Modern Drivers vs older Tech.

[Blue in Munich]

that came out 6 years ago, not that old really. I use a 15 year old callaway steelhead fairway (not a driver I know but still outperforms most fairways)

Mizuno did an experiment last year with Chris Wood hitting 3 drivers from a persimmon through an early metal head and their latest 460cc. AFAIR there was about 80 yds difference between the small persimmon and 460cc

Actually came out at 50 yards, but it was still a pretty big gap.

http://mizunoforum.com/download/file.php?id=2762&sid=b6f8e702cf8b6e9fedf82eea315da5fd

http://mizunoforum.com/download/file.php?id=2763&sid=b6f8e702cf8b6e9fedf82eea315da5fd


Although the links above look the same they do lead to 2 different images.

Would be interesting to know which balls they used because the old drivers launched low & relied on spin to keep the ball in the air, unlike modern clubs.

 

[Jack_bfc]

My driver is the only one I have ever owned and I have just got it going straight ish and am hitting 75% of fairways....

After reading this forum and a bit of other research it would seem it was made illegal in 2008.

It is the Taylormade R580, standard off the shelf...

The question is, does that still stand and will I get dq'd if someone spotted it in my comps at the new club.

It never got mentioned in the few comps I played last year or at the society I have played in for 3 years..

 

[patricks148]

Rooting around in the press today i came across one of the 1st drivers i ever hit... Its an Old Mizuno Mx500 with a stiff Aldila NV65 Green shaft in it.....
This was given to me by my Dad about 8 yrs ago i think iirc, long before i ever even got hooked on the game....
Did anyone every use one of these?.....
Has technology come so far that this driver is kind of obsolete now?...... Could it hold up to any of the newer stuff?.....

Im going to play a few holes tomorrow after work with a Pal of mine and im half tempted to bring it along....

Does anyone still use woods that would be considered more than 6 years old?

We have a guy in our group still uses one of these, still hits it as far as most others, though i does make a funny noise. There are also a couple of users of Ping G2 drivers and one of those guys really hits it a long way... he tried newer drivers, even had an R1 for a few months, gone back to the G2 with a Grafalloy Blue shaft.

 

[davidy233]

My driver is a Callaway Big Bertha 460 - bought it about six years ago or so - Just looked it up and that model was released in 2006. Until the last few months I was a three wood off the tee guy and it sat in my locker.

Got my annual bonus yesterday and one of the things that was on the list was a new driver - sadly the threat of this has prompted the Big Bertha to behave and during the two rounds I've played this week it's behaved itself beautifully - so it's still in the bag for the moment.

 

[mikepops]

I bought my TaylorMade R7 CGB off eBay a few years ago, but I didn't realise that it was actually released around 2004.

It's still in great condition, and has quite modern styling, so I hadn't realised quite how old it was. Can still hit it nicely, but I suspect I'd benefit from upgrading soon. My regular playing partner uses a SLDR, and has gone from roughly equivalent driving distances, to 15 yards every time.

As mentioned on a previous thread the pro at my nearest range is installing FlightScope, so I think once that's in I'll go down for a proper driver fitting. Combined with the my impending PING fitting (thanks again GM), I could have a very different looking bag for the new season!

 

[BTatHome]

My driver is the only one I have ever owned and I have just got it going straight ish and am hitting 75% of fairways....

After reading this forum and a bit of other research it would seem it was made illegal in 2008.

It is the Taylormade R580, standard off the shelf...

The question is, does that still stand and will I get dq'd if someone spotted it in my comps at the new club.

It never got mentioned in the few comps I played last year or at the society I have played in for 3 years..

The R&A website has an equipment section for determining such things ... http://www.randa.org/en/Equipment/Equipment-Search.aspx

You can perform the search yourself and by looking at the description and pictures decide if it's conforming or not.

 

[Albanach]

My driver in my set in Scotland is a 9* Callaway Big Bertha Warbird which is well over 6 years old (14-15 years old maybe?). In my current bag I have a Mizuno MP001 3w which is over 6 years old and my 5w is a Callaway Big Bertha Warbird which I reckon could be around 14-15 years old.

Going for a fairway wood fitting tomorrow so will be interesting to see the difference.

 

[Jack_bfc]

The R&A website has an equipment section for determining such things ... http://www.randa.org/en/Equipment/Equipment-Search.aspx

You can perform the search yourself and by looking at the description and pictures decide if it's conforming or not.

Surely once it gets to be 10 years old it cant be outperforming a SLDR for example so why would it be non-conforming now?

 

[BTatHome]

We don't make the rules, we just play by them .... same could be said for the smaller golf balls, but they are still illegal too.

... plus it hasn't just been made illegal it's been illegal since they first introduced the rules.

 

[markgs]

just dumped my 913 driver in the garage for an old ping g10

 

[davidy233]

Got a perfectly good Cobra driver in the shed which is on the banned list - wouldn't think of taking it out in a comp

 

[CMAC]

mmmmmmmmmmmmm I would argue that statement.

http://www.ping.com/about/decade.aspx?decade=2000 scroll through the pics to 2005...
Any which way for a driver that is 8/9 years old it is still a great piece of kit.

clicked link, clicked north america and they dont have a 2005- wonder what Ping did that year.

Remember when they announce and when they supply are different and can go into a new year.

Friend of mine destroys distances with the G5, I tried it and didnt suit me, maybe the shaft

 

[Jack_bfc]

Apart from reading this forum.

How would you know there were so many, or any, drivers that are banned? As I said before I have been using it for 10 years+ in societies and now eventually in a members club.

No one has ever mentioned it before. Nothing on the members message board or website, not mentioned at the formal interview or at the bar afterwards....

Could be embarrassing if you stand on the first tee of the first comp as some 'jobsworth' starts questioning the legality of the driver.

especially as virtually identical clubs were produced at the same time that do conform....
Looks like I need a new driver before I play the forum comp as you lot seem to be the only ones that know about this stuff...

 

[Coatsy79]

Apart from reading this forum.

How would you know there were so many, or any, drivers that are banned? As I said before I have been using it for 10 years+ in societies and now eventually in a members club.

No one has ever mentioned it before. Nothing on the members message board or website, not mentioned at the formal interview or at the bar afterwards....

Could be embarrassing if you stand on the first tee of the first comp as some 'jobsworth' starts questioning the legality of the driver.

especially as virtually identical clubs were produced at the same time that do conform....
Looks like I need a new driver before I play the forum comp as you lot seem to be the only ones that know about this stuff...

I know there's one that conforms and one that doesn't

Think the R580XD conforms but can't remember off the top of my head

 

[Coatsy79]

I use R580 fairways woods they came out in 2002 so are pretty old now, but I've not hit anything lately that would make me change them

 

[Jack_bfc]

I use R580 fairways woods they came out in 2002 so are pretty old now, but I've not hit anything lately that would make me change them

I like mine too... looks like I need a new driver though..

Might get my name in for the cobra fitting day.. .

 

[Coatsy79]

I like mine too... looks like I need a new driver though..

Might get my name in for the cobra fitting day.. .

Just get the conforming version of yours from ebay :thup:

 

[BTatHome]

Apart from reading this forum.

How would you know there were so many, or any, drivers that are banned? As I said before I have been using it for 10 years+ in societies and now eventually in a members club.

No one has ever mentioned it before. Nothing on the members message board or website, not mentioned at the formal interview or at the bar afterwards....

Could be embarrassing if you stand on the first tee of the first comp as some 'jobsworth' starts questioning the legality of the driver.

especially as virtually identical clubs were produced at the same time that do conform....
Looks like I need a new driver before I play the forum comp as you lot seem to be the only ones that know about this stuff...

Club members would almost certainly have known about the legal aspects of the drivers when they were first banned, certainly mine had quite a few emails and posters about them, our pro took time to explains to people in the shop egt.

I'm sure GM and pretty much every other magazine took a lot of pages to explain the situation over and over again.

As you were a member of a society then it's hardly surprising that you didn't know as nobody would have taken any responsibility for it. Who would you expect to be responsible?

The reason there are no mentions of it know is simply because it occurred years ago. Surely your not expecting to see posters up on notice boards for every rule change that occurs for years gone past.

 

[Martin70]

I'm still playing with a TM Dual R5. It's the conforming version though I spent hours making sure.

 

[MadAdey]

clicked link, clicked north america and they dont have a 2005- wonder what Ping did that year.

Remember when they announce and when they supply are different and can go into a new year.

Friend of mine destroys distances with the G5, I tried it and didnt suit me, maybe the shaft

When I lived in Scotland 7 years ago a mate of mine had one and could hit it a mile, even compared to forum averages. Then again he was a tall young athletic +handicapper so I would expect him to give it a good smack......