mhancock

I know this is an old topic but I'm a little slow sometimes..lol. I am very reluctant to change anything in my golf game when I find something that works. With that said, I have played with the Pro Vx since it was introduced with more than acceptable results. It was only a few months ago that a friend suggested I give the Penta balls a chance. The first time I tried them, I played a Pro Vx and Penta 5 side by side. I noticed almost no differece off the driver but in the mid and long irons, the Penta was noticibly longer. Off the short irons, the Penta offered more of a one hop and stop or maybe spin back to the pitch mark whereas the X almost always spins back past the pitch mark. A lot of this is a result of my swing which puts a lot of spin on irons but the Penta simply spun less. Another area where it shines for example is a 175 yard par 3 that borders water and almost always plays into the wind on a home course. Normally a center pin location here is basically a stock 6 iron for me with the X. The same swing with the Penta always resulted in a 182-185 yard back pin location shot. I also recorded an all time best stableford score using the Penta of 43 points where usually around 36 is normal with the X. After playing with a dozen Pentas over a month and a half, I couldn't find them locally and played with the X last week. I found myself spinning my wedges back off the green again which is a call for adjustment again. The Penta seems to spin less and much more durable for my game. Comparing both balls off of my no insert putter, I still feel like the Pro v feels softer but both are great. My total opinion and review is BOTH are great balls and I wouldn't hesitate playing either. This is saying a lot for me because I'm a Titleist faithful player. My bag is filled with Titleist equipment with the exception of a TM hybrid and Bettinardi putter.

Im not sure about the Cally clubs but after trying the Burner Tour irons, I found that TM lofts are very strong. In my case, 2 full clubs compared to my old Titleist 690mb's which are now back in the bag. The burners were long and forgiving but the larger heads and offset didn't fit my eye and never really got comfortable with the loft. I felt like there was a huge gap between my pw which I hit 150 and my gw that only goes 120 at the most.

Sorry to dig up this old thread but had to chime in. I do actually play a couple of tp heads that are txxx tour issue Supertri heads and had another one that I just got but some lowlife broke in my truck and stole it along with a new set of custom spec irons last night. The difference in the txxx driver head is more about exact weigjt (ie hotmelt, etc) and actual loft compared to whats stamped on club. Im not sure exactly how Titleist specs out but on TM heads for instance, a 9.5° R9 may be modified to play 9.2° etc in L position or R position instead of adding or decreasing in a made for public. Most pros and better amateurs know how open or closed they want the club and at what loft. For instance, one of mine is 9.5° that plays 10.2°, one in 9.5° and plays 8.8° in L, and the newest one that was stolen is 8.5° that plays 8.2° in L and these are actual loft. I also usually order my irons with custom loft +2° loft and -2° flat but I haven't had a set stamped T. Mine play at D2 so the txxx issue may have custom weight, lie, loft etc. Most pros prefer 1-2° weaker loft in irons and more open club face on driver. I just completed my Player Ability Test and will receive my teaching license soon. Im a 1.6-1.9 handicap and only use txxx heads because of the ability to have loft and face angle where I want but I can play off the shelf as well, just prefer something that better suits my game.

Sorry for trying to contribute. Ill just keep lurking.

Not hitting driver is definitely not lazy as someone else mentioned. Yes its an important club but not necessary especially if you arent playing off scratch handicap. I dont consider myself lazy on the course at all. I have played the last two days using course management and not unlike the pros, I only hit driver on the par 5 holes and two 4's over 420. I shot 76 on Sunday when I used the driver more and only had 2 birdies all day. Neither came on holes I hit driver. I played again yesterday and shot 2 under on the front with a bogey and then Meade the turn. I hit driver on 10, a par 5 and after punching out after hitting it in the woods on the right, I really had to scramble to save 5 from over 375 laying 2. Remember, I dont carry a 3 wood. I made birdie on the par 3 11th and again at 13, also a par 3 for a 4 under round up to there. I made bogey with a bad hybrid tee shot on the next hoving me in the 3rd cut of rough. I kept the card clean on the next 400 yard par 4 with 16° hybrid off tee and a little knockdown 9 iron. 16, our toughest 615 yard par 5, I hit driver (poorly) I may ad after trying to scramble, made double to drop back to -2. Par on the 195 17th and after hitting driver on an uphill 460 yard uphill par 4, i made another bogie to finish one under par. This was from the tips at 6005 yards. There is nothing heroic about hitting driver 300 in the woods or out of bounds. I like playing from the fairway and can live with 245 off the tee. The drivers a nice club to have if you hit fairways. I missed 1 with mine yesterdad and paid with a double. The average player especially high hc players should hit it less. High hc players hit it almost everywhere that isnt a par 3's where average pros might hit driver 7 times a round. Like most of them. Ill never complain with onder par 70 on a par 70 course. Not knocking the guys who like their driver but Im hitting the club that fits the hole and gives the widest, flattest landing area that leaves a straight shot at the flag. Many would benefit from it but everbody seems to want to grip it and rip it. Just make sure you bring plenty of money to pay up on lost bets if you dont hit fairways. Long is wrong if its not in the middle.

I probably need to take my driver out of the bag after the way I played today. I have found that the larger the heads on drivers get, the shorter I hit it. My best round ever was a 67 and I never touched the driver. Like others have said, I often hit a 14° 2 hybrid and can pound it off the tee or of the deck. It really makes my playing paftners scratch their heads when I fly past their driver with a steel shaft hybrid. I tried a new combo today in both my driver and hybrid. I put graphite in the hybrid and a new shaft in the driver. Boy was that a mistake. I couldnt hit either of my longer clubs. Im playing again tomorrow and will have my older Ping driver and 16° backup hybrid with a tried and true steel shaft. I hit my hybrid as a go to shot and its plenty long at 245. I dont carry a fairway metal at all now. Both of my 2 hybrids have similar loft to my 3 wood but I hit the hybrid lower, longer, and more accurate. I can work the ball either way with all my steel shafted clubs but have trouble with the big headed graphite shafted driver. I dont think Im Tiger but honestly havent found any shafts that I like in the bigger head drivers. I have a stock x flex in my 9° Ping driver and hit it better than anything Ive tried in my r9. I found a smoking deal on an 8.5° Supertri with an x flex 75g Rip shaft and will try that if they ever ship the dang thing. Not sure whats going on with the driver. I have scheduled an appointment with a club fitter that is also a teaching pro. Hopefully he can help me get it straightened out. I had shoulder surgery last year and physically dont swing the same now so it may be more me than the equipment. I just hit high ballooning shots with all the shafts Ive hit in the r9. I dont feel like I swing fast enough to really need an x flex shaft but Im tired of guessing and buying shafts off ebay that all produce the same shot. Its almost embarrassing to not hit my driver because I used to just bomb it way down the fairway......or just farther into trouble..lol. even when I played pretty good golf, I still scored better without it. I shot that 67 before hybrids were common and I just used a Callaway 1 iron off the tee. Im still a pretty decent iron player but would like a driver so I can reach the par 5's in 2 without having to hit 2 perfect shots with the hybrid. That little club does work though and my putter has been hot so until Im comfortable with my driver I probably wont hit it much on the course. I played worse today than I have since I started back playing. Testing new things on both of my long clubs was a huge mistake and I paid the price today. If I would have played smart I could have played much better. 2 six irons still equals a 420 yard par 4 but I just kept trying to hit the long clubs. Course management was not in use...lol

That is very common for blades. My Titleist 690's look the same way. As long as the grooves are still good and sharp, you are fine. I just wish my game was good enough to still play blades. I had to change equipment after shoulder surgery and taking a year off. I was a 2.6 handicap before but have slipped back to 7.6 now and just dont hit the ball as pure as I used to.