New guy with R11 questions

[golfdude]

Hello sandtrappers!  I'm new here, but not new to golf.  I am, however, new to fancy clubs like the fully adjustable R11... of which I was just given one, courtesy of Charles Howell III.

This example, however, is a bit unique.  It's got an 8* head instead of the standard 9* or 10.5* head.  It's also got a standard 1g weight along with a custom 7g weight in place of the standard 10g weight.  It's got a different tip on the shaft for the loft adjustment which has "LEFT", "RIGHT", "UPRIGHT" and "NEUTRAL" markings on it along with half-way points in between each of those.  Last, but not least, it doesn't have the standard Fujikura Blur shaft, but rather a Mamiya VTS 7525 shaft (marked "Flex 7X").  My main questions are concerning the tip on the shaft and the shaft itself.  (

I am an average player.  I get out a dozen or so times a year lately and I shoot low to mid 40's on average for 9.  Since the shaft is not marked with a flex rating I'm familiar with, I'm wondering if anyone knows what it might compare to?  I'm guessing stiff, but not too sure.  Also, I'll upload some pictures of the tip, as it appears completely different than the one on TaylorMade's website that comes standard on the club.  If anyone knows what's up with that, I'd appreciate it as well!

Thanks in advance for any help!

-Andy

Hard to see here, but the weight is stamped "7," along with the 8* painted on.

[jshots]

The only thing I can find on this shaft is a few ebay sells which claim it is an unreleased tour only R11 shaft. From a well rated seller so you can probably trust it. According to the ebay listing the 7X Proto Shaft is X-Stiff. That tip does look different, it must be something with the fact that its the tour only version but i really don't know.

On second thought its probably a manufacturers defect so you should send it to me and I will test it throroughly...

[andef]

I'm guessing the shaft is an x-flex in the 70 gram range. If CH3 gave you the driver, it's probably a tour club. The 8 degree head is only available on tour (will be released to the public soon) and that is a TP sleeve. I think this is probably a tour issue club...

[golfdude]

Originally Posted by jshots

The only thing I can find on this shaft is a few ebay sells which claim it is an unreleased tour only R11 shaft. From a well rated seller so you can probably trust it. According to the ebay listing the 7X Proto Shaft is X-Stiff. That tip does look different, it must be something with the fact that its the tour only version but i really don't know.

On second thought its probably a manufacturers defect so you should send it to me and I will test it throroughly...

What you found is about all I could find as well... And the tip is beyond me... nobody seems to know much about it.  I suppose I could call TM and see if they can give me any information on it.  But maybe I'll err on the side of safety and send it to you.

I did get a chance to get to the range today and hit it for the first time.  My current driver is an old hand-me-down Adams GT303, I believe.  It's lofted 10*, so I was a little nervous with the 8* R11.  I made some adjustments to my stance and grip and I can launch the R11 consistently higher than the old Adams!  And this thing will carry too... I'm not really a big hitter and I probably averaged around 275-290 yards after the roll with the Adams.  I think I've probably got a head speed around 90mph or so.  At the range, I was consistently flying balls to 275+ with the R11 which was a pleasant surprise for me.  I was considering selling it on ebay if I couldn't hit it, but I think I'll keep it around for a bit.

[golfdude]

Originally Posted by andef

I'm guessing the shaft is an x-flex in the 70 gram range. If CH3 gave you the driver, it's probably a tour club.

The 8 degree head is only available on tour (will be released to the public soon) and that is a TP sleeve.

I think this is probably a tour issue club...

He did give it to me, so I was suspecting it to be his personal tour issue club.  So about this TP sleeve... what is that and what does it mean to me vs the standard sleeve on the "civilian" version?  Like I said, I'm totally new to the adjustable clubs.  Never had one before!

[andef]

He did give it to me, so I was suspecting it to be his personal tour issue club.  So about this TP sleeve... what is that and what does it mean to me vs the standard sleeve on the "civilian" version?  Like I said, I'm totally new to the adjustable clubs.  Never had one before!

I have read over on another forum that the TP hosel allows for more adjustments than the standard sleeve. I think that it's like twice the adjustments that you have on the other sleeve. Let me check where I found it and I'll let you know more tomorrow

[jshots]

That is pretty sick to have that club, and if you hit it well who really cares wtf it is?

[golfdude]

Originally Posted by andef

I have read over on another forum that the TP hosel allows for more adjustments than the standard sleeve. I think that it's like twice the adjustments that you have on the other sleeve.

Let me check where I found it and I'll let you know more tomorrow

Awesome!  I'll mess with it and see... I did adjust it a couple times, but honestly I can't really physically see any difference with the club, other than the shaft rotates in relation to the head...  And maybe I'll call TM and see if they can tell me anything.

Originally Posted by jshots

That is pretty sick to have that club, and if you hit it well who really cares wtf it is?

Agreed!  You can't imagine how shocked I was when he gave it to me... I was blown away.  I work at an airport in Columbus, OH and the Memorial Tournament was this past week.  I was helping him load his stuff into his plane and he asked me if I was a golfer.  I told him yeah and he handed me the club and $20 on top of it!  I nearly passed out, and I didn't even know what the club was at the time.  And the day before someone left a dozen Pro V1s in a car and I snagged them too.  It was a good couple days!

[andef]

Awesome!  I'll mess with it and see... I did adjust it a couple times, but honestly I can't really physically see any difference with the club, other than the shaft rotates in relation to the head...  And maybe I'll call TM and see if they can tell me anything.

From what I've read, there is no difference in the tip adjustment between a R11 sleeve and an R11 Tp sleeve. Sorry if I got your hopes up, I was thinking of the tour issue R11 sleeve.

[golfdude]

Originally Posted by andef

From what I've read, there is no difference in the tip adjustment between a R11 sleeve and an R11 Tp sleeve.

Sorry if I got your hopes up, I was thinking of the tour issue R11 sleeve.

It's all good man!  Thanks for looking into it.  I also took it into a pro shop today to see if they had any information on it and they pretty much told me the same thing.  I just need to figure out how the settings are equivalent to the stock R11 sleeve.

[jshots]

Originally Posted by golfdude

It's all good man!  Thanks for looking into it.  I also took it into a pro shop today to see if they had any information on it and they pretty much told me the same thing.  I just need to figure out how the settings are equivalent to the stock R11 sleeve.

What seems weird to me is that the shaft tip says "neutral" and "right" but there is no purpose to have the ability to rotate the club head on the shaft...

maybe you could call Taylormade... idk

[golfdude]

Ok so I spoke to a TaylorMade representative on the phone today and he was pretty helpful.. but he still left me with a question or two...  He told me that when the shaft is set to the NEUTRAL position, it's at the factory loft; so 8* for me.  He said if you rotate it counterclockwise in the hosel to the RIGHT position, it puts you at +1*, or 9* in my case.  And the opposite for a clockwise rotation, which yields 7* at the LEFT position.  But I'm still confused... there are three other settings that are unexplained... The club is only adjustable +/- 1* of loft from the factory loft, which I've accounted for with 5 of the markings.  But what about the other 3 markings?  Any ideas?

This shows how the tip is marked if you were to hold the shaft in your left hand with the tip pointed towards your right side, as in my pictures above.

UPRIGHT (What loft does this setting yield?)

- (What loft does this setting yield?)

LEFT (-1* or 7* loft)

- (-1/2* or 7.5* loft)

/\ clockwise rotation:

>NEUTRAL (8* loft)

\/ counter clockwise rotation:

- (+1/2* or 8.5* loft)

RIGHT (+1* or 9* loft)

- (What loft does this setting yield?)

UPRIGHT

He also gave me his personal e-mail as he was interested in pictures of the club, so I sent him the above "diagram" along with them so that maybe he can further clarify.

Thanks in advance if anyone has an answer to this!

*EDIT*

Ok so I've dug a little deeper and I think I finally have an answer to this thing.  The TM rep sent me a chart and I found another chart that gives lofts, face angles and trajectories for each position on both a 10.5* and an 8.5* driver, and I've adapted it for my 8* driver as follows:

Position 1: RIGHT =                 7*,  2* Open Face, +16 Trajectory

Position 2: NEUTRAL RIGHT = 7.5*,  1* Open Face, +10 Trajectory

Position 3: UPRIGHT RIGHT =  7.5*,  1* Open Face, +8 Trajectory

Position 4: NEUTRAL =            8*,  Square Face, -2 Trajectory

Position 5: UPRIGHT =             8*,  Square Face, -6 Trajectory

Position 6: UPRIGHT LEFT =    8.5*,  1* Closed Face, -16 Trajectory

Position 7: NEUTRAL LEFT =   8.5*,  1* Closed Face, -18 Trajectory

Position 8: LEFT =                   9*,  2* Closed Face, -24 Trajectory

Positive "Trajectory Bias" numbers equate to a right bias, and negative numbers equate to a left bias, from what I've read.

So after all this, I think I can finally adjust this thing and know what the hell I'm doing!  Since my natural swing tends towards a fade/slice (depending on the day) and a lower ball flight, I think I'll set it somewhere between position 6 and 8 to give me added loft and a little left hand bias.

*sigh* FINALLY!!

Unless someone has information that clashes with this... then I'm back to square one.  I never thought a golf club could be so complicated!!

[motteler621]

First that is a Tour only head, plus they dont sell 8 degree heads to public. The Dot after the 8 marks it as tour only, all tour clubs have the dot.

Second that is probably a tour sleeve, they allow I believe for 2 degrees of loft adjustment, instead of just 1 degree of the standard public ones.

I dont know anything about the shaft personally but its probably tour only. 7X is in the X flex range.

Tour only heads like that one go for big bucks on the R11's. Combined with that tour shaft, your looking atleast a 1,000 for the club

[golfdude]

Originally Posted by motteler621

First that is a Tour only head, plus they dont sell 8 degree heads to public. The Dot after the 8 marks it as tour only, all tour clubs have the dot.

Second that is probably a tour sleeve, they allow I believe for 2 degrees of loft adjustment, instead of just 1 degree of the standard public ones.

I dont know anything about the shaft personally but its probably tour only. 7X is in the X flex range.

Tour only heads like that one go for big bucks on the R11's. Combined with that tour shaft, your looking atleast a 1,000 for the club

Cool thanks for the info!
Any ideas on how I can determine weather the sleeve is the standard 1* or a 2*?  I guess maybe I could take it to a club maker and have them measure it?

[motteler621]

Originally Posted by golfdude

Cool thanks for the info!

Any ideas on how I can determine weather the sleeve is the standard 1* or a 2*?  I guess maybe I could take it to a club maker and have them measure it?

I would call taylormade and ask them.

[golfdude]

Originally Posted by motteler621

I would call taylormade and ask them.

I did give them a call, but the rep that I talked to just dealt with retail clubs and wasn't able to give me any information about the tour clubs... he said "they're locked up in a vault in another department..."  So whatever that means!  But as jshots said, If I hit it well, who cares!  I'll probably try to figure it out eventually... but until then, I'll continue to hit it!

[andef]

Originally Posted by motteler621

The Dot after the 8 marks it as tour only, all tour clubs have the dot.

Actually, the dot is not something common among all TaylorMade R11 tour clubs. The "dot version" actually has a different CG location and is supposed be lower launching and lower spinning.

Not every TaylorMade staff player with tour clubs has the dot version of the head.

[motteler621]

Originally Posted by andef

Actually, the dot is not something common among all TaylorMade R11 tour clubs. The "dot version" actually has a different CG location and is supposed be lower launching and lower spinning.

Not every TaylorMade staff player with tour clubs has the dot version of the head.

yea I heard the tour only versions where slightly smaller in CC;s and had a lower launch and spin. Didnt know only the dot ones were like that though.