New Driver - Take a punt or wait to get fitted?

[LegendOle]

Have recently sold my XR16 that I bought last year and never really got on with. Bought from Callaway used and ended up moving it on for same price. Now without a driver...

Had my eye on the Cobra F9 on Clubhouse golf for £250 but can’t decide if I should wait for a fitting appointment (whenever one comes available at my local pro) or just take a chance...

Any thoughts?

 

[Curls]

I’ve done both. With most clubs.

The fitted one always stays in the bag longer. Wayyyy longer in most cases. But man, you get the itch and it is hard not to scratch it...

 

[LegendOle]

Yeah... that’s exactly it! Would probably be far more inclined to wait if I could get a fitting sorted in the next couple of weeks but not looking likely sadly.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Well the proper answer is obvious, but....

Just depends how much of a risk you want to take buying unseen, how much £££ you think you could get back if you had to sell it on, how important that is to you personally etc etc

Judging by this forum, seems like most of the golfing population of the UK ?? and Ireland ?? have bought something untested on the Web ? over lock?down? , up to you ?‍

Possibly the best use of emojis I've ever seen on this forum ???

 

[jim8flog]

Personally I take a punt on untried provided I am buying at a price I can reasonably shift it on for if I do not get on with with it.

I bought a TM Sim driver last week, probably the wrong shaft for me but it easy to change just the shaft and sell the one fitted onwards which I have with all of my last 3 TM drivers.

 

[Oddsocks]

Have recently sold my XR16 that I bought last year and never really got on with. Bought from Callaway used and ended up moving it on for same price. Now without a driver...

Had my eye on the Cobra F9 on Clubhouse golf for £250 but can’t decide if I should wait for a fitting appointment (whenever one comes available at my local pro) or just take a chance...

Any thoughts?

Sold my xr16 for an f8, have not looked back.

 

[evemccc]

Sold my xr16 for an f8, have not looked back.

Pleased to hear it makes that big a difference (but it lessens the chances that I can resist the temptation I'm trying to fight about getting a new driver..) Did you get fitted for either of them?

 

[Imurg]

Earliest that an indoor fitting can take place is the 12/4, outside its 29/3.
Assuming you don't go for an absolutely standard club, ie some form of custom build, your going to be waiting a while for it.
There will be quite a backlog of orders to be filled and some components may be in short supply. Shafts have been out of stock as have some heads.
I heard on Monday from TXG that GolfPride are running out of grips. They can't get the rubber quick enough to keep up with production
Other grips are available but that particular OEM may not offer it as an option and, anyway, if there's a shortage of rubber then Lamkin and the rest will struggle too.
Just some things to add to the thought process.
If you have a reasonable idea of your spec it might be worth taking a punt on something.
If it doesn't work out after a while resale value will be decent and the OEMs may have had their collective digits removed to allow a fitting with reasonable lead times.

 

[Backsticks]

If you like the look of one, I'd say just go for it rather than waiting, for all the difference it would make to your game.

 

[davemc1]

I was in/am still in the exact situation.

Sold the crazy* xr16 on eBay. I’ve been saying for ages I want to go to ping to get fit, so that was the plan. Then pxg had a sale...

Will probably have a bit of fun with the pxg then settle down with a ping later in the summer.

*crazy as in, it was the longest driver I’ve had on it’s day. If only day could of turned into days....

 

[Oddsocks]

Pleased to hear it makes that big a difference (but it lessens the chances that I can resist the temptation I'm trying to fight about getting a new driver..) Did you get fitted for either of them?

I’d previously owned an AMP from 12-14 so was familiar with cobra anyway, during my stint away from cobra I had a taylormade, 913d3 and three different cally’s inc the xr and never clicked with either.

I borrowed the BIL’s standard cell and ripped it straight off the first tee, purchased the f8 the following week blind and it’s been solid although I’ve now started tinkering with shaft combo’s based on previous experience

 

[Fabia999]

I bought a Cobra F9 without being fitted and hated it. Maybe if I got it fitted I would've found that it wasn't the one for me. Luckily, I sold the driver at the same price I paid for it.

On the flip side, I also bought a Titleist TS1 driver not fitted and that is perfect.

I would say get one fitted but with the restrictions and backlog of orders (i presume) it will be a while before you'd get a custom fit one, I wouldn't have the patience for that. I'd probably buy off the shelf.

 

[MarkT]

Get fitted and borrow a mate’s in the interim. I used to go through drivers like nobody’s business and resented (myself) for not bothering to get fitted. Now I’ve had two drivers in seven years, you’re going to hit it at least 10 times a round and at least you know it’s pilot error when you’re knee deep in bund.

 

[Orikoru]

I think it's worth getting a fitting for driver personally. If you were upgrading from a ten year old driver then you'd probably see improvement from anything in the last few years - but since you had a 4-5 year old one you didn't get on with, it's probably worth doing a fitting to find out what you do get on with and why.

 

[Crazyface]

Go somewhere you can try them out on a range. NOT indoor.

 

[Crazyface]

My current driver has not been allowed to stay outdoors with the rest of my stuff. It has been kept inside in the warm all winter. That's how much I care about it.

Fitted is the only way, but outdoors. Indoors is good, but outdoors is better.

 

[clubchamp98]

I never sell my old one until the new one passes it’s test .
I would get fit ,it will open your eyes to how many shafts DONT suit you.
When you find the one that does happy days.
Then it’s only you to blame for the bad ones.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I’m thinking about a new driver as the G15 is whilst loved but porpbbaly costing me about 50 yards each tee shot
I was fitted for that, and it’s replacement I will be fitted for.

 

[Kennysarmy]

If you like the look of one, I'd say just go for it rather than waiting, for all the difference it would make to your game.

You're saying getting the right shaft, grip, grip thickness, club weights and hosel adjusted for optimal launch angle and spin rate are all un-important?

 

[Oddsocks]

You're saying getting the right shaft, grip, grip thickness, club weights and hosel adjusted for optimal launch angle and spin rate are all un-important?

I think if you know your specs you can almost fit yourself