delav

Probably plays a lot like the MP68. Blades are blades.

Outstanding thread and a very refreshing read. Keep up the hard work!

I am confused by why ball speed was used. Once ball speed and launch angle and spin have been controlled, this becomes a lesson in projectile motion and basic physics. A leaving the club at 150 mph at similar launch and spin angles should have little variation regardless of what it was hit with. This testing doesn't really translate into how each clubs performs given a set of input parameters. Also, assuming each club was hit in the dead center, and all are designed against the legal limit of COR, ball speed should translate into near identical smash factors and clubhead speed, shouldn't it? It would be interesting to see what the robot was set at to achieve 150 mph ball speed for each driver, assuming that the lighter drivers would require less input from the machine to achieve the desired ball speed.

Didn't know you could get to scratch by just shelling out money... you should have launched this site years ago ;)

Pretty ironic coming from a guy with his own thread about 7k RPM backspin off the driver. Why be so rude man? There is a ton of valid advise in this thread. For what it's worth, I got down to a 3.1 index with an awful swing. Changing ball position is something that a 0.6 index would likely do on many shots anyways given the desired result.

The suggestion was to keep your head from moving laterally toward the target during the backswing and downswing. Allowing the head to move forward changes the location of the upper center and consequently the bottom of the swing arc in relation to the ball. Keeping the bottom of your swing arm behind the ball will promote a shallower angle of approach and reduce your spin numbers. Perhaps the OP could post a swing video (DTL and FO) and this thread could move into the instruction forum.

Remember that G-Mac won the US open with a 5-year old driver. Many pros hang on to clubs for years once they've found something they trust. Take a look at how many V-Steel fairways you see in players bags who aren't on a full-club endorsement. This isn't to say that improvements in 'modern' clubs are trivial, but that for many accomplished players moving away from a club they know well is a gamble.

To echo what others have said, twilight memberships are a great value (especially for urban public courses). I'm unable to play during the weekday and our course gets very busy on the weekends during normal golf hours. I worked out a deal with the head pro for unlimited golf after 4 pm (all days) and unlimited range for $400. I'll play 5 or 6 holes in the evenings between range sessions, and am able to play 9 or 18 if I plan my time right. I've been able to hit 400+ balls a week and work on my short game quite a bit, and I think it's been very helpful.

I had the 580XD several years ago and replaced it with the R7 425 TP that I am now playing. I much prefer the look and feel of the R7. It sets up slightly open with a nice circular clubhead, and the solid feel provides better feedback than the 580XD. I like the ability to adjust shot bias and swingweight with the weight kit, and I'd recommend finding the full weight kit that came with the TP heads (I bought mine on eBay for $50). I haven't hit the superquad, but it's known to be a great head as well. Also, the TP shafts are worth the extra $ in these clubs unless you plan on being fit for an aftermarket shaft.

As Erik said, that spin you're noticing is due to the shape of the shot. The ball does not fly on a straight path and the release to the left or right, the spin causing that release also causes the ball to move in the air.

This is very unlikely to be a shaft problem. Too stiff a shaft can cause misses to the right (low blocks, pushed and fades) but not high slices as you describe. Good luck in your search for a shaft.

I don't know what shipping is like to Denmark, but you could always have someone stateside purchase a set from eBay and ship them to you.

I agree with this guy, but it would really help to have a video that is shot is a high FPS. The yellow and teal lines are the position on your left arm and clubhead before impact and at/just after impact. Because cameras read top to bottom as they capture, the OP may be generating more lag than is shown in the capture above. With that said, holding the wrist hinge later into impact will help with distance as well as reduce the tendency for hooks and pulls that can result from an early release. Looks like your are working on getting your hips through the ball. Nice! The pull/hook came from a shot where the hips got lazy and the hands took over. Looks like the most solid drives had a good amount of lower body translation toward the target. Other thoughts would be to shorten the backswing. Allowing the wrists to break down and the club to dip past parallel doesn't add any distance or speed, and in some cases can work to reduce extension from the ball.

If ballstriking is still an area in need of improvement, I'd look towards a game improvement or players cavity back. The good news is that with $200-$300 to spend, there are numerous high-quality sets that can be picked up used. Start browsing through the 2000-2009 products from Callaway, TaylorMade, Ping, Cleveland, Titleist, Mizuno, etc... I'd first look around (online or otherwise) to find out which brands of irons fit your eye. Callaways are a bit think and clunky, Pings tend to be more angular, Titleist and Mizuno are more classic looking, etc... Popular irons include the Ping G series (G2, G5, G10, G15), Cleveland CG series (CG Red, CG Gold, CG7, CG7 tour), Mizuno MX and MP series (MX 200, MX 300, MP 57, MP58), Taylormade (rac, R7, R9) and Callaway (X-14, X-16, X-18, X-20, X-22 etc..) Once you've got an idea what you like the looks of, you can begin to find the model that offers the balance of playability and forgiveness based upon your swing and shot types. For what it's worth, I have a set of Titleist DCI 962 (players cavity back) from 2000 with s300 shafts and new Golf Pride New Decade grips that I'd be willing to part with. Really loved these things, but the shafts are too soft.

I've had a shaft fit for my current driver, and the results were marginal but very positive. For the type of change you a seeking, I don't think equipment is the immediate answer. That amount of backspin (4500 rpm) from a 9.5/S driver is excessive. Chances are your angle of attack into the ball is too steep. Given your high clubhead speed, this could easily result in high backspin and ballooning flight. A lower lofted driver and low-launching shaft could fix it, but chances are it's not the right type of fix. If you're serious about the game, take the time to see a professional in your area. Working to improve your swing path, angle of attack and impact positions will improve your results with any driver in your hands. It's not the sexiest answer, but it's probably the best use of $60.

There is a live chat function on that website where you can talk to a representative at Hurricane golf. After skimming the website, I asked a CS person about pricing. The clubs are certified to be 100% authentic, mainly overstocks and closeouts. Seems to be pretty believable as shafts, lofts etc are pretty limited in what they have listed.

The 8-PW is the same as the MBs in my current set. If you feel like you hit the 690s well, the ZBs may not be a huge shock. The mid irons and short irons will be a bit more difficult to hit, but the long irons should be fairly similar to what you're hitting now. If it's a good deal, pick them up!

Try out some sets from Cleveland and Ping too.

Hinging late (as Erik mentioned) could result in a few things not evident from a face-on view. In my case, hinging late also caused me to allow my hands to come out of plane while laying the club off inside... watch out here. Hinging your wrists earlier could likely help set the club on plane and keep your hands lower and closer to you body. Of immediate concern... what kind of range is that? That looks like come real cabbage to be hitting out of!

The set was custom ordered for lie and grip, if I recall correctly.

I have a set of 962s in the basement that I purchased new in 2000. They all have the matching 815CM serial number, 3-PW. While your set may be older or mixed, I doubt there is anything to be concerned over.

Glad you found a set of great clubs at a good deal. Keep track of your scores with the new sticks and post back. There is a ton of helpful technology in modern GI clubs, that wide sole and larger face help account for the fat and otherwise poor strikes. There seems to be a ton of groupthink surrounding blades on this board with mid-handicappers. Perhaps the shots feel different, but I know for certain that if my index were above a 5-7 I'd be playing something other than a muscleback.

Agreed. I'm still playing a TM quad as well. Orienting the weight toward the heel will marginally help square the face, but a 40 yard slice is caused by a swingpath issue.

While I haven't hit the Razr X irons, I have played the Diablo Edge irons when renting a set of clubs recently. They were about as opposite as possible from the clubs I am currently playing, and being standard lie and stiff flex I thought they would be pretty inconsistent. Although I don't enjoy the looks, they clubs performed really well. They are very forgiving, and the gigantic sole saved a few bad swings from the rough. More than anything, these were consistently straight and easy to hit. If you can, I'd try them against the Razr X as well as other irons you like.

I'm revisiting this thread after a recent experience with a bag of rental clubs... My wife and I were on vacation in Napa, CA and she convinced me that it would be silly to pay $50 to bring my clubs along as golf was not part of our vacation plans. However, my uncle is a member at the Silverado Country Club in Napa, and he was itching to play the newly renovated North Course. After new novel, massage appointment (both for wife) and $60 for a bag of rental clubs later I was at the range warming up. The set included Diablo Edge irons (& hybrids) and an Octane driver and fairway. I took a demo R11 from the pro shop for kicks as well, but should have left it in the clubhouse. The Octane was a non-tour version (9.5 degree and stiff flex) and it was an absolute cannon. Long, straight and high, all day long. The head and Project X shaft felt great together, and I hit 9/9 fairways for the day with it. The Diablo irons were a different story however. If the Octane Tour is anything like this club (and hopefully better), I think I'll be playing my first Callaway in years soon.