Can a driver go "stale"?

[Vanstonica]

Hi Folks,

I'm pretty new to this site, so forgive me if this has been asked before:

After smacking nearly every driver on the market, I've become the proud new owner of a Titleist 907 D1. I'm really enjoying consistency with the driver for the first time, probably in large part due to the fact that I got fitted for the right shaft.

My question is: Does a driver lose distance and/or performance over time? With thinner faces and lighter shaft materials, will a diver lose it's "pop" after I've played with it for a while?

I can imaine that a shaft can lose some of it's torque after time but would the entire face of the driver likewise lose the "trampoline effect" after a couple of years?

[iacas]

If anything, thinning the face of a driver will increase the trampoline effect.

Obviously if it CRACKS, it's no good.

But no, unless you leave your clubs in extreme heat and the shaft breaks down a little bit, your club really won't "wear out." It may start to look old, but it won't really "wear."

[Shindig]

The Long Drive folks can probably cave in a driver head, and probably do so regularly. I doubt that casual, or even obsessive, use from someone who isn't driving it 400 yards has a problem. As long as you take reasonably good care of it (no extreme heat or extreme cold, etc), it will probably last you as long as you want it to.

[Leek]

  Shindig said:

The Long Drive folks can probably cave in a driver head, and probably do so regularly. I doubt that casual, or even obsessive, use from someone who isn't driving it 400 yards has a problem. As long as you take reasonably good care of it (no extreme heat or extreme cold, etc), it will probably last you as long as you want it to.

My friend Dave is a compulsive practicer with his driver. He caved in a MacTech and a Callaway FT5 face this year. Dave is long, but not 400 yards long. I think with roll he hits it 280-310.

[dbornack]

  Leek said:

My friend Dave is a compulsive practicer with his driver. He caved in a MacTech and a Callaway FT5 face this year. Dave is long, but not 400 yards long. I think with roll he hits it 280-310.

I've never seen a caved Titanium face, but I caved a couple of original Big Bertha's back in my college days. One friend of mine messed his up so badly that a crack developed around the stress points on the bottom of the club.

I have a Callaway FT5 that I was hitting, and somehow it developed a crack on the bottom of the club head in the composite material, and it just gets bigger the more I use it. Good thing it's a demo!

[Shindig]

  Leek said:

My friend Dave is a compulsive practicer with his driver. He caved in a MacTech and a Callaway FT5 face this year. Dave is long, but not 400 yards long. I think with roll he hits it 280-310.

Sounds like a good reason not to practice with the driver

I wonder what caused the cave-in. A buddy of mine hits his 280, but I don't know how often he practices with the driver.

[Leek]

  Shindig said:

Sounds like a good reason not to practice with the driver

If I had to guess, Dave hits 100 drivers per day, then plays.

[Shindig]

  Leek said:

If I had to guess, Dave hits 100 drivers per day, then plays.

Yeah, that may explain the cave-in, especially with those hard range balls.

[cwo2lt]

  Vanstonica said:

Hi Folks,

Absolutely! You will only get about 1 season from a new driver which is why you need a new one very year. Print this out and show it to your wife.

[brettbrettr]

What about the shafts. Mu buddy has a 3-4 yr old club that he stores in his non climate controlled garage, He seems to think the "Stiff" shaft has gone to shit.

This possible? He lives in the northeast...

[hypergolf]

Unless you leave the clubs in extreme hot or cold weather, club heads or shafts don't go "stale" unless they are physically broken. Check Wishon's website and you will get all the answers regarding this topic.

[Scrambles]

I think we all replace our drivers before the face of the club would start to lose pop or go a little dead. I think I flex out my graphite shafts after two years and a lot of drivers, the shaft loosens and starts to whip. Then I get a new driver and I seem to be able to keep it in the fairway again.