Got my bag set for 2016 -- almost

[JBailey]

I tried out my new 14 degree driver yesterday.  As suspected from past experience, I lost very little, if any distance using this club off the tee.  My normal driver was averaging around 235 in warmer weather.  Since the last month (a godsend here in Northern Michigan) playing in the 39's and low 40's, my drives have been around 220.  Yesterday, with a high of 37, I hit most drives around 220.  The one exception was a wind aided 243.  I was able to hit the 14 degree driver around 210 off the fairway.  This will allow me to take a wood out of my bag and add another wedge, which will fill in the only "hole" in my distances.

My distances are now:

58 wedge -- 60 yds.

52 wedge -- 100 yds.

PW  -- 115 yds.

9i --130 yds.

8i -- 140 yds.

7i -- 150 yds.

6i -- 160 yds.

5i -- 170 yds.

4H -- 180 yds.

3H -- 190 yds.

5W -- 200 yds.

14 deg. driver off fairway - 210/220, off tee 230/240

Putter

As you can see, I've still got a pretty big gap between my 52 and 58 wedges.  I've got an older 56 degree sandwedge that I'll try at the beginning of the summer next year.  However, that club always gave me trouble off the fairway, so I might have to find something else.

Later,

John

 

 

[gregsandiego]

14 degrees seems like a lot of loft. I feel guilty setting my Cobra to 12.5. What was your previous driver?

[JBailey]

42 minutes ago, gregsandiego said:

14 degrees seems like a lot of loft. I feel guilty setting my Cobra to 12.5. What was your previous driver?

20 years ago my driver was a 9.5.  I could hit it long.  I played on a tight course and was often in trouble.  Going to a 13.5 driver produced a little less distance, but greatly improved my accuracy.  Today, 20 years later and much shorter off the tee, and much older, my regular driver is 10.5.  But, again, I find myself in trouble with this club.  I've only used the 14 degree one round, so I could be wrong, but distance is about the same with the 14 degree driver and accuracy, just like 20 years ago, at least for the one round, was much more consistent.

I know common knowledge is that length is more important than accuracy.  In my case, however, I've proven to myself, with my abilities, that more accuracy beats out more distance every time.  Of course, I'd like to have both, but I'll take a little more accuracy over a little more distance any day.

As far as the 14 degree driver, for most it may be a little over kill, but it worked great in the past for me.  Do some research with an open mind and I think you'll see some benefit in what I'm describing.  

I will say, my swing speed in my old age is down to 93.  If it was over 100, I'm not sure the high lofted driver would make that much difference.  But, for us mortals, I think there are benefits.

Later,

John

[DrvFrShow]

I've got mine pretty well set, too (carry distances) - Iron set Cobra BioCells. Note they are stronger than standard loft.

64* Wedge < 50

60 Wedge - 50 to 70

55 Wedge - 70 to 90

50 Wedge - 102

PW Wedge - 112

9i - 125

8i - 137

7i (30*) - 150

6i - 163

5i - 175

4i (20*) - 190 - this is my driving iron used to hit on tight fairways where the cost of a slight drift right or left is too high. The 190 is off the tee, not the deck. I hit it more accurately than a hybrid.

5W - 190- easier to hit off the fairway than the 4i

Driver - Callaway BB 11.5* - 220 - use on 5600 yd and longer courses

3W - Cobra BioCell 13* - 205 use on shorter courses. I'll swap this in for my driver on my home course (5200 yds). Due to the placement of the forward tees, my driver shots tend to get me into too much trouble and there are only 5 holes four holes I can safely hit the driver anyway. The club plays from the forward tees. Cut the distance back about 15 yds and I'm good. I may end up playing the course with irons only.

Putter 

[gregsandiego]

58 minutes ago, JBailey said:

20 years ago my driver was a 9.5.  I could hit it long.  I played on a tight course and was often in trouble.  Going to a 13.5 driver produced a little less distance, but greatly improved my accuracy.  Today, 20 years later and much shorter off the tee, and much older, my regular driver is 10.5.  

Well I carry the little wrench around so I could try it. I wonder why more loft would make you more accurate?

[WUTiger]

2 hours ago, JBailey said:

..  I was able to hit the 14 degree driver around 210 off the fairway.  This will allow me to take a wood out of my bag and add another wedge, which will fill in the only "hole" in my distances.

My distances are now:

58 wedge -- 60 yds.
52 wedge -- 100 yds.
PW  -- 115 yds.

... As you can see, I've still got a pretty big gap between my 52 and 58 wedges.  I've got an older 56 degree sandwedge that I'll try at the beginning of the summer next year.  However, that club always gave me trouble off the fairway, so I might have to find something else.

With the 58*, you may be experiencing what I call the lob effect. Depending on your swing characteristics and clubhead design, you reach a point in clubhead loft when: If you go from a quarter to a half swing, OR half to a 3/4 swing, the ball goes higher but not farther. It doesn't happen just with Lob wedges. I tried a new Wilson SW (56*) a couple of years ago, and the same thing happened.

Club designer Tom Wishon suggested that wedges too low a center of gravity can cause you to pop the ball up sometimes from fluffy lies, and lose distance - hitting ball too high on face. (He made a wedge model  a couple of years back with higher VCOG to counter this, but unfortunately I could not retrieve the piece from Wishon's site today.)

[JBailey]

21 minutes ago, WUTiger said:

With the 58*, you may be experiencing what I call the lob effect. Depending on your swing characteristics and clubhead design, you reach a point in clubhead loft when: If you go from a quarter to a half swing, OR half to a 3/4 swing, the ball goes higher but not farther. It doesn't happen just with Lob wedges. I tried a new Wilson SW (56*) a couple of years ago, and the same thing happened.

Club designer Tom Wishon  that wedges too low a center of gravity can cause you to pop the ball up sometimes from fluffy lies, and lose distance - hitting ball too high on face. (He made a wedge model  a couple of years back with higher VCOG to counter this, but unfortunately I could not retrieve the piece from Wishon's site today.)

You are probably correct.  I can adjust my swing with the 52 wedge, but the 58 seems to go 60 yds. no matter what adjustment I make.  Of course, close to the green having to hit over a mound in front of me I can open the 58 wedge an use a "chip" type motion to hit it high and short and stop it pretty quickly.  But from the fairway any swing seems to produce 60 yards, either with a lower trajectory, or, like you said, higher trajectory but no more distance.

My present sand wedge would probably give me the in-between distance I want, but it has a lot of bounce and often produces a skulled shot from the fairway.  Also, my 58 wedge with normal bounce does better for me out of bunkers than the sand wedge.  So, after some research I think I'll build a 54/56 wedge with less bounce than my sand wedge.

I'm starting to enjoy making my own clubs again.  It'll give me something to do during the cold Northern Michigan winter.

Later,

John

[Pendragon]

4 hours ago, gregsandiego said:

Well I carry the little wrench around so I could try it. I wonder why more loft would make you more accurate?

More loft does make you more accurate. For example, a 12 degree driver will go straighter than a 9 degree...and a 9 iron will go straighter than a 5 iron. In the case of the drivers, you may lose a bit of distance with the higher loft, but 220 down the middle is better than 235 in the trees, at least I think it is.

As for that wrench, don't get caught using it during your round, unless it's not a club event or your buddies don't care.  

[gregsandiego]

29 minutes ago, Pendragon said:

More loft does make you more accurate. For example, a 12 degree driver will go straighter than a 9 degree...and a 9 iron will go straighter than a 5 iron. In the case of the drivers, you may lose a bit of distance with the higher loft, but 220 down the middle is better than 235 in the trees, at least I think it is.

As for that wrench, don't get caught using it during your round, unless it's not a club event or your buddies don't care.  

My buddies give me crap about every move I make and I do the same!