Stuffs

I didn't get to compare them side by side with the MP69, but these do appear smaller. A delight to hit up to the 5 iron. I wasn't striking them too well when I picked up the 4 iron to demo though.

I recently took the plunge and reshafted my clubs with the i95 on my 4-9 but with the i110 on the PW, all in Stiff flex. I've been playing the HLS75 and really liked the results so I finally decided to spend the money on these. I've stuck with DGS300 since the late 90s so all my comparisons will be with that. Reshaft is straight in, tapered set, same length as the steel was (5i @ 37.75"). My steel set was all at D2 with the PW at D5. I was aiming to make them all D3. I ended up needing 9g of tip weights on 4-9 and 3g on the PW to reach my target SW. The tip weights I used had a head of 3mm, which I tip trimmed that same amount to make up for. So far those wondering about swing weight, they will drop them about 3-3.5 points without any weights. Flex and feel: They do feel more firm or stouter than the S300 when you just waggle or bend them, but on the shot itself, they felt a touch softer. I'm sure the added tip weights helped in softening that up but I doubt by that much. Distance stayed the same for me on well struck shots, but slight mishits didn't lose as much distance either. But I'm only talking a couple yards here. They also don't feel quite like a true graphite shaft where its either snappy or smooth. It almost has a little bit of steel characteristics in there. Hard to explain but I like it like that. Off the face, it still feels good but nothing will ever feel as nice as steel in that department. Its only a slight tradeoff I'm more than happy to take. Trajectory: The same. I won't know for sure unless I use Trackman or Flightscope, but from the looks from playing and on the range, I didn't notice anything that stood out and looked very much like the trajectories I've typically hit for years. Control: It took me a while to get used to it because the lighter static weight got my swing a little out of whack where I was getting very handsy on my way down and through. But after I adjusted to it, its every bit as consistent as the DG. Here is the weird part. I can work the ball a lot easier with these shafts. I don't know if its the lower weight or what, but I can draw and fade with much more control than before. Overall, though there are things in steel shafts that I will miss like the very solid feel at impact or the overall weight or feel or it, I'm very happy with these. I can play 3 days straight (haven't tried 4 yet) without fatigue. My elbow and back used to be sore after every round. Not anymore which is the main reason why I went graphite in the first place. For me, it was money well spent and I don't think I'll be going back to steel anytime soon. (never thought I would ever say that)

I found the Anser hybrids already on the lower launching side compared to other hybrids. The 913HD or 713U are the only two I can think of that launches on the lower side than the Anser. Its tough when facing the wind regardless of clubs though. What degrees is your current Anser and what distance is that club for you?

You mentioned you hit the Cobra AMP well so I would start there. Its a very good club actually. Its the same one my fiancé uses and I would hit it sometimes at the range, and honestly, I wouldn't mind playing that club myself. If I had to choose one ladies driver to play, that would be it. 1. Similar to the Adams...maybe start with Taylor Made clubs since they are under the same company. 2. No, your fairways and hybrids do not have to necessarily match. It comes down to personal preference. A lot of players do match them because it would give them the most consistent distance gaps, but its not always the case. 3. Too hard to tell what shaft suits you best. Every companys' version of L and Senior flexes are a little different. Best advice is to try as many drivers as you can at your local store and take note of the flexes and how they feel to you. You can get a used driver but not just anyone. It still has to fit you well and be something you're comfortable swinging.

Too many factors to limit to just one or two clubs to chip. So its anything from my 58 to a 9 iron. But I do try to keep my chipping stroke as simple and consistent as possible (one short and one medium backswing) and just rely on the club to determine carry and roll. But how the lie is, breaks or slopes on green,..etc, using one club would mean too many variances on my chipping stroke. For pitching though, 95% of the time its with my 58 and I would vary the openness of the face to change how I like it to land. But I still keep my pitching backswing and tempo more or less the same.

Not much. Pretty straight forward from there.

Ah, that part. Not too big of a deal. Its good practice to do so but if you forgot, it should be fine. Once its in there, the epoxy pretty much engulfs that area so any ragged edges will stay that way and shouldn't get worse.

For the tip, you do need to prep it if that's what you were referring to. Otherwise there will not be a very good bond between the head and the shaft. Its a very crucial step. All you have to do is lightly sand the insertion area until the clearcoat and paint is gone. I usually start with a 230 grit sand paper to remove the clear coat, then 400 grit to remove the paint. Once its all black, a spray with rubbing alcohol to clean it and its ready to go. Be very careful when you start getting to the actual graphite not to sand off the fibers. Very light pressure. Again, you can use to the tips you trimmed off as practice, to get an idea of how much sanding and pressure you need to get to the graphite. You'll notice that the feel when sanding starts to change once the paint is remove and when you've reached the graphite. For the butt end, just trim to length. I use a 1500 grit to smooth out the edges to prevent any stray fibers from forming. On some shafts, usually the cheaper ones where the lay up is more sparse, I give the butt end (just the very rim of it) a quick spray of urethane clear coat but this step is purely optional.

I do agree that bounce has a lot less to do with skulling a shot than most think. To me at least, its what looks comfortable at address. When it comes to my SW and LW, I do prefer less bounce. I do vary the openness of the face quite a bit. With less bounce, when I open it up, the leading edge doesn't look as high off the ground vs a higher bounced wedge would look. When its high off the ground, my mind tends to think, "oo its gonna be tough getting the club underneath" but in reality, the difference is very minor. Its more a mental thing than anything and whatever helps the confidence part would be a good thing. I would suggest trying different wedges out, open up the faces at address, chip with it...etc and go with what looks and feels most comfortable to you.

Yes, bobtrumpet brought up a very important point with rotating the shaft. As with blade brands, Lenox isn't bad for the price at all.

I use a $5 mitre box you can by at any hardware store. Been using it for years, made tons of cuts for both steel and graphite, always straight. The blade you use makes a difference as well. If you don't already, use a 32 TPi or more blade and don't skimp on it. Get a descent $10-15 blade. They hold its tension better, has nicer teeth so each cut is smoother, in turn, keeping the blade dead straight. And last, it takes a bit of practice. When I first started clubmaking I used the butts you cut off from your previous cuts to practice on.

What degrees are your PW and SW right now? 56 is basically a SW and 52 a gap wedge where you'd only need if the loft on your PW and SW is more than 8 degrees or so. More importantly, whats your average distance with your PW and SW?

That's next on my list, a sleeve of Chrome. So far though, the Chrome + will be an excellent ball for me on windier days.

Just played two rounds with the Chrome +. Its an interesting departure from the E5. It definitely spins noticeably more from the wedges to the short irons. Its been a while since I was able to spin an 8 iron back a couple feet. Off my driver, its has some noticeable reduction in spin. For me, I launch the E5 high with just the right amount of spin to keep a good amount of carry. With the Chrome +, its more of a medium traj with less spin so the ball does come down faster. Total distance, using my skycaddie and just knowledge of my home course, I'm losing on average 10-15 yds. From full shots to around the green, they both feel about the same. On putting, I still like the E5 feel a little more. They just feel like start off rolling more true. So I'm pretty torn between those two now. I like the short game spin of the Chrome + more but the E5 off the driver suits me more. Also the putting feel which is pretty important to me goes to the E5 as well. I still got the full sleeve so I'll keep playing them until I lose them all and see how it goes I guess. I'm very impressed with the short game spin from this $30 ball though and stopping it on a dime always makes me smile.

Good info. I think I'll give the Hex Chrome or Chrome + a try this weekend. I have a driver swing speed average of 99 so I'm guessing the Chrome + would work out a little better?

That chart is definitely interesting. It does get me curious to give the Chrome Hex a try since it has similar spin on wedges to the E5 but a lower spin on the driver. Might make a good option on some of the straighter courses I play where I can get a bit more roll. Desmond, how does the Hex Chrome feel when putting compared to the E5. Which one is softer, since it looks like you've played both before?

Yea, won't hurt to start experimenting a little with tipping it more. I mean, like that other poster said, you could've purchased the wrong shaft although the specs of the Axis vs ProL Blue are very similar. Do you know if your old shaft was standard tipped? 1/2" tip should stiffen up the bottom a bit but since you've already butt trimmed, its gonna shorten your club. The PL Blue isn't a bad shaft but usually not the best choice for drivers because they tend to go too high for most players. Maybe pull the shaft out, get a new one for your driver and start fresh. Save the this one and maybe use it for a future 3 wood. They actually play out pretty nice for 3w because it really helps kick the ball up off the deck.

Ball fitting? That's new to me. I usually just buy a sleeve, play a round and see. I think its more fun that way. Besides, no computer can tell me how I'd like the ball to feel on putts and around the green. I can see how it can be helpful to maximize distance or something though.

Should you go the more expensive route, RXS isn't a bad choice either. I do like that more than the RX (good ball but lacks a little bit of feel compared to the RXS). Both good though.

I don't take full wedge shots unless I absolutely have to like hitting over a tree or something. I'm pretty happy with the half wedge spin on the E5. I normally hit pretty low wedge shots so spin is pretty important to me. The only example I can use is a recent hole I played. 40 yd approach with wind so I decided to hit a low wedge. I over hit it, flew the flag and one hop stopped on the green about a couple feet short of the fringe. I pulled out an E6, took the same shot, landed literally next to my first shot's divot. One hopped, rolled into the fringe. That was enough for me to stick with the E5. The difference isn't major, but a couple feet is a couple feet. I know what you mean by feel and the E6 just didn't have any. It is too soft of a ball. Try a sleeve of E5 in you're looking to stay in the $30 ball range. I think you'll like it.

I started using the E6 because it was a "mid priced 3 piece ball" thinking it would be a cheap alternative to the ProV1x or BB330 RSX I normally play. Its an awful ball. They can't hold the green too well and they feel way too soft for me when putting. I recently tried the E5 and love it. They don't spin quite as well as the ProV or BB330 but well enough where its a one hop stop in most occasions. They putt descent and overall, best ball I've used in that price range.

I made that switch this year and so far, am pretty happy with it. For the longest time, I've carried a 15* 3W I've always struggled to get enough height on the 3 wood and it was killing my distance a bit though it made up for it in roll. Still, just was too low percentage of a club for me to lug around. This year, I actually made the switch to a 16* hybrid from (Mizuno JPX 825H) to replace my 3 wood. Off the tee, I definitely loss some yardarge compared to the 3w but off the deck, I got more distance because it is much easier to get height and because its shorter, I was making much more solid contact. I also replaced the 18* with a JPX825 19* mainly because the I really like the head design. Its almost like a shorter smaller version of a fairway wood.

Exactly. That's what I was wondering if the face height or shape had any influence on ball flight even when struck in center. But you draw a good point with the face shape being a result form other factors they're trying to control while maintaining max cc or so. For me, I tend to hit deeper faces lower, sometimes with less spin than I'd like. But I never knew whether it was the face height or just how the other factors played out in those head that caused it.

Well, the D2 isn't exactly shallow, its more shallow to the D3, but still fairly deep compared to what was out there a few years back. I guess more accurately put, a few years or more back, the shallow ones out on market vs the deep was much more noticeable, whereas now, even the shallow ones are only marginally so than their deeper counterpart.

Its amazing the changes I see (for the good) when every 3-4 years I look at or shop for a driver. But one thing I never really understood is the face height. The last time I shopped for one, it was all about the shallower face (ie SQ 5900, MX700) and before that, it was all about the deeper faces (Launcher 460 type heads). Now it seems like its back to deeper faces. I'm just trying to gain a better understanding as to why the back and forth. I think I know the basic concept that deeper faces lower traj and shallower face higher traj. From what it seems, most are going after a higher launch, lower spin results. So wouldn't a shallower face achieve that a little easier? I know I'm way off base somewhere that's why I'd to see if anyone can chime in on it. Also, I've been told a lot of things from sales staffs that I'm not sure if its true or not. I was told that deeper face tend to hit fades easier whereas shallower or slightly wider faces are easier to hit a draw. But a few years back when all the clubs out there had shallower faces, I was told the opposite.