e-man

I think Callaway is an incredible company when it comes to customer service, and their pre-owned site (which I believe is now somehow related or owned by the company) is top notch. I do have one complaint, though. I bought a set of "like new" x-14 irons from them last summer. When the clubs arrived, I immediately noticed that they had been refinished. I realize this might be a bonus for some people, but for me it was not. There was overspray on the face where white lines were painted, and the club heads had quite a bit of bag chatter (which cannot be removed during the refinishing process). The grips had been replaced with Callaway Hawkeye full cord grips (as opposed to the stock Big Bertha velvet grips that came with the clubs originally). All in all, I wasn't particularly pleased. I called them up to return the clubs, and while they were willing to take them back, they made it a point to tell me that I should have expected that the clubs were refinished because the x-14s are several seasons old. While I agree with that general proposition, I feel they should have advertised the clubs as refinished as opposed to like new. I mean, why not? Why not give the consumer the information? Anyway, after a bit of back and forth, they told me that I could return the clubs, but that I was responsible for paying shipping both ways because the clubs were as described. We ended up agreeing for me to pay shipping one way and them the other. I guess that was an okay resolution, but I was out $15 sending the clubs back to them and I really didn't think I did anything wrong. Anyway, aside from that experience, and now knowing that "like new" means refinished when it comes to older clubs, I think they are a top notch company with excellent customer service. e

I personally spoke to Ping about this, and here is what they said. I was buying a G10 driver, 9 degrees. A Ping customer service representative told me that the loft on the 9 degree heads range anywhere from 9.3 to 10.8 degrees, with most falling right around 10.2 degrees. They told me that the same holds true for the 10.5 degree heads -- they can range anywhere from 10.8 to about 12, with most being around 11.5 degrees. Hope this helps. e

Is it regular or stiff? The reason I ask is because I'm selling my R580XD 10.5 with the stock M.A.S. stiff shaft. e

First, let me say that this is not a complaint, but more of an FYI. I recently bought a set of irons from Callaway Golf Preowned that were advertised in "like new" condition (which, to me, means that maybe they've hit a ball or two, but aside from a small mark here or there, are basically indistinguishable from new). When they arrived, I immediately noticed that they had been refurbished. The white scoring lines had been repainted, and there was small amounts of white paint overspray on the faces. There were little nicks over most of the iron heads (that cannot be removed from the refurbishing process). The shaft bands and grips were brand new, although the grips were corded grips from a club that was manufactured several years before the set I bought. When I called to voice my concerns, I was pointed to their definition of "like new", which includes refinished or refurbished clubs. I admit that I missed that when I ordered the clubs. They told me that the clubheads had been removed from the shafts, sanded down, repainted, reshafted, regripped, etc. They told me that I should have known that an older set of clubs advertised in like new condition would have been refinished. Now, most people would be perfectly happy getting a set of refinished/refurbished clubs. However, that's not what I was looking for. It was important to me that the clubs be in their original, untampered state, just like when they left the factory. In my opinion, "like new" shouldn't include refinished or refurbished clubs. If the clubs are refinished, they should just say so in the description. Now, all of this being said, they refunded my purchase price and shipping, but I was required to pay to ship the clubs back to them. I feel they should have covered the shipping both ways, but in the end, it was my fault for not reading the definition of "like new" carefully. e

Thanks for all the replies, guys. I just got back from the range. I brought a friend with to observe my ball flight. Maybe I was just having a good night, but I was really puring the ball on a nice medium flat trajectory. When I moved the ball up in my stance, I was hitting high bombs, easily reaching the end of the range on the second bounce (which is 250). As they say, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, and I don't think I should do anything right now. 10.15 degrees of loft is just fine for me. e

I've tried fiddling with the tee height, but it just results in inaccuracy and off center hits. When I position the ball further up in my stance, I feel as if I have to hold on shot a little bit longer through impact, and I end up hitting a weak fade (i.e., I don't release the club).

That's probably good advice. Here's the thing. One of my playing partners has a BB460 10 deg and he hits these high towering bombs. I mean, he must be launching at 16-17 degrees (at least). In terms of overall distance, we end up pretty much in the same spot, but his just sail through the sky and seem to hang up there forever. One more point. I spent A LOT of time in the launch monitor before buying this club, and every time I demoed a 10.5 degree head (actual probably around 12), the launch angle jumped way up into the 17-18 degree range, as did the spin (to around 3800-4000). I'm thinking that a 10.5 actual loft on a 9 degree stamped head would have been perfect for me. e

Hey guys. A little help. I currently own a G10 driver, 9 degrees (digitally measured at 10.15 degrees), TFC 129 stiff shaft trimmed to 45.25 inches, D3 swingweight. I love the club, absolutely love it. However, I've noticed that the trajectory of my drives is fairly low. I mean, they aren't worm burners by any means, but about the most I can expect out of it is a strong boring medium (or low-medium) trajectory. My swing speed is 95 mph on the nose, with a medium tempo. I got on a launch monitor the other day to test the club. I am launching at 13-14 degrees, around 140-145 mph ball speed, 2800-3200 rpm of backspin, 230-235 yards carry and 250 overall yards distance. I believe my long was a carry of 243 and overall distance of 260. Don't get me wrong. I'm pleased with those numbers, but on the course, the trajectory just seems kind of low. Maybe I just don't know what a 13-14 degree launch angle looks like. I am thinking about getting a new G10 with a little more loft, but I'm not sure how much more loft I should go with. I would kick myself if I ended up going with too much loft, but I'd like to add a little more to the point where I'll notice a difference. Would .5 degrees be enough to make a difference? Should I go up an additional .85 and make it an even 11? I don't think I'd want to go higher than 11, but I really don't know. I know it's hard to say without seeing my ball flight, but I really don't get a lot of hang time with this club. Please let me know what you think. Thanks. e

That's good to hear. I ended up going with regular flex in the Banzai shaft and my swing speed with the driver tops out at 95 mph with a medium tempo. The shaft seems to play on the stiff side (the regular flex CPMs at 279 and the stiff at 287). Great, great club.

Love, love, love my X-Hot. And I couldn't agree more with you about using it as a back-up driver. Last weekend, my driver just didn't feel right to me, so I used the X-Hot instead. Sure, I may give up a few yards (although not that much), but being in the fairway makes a huge difference. Love the sound too. Just curious, what flex shaft do you have in yours? What's your swingspeed with the driver and tempo? e

Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm plenty happy with the results, but I keep looking at the swing speed of 97+ mph and I wonder if I might do better with the stiff.

Yeah, that'd be nice, but unfortunately, that's not a possibility. I've already hit the 10 regular in the indoor dome, and it feels pretty good, but the stiff felt good too. I called Callaway, and they will switch it out for me if I want that, but I don't want to go switching things around just for the sake of switching unless it will make a real difference. I'm looking at the launch monitor printout right now, and here are the numbers I achieved with the regular over 5 shots: 256.9 yards 143.2 mph ball speed 13 degree launch angle 2844 rpm back spin 236 rpm side spin (draw) 1.6 yard push -.7 yards offline 97.8 mph average clubhead speed

So regular should be perfect for you. My swing speed is around 95 mph but it does get a bit higher than that when I get warmed up, and I would describe my tempo as medium. I may have to go back to Golfsmith one more time today to hit the 10 stiff. I'm not sure what the stiff would give me that the regular doesn't, but I really need to make completely sure.

Hey Shortgame85. If you don't mind me asking, what's your swing speed and tempo? e

I went back to Golfsmith today to try to figure this thing out. I was there for about 90 minutes banging balls in the simulator and launch monitor. For what it's worth, here are the cpm and torque specs on the regular and stiff stock Fujikura Fit On shafts: regular -- 251 cpm, 5.0 torque stiff -- 261 cpm, 5.1 torque (yes, it has a tick more torque than the regular) I hit the 9 stiff, 10 stiff, 10 reg and 11 reg. The reg flex shafts definitely felt livelier for me. With the stiff shafts, I felt as if I needed to swing a little harder to get the shaft to react, and when I did, I was rewarded with good, solid results. The problem with me and stiff, though, is that I play at the crack of dawn, and I'm not swinging at 95+ mph for most of the round. These simulators/launch monitors are a bit deceiving in that respect. I hit my driver maybe 12 times in a round, yet I must have hit at least 75 balls in the launch monitor today. In sum, the regular and stiff produced very similar results, and I think in the long run, I'll benefit more from the regular with a nice smooth swing. As between the 10 and the 11, the 11 launched a little too high and made too much backspin. I'm going to stick with the 10 reg for a while and see what happens. Let me know what you think. When you're right on the cusp between regular and stiff, is it possible that either will work for you? I appreciate the points about the type of course and conditions I normally play in. That makes a lot of sense. Should you also consider the type of swing you like to put on the ball? In other words, I'm not the type that normally goes after the ball. I like to put a nice smooth swing on the club. Should that be considered as well? e

Hey guys. I own Hyper X 10 degree with the stock Fujikura Fit-On shaft in regular flex. I did a driver fitting at Golf Galaxy and this shaft worked best for me (when compared to numerous other shafts, all in regular flex). I am a 6.9 index with a swing speed of 95 mph. I've been working with the club over the past few weeks and seem to be hitting it fairly well, although there's just something that doesn't feel quite right. Basically, it seems like I'm having trouble finding the sweet spot. So here's the issue. Today at Golfsmith, I was hitting balls in the simulator with the Hyper X 10 reg. I decided to grab a 10 stiff off the rack and take a few swings with it. Within the first swing or two, I immediately noticed a difference in feel and ball speed. It seemed that I was hitting the sweet spot much more frequently (you know what I'm talking about -- the kind of shot where you feel in your hands like you've pured it). Okay, so you're thinking, great e-man, go with the 10 stiff instead. I wish it were that easy. The simulator indicated that I was launching the 10 stiff much lower than the 10 reg. On the 10 reg, I averaged around 13 degrees. On the 10 stiff, the launch angle was 11 degrees. Based on these numbers, would you go with an 11 degree stiff? The problem with an 11 degree stiff is that the club doesn't exist in the stores and it would have to be special ordered from Callaway. Let me know what you guys think. Also, I'd like to know what everyone thinks about the regular versus stiff issue as well. Thanks for your help. e

Clubmaker15 -- can I ask you a question without you getting all bent out of shape? How are you hitting your current driver 150? I mean, please elaborate in terms of height, trajectory, etc. Is it a high, pop up that comes straight down at the 150 marker? Is it a low worm-burner that never gets more than a few feet off the ground? Are you hooking it, slicing it, etc.? Are you hitting it on the center of the clubface, high, low, heel, toe? The reason I ask is because I've heard that the 905R is a great head, but may not be the most forgiving driver out there, particularly depending on the shaft. e

Actually, they're completely different. The regular x is approximately 170cc and has a fairly deep face. The x hot is 202cc and has a very shallow face. Also, the lie angle on the x hot is 55 degrees. The lie angle on the regular x is in the 56-57 degree range. Lastly, the shaft length on the x hot is 44 inches. The shaft length on the regular x is 43 inches. Oh, and you are correct, the shafts are completely different. One last thing, the x hot only comes in a 15 degree 3 wood. The regular x comes in a bunch of different lofts/heads. Hope this helps. e

I cannot say enough good things about the X Hot. True, it is an inch longer than standard at 44", but the head is oversized, and the face is very shallow. It sets up great in the fairway and I have absolutely no problem hitting it off the deck. Oh, and did I mention that it's long? In the launch monitor, I averaged (yes, averaged) 240 yards. e

Hey guys. Thanks for the responses. Tour Spoon -- yes, I tried the stiff in the 10 degree and did a blind head to head comparison of 10 reg versus 10 stiff. The 10 reg won hands down. With the stiff (even though the test was blind, I could tell which was which based on feel), I felt as if I really needed to step on it in order to get the shaft to flex. Also, I researched the frequency of both, and the regular plays to a 251 cpm, which is a tad stiffer than Callaway's standard regular flex shaft. I definitely think the shaft is right for me. Jack -- the numbers certainly seem to indicate that the 11 is a slightly better fit. I'm just not sure that the extra spin is a good thing. I think 2800 rpm is still relatively low, but I know that I wouldn't want to go much higher than that (to Andre's point, more spin could be bad, especially in windy conditions like we have a lot of time up here in Chicago). Also, one thing I forgot to mention is that with the 11 degree I felt as if I needed to swing a little harder to get the same results that I achieved with the 10 degree. I know that's all in my head, but hey, let's face it, golf is 99% mental anyway, right? Everardo -- I agree that loft is your friend. As for which was more accurate, the 10 won running away. The dispersion was very, very tight. Like I said, with the 11, I think I may have been swinging too hard and, as a result, the dispersion was not as tight as with the 10. With the 10, I felt as if I was "driving" the ball, you know what I mean? It was a powerful, boring flight. With the 11, I felt that I was launching the ball higher in the air and waiting for it to come down to see how far it went and whether it was straight. I don't know. It's really all what you get used to, and I'm used to a 10 degree driver. Anyone else? e

Hey everyone. I recently bought a Hyper X driver, 10 degrees, regular flex (ss 95 mph, handicap index 6.9). While testing out the club on the launch monitor a few days ago, the average launch angle was just over 11 degrees, average backspin was around 2500 rpm, and the total distance was right at 249 yards. Today at Golf Galaxy, I decided to give the 11 degree a whirl. Here are the launch monitor numbers for that club -- average launch angle 13 degrees, average backspin around 2800, and average total distance around 251-252. So here's the question. Obviously, I'm picking up a couple of yards going with the 11 degree (at least in the launch monitor). Are the increased launch angle and spin good things or is it possible that I'd have better control and accuracy with the lower launch and backspin. The reason I ask is because I've always played 10 degree drivers and I'm thinking that 11 degrees might be too much loft. Let me know what you guys/girls think. e

Don't quote me on this, but I believe Callaway will bend the clubs for you free of charge, even if you're not the original owner. I think all you have to do is pay to ship them.

That helps a lot. Just curious, was your X the 2007 version or the 2008 version? Also, was it the X hot? I've heard the X Hot is tough to hit off the fairway because it's too big. Also, the new X (the 2008 model) is supposed to be a nice improvement over last year's version.

Hey guys. Has anyone compared these two fairway woods? I was back and Golfsmith again yesterday hitting balls on the launch monitor and they both felt pretty good, but I was just wondering what everyone else thought? I am a 6.9 index with a driver swing speed of around 95 mph. I was thinking I would get the X fairway wood to match the driver (I know, no logical reason for that), but I hit a few shots with the G10 and it felt pretty good as well. I like a heavier feeling club (the Hyper X is a D5), and the X fairway wood is a D2 (as opposed to the G10, which is a D1). I would most likely get regular flex in either club. Let me know what you think. e

Completely agree. I will not cut the clubs, period. If I do anything, I'll have Callaway bend them 1 degree flat (but only after playing with them for a while). Thanks for everyone's help.