Process of upgrading drivers - need advice

[PhilsRHman]

So this season I made a bit upgrade on my wedges to Vokeys, and while I'd love to say that was key to my index dropping from 13.5 to 7.2 (coming at the next revision), I honestly think it was more about my putting and course management, although just in the past couple weeks, I feel like I'm dialing in these wedges and I'll improve greatly from 110 and in next season.

Anyway, as part of my gradual equipment upgrade, I'm ready for a new driver. I currently hit a TaylorMade 320, 9* with a stiff stock TM shaft. My driver miss is definitely a big hook, so I can't get anything with a closed face. My home course has a lot of doglegs, so I need something I can work either way. Today I did my first round of homework, stopping at Golf Galaxy and hitting balls on their simulator for about an hour.

I brought my driver as a control club, and it was startling how far the technology has come. The four drivers I hit were:

1. My TaylorMade (avg swing speed around 102, ball speed only about 130, which the pro said ideally your ball speed would be 1.5 your SS, so right away I could see that I'm not getting even close to my best from this driver. It also reflected my on-course misses, with most of my misses well left. Most shots I carried about 250 yards, and although the pro said not to worry too much about that, it was hard to ignore)

2. Titleist 909D3 9.5* with a Diamana Blue Stiff (looked good, felt good, launch angle around 10*, which the pro said would be better around 13*. I want to hit this one again since I didn't really have a good sense of what numbers I was looking for, etc.)

3. Adams Speedline 9032LS 9.5* with Voo Doo Stiff (I never considered Adams a players driver, but this thing was sweet. I carried most of them 295-305 yards, my SS was consistently around 108 and my ball speed was at that 1.5x the SS. I was getting a slight baby draw, and the launch angle was around 12-13*, but the spin rate was apparently a bit high, in the 3200 range. More important than all the numbers was that I was hitting every single ball off the middle of the clubface, as evidenced by the marks on the tape).

4. Ping I15 8* with mamiya axiv core stiff (didn't like the shape of this driver at all, and could never get comfortable with its bulbous shape. Couldn't get a good swipe at the ball, with most flying just 250 with a low launch)


My plan is to use the next month or two while I'm in the groove to find what I want, even if I don't buy until spring since I don't want to be testing clubs after a couple months with few swings. I was really surprised by that Adams, and I'd like to hit some more with the 909D3. Anything jump out from those numbers above? How detrimental is it to have too high a spin rate off the driver? How easily is that adjusted through shaft/loft changes? It seems like a never-ending puzzle, with different shafts, heads, lofts combos, so I'd love to hear your thoughts on how best to tackle this. I was glad to see that my swing speed won't require me moving up to an X shaft, but there is definitely a lack of players' shafts at the big golf stores, so I'm wondering where you guys have gone to try 3-4 variations of good shafts on different heads, etc. I understand that 90 pct of golfers who walk into a place like Golf Galaxy need something to fix a slice and swing 85 MPH (the pro's estimate, not mine) but where do better players go to find the right equipment.

Sorry for the rambling msg, but I'm obviously trying to cover all my bases and get a feel for what you guys have done. I loved the review Erik had of the 909D3, so I guess I'm just curious how to get myself fitted, and what everyone thinks of these Doppler launch monitors and how well they translate to the course.

[lobsterzilla]

sounds like you found your answer already to me ...

[Sir Hack a-lot]

Actually the ADAMS driver to my understanding had excellent reviews from Golf Digest as a Gold Winner in the driver category....I currently have the Wilson smooth and I too want a new driver (for absolutely no good reason other than I like new golf clubs all the time...lol).

[Dub]

295+ carry with a 102 mph ss? Go ahead and order me one of those magic drivers, too.

[James_Black]

Go for the adams driver.

your hitting it straight, in the middle of the sweetspot and it's going miles.

[PhilsRHman]

295+ carry with a 102 mph ss? Go ahead and order me one of those magic drivers, too.

The Adams I was swinging closer to 108, with a ball speed of 155-165. But that raises the question as to why, and best I can tell is that I was simply making much better contact with that club. The others (including my current driver) had a carry of about 250-270.

At this point I'm a bit more interested in learning about the process you guys have used, rather than figuring exactly which club I want. There are so many variables -- lofts, shafts, etc. -- so how do you find a place with a wide selection of these? Where I went, the pro joked that he's got 100 options on drivers/shafts that will fix the slice I don't have, but when it comes to drivers to match my SS and ball flight, he's probably got one shaft for each manufacturer. Where can I find more to try? I'm stumped there.

[bailey1]

Go find a place that has a Track Man Pro, so you can see ball flight. You can't hit into a net and get fit. There is a place in Stamfor, CT, Sterling Farms that has one. Good Luck

[PhilsRHman]

Go find a place that has a Track Man Pro, so you can see ball flight. You can't hit into a net and get fit. There is a place in Stamfor, CT, Sterling Farms that has one. Good Luck

Sweet, I found a place about 10 miles away with a Track Man. Of course now I'm sort of questioning whether I really play to the level that would legitimize a $100/hour fitting, which is what they charge. What experience do you guys have with it? I understand that a pro would benefit from the super specific numbers this sort of fitting provides, but would I as a high-single digit player?

The pro said it usually takes an hour to do a driver and an hour to do irons. If I could get them all done in an hour I could justify it more. But the idea of tacking $100 onto the price of a club that's already going to cost me over $300-400, I'm not so sure. Would love some feedback from anyone who has done it and can speak to the results.

[Titleist Man]

For low spin try this driver http://www.cobragolf.com/drivers/details.asp?id=44 best driver i have ever had. And its 2* open so its hard to hook.

[Chief Broom]

The pro said it usually takes an hour to do a driver and an hour to do irons. If I could get them all done in an hour I could justify it more. But the idea of tacking $100 onto the price of a club that's already going to cost me over $300-400, I'm not so sure.

Ouch! I don't blame you for being hesitant. Did you try negotiating with them? Tell them you'll buy the driver from them if they will pro-rate the $100/hr into the cost of the clubs. Otherwise I'd just do more research online concerning shafts and see if GG has anything in those shafts for you to try out. Personally I wouldn't be willing to accept paying full retail on a new driver either. In this economy golf manufacturers are willing to deal and so too should retailers. Shop around and get the best deal.

[ronnie15]

Sounds to me like the Adams may be the way to go. When I did this a few months back, the Cleveland Launcher by far was the best for me and it had a spin rate around 2400. I didn't hit the Adams though.

[PhilsRHman]

I appreciate all the feedback. I'm going to talk to the range with a Track Man and see if they'll get me through driver and irons for $100, even if it spills over by a bit. It's in a pretty affluent area, so I might be stuck.

If not, I think I'll see what they've got in terms of demo drivers so that I can get a sense by feel and ball flight without the technology. I can then head back to Golf Galaxy and get on their free demo simulator to see if there are any glaring issues. The problem would be that the driving range has a far greater selection of heads and stronger shafts, so it's unlikely I'll find the same head/shaft combo.

It might turn out that the Adams with the Voodoo shaft really is the winner, in which case I'll have to find a way to lessen the spin rate, which I guess could be achieved by dropping from a 9.5 to 8.5 degree? Or would that only change launch angle? Luckily, I'm in no rush to get this done, and I plan to have this driver for few years so it's not going to be on a whim. If it turns out I do spend the $100 on Track Man, I could hunt on eBay and likely save the $100 that way.

[Lefty22]

I appreciate all the feedback. I'm going to talk to the range with a Track Man and see if they'll get me through driver and irons for $100, even if it spills over by a bit. It's in a pretty affluent area, so I might be stuck.

If you're considering paying $100 to get fit for it don't buy it off eBay...

I honestly don't understand why you're looking so hard into these numbers. You say you hit it 25+ yards further than your current driver. If that's true then there are a couple of points * There has to be something different (unless it's a magic driver) with the launch conditions to generate the extra carry. Backspin is a large part of what gets the ball TO carry so the higher spin rate could be the cause of the added distance. * You should buy the club that you hit straight and 25+ further. I'd try and hit the Adams outside - if it's still that good get it.