2018 driver advice wanted (F8+, M series, G400)

[joliver233]

I'm going to do a proper fitting this time around in a month. I have been switching between the LTD Pro and 2016 M2 for the last couple years, but both were ordered after I more or less fit myself. Now, I want to do it right for once.

 

I'm a 2-3 HCP depending on the time of year and am interested in the F8+, G400, M3/M4. First, has anyone hit these three side by side? If you've only hit one, how does that one work for you? Any other drivers (besides the Rogue--I really don't like the look or sound of it) that I should look at? Thanks.

[mdhacker123]

I just went through a 2 month plus process for a driver and the main thing I learned is launch monitor testing they all performed extremely extremely similar. But once outdoors and seeing the ballflight you will get a bigger separation and you will see the difference.

For me: Mizuno ST180, m4, Ping, rogue, cobra

[10of14]

Mizuno GT-180 just hit the market with some descent stock shaft options too. I'm testing the same drivers you are plus the GT.

[joliver233]

I haven't heard much about the new Mizuno driver. Anyone have a good review?

[jasonp87]

Get fit with an open mind. Forget brand etc. Whatever works best even if its rogue get it. With that being said u do have to tollerate it. But you can still order Epic and Epic SZ (to me they both sound and feel better then rogue)

[joliver233]

Get fit with an open mind. Forget brand etc. Whatever works best even if its rogue get it. With that being said u do have to tollerate it. But you can still order Epic and Epic SZ (to me they both sound and feel better then rogue)

 

I really am trying to be open minded. I just want the best combo of look, sound, feel and performance. I know if I don’t like the look sound and feel I’ll likely be looking to replace it after awhile anyways.

[jasonp87]

Very true. Ive been fit twice. Once last year and i was suprised at how much better the epic was then everything else. A good 5mph faster on slight mishits. Perfect strikes were maybe only 1mph faster ballspeed but man did it go anywhere across the face. At first i really didnt like te look but bombing drive after drive i learned to love it.

 

I did a fitting again this year yo try out new tech. Twist face. Milled face and the rogue etc.

 

Nothing came close other then the rogue.

 

Twist face is junk for me. It works but my miss is the small percentage of people who twist face will be detrimental (inside path with a slightly open face) with a slight toe side biased. Made my pushes into push fades.

 

Cobra had some awesome feel and performance but nothing crazy. They also have a minor twisg face that just doesnt work for my game.

 

Cally rogue sz was close. But it was the same thing as my epic sz. Except i prefered the sound and look to my epic over the rogue. Performance and forgiveness were identical.

 

Ping and titleist i never got along with as they spin too much. Feel and sound good but no matter what thry spun too much. Even the g400 lst and 917 d3.

 

I didnt get to hit the new mizzy.

[dgp17]

I've played the 2016 M1 since it came out. I use a GD Tour AD DI 6X at 44.25". It is a great driver--very long, but i've struggled with left and right misses for the last few months. I decided I was going to get a new driver for the 2018 season.

 

My friend has a G400 and I hit it at the range the other day. It setup better than any driver I'd ever stood over. I hit it straighter than my M1 so I decided I would look into getting fit for a G400.

 

Taylormade put on a M3/M4 fitting this weekend and I decided to go. I probably hit 20 balls with the M3, and was fitted with the Tensei White 70X. It was very long. My avg, normal SS is around 105, and it maxes around 109-110. On the GC4 I carried one 280, total 308. My average was 268 carry, 290 total. I preferred the feel of the M4 more, but my number and dispersion was much better with the M3. Re: Twist Face- I hit two balls that were high off the toe side of the face. Right when I hit them I knew they were heading way left. Both of them resulted in high draws right down the middle, and both of them were almost normal distance (280 total). I though the Twist Face was a gimmick, but I truly believe in it after seeing those shots.

 

After getting fitted, I went and grabbed a Ping G400 off the shelf. I got the LST version in 10*, with the Tour 65X shaft. I hit five shots with it, then another five with the M3. The M3 was 10 yards longer, and much straighter than the G400. It hit one toe shot with the G400 that went left--like I thought it would when I struck it. And, for sake of comparison, the Tour 65X provided almost identical launch (14*) and spin numbers (2100)--so it would have been my fitted shaft, just like the Tensei in the M3.

 

I will be buying a M3 this year. The distance was great, but the selling point was the toe shots resulting in high draws. That doesn't happen with my M1, and it didn't happen with the G400 either.

[SoonerChris]

These are the same drivers (M3/M4, G400s, F8+) plus the Rogue and 917s I'm planning on hitting when I get fit in about a month. I had meniscus surgery last Thursday so I'm gonna need to wait a little for the fitting. The golf course that the Native American tribe I work for has Trackman but unfortunately has dropped Mizuno so I won't be able to hit the GT/ST180.

 

I'm currently hitting a 2016 M1 and it's been a great driver for me. I'm hoping to add some distance with this year's new tech. As well, I'm thinking of starting with the Super Speed Golf trainer.

 

I can agree with the previous posts to keep an open mind when getting fit and don't concentrate on brands. Another tip, be ready to hit a LOT of balls. My mistake on my last driver fitting was I got fit for irons in the same session. I was crazy tired when I got to the driver fitting and don't think I was swinging my best.

[Cruisin1966]

My plan (over a span of a week or two before summer) is to choose from the drivers (some I already have) listed below.

 

In Possession

==========

Ping 400 LST

Taylormade M1 440

Wilson Staff FG Tour F5

King F7+

Mizuno JPX900

Callaway XR16 Pro SubZero

 

Supplied by fitters

=============

Mizuno ST180

Taylormade M3/M4

Wilson Staff C300

King F8/F8+

Callaway Rogue/Rogue SZ

[joliver233]

I guess the only brand bias I have comes from what’s looked, sounded, felt and performed the best for me in the past. I’ve heard both theories re fittings: one is to go in with an open mind and go with what performs best. Another is to have a few in mind that you like the look sound and feel of first because they can more or less max out performance with just about any driver in a fitting. Not sure what anyone will have to say about that but just two lines of thinking I’ve heard.

[Brooks_Cupcake]

I've played the 2016 M1 since it came out. I use a GD Tour AD DI 6X at 44.25". It is a great driver--very long, but i've struggled with left and right misses for the last few months. I decided I was going to get a new driver for the 2018 season.

 

My friend has a G400 and I hit it at the range the other day. It setup better than any driver I'd ever stood over. I hit it straighter than my M1 so I decided I would look into getting fit for a G400.

 

Taylormade put on a M3/M4 fitting this weekend and I decided to go. I probably hit 20 balls with the M3, and was fitted with the Tensei White 70X. It was very long. My avg, normal SS is around 105, and it maxes around 109-110. On the GC4 I carried one 280, total 308. My average was 268 carry, 290 total. I preferred the feel of the M4 more, but my number and dispersion was much better with the M3. Re: Twist Face- I hit two balls that were high off the toe side of the face. Right when I hit them I knew they were heading way left. Both of them resulted in high draws right down the middle, and both of them were almost normal distance (280 total). I though the Twist Face was a gimmick, but I truly believe in it after seeing those shots.

 

After getting fitted, I went and grabbed a Ping G400 off the shelf. I got the LST version in 10*, with the Tour 65X shaft. I hit five shots with it, then another five with the M3. The M3 was 10 yards longer, and much straighter than the G400. It hit one toe shot with the G400 that went left--like I thought it would when I struck it. And, for sake of comparison, the Tour 65X provided almost identical launch (14*) and spin numbers (2100)--so it would have been my fitted shaft, just like the Tensei in the M3.

 

I will be buying a M3 this year. The distance was great, but the selling point was the toe shots resulting in high draws. That doesn't happen with my M1, and it didn't happen with the G400 either.

 

Two complete different profile shafts. One is $100! and the other is $400 made of premium materials and boron tipping. One shaft was Untipped and the other was tipped 1”....throw a Tensei CK Pro in the G400 and I bet that those numbers tighten up....

[malamig]

I have always been someone that was drawn to Titleist purely from an aesthetics standpoint, but after 3 swings on the golf course with g400, i called our local ping rep and ordered one. It was like playing a video game with the point and shoot ability of the driver. Its not the longest driver, but because of how straight it is you can swing a little harder to make up for that lost distance. It is also the best feeling driver I have ever hit. The feedback is like that of a well struck iron shot. I've also played around with the Mizuno st-180 and even in the soft fairways after a rainstorm It was just as long as any driver i've hit in the summer time and I currently have both in the bag waiting for the fairways to dry out a bit to give it some fair testing.

[Boricua Golf]

2016 M2 is a straight beast!!!, the G series (ok I am a bit biased, see sig, I also have the G400 LST club head) are very forgiving and the same can be said about the G400 series especially the new G400 Max...in the end play whatever gives you the best chance to find fairway with optimal performance...

[WidespreadPanic]

My plan (over a span of a week or two before summer) is to choose from the drivers (some I already have) listed below.

 

In Possession

==========

Ping 400 LST

Taylormade M1 440

Wilson Staff FG Tour F5

King F7+

Mizuno JPX900

Callaway XR16 Pro SubZero

 

Supplied by fitters

=============

Mizuno ST180

Taylormade M3/M4

Wilson Staff C300

King F8/F8+

Callaway Rogue/Rogue SZ

Professional wrx'er here.

[Cruisin1966]

My plan (over a span of a week or two before summer) is to choose from the drivers (some I already have) listed below.

 

In Possession

==========

Ping 400 LST

Taylormade M1 440

Wilson Staff FG Tour F5

King F7+

Mizuno JPX900

Callaway XR16 Pro SubZero

 

Supplied by fitters

=============

Mizuno ST180

Taylormade M3/M4

Wilson Staff C300

King F8/F8+

Callaway Rogue/Rogue SZ

Professional wrx'er here.

 

Trying to catch up after a ten year hiatus. LOL

 

In all honesty, if you have a fitter with a proper selection of shafts, you can probably do equally well with any of the manufacturers. The one thing I'm still struggling with is the size of the new drivers. My last driver was smaller (Nike Forged Titanium 400cc) which is why I've migrated more to the drivers in the 440-445cc range (G400 LST/M1/XR16). Aesthetics aside, I should probably just pick one and get it dialed in.

[joliver233]

My plan (over a span of a week or two before summer) is to choose from the drivers (some I already have) listed below.

 

In Possession

==========

Ping 400 LST

Taylormade M1 440

Wilson Staff FG Tour F5

King F7+

Mizuno JPX900

Callaway XR16 Pro SubZero

 

Supplied by fitters

=============

Mizuno ST180

Taylormade M3/M4

Wilson Staff C300

King F8/F8+

Callaway Rogue/Rogue SZ

Professional wrx'er here.

 

Trying to catch up after a ten year hiatus. LOL

 

In all honesty, if you have a fitter with a proper selection of shafts, you can probably do equally well with any of the manufacturers. The one thing I'm still struggling with is the size of the new drivers. My last driver was smaller (Nike Forged Titanium 400cc) which is why I've migrated more to the drivers in the 440-445cc range (G400 LST/M1/XR16). Aesthetics aside, I should probably just pick one and get it dialed in.

 

This is kind of what I’m getting at. Can’t they make just about anything perform comparably with the right shaft/head combo? If that’s the case, why wouldn’t you get the head you liked the best in terms of look, sound and feel? Just curious. On the other hand, has anyone gone into a fitting blind and found something that was currently on their radar that performed head and shoulders better than every other driver?

[Cruisin1966]

You have to try them for the feel (more so) and sound (less so) aspect. So far, of the ones I've listed, the shape looks fine (to me).

 

In my case, it's just excitement getting back to a game I love. Bonus that I can try and hit as many of these as humanly possible. Lol

[Diesel_z06]

Just did the same thing and hit basically everything, like most people say all these club heads are so close really numbers wise. I ended up with an F8+ solely due to the fact that the feeling off the face is amaaaaazing, it’s just a comfortable driver to setup and the feel was off the charts for me. I’ll give up a couple yards for preferred sound/feel tbh.

[B-Nads]

Just did the same thing and hit basically everything, like most people say all these club heads are so close really numbers wise. I ended up with an F8+ solely due to the fact that the feeling off the face is amaaaaazing, it's just a comfortable driver to setup and the feel was off the charts for me. I'll give up a couple yards for preferred sound/feel tbh.

 

Same here. I really like the G400 line, and the Callaways are great, but I preferred the feel of the Cobra F8+ by far, and my contacts were much more consistent on the face with it, giving me better flights and a little more distance than the Epic. Can't go wrong either way, but I love the Cobras.

[joliver233]

Just did the same thing and hit basically everything, like most people say all these club heads are so close really numbers wise. I ended up with an F8+ solely due to the fact that the feeling off the face is amaaaaazing, it's just a comfortable driver to setup and the feel was off the charts for me. I'll give up a couple yards for preferred sound/feel tbh.

 

Yeah, that's the direction I'm leaning right now. Find the head that sets up the best to my eye, feels the best, and sounds the best then try to max it out with the right shaft. I figure if I go somewhere with a ton of shaft options, I'll be able to get close to max performance regardless of the head I like. That being said, I'm trying to open my mind a little. In the past I was just a TM driver guy and played those for years, but have found some success with LTD Pro, GBB Alpha, and also with the 2016 M2. Never have I ever considered this any brands, but again if I don't like the look and feel of something, I'll likely be tempted to replace it regardless of performance. Who knows though, if it performs well I might start to love the look and feel of it. Just have to wait and see.

[IL2AZ]

I have been consistently getting 2 or 3 mph more ballspeed than my 16 M2 with a Tensei PO with the Ping G400 LST with the Tour 65 shaft. Something about that combo times up well with my swing. Everything else seems to produce slightly lower ball speed. Not crazy about the crown of the G400 but can't argue with the numbers and elite forgiveness of it. Feel is pretty good as well.

[joliver233]

I have been consistently getting 2 or 3 mph more ballspeed than my 16 M2 with a Tensei PO with the Ping G400 LST with the Tour 65 shaft. Something about that combo times up well with my swing. Everything else seems to produce slightly lower ball speed. Not crazy about the crown of the G400 but can't argue with the numbers and elite forgiveness of it. Feel is pretty good as well.

 

Nice. I would really like to find something like that. That's the goal of the fitting. I think the hardest part for me will be to get over the shaft bias I have. I have an idea of which brands and models fit me (ie- low spin, low launch), so I'm interested to see what the fitter suggests. My main issue has been accuracy, not distance over the years, and I don't know nearly enough about shaft profiles (tip stiffness, butt stiffness, torque, kickpoint, etc) to fit myself accurately. Again, I have an idea, but I'm likely wrong. What will tick me off a bit is if the fitter suggests a shaft that I already had my eye on with a head I already liked. That would seem like a huge waste of money to me.

[joliver233]

Anyone have any reviews or notes about some of the new drivers now that they're out?