong I’m sure that would make me eligible for a refund. The only thing I have not ironed out is it I get a refund I may have to pay a fee for the fitting?

Worse case scenario is a replacement of my SFT to a Max which I would just sell on straight away.

 

[Bratty]

Just returned from the second visit. Fitter was brilliant. He agreed that the SFT was the completely wrong fitting for me. He said I hit my G425 well but was reluctant to admit I was hitting it better than pretty much every set up he gave me. He said if it was Ping I was after then the max would be the one but the data was also short of the G425. The only one that came close was the Callaway Paradym. He was pretty keen to fit me with something I was happy with but unfortunately everything I tried wasn’t any better than what I currently have. Which is the cold hard truth.

I said I will sleep on it and decide what I want to do tomorrow but because he has admitted the driver fitting was wrong I’m sure that would make me eligible for a refund. The only thing I have not ironed out is it I get a refund I may have to pay a fee for the fitting?

Worse case scenario is a replacement of my SFT to a Max which I would just sell on straight away.

Well that's good news.
And if the worst case is a brand new club you can shift immediately, it ain't that bad! 😉
However, I would go for the refund option and if you have to pay the fitting cost, that's money well spent knowing there isn't a better driver out there.

 

[KenL]

Just returned from the second visit. Fitter was brilliant. He agreed that the SFT was the completely wrong fitting for me. He said I hit my G425 well but was reluctant to admit I was hitting it better than pretty much every set up he gave me. He said if it was Ping I was after then the max would be the one but the data was also short of the G425. The only one that came close was the Callaway Paradym. He was pretty keen to fit me with something I was happy with but unfortunately everything I tried wasn’t any better than what I currently have. Which is the cold hard truth.

I said I will sleep on it and decide what I want to do tomorrow but because he has admitted the driver fitting was wrong I’m sure that would make me eligible for a refund. The only thing I have not ironed out is it I get a refund I may have to pay a fee for the fitting?

Worse case scenario is a replacement of my SFT to a Max which I would just sell on straight away.

Did you not ask if a refund was on the table? Should have struck whilst the iron was hot!

 

[Bratty]

This hole at Mauna Lani South course, Big Island Hawaii. View attachment 46606

Do they do club fittings, @KenL ? 😉🤣

 

[KenL]

Do they do club fittings, @KenL ? 😉🤣

Oops, wrong thread.

 

[Bamberdele2.0]

Well that's good news.
And if the worst case is a brand new club you can shift immediately, it ain't that bad! 😉
However, I would go for the refund option and if you have to pay the fitting cost, that's money well spent knowing there isn't a better driver out there.

💯

Did you not ask if a refund was on the table? Should have struck whilst the iron was hot!

No, however I don’t think he was in a position to authorise one if it was available so I was given names at the club shop to contact. It felt like the fitter just did all he could to send me home with a new driver I was happy with. Came back with even more love for my G425 🤦‍♂️

 

[Big85]

I’m now 3 rounds in with the new ping g430 max driver. Unbelievable club. Best money I’ve spent!! 40,37 and 39 points rounds playing off 12.2. The mishits are very forgiving. It goes a long way!! I missed 2 fairways today which was a slice but again not a massive slice that it put me n trouble. I know it is down to the way you swing but for me this has been a big improvement from my previous non fitted driver which was the m2

 

[HeftyHacker]

Our pro has just got the g430 in and he is very good at just loaning it to you for a week so you can test it on course or range etc.

Only downside is that he doesn't have loads of shafts to try.

I am definitely going to take it out for a spin but next to my Epic Flash they just seem massive and I'm not overly keen that aspect.

 

[KenL]

Our pro has just got the g430 in and he is very good at just loaning it to you for a week so you can test it on course or range etc.

Only downside is that he doesn't have loads of shafts to try.

I am definitely going to take it out for a spin but next to my Epic Flash they just seem massive and I'm not overly keen that aspect.

Might look bigger but the volume is the same.
LST is 440cc so smaller. It is very forgiving too.

 

[Tashyboy]

Played with a guy today who had the new stealth driver. It was a thing of beauty in his hands.

 

[Backsticks]

And therein lies the rub. The R&A stipulates all sorts of restrictions which prevents club makers making such a club (or ball).

Thats why the cold data shows that distances, thats average distance so including any ideas of forgiveness, havent changed in the last 20 years.
It was rising in the mass adoption of titanium and increasing head sizes. But the R&A/USGA clamp worked exactly as intended.
Its the graph the manufacturers dont want you to see.

 

[Bratty]

Thats why the cold data shows that distances, thats average distance so including any ideas of forgiveness, havent changed in the last 20 years.
It was rising in the mass adoption of titanium and increasing head sizes. But the R&A/USGA clamp worked exactly as intended.
Its the graph the manufacturers dont want you to see.
View attachment 46626

Can you find me the graph that shows forgiveness also hasn't improved over the same period then, please?
Some of us who have been fitted for drivers/irons haven't used distance as the reason for changing clubs.
And I'd question the validity of this chart for several reasons: handicaps aren't based on driver distance (some lower handicappers have great mid/short game and mustard putting skills), no extrapolation of numbers of golfers increasing over the years, so adding more variety of distances to the totals for starters.
Stats are great, but not in isolation.

 

[Backsticks]

Can you find me the graph that shows forgiveness also hasn't improved over the same period then, please?

That graph is it. If we understand forgiveness to be a reduction in distance lost from off centre hits compared to perfect strikes, then if forgiveness were improving, the average distance would improve. Not in the dramatic step change we had as 460cc drivers came in up to 2003, but in a year by year gradual increase since then. But it hasnt. Forgiveness isnt really a thing, in the sense of yielding a true improvement in performance.

 

[Bratty]

That graph is it. If we understand forgiveness to be a reduction in distance lost from off centre hits compared to perfect strikes, then if forgiveness were improving, the average distance would improve. But it hasnt. Forgiveness isnt really a thing, in the sense of yielding a true improvement in performance.

Well, my way of defining forgiveness is whether I'm OOB, lost ball in hazard or trees, deep rough, etc. or if I'm in the fairway or the first cut.
And so, by my definition, I can promise you I've seen an improvement in my driving since putting the SFT in the bag. Yes, I'm 10 yards shorter, but I couldn't care less.

 

[JamesR]

The graph actually shows a significant increase in average distances. Particularly for higher handicaps.
21+ went up from 160 in 1997 to 178 in 2019.

So thanks for proving me right

 

[Backsticks]

The graph actually shows a significant increase in average distances. Particularly for higher handicaps.
21+ went up from 160 in 1997 to 178 in 2019.

So thanks for proving me right

Now that you are accepting the data, note I speak of the last 20 years, so 2003 onwards. When the 460cc Ti driver head and graphite shaft became dominant. No question that equipment delivered improvement up to that, and distance was climbing steeply. Thats why the authorities took action. The effective flatline since then shows the effectiveness of that limit. They did stop an alarming rise in distance coming from driver development - which at that time was importing technology and knowhow in metallurgy from other industries such as aeronautics. But just as they got to grips with it, the technical limit was imposed.

 

[JamesR]

Now that you are accepting the data, note I speak of the last 20 years, so 2003 onwards. When the 460cc Ti driver head and graphite shaft became dominant. No question that equipment delivered improvement up to that, and distance was climbing steeply. Thats why the authorities took action. The effective flatline since then shows the effectiveness of that limit. They did stop an alarming rise in distance coming from driver development - which at that time was importing technology and knowhow in metallurgy from other industries such as aeronautics. But just as they got to grips with it, the technical limit was imposed.

No, every graph shows an increase.
2003 =168
2018 = 188
20 yds further

 

[Billysboots]

Not one of the latest models, granted, but I’ve taken delivery of a Mizuno ST-X 220 in recent days and I’m enormously impressed.

I have opted for a mid flight shaft and, with the benefit of the draw bias afforded by the ST-X already my block/gentle fade has become either straight of a slight draw. My ball flight seems much more consistent, but if I do turn one over it will definitely result in a big hook.

It’s looking very much like £285 very well spent so far.

Six weeks in and still loving this new driver. My new club honeymoon period is normally coming to an end about now, but if anything I’m enjoying the club more now than a few weeks ago. It takes a pretty unique driver for me to have the confidence to pull it from the bag on anything other than the widest holes, but for the first time in years I feel like I can thread a needle with the big stick.

Love it.