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Favorite Oversized Persimmon Driver?


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Well, I bought a TaylorMade M1 and have never felt so uninspired after purchasing a new club. Yes it goes further than my previous Cleveland Classic Custom XL but it also looks like a child’s Fisher-Price golf club because it is so comically big. I play and older course built in the early 1950’s and I’m now thinking “why am I trying to get the longest driver I can buy?” The experience and sensation of a well struck shot with a club I enjoy looking at is much more important.

 

So, I think it is time for a persimmon driver. Now, I’d like something a little larger and am wondering what everyone’s favorite oversized persimmon driver is. I’ve been leaning towards a Wood Bros Corker or Kool Cat or a Peerless Pete.

 

What else would you guys recommend along these lines?

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For oversized wood, though not persimmon, I'd go ping. For deep faced persimmon, though not oversized, I'd look at the Penna Jupiter Slugger or Hogan Commemorative.

 

That ain’t no bs from bs OP.

I was thinking the best oversized I’d ever played was the Ping Maple Laminate Blond Zing, and, looking in the garage at the Hogan ‘53 Commemorative, I was thinking,”Dang this head looks BIG.”

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My favorite oversized persimmon would be the Peerless Petes.I bought my set of Driver, 3 Wood

and 5 Wood (TTDG S-300 shafts - not the graphite ones) in February 1993, not knowing they

would basically end up being the last game improvement persimmon wood sets ever offered........

 

The 5 wood never came out of the bag until I started playing hickory only.

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For oversized wood, though not persimmon, I'd go ping. For deep faced persimmon, though not oversized, I'd look at the Penna Jupiter Slugger or Hogan Commemorative.

 

That aint no bs from bs OP.

I was thinking the best oversized Id ever played was the Ping Maple Laminate Blond Zing, and, looking in the garage at the Hogan 53 Commemorative, I was thinking,Dang this head looks BIG.

I've looked at the Zing woods many times, nearly bought a set last year. Might need to revisit them.

 

 

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dee-

 

You're going to have to decide between wood (persimmon vs. laminated) and metal (cally, tm, cobra)

 

A number of golf clubs from yesteryear can be had for little more than a song, to say nothing of the Goodwill and Salvation Army bunch.

 

Kept my little 19 degree TaylorMade Tour Cleek II in the bag for almost 30 years.

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dee-

 

You're going to have to decide between wood (persimmon vs. laminated) and metal (cally, tm, cobra)

 

A number of golf clubs from yesteryear can be had for little more than a song, to say nothing of the Goodwill and Salvation Army bunch.

 

Kept my little 19 degree TaylorMade Tour Cleek II in the bag for almost 30 years.

Yeah, I'm not looking for any particular brand and don't have a preference for laminate or persimmon, just want something slightly oversized.

 

What I love about the Hogan Ft. Worths is they aren't really blades but they aren't cavity backs either. But they are clubs that I just want to pick up and play. I don't even think about if they are forgiving or not. What does it matter. The only way I'm gonna improve (currently a 10.9 cap) is practice. I'm just burned out on golf tech. It never ends.

 

I love looking at a beautiful set of irons like the Ft. Worths and then the feeling of hitting pured shots adds to the enjoyment. I'd like to have something similar in my woods. Works of art you can play.

 

 

 

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There's always the Louisville Golf Smart Driver. Plenty of them pop up on fleabay, here and there.

The Ever Changing Bag!  A lot of mixing and matching
Driver: TM 300 Mini 11.5*, 43.5", Phenom NL 60X -or- Cobra SpeedZone, ProtoPype 80S, 43.5"

Fwy woods: King LTD 3/4, Rogue Black 75X -or- TM Stage 2 Tour 3w, NV105 X -or- TEE E8 Beta 12*, Rogue Silver 70X
Hybrid:  Cobra King Tec 2h, MMT 80 S -or- TEE CBX 17*, HZRDUS 85 6.0

2 iron:  Arias D-23, Modus3 120 S; Mizuno MP-20 HMB, NS Pro 950 R

Irons grab bag:  1-PW Golden Ram TW276, NV105 S; 1-PW Golden Ram TW282, RIP Tour 115 R; 2-PW Golden Ram Vibration Matched, NS Pro 950WF S; testing: Arias D-23 5i w/Modus 120 S
Wedges:  Dynacraft Dual Millled 52*, SteelFiber i125 S -or- Scratch 8620 DD 53*, SteelFiber i125 S; Cobra Snakebite 56* -or- Wilson Staff PMP 58*, Dynamic S -or- Ram TW282 SW -or- Ram TW276 SW
Putter:  Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1, 34" -or- Cleveland Huntington Beach #1, 34.5" -or- Golden Ram TW Custom, 34" -or- Rife Bimini, 34" -or- Maxfli TM-2, 35"
Balls: Chrome Soft, Kirkland Signature 3pc (v3), Wilson Triad

Grip preference: various GripMaster leather options or Star Grip Sidewinders of assorted colors

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If your willing to consider a laminate I highly recommend the old Ping Zings.

All Forged, all the time.
The Sets that see regular playing time...
67 Spalding Top-Flite Professional, Cleveland Classic Persimmon Driver, 3 & 4 Spalding Top-Flite Persimmon Woods, TPM Putter.
71 Wilson Staff Button Backs, Wilson System 3000 Persimmon Driver, 3 & 5 Woods, Wilson Sam Snead Pay-Off Putter.
95 Snake Eyes S&W Forged, Snake Eyes 600T Driver, Viper MS 18* & 21* Woods, 252 & 258 Vokeys, Golfsmith Zero Friction Putter.
2015 Wilson Staff FG Tour F5, TaylorMade Superfast Driver, 16.5* Fairway, & 21* Hybrid, Harmonized SW & LW, Tour Edge Feel2 Putter.

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So one question I should ask as I’ve had a few wood woods in my life, but not many; Is a deep faced persimmon driver like the Hogan Commemorative and the Macgregor M09 similar in size to other drivers of the era, just with a larger face?

 

And, were the Wood Bros, Peerless Pete, Ping Zing and other wooden head drivers of the late 80’s and early 90’s larger all over?

 

 

So I guess what I’m asking, is a Oversized Persimmon head (late 80’s/early 90’s) bigger than a deep faced persimmon head (50’s-early 80’s)

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The MacGregor Jumbo M09 gets a lot of love around here. It's super classic looking, very cool, and very big.

 

Anyone say Jumbo Persimmons? I would add my Wilson Whale Laminated 2.8 Firestick and that I am currently gaming my Powell PT1W and Cleveland Crenshaw 300S. Also have Mizuno S/SII Pro drivers from early 2000s and the Nike Red Tour that are as close to persimmon as titanium ever got. Furthermore, a couple weeks ago my wife bought me SC200 launch monitor and my numbers are all within 10 yards. The Crenshaw and Mizuno SII Pro have the best smash factors of 1.49 so far.

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Left to right,

Ben Hogan 1953 Commemorative , Peerless Pete, Proto Peerless Pete head

 

As seen, the unshafted Peerless Pete is much larger with shallower face.

 

wkuo3

 

They are, this is why I always liked them. They are a modern version of the hickory era dreadnought woods, shallow

and wide/big. 3 wood tougher to hit off the ground, but I got 3 wood distance from the 5 wood off the ground in the day.

3 wood great off tee however........

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Left to right,

Ben Hogan 1953 Commemorative , Peerless Pete, Proto Peerless Pete head

 

As seen, the unshafted Peerless Pete is much larger with shallower face.

 

wkuo3

 

They are, this is why I always liked them. They are a modern version of the hickory era dreadnought woods, shallow

and wide/big. 3 wood tougher to hit off the ground, but I got 3 wood distance from the 5 wood off the ground in the day.

3 wood great off tee however........

 

The B.H. Commemorative is a deep faced driver, like the Cleveland I used to play.

The Shafted Peerless Pete has a wider body , more like the metal woods which took over in the early 80's/ Never could hit that driver well for more than a round, think it has to do with the graphite shaft ( the E.I. 70 which I loved in a metal wood ).

The unfinished Peerless Pete has an even wider body with longer and shallower face, just like a modern 3 wood.

I believe this head was never in production and was a proto type at the time when everyone went to metal heads.

 

I don't believe I'll ever finish the driver by staining it and shafting it...... the wood grain is quite beautiful , although can't see it well from that picture.

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The MacGregor Jumbo M09 gets a lot of love around here. It's super classic looking, very cool, and very big.

 

Anyone say Jumbo Persimmons? I would add my Wilson Whale Laminated 2.8 Firestick and that I am currently gaming my Powell PT1W and Cleveland Crenshaw 300S. Also have Mizuno S/SII Pro drivers from early 2000s and the Nike Red Tour that are as close to persimmon as titanium ever got. Furthermore, a couple weeks ago my wife bought me SC200 launch monitor and my numbers are all within 10 yards. The Crenshaw and Mizuno SII Pro have the best smash factors of 1.49 so far.

 

There is a spectacular looking Macgregor M09 LFF on eBay for $600! Wow, I knew some of these vintage woods were collectible but damn.

 

I’m enjoying admiring all this old wood!

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wkuo-

 

" don;t believe I'l ever finish the driver by staining it and shafting it...... the wood grain is quite beautiful , although can;t see it well from that picture. "

 

"Then it was never here."

 

Yes, I agree, it should be played.

 

So I wiped the raw wood with a wet towel to show some of the grain. Not as pretty as the real staining could show but.

 

I would stain the head and shaft it up with whipping and play it , maybe 20-30 years ago. Right now if I play this head , would be a waste in motion by an old golfer. It probably deserves better. Plus, I really believe this head was a prototype which was never in production. It looks more like the lines and size of the Wood Brother driver without the core. It's a solid block of persimmon.

 

I'm a guardian so to speak. Same goes for a couple of persimmon heart wood putter heads. Each time I wanted to shaft them up for play, changed my mind by looking at 30 + putters in the spare bags. All of them are nice putters including a few Scotty C. one is brand new........

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The Wood Bros Kool Cat is King because:

 

1 - It's large - the faces being close to the size of a current metal wood face.

 

2 - the face insert protects practically the entire face - little-to-no ball contact with wood.

 

3 - the standard graphite shaft in them makes them 461/2" - a modern driver length.

 

4 - they are under priced

 

5 - they are usually in pristine condition

 

6 - they are fairly plentiful

 

7 - they are the last persimmon model released by the last great persimmon driver maker - the last PGA major won with a persimmon driver from Wood Bros.

 

Texsport

Mizuno GT180 10.5*/Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 5 X
Tour Edge Exotics CB F2 PRO 15.5* Limited/Speeder 757 EVO 7.1X (Gene Sauers club)
Titleist 915 18*/Fubuki K 80X
Titleist 913 Hybrid 21*/Tour Blue 105X (Matt Jones' club) (OR) TM Burner 4-iron/Aldila RIP 115 Tour S
Wilson Staff V4 5 and 6/Aerotech Fibersteel 110 S
MacGregor PRO M 7-PM/Aldila RIP 115 Tour S
Edel 50*/KBS 610 S
Scratch JMO Grind Don White 56*/DG X-100
Cobra Trusty Rusty Tour 64*/DG S-200
The Cure CX2 putter

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Tex-

 

6 - They are fairly plentiful*

 

*RH ones....

 

Can't get past the yellow or hot pink and shape.

 

And deejaid thought his club looked like a child's Fisher-Price.

 

 

I was searching strictly for a natural finished Kool Cat, although a red one is on eBay in really nice shape but just can’t do the bright finish. I’m not really sure if I like the Kool Cat shape or not. I just though it would be cool to try 1990’s era “persimmon tech” with the corked head.

 

Unfortunately my experience with persimmon woods have been poorly kept examples that I learned on, literally falling apart (insert flying down range), so I don’t have fond memories of playing persimmon. I do want to experience it though and want to get a few different size and shape wood heads for some variety.

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