Help with driver decision!!

[Jtjohns]

I'm struggling on my decision to change drivers. I'm currently hitting, well own, a Titleist 905R with a Proforce V2 Stiff shaft. I love this thing when I can hit it straight... Problem is, that's not too often. It's to the point where I don't even pull it out anymore unless I'm playing poorly and figure I can't blow up my score any worse. I recently won a long drive competition on a hole I was playing with a 310yd drive with it, I was lucky it went straigt, but if it goes straight high 200s aren't unfamiliar.

I'm purchasing new G10 irons in a couple of days and I'm thinking about selling the 905R to my buddy and buying the G10 driver due to the forgiveness it offers. Maybe I can start pulling driver when I play versus leaving it in the bag.

Any thoughts on this decision? If I'm lucky and some of you have hit both drivers, what are your thoughts/comparisons?

[nuck81]

It's all about the swing man. I don't know what your particular mental approach is, but when I stopped swinging the driver like a driver, and started swinging it like a club, they instantly straightened up and flew. I also limit myself to only five practice Drives a bucket. NOTHIng kills a swing faster than pounding a driver all day...

[Shanks A Million]

True. No driver is going to magically improve your swing. I can take my old persimmon driver out, and hit it just as well (albiet, quite a bit shorter) than a modern driver. If I can't hit one, I can't hit the other, it's that simple. The myth of forgiveness is that it's going to let you play the way you want without hitting the ball solidly. Even the most forgiving set of hybrid irons is next to useless if you can't swing them right. Forgiveness allows you some breathing room on small mishits, that's all. If I catch my driver an inch into the heel, it still goes out there 210, maybe even 220 yards. If I catch my old persimmon driver 1" toward the heel, it goes maybe 100 yards, and not nearly as straight. But when your misses are bad club path, bad angle of attack, severe mishits, and other such problems, no driver is going to help you, you've got to help yourself.

[Jtjohns]

It's all about the swing man. I don't know what your particular mental approach is, but when I stopped swinging the driver like a driver, and started swinging it like a club, they instantly straightened up and flew. I also limit myself to only five practice Drives a bucket. NOTHIng kills a swing faster than pounding a driver all day...

You are right... I feel like I over do it with the driver. I typically make solid contact with my current driver, but I will see anything from a drastic slice to a pull hook. I just cant seem to square it properly and I dont have this problem with my 3 hybrid which I use off the tee box currently. The last five times or so I've been to the range, I haven't even bothered to touch the driver, just because I know I'm not playing it. I typically focus on 7-SW.

[Crey23]

I'm struggling on my decision to change drivers. I'm currently hitting, well own, a Titleist 905R with a Proforce V2 Stiff shaft. I love this thing when I can hit it straight... Problem is, that's not too often. It's to the point where I don't even pull it out anymore unless I'm playing poorly and figure I can't blow up my score any worse. I recently won a long drive competition on a hole I was playing with a 310yd drive with it, I was lucky it went straigt, but if it goes straight high 200s aren't unfamiliar.

Jt, my take is that while you may have some relly fast swing speed, with your HC, you are not consistent enough to play a V2 stiff....these shafts are very, IMHO, flat..stiff, very little to no flex. I tried it out when I was looking for shafts early in the year, and found it to be flat....liveless..that's just me i guess. The point is that unless you can manage a swing speed averaging on the 95mph or greater, then stiff may not be right flex for you, or may just the shaft is not the right fit for you.

You may be fine hitting a few balls at that speed, but throughout the game you may loose control and distance. figure out what your swing speed is...if you are on the cusp of stiff (ie 96mph or greater) then you want to look at a regular with "stiff like" characteristics...low torque, and low kick point, or maybe a tipped shaft.... A few thing sto consider i guess.... I saw great improvement on my drivng when I got adriver with a shaft closer suited (maybe a little better) to what I need...I went from 232 Avg to 257, and longest 283...and the more I play the longer I get. I hope this helps!

[Jtjohns]

True. No driver is going to magically improve your swing. I can take my old persimmon driver out, and hit it just as well (albiet, quite a bit shorter) than a modern driver. If I can't hit one, I can't hit the other, it's that simple. The myth of forgiveness is that it's going to let you play the way you want without hitting the ball solidly. Even the most forgiving set of hybrid irons is next to useless if you can't swing them right. Forgiveness allows you some breathing room on small mishits, that's all. If I catch my driver an inch into the heel, it still goes out there 210, maybe even 220 yards. If I catch my old persimmon driver 1" toward the heel, it goes maybe 100 yards, and not nearly as straight. But when your misses are bad club path, bad angle of attack, severe mishits, and other such problems, no driver is going to help you, you've got to help yourself.

I understand that completely. I just don't know if the 905R is too far above my skill level for now. I plan on uploading some swing videos in a few days to get some help from you guys.

[Jtjohns]

Thanks. I had my swing speed checked last year and it was border line 100mph, but that wasn't a smooth consistent swing either. Do you know if places like Golf Galaxy will test swing speeds?

[Crey23]

Thanks. I had my swing speed checked last year and it was border line 100mph, but that wasn't a smooth consistent swing either. Do you know if places like Golf Galaxy will test swing speeds?

Absolutely!!!!

I spent an hour there when I ought my driver hitting the same dirver with three different shaft & loft combinations...the 9.5* reg gave me the best, most conssistent drives, on the sim anyway.

[Shanks A Million]

I understand that completely. I just don't know if the 905R is too far above my skill level for now. I plan on uploading some swing videos in a few days to get some help from you guys.

Not at all, the 905R is a great driver. It's perfect for most, 460cc, shallow face, a good club. A friend of mine who is an amazing ballstriker (PGA Tour quality swing, but stuck around scratch most of his life), and he just has the most beautiful swing you've ever seen, well, he has a 905R that he uses when he's playing really tight courses.

[Jtjohns]

Not at all, the 905R is a great driver. It's perfect for most, 460cc, shallow face, a good club. A friend of mine who is an amazing ballstriker (PGA Tour quality swing, but stuck around scratch most of his life), and he just has the most beautiful swing you've ever seen, well, he has a 905R that he uses when he's playing really tight courses.

OK, I was under the impression that the 905R was geared for the "better" player and offered a small window for error. So is it safe to assume that the G10 will not be much more forgiving than the 905R?

Could my current shaft really be that much more difficult to use? I went to a range yesterday and one of the instructors looked at my shaft and said it was too heavy and stiff.... I think its somewhere around 78 grams. He basically said I would have to be swinging unbelievably fast to use it. Also, this isn't a money issue at all because I would basically be exchanging drivers. If you had your choice which would you play and why?

[chilly]

As others have said, a driver switch will not fix a bad swing, plain and simple. The 905r is the "high handicap" version of that club from Titleist, it's not a low handicap only type of driver. I had one, it was no worse to hit then any other modern 460cc driver. The shaft is a little heavy, but at 100mph you can definitely use it.

Believe me, I've probably gone through 10 drivers trying to find the "magic" combo...you can make slight tweaks in trajectory/spin/forgiveness on off center hits, but you're not going to fix a 30yd slice or push. I've done a driver fitting using all sorts of different shafts and clubheads, best to worst was like 5yds distance, and around 2yds difference in total dispersion.

[Jtjohns]

Thanks for all the comments..... As stated, I really do like the 905R, it sounds great and feels great when hit properly. I haven't even been practicing hitting it because I got so frustrated with it, but I'll take it to the range and try to work things out. Thanks again.

[nuck81]

Honestly if there was one single driver out there that everyone could hit long and straight, wouldn't we all be playing with it?

[Jtjohns]

Honestly if there was one single driver out there that everyone could hit long and straight, wouldn't we all be playing with it?

Very true!

[Crey23]

...it was too heavy and stiff.... I think its somewhere around 78 grams. He basically said I would have to be swinging unbelievably fast to use it...

I told you....

I think you will be better off changing the shaft than the entire driver. While I agree that there is no magic driver out there, nor a driver that will fix your problems, there certainly is a better configuration out there to fit your needs and talents. With that said, take a look a couple of shafts...they can range from $80 to $300 easily. When I was looking to re-shaft my previous driver I had narrowed down my selection to:

• Aldila NV 65 (which would match my R-75 irons nicely) ~ $90 [*}Diamana Blue 65 ~ $ (I can't remember)
• Matriz Ozik X-Con 6 ~ $300

These shafts IMHO opinion meet my requirements, to correct a few flaws in my swing. I ended up changing form r7 CGB Max to the r7 Limited, which has a Taylor Made (licensed) version of the Matrix Ozik X-Con 5.5 (a hybrid of 5 and 6) and for my it has been great improvement. It has helped me go from 24% fairways, to 47% fairways. I purchased the r7 because I thought I needed to play with the weights to reduce my slice, and since I bought the driver the weight have remained in neutral position. I believe that there is great value in getting fitted for the shaft of your driver...it helps more than changing drivers. PS~I changed my driver bcs I got a great deal at $150 for the R7 Limited 9.5* (Reg) NEW!!!! About the cost of the new shaft, and I was able to sell my driver....all in all, I spent less than $100

[cigarsmoke23]

Totally agree with most posts...sure technology will help, but its all about having a proper swing path. there are two thing that may really help you that i always think about before executing my swing. 1) lossen the grip 2) swing only at 80%. you'd be surpised how much sraighter your ball goes.

on another note the g10 is amazing. very long...good looking at address...great sound and feel. i think its worth the upgrade. of course match that with a solid shaft = i think its more imporant

[nuck81]

1) lossen the grip 2) swing only at 80%. you'd be surpised how much sraighter your ball goes.

Right on man!! To me the Driver is the most useless and limited club in the bag. It's a one trick pony, but boy is it fun when you rip one....

[erock9174]

Have you messed around with different tee heights ?

Reason I ask is because last year I bought a ball marker and it came with one of those "4 yards longer" tees.
So I decided to try it out. Instantly my driver became a fun club to hit again. I mean I am talking I went from like 25% of fairways hit to about 75%. I lost that particular tee and my driver was all over the place again at the end of the season. So this year I was able to find those tees in the store and put them to use and my driver is much more consistent again.
It has nothing to do with hitting it "4 yards longer".... for me those tees allow me to tee up the ball the same height each time since it has a stopper about midway down the tee. With other tees I was constantly changing my height and never seem to ever get it right.

I could be crazy but it seemed like once I found that special sweet spot tee height the driver is working for me.