rlgosnell

so as far as the questions. I hit different lofts and different shafts of the drivers we narrowed it down to. It wasnt at Golfsmith or GG, but whatever. As far as the cost it was $100. And Im fine with that. As far as the BS about smash factor - all I can say is what was on the screen. I do know that I went out to the range yesterday and was hitting the ball with the same 3/4 swing and the ball was going the same distance as my old G10. My trajectory seemed similar coming off the club but I noticed a difference in the ball flight from there. It didnt have that rise and fall that looks like it went a long way, but ends up being 225 yards. The ball would start descending more slowly I guess is how I would describe it. Im glad so many people here are 'experts' on fitting.

I just spent part of two separate days getting fit for my new Ping I15 and I must say not only did I learn a lot about the clubs I liked and didn't like, but I learned a great deal about my swing. My driver SS is usually around 105 mph which is around what I was swinging the first day. I was generating a ton of backspin and my smash factor was around 1.2 with lots of inconsistency in my shot dispersion. I was able to dial my swing back and focus more on activating my hands in my swing. I dialed my SS back to around 95 mph but my smash factor jumped up to 1.50 and i was able to hit a much tighter grouping. The feedback was tremendous and allowed me to simply make swings and follow the data to my new driver. After hitting just about every driver in the store the finalists were the i15, FT Tour, Cobra S2 and Nike VR. Initially I didnt think I would have enough game for drivers like the i15 and FT Tour but I ended up hitting them really well as my biggest issue was reducing backspin. I went into the second fitting really wanting the FT Tour to work for me bc I liked the impact sound the best, but it just wasnt quite right for me. It was a little shorter than the other 3 and it just didnt seem to be as forgiving as the other 3. The Cobra and Nike were very good for me, but I just didnt like the sound of the Cobra and I wasnt paying for the adjustability of the Nike VR (bc I dont really believe in it). In the end the i15 was not only the best looking driver I lined up, it was the best performing for me. It had the most distance and the tightest shot dispersion with the most consistent launch conditions. The fade bias was not an issue even though I struggle with a block. Everything was right on line with a slight fade. What sealed the deal was after hitting for almost 2 hours with at least a dozen drivers I hit the i15 (it was also the very first I hit) again at the end and it was just as good as it was to begin the session. Long story short, there are plenty of good and great drivers out there. The best thing any golfer can do is GET FIT and go into it with an open mind - if you want the best performance for your game. It's informative and fun and you get instant, precise feedback. If you live in Houston I know of a great fitter that can help you find the right club for you.

The best thing you can do is get fit. Get on a good LM and hit balls with different drivers. As far as your TM's gadgetry causing you to want to work the ball - try some drivers that aren't adjustable. I15, FT9, and the Cobras are all good. I just purchased an i15 and it was definitely not the driver I thought Id be walking out with. I didn't think I would have enough game for that stick, but in the end it was by far the best one i hit - and that was after a 2 day fitting.

PAL 4. Understated. No glare. No inserts. No frills.

I have an FT 3H and it is easy to hit. By definition though all hybrids are going to be easy to hit when compared with long irons. It's what they are made for. The best thing you can do is hit as many different ones as possible and narrow down your search to several that you like and then go get fit for one. If you dont have a place that will fit you (and Im not talking about Golfsmith or GG) then your best bet is to find a range or course with demo clubs and hit some of those on the range. Hybrid tech hasnt changed in the past few years so you could get a club used that's a year or two old fairly reasonably priced.

i use the gorilla grip and a microfiber towel. Honestly if you get a good MF towel it makes a world of difference. They absorb so much more moisture than a reg towel. Another option if you dont liek the feel of MF is to go to an auto parts store and get a chamois or a Cham-Wow. Theyre softer and soak up moisture well. just use them before each hole. No pun intended.

dont know if youre a PING guy, but these might be another option. http://www.ping.com/clubs/wedgesdetail.aspx?id=8408