Time for a new driver, any recommendations?

[davidsj]

I'm a 45 year old male, 5'11" tall, 200lbs, in fair shape, but not a gym rat. I'm now playing 2-3 rounds of golf per month, and starting to feel like I actually know what I'm doing. I recently traded in my 12 year old Callaway X-14 irons for a set of X-20s, and they seem to fit me well. I still have my original Great Big Bertha Hawkeye 10 degree driver and 3 wood, which I can hit decently. I have hit other drivers in recent years, but none seem to really fit me. I recently purchased my wife a set of Callaway Solaire clubs. We were playing a round of golf this past week, and on the 10th hole, as a joke, I pulled her Calloway Solaire 13 degree driver out, and hit it. Not a single practice swing. I hit it straight and measured the drive distance at 243 yards, which is near the max that I can hit my existing driver (which, however, I can't hit without a fairly severe slice). I proceeded to hit it 5 more times in the round, each time hitting it about 240 yards straight down the middle. Hitting a straight driver gave me confidence in the rest of my game, and I improved my score on the back nine by 8 strokes (14 over on front nine, 6 over on back nine). That got me thinking that it is definitely time to start looking for a new driver. And I have a lot of thoughts/questions. - If I get the right driver, will I increase the distance on my drives? - I assume that a women's driver is shorter, lighter, and more forgiving. I seem to struggle with a standard men's driver, what does that mean? - Are there drivers that are designed for seniors that might be a better fit for my game? - And what does that mean for my other clubs? Do I have the wrong clubs? Any feedback is greatly appreciated. David

[Mr. Desmond]

Welcome.

I looked at the specs of the Solaire II Driver.

It is swing weight light at C5, 44.5 inches and 13 of loft.

And you're hitting that 243 yards? That is nice.

If you swung that one and liked it, an ultralight driver that is a good driver is an Adams 9088 UL (ultra light) 12.5 Driver. It came out in 2011. You can find them for $99. They have draw versions of that club, so be sure to look at what you want - I owned the standard version in 12.5 degrees.

Now www.rockbottomgolf.com has this years model - the Adams Super S - it comes in one loft and it is adjustable to 11.5 degrees, $149. One well known poster on the web who is a decent golfer called it one of his drivers of the year - forgiving, long, launches high and straight. It comes with a very good stock shaft. You can cut it down to 45 inches from the butt end of the club (it is 46 inches in stock length). If it is too head light after cutting down, you can purchase lead tape and put it along the heel and some on the toe. I'd be tempted to get the Super S at $149.

Find a demo and hit it first.

http://www.rockbottomgolf.com/adams-golf-speedline-super-s-driver.html

Find out more at www.adamsgolf.com

At the moment, they have it in senior, regular, and stiff flexes.

____

If money is no object, Callaway just entered the Optiforce - it is an ultra light driver. At $399.

[teed off]

Demo everything ....then get properly fitted for the one you like the best.

[jimmyzl1]

You can get the R1's for a good price. I am not much a believer in the bottom weight closing or opening the club, but the weights in the toe and heel work, and adjusting the loft is nice. Are you a lefty by any chance? I have a brand new R1 for a lefty that was given to me I would like to get rid of, namely because I am right handed. :-D

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by jimmyzl1

You can get the R1's for a good price. I am not much a believer in the bottom weight closing or opening the club, but the weights in the toe and heel work, and adjusting the loft is nice.

Are you a lefty by any chance? I have a brand new R1 for a lefty that was given to me I would like to get rid of, namely because I am right handed.

???????????

That is not a weight.

It is a cam that adjusts lie at address if you ground the club (on a flat piece of concrete).

My advice:

Ignore EVERY SINGLE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION HERE.

Get fitted.

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by Shorty

???????????

That is not a weight.

It is a cam that adjusts lie at address if you ground the club (on a flat piece of concrete).

My advice:

Ignore EVERY SINGLE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION HERE.

Get fitted.

Well, he said what works for him in Post #1, and wanted something similar... an R1 is not it. He did well with an ultra-light.

Demo, Get fit... yep.

[jimmyzl1]

??????????? That is not a weight. It is a cam that adjusts lie at address if you ground the club (on a flat piece of concrete). My advice: Ignore EVERY SINGLE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION HERE. Get fitted.

Sorry, my mistake, but yes, get fitted for sure. Usually places will fit you for free, you can haggle with prices too.

[saevel25]

All drivers are basically the same 460cc, 44-46" shafts, same lofts, COR 0.830.

What makes the different, how they look at set up. Do you like white, do you like oblong shape clubs or more traditional shaped. The prime concern with driver fitting, the shaft. Its what really matters to the golf club.

[davidsj]

Thanks to everyone who replied. I picked up a few good nuggets of information, and I will probably head over to Golfsmith to try out a few drivers. Will report back here when I make a final selection. May be a couple of weeks :) David

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by davidsj

Thanks to everyone who replied. I picked up a few good nuggets of information, and I will probably head over to Golfsmith to try out a few drivers. Will report back here when I make a final selection. May be a couple of weeks :)

David

Where are you in Texas? Near Dallas?

If so, try the PGA Tour Superstore. They have about everything, and they leave you alone if you want.

[LBlack14]

Trial and error is a helluva lot more fun than "fitting".

[PirateJim]

I am very pleased with my Titleist 913 D2 driver. I agree that you should try as many various clubs as you can. Most of the major brands have pretty good clubs really, but there ARE differences. Pay attention to how they feel connecting with the ball, and what they sound like. Maybe you really don't care what it sounds like, but some people, like me, are put off by a really high pitched pinging/clanginging sound. Then, keep in mind that at least as important as the head is the shaft. That is why it is really important to get fitted by a proper fitting center for the selected brand. Most brands have various shaft options, but not always the same options so the fitting is critical.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

Where are you in Texas? Near Dallas?

If so, try the PGA Tour Superstore. They have about everything, and they leave you alone if you want.

Just found out we're getting one of these soon.  Have a golfsmith and a roger dunn superstore, now add a pga superstore ... what more could a guy ask for???? :)