Why I hate oversize drivers...

[boodaboy16]

for me the bigger drivers feel too clunky and distracting. Up until a couple years ago I have only played smaller head traditional drivers, most with steel shafts. I then started realizing that technology changed and the big boom was 460cc with a graphite shaft to suit anybody's swing. I've bounced around between several oversize drivers and never felt comfortable with any of them, even the Titleist 905S still seemed a little too clunky. But, mainly I don't feel like I hit the ball any further than I did when I was playing with my older drivers. In fact, I felt like I was more consistent before than when I started on this never ending quest for a better driver. Recently, I demod the new Burner and the 907D2 and as I stared down at the clubhead during address I realized how distracted and ridiculous I felt getting ready to swing this big balloon on a stick. I'm going back to my smaller headed drivers (250-350cc). Bigger is not better for me. Golf technology has certainly progressed in the past 5 years, but the move to the 460cc driver is a real pain in the ass.

Who is with me? Who is not (and why) ?

[KingCobra]

im not with you, 460 cc drivers rook

[gotgolf?]

I agree with you.

1. To start the sound of high MOI drivers drives me nuts. They sound tinnier and hollower than their less bloated counterparts.

2. I have found that I get less confident when looking over the goofy "balloon" as you put it. For me there is a tendency to get lax with address/alignment.

3. I do get sloppier with my swing. This could be due to 2.

This being said I am trying the 907D2 as well. Since its not the biggest of the brutes I will be willing to make adjustments to my swing and focus.

[td67mustang]

Personally I feel like I hit the bigger drivers better. I hit a TM Burner (huge) and Like the fact I dont need to swing full throttle to keep it long and close to straight. I feel like I have to swing harder with the smaller drivers and less forgiving. just my .02....

[boodaboy16]

I agree with you.

I agree with all your points here. How do you like your 983k? I'm moving toward the 983e.

[CG031]

My dad complained about this like two years ago until he finally upgraded to a 460 CC and he's crushing it, and doesn't mine the "oversize" head look. It takes some getting used to, no going around that...but it does so much for your game off the tee, or I find it for me at least.

[gotgolf?]

I agree with all your points here. How do you like your 983k? I'm moving toward the 983e.

Love the 983k - especially with the NV 75s. To stay on topic, I would say that the 983k is in the perfect size range (I think it is around 350cc?). Big enough to have a deep enough and wide enough face, but not too big that you can look into the club face and see your whole face in the reflection.

I am hoping that the 907D2 will impress me as much (have only tested it in the UST v2 S, which I found way too "boardy"), but will be more than glad to stick with my 983k.

[sboardz006]

My biggest problem is that when I look down & see the massive head I try to absolutely smash the ball into another town... which leads to some awful swings & ugly ass shots. I'm thinking of downsizing a bit on my next purchase, not down to the old sizes (I never played a driver then) but to maybe a 400 or 425.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

Who is with me? Who is not (and why) ?

I'm with you. In July '06 I bought a 460 Callaway Fusion FT-3; this was professionally fitted using launch monitor + hitting several Callaway drivers [two models] with different shafts, different "weight configurations" [draw/neutral/fade] & different lofts.

I've played with the Callaway FT-3 for a little over a year; I haven't gained any distance and am hitting fewer fairways than with my old Cleveland Launcher 330. Fortunately for me the golf shop wasn't able to sell the Launcher for me; I went by and picked it up and will have the Laucher back in my bag when I play on 8/9 and I've put the Callaway FT-3 away. It will be interesting to see if I start hitting more fairways with my archaic 330 driver! IMO when buying the Callaway Fusion FT-3, I threw a lot of money with the (perhaps completely unrealistic expectation) of "buying some game" and ended up wasting a lot of money. Ironically, before buying the FT-3, I queried several friends via e-mail and only about 25% of them told me they thought the 460 driver would be an improvement over the 330. Boy, I sure showed them . . .

[iacas]

This being said I am trying the 907D2 as well. Since its not the biggest of the brutes I will be willing to make adjustments to my swing and focus.

It's 460cc just like the others, if that's what you meant. The black look does help it look smaller.

I'll take all the CC I can get. It gives me more margin for error. Go ahead and catch a 250cc driver a tad low or a tad high and you lose yardage. Not on center hits, perhaps, but even 1/4" in any direction will result in distance loss. If you overswing with a larger driver, well, there's an easy fix for that: don't. The surest way to add yardage is to find the center of the face (with any club).

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

I understand what your'e saying re: oversize drivers but I'm not about to go back to anything smaller than a 460 CC. I guess I'll take all the help I can get Still, I can see a tendency to get a little sloppy with a big head driver. Sort of like a going from a blade to a cavity back iron. I definitely hit my 460 much better than my old 330 Launcher but I don't necessarily think I'm any more accurate with it.

[Big Lex]

I'm not with you, but to each his own. Although tour pros all play 460 cc drivers, I've heard many club pros - who don't have the pressure of an endorsement contract - play older generation clubs such as smaller drivers. But I'd be surprised if there was anyone not playing with at least a 300cc+ titanium driver.

For shots struck optimally on the clubface, it makes no difference what size the head is, with the exception of a couple of added yards for trampoline effect, which would be noticable between, say, a 460 cc driver and a 180 cc wooden driver or original vintage Taylor Made steel drivers. But for anything over 300 cc, there probably is very little difference if you hit it on the screws.

460cc drivers are longer for most people because it's easier to get favorable launch conditions, and because the larger size improves the length of mis-hits. If the club is ugly and is distracting to you, it probably is offsetting this benefit.

Besides, everyone is obsessed with distance...if you hit a smaller headed driver straighter than a larger headed one, chances are you are better off with the smaller headed one.

You're probably being smart...you could put it in Chinese proverb form (for your point of view, anyway) as follows:

"Big-head driver, small-head golfer."