Hit the Dance Floor For the First Time and Tried out the TM Rocketballz

[sportsnut]

Well it was quite an experience with the simulator, took a couple of swings before I made good contact and was able to get anything worth looking at stat wise. I think lack of light when you first step in and take some swings throws you off, me for sure. Anyway the big surprise was I did better with the regular flex shaft. Most of my experiences with a regular shaft have left me in the past with a bad slice burning my eyes out, especially on Callaway clubs so I started going to stiff shafts. My swing speed is 90 on the stats with a launch angle of 13, for the driver not really stiff speed but was told I could use either flex whichever traveled better, regular was straighter and gave me a nice grouping of simulated balls on the screen. Anyway I do have to go back and bring my current driver to see what if any difference there is in my drives, from the numbers it may not be a good move to buy a new driver yet, but wont know for sure until I compare both side by side. I also tried the Callaway Razr Black, very bad club for me heap big slice and no distance. liked the Rocketballz but it was a light feeling club ..I am a senior golfer so as my swing speed gets slower regular flex should give me plenty of mileage with the right club.

[SloverUT]

I was reading an article the other day that showed similar results, but I can not remember where I read it.  Basically, it was stating that the majority of players fear that they aren't using a stiff enough shaft when in reality it is the opposite.  Too many golfers were using stiff+ shafts when they didn't need to be.

[Harmonious]

90 mph swing speed doesn't warrant a stiff shaft.  You will be losing yardage that you need. But take heed:

I just went down the same road as you. I went to Edwin Watts to their Taylor Made fitting station. I hit all their drivers with different shaft configurations, both stock and upgraded. The RBZ Tour 9° with the stock Matrix Ozik Xcon6 Stiff shaft carried about 10 yards further than my Titleist 909D3. The upgraded shafts didn't make much of a difference, so I pulled the trigger and bought the RBZ with the stock shaft. They didn't have a RBZ Tour 9° head with that particular shaft, so they pulled a similarly labeled Matrix shaft from a regular RBZ and put it on a new Tour head. Supposedly the same shaft, same markings, same flex. I didn't hit it, just got in the car and went home. Mistake on my part...

When I got home and went to the range, I just couldn't find the center of the clubface. Many hits were low and toward the heel (duckhooks). Many were way up on the clubface (skyballs). Only one in four drives was acceptable. I never had those problems with my old driver, so either my swing had gotten terribly worse on the drive home, or the shaft didn't have the same characteristics as the one I hit in the store.

The good news:  I called the manager at Edwin Watts and told him my problems hitting my new club. He immediately agreed to change out the shaft to the Matrix shaft from the fitting club I had hit earlier. I again hit the new shaft on the monitor, I got the same good results I had had earlier.  Taking the club home, I went to the range and immediately started hitting great drives down the middle. So it was the shaft, and not my swing.

Maybe the first shaft I got was defective, maybe it was mislabeled, who knows. My advice is, before you take your new club home, you hit it on the monitor to make sure it performs the way you want. It will save you a trip back to the store.

[glock35ipsc]

Originally Posted by sportsnut

Well it was quite an experience with the simulator, took a couple of swings before I made good contact and was able to get anything worth looking at stat wise. I think lack of light when you first step in and take some swings throws you off, me for sure. Anyway the big surprise was I did better with the regular flex shaft. Most of my experiences with a regular shaft have left me in the past with a bad slice burning my eyes out, especially on Callaway clubs so I started going to stiff shafts. My swing speed is 90 on the stats with a launch angle of 13, for the driver not really stiff speed but was told I could use either flex whichever traveled better, regular was straighter and gave me a nice grouping of simulated balls on the screen. Anyway I do have to go back and bring my current driver to see what if any difference there is in my drives, from the numbers it may not be a good move to buy a new driver yet, but wont know for sure until I compare both side by side. I also tried the Callaway Razr Black, very bad club for me heap big slice and no distance. liked the Rocketballz but it was a light feeling club ..I am a senior golfer so as my swing speed gets slower regular flex should give me plenty of mileage with the right club.

If you haven't yet, give the Cobra AMP a try.

[sportsnut]

Definitely sound advice, I plan to try it again and bring along my current drive to be able to compare the stats. Who knows if the monitor is accurate or calibrated recently and correctly but using my current driver and a test drive on a new one should at the very least give me something to compare. I did find it interesting that when I swung the Callaway Razr Black (definitely felt like a heavier club) with the regular shaft I got no distance and a really bad slice which I have seen many times before using Callaway regualr flex drivers, very scary memories entered my brain.

[SouthernBuckeye]

I got the Rocketballz Tour model which has a little stiffer regular flex than the regular Rocketballz but not as stiff as my 09 Burner with stiff shaft.  I am hitting better drives than ever, about 8 to 10 yards further than the burner.

[SouthernBuckeye]

Swing speed 99

[inthehole]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

If you haven't yet, give the Cobra AMP a try.

I'll second this ... Ihave the same swing speed as the OP - the monitor said the Amp was the driver for me - it carried over to the course - never hit drives so consistently well

[glock35ipsc]

Originally Posted by inthehole

I'll second this ... Ihave the same swing speed as the OP - the monitor said the Amp was the driver for me - it carried over to the course - never hit drives so consistently well

The AMP Hybrids are kicking the R11 hybrids out of my bag.  How's that 3 wood?  It's either the AMP or the Baffler 3 wood next for me.

[inthehole]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

The AMP Hybrids are kicking the R11 hybrids out of my bag.  How's that 3 wood?  It's either the AMP or the Baffler 3 wood next for me.

I like it alot ... have to shorten it some though and put some practice time on it ... not hitting it as consistently as I would like (100% my fault and not the clubs).     The part I like the most is the sound of it - TOTALLY different than any other 3 wood I've owned - it's a deeper thunk, not the usual click.    I like the deeper face of the Amp better than the thinner face of the Baffler ... just a preference though.

You mentioned the Amp hybrids ... I've been considering trying one, but the web site says the 19 degree is 1° weak in the neutral set up, so I guess that means it plays like a 20° ??    I guess its good to have open/shut adjustibility, but when you open/close it, it messes with the lofts.     Just not feeling the need to have an adjustible hybrid, which is why I probably haven't bought one.     In your experience, how are they off the tee compared to the TM ?

[glock35ipsc]

I've only hit it off the turf so far, and haven't messed with the hosel yet, so I can't say for sure.   I have a Baffler T hybrid in 19° coming on Friday so I can compare the two.

Last time I hit the AMP 4H was this past Friday, it was about 35°, with range balls.  And they were going straight and LOOOOOOONG..... just over the 200 yard flag.

[Dave2512]

I have the AMP 3w and 4h and have hit the AMP driver and can't say enough good things about all. I live in CO so I don't really need the driver but I'll likely pull the trigger on the AMP Cell in Feb. When I eventually move to a different iron set I'll likely carry the AMP 3h too. For now I have to carry a 4i in addition to the AMP 4h because the gap between the hybrid and my 5i was too much. I wish Cobra offered an AMP 5h. I'd be all over that. I haven't demoed many fairway metals this year but I was blown away by the AMP from day one. I get as much distance from the 3w as my previous driver and my accuracy is far better.

That said I wasn't crazy about the AMP irons. I went into the store with cash in hand to buy them but I couldn't get past the look despite liking the feel, thick topline was the deal breaker. However those aren't as thick as most of the other stuff out there. Again will definitely be looking into the Cell irons, especially if they launch a mixed cb/mb tour set. Need to iron out a few swing flaws before I can justify it.

[inthehole]

Originally Posted by Dave2512

I have the AMP 3w and 4h and have hit the AMP driver and can't say enough good things about all. I live in CO so I don't really need the driver but I'll likely pull the trigger on the AMP Cell in Feb. When I eventually move to a different iron set I'll likely carry the AMP 3h too. For now I have to carry a 4i in addition to the AMP 4h because the gap between the hybrid and my 5i was too much. I wish Cobra offered an AMP 5h. I'd be all over that. I haven't demoed many fairway metals this year but I was blown away by the AMP from day one. I get as much distance from the 3w as my previous driver and my accuracy is far better.

I've had a half dozen or more drivers over the last 2 years & finally got fitted.   The AMP driver is so good, it's unusual for me to miss a fairway now - no longer than my others, but so much more accurate and consistent.    Its that good - the offset model (which I have) is going for silly cheap now too ($129)  !!

[glock35ipsc]

Dave2512 - I'm an hour north of you.  We should meet somewhere in the middle and play a round sometime!

[Dave2512]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

Dave2512 - I'm an hour north of you.  We should meet somewhere in the middle and play a round sometime!

You bet. Where are you?

[glock35ipsc]

Ft Collins

[sportsnut]

Okay pulled the plug on the Rocketballz Driver in regular flex, unable to try out an Amp driver no left handed in stock. So I tried both the reg and stiff flex against my nike VR Pro Stiff. Both Rocketballz were longer and the regular was the straighter again  in some cases right down the line, so I bought it, was not impressed with it at the range after buying it but put it in my bag yesterday, only 2 errant drives with the rest right down the middle. Big problem now is do I check my other clubs for changing over to regular from stiff or play them out as they are. My other woods and hybrids only give me a slight fade most of the time, and my irons give me what I want and need the majority of the time so why change them out, and of course there is the money to be spent again. Since I am kinda handy maybe pick out a experimental club and change the shaft myself and see how it goes. Any thoughts out there on my problem?