tradewind_golfer

just a side note on the R5 neutral: great club! as a fellow club junkie, i've been through everything in the last year. my handicap is similar to yours and have played a slight fade my whole life. tried the R5 type D last year and hated it. tried the R5 with the stock shaft and it wasn't so impressive. Found a used one with a regular YS 6+ shaft and it's just awesome. Tried the NV and Grafalloy Blue, felt like swinging boards to me, but I'm a weak short man With the R5 N and YS 6+ shaft I can finally work it either way and still get great distance with a 10.5* head. Definitely a fun driver. Good luck! (recent comparisons, owned for a few days and played at least 2 rounds with: Launcher 400 [excellent], 460, 460 Comp, Callaway 454[long and wild], 2004 Big Bertha, Hawkeye VFT [great club], R5 type D, Sonartec Super CV, Titleist 975D[bullets])

thanks for advice guys... Update: Shot 81 yesterday (again!!!) with 2 double bogeys on the back 9...2 lost balls... Shot 81 today with a triple bogey on 18...somehow sliced a 5 iron OB on my approach shot after laying up off the tee with the hybrid (laid too far back!) I think it's starting to get mental. Black_black, I traded the Rescue hybrid in for an original warbird +4. You're right about the height thing and it wasn't going much further than a (well-struck) 3-iron. Hope it works out...I was also thinking of picking up a super-cavity back graphite shafted 2-iron (hawkeye VFT)...am I nuts? Used to carry 3 wedges but like my GRAD PW (blade) so much, dropped the gap wedge and am trying to open up the SW instead of carrying a LW. Also, because I walk 18 about 5 times a week, I wanted to lighten the load. Mahalo for the responses!

thanks iacas, good advice from a good player. i have/had lower standards then you, but i used to pride myself on breaking 90 when playing like crap, but now it seems like i should be shooting in the 70's almost every time i go out. but just crack up here and there. stupid question about the 3-wood: i only carry a 16* hybrid now; do you think it's necessary/recommended to carry a 3-wood as a "safe" driver, or does it not really matter--just tee off with the hybrid as if it were a 3 wood? also, what about the score card? Do you look/are you aware of/want to know your score when you're on the verge of breaking 70, for you, (breaking 80 for me)...how do you deal with very good possible rounds mentally before they're over? thanks again, man

ok, i want to hear from you single digit guys out there. i've been playing on and off for 20 years, took 5 years off and got back into it last year. consistently shooting in the low 80's now. But can't shoot lower. (Lowest round this year was 79 on par 73, 74 on par 70 last year). I'll par 10-12 holes, and usually have a double or triple bogey and a few bogeys. For those guys who have been through this, how do you breakthrough? My overall game is pretty solid, just a wild drive here or there, or one or two totally missed irons. Is it mental? More practice--on what? What got you to the next level? I know there are a lot of good golfers here, any advice?

...see, that's the weird thing--we're about the same from SW-8 iron, but then some of you guys just start roping your mid/long irons past me. My driver distance is probably only 10-20 yards behind yours, but it's those 160-210 yard shots that separate my 13 hdcp from your single digit. any advice? tried all the hybrids and really don't just want to ditch my long irons in the closet...they look so nice! but they feel so bad!!! (maybe this should be a long/iron swing thought thread instead)

Average distances (honest)--could be +15yrds or -20 SW 80 PW 110 9 125 8 135 7 145 6 155 5 160 4 150 3 120 (hehe, anybody else notice how the "average" long iron distances should really be less than the "average" 6-iron distance?) I need those Walmart irons...

Thanks for the info fellas... BTW, what is a R7 fairway wood going for new and used now-a-days? I swapped the Great Big Bertha (10 years old) and paid $60 for an almost new Callaway Fusion 4 wood with the NVS shaft. Pretty good deal that I couldn't pass up. I'm praying that this is it and forever will be (HAHAHHA!!! NEVER!!!), but will let you guys know. The Callaway X looked good too, as well as Launcher titanium and comp, and Titleist 904f. Any of you guys just play a strong lofted hybrid in place of a 3-wood? Tried the Sonartec MD last year and loved the low trajectory, but didn't know how to hit it off the deck. After I sold it I read it's supposed to be hit like a 5-iron? Ok, R7 and X are on the list...Thanks!

thanks for the suggestion aquacooled... never even considered the R7 as it's way out of my budget. What do you like and dislike about your V-steel? I can get a 15* V-steel with a TT Dynamic Gold steel shaft for a direct swap on my GBB. Just wondering if I should go with a graphite shaft instead. Also considering a Cleveland Launcher Titanium 3-wood...

Alright, thanks to the forum members info and advice, I've finally updated to more modern technology with the driver. The 460cc head makes a BIG difference. My question for you guys is about 3-wood technology. How much has it improved in the past 5-10 years? I'm currently playing the original Callaway Great Big Bertha (1996?) and notice that although it's easy to hit, it does seem to balloon a little bit and lacks feedback...doesn't have the real visceral feel and shots off the toe or sweet spot feel almost the same. How much of an improvement are modern 3-woods over what I'm playing in terms of feel, distance, trajectory, and ability to be played off the deck? I've tried the old Titleist 975f and it was great off the tee, but impossible off the grass. Also demo'ed Sonartec (NP-99, SS-03, and SS-02) and they were LONG off the tee, ok off the deck, but felt pretty hard (I'm guessing my swing speed is in the low to mid 90's, best round this year 6 over, average mid-low 80's, always played a fade). Saw a nice review on the Titleist 904f on this site and I also can trade for a TM V-steel with a TT DG R300 shaft. Any opinions/experience on these two woods, and possibly how they compare to what I'm playing? Does the titanium 3-wood (ruger titanium, trivia freaks?) vs. a steel 3-wood have any difference in performance? ...or, should I just stick with what I have? Order of importance: forgiveness, feel, off the deck-ability, trajectory (mid), and the "go-to-club" factor...distance isn't so important, but would be nice! Thanks in advance, this is the last club trade of the year, I swear I swear!

totally agree with you about the TM rescue...major hook machine. tried every hybrid out there and only liked nickent 3DX...not the new model. still couldn't get into the hybrid thing though, so went back to traditional fairway woods. actually, the best friggin' 5 wood i ever had was a Ping ISI tour (IST?) wood wood. it had a clear plastic round insert in the sole and was the sweetest thing, high/low, draw/fade--you name it. but like the club ho i am...er, was...i traded it for something else. now i can't find one again, DOH! i too would be happy to hear about other good (older if possible $ vs. $$$) fairway metals/woods. SCMike, is that the first gen Warbird you have (not the S2H2), and how do you like it compared to all the callaways that followed (steelhead--fusion?) anybody just carry driver and 4-wood?

I only carry a 52* gap wedge and 60* lob wedge. I played a traditional 56* SW for many many years; however, it seems like I always coming up short on my pitch and run shots, and running too far on my lob shots. I play the 52* from 120-50 yards as long as I have 10+ feet to run it on the green. For any shot where I need to stop it, I use the lob wedge. The bag is lighter too (daily walker!)

I'll go with Hogan... Just picked up a Carnoustie 52 04 gap wedge and just love it. They don't make putters? Woods not so good? Who cares, I'll put with the wedge... (If I had a job and made money, I'd go all Titleist--including the bag and balls just for the cool factor !)

Doh! Never even thought about that; thanks for the info--just saved me a lot of hassle and disappointment. So I guess the solution is to just keep working on it with the driver, eh? I don't really want to spend the money for a different graphite shaft...so I guess that's it! Thanks guys

Cool forum! Just discovered it. I'll introduce and ask a question in one post. Been playing for over 20 years...grew up playing Wilson Staff FG-17, never scored well until switching to 845's 10 years later--went through many different clubs since! Became an equipment freak for a while and tried everything under the sun. Check out my bag in my sig, all old school stuff (besides the 2003 driver), but love the feel of all of them. Get some strange looks pulling out the old System 2 3-wood, but it just feels great off the tee and deck, same goes with all the other clubs. Happy with everything. Except... The driver! Because I love the feeling of ripping the DG R300 fairway woods (that springy steel feeling, you know what I'm talkin' about? and the sound!), I'm wondering what you guys think about reshafting a 305cc titanium driver with either an DG R300 or S300 shaft? I'm looking for a lower ball flight actually and more consistency. I carry current 3-wood around 210-220yrds (really rolls out though) and just want the same feeling and consistency out of the driver. Any suggestions, advice, tips on reshafting in steel? Thanks and I've enjoyed going through all the posts!