Upgrade from TaylorMade R580XD to Burner Plus

[Tugglife2]

I was thinking about upgrading from my R580XD driver to a Burner Plus driver. They are on sale at my local Sports Authority for $129.99. Besides hoping to get more consistency and forgiveness, the face of my R580XD is scuffed a decent amount since it has seen a lot of use. I have trouble hitting straight drives but I'm pretty confident it has more to do with my swing than the actual club.

Can anyone comment on what I can expect to gain if I upgrade? Is it really worth it?

[cfmgolf]

You should see a significant change to the better in off center hits (forgiveness) and probably some additional distance. If you can try the Burner Plus I would recommend it. The Burner has a longer shaft which cause a little dispersion problem. If you typicallly hit it straight this should not be a problem. For the money, the TM's from the last couple of years are pretty good deals. Good Luck.

[jamo]

Not really sure. The Burner Plus is only available at Sports Authority and isn't even on Taylor Made's website. I guess any modern driver is better than an old, scuffed one though.

[Tugglife2]

I just realized that the R580XD driver was released in 2003. Is there a big difference in technology of a '03 driver and an '09/'10 driver?

[dunstert]

I made almost this same switch - R580 to a TM Superfast Burner. Huge difference on off-center hits. The new driver gives a little more distance but the main advantage is with mis-hits.

Dick's and Golf Galaxy are both running trade+$50 specials on the TM drivers (not sure how much longer, though). My 580 in good condition brought about $22 in trade, but it was an 8 year old club.

[delav]

I just realized that the R580XD driver was released in 2003. Is there a big difference in technology of a '03 driver and an '09/'10 driver?

The short answer would be no. It's a large Titanium head with a high C.O.R., ICT and performs very well when swung right. The shaft could be better, but the head is damn near state of the art.

Since 2003 manufacturers have convinced us that we need moveable weights and hundreds of hosel configurations to be good golfers. While these help, it's also a way to differentiate products in a saturated and constrained market.

[Robo58]

For the price i think the burner is by far the best driver out there for the money. I had the burner plus before i snapped the shaft with a 6 iron and got the r9 lol but expect expect to hit the ball a lot higher than normal. I, as well as everyone i've ever played with that has a burner all say they hit the ball so high.

[jamo]

I think a lot of you guys are mistaken when it comes to the driver he is talking about. It's not the '07 Burner, or the '08 Tour Burner, or the '09 Burner, or the '10 Burner Superfast. This is a club that Taylor Made doesn't even list on their website. Here is is on Sports Authority: http://www.sportsauthority.com/produ...entPage=search

[Tugglife2]

jamo is correct, but I am also considering the '09 Burner.

The guy working the golf section at Sports Authority said a TaylorMade rep explained to him that the Burner Plus and '09 Burner are the same club under another name.

[dunstert]

I guess my point in responding was that moving from the 580 to the Burner series was a significant improvement for me.

I'm not sure why the OP would buy a driver no longer being sold by TM, but there are a lot of good deals in the Burner line - 3 under $200. The Burner '07 is $129 and the '09 is $149 at Dick's right now.

[jamo]

jamo is correct, but I am also considering the '09 Burner.

I'm not so sure about that, they are very different looking.

[Tugglife2]

I'm not so sure about that, they are very different looking.

You might be right. I don't tend to take what a guy at Sports Authority says as gospel. I'm weary about the Burner Plus because as you pointed out there isn't a much mention of it by TaylorMade.

[max power]

http://www.3balls.com/product-produc...RIVERS-RH-USED

http://www.3balls.com/product-produc...RIVERS-RH-USED

[jamo]

You might be right. I don't tend to take what a guy at Sports Authority says as gospel. I'm weary about the Burner Plus because as you pointed out there isn't a much mention of it by TaylorMade.

I don't think the Burner Plus is fake, I would just venture to guess that the '09 Burner or '08 Tour Burner would be a better buy, higher quality.

[Tugglife2]

I think I'm going to go with either an '07 burner or an '09 burner. Hopefully I can try them both out before I buy.

That said, what would you think would be a better option for me? I'm not too worried about distance, mainly trying to improve upon my erratic accuracy off the tee. As I understand it, the '07 burner has a shorter and heavier(65g) shaft while the '09 burner has a longer shaft weighing in at 49g. Again, if one of these clubs would lend itself to hitting straighter shots more consistently that's the one I'd go with.

[max power]

I think I'm going to go with either an '07 burner or an '09 burner. Hopefully I can try them both out before I buy.

For improved accuracy I'd stick with the 65g shaft-or I'd look at something other than TaylorMade. Even 65g is light (in my book), the Callaway X460 Tour I posted earlier can be had in Like New condition for $80 shipped with a 75g firm or regular flex shaft. I'm nearly 100% positive you'll be more accurate with that.

[golf_enthusiast]

Now, I regret having given my 580XD to a friend.

[enis750]

The short answer would be no. It's a large Titanium head with a high C.O.R., ICT and performs very well when swung right. The shaft could be better, but the head is damn near state of the art.

what he said ^^^

the R580XD is one of THE most sought after heads out there, even today (along with the Titleist 905R head) IMO, try out a shaft that is better suited for your swing and save a few bucks if you want your bag to look "newer" get a different headcover just sayin.....