bbedell

I got one a few months ago from Golfsmith online for $199...best deal i've ever gotten on a driver of this quality. I used to play a R flex 10.5 in my old Nike driver. The driver I picked up from Golfsmith is a stiff shaft 10.5 degree. I think my increase in swing speed as I've improved has something to do with this, but also the Matrix shaft has a lower kick point, so the Stiff shaft tends to perform similarly to a regular shaft in a lot of other drivers. I agree with everything that everyone else has said though...the head is awesome, the shaft is beyond epic, and the price is just unbeatable. I believe that TGW.com also has them, but their selection of shafts and lofts is a bit more limited than Golfsmith.com. Good luck.

Has anyone tried the new Nike Method putters yet? I'm not even sure if they're out in retail stores at this point but they look promising.

this is interesting. The last time i had my swing speed measured was a while ago, and I'm pretty sure I swing a bit harder now, but at that point it was high 80s-low 90s. I read a few reviews that said that due to the low kick point of the shaft on the Limited, the stiff flex tended to feel a bit closer to a regular flex. This is why I ordered the stiff flex, figuring even if it was a bit stiff for me at first, I am improving and can grow into it. When you tell me that your SS is 94 and the regular worked perfect for you, it makes me question my decision. The club is geting here tomorrow...maybe I'll try to hit it with the shrink wrap still on and guarded with some packing tape so that i can send it back if I dont like the flex. Thanks for the info either way, I'll let you know how it turns out.

so you went with the R-flex R7 and you feel that it feels LESS whippy than the R-flex of your old driver? Edit: oops I see from your profile that you went with the stiff flex r7...did you find that this transition worked out for you? I think we may be in the same boat here. Also, did you always play a 9.5 degree launch or did you move down from a 10.5 to a 9.5 when you got the r7 with the stiff shaft...this is another decision i'm trying to make.

I would say that currently I hit my driver the appropriate height. On mishits it does tend to go high, but on good swings when I make good contact I like the height. As you can see from my signature I currently play a Nike driver with a Diamana graphite regular flex shaft. However, as I said I have hit plenty of drivers with stiff shafts (most notably my brother's R7 Quad with a stiff shaft) and I can hit those just fine as well. I see on the link that you posted that the Ozik XCON 5 does come in a regular and firm flex. The website that I am most likely going to be ordering from only lists "stiff" and "regular" as options. I'd love to find a "firm" flex also as I think this is currently the category that I fit into, but I dont think that is doable since these clubs are almost sold old in most locations.

I'm considering picking up an R7 limited at a great deal of $199 before they go out of stock. My question is regarding the shaft options. I have heard very good things about the Matrix Ozik 5.5 stock shaft that it comes with. However, I have heard people say that due to the low kick point of the shaft, the stiff flex tends to feel a bit like a regular flex. I am wondering if anyone here has experience with this club and if they can give me any feedback here. I'd love to go hit the club in person, but none of the golf shops around here carry it since it is last year's model. I tend to fluxuate between regular and stiff flex depending on how my game is going. I'm thinking of picking up the stiff shaft due to the rumors i've heard about it as well as the fact that it will allow me to grow into the shaft as my game improves further and my swing speed improves. Also, I generally play a 10.5 degree with a regular flex shaft. Would it be smart to stick with the 10.5 degree if I pick up the stiff shaft, or should I move down to a 9.5 degree as I've seen a lot of people do with the stiff shaft on this club? Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

Balls - TaylorMade TP red and black, custom numbered. LOVE these balls. Use the blacks in regular conditions and the reds when the weather is more windy. Shoes - without a doubt the most comfortable and best looking paif of shoes I have owned. Would buy 5 more pairs right now...EASILY.

Wedge - also got a 60 degree cleveland for x-mas that my dad hasnt gotten to me yet: Putter:

Irons - just got these last week and LOVE them:

Gonna have to split my bag up into separate posts since I am only allowed 3 images per post right now, but here it is. I'm very happy with most of my bag; hit my driver well but I'm looking to upgrade it when I can afford to. Hopefully to the R9460. Whole Bag: Driver/3wood: Hybrids:

First thing that jumps out at me is that I feel like you have your hands too close in to your body. General rule that I learned and try to stick to is that you should be able to make a "thumbs up" sign with your hand, touch the heel of you hand to your belt and touch the tip of your thumb to the top of your club. I could be wrong but from the few times that i watched both videos I feel that your hands are much closer to your body than this. When I have my hands too close it tends to predispose me to slicing the ball...get those hands in your "power zone" and you'll be good i think. Also, looks to me like you're swinging pretty damn hard...if this isnt full speed then I'd hate to see what is :)

Just got back from playing quick 18 at the local muni...shot 14 over, not great but not bad considering how I was hitting the ball leading up to today. I saw a little clip on youtube basically explaining how to fix your grip in much the same manner that Etzwane is talking about. Basically I made this change to my grip and concentrated on swinging inside-out as I have been practicing lately, and the results were GREAT. I hit my first few drives poorly as I was getting used to the feeling, but after that I think i missed maybe 1 fairway all day. When my driver is going well, generally my other clubs are going great and this was the case today...most of my iron shots were dead on and I even hit a couple nice ones with my 3-wood which has been known to give me problems. Overall I'm very excited about these changes and will be going to the range over the next few days to solidify the corrections I've made. Thanks a ton to everyone who has made suggestions...they are all very helpful.

thanks for the advice Nicky. I've been going to the range trying to groove that inside-out swing for a few weeks here but cant seem to get anything consistent going. I think i'm going to go play 18 today so I'll give what you're saying a try and let you know what happens. Hopefully not to many lost balls :)

Hi guys. I've been playing golf semi-regularly for about 4-5 years. Ever since my lessons about 4-5 years ago I've generally been able to hit a very nice subtle draw (i'm right handed) or hit the ball straight quite consistently. However, about 2 months ago I noticed that I was started to slice a bit with my driver. This progressed all the way down my clubs to the point where I now have a slight fade/slice going with my 7 iron. I am a former athlete and so rely very much on muscle memory when I do any physical activity. My main question here is does anyone have any useful tips on how to start grooving myself a nice subtle draw again or even get back to hitting the ball straight with some consistency? Maybe some drills I can work on at the range? I've noticed that my main problem is that I am now for some reason swinging outside-in, making lots of contact towards the heel of the club resulting in some very ugly slices and an annoying fade when i make good contact. Any help here would be appreciated!

I havent seen them online anywhere yet but I've seen them at proshops all over the place for the past few weeks...I'd try your local course or golf store

Hey how are those new Taylormade Penta balls? Have you gotten a chance to play them yet? Thinking about buying a dozen.

COBRA, COBRA, COBRA, COBRA...great clubs and very forgiving. They feel like pure butter when you hit them and compared to a lot of other irons have a very reasonable price tag. Go with the S2s and you will not be sorry...I just bought the forged version and it's the best money I've ever spent on a golf related item.

bought myself a set of Cobra S2 Forged Irons 4-PW...SOOOOO nice. My dad got me a Cleveland CG12 Mirror Chrome 60 degree Wedge...first lob wedge i've owned so I'm looking forward to using it tomorrow.

I have to second this vote. The Nike DyMo fairway woods are exceptionally easy to hit and feel great. And with the current pricetag of $100 or less you cannot go wrong

havent done too much reading on them but have hit them on the range at a local shop. I hit the AP2s first and loved the way they felt and the way the ball flew coming off of them. Next hit the AP1s and HATED them. The feel was crap compared to the AP2s and I did not hit the ball nearly as well. I'd so go to a local shop and try both to figure out your preference

IMPOSSIBLE to find a better ball than the TaylorMade TP Black/Red for under $30 (they are selling 24 for $55 right now). Hell, I like them better than ProVs so in my opinion it's impossible to find a better ball for any price. Plus you can get them with a custom # for this price which is a nice touch if you're a little superstitious :)

Have to agree that the shaft is a VERY important component of a good driver, but have to disagree about the heads. Having done a lot of recent testing of various drivers by various companies I can very comfortably say that the head can make a huge difference. I have hit so many drivers recently whose heads feel hollow and too light and do not inspire much confidence on contact. And then others like the R9 460 and the Cobra ZL which I have recently tested have much more solid feeling heads with a bit more weight that make you go "ah yes" when you make contact (and obviously the results generally translate from the feel you get).

This sounds like a great idea and an awesome way to get rid of bad tendencies in your swing before they balloon into something very serious. I might have to steal this from you when I purchase my 460

idk about loft. The R9 460 does not have the movable weight technology that the R9 has. It has the adjustable face that you can adjust to neutral, open, or closed as ControlJunkie talks about above.

learn something new every day i guess...good to know