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Can a driver head go dead over time?

post #1 of 19
5/25/09 at 8:40am
Thread Starter 
Is it possible for a driver head to "go dead" after a certain amount of normal use?

I have been using the same G5 driver head for about 3 years and it has gotten a good amount of use. Just today, the thought crept into my head that maybe the driver head is a little bit "dead" or off by now.

I think (I hope) I was just hitting the driver poorly today, but the sound and feeling was consistently "clank" more so than it has ever been before. Even when I came close to the sweet spot, the sound and feel just wasn't the same great sensation I used to enjoy. There wasn't much noticeable change in distance, but the ball flight seemed a little weaker, as well. I know it's not a problem with the shaft because it has been replaced fairly recently and has been working out extremely well.

Again, I hope I was just hitting it poorly, and it could just be my imagination. I am going to head to the range soon to check it out more, but I was wondering if I could get some input from you guys.

Does a driver head ever simply wear out over time?
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post #2 of 19
5/25/09 at 8:54am

Re: Can a driver head go dead over time?



Best laugh I have had in a while.
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post #3 of 19
5/25/09 at 8:54am

Re: Can a driver head go dead over time?

Have you changed balls recently by chance? This could be the issue. Perhaps went to a super soft ball? Just a thought.
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post #4 of 19
5/25/09 at 10:55am

Re: Can a driver head go dead over time?

I read some where that the performance of the Driver ( spring effect of the Ti Face ) will start to worsen after 5000 hits.

I might be wrong .
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post #5 of 19
5/25/09 at 6:34pm

Re: Can a driver head go dead over time?

Sure- metal fatigue in your driver is not uncommon. It's a pretty thin face and over time will definitely suffer from repeated use. I don't know if 3 years is the right shelf life. I've flattened the the bulge/roll on a driver before, but back then I was a dedicated range rat and probably thousands of balls with it.
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post #6 of 19
5/29/09 at 2:29am

Re: Can a driver head go dead over time?

I had the exact same problem with my old Nicklaus driver and the thing had cracked right along where the face and crown come together!! I only looked because the sound of contact changed dramatically and I wasn't hitting the ball nearly as solid. It was under warranty so I got a new one. I would inspect your club thoroughly to make sure there are no defects.
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post #7 of 19
5/29/09 at 4:06am

Re: Can a driver head go dead over time?

My old tm burner ti2 cracked too
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post #8 of 19
5/29/09 at 6:03am
Thread Starter 

Re: Can a driver head go dead over time?

Thanks for the tips, guys. Unfortunately, I haven't even been able to get to the range yet, but I think the club is fine. I was just being a little paranoid (and maybe I just want to convince myself it's time for a new driver). It's a little banged up from a lot of use and also letting some friends hit it from time to time, but that's about it.
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post #9 of 19
5/29/09 at 1:16pm

Re: Can a driver head go dead over time?

Originally Posted by Danattherock View Post


Best laugh I have had in a while.



Best laugh I have had in a while.
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post #10 of 19
5/29/09 at 1:26pm

Re: Can a driver head go dead over time?

I really don't think that happens if there isn't a crack or issue. I have been using the same driver for over 5 years and the performance and sound seem the same. I also know that some of the pros use older drivers and I would think they wouldn't be using a 3 old driver if this happened.
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post #11 of 19
5/29/09 at 2:40pm

Re: Can a driver head go dead over time?

Originally Posted by kevin.chan View Post
My old tm burner ti2 cracked too
I cracked the same driver as well after about 18 mos of play. TM sent a brand new one over. Defiantly lost some distance with the crack.
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post #12 of 19
5/29/09 at 3:52pm

Re: Can a driver head go dead over time?

The thin face of a driver is plasma welded to the front of a club head. A tiny crack in that weld - even if not visible from the front - could reduce some "spring" of the face; how noticable I would have no clue. I also agree with the post above that metal fatigue is common in any formed piece of metal used for striking something else, i.e. hammer, bat, club face. But again, fatigue in the metal's properties is probably not noticable after 3 years; but I could be wrong.
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post #13 of 19
5/29/09 at 5:05pm

Re: Can a driver head go dead over time?

Originally Posted by umpiremark View Post
The thin face of a driver is plasma welded to the front of a club head. A tiny crack in that weld - even if not visible from the front - could reduce some "spring" of the face; how noticable I would have no clue. I also agree with the post above that metal fatigue is common in any formed piece of metal used for striking something else, i.e. hammer, bat, club face. But again, fatigue in the metal's properties is probably not noticable after 3 years; but I could be wrong.
All metals have an endurance strength. Lets say that the endurance strength is 25% of the strength of the actual metal. If the impact force of hitting a golf ball is less than this endurance strength, then theoretically the metal in the face would last forever. If the force of hitting a golf ball is above the metal's endurance strength, than the metal face will fatigue and eventually fail over time. I have no clue what the impact force on the driver face is from hitting the ball. That would vary with swing speed and other factors.
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post #14 of 19
5/29/09 at 6:11pm

Re: Can a driver head go dead over time?

I went through several of those old Yonex Graphite headed drivers back in the college days. I was doing long drive contests and the heads would just give out after a while. The face would cave in from wear and tear of the ball hitting the graphite face. Lucky for me Yonex kept replacing them. Eventually they came out with a titanium head, replacing the graphite one, but they never performed the same again. Bring back the graphite heads!
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post #15 of 19
5/30/09 at 6:00am
Thread Starter 

Re: Can a driver head go dead over time?

I played today and, sure enough, it turns out it was the wizard and not the wand. The club is fine. Thanks guys.
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post #16 of 19
6/11/12 at 11:53am

On a similar note, I purchased a used TaylorMade R9 off Ebay the other day, and took it out to the range for the first time last night.  I tend to slice, so I tried a couple of the "left" settings which straightened out my shot very well, however, the distance was poor, and the sound it made was not good.  It had a very hollow sound, and even when I was hitting the sweet spot and hitting it very straight, I was getting at most 200 yards.  I was easily out-driving it with my previous driver (TaylorMade R5) and my Adams 2 Hybrid.  This got me thinking there was a crack or something in the head, but there is nothing visible.  Has anyone ever experienced a "dead club" that did not show any kind of cracks or issues other than normal wear and tear?

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post #17 of 19
6/11/12 at 3:11pm

The odds of the average person hitting a driver enough to cause metal fatigue is pretty slim.  Most of us simply dont hit our drivers often enough to make that happen. 

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post #18 of 19
6/11/12 at 3:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TitleistWI View Post

The odds of the average person hitting a driver enough to cause metal fatigue is pretty slim.  Most of us simply dont hit our drivers often enough to make that happen. 

I used the 440 Cobra driver about 8 years ago, and from when it was new to when I bent the face in was about 4 or 5 years.  I literally bent the top of the face in.  I'm guessing it was from use, but its possible it was a bad face.  I do have a high swing speed, ~115mph.  But, I sent it to Cobra and got the new 460 1st edition X-speed cobra for $10! Good deal!  Still have it and use it often.  No problems yet.

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