a driver fitting question

[allenc]

So there are some online driver deals this time of the year and I was thinking of making use of one of them.  My biggest driver problem is missing toward the toe, and to a lesser extent thin.  I also can (accidentally) curve the ball in either direction so specifically helping a slice or hook isn’t as important as perhaps just limiting side spin in general.

 

I already know what length and shaft weights I like, and can play around with adjustable lofts so that’s not a problem.  I found some nice deals on the Cobra F6 and Taylormade R15.  The Cobra F6 has (or ties) the most rearward center of gravity of any club out there and thus has the highest MOI.  A driver like that should help the most on off center hit in general.

 

The R15 has 25 grams of left/right slidable weight which can move the center of gravity at least 1/8 inch toward the toe.  Since my contact dispersion is between just a tiny inward of center to well out toward the toe that should also help a bit.

 

The question is which would help me more?  One concern with the R15 is moving the weight toward the toe will move the center of gravity in that direction relative to its neutral setting, but will it move it toward the toe relative to the Cobra or other clubs?  That info is harder to come by on the web, but I might guess that most companies would tend to keep it more toward the heel if anything to help square the face for slicers.

 

So I can move the sweet spot in the specific direction of my miss (maybe) with a club that is otherwise less forgiving, or I can go with the all round more forgiving club which may also help with thins and side spin — and for all I know might be better on toe hits as well.

 

Thanks.

[Vinny Cap]

Just asking here as I have a driver with no adjustment on it. 

Without a launch monitor, lots of testing and hours of data comparison, wouldn't it be hard to know what to change you weights and lofts to?  I see a lot of players with adjustable drivers and when I ask about them, nobody had the tool to change anything and they are playing it as it came out of the store... don't really see the need for all that.  I just practiced with my driver till I could hit 80% - 90% down the middle or with a little draw.

[allenc]

1 hour ago, Vinny Cap said:

Just asking here as I have a driver with no adjustment on it. 

Without a launch monitor, lots of testing and hours of data comparison, wouldn't it be hard to know what to change you weights and lofts to?  I see a lot of players with adjustable drivers and when I ask about them, nobody had the tool to change anything and they are playing it as it came out of the store... don't really see the need for all that.  I just practiced with my driver till I could hit 80% - 90% down the middle or with a little draw.

Normally you would go through a fitting and have the fitter recommend a position and set it then forget about it.  I agree with your sentiment though that hitting a couple dozen shots may not be enough data to tell the fitter what he needs to know.

In my case I know what my misses are and that I am unlikely to fix them completely anytime soon.  I believe specs that make the ball go straighter and farther on those misses will help me more than hitting it farther on a good swing.  I believe that the most important specs for those misses are a center of gravity that is some combination of lower, farther back, and toward the toe.  So I would adjust any weight in those directions as well as use a driver that already starts with some of the above.

As far as loft setting goes I may hit a few into a launch monitor to see what they do to the launch and spin.

I agree that all of the above is of minimal significance and you can learn to hit any reasonable driver.  But since there is the option I might as well.  I am going to keep trying this

1 hour ago, Vinny Cap said:

practic[ing] with my driver till I could hit 80% - 90% down the middle or with a little draw.

It just might take a bit longer than a day, a month, or a lifetime.

[Vinny Cap]

Thanks for explaining your thoughts and reasoning.  I played a 3W for my first 3 years as I couldn't hit a driver straight if you paid me.  Put in a lot of time on the D and it has payed off these last 2 years.

I wish you luck and hope you get something that works out for you.

[Lagavulin62]

I sure am glad we didn't have these choices when I started playing in the early 70's. I don't mean to sound insensitive but golf in a way has become just stupid. I'm old school, but not as old as I feel reading these threads. 

[InTheRough]

On 11/30/2016 at 10:33 PM, allenc said:

So there are some online driver deals this time of the year and I was thinking of making use of one of them.  My biggest driver problem is missing toward the toe, and to a lesser extent thin.  I also can (accidentally) curve the ball in either direction so specifically helping a slice or hook isn’t as important as perhaps just limiting side spin in general.

 

I already know what length and shaft weights I like, and can play around with adjustable lofts so that’s not a problem.  I found some nice deals on the Cobra F6 and Taylormade R15.  The Cobra F6 has (or ties) the most rearward center of gravity of any club out there and thus has the highest MOI.  A driver like that should help the most on off center hit in general.

 

The R15 has 25 grams of left/right slidable weight which can move the center of gravity at least 1/8 inch toward the toe.  Since my contact dispersion is between just a tiny inward of center to well out toward the toe that should also help a bit.

 

The question is which would help me more?  One concern with the R15 is moving the weight toward the toe will move the center of gravity in that direction relative to its neutral setting, but will it move it toward the toe relative to the Cobra or other clubs?  That info is harder to come by on the web, but I might guess that most companies would tend to keep it more toward the heel if anything to help square the face for slicers.

 

So I can move the sweet spot in the specific direction of my miss (maybe) with a club that is otherwise less forgiving, or I can go with the all round more forgiving club which may also help with thins and side spin — and for all I know might be better on toe hits as well.

 

Thanks.

I've been playing the R15 for 2 seasons so I can share my personal experiences with it (full disclosure: I know little to nothing about club fitting and this info is just from me experimenting with the club).  I've played a bit with the move-able weights and from my experience the biggest difference when you move them is how the club feels during the swing(assuming you keep them together rather than spreading them apart).  I had them both towards the heel for a while to try to move the COG towards the heel where my predominant miss is and I found that it actually made me miss to the heel more often as I'm guessing that I was just naturally finding that new COG in my swing.  Moving them both to the center (slightly spread apart) has helped me find the center of the club face more often and the club just feels more balanced and center strikes feel like they explode off of the face.

In regard to forgiveness, I personally love the R15; good hits will go forever but it's definitely not a very forgiving driver.  I have the 430cc head so the 460cc will be a little better and you can spread the weights to make it even more forgiving but I'm not sure if that will make it even close to as forgiving as other drivers.  So my [Lame] recommendation would be to hit it, if possible, to see if it is as forgiving as you would like it to be.

[Hatchman]

I just fit a new shaft in my TM 9.5 head.  Aldila Tour Blue 55.  A few quick adjustments had it performing fairly well for now.  Initial setting of higher loft was too high and open causing left miss.  I shut it down a little by 2 degree increments until I liked the ball flight better and was more on center.

I have a set of shafts now ... Stiff, Reg TP, Reg, Senior.   

The Aldila Tour Blue 55 during a round last week improved my ball flight and carry over a hill towards the green that I've been fighting to carry for awhile.  I got into two drives pretty good so I think I'll continue working with this shaft.

[WUTiger]

On 12/1/2016 at 8:07 AM, Vinny Cap said:

Without a launch monitor, lots of testing and hours of data comparison, wouldn't it be hard to know what to change you weights and lofts to?  I see a lot of players with adjustable drivers and when I ask about them, nobody had the tool to change anything and they are playing it as it came out of the store... don't really see the need for all that.

A couple of things on adjustable drivers and other long clubs.

Inventory efficiency. One thing the adjustable drivers and others do is cut down on the number of stock items a pro shop (on-course or off-course) has to carry. One local pro told me that she has about 50% fewer drivers and FWs on hand in the adjustable era than in the pre-adjustable era. If you have a couple of heads styles, and some variety in shafts, you can adjust and mix-and-match to give the golfer what he or she needs.

Post-purchase adjustments. If a good fitter adjusts your driver properly at the shop, chances are that will get you started. If you're consistently missing one way, a tweak by you (or return to the fitter) can fine tune the fit. Most golf club maners give pretty clear info on what moving the weights will do, whether it's screw weights or sliding weights. 

For screw weights:

* If you have trouble pushing the ball, heavier weight toward the heel would speed the closing of the clubface.

* If you have trouble pulling the ball (a WUT specialty!), weight out on the toe will slow the closing of the clubface, and help straighten out the ball.

A heavier shaft and the face set 1* open has done wonders to put my drives in the fairway. The fitter said if I become a little less handsy and start pushing the ball, I should reset the clubface for a degree less loft to straighten things out.

[Vinny Cap]

WUTiger - Thanks for the info.  Like I posted, most dont have any clue about the adjustments on the clubs.