New drivers - how good can they be?

[SVB]

I think we'd all acknowledge that drivers available today are far better than those made of wood and sold 30 yrs ago.

However, with formal testing / control from R&A etc limiting the speed of the ball off the face etc which are already max'ed out by current models, how good can new drivers actually be?

(btw - this is posted in a reflective spirit rather than trolling!)

 

[r0wly86]

I think we'd all acknowledge that drivers available today are far better than those made of wood and sold 30 yrs ago.

However, with formal testing / control from R&A etc limiting the speed of the ball off the face etc which are already max'ed out by current models, how good can new drivers actually be?

The answer is probably not a lot. In another thread someone mentioned that their pro said the real change in technology has been in the shaft, which I tend to agree with after being fitted for a new shaft in my 3-wood which transformed the club.

But shafts aren't great marketing material so we keep going with the new driver heads with new acronyms like MOI or COR in order to get people to shell out another £350

 

[YamiKuriboh]

Well the driver heads are bigger now.... which means I now look even sillier when I whiff on hitting the ball

 

[Orikoru]

Well my driver is five years old, I think it's fantastic and it only cost me £60 second hand. I don't believe I will ever pay 300 quid for a driver. My long term plan is to keep an eye on the 2016 M2 prices and maybe in a couple of years pick one of them up when they're 100-odd. But as you say, whatever changes they make now I don't think they can really be worth £300 of improvement for a brand spanking new one.

 

[Imurg]

Every now and again a driver comes along that is a game changer
But mostly, model to model, there's not a huge increase in much at all
Jump a couple and you'll see a difference.
So, just as an example, the original M1/2 are, more or less, the same as the new ones
When the next M1/2 comes out, of the replacement number, there may be a bit more change from the original.
The one after that will probably offer a significant benefit.
At any one time, virtually all current drivers will have similar performance when hit from the sweet spot.
Some will offer more forgiveness on the off centre hits but even that is marginal

 

[SugarPenguin]

It's good to see new technology being implemented in drivers but not sure how much better they can get with regulations.

Sliding weights, carbon fibre have improved drivers over the last couple of years. Especially on off centre hits and increasing swing speed.

The EPICs jailbreak technology has improved ball speeds marginally for me and a lot of others so maybe this is the next big thing?

 

[Yant]

As mentioned already, the real differences are in the shafts. The technology in woods doesn't differ much. My general rule of thumb is;

Change your woods every 5 years or so.
Change your irons every 10 years or so.
Change your wedges every 2-3 years or so.
Change your putter when you miss a putt.

 

[r0wly86]

As mentioned already, the real differences are in the shafts. The technology in woods doesn't differ much. My general rule of thumb is;

Change your woods every 5 years or so.
Change your irons every 10 years or so.
Change your wedges every 2-3 years or so.
Change your putter when you miss a putt.

If you like your clubs there's no need to change them. Take your irons to a club fitter to replace the shaft and sharpen the grooves. It will be like having a brand new set of the clubs you already like and probably at about half the price

 

[USER1999]

Whilst i love my epic, i dont think the performance is any better than any of my last 5 drivers. I change when iget bored.

 

[Orikoru]

If you like your clubs there's no need to change them. Take your irons to a club fitter to replace the shaft and sharpen the grooves. It will be like having a brand new set of the clubs you already like and probably at about half the price

That's no fun though is it? :lol:

 

[Jates12]

I went for a fitting at TourX a few weeks ago for a new driver. I hit everything, was in there for 2 hours, used about 15 shafts all the most recent heads (GBB Epic, M1/2 JPX900 917D2, PXG, G400) and nothing at all was better than my current XR. All he suggested was to have an 1 1/2" taken off the driver shaft and it will improve consistency of strike, which it has. Saved me 400 quid, so i bought 3 new wedges and a 3 wood :rofl:

 

[Crazyface]

During group lessons a few years ago the pro was asked about which clubs to use his reply was something like, it does not matter that much about irons, but try and keep up with technology with drivers. And that's what I try and do. Although I buy two years old drivers so I'm two years behind, but I can concur with what he said.
Adam Super S better than Cleveland SL270 which was better than Cobra X-speed.

 

[Yant]

If you like your clubs there's no need to change them. Take your irons to a club fitter to replace the shaft and sharpen the grooves. It will be like having a brand new set of the clubs you already like and probably at about half the price

Look after your broom, Rodders!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Well my driver is five years old, I think it's fantastic and it only cost me £60 second hand. I don't believe I will ever pay 300 quid for a driver. My long term plan is to keep an eye on the 2016 M2 prices and maybe in a couple of years pick one of them up when they're 100-odd. But as you say, whatever changes they make now I don't think they can really be worth £300 of improvement for a brand spanking new one.

I picked up a used Ping G10 driver from my pro in 2010. It was his old driver - had it for a year from when it came out. I paid £50 for it. I took it our for about 9 holes but could immediately see that it was going to work for me given a bit of perseverance (my driver at the time was the relatively small-headed venerable Callaway Steelhead III Big Bertha - so the G10 was quite a change) - and so I bought it.

I love it - and it continues to work brilliant for me - and even better this year as I have improved my swing. I have no intention whatsoever changing it; that it is 10yr old technology matters not a jot to me.

 

[OnTour]

Few years back I took my 909 to midland golf and used it against 2015 line up M1 etc spin and launch better on the 2009 model so bought nothing but I really liked the style of the m1 but ended up with R15 as they said it was pretty much the same thing :-(

Downside they need to move stock or go bust?

 

[BubbaP]

During group lessons a few years ago the pro was asked about which clubs to use his reply was something like, it does not matter that much about irons, but try and keep up with technology with drivers. And that's what I try and do. Although I buy two years old drivers so I'm two years behind, but I can concur with what he said.
Adam Super S better than Cleveland SL270 which was better than Cobra X-speed.

Like your thinking, but as someone who has 4 adams super items in the bag, I reckon 2013 is a bit older. Maybe time for the next purchase!

 

[cliveb]

Back in March my wife agreed to let me get a new driver, so I went for a fitting. Tried M2, Epic, Epic Sub zero, Ping GSF and GLS, regular and stiff shafts. None of them were more than 10 yards longer than my Mizuno MX700, which must be 5 or 6 years old now. Nor were any of them any more forgiving. So I'm still using the MX700. £300+ saved.

(So I then went for a putter fitting and ended up with a new Odyssey O-Works R-line: now that HAS made a difference )

 

[big_matt]

I havent seen any proof that drivers have improved in terms of distance for a very long time. Pretty sure that the tour driving average is the same as it was 11 years ago, and that's with golfers hitting the gym much more than they did back then.
If there was even 4 yards of improvement in a given year it would be all over the marketing, but instead its cor, ball speed, spin etc.
I have a titleist 910d3 and a 2016 m2 and on a monitor my single longest hit was with the 910.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

While the technology in heads is probably maxed out as far as R&A rules allow but there are so many shaft options out there now, I feel if you can get fitted where there is an array of options available, you can find something that can still optimise performance based on an individual swing

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Maybe I'll have a lesson with one of assistants in our nice new shiny 'swing studio' and see what he says...

I should make more use of the teaching and practice facilities my club has...

http://www.farnhamgolfclub.co.uk/professional/teaching_facilities/