I just went against eveything I believe in and bought a new SLDR Driver........

[flopster]

you[quote name="BuckeyeNut" url="/t/76515/i-just-went-against-eveything-i-believe-in-and-bought-a-new-sldr-driver#post_1051107"]I logged 11-12 rounds with the SDLR and placed it into instant retirement as of today!!!!   I used my old driver today......I could swing-away freely and launch it high, far(for me),  and fairly straight, albeit a push that got me into some trouble on a few holes.   I played 9 holes just experimenting while hitting multiple balls from each tee. (losing several) My playing with the SDLR, eliminated my hook with my old driver!!  LOL  Weird!!!!  My old R9 Super Tri felt like a dear old friend!!  I hit it differently, but I liked what I saw because I was struggling with a hook when I bought the SDLR. Hitting it wasn't like jumping back on an old bike.......I had changed my ball position, grip, etc, etc, etc... over the past few weeks, and I figured switching back to my old driver and setup would give me the same result....NOPE!  My old driver definitely hands down is the better club for me.   I don't blame the SDLR.........clubheads are only a tiny bit of the equation me........... the shaft is the most important part of a club and the 57 speeder shaft is no good for me I will give it a rest for now, but plan to eventually have a professional fitting to replace the shaft.   For now, I am sticking with my old driver.   I just don't want to mess with it right now..... I want to let my $350 dollar mistake simmer for awhile..  On the back nine, I played for a score and drove the ball well in spite of only hitting 3/7 fairways.   I hit everything dead solid with a nice launch and ball speed.....   One stray cost me a double-bogey and this was my only blemish on the card.........   I carded a +2 score of 38.   For now, my experiment is over.... [/quote] That was the reason I asked if you got the 57 or 65 gram shaft. The 57 is just too damn light especially if your fighting a hook right now, I had the 65 but still could not stop hooking the ball either but OEM shafts are not very reliable for specs I have heard though. I had someone put a new shaft on it but it just made it worse and he cut it down to 44" which threw everything off was what I heard later these clubs are designed for 45" and if you do cut them down then you need to change the weight on the head to compensate. I now believe with a better shaft and more attention to swing weight could probably make a SLDR work for most players, I have regrets now for letting mine go but I will probably try one again when the price plummets in the near future.;-)

[metaswinger]

I bought the 460 about three months ago.  Shaft is the graphite/steel fiber mix.  I couldn't be happier.  Bigger story is that I'm returning to golf after many years of not playing (quit at 18).

I decided to get fitted and had the pre-conceived notion that I would never buy a driver that could be adjusted.  It's not something to mess with....  Spent an hour hitting different heads, shafts and lofts and the SLDR 460 ( adjusted loft down to 8.5 not up ) was the best fit for me by far.

In the shop, the radar had me hitting around 255.  I've played a lot this summer and was quickly hitting 270 regularly.

Yesterday, I played nine and have no idea what was going on.  First few drives were 285-290.  Last drive, measured in two ways (from the markers and my iphone app) had my drive at 302.  I could barely go to sleep last night thinking about it.

Mind you, part of this is me recognizing I could/should be swinging a  bit harder than I have.  But I will say the sweet spot on the driver is indeed smaller than others, once you learn to hit it - yeah!.

[BuckeyeNut]

I have a new update................................the SDLR is no more!

My "buy without club testing" experiment failed miserably!!!!   I ordered it online from Edwin Watts for a reason because they have a store local store that I could return the club to for a full store credit. They have a 90 day playability guarantee, and I took full advantage of this guarantee!  I admit it.....it was an impulse purchase.   PLUS...being a lefty is still a hassle when club shopping. I figured, 'what the hell', and clicked the order now button on impulse while ordering a wedge.  Lesson learned!  I have always tested, and the one time I didn't proved to be a huge mistake.

They have the professional launch monitors so I can do some proper testing for a replacement.  Whenever I get around to it...... I'll go in and buy a new driver because it's already paid for.   For now, I have the credit waiting to be spent.   The store is a good half hour away and I have been busy, so I'm not sure when I'll get around to it.

[saturday]

I have a new update................................the SDLR is no more!

My "buy without club testing"  experiment failed miserably!!!!   I ordered it online from Edwin Watts for a reason because they have a store local store that I could return the club to for a full store credit. They have a 90 day playability guarantee, and I took full advantage of this guarantee!  I admit it.....it was an impulse purchase.   PLUS...being a lefty is still a hassle when club shopping. I figured, 'what the hell', and clicked the order now button on impulse while ordering a wedge.  Lesson learned!  I have always tested, and the one time I didn't proved to be a huge mistake.

They have the professional launch monitors so I can do some proper testing for a replacement.  Whenever I get around to it...... I'll go in and buy a new driver because it's already paid for.   For now, I have the credit waiting to be spent.   The store is a good half hour away and I have been busy, so I'm not sure when I'll get around to it.

Are you considering the 913 at all? I think their fittings were the most impressive to be honest. Not to mention the variations of stock shafts you could play around with!

[BuckeyeNut]

Are you considering the 913 at all? I think their fittings were the most impressive to be honest. Not to mention the variations of stock shafts you could play around with!

I never considered Titleist, but I won't rule it out.  When I returned the SDLR, the guy said they have a complete selection of demo clubs in left hand.  So even if it's not on the shelf, I can demo anything and order whatever I need.

Brand aside, there are some tour model drivers with a less-shut face at address that have my attention.   I am looking forward to testing some of those to see how the ball flies.   When I miss a fairway,  the vast majority is due to too much hook.   I miss a lot of fairways 'just barely' due to run-out to the right.

I don't have stats on my miss direction,  but this is my best estimate:

80% hook to the right

20%  straight push/block to the left

[Lihu]

I have a new update................................the SDLR is no more!

My "buy without club testing"  experiment failed miserably!!!!   I ordered it online from Edwin Watts for a reason because they have a store local store that I could return the club to for a full store credit. They have a 90 day playability guarantee, and I took full advantage of this guarantee!  I admit it.....it was an impulse purchase.   PLUS...being a lefty is still a hassle when club shopping. I figured, 'what the hell', and clicked the order now button on impulse while ordering a wedge.  Lesson learned!  I have always tested, and the one time I didn't proved to be a huge mistake.

They have the professional launch monitors so I can do some proper testing for a replacement.  Whenever I get around to it...... I'll go in and buy a new driver because it's already paid for.   For now, I have the credit waiting to be spent.   The store is a good half hour away and I have been busy, so I'm not sure when I'll get around to it.

You can say that again.

"Bummer" about your old Avatar. Her butt was the only way I could tell at a quick glance when you posted something.

[Mr. Desmond]

You might try ...

Big Bertha V... great sound, forgiving, light... if too light, they have some custom shafts at no charge.

Try the 9 degree ... with Speeder 565 (a made for because the closest Fuji has is a 569). The 9 deg. still launches high from all accounts and will go -1, +1, +2... and lie angle are adjustable. The 9 probably specs out between 9.5-10. Available in LH.

http://www.callawaygolf.com/golf-clubs/drivers/drivers-2014-big-bertha-v-series.html

Looks really nice in your hands...

Some Tour Pros are playing the 9....

Of course, if you're quick, you'd want a custom shaft. You can do a buy it on the Callaway Site and shafts will pop up. But I understand other shafts are also available.

[golfnz34me]

So I thought I'd chime in and give my SLDR story.  I just last week finished up a golf trip to Myrtle Beach (21 years and counting!)  Tefore the trip I visited a couple of local golf stores to try out a few things; mainly wanted to try the Nike VR and Cobra BioCell drivers, plus anything else that struck my fancy.  Long story short, both shops were hell-bent on trying to push the SLDR on me, so I tried it out at both places.  I didn't like the feel at all, and had poor numbers on their launch monitors.  A well-struck tee shot for me is in the 245-255 range, and I am a consistent hitter so most tee shots should be at least close to that number.  But most of my tee shots with the SLDR (and the other drivers as well) were measuring in the 208-210 range, so I clearly am not interested.

Anyway, had some time to kill down in MB, so I went in to the mega-golf store down there and hit some more drivers.  There I was getting numbers in the 235-260 range, so I trusted the yardages much more than what I saw back home. So I decided to try out the smaller 430 10.5 SLDR there, not expecting much.  I hit a few shots and the yardages were pretty close to the other drivers, but then bang!  One flies 276! So I try a few more swings, again mostly in the 245-260 range, then bang! One flies 284 yards!  WTF!!???

I had no interest in buying an SLDR, but if I can figure out what I did on those 2 drives to get 25 extra yards, it would be well worth the investment.

[BuckeyeNut]

I purchased many drivers blind in the old days and the SDLR was the worst experience I have ever had in nearly 25 years of playing golf.   With that said.....I place the blame on the shaft.  It was the wrong shaft for me...  I'm sure I could do shaft testing and make it work it I wanted to, but I opted to go in a different direction.

I bought the Callaway Big Bertha Alpha and LOVE IT!   My FIR stats haven't improved yet because I am still experimenting, but I consistently hit it solidly with a good looking ball flight with a relatively consistent length.  In other words....my bad drives are going longer and straighter.   I have a whopping 103mph clubhead speed, so I'm not a big hitter by any stretch but I already hit my longest drive of the year with the new Alpha.    554yd par5 and I had 229 to the pin....(I must have hit a sprinkler head).....LOL....plus it was downwind!  Too bad I botched the hole from there and failed to make birdie!!   Oh well....that's golf!