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Driver choice and fairway/hybrids too.


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Hi all,

I recently demo'd a few clubs. There were only a few ladies clubs available. I liked the Cobra Amp 11.5 and the Callaway X hot (although I did not hit it as well as the Cobra or the Adams). I hit the Adams Superline S best in senior shaft. Trouble is there was something about it I did not really warm too. It just looked a little dull.

I am a beginner 50 something woman. I have played a couple of times a year (I know...pointless!) over the past year until recently and I am trying to make time to play every week unless I am away so that I get better so I have played 5 times this year since May. I have joined a club but do not have a handicap yet. I have improved.....over 9 I hit 48 last week for example so I think I will get better and I enjoy it.

I can hit the driver a reasonable way....further than the other women I play with and probably about 200 yards. It is fairly straight most of the time. I have been using a Ben Sayers M7 ladies set, but have swapped out the irons for Cleveland HB3 in senior (ladies clubs are few and far between!) I did try out the ladies version as there was a 5 iron around, but it was much the same for me. I suspect my drive is erratic ( I have a couple of lessons coming up) and I used to play hockey (field I am in UK) so tend to snatch at it a bit....I am not that flexible anymore so the backswing is not as high as it could be.

I want to look at a new driver as the set one is not titanium and can be improved upon I am sure.

So my questions are:....

  1. what else should I try....what else is similar to the Adams?
  2. do the fairways/hybrids need to be the same make/model?
  3. Should I look at senior or ladies shafts?  The irons seem to suit me OK in senior, but the extra length of the driver may have a different impact I suppose.

Or should I just get a 2nd hand reasonable driver for now and it does not matter too much?

Appreciate your wisdom, thanks

Julie

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You mentioned you hit the Cobra AMP well so I would start there.  Its a very good club actually.  Its the same one my fiancé uses and I would hit it sometimes at the range, and honestly, I wouldn't mind playing that club myself. If I had to choose one ladies driver to play, that would be it.

1. Similar to the Adams...maybe start with Taylor Made clubs since they are under the same company.

2. No, your fairways and hybrids do not have to necessarily match.  It comes down to personal preference.  A lot of players do match them because it would give them the most consistent distance gaps, but its not always the case.

3. Too hard to tell what shaft suits you best.  Every companys' version of L and Senior flexes are a little different.  Best advice is to try as many drivers as you can at your local store and take note of the flexes and how they feel to you.  You can get a used driver but not just anyone.  It still has to fit you well and be something you're comfortable swinging.

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Acer XF Ti 10.5 / GDI G60
Mizuno JPX 825 Hybrids 16* and 19* / Steel Fiber HLS75
Mizuno MP H4 (4-PW) / Steel Fiber i95 cw
Titleist Vokey 50,54,58
Odyssey ProType Tour #7

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Julie,

For someone who only plays once a week I admire how thoroughly you are researching matters. And with an open mind.

I  suppose that I am an unusual master club builder insofar as I specialise in woods, and only build woods. They are my passion, as is competing as a senior international longdrive competitor. Although I have built drivers for both world and European champions (which can be easily evidenced) most of my customers are regular golfers just like you.

The first thing to appreciate is that 99% of golfers buy 'off the shelf' drivers even though they are not totally suitable for anyone, and a custom built driver which totally suits a player can often be built for less money. I say this not in the hope of generating club building business. Far from it, as one generally makes three times the profit on an off the shelf driver and with little time outlay.  Financially I would much prefer to exclusively sell off the shelf well known drivers, but I can't as they just don't perform well. None of them.

Off the shelf drivers are made to look like the drivers which well known tour players use, but actually they bear little engineering resemblance. A tour player's driver (if one knows how to acquire one) costs very much more.

Around 75% of a driver's output comes from the shaft. That is the equipment bedrock and just has to be right. Stiffness grades are confusing and largely meaningless. Driver shafts started off as hickory wood, they were then superceded by steel, steel shafted drivers were later replaced by carbon fibre shafts, and these have now largely been made obsolete by seven part 'bamboo' pattern shafts which return 15% more energy and provide unprecedented accuracy.

You being fitted to the correct shaft is vital, but almost equally important is for the shaft to be 'spine aligned.'  Each shaft (to simplify matters) has a hard line running down it as well as a soft neutral line. Unless that neutral line is properly aligned when building the driver the shaft will always bend towards it during the downswing making driving erratic. No off the shelf drivers are spine aligned.

Once the right shaft has been found then everything else (bar the grip) is fine tuned for you with a suitable driver head. Driver heads are constructed in many sorts of ways, and come in lofts of up to 16 degrees. Someone driving 200 yards would normally require a head of 14 to 16 degrees but is usually using far less loft.

Ignore the loft stated on the head. A 14 degree head can legally measure anything from 12 degrees to 16 degrees. Request a true measurement. Few sellers are able to undertake this elementary task! Really.

As regards driver length and how you swing the club:

Because of the driver's long length it has to be swung differently to an iron. But how far you take the club back is NOT what I refer to. A driver has to be taken away low and square for about three times wider than most amateur golfers do, and the wide arc maintained by a weight shift onto the right foot which is retained for far longer than most beginners initially feel comfortable with.

I hope that the above information is useful. But in the early days money is better spent on lessons rather than equipment. But if you can afford both then all well and good.

Best wishes for your golf journey.

Ivan

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Originally Posted by 4MADDOGS

Hi all,

I recently demo'd a few clubs. There were only a few ladies clubs available. I liked the Cobra Amp 11.5 and the Callaway X hot (although I did not hit it as well as the Cobra or the Adams). I hit the Adams Superline S best in senior shaft. Trouble is there was something about it I did not really warm too. It just looked a little dull.

I am a beginner 50 something woman. I have played a couple of times a year (I know...pointless!) over the past year until recently and I am trying to make time to play every week unless I am away so that I get better so I have played 5 times this year since May. I have joined a club but do not have a handicap yet. I have improved.....over 9 I hit 48 last week for example so I think I will get better and I enjoy it.

I can hit the driver a reasonable way....further than the other women I play with and probably about 200 yards. It is fairly straight most of the time. I have been using a Ben Sayers M7 ladies set, but have swapped out the irons for Cleveland HB3 in senior (ladies clubs are few and far between!) I did try out the ladies version as there was a 5 iron around, but it was much the same for me. I suspect my drive is erratic ( I have a couple of lessons coming up) and I used to play hockey (field I am in UK) so tend to snatch at it a bit....I am not that flexible anymore so the backswing is not as high as it could be.

I want to look at a new driver as the set one is not titanium and can be improved upon I am sure.

So my questions are:....

what else should I try....what else is similar to the Adams?

do the fairways/hybrids need to be the same make/model?

Should I look at senior or ladies shafts?  The irons seem to suit me OK in senior, but the extra length of the driver may have a different impact I suppose.

Or should I just get a 2nd hand reasonable driver for now and it does not matter too much?

Appreciate your wisdom, thanks

Julie


I admire your interest and dedication to improve your golf game. For what my opinion is worth, I would suggest that you search out a qualified PGA/CPGA pro and explain to her/him what your long term game plan is and then set up a series of lessons to develop your swing. Then your club pro will have a good idea of what type of equipment will best suit your swing.

Have fun...........golf is a great game!

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  • 4 weeks later...
Update. Well I narrowed my search down to a senior shaft TM RBZ stage 2 in 10.5 with the help of a pro and launch monitor technology. I put my order in, but they are now unable to get one and tM have said they are not going to get more...in UK at least. I am trying to get one from elsewhere, but if I have no luck does anyone have any other suggestions please? Nowhere around me seems to have senior or ladies shaft versions in stock to try. All my other clubs are senior shhaft and I seem to hit those OK and probably better than the ladies versions. How much diffence would there be between senior and ladies in a driver and would it be a bad move to go for a ladies shaft if my others are senior? My fairway 5 wood is a Cleveland launcher senior, the hybrid is a mashie in senior and the irons are also senior HB3s. The wedges are Cleveland steels and I do not hit those so well....need to practise with those as I tend to tonk them into oblivion! Stats that I can remember are distance was about 180 yds, but in real life I can hit it further on a good day. Speed was between 65 and 85, but more often at the slower end. I do feel inhibited at a net indoors though. Thanks again for any ideas
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Global Golf ships internationally from the US. They have the club in new/used condition and apparently there is a 13% off on certain clubs with the code SAVE13. Flip through the selections and see if they have your club.

Taylormade uses them for its preowned program. You might also look at www.taylormadegolfpreowned.com.

http://www.globalgolf.com/product/golfclub.aspx?pid=1025352&gd;=3

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Ping G400 Max 9/TPT Shaft, TEE EX10 Beta 4, 5 wd, PXG 22 HY, Mizuno JPX919F 5-GW, TItleist SM7 Raw 55-09, 59-11, Bettinardi BB39

 

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Odd, My reply as gone missing. I have been in a no wifi virtually no mobile signal area! Shipping from the US worked expensive. But today I bought the HL version. I think it is the more sensible option as a relative beginner. I have started to tee up slightly lwer and the ball s flying better. I noticed everyone else seemed to be using the pink tees not the orange ones so I will stick with those for a while. Hopefully I can stop obsessing and get on with playing! ,.......now do I need a 3 wood......!!!!!
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Originally Posted by 4MADDOGS

Odd, My reply as gone missing. I have been in a no wifi virtually no mobile signal area!

Shipping from the US worked expensive. But today I bought the HL version. I think it is the more sensible option as a relative beginner. I have started to tee up slightly lwer and the ball s flying better. I noticed everyone else seemed to be using the pink tees not the orange ones so I will stick with those for a while. Hopefully I can stop obsessing and get on with playing!

,.......now do I need a 3 wood......!!!!!

As a relative beginner, I'd suggest a 42-42.5 inch 5 wood, or one that is adjustable between 17-20 deg.

The longer length 3 woods are huge, shaft length is 43-43.5 inches and are more suited to a tee than the turf from beginners to mid caps, depending on swing speed.

Ping G400 Max 9/TPT Shaft, TEE EX10 Beta 4, 5 wd, PXG 22 HY, Mizuno JPX919F 5-GW, TItleist SM7 Raw 55-09, 59-11, Bettinardi BB39

 

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Note: This thread is 3870 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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