How to select or demo the best drivers?

Not focusing on a particular brand or look, and getting what actual works best for me through a very detailed fitting.

 

I've tinkered here and there, but I've only really changed twice since I started playing.  I bought my first driver based off a recommendation of a friend.  Tried others here and there for grins and giggles.  Got fitted for my current one, and doubt I will change it unless it breaks or gets stolen.  I went into my driver fitting thinking (hoping?) a Callaway was going to be the one.  Tried all the box store brands that this fitter had a cart for, plus Wishon and Maltby.  Ended up with the Wishon 919THI in this shaft and length combo because it simply outperformed every other combo we tried.  And this fitting took a better part of a day, not 30 minutes.   

 

I'm not a lemming that the likes of Taylormade are aiming for.  I don't buy hype, I buy results.  

I count my driving as probably the strongest part of my game.  If my putting was better, and I didn't have the occasional handful of bad chips a round (which would not be necessary with better approach shots!), my HC would drop dramatically.  The one thing that jumped out as a problem with other drivers was that I was not always hitting the ball consistently in the middle of the face, most notably my miss hits were high or low on the face, rather than toe or heel.  I still have the occasional high or low hit, but with the 919THI having little to no roll radius (measured loft top to bottom only varies by about 1.5°, where most all other drivers can vary as much as 6°) , I still get practically the same trajectory regardless if I hit one dead center, high, or low.  

 

I don't remember the exact count of other heads we tried, but it was a bunch!  I do remember we tried Callaway first, then a couple other box store brands.  After noticing the high/low problem, he jumped to the 919THI.  After having good results with that, we tried some others, then came back to the 919 again.  He had a few 919 heads that were digitally measured so he knew the true loft and face angle, not just what was stamped on it.  After different combos of lofts and a few shafts based on my SS, tempo, release point, etc, we went with the 11° head that was 0.5° closed, and the Wishon S2S White 65g shaft assembled to 43.75" playing length.  Unless I screw something up like coming OTT or ???, it's point and shoot.

 

This is not a fitting you will get at a "local store" like Dick's, or even Golf Galaxy and the like.  I wouldn't personally consider them giving you a true custom fitting.  My fitting was with a local independent club builder/fitter with no allegiance to any one (or more) manufacturer as someone like Dick's would be (commissions for selling a particular brand, volume, etc).  We hit indoors with high speed video, SS monitor, etc first to determine my swing tendencies.  He made some selections based off what he saw, then we moved outdoor to the grass.  

 

Try snooping around http://www.agcpgolf.com/locator/ to see if there is one close to you and give them a call.       

I actually ask friends with other drivers to borrow them for a few rounds...despite them having different customizations and shafts etc. I find the ones that I like or that "suit" my game and then I go and demo these in the store.  Of course this isn't quite the same as going to a demo day but in the absence of that I do get to try out the different drivers on the course over a few rounds which gives me much better feedback than just in the artificial environment of a golf store...

Saw a similar post to this at some stage and think the reason is that manufacturing process are never that exact - unless you are talking about expense to a ridiculous level...think you just need to go with something that "feels" right...

Lets see. I went from an Orlimar to a G5 to an R11s. Every 5 + years? Why would you need a new driver every year? It's hard to reason them right. Every year all you are doing is getting used to a new club.

Funny how this guy now has a Callaway Diablo Driver with stock shaft, after stating that he doesn't want you to look at brand or anything but performance and saying to get fit for everything custom. I personally think consistency is key for a driver, but you also need to get one that you have confidence in, and it should fit you and your swing. I'm not saying go spend $200 or something on a full day, try everything, fitting session, but you should at least know whether you need your club to be long or short, upright or flat. Keep in mind, though, that most drivers come at 45', while the tour average for driver length is around 42-43'.

 

I think your stats on that are juuuuust a little old.  It's more like 44.5"  Except for Sergio.

 

I go back and forth between the two.  When one is misbehaving, it goes into time out and the other one comes out.  The Wishon gets the most play, I'm just over of changing my sig every time.

I go over the top with research. I try to find what pros, or great ball strikers who aren't sponsored use. At least for me, i repeatedly saw people who I found were great ball strikers using the Titleist 910. Final decision came down to Mark Crossfields review of it on utube. He liked it so much he baught one and put a proforce v2 shaft. He gets to play with and review all the latest clubs... So I ended up with the same setup, 9.5 degree 910 D3 with proforce v2 shaft, and hosel set to draw with -1.75 loft.
I absolutely love it, especially when hit clean and hard, just sounds better then everything else at the range and tee, and ball flight seems perfect for my swing. Then again this is a $500+ setup.