improving/upgrading my bag

[prutkows]

i recently picked up my clubs again after a 6 or 7 month hiatus. before the break i had just bought some new irons and i was in the process of buying a new driver, & 3/5 woods but i never got around to it.

i was hoping to hear some ideas or suggestions of whats good out there these days. more specifically, any feedback on the r7 425 vs the 905R.
i was also thinking of dropping the 5 wood from my bag and going with some sort of rescue or hybrid club.



currently my bag consists of:
driver: 975jvs
3/5 wood: taylormade steel; the model before vsteel.
irons 4-pw: titleist 690cb steel shafts
sw: 456 vokey 56, 60.
putter: scotty cameron newport 2
ball: prov1/hx

i know its not a very detailed description of the bag, but i figure its enough to give an idea.

[BigAl5150]

Check out the Reviews section here.

[DDBowdoin]

welcome back from the little break of yours...

looking at those drivers... ok, well first let me say I am a little biased because I currently am playing the R but here we go: personally I have lost a lot of confidence in Taylormade, when the original r7 came out they came out with something so unique and amazing... it was truly a players club, then the designers over at Taylormade realized the level needed for this club and they started making the next generation r7's... more colorful, all garbage...

if you demo the r7 you'll feel a really hot face, but you'll also see very little control... what I love about the 905R is that the clubhead has a little more weight... when combined with the UST V2 shaft (77grams) I have really strong control of the club...

the r7 will be lighter in feel... it all comes down to preference of feel, make sure you get fitted... shaft selection will be a big factor with both of these clubs...

let us know how you do

[Rafcin]

personally I have lost a lot of confidence in Taylormade, when the original r7 came out they came out with something so unique and amazing... it was truly a players club, then the designers over at Taylormade realized the level needed for this club and they started making the next generation r7's... more colorful, all garbage...

I'm not a big fan of r7's due to feel and sound at impact, but this statement must be the stupidest thing I ever read

It's not about colors, read up on the technology behind the 425 and 460 r7 in comparison to the "old" r7.

if you demo the r7 you'll feel a really hot face, but you'll also see very little control... what I love about the 905R is that the clubhead has a little more weight... when combined with the UST V2 shaft (77grams) I have really strong control of the club...

very little control vs. Titleist??? I said above it was a stupidest statement I ever read, I need to retract it. This one is. There is no other club in golf giving you less forgiveness that Titleist driver. If you are 0.5mm off sweet spot - you'll see/feel/hear the difference. This what makes them good. This makes them favorite for very good players. TM allows you for more misses, keeping the ball in play. If this is not "control" - I don't know what you referring to. Ever occured to you that the shaft you tried with wasn't right for you and this caused you to spray the drives?

Weight argument is bogus as well - that's why TM has the weight kit, so you can NEVER tell, that the weight of it isn't right for you. You right, the shaft means a lot. Don't say clubhead is crap only because you haven't try it with correct shaft.

...it all comes down to preference of feel, make sure you get fitted... shaft selection will be a big factor with both of these clubs...

finally you said something smart. 1 out of 3 ain't bad

Instead of reading people bashing one or another driver - there is only one way to make an educated guess: find a launch monitor equipped fitter in your area. Hit all possible driver / shaft combos, get a couple that gives you ballistcally and mathematically the best preformance - then try to get a demo of each and try it out on the course. Picking a driver is as personal as picking a girlfriend - you don't want to listen to others

[gas_can]

prutkows,

You should take a long, hard look at the Callway FT-3.

It looks odd and sounds like a softball bat, but if you can get past the different feel, you'll have a driver with ball speeds that average 2-3mph faster than anything else on the market. Not to mention incredible forgiveness. Just make sure you get fit for it. It is such a low spin head that it is likely you will have to go up in loft to establish the same launch conditions.

Also, Callway's optifit system has made it very easy to find the right shaft for both consumers and clubfitters. Every other OEM out there needs to play catch up.

[gas_can]

welcome back from the little break of yours...

DDBowdoin,

Just so you're not confused, the reason TaylorMade and Nike have added colorful stripes to their clubs is for one reason, and one reason alone. TV recognition. When a pro swings an R7 425 and SQ on TV, you knw exactly what driver it is in an instant. This whole trend started with one company, Aldila, who was smart enough to make thier NV shaft the most off color green they could so television viewers would recognize it and want to buy it in the stores. Their strategy worked, and every other OEM has followed suit. I find it odd that you would discredit the yellow stripe on TaylorMade's drivers which is impossible to see from address, yet you can stare down at a tri colored shaft with graphics and specs scrawled all over it?

[DDBowdoin]

I would have loved to have seen Taylormade make a 460 driver with the performance specs of the original r7... new r7460 doesn't cut it...

[DDBowdoin]

very little control vs. Titleist??? I said above it was a stupidest statement Iever read, I need to retract it. This one is. There is no other club in golf giving you less forgiveness that Titleist driver. If you are 0.5mm off sweet spot - you'll see/feel/hear the difference. This what makes them good. This makes them favorite for very good players. TM allows you for more misses, keeping the ball in play. If this is not "control" - I don't know what you referring to. Ever occured to you that the shaft you tried with wasn't right for you and this caused you to spray the drives?

I guess I didnt clearly express what I was trying to. What I meant by that I am a good enough player that I make consistent contact with my driver and when I hit the new r7's in the center of the clubface I felt as if the face was so hot that driver put the ball out far but at contact I had no idea where the ball was going. I completely agree that the Titleist is the least forgiving driver out there but as contact I know exactly where my ball is going... you put it very well, I failed my first attempt

[gas_can]

I would have loved to have seen Taylormade make a 460 driver with the performance specs of the original r7... new r7460 doesn't cut it...

DDBowdoin,

They're aimed at different segments of the golfing population. The original R7 400cc is a very low spin and low launch head. The R7 460 is a high launch high spin head. The division is similar to Titliest's 905S and 905R heads, they're aimed to fit different players needs. If you want a low spin, low launch head at 460cc, take a look at Callaway's FT-3. If you need a high launch, low spin head at 460cc look into the Cleveland Hi-bore.

[DDBowdoin]

yeah, I know.... I was just stating that I would have liked to have seen them carry the club in that direction...

[Rafcin]

...It looks odd and sounds like a softball bat...

ugh... that was very gently put

This club is awful and sounds.. well.. I don't know even how to describe it I give it a try, but after 4 rounds I decided it was buggin' me too much - back to eBay Of course - feel and looks are VERY subjective. Indeed - if you get past that - it's a nice stick. I didn't make it

[Rafcin]

I would have loved to have seen Taylormade make a 460 driver with the performance specs of the original r7... new r7460 doesn't cut it...

when you're talking taylor made drivers - you have to limit yourself to the "TP" versions. Clubs w/o the TP are aimed at broad public, not picky and skilled players like most people on this forum

Titleist doesn't even have a "public" version - Cobra subdivision is covering this market. Titleist marketing strategy (made publicly in their ad slogan) is "serious clubs for serious player". If you compare 905R to r7 (without TP) is like comparing Porsche 911 GT2 to a Porsche 911.. looks similiar - it's in totally different class though

[DDBowdoin]

when you're talking taylor made drivers - you have to limit yourself to the "TP" versions. Clubs w/o the TP are aimed at broad public, not picky and skilled players like most people on this forum

totally true... I miss my old r7... it was a really nice club but I struggled with the size, I just needed that little bit more forgiveness... I have zero complaints about my 905, I think the ust V2 is just as important to me as the head... its the first driver I've really been fitted to

[ragontona]

I like my r7 460. If I played more often, I'm sure that I would care more about workability and lower spin, and grab the TP model.

Except A) I (and most of the world) don't have $800 to spend on a driver, and B) because I don't play as often, I need something that'll cover me when I'm a little off with my swing. The higher launch angle has really helped out with getting a few yards of extra distance too, and negating some ugly sidespin that rears its head a little too often. Besides, no shame in hitting something that launches high... quite a few tour players are playing the r7 460 and even the r7 HT...

To me, the r7 460 is a fun club to hit. As soon as Taylor Made signs me to an endorsement deal, I'll pick up a 425 TP.

[prutkows]

thank you everyone for all the input on drivers. any ideas as far as 3woods/hybrids go?

prutkows,

i actually got the chance to use my friends ft-3 a few days ago. his was heel weighted to avoid slices, 11*, and it had the adila nvs stock shaft.

although the extra heel weight helped me hit the ball straighter, the ball trajectory was still a little flat, even with the 11* loft.

[Rafcin]

thank you everyone for all the input on drivers. any ideas as far as 3woods/hybrids go?

I'm a TM man, their fwy woods are sweet. If I was on the market I'd check out :

1. sonartec driving cavity woods 2. tour edge "exotics" series woods 3. r7 fairway woods I still haven't found a good replacement for my steel 200 and v-steel woods though

[prutkows]

I'm a TM man, their fwy woods are sweet. If I was on the market I'd check out :

i'm still using steel 200 3/5 woods as well :] i think i might keep the 3 wood and just replace the 5 with a hybrid.

[titleistglfer]

Whats interesting is the person who plays all Titleist clubs suggested the Titleist driver, and the person who plays al Taylor Made clubs suggested the Taylor Made driver... What I think it all really comes down to is feel and comfort level. Granted there are other issues like getting fit that you cant hear enough times these days. But when you look down at the club, what do you want to see? I'm a titleist player, I want a Titleist club. My father is a callaway, he wants that. My brother, a Nike....you get where I'm going... Obviously if that means nothing to you, then select whatever you hit the best....