My New Driver is on its way

[Spyder]

So I got sick of my Cobra S3 Stiff 10.5 with stock Fujikura Blur shaft. My ballooning 250 carry with 0 roll out (literally 0, in fact the ball always comes to rest behind the ball mark) has bugged me for 1 full season. So I found a Titleist 910D3 9.5 with the Project X 6.0 7C shaft. I will post results as soon as I play it this weekend. The club was used and I paid $152.00 with 2 day air shipping from a reputable retailer. Club rates an 8.5 out of 10 and I couldn't pass up on the deal. Do any of you have this setup? I'm hoping I finally get my lower flight and roll out that I've been missing while being a Cobra loyalist. Also, please feel free to ease my mind and let me know if the deal I got was actually a good one. Online, the club is valued at $120-170 on eBay used and PGA value guide has it high as well. Maybe it was just not selling due to the shaft and loft?

[Valleygolfer]

You will love that shaft and head combo.

[Spyder]

Nice, I see that you are playing the same club as well. Thanks for the boost of confidence! lol

I bought this thing on a whim yesterday with just a little research to confirm the value. I hit a buddies D3 only one time early last season and I remember a really perfect ball flight and lots of roll out - much more distance, feel and control than I was getting out of my Cobra S3.

[tristanhilton85]

I played a 910D2 for a while and really liked it... I didn't have that shaft in it however. I think you are going to like it and at $150 it sounds like it was a good deal.

[Spyder]

Originally Posted by tristanhilton85

I played a 910D2 for a while and really liked it... I didn't have that shaft in it however. I think you are going to like it and at $150 it sounds like it was a good deal.

Excellent, thanks Tristan.

When did you change your driver and why? Was it due to a performance issue with the 910, or did you just feel it was time to move on and find something that was better suited for your game?

[Spyder]

Originally Posted by Valleygolfer

You will love that shaft and head combo.

Valley, are you currently using the same setup at this time? I see that you are using the 910 D3 as well, but I'm not sure what shaft you are using. If not, which shaft are you using?

Are you satisfied with the control and feel of the D3? Also, do you personally feel I will be seeing a more "piercing" trajectory with the D3 as opposed to the Cobra S3?

I've known that the stock shaft in the S3 was not really suited for me and was a little too soft for me. I also never really cared for the shape of the S3's head either. Unfortunately, while larger heads do promote confidence... it also promoted a thoughtless approach for me. You look down and see a head that is so large and overwhelming when next to the ball that you stop paying attention to where you are making contact. That, and the weight placement and size also promoted a higher ball flight. Basically, the whole club has been wrong for me but I have been making it work in the Open setting.

I tested really well with the D3 at Golf Galaxy, but I am always cautious when it comes to their launch monitors. When I bought my S3 it was showing 274.7 carry with distances in the 290-305 range. After 1 season, I know that the majority of my shots were carried 250-260 maximum with no roll-out whatsoever unless I was playing into a fairway that sloped towards the green.

[Valleygolfer]

I have the 7C3 shaft and a 8.5° loft. I had ballooning drives and no roll out as well. Now my drives are low, piercing and considerable roll out. If your swing is like mine and it looks close by the stats you have, the shaft and head combo should work well.

[Spyder]

Very nice. Thank you for responding to my thread and for the boost of confidence also! UPS updated my delivery date to Friday (05/10) so I'll hopefully be able to take it out to the course on Saturday. We're supposed to get some nasty Thunderstorms here on Friday, so unfortunately I will only be able to sit in the house and stare at it.

Stormy weather is also a good time to kill some time at the golf shop and demo clubs that you don't intend on buying. For some reason, I'm always approached by a manufacturer's representative to demo clubs and receive a free sleeve of balls. I did this two weeks ago with the Nike Coverts and the kid gave me 2 sleeves of the new 20XI balls.

[Valleygolfer]

We do not have any golf shops here but I am glad for the rain today. I may still go out in it.

[Spyder]

I'm mid-way through my first round with the 910 D3... What an improvement. I had 2 pulls and got in some trouble but hit 4 fairways and average for 9 is 277.6 yards on 6 drives. The key is FIR though and this shaft is amazing. I lost about 10-15 yards of carry but gained in overall distance and accuracy. It's amazing to hit it into the wind and watch it run as opposed to straight up and down flights. I am definitely really happy and I think Titleist won me over.

[Valleygolfer]

Been murdering drives this year. My launch has been lower than last year and the changes I made over the winter in the simulator must have changed my club angle on impact. I adjusted my loft to +.75, played the other day and had some real bombs (in the fairway too :P). First drive out was 287 yards, another 287yarder later, then 290, 300 and finally a 320 yarder. It was insane. Also on a side note, I hit a 298 and 285 two iron. This is all super long for me, not out of the ordinary cept for the 320 yard drive and the 2 iron shot (only because I have used a 2 iron in the past). Must have been the weather of something.

[Spyder]

Originally Posted by Valleygolfer

Been murdering drives this year. My launch has been lower than last year and the changes I made over the winter in the simulator must have changed my club angle on impact. I adjusted my loft to +.75, played the other day and had some real bombs (in the fairway too :P). First drive out was 287 yards, another 287yarder later, then 290, 300 and finally a 320 yarder. It was insane. Also on a side note, I hit a 298 and 285 two iron. This is all super long for me, not out of the ordinary cept for the 320 yard drive and the 2 iron shot (only because I have used a 2 iron in the past). Must have been the weather of something.

I went out again 2 days ago on Saturday and I was fighting pulls all day with the 910 D3 . Though I know it is most likely also a factor of coming in from the outside slightly, but I never am really inconsistent with my driver so I immediately thought it could be the default A1 setting on the club. I haven't played it yet, but I adjusted it to B1 for slightly more fade.... but I'm not sure if that is going to work either. The club was playing tricks with my eyes the other day and with my typical strong grip.

Valleygolfer, do you think I should tinker around with the adjustments and perhaps try D1 to see if this alleviates the hooking issue that I am having? I pulled out my Cobra S3 on its Neutral setting to verify that I am using the same swing and I was getting a slight 5-8 yard draw with it. When I set it to Open, I was getting a straighter flight to a slight fade.

I then brought out the 910 D3 again and right away was pulling the ball and hooking it. 80% of my drives were misses left as a result of a pull/pull-hook, while 2-3 of them were straight.

[Valleygolfer]

Originally Posted by Spyder

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valleygolfer

Been murdering drives this year. My launch has been lower than last year and the changes I made over the winter in the simulator must have changed my club angle on impact. I adjusted my loft to +.75, played the other day and had some real bombs (in the fairway too :P). First drive out was 287 yards, another 287yarder later, then 290, 300 and finally a 320 yarder. It was insane. Also on a side note, I hit a 298 and 285 two iron. This is all super long for me, not out of the ordinary cept for the 320 yard drive and the 2 iron shot (only because I have used a 2 iron in the past). Must have been the weather of something.

I went out again 2 days ago on Saturday and I was fighting pulls all day with the 910 D3 . Though I know it is most likely also a factor of coming in from the outside slightly, but I never am really inconsistent with my driver so I immediately thought it could be the default A1 setting on the club. I haven't played it yet, but I adjusted it to B1 for slightly more fade.... but I'm not sure if that is going to work either. The club was playing tricks with my eyes the other day and with my typical strong grip.

Valleygolfer, do you think I should tinker around with the adjustments and perhaps try D1 to see if this alleviates the hooking issue that I am having? I pulled out my Cobra S3 on its Neutral setting to verify that I am using the same swing and I was getting a slight 5-8 yard draw with it. When I set it to Open, I was getting a straighter flight to a slight fade.

I then brought out the 910 D3 again and right away was pulling the ball and hooking it. 80% of my drives were misses left as a result of a pull/pull-hook, while 2-3 of them were straight.

I would start with neutral. Try swinging 70%. I found that getting a new driver results in over swinging and until you get yourself under control there will be erratic results. I think you are just trying too hard. I went through this too. Hit your old driver for a bit, get the feel and then try to make the same swing with the 910. I found the neutral settings were the best and started out with the draw settings but had to change them shortly after.

[Spyder]

Originally Posted by Valleygolfer

I would start with neutral. Try swinging 70%. I found that getting a new driver results in over swinging and until you get yourself under control there will be erratic results. I think you are just trying too hard. I went through this too. Hit your old driver for a bit, get the feel and then try to make the same swing with the 910. I found the neutral settings were the best and started out with the draw settings but had to change them shortly after.

Yeah, one of my regular playing partners did tell me that it looks like I'm swinging much faster than usual. Obviously, I didn't feel like I was lol.

I will probably give the driver a try on the B1 setting (slightly more open than the A1 standard/neutral setting) and see what happens. If it doesn't work, I'm going back to A1 and I'll focus on staying relaxed.