Would you play a non-conforming (illegal) driver?

[Jmdmbike]

No I wouldn't. My driver is legal, and works just fine when I swing it properly......

[Vinsk]

Who stated this?

I have one of those Callaway ERC+ drivers. I never knew it was 'illegal' till i started hitting the ball so far and then my friend took a look at it. This after i was booming my drives 20 yards beyond the 185 mark. It's on the shelf now. He was hitting drives 205 and felt it was too good to be true? I don't get this...

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Who stated this?

I have one of those Callaway ERC+ drivers. I never knew it was 'illegal' till i started hitting the ball so far and then my friend took a look at it. This after i was booming my drives 20 yards beyond the 185 mark. It's on the shelf now.

He was hitting drives 205 and felt it was too good to be true? I don't get this...

Perhaps he meant the 185 mark left to the center of the green on something like a a 435 yard par 4, and transposed the 0 and the 5 in the 205 and meant 250 yards?

[Vinsk]

Yeah...I wondered that ....doesn't make much sense to say 185yd marker without mentioning the hole yardage. Anyway...off topic I just didn't get his point.

[Lihu]

Yeah...I wondered that ....doesn't make much sense to say 185yd marker without mentioning the hole yardage. Anyway...off topic I just didn't get his point.

Agreed, it was a little bit ambiguous.

I think the takeaway from it all is that the ERC+ hits 20 yards farther than his normal driver, and it is easy for his buddy to determine that he is using an illegal driver?

[mcanadiens]

Yeah...I wondered that ....doesn't make much sense to say 185yd marker without mentioning the hole yardage. Anyway...off topic I just didn't get his point.

To  each their own. Personally, I measure my tee shots by how far away they are from the nearest water hazard.

[MSDOGS1976]

No. But several years ago I bought some illegal golf balls just for the heck of it. They did live up to the hype and I got about 20 extra yards. I had a good time with them as my buddies wondered what in the heck was going on. Got away with it for just a few holes though. Ha.

[Polemix]

I have an illegal driver and a conforming driver in my bag. Both are set up with the same shafts and grips to my specs. Both drivers look very similar and you wouldn't really notice the 480cc size of the head (20cc). The name of the driver however is Felon Illegal Driver 10 degrees, I paid about 90 bucks for it (mostly shaft and grip!), probably as much as a restaurant and a bottle with the Mrs. It says so in black and white on the club head, so it would be hard for me to get away with anything if I played seriously or competitively, even when I match play with a mate. However, sometimes, for fun, it's nice to hit that extra 20 yards, if only for a practice ball. The distance doesn't come from the driver alone, but it does help a bit. Mostly, the bigger sweetspot is a nice feeling, and allows me to release all the speed and nerve I have in me, so I don't take it out on the "real" ball. It's great swing speed training, on the simulator I seem to have my swing speed up on my regular driver from around 92 to 98mph in a few weeks. I can swing the Felon at up to 120 mph if I push myself, and actually found I hit most shots pretty straight, and get amazing yardage (300 yards carry on one occasion, landing on the green on a par 4 and somehow spinning backwards off the green!). The club is pretty light and doesn't have any special gadgets to it, so I assume it's just the weight distribution and the size of the face which gives this incredible sensation of a sweetspot the size of an apple, where no matter how hard you swing as long as you hit the ball it just blasts out. It's great for confidence and work outs.

[seagullplayer]

Don't they make that same promise on every new club that comes out, legal or otherwise?

[turtleback]

I have an illegal driver and a conforming driver in my bag. Both are set up with the same shafts and grips to my specs. Both drivers look very similar and you wouldn't really notice the 480cc size of the head (20cc). The name of the driver however is Felon Illegal Driver 10 degrees, I paid about 90 bucks for it (mostly shaft and grip!), probably as much as a restaurant and a bottle with the Mrs. It says so in black and white on the club head, so it would be hard for me to get away with anything if I played seriously or competitively, even when I match play with a mate. However, sometimes, for fun, it's nice to hit that extra 20 yards, if only for a practice ball. The distance doesn't come from the driver alone, but it does help a bit. Mostly, the bigger sweetspot is a nice feeling, and allows me to release all the speed and nerve I have in me, so I don't take it out on the "real" ball. It's great swing speed training, on the simulator I seem to have my swing speed up on my regular driver from around 92 to 98mph in a few weeks. I can swing the Felon at up to 120 mph if I push myself, and actually found I hit most shots pretty straight, and get amazing yardage (300 yards carry on one occasion, landing on the green on a par 4 and somehow spinning backwards off the green!). The club is pretty light and doesn't have any special gadgets to it, so I assume it's just the weight distribution and the size of the face which gives this incredible sensation of a sweetspot the size of an apple, where no matter how hard you swing as long as you hit the ball it just blasts out. It's great for confidence and work outs.

I do not think there is anything wrong in using it as a training aid.  But I do question its efficacy when used for that reason.

I would think that while it might increase your swing speed it would hurt your ability to hit the (smaller) sweet spot on your legal driver.  It would be like practice putting on 8" holes and then going back and trying to sink putts in standard size holes.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polemix

I have an illegal driver and a conforming driver in my bag. Both are set up with the same shafts and grips to my specs. Both drivers look very similar and you wouldn't really notice the 480cc size of the head (20cc). The name of the driver however is Felon Illegal Driver 10 degrees, I paid about 90 bucks for it (mostly shaft and grip!), probably as much as a restaurant and a bottle with the Mrs. It says so in black and white on the club head, so it would be hard for me to get away with anything if I played seriously or competitively, even when I match play with a mate. However, sometimes, for fun, it's nice to hit that extra 20 yards, if only for a practice ball. The distance doesn't come from the driver alone, but it does help a bit. Mostly, the bigger sweetspot is a nice feeling, and allows me to release all the speed and nerve I have in me, so I don't take it out on the "real" ball. It's great swing speed training, on the simulator I seem to have my swing speed up on my regular driver from around 92 to 98mph in a few weeks. I can swing the Felon at up to 120 mph if I push myself, and actually found I hit most shots pretty straight, and get amazing yardage (300 yards carry on one occasion, landing on the green on a par 4 and somehow spinning backwards off the green!). The club is pretty light and doesn't have any special gadgets to it, so I assume it's just the weight distribution and the size of the face which gives this incredible sensation of a sweetspot the size of an apple, where no matter how hard you swing as long as you hit the ball it just blasts out. It's great for confidence and work outs.

I do not think there is anything wrong in using it as a training aid.  But I do question its efficacy when used for that reason.

I would think that while it might increase your swing speed it would hurt your ability to hit the (smaller) sweet spot on your legal driver.  It would be like practice putting on 8" holes and then going back and trying to sink putts in standard size holes.

Guessing that the main thing is that he can swing faster, and gain some confidence with that higher swing speed. Once he gets the shot dispersion on the larger head down to a smaller size, then he can take his faster swing back to the smaller head driver?

[Fourputt]

It would be like practice putting on 8" holes and then going back and trying to sink putts in standard size holes.

Yeah.  In fact the opposite is true.  One course I play at has a section of the practice green set aside with several 2 inch holes cut into it.  After warming up there, the 4.25" holes on the course look like manholes .........................

....................... or like playing snooker to improve your pocket billiards game.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by turtleback

It would be like practice putting on 8" holes and then going back and trying to sink putts in standard size holes.

Yeah.  In fact the opposite is true.  One course I play at has a section of the practice green set aside with several 2 inch holes cut into it.  After warming up there, the 4.25" holes on the course look like manholes.

It's like playing snooker to improve your pocket billiards game.

Yeah, those are like a putting hell for me, I have enough trouble making 4.25" holes. . .

[Double Mocha Man]

On 2/11/2015 at 4:55 AM, ScouseJohnny said:

But the "it's a scramble so it isn't really cheating" approach bothers me. As would playing with a non-conforming driver.

But like an egg "scramble" it's made up of multiple ingredients.  1/2 cup of foot wedges.  A dash of forgetful scorekeeping.  Stir in a non-conforming driver.

[Buckeyebowman]

I voted no, but was curious as to what the price of this wonder club might be?

I found a Callaway ERCII driver at a local Goodwill store. One of my buddies doesn't like the "cantaloupe on a broomstick" look of modern drivers, so I bought it for him. For 2 bucks how could I go wrong? I hit it first, and it went no farther than my regular driver.

And, with all the technology built into modern drivers, is the ERC still considered non-conforming?

[Double Mocha Man]

 I can't answer two of your questions. But I did read that when new the ERC II sold for $625.

[Buckeyebowman]

Wow! I saved $623!

[The Hook Meister]

l would not no a legal driver from a illegal one. I*d probably would try it until  i found out it was illegal then put it on the shelve maybe.