Drivers for Beginners

[tigermj]

Hi,

 

I would like to know which of the current driver for Taylormade right now would be best if I am just a Beginner.

 

Should I go with R5 dual o go ahead and try out the R7 series.

 

 

Thanks.

[AUDuffer]

Is there a reason you are looking just for a TM product? You shouldn't limit yourself to one brand based on its reputation, but consider every possible driver to find the one that fits you best.

 

 

 

If it's TM you might want to check out the r7 460 unless you're looking at an older model of r7...

[lysaght68]

You really can't go wrong with TM drivers, of the choices you listed the R5 Dual and R7HT are very easy to hit well and since they're a bit older you should be able to find one or both brand new (or slightly used) for around $200 or less with a little patience and research (EBAY), and if you fight a slice the R5 Dual Draw biased would probably work well for you. The only thing I would add is that if accuracy is your primary goal as a beginner I have found that the higher the loft the easier it is to hit straight, so unless you're quite strong and/or maximum distance is your goal I'd recommend choosing a 10.5 degree loft or higher. Good luck.

[MrParr1Noid]

Hi,

 

I would like to know which of the current driver for Taylormade right now would be best if I am just a Beginner.

 

Should I go with R5 dual o go ahead and try out the R7 series.

 

 

Thanks.

 

What do you like, and how much money do you have to spend. You could also try out the various Taylor Made drivers and see for yourself which one you like or which one fits your game. Asking 15,000 plus members on here will more than likely get you somewhere around 15,000 different solutions. :cheesy:

 

Going somewhere for a driver fitting would be the least expensive and most productive solution in the long run.

Have fun looking for that perfect fit. :)

[Titleist87]

You should probably start with a high lofted driver. Up to 12 or 13 degrees. Not ever company makes one is these lofts but it will be nothing but a benefit to a beginning golfer.

[abewley]

COBRA

[Carter]

You will hit more fairways and longer distances with a 3 wood. Don't make the mistake of using a driver and slicing it all over the place. Heed to the recommendation of thousands of teaching pros, "forget the driver and use a higher lofted club, like a 3 or 5 wood".

 

I remember when i first started and followed this advice and boy was i glad cause it made the game more enjoyable when you're hitting it from the short grass. You're time will come when you will have all your swing mechanics in place and then you will need to upgrade to a driver. But for a biginner, use your three wood for at least a year or two. Don't rush into this.

[Eazy_B97]

What's a good loft for a beginner 3-wood? Any suggestion for those? This may sound funny, but the smaller head makes me feel less confident. How much distance do you usually lose from a Driver to 3-wood? Is it straighter because it doesn't go as far, or for some other reason?

 

Sorry, Lots of questions, I've been considering dropping down to a 3-wood or grabbing a new higher lofted Driver, and I'm a beginner as well.

[NikeTaylormade891]

If you a looking for a Taylormade, try the r580xd. Go to your Dicks Sporting Goods and they have XDs with for 149 with a new fujikara hyper-lite shaft. This club won't disappoint. It is 440cc I tink, bigger than 2 of the 3 r7s. Screw the weights, get the XD for A LOT LESS! :golfer:

[kkhere]

I would look at the Ping G5 and the Cobra speed series, both stupid easy to hit

[Carter]

Get the standard 3 wood which is 15 deg.

Distance wise, if you're a biginner, you will hit your driver and 3 wood about the same. Distance lost from the driver is because you are not hitting it the right way. Your swing mechanics are still not sound to be able to tell a big difference between the two. Also, since the driver creates more spin than a 3 wood, you tend to baloon your driver shots more often and lose distance that way too...

 

I'm doing the same thing with my wife right now. She's a biginner as well (2 yrs) and i'm still not confident buying her a driver. She's hitting her 3 wood very straight and long. So why change anything now. I might get her a driver maybe next year. Some of you might say, 2yrs is still a biginner? You bet. It takes lots of practice and years before you get really good at this game.

[Eazy_B97]

Okay great, I'm just starting me second year this season. I can hit my driver fairly far, and am a little worried about losing distance if I move to a 3W. I'll try and get out this weekend and give some a go though. I have a 16* no-name Hybrid, which has given me nothing, but trouble, so I've been reluctant to go to any woods. I took it out of my bag towards the end of the season and have started using it on the range this season as a 3W, but it still scares the hell out of me.

 

I can't wait till exams are over (Friday) then I can get some real practice/playing time in.

[lysaght68]

I would like to politely and respectfully disagree with the 3 wood first theory. I do not believe that sub 200 cc wood heads are easier to hit well than the higher lofted 400+ cc drivers available today. The difference in sweetspot size between any of the 460 cc drivers and any fairway wood I've ever seen is huge. I do believe that it is easier to hit higher lofted clubs straight and there are quite a few big titanium drivers available in the 12-15 degree loft range for beginners and those with slower swing speeds. Eazy_B97 mentioned that the smaller heads on 3 woods make him feel less confident, I've been playing 10 years and I still feel that way. I will certainly admit that using a 3 wood first may ultimately be beneficial to the new player, similar to learning the game with blade irons as opposed to using large cavity back irons initially, but I suspect that most new golfers would find greater initial success with a high lofted 460 cc driver.

[kenfuji]

I would go with a used 11-13* 400-460cc driver. and a 4wd over a 3wd all used of course.

[dfung]

I also support the 3 wood recommendation. The big difference here is that the shaft of a 3 wood is much shorter than a driver (usually 2") and the shorter shaft will be much easier to swing on the proper plane when you're starting out. When you find a good swing plane and make solid contact on the 3 wood, you'll be surprised at how far you can hit it. The smaller head might look harder to hit than the big driver head, but the greater loft means less side spin when you make contact open or closed and much less hook or slice (the vector component of "proper" backspin is higher with higher loft which overcomes the sideways spin component - this is why it's easier to hit a short iron straight than a long one, too).

 

If you're not making solid contact on the sweet spot of both driver and 3 wood, then the driver is easier to hit because it has a much bigger sweet spot, but you really want to focus on building a solid swing and that will almost certainly happen with the 3 wood.

[hungrymarine]

I would have to agree with Lysaght68 that it is much easier to hit a driver these days than a 3 wood. The technology that goes into drivers far surpasses that of any fairway wood.

 

With offerings like high lofts, offset, draw bias weight, low COG, and high MOI; anyone should be able to find a suitable driver.

 

Just don't rush out and buy a driver that your favorite pro uses and expect it to perform for you without a lot of practice.

 

A big part of the game of the game is confidence. If you can't get the ball into play from the tee, it can create all kind of mental mistakes on the following shots. This can be a disaster for a beginner, and he might be frustrated and give up on the game altogether. While using a fairway wood from the tee might teach some good fundamentals, I think the mental part of hitting a playable 2nd shot from the fairway is more important. It is also highly unlikely that a beginner will hitting a driver 250+ yards through the fairway. Most likely, he will be hitting it initially the same distance that an experienced player will be hitting a fairway wood.

 

Basically I think you need to make the game enjoyable. Nothing is more satisifying that a good drive from the tee. If this makes the beginner come back for more and learn the other aspects of the game, this is better in the long run.

[dcorun]

I suggest you go someplace that has a Launch Monitor and a good fitter and let them do they're magic. They usually add the charge of the fitting to the purchase of a new club and it's worth it. You'll at least have a better idea what to look for in loft, shaft flex, etc... when buying. :golfer: