Callaway Warbird vs. new drivers

[lucas jackson]

i have an old warbird driver 10 degree loft stiff shaft. what new driver is comparable?

[BigAl5150]

None? Driver technology since the Warbird has improved by so much I'm not sure a comparison can be made.

[ochmude]

I agree.  I have a Big Bertha Warbird 10* and a Taylor Made Burner Bubble 10.5* that I've been using since about 1997.  Just last Friday I finally upgraded to a '09 Burner.  The difference, for me, was literally jaw-dropping.

[handlez42]

I was previously gaming a tour edge exotics cb3 tour driver. 430 CC's and a more smaller rounder traditional shape with a very deep face. designed to be low spin which means higher lofts can be used to get the all up high and low spin to keep it flying far. when i left for a trip in florida i was expecting loads more distance with the warmer weather...i was wrong. i was hitting barely 200 yards and my control was non existent. now majority of this is i think the stock shaft is cheap and too whippy for my swing.

so i was looking for a warbird driver. first of all to possibly help my cousin finish his 3+,5 and "heaven" wood set. but i was interested.

found a warbird titanium in 7.5 degree loft. took it to the dome and notice my shots flying much straighter and lower penetrating trajectory. im sure it will roll much more than my current driver. im iffy on kicking it out of the bag but its incredibly forgiving and the shape is smaller and more round and traditional. i love it

im sure in terms of design it doesnt create the most speed or distance. even the stock BBUL shaft is rather light compared to most RCH shafts but im sure i could shave some weight there too. but you have to admit that the big bertha warbird was and is the most important and successful driver ever built...idk if callaway makes anything today that is comparable to what they used to make but im sure it isnt far from the design of the warbird.

[TourSpoon]

Having gone from a Burner Bubble Tour to a 976R to a BB 454 and finally an Octane Tour, the differences in technology are astounding. I would put the Warbird around the same generation as the 975-6 series so you are 2 generations behind with both the head and the shafts.

I wouldn't think that distance in Louisiana vs Florida would be any different seeing that both places feature near sea-level elevations along with high humidity which usually means shorter distances compared to most locations.

[handlez42]

Originally Posted by BigAl5150

None? Driver technology since the Warbird has improved by so much I'm not sure a comparison can be made.

Originally Posted by TourSpoon

Having gone from a Burner Bubble Tour to a 976R to a BB 454 and finally an Octane Tour, the differences in technology are astounding. I would put the Warbird around the same generation as the 975-6 series so you are 2 generations behind with both the head and the shafts.

I wouldn't think that distance in Louisiana vs Florida would be any different seeing that both places feature near sea-level elevations along with high humidity which usually means shorter distances compared to most locations.

in comparison to northwestern Pennsylvania in october? only thought would be the ball would be harder from the cold and fly a bit farther like the old top flite balls.

in terms of technology i think this clubs only difference to todays technology is size, and to some companies, the composition of the club like the face. my exotics club is a big example of that. lighter, stronger forged titanium face that was chemically bonded to a lighter body for more weight to be moved inside and better energy transfer. i think callaway is using that kind of technology in the razr hawk. also because its smaller the sweetspot is also smaller. and not hitting the sweetspot has become a big promotional area by companies. hit the warbird on the sweetspot though and it goes long. its just like forged irons vs. casted irons. casted irons tend to be more forgiving and a larger sweetspot. forged arent shorter or less forgiving. but THEY ARE if you dont hit the sweetspot.

either way i think the warbird is in some cases easily comparable to today's technology performance wise due to its forgiveness and shape. especially when the drivers of today have limited COR's. it almost puts them on the same level as the warbird technically.

im sure if i threw a OEM shaft in my 7.5 titanium warbird instead of the stock BBUL shaft id be hitting just as far as anything ive had in the bag previously. which includes an r9 460.

the only reason that the warbird might show some performance/design flaws is in the hands of a tour player. who hits more consistently than anyone with distance and workability.

[BuckeyeNut]

Originally Posted by BigAl5150

None? Driver technology since the Warbird has improved by so much I'm not sure a comparison can be made.

Well said....

[BuckeyeNut]

Originally Posted by handlez42

in terms of technology i think this clubs only difference to todays technology is size........

Driver technology has changed drastically over the past 10yrs......  the AVERAGE tour pro now averages 290yds!!!   A huge difference from the "War bird/Bertha" days......

Look at the stats from just 10yrs ago...only 1 player averaged over 300yds. (daly).....and todays average would have put that player in the top 13 on tour in distance in 2001.  Shaft technology has come a long way too.....

The war bird and Bertha's are dinosaurs by todays standards..........

[TourSpoon]

Originally Posted by handlez42

in comparison to northwestern Pennsylvania in october? only thought would be the ball would be harder from the cold and fly a bit farther like the old top flite balls.

in terms of technology i think this clubs only difference to todays technology is size, and to some companies, the composition of the club like the face. my exotics club is a big example of that. lighter, stronger forged titanium face that was chemically bonded to a lighter body for more weight to be moved inside and better energy transfer. i think callaway is using that kind of technology in the razr hawk. also because its smaller the sweetspot is also smaller. and not hitting the sweetspot has become a big promotional area by companies. hit the warbird on the sweetspot though and it goes long. its just like forged irons vs. casted irons. casted irons tend to be more forgiving and a larger sweetspot. forged arent shorter or less forgiving. but THEY ARE if you dont hit the sweetspot.

either way i think the warbird is in some cases easily comparable to today's technology performance wise due to its forgiveness and shape. especially when the drivers of today have limited COR's. it almost puts them on the same level as the warbird technically.

im sure if i threw a OEM shaft in my 7.5 titanium warbird instead of the stock BBUL shaft id be hitting just as far as anything ive had in the bag previously. which includes an r9 460.

the only reason that the warbird might show some performance/design flaws is in the hands of a tour player. who hits more consistently than anyone with distance and workability.

I figured that "The Big Easy" was referring to New Orleans, not northwestern Penn. Anyway, I notice that at the Honda and Doral the club choices with the irons reflect closer to what the mortals hit than in places with elevation and low humidity.

Warbirds are still 2 generations out imo.

[handlez42]

Originally Posted by handlez42

in terms of technology i think this clubs only difference to todays technology is size, and to some companies, the composition of the club like the face. my exotics club is a big example of that. lighter, stronger forged titanium face that was chemically bonded to a lighter body for more weight to be moved inside and better energy transfer.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

Driver technology has changed drastically over the past 10yrs......  the AVERAGE tour pro now averages 290yds!!!   A huge difference from the "War bird/Bertha" days......

Look at the stats from just 10yrs ago...only 1 player averaged over 300yds. (daly).....and todays average would have put that player in the top 13 on tour in distance in 2001.  Shaft technology has come a long way too.....

The war bird and Bertha's are dinosaurs by todays standards..........

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
s

you missed a part of my post that makes the statement more valued. Companies are using multi-material clubs to make the overall weight lighter and stronger. notice how titanium is become more often preferred mostlly in fairway woods because the COR values arent depreciated by regulations.

i dont mean to get out of the discussion at hand but doesn't the era of the golfer itself come into play? i'm NOT putting down any tour players in their prime from 10 years ago like you referenced but can they honestly compare physically to players like Tiger Woods, Gary Woodland, or Dustin Johnson? Gary Woodland was practically a Division I athlete at Washburn Uni. Give players like these equipment like what were talking about (warbird) and they would be able to push the limits much more than the players using the same equipment from 10 years ago. obviously they would never waste their time because they get precision fit for every club in their bag all the way down to the putter. but the player has changed which makes the club look very good to the consumer/hobby golfer.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by handlez42

Quote:

Originally Posted by handlez42

in terms of technology i think this clubs only difference to todays technology is size, and to some companies, the composition of the club like the face. my exotics club is a big example of that. lighter, stronger forged titanium face that was chemically bonded to a lighter body for more weight to be moved inside and better energy transfer.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

Driver technology has changed drastically over the past 10yrs......  the AVERAGE tour pro now averages 290yds!!!   A huge difference from the "War bird/Bertha" days......

Look at the stats from just 10yrs ago...only 1 player averaged over 300yds. (daly).....and todays average would have put that player in the top 13 on tour in distance in 2001.  Shaft technology has come a long way too.....

The war bird and Bertha's are dinosaurs by todays standards..........

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

s

you missed a part of my post that makes the statement more valued. Companies are using multi-material clubs to make the overall weight lighter and stronger. notice how titanium is become more often preferred mostlly in fairway woods because the COR values arent depreciated by regulations.

i dont mean to get out of the discussion at hand but doesn't the era of the golfer itself come into play? i'm NOT putting down any tour players in their prime from 10 years ago like you referenced but can they honestly compare physically to players like Tiger Woods, Gary Woodland, or Dustin Johnson? Gary Woodland was practically a Division I athlete at Washburn Uni. Give players like these equipment like what were talking about (warbird) and they would be able to push the limits much more than the players using the same equipment from 10 years ago. obviously they would never waste their time because they get precision fit for every club in their bag all the way down to the putter. but the player has changed which makes the club look very good to the consumer/hobby golfer.

You hinted the only technological improvement over the Callaway BB Warbird (~ 1995 on I think - it's old tech in the golf world) was the head size. I have a Callaway Hawkeye which is similar (~ 2000-2001) and it's longer than the Warbird by a few yards.

Regarding a Warbird versus a modern driver, I'm not a techie, but in late 2009 I did pick up a Cleveland Launcher 3-wood which I could hit longer than the Warbird driver. I didn't hit it any farther than the Hawkeye, but did hit it straighter. I could post the yardages I was getting with that 3-wood, but suffice to say it made my BB Warbird obsolete and the Hawkey developed a rattle in the head (as Callaways often do). Since then I've had a few new drivers (newish - my X-Tour is from about 2008 and my MP-600 is about the same vintage) in the bag and every single one of them blew that BB out of the water.

They make 3-woods different than drivers now because in spite of internet machismo, a modern driver is not meant to be hit off the fairway. The pros do it because they practice it and get their stuff for free.