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jkel
23 Posts |
 Posted - June 28 2008 : 10:36:42 AM
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I thought I would open a new topic concerning golf clubs and equipment. If you have any stories or tips you wish to tell, please share with the rest of us hackers. javascript:insertsmilie(' ')
The driver has always been my weak point of my game. I have tried several different drivers and three wood replacements the last 15 years in order to just get off the tee and in the fairway. Actually, most of my golf equipment money has been spent looking for something (anything!) that could help me with my drives.
Three weeks ago, I had a day off during the week. I decided to go hit some drivers on a simulator. After going through several different drivers, I came across the Cleveland Hi Bore XL. The store had them on clearance to make way for the latest Cleveland XLS. The results were fantastic. I was hitting it straight down the guppy.
I bought the Hi Bore XL for $139 and have used it three times playing 18 holes. I just can't seem to lose a ball with this driver. Most shots are in the fairway or just slightly off. I don't hit it the farthest but I never(mostly) have to worry about losing my ball off the tee.
If you are have trouble with your driver and looking for a replacement, try the Hi Bore. It may work for you, too. If not, there may be a club out there that may actually help you overcome that one hiccup in your game.
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jclenden
USA
73 Posts |
Posted - June 28 2008 : 12:54:31 PM
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I have experimented with a number of drivers and fairway woods over the past few years and have kept my current ones. They are Titleist 905T driver and 904F fairway woods. They are certainly not the latest and greatest, but with the big dogs I'm just looking for something that can hit the ball fairly straight with the trajectory that I want, and these clubs do that. Besides, I'm a firm believer that until the swing is consistent, the club doesn't make a whole lot of difference unless you have really bad clubs. Plus, it saves me a few bucks!
The main thing I learned with the long clubs is that you have to have an appropriate shaft. I had used regular shafts for years but I came to realize that the shaft was too soft and causing the ball to go higher and fade too much on me. A club fitter suggested that maybe all I needed was a stiffer shaft. He was right. When I switched to stiff shafts the trajectory came back down, the fade diminished, and I was striking the ball better.
But my biggest equipment find was the golf ball. I used to play low spin "distance" balls, but I was frustrated with my inability to pitch/chip the ball well. I switched to high spin "performance" balls and they worked like magic. Instantly I was hitting the ball closer to the pin simply because the ball held the green better. I am wholly persuaded that a higher spin ball makes a significant difference in your ability to score from 150 yards and in, and especially around the green. My favorite balls are the Titleist Pro V1, NXT Tour, Bridgestone B330S, and TaylorMade TP Black. The NXT Tour is a cheap ball that anyone can afford, but it plays well. |
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oneputt
52 Posts |
 Posted - June 28 2008 : 1:28:13 PM
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| I talked to a Remax long drive competitor that claimed all the driver heads are pretty much the same. It is the shaft that makes the difference, it is the "engine" of the club head. He paid $500.00 for his shaft! I don't think we need to spend that much, but we should get fitted for correct flex, and tip flex so we attain the correct ball flight. I think the OME all have quality shafts but watch out for the clones! You get what you pay for! |
Edited by - oneputt on June 28 2008 1:37:40 PM |
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bkroon
150 Posts |
Posted - June 28 2008 : 8:48:31 PM
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I have the same problems with drivers so I went to the
Cleveland Hi Bore #3 fairway club as a driver. Same experience....good straight drives..
Some time ago I went to the Cleveland Hi Bore iron.....they are
just great!! I use the # 4 Hi Bore irons as a hybrid club.....irons have a good solid feel and I don't feel I have to hit hard to "make" the club work.
A large measure of this game is mental......if you have confidence in the club ( putter too ) and feel good about what you are doing....you will experience a larger measure of success. I've been using some principles of Simple Putting now for the last several months......it really contributes to the sense of confidence which translates into more puts made.
 C * O * M * M * E * R * C * I * A * L
GET THAT SUNSCREEN ON !! EVERYWHERE ON YOUR BOD !! INCLUDE THE TOPS OF YOUR EARS !! WEAR A HAT AND LONG SLEEVES IF YOU CAN STAND IT !!
THIS FROM A GOLFER WHO HAD TO HAVE SEVERAL MELANOMA SPOTS REMOVED FROM HIS FACE. I THOUGHT I WAS INDESTRUCTABLE ALSO BUT TIME PROVED OTHERWISE.
WEAR IT !!
Rob in SUNNY Phoenix Arizona where the green fees are inversly proportional to the temperature. |
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kfarkle
USA
111 Posts |
Posted - July 04 2008 : 7:11:08 PM
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Hope this fits in with your topic, jkel, it's my favorite piece of equipment outside of the goodies to play the game. Found the cage on ebay and had it in the driveway initially. However, this has been a tough year for us, amongst other things the darn old house began to settle. More rain than the plugged footing drain could handle.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1300681496687142788
We used the old concrete and fill material to build the pad, good thing too as the wife has kicked me out of her new driveway. This was an afterthought as I have been having golf withdrawls and pretty much unable to play the last couple of months with all the projects. It feels great to have the net back up and be practicing a bit, the forum has been keeping me going and there are so many great posts recently I can't wait to get started again.
The cage will probably go flying this winter, but for now it's fine and makes daily practice possible. Not much time to play and the closest range is at least 15 miles away. The PVC is not the best frame material, 1.5" SCHD 40 if I remember correctly, it's pretty wobbly and you have to be careful setting it up or you'll break the corner pieces. If I could do it over I might have spent the extra buckos for the steel frame. The real test will be this winter, might be getting some more pipe.
I don't recommend tearing your house apart to build one of these, but if you've got a little room to set one of these 10' by 10' units up you can enjoy some Walter Mitty time like I do...just daydreaming I'm Joe or Mike or Chuck...nothing but the steady tapokata, tapokata, tapokata of crisply stuck golf balls flying straight into the back of the net. I wonder what the wife will say about the dirt mounds going into the back yard?
Have a great holiday weekend!
Best,
Kurt |
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jclenden
USA
73 Posts |
Posted - July 29 2008 : 12:45:53 PM
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I was re-reading the Golf magazine 2008 Club Test and noticed under the better player drivers that the Callaway Hyper X Tour was hitting the ball 8 yards further than the next club, the TaylorMade Burner TP, and a full 15 yards further than the latest Titleist 907D2! That got my attention. I currently play a Titleist 905T and figured that the newer Titleist is probably longer than my current one, so that means the Callaway is 15+ yards longer than my current one. That was worth investigating further. I decided to read more about the clubs, the shafts, etc. and decided I should go compare them using a launch monitor. I experimented with the Hyper X Tour, Burner TP, and also the Titleist 907D2 and the Ping Rapture. I chose stiff shafts for each (like my current Fujikura Speeder shaft) and I chose either the same or lower loft.
Guess what I discovered? I hit my 905T better than any of the newer clubs! I had better distance, straighter shots, and more consistent shots. Now, I realize that part of that is due to my comfort level with the "feel" of my current club, but what cannot be dismissed is this: the newer clubs all launch too high and spin too much, at least when combined with my swing. And you know what spin does to your drives: it RUINS them! The newer clubs, especially the Callaway, were launching 18*-25* and spinning over 3500 rpm most of the time. That just won't do for a driver. That's not to say that I didn't hit any good shots with the other clubs. I hit quite a few. The Rapture performed surprisingly well. But none of them performed better than my current driver when you averaged out the shots.
So what did I learn? While I'm sure the technology has advanced considerably since my 905T was designed, it's more important to match the club to YOUR SWING. The best way to compare is either on the range or, better yet, in front of a launch monitor where you can track stats and compare for yourself. NEVER purchase without testing, if at all possible. |
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SATTHMNS
33 Posts |
Posted - August 26 2008 : 09:16:28 AM
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| I have the TaylorMade Burner. i hit it very well. I would recomend it to everyone. |
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jownz
16 Posts |
Posted - August 28 2008 : 1:13:25 PM
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Hi all,
I recently made myself a set (3-6) of V Series Square Hybrids (monarkgolf).
The thing I really like about these are the way they set up. I don't know about the rest of you guys, but with the PowerThumb grip I find it uncomfortable if when the clubhead (wood or hybrid) is seated correctly the shaft leans away from the target.
These seem to work well with SS
J |
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Equipment
