Realistically - how many yards gain updating by 10 years??

[Voyager EMH]

Getting tempted to replace my 2014 Bridgestone Driver.

Don't think I can stomach £500+ for the absolute latest and greatest so looking at the original Ping G430 or maybe a Callaway Paradym.

As per the title - what distance gains (if any) can I realistically expect all other things being equal?

Also - any other clubs I should be considering? The Cobra Darkspeed just about falls into my budget.

Expect - nothing
Achieve - anything (including negative numbers)

Is is realistically possible that an older driver will give you a great improvement. It is finding it that is very difficult. If you do - then you save £££ hundreds.
You could buy, for example, 6 or 7 Ping G10 drivers with various lofts and shafts for about £200.
Find out which suits you best and then sell the rest. Maybe get all your money back if Ebay is kind to you.

Since the 460cc conformity around 2004, the only major difference is choice of shaft.

Other people can give you recommendations, but your experience with any of them could be very different from their experience.
In the end, you buy what you like for whatever reasons you find justifies it for you.

For me, I won't be spending more than £45 to replace my 2004/5 Cobra F Speed*, if, as and when that happens. (* bought for £25 in 2010)

 

[Backsticks]

Expect - nothing
Achieve - anything (including negative numbers)

Is is realistically possible that an older driver will give you a great improvement. It is finding it that is very difficult. If you do - then you save £££ hundreds.
You could buy, for example, 6 or 7 Ping G10 drivers with various lofts and shafts for about £200.
Find out which suits you best and then sell the rest. Maybe get all your money back if Ebay is kind to you.

Since the 460cc conformity around 2004, the only major difference is choice of shaft.

Other people can give you recommendations, but your experience with any of them could be very different from their experience.
In the end, you buy what you like for whatever reasons you find justifies it for you.

For me, I won't be spending more than £45 to replace my 2004/5 Cobra F Speed*, if as and when that happens. (* bought for £25 in 2010)

Yes, colourway, and brand, are a good way to choose. If you want to have your driver matching your fairway woods for example, by brand or even series, than its worth changing. If you want the club colour to coordinate with your bag or attire, then switching is well worth the expense.

SLDR was a clear screw up and outlier. Crazy low spin making it unusable for most typical golfers. In the main though, nothing has changed. They are all constrained by the same regulations.

 

[sunshine]

Yes, colourway, and brand, are a good way to choose. If you want to have your driver matching your fairway woods for example, by brand or even series, than its worth changing. If you want the club colour to coordinate with your bag or attire, then switching is well worth the expense.

SLDR was a clear screw up and outlier. Crazy low spin making it unusable for most typical golfers. In the main though, nothing has changed. They are all constrained by the same regulations.

Love it

 

[Teebs]

I've tested all the 2024 drivers and nothing is better than my 2022 model unsurprisingly.

Only gains to be made if the original driver doesn't really fit you that well.

 

[sunshine]

If you are replacing a driver after 10 years, another factor to consider is age and swing dynamics.
In my mid 30’s I was much fitter and stronger, and was fitted for a heavier and stiffer shaft. 10 years later and my new driver has a very different shaft.

 

[sunshine]

Yes, colourway, and brand, are a good way to choose. If you want to have your driver matching your fairway woods for example, by brand or even series, than its worth changing. If you want the club colour to coordinate with your bag or attire, then switching is well worth the expense.

SLDR was a clear screw up and outlier. Crazy low spin making it unusable for most typical golfers. In the main though, nothing has changed. They are all constrained by the same regulations.

You can get around this. Friend of mine has had his SIM2 driver and fairways repainted to match his Stealth bag.

 

[SteveJay]

Go for a fitting and make a note of your retirements. Then buy second hand.

Yea, but the fitting will be with new heads and shafts, which will exclude anything other than this year's models, so buying 2nd hand won't be such a saving.

I am thinking that if they think my current shaft is Ok for me, I might even just buy a newer model Callaway head, and put that on the existing shaft (especially as I have managed to get a skymark on mine!). Saying that I have watched a few videos, including TXG, that suggests the head is as important as the shaft in determining a fit. However, if I get an adjustable driver, there is more chance of tinkering to match my requirements.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Yes, colourway, and brand, are a good way to choose. If you want to have your driver matching your fairway woods for example, by brand or even series, than its worth changing. If you want the club colour to coordinate with your bag or attire, then switching is well worth the expense.

SLDR was a clear screw up and outlier. Crazy low spin making it unusable for most typical golfers. In the main though, nothing has changed. They are all constrained by the same regulations.

What have Single Lens Digital Reflex cameras got to do with all this?

 

[Rlburnside]

Think you've got the wrong website there, County Golf only sells clothes and shoes as far as I know.

Yes it’s Clubhouse golf not county golf I always get them mixed up.

Apologies to the op.

 

[HowlingGale]

Please tell us more. A driver that saves you 5 shots a round is worth it’s weight in gold.

(although a gold driver would be difficult to swing).

Not much more to tell. Got fitted last March for a Ping G430. Played with it a few times, then won the first medal of the year (and my first ever medal win). Scored a lifetime best, and my handicap was chopped considerably due to it replacing a honking score. Moved from 18 to 13.

Would I have scored that well with my old driver? Who knows but it makes for a decent story .

 

[The Fader]

Thanks folks. All responses greatly appreciated.

I wasn't fitted for my existing driver - bought sight unseen from the Bridgestone brochure at a crazy price from a relative in the industry which was the reason I got it.

Have been comfortable with it - hence its longevity but no real idea if it really is the best fit.

Think I will go and have a fitting session and compare results with 2023/4 gear against my "comfortable slippers" driver.

Cheers

 

[Voyager EMH]

Not much more to tell. Got fitted last March for a Ping G430. Played with it a few times, then won the first medal of the year (and my first ever medal win). Scored a lifetime best, and my handicap was chopped considerably due to it replacing a honking score. Moved from 18 to 13.

Would I have scored that well with my old driver? Who knows but it makes for a decent story .

Getting cut 5 for one round is very impressive.

I've just worked out that if I shot 20-under par gross, beating my 8th best by 28 shots, I would go from 4.3 to 1.3 and then a further -2 for exceptional scoring.

Just can't imagine how you did it. Very well done indeed.

 

[KenL]

You can get around this. Friend of mine has had his SIM2 driver and fairways repainted to match his Stealth bag.

Really?

 

[Voyager EMH]

Really?

Are you surprised that he claims to have a friend?

 

[sunshine]

Really?

I know, really! He also changed all his clubs from Nike to TM when Tiger did. Bit OCD.

 

[Smoj]

I went from a Tsi3 to a Stealth HD and gained about 5-10 yards, the only difference was 5-10 yards gained on the fairway and not OB.

Before that, I was looking for a more forgiving driver I tried a G410 and lost about 10 yards but my FIR% was increased - the stealthHD was the best of both distance and accuracy

 

[Jigger]

I replaced my 6yr old TM2 with a TSR2 last year and over that time drivers have become more forgiving. The ping and callaway you mentioned are both very good options. Ideally get fit for them if you can though. It makes a difference.

Distance is more about your ability to deliver speed, despite work the marketing says. You’ll gain more by doing speed training and exercise than you will by replacing a driver. GOLFWOD on YouTube is good for the exercise stuff and have premium apps if you get into it.

 

[MadAdey]

If you are replacing a driver after 10 years, another factor to consider is age and swing dynamics.
In my mid 30’s I was much fitter and stronger, and was fitted for a heavier and stiffer shaft. 10 years later and my new driver has a very different shaft.

I can relate to that. My TM M1 2017 had an even flow white 70g x-stiff shaft. My TSr3 has a 55g even flow blue stiff. I picked up some clubhead speed and it goes a lot straighter. Getting old really sucks........

 

[Mel Smooth]

Jamie had a driver fitting on Wednesday - it's quite eye opening what a few little changes can make. His current driver is a Cobra F8 Junior - it originally came with 2 shafts but he's outgrown both of those so it now has a 5 wood shaft in it - but the ball flight isn't great on it - it launches high and he struggles to keep the spin rates down on it, something his coach picked up on in the sim during last Saturdays lesson (hence the reason to do the fitting).
Tried the Callaway Ai Smoke Max 1st - got some decent results - then went onto the Qi10 which didn't perform quite as well for him, so back to the Callaway - it was set up with a full size 55 gram reg shaft - he was just gripping down on it a little - putting a 1" shorter shaft actually made it worse, which was unexpected a he's only 5ft 2 - so back to the full shaft to hit a few more to confirm he was happy with that set up.
There's clearly some fine margins that can give you 5 or 10 yards depending on brand, shaft etc.

 

[SteveJay]

Well after my reservations mentioned in previous posts, I went for a fitting with my pro, who stocks Wilson, Ping and Mizuno.

Discounted the Pings as they were less consistent than my existing original Callaway Rogue. I liked the Wilson (Carbon) and it performed better than my driver, as did the Mizuno, both gaining ball speed & distance. Testing was indoors so i wanted to test them on the course too before deciding.

Played on Friday with the Wilson and on 2 holes I hit probably my longest drive, each a good 15 yards past where I can ever remember playing my 2nd shot from when using my old driver, even when it was wind assisted and /or baked fairways. On our S1 par 4 hole I hit a 6 iron on to the green and 2 putted for par. I'm often hitting hybrid and don't always reach.

Yes, on several other holes I was not noticeably longer, but those 2 drives made me think the potential is there to gain a significant distance, without any loss of consistency.

I'm due to take the Mizuno out tomorrow but am expecting the Wilson to prove to be the one for me, and worth the cost of upgrading. Helpful that its a good £100 cheaper than some premium brands latest offerings.