Golfing: What's a good long driver.

[KK]

Was thinking of getting back into golfing, right now I just got a cheapo driver. What would be a good club to replace it with. I was thinking about the callaway BB 460. I dunno about the taylor mades, they seem like they have about 10 different clubs that basically are about the same, plus the weight thing they have seems to complicate it. I just want to swing, and get the farthest distance possible. Not so much concerned about accuracy as that'll come with time. Also my current driver says it's 10.5 degrees and that puts the ball alot higher than I feel it should be. Would going down to 9 degrees correct that, I'm guessing it would. Also the shaft on the callaway seems to have about 10 different flavors. I guessing my swing speed is 100-110, would that require a firm shaft? I'd like to head up to the golfsmith store and get my swing analyzed and fitted, if I'm buying a club from them would they charge extra or would it be included in the price of the club?

 

[spidey07]

swing speed of 100-110 is pretty high. You could always get on a launch monitor to really tell you what's going on and I'd recommend that. It will really show you.

Me personally I do like callaway and taylor made drivers and get them 2 years after their out so they only cost 150 bucks or less. I can't recommend anything as I don't know your swing, nor am I a golf pro.

My experiences...
A lower angle driver can be useful and I play a 9.5. Problem is if you have any left to right action on your ball it just makes it worse. So if you can't hit straight.....

I prefer a stiffer shaft as my clubhead speed has been measured around 105-110.

The larger heads really do help with shots not hit dead center. Slicing/hooking is a swing/grip problem and isn't solved with gear. Do you ever feel like the head of your driver is lagging behind your hands? That could be swing or it could be shaft.

 

[KK]

My drives right now have some slice to them but the last few holes I played earlier this week I was getting it under control, I don't think that it's nothing alittle range time won't work out.
With all the different shafts out there how do you know which ones are actually stiff. One shafts stiff may be equal to anothers regular. There's a callaway NVS, grafalloy ProLaunch, Aldila NV Green, and a Aldila NVS, what's the difference between all those?

 

[spidey07]

"some slice"? A slight fade of 10-15 yards left to right is different than a full on slice.

For shafts I just hold with a firm grip and wiggle the clubhead as well as swing the club, you should be able to feel it.

All of this can be answered with a launch monitor. pm gaghalfrunt for the grewsome details.

 

[PlatinumGold]

calaways tend to be more control and not as much distance. taylormades are longer.

if you want the longest driver available today, in my opinion anyway, it's the taylormade burner.

but frankly the difference is not significant. i read in golf magazine that the burner was hit consistently about 4 to 5 yrds longer than the new callaway (the square one).

currently i have a Callaway X460 with the stiff grafalloy shaft and 9 degrees. i hit one of my longest drives ever today, i hit it 325 yrds slightly uphill on a par five. 515 yd par five and i had hit the ball about 10 yrds past the 200 yrd marker in the middle of the fairway.

then i snap hooked my second shot, was about 20 yrds left of the green. hit a decent chip but the greens were exceptionally fast today and i ended up with a 35 ft put, which i left within 6" of the hole for a tap in par. not bad for a guy that shoots in the mid 90's still.

 

[spidey07]

drive for show, putt for dough. I'll take a consistent 250-260 yard drive any day and combine that with laser irons and good short game/putting.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: spidey07
drive for show, putt for dough. I'll take a consistent 250-260 yard drive any day and combine that with laser irons and good short game/putting.

i usually put pretty well. i don't usually drive over 280 yds. in fact i wasn't even trying to hit a long drive, i went for a JB Holmes type driver swing where the shaft of my driver was almost horizontal on the take back. i guess you could call that a 75% swing.


it worked tho. i have to work on the timing of that swing and stop trying to take it to parrallel with the ground point.

btw, that 325 yd drive was the longest i'd ever driven the ball and don't really expect to do that very often.

 

[meltdown75]

I use an old piece of crap knock-off Adams tight lies 3-wood called a "Sychron Series" or something off the tee. You could probably find it for $19.99 brand new at any golf shop that carries such crappy clubs.

I hit more fairways with that thing than any club I have ever used and get 220 out of it every time. Beats hitting from the cabbage or 3 off the tee

Only been out twice this year... need to get out more soon dammit!!!

 

[GagHalfrunt]

I'd offer an opinion, but the guys who never play hitting it 325 uphill or 220 with a 3-wood "every time" have me laughing my ass off. I love ATOT golf threads, they're more full of crap than the sex threads.

 

[meltdown75]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
I'd offer an opinion, but the guys who never play hitting it 325 uphill or 220 with a 3-wood "every time" have me laughing my ass off. I love ATOT golf threads, they're more full of crap than the sex threads.

GTFO and go bash a religion thread you dick.

Ladies and gentlemen, ATOT's best golfer - Gaghalfrunt, who is also the biggest dick on the forum.

 

[Gamingphreek]

A good bang for your buck is the TaylorMade R580XD. They run about $120-140 and is a very nice driver.

I myself had a MacGregor V-Foil Driver, but for some unknown reason (It was pretty cold out which may be the reason) the head just snapped off. I just haven't bothered to get it fixed because I love my TaylorMade 3-Wood. The other day (I haven't golfed very long- best part of 2 years and very sporadically for those 2 years) I had ~260 Yard Drive slightly downhill with it (That was my longest drive regardless of Club).

-Kevin

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
I'd offer an opinion, but the guys who never play hitting it 325 uphill or 220 with a 3-wood "every time" have me laughing my ass off. I love ATOT golf threads, they're more full of crap than the sex threads.

where did i say i never play? i play 2 rounds of golf / week. this week i played 3.5 rounds, it would have been four but i got caught in a hail storm on monday at the 11th hole.

also, i said slightly uphill, you make it sound like i said it was a steep hill, :roll:

just because you can't do it doesn't mean it can't be done.

 

[meltdown75]

anyway, is there a 15 handicap out there that can't hit a 3-wood 220?

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: spidey07
drive for show, putt for dough. I'll take a consistent 250-260 yard drive any day and combine that with laser irons and good short game/putting.

I'd take driving a short par 4 over being a pro with the putter any day. Those are the stories you can tell your kids.

Anyways, what's all involved with getting sized and having that swing launch monitor done.

 

[sjwaste]

You're slicing probably because your swing is out of control, the club isn't doing it. Video tape your swing from a few angles and you'll probably see that you're swinging outside-in. If you drive really hard coming out of the coil, your club can start to trail your shoulders and it will cause it.

Work on getting that in place, or slow the swing down a bit.

But that's beside your original question: You have to go out and hit some clubs to see what works for you. Definitely a stiff shaft for those swing speeds, even if you have to back off a bit to help the slice. Also make sure the club isnt too long for you. That'll cause control issues all day. Don't fall for brands and marketing. If you find a $20 club at Sports Authority that sounds like a tuna can when you hit it but goes where you want it, thats your club.

Off the tee, its more important to stay in the fairway than go long. Don't worry about squeezing out the distance as much as the control.

By the way, Golfsmith is a good choice and I'm glad you mentioned it. They'll cut to fit and build you a club if you want. I've played a set of customs (your friends will laugh and call them knockoffs) for 10 years now. I built them with my dad back in high school. A proper fit is better than any marketing. Talk to their guys there and see what they can do for you.

 

[everman]

Just get whatever works for you. Just remember that the shaft is at least as important as the head. Both should fit you.

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: spidey07
drive for show, putt for dough. I'll take a consistent 250-260 yard drive any day and combine that with laser irons and good short game/putting.

i usually put pretty well. i don't usually drive over 280 yds. in fact i wasn't even trying to hit a long drive, i went for a JB Holmes type driver swing where the shaft of my driver was almost horizontal on the take back. i guess you could call that a 75% swing.


it worked tho. i have to work on the timing of that swing and stop trying to take it to parrallel with the ground point.

btw, that 325 yd drive was the longest i'd ever driven the ball and don't really expect to do that very often.

That's not a 75% swing, thats a full swing, if you're talking about taking the club back parallel to the ground.

Past that point is really only for the folks that can work on it, it opens you up to a lot more error. Basically, you shouldn't see the clubhead past your shoulder. If you are, you're trying to kill the ball. It works for some, but not for all.

I'd rather hit 220 in the fairway than 300 in the rough. Without exaggeration, I can hit it 300+ most of the time, but my own experience says I miss more when I go for that. I used to take out a 3W for control, but I went back and re-evaluated what I was doing with the driver to fix it. I take it back to parallel and average about 250 and 75% made fairways.

Then I had to get better with my long irons, but don't get me started on that. I carry a 2I now, and felt that was a new stage of my game when I could put it in the bag as an actual club to hit.

By the way, I have a terrible short game. I'm not trying to pretend I'm awesome. I 3-putt often. That's the next phase for me, I have to fix that.

 

[Jhill]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
I'd offer an opinion, but the guys who never play hitting it 325 uphill or 220 with a 3-wood "every time" have me laughing my ass off. I love ATOT golf threads, they're more full of crap than the sex threads.

LOL. Like when my boss shoot an 85 every time he goes out. Then when I'm there he shoots about 100 with 10 mulligans.

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: KK

Originally posted by: spidey07
drive for show, putt for dough. I'll take a consistent 250-260 yard drive any day and combine that with laser irons and good short game/putting.

I'd take driving a short par 4 over being a pro with the putter any day. Those are the stories you can tell your kids.

Anyways, what's all involved with getting sized and having that swing launch monitor done.

I'd take being a superb putter over anything else on the course. I'm a good golfer, but if I had a better short game, I could be better than that. I don't want to tell my kids stories, I want to show them how to play.

Besides, anyone can drive a short par 4 with a decent swing and the right workout. That was one of the first things I could do, and still can, but my dad's pushing 60 years old and I've still only beaten him once.

I think going up and down from a pot bunker is a better story than driving a par 4 anyhow. But maybe thats because I can't do the former but can the latter. To each his own.

What a great game.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: sjwaste
I'd take being a superb putter over anything else on the course. I'm a good golfer, but if I had a better short game, I could be better than that. I don't want to tell my kids stories, I want to show them how to play.

Besides, anyone can drive a short par 4 with a decent swing and the right workout. That was one of the first things I could do, and still can, but my dad's pushing 60 years old and I've still only beaten him once.

I think going up and down from a pot bunker is a better story than driving a par 4 anyhow. But maybe thats because I can't do the former but can the latter. To each his own.

What a great game.

That's where I'm at with my game. I don't care much about length off the tee, just a good drive and where I want it for the approach. I care about scoring and avoiding bad decisions. What's better? Long or short? High or low? Left or right? If I do miss where would I usually miss and what can I do to take that into account? How's the lie?

Course management FTW. I'd gladly take a shorter guaranteed shot off the tee and if it's a shorter par 4 I will generally play a 3 wood.

Best bet for the OP is to see what his swing is really doing.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
I'd offer an opinion, but the guys who never play hitting it 325 uphill or 220 with a 3-wood "every time" have me laughing my ass off. I love ATOT golf threads, they're more full of - than the - threads.

LOL, I love my 3 wood but I would never pretend to hit it 220 everytime. "most" times. Most means more than half. "some" times it is mis-hit. Some means less than half "those" times it's not pretty.


-apparently mis-hit is a bad word.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
I'd offer an opinion, but the guys who never play hitting it 325 uphill or 220 with a 3-wood "every time" have me laughing my ass off. I love ATOT golf threads, they're more full of - than the - threads.

LOL, I love my 3 wood but I would never pretend to hit it 220 everytime. "most" times. Most means more than half. "some" times it is mis-hit. Some means less than half "those" times it's not pretty.


-apparently mis-hit is a bad word.

explain to me where he made the assumption that i "never" play?

what is his basis for this assumption?

 

[Jhill]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
I'd offer an opinion, but the guys who never play hitting it 325 uphill or 220 with a 3-wood "every time" have me laughing my ass off. I love ATOT golf threads, they're more full of - than the - threads.

LOL, I love my 3 wood but I would never pretend to hit it 220 everytime. "most" times. Most means more than half. "some" times it is mis-hit. Some means less than half "those" times it's not pretty.


-apparently mis-hit is a bad word.

explain to me where he made the assumption that i "never" play?

what is his basis for this assumption?

You admitted it right there in your 1st post in this thread.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: Jhill

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
I'd offer an opinion, but the guys who never play hitting it 325 uphill or 220 with a 3-wood "every time" have me laughing my ass off. I love ATOT golf threads, they're more full of - than the - threads.

LOL, I love my 3 wood but I would never pretend to hit it 220 everytime. "most" times. Most means more than half. "some" times it is mis-hit. Some means less than half "those" times it's not pretty.


-apparently mis-hit is a bad word.

explain to me where he made the assumption that i "never" play?

what is his basis for this assumption?

You admitted it right there in your 1st post in this thread.

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
calaways tend to be more control and not as much distance. taylormades are longer.

if you want the longest driver available today, in my opinion anyway, it's the taylormade burner.

but frankly the difference is not significant. i read in golf magazine that the burner was hit consistently about 4 to 5 yrds longer than the new callaway (the square one).

currently i have a Callaway X460 with the stiff grafalloy shaft and 9 degrees. i hit one of my longest drives ever today, i hit it 325 yrds slightly uphill on a par five. 515 yd par five and i had hit the ball about 10 yrds past the 200 yrd marker in the middle of the fairway.

then i snap hooked my second shot, was about 20 yrds left of the green. hit a decent chip but the greens were exceptionally fast today and i ended up with a 35 ft put, which i left within 6" of the hole for a tap in par. not bad for a guy that shoots in the mid 90's still.

where did i say i never play? shoot, i play 2 times a week. this week i played 4 times.

i shoot in the mid 90's, not because i never play but because i started playing about 15 months ago and still play occasional loose shots.

 

[Jhill]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: Jhill

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
I'd offer an opinion, but the guys who never play hitting it 325 uphill or 220 with a 3-wood "every time" have me laughing my ass off. I love ATOT golf threads, they're more full of - than the - threads.

LOL, I love my 3 wood but I would never pretend to hit it 220 everytime. "most" times. Most means more than half. "some" times it is mis-hit. Some means less than half "those" times it's not pretty.


-apparently mis-hit is a bad word.

explain to me where he made the assumption that i "never" play?

what is his basis for this assumption?

You admitted it right there in your 1st post in this thread.

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
calaways tend to be more control and not as much distance. taylormades are longer.

if you want the longest driver available today, in my opinion anyway, it's the taylormade burner.

but frankly the difference is not significant. i read in golf magazine that the burner was hit consistently about 4 to 5 yrds longer than the new callaway (the square one).

currently i have a Callaway X460 with the stiff grafalloy shaft and 9 degrees. i hit one of my longest drives ever today, i hit it 325 yrds slightly uphill on a par five. 515 yd par five and i had hit the ball about 10 yrds past the 200 yrd marker in the middle of the fairway.

then i snap hooked my second shot, was about 20 yrds left of the green. hit a decent chip but the greens were exceptionally fast today and i ended up with a 35 ft put, which i left within 6" of the hole for a tap in par. not bad for a guy that shoots in the mid 90's still.

where did i say i never play? shoot, i play 2 times a week. this week i played 4 times.

i shoot in the mid 90's, not because i never play but because i started playing about 15 months ago and still play occasional loose shots.

I was joking when I said you admitted it in your first post.