How long do you give a new club before binning it?

[BrizoH71]

Recently I picked up a second-hand Taylormade R1 from American Golf, and I've been playing with it recently in our winter league, and also hitting it down the range.

Its a nice club, in decent nick for a second-hand driver but I'm not feeling quite as comfortable with it as I was with the Benross driver I used previously. When I catch the R1 well, it flies longer than my Hotspeed, and GC2 data shows I don't spin the ball as much with the R1 compared to the Hotspeed, which helps with my dispersion.

Where it falls down for me though is forgiveness; if I catch it wrong, it goes almost nowhere compared to the Benross, and my mis-hits seem more prevalent with the R1 and more accentuated. If you gave me twenty balls and told me to hit ten each with the Hotspeed and the R1, I'd hit more 'good' shots with the former than the latter i'm sure.

But when I do catch the R1 right, it is a cracking club, and I really, really want to like it. I keep pulling it out of the bag to put the Benross back in, but end up giving the R1 one more chance and it goes back into the bag instead. It's been a month now, and I'm still humming and hawwing between the two, weighing up the pros and cons of each.

If you were me, would you persevere with the R1 in hope of taming it, or would you go back to the Benross?

 

[ScienceBoy]

Probably around 2-3 years.

If it is a clear case of just having bought the wrong club then that should be within the returns period.

 

[John_R7]

Have you played about with the adjust-ability (shaft position, weight etc.)? I would give it a try with the shaft in different orientations because I fully believe the spine position has a lot to do with it. I have adjusted my R9 on numerous occasions and shafts - each time it is best NBP to target (I have a spine finder).
Some may think it is in the head but I believe it can work - then if it gives you confidence it is 'tuned' for you then it can only help.
Try at the range or standing on a good driving hole with no one about and have a play.
If you do not get anywhere net would be a different shaft if you can easily get one.
Once all your trials and tinkering is done - pick the best performing (on AVERAGE) driver you have.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I tend to try before I buy and so have a pretty good idea if a club is right for me before I start

 

[BrizoH71]

I tend to try before I buy and so have a pretty good idea if a club is right for me before I start

I did, and it behaved impeccably.. hence why I bought it. Since then though, it has been something of an unruly child, behaving only when it wants.

 

[SVB]

H ave you played about with the adjust-ability (shaft position, weight etc.)? I would give it a try with the shaft in different orientations because I fully believe the spine position has a lot to do with it. I have adjusted my R9 on numerous occasions and shafts - each time it is best NBP to target (I have a spine finder).
Some may think it is in the head but I believe it can work - then if it gives you confidence it is 'tuned' for you then it can only help.
Try at the range or standing on a good driving hole with no one about and have a play.
If you do not get anywhere net would be a different shaft if you can easily get one.
Once all your trials and tinkering is done - pick the best performing (on AVERAGE) driver you have.

Does this apply to graphite shafts - i can sort of understand seam welded steel shafts (but must admit to being a sceptic in terms of playing difference but have never tried an aligned club back-to-back with a non-aligned club to feel / experiance any difference so speak with no authority here), but a graphite shaft is layed up with a symetrical weave substrate with a the resin / filler forming the exterior profile, surely this would be uniform at any azimuthal position?

(Happy to be corrected here, it just does not make sense with my understanding of shaft manufacture techniques).

S

 

[John_R7]

Graphite shafts still have a spine(s). Usually there are a couple or multiple but they are still there.
You will always find the prominent one being slightly stronger than the others.
Theoretically the more you spend on shaft the less likelihood of there being a true spine and it 'should' be uniform like you say.
However, I do not have a £300 shaft to confirm this !

I should also add I am only talking about a physical spine, I am not in to puring or frequency stuff that goes on at a higher level.

All my clubs are spine aligned with the Neutral Bend Point (NBP) to target (NBP is directly opposite the spine).
Does it make me a better golfer? No idea but it is one less thing to 'blame'.
The 'stiffness' between a spine & NBP is incredible. My theory is if the spines are all over the place then the playing stiffness of a set will be all over the place.
When a shaft is put under load (through a swing) the bend wants to go the easiest way (NBP), this could make the head bend up, down, open, closed etc. leading to inconsistency.
That's my theory and I am sticking to it :whoo:.

 

[patricks148]

Recently I picked up a second-hand Taylormade R1 from American Golf, and I've been playing with it recently in our winter league, and also hitting it down the range.

Its a nice club, in decent nick for a second-hand driver but I'm not feeling quite as comfortable with it as I was with the Benross driver I used previously. When I catch the R1 well, it flies longer than my Hotspeed, and GC2 data shows I don't spin the ball as much with the R1 compared to the Hotspeed, which helps with my dispersion.

Where it falls down for me though is forgiveness; if I catch it wrong, it goes almost nowhere compared to the Benross, and my mis-hits seem more prevalent with the R1 and more accentuated. If you gave me twenty balls and told me to hit ten each with the Hotspeed and the R1, I'd hit more 'good' shots with the former than the latter i'm sure.

But when I do catch the R1 right, it is a cracking club, and I really, really want to like it. I keep pulling it out of the bag to put the Benross back in, but end up giving the R1 one more chance and it goes back into the bag instead. It's been a month now, and I'm still humming and hawwing between the two, weighing up the pros and cons of each.

If you were me, would you persevere with the R1 in hope of taming it, or would you go back to the Benross?

If its not working for you, swap it for something that does.....

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Difficulty is you are now standing over the ball feeling doubts about it. Once that is in your head you are in trouble. As you didn't buy new accept the mistake, don't get stressed and put it on ebay. You may get more for it then you paid if you take good pictures.

I have been in your position. If a club feels wrong for 4-6 rounds then I take it out of my bag. I leave it for a while and then put it back in. If it still feels wrong after another couple of rounds then it goes on ebay and I replace it.

In your shoes now I would go back to the Benross as it could be psychological as much as anything.

 

[shewy]

couple rounds and a few range sessions and if I'm still hating it then it's canned.

 

[tsped83]

If it's a putter, 8 minutes.

 

[bluewolf]

Are the shafts both of a similar length? Might be worth looking to see if the R1 is a touch longer and therefore you are not getting as much control as you swing...

 

[Evesdad]

It's a TM club of course the shaft is longer! 😃

 

[bluewolf]

It's a TM club of course the shaft is longer! 

I was trying to be diplomatic mate.....

 

[CMAC]

10 shots- if its not in sync with you by then, bin it

 

[BrizoH71]

I was trying to be diplomatic mate.....

Actually, head-to-head and side-by-side, the shaft length between the two clubs is negligible.

I feel more comfortable with the Benross, so after the thread input it goes back in the bag. :thup:

 

[bluewolf]

Actually, head-to-head and side-by-side, the shaft length between the two clubs is negligible.

I feel more comfortable with the Benross, so after the thread input it goes back in the bag. :thup:

Confidence in a club is very under rated.. Go with what you think is gonna give you the best chance of a fairway..:thup:

 

[Smiffy]

I made my mind up fairly quickly (halfway through the 2nd round ) that the i25's I bought a while ago were wrong for me.

 

[garyinderry]

6 months or so. firm believer in it takes a while to while to get used to a new stick. how to hit it, how not to hit it etc.


no way can you walk in and say its rubbish unless its completely unsuitable (shaftwise etc).

wedges epically take a while to get used to.

 

[Oddsocks]

Callaway razr forged I got from Ethan were dropped in 3 rounds and a range session. I knew the shafts were just too strong sbd my natural rythm had gone