J13's WITB: Update- FUJIKURA AXIOM

[collje26]

3 hours ago, J13 said:

 

 

SIM 2 Max is a good stick but seems a little more draw bias than SIM Max.  One thing i wish TM did was make the drivers flatter in lie angle or at least the ability to make it flatter.

Sounds like I might be opting for the g425 max or LST. If it ain't broke........

[J13]

2 hours ago, collje26 said:

Sounds like I might be opting for the g425 max or LST. If it ain't broke........

 

 

haha maybe.  I will say when i put my shaft in at 45" the lie angle is better but still not where I want it.  With that said if the SIM2 performs better the lie angle wouldn't prevent me from putting it in the bag.  There are ways around that 😎

[FAbb]

20 hours ago, J13 said:

As of now I don't have any plans for a shootout style testing.  Because I prefer testing on course, it's hard to test more than 2-3 heads at a time.  You can only stand on a tee box swapping shafts and settings for so long before groups catch up to you haha.  The G400LST was a great stick but I've seen the opposite.  The 410LST was more stable for me and seemed to spin a shade more.  Also remember you can always swap a lighter rear weight to bring swing weight down. I usually do that with all of my Ping heads so I can add melt and get my desired swing weight.  I haven't gotten the TSI3 driver on course yet but look forward to it.

 

I didn't think to go look up the head weights until now. 

 

Titleist doesn't post head weight specs that I could find, but it seems like the TS series were stock in the 195'ish gram range.  Have you done any in your shop that you can confirm? 

 

The 410 LST stock weight is 208g according to PING.  The head I purchased apparently had 3g of melt added, pushing it up over 210g.  I'd have to take the sliding weight out altogether, just to get it down to 200g. 

 

Of course, the 400 LST has the same stated stock weight at 208g, and I never felt like it was overly heavy, so who knows what's wrong with me lol.

 

Good luck with the current round of testing.  The weather stinks right now, but hopefully we'll be back on the course before too long.

[J13]

1 hour ago, FAbb said:

 

I didn't think to go look up the head weights until now. 

 

Titleist doesn't post head weight specs that I could find, but it seems like the TS series were stock in the 195'ish gram range.  Have you done any in your shop that you can confirm? 

 

The 410 LST stock weight is 208g according to PING.  The head I purchased apparently had 3g of melt added, pushing it up over 210g.  I'd have to take the sliding weight out altogether, just to get it down to 200g. 

 

Of course, the 400 LST has the same stated stock weight at 208g, and I never felt like it was overly heavy, so who knows what's wrong with me lol.

 

Good luck with the current round of testing.  The weather stinks right now, but hopefully we'll be back on the course before too long.

 

 

I haven't done TSi driver heads only fairway woods.  The other thing you have to be careful of with Ping is what rear weight is installed.  If it was a custom order they use different weights to keep swing weight in check.  

 

With that said I wish OEM's did the following:

1. Kept the same style weights for each release

2. Made those weights widely accessible in golf stores/shops

 

 

 

[Viper4225]

@J13 did you try the sim 2 fairway woods too??

[drbonesvt]

On 1/25/2021 at 10:26 AM, J13 said:

Not sure but a good question

 

 

agree.  The heads are crazy upright already, I can't imagine anyone going more upright.  I'm not NBA tall but i'm 6'2 and they are too upright for me in a stock setup. 

Of note , Rory 59.5* and others dj , per wrx witb .   Also if you look at the photos of the sleeve settings , esp fairway woods , higher lie angle setting being used.   (Also see tour truck Tuesday spec sheets )

 

 myself, I  do not care for upright sticks also

[J13]

1 hour ago, Viper4225 said:

@J13 did you try the sim 2 fairway woods too??

 

Yes I had them on course as well but didn't have a chance to really mess with them yet.  Since i test on course mostly i can only do so much at a time.  Next week i'll have a run down of the SIM2 fairways.  First impression is good though, sim2 max looks large than sim max and Sim2 Ti lost some cc's from SIM Ti.  

[J13]

2 minutes ago, drbonesvt said:

Of note , Rory 59.5* and others dj , per wrx witb .   Also if you look at the photos of the sleeve settings , esp fairway woods , higher lie angle setting being used.   (Also see tour truck Tuesday spec sheets )

 

 myself, I  do not care for upright sticks also

 

In stock form the SIM 2 and SIM2 max look like they are 65*.  The toe is way in the air and would be unplayable for me.  I get what specs say but we all know how that goes in terms of tolerances.  I get more upright is better for most people to help with the right miss/ slice but I had the pro's in the shop look at them and they all said the same thing in terms of lie angle.  2 of them are TM staffers.  When you stick in a shaft and have the driver at 45" it's better.

[drbonesvt]

6 minutes ago, J13 said:

 

In stock form the SIM 2 and SIM2 max look like they are 65*.  The toe is way in the air and would be unplayable for me.  I get what specs say but we all know how that goes in terms of tolerances.  I get more upright is better for most people to help with the right miss/ slice but I had the pro's in the shop look at them and they all said the same thing in terms of lie angle.  2 of them are TM staffers.  When you stick in a shaft and have the driver at 45" it's better.

Manufacturing tolerance whole other issue of they had a batch or lot that’s Beaucoup up right 

 

I love , love TMAG , but had gone to titleist for this reason myself.   Additionally Dual axis adjustment 

[J13]

2 hours ago, drbonesvt said:

Manufacturing tolerance whole other issue of they had a batch or lot that’s Beaucoup up right 

 

I love , love TMAG , but had gone to titleist for this reason myself.   Additionally Dual axis adjustment 

Yeah Titleist tsi line is great. Dual axis adjustment is ideal.  I also love the simplicity of the ping adaptor 

[J13]

Update:

 

So tested some this week and here's my 2cent SIM2 rundown:

 

SIM2 Max - It was just ok for me.  Launch was fine, seemed a little "spinnier" than SIM Max and for some reason more draw bias.  If I had to buy the SIM Max or SIM2 Max, I'd buy the SIM Max.

 

SIM2 - Noticeable improvement compared to SIM.  It's much more player friendly off the shelf as they shifted more weight to that back which is how tour guys set up the SIM anyway.  It was noticeably more forgiving compared to SIM as a result.  Overall it's the winner of the bunch and is still plenty low spin.  For me, the SIM2 was on average 10yds longer than the SIM2 Max and just as forgiving. This one stays in the mix for possible 2021 bag.

 

 

 

How my Ping G410LST stacks up:

My 410LST has been phenomenal and will be tough to beat.  I hit shots with the LST, SIM2, and SIM2 Max side by side on multiple holes and when it was all said and done the LST beats the Max fairly easily.  Forgiveness wise both were similar but distance and dispersion was king with the Ping.  LST vs SIM2 was a much better match.  The SIM2 was a little longer pound for pound and close to being just as accurate.  As i said above, this one will be in the final group for the 2021 bag.

[MPAndreassi]

On 1/26/2021 at 7:33 AM, FAbb said:

 

I didn't think to go look up the head weights until now. 

 

Titleist doesn't post head weight specs that I could find, but it seems like the TS series were stock in the 195'ish gram range.  Have you done any in your shop that you can confirm? 

 

The 410 LST stock weight is 208g according to PING.  The head I purchased apparently had 3g of melt added, pushing it up over 210g.  I'd have to take the sliding weight out altogether, just to get it down to 200g. 

 

Of course, the 400 LST has the same stated stock weight at 208g, and I never felt like it was overly heavy, so who knows what's wrong with me lol.

 

Good luck with the current round of testing.  The weather stinks right now, but hopefully we'll be back on the course before too long.

My stock weight TSi3 is ~194g 

 

[J13]

So about 200g with the adapter.  TSI3 is a good stick and certainly in the running for me

[J13]

Moving on:

 

SIM2 Ti against my Titleist TSi2 

 

So who wins?

 

 

[nitram]

Looks like a decent day in MD.

[J13]

21 minutes ago, nitram said:

Looks like a decent day in MD.

 

 

I wish.  Pics are from a few days ago before getting hit with some snow.  It's supposed to rain later this week so i'm hoping it washes a lot of it away and I can at least hit the range for some practice.  I hate cold weather 🥶

[nitram]

Not a big fan myself

[noodle3872]

TSi2 wins because it launches higher without too much spin.

[J13]

2 hours ago, noodle3872 said:

TSi2 wins because it launches higher without too much spin.

 

 

Tsi2 is a performer for sure.  The SIM2 Ti shape is better than last year and I like that it's a little smaller.  It feels like you can work the ball with it which is something i've started doing a lot more of in the last year.  In any case I hope the snow melts quickly otherwise it might be a minute before i can figure this out lol.

[drbonesvt]

1 hour ago, J13 said:

 

 

Tsi2 is a performer for sure.  The SIM2 Ti shape is better than last year and I like that it's a little smaller.  It feels like you can work the ball with it which is something i've started doing a lot more of in the last year.  In any case I hope the snow melts quickly otherwise it might be a minute before i can figure this out lol.

I’m the odd ball here , love the tsi3 3w, debating 5w tsi 2 or 3

Edited February 3, 2021 by drbonesvt

[My2Dogs]

15 hours ago, J13 said:

Moving on:

 

SIM2 Ti against my Titleist TSi2 

 

So who wins?

 

 

Now this is one I’m looking forward to.  The shape of the Sim2 looks much better than last years and smaller footprint is also appealing.  The larger Sim was trouble for me off the deck.  

[FAbb]

I think it's going to depend on the balance of tee vs. turf usage.  If you're off the deck more, TSi2.  TM, if it's more tee use.

[J13]

13 hours ago, drbonesvt said:

I’m the odd ball here , love the tsi3 3w, debating 5w tsi 2 or 3

 

IMG_2508.MOV 10.11 MB · 0 downloads

 

 

I'm digging the shaft.  It's nice to see a few companies making heavy .335 stuff again, especially with 5 woods regaining popularity.

[J13]

3 hours ago, FAbb said:

I think it's going to depend on the balance of tee vs. turf usage.  If you're off the deck more, TSi2.  TM, if it's more tee use.

 

You aren't wrong.  My game has changed in the last year and i'm hitting more shots off the deck and shaping them more.  Thanks to a lesson with @MonteScheinblum I am controlling the golf ball much more and able to work it both ways.  The TSI2 has been a great all around 3 wood but i'm not 100% happy which leaves room for tinkering 😎

 

7 hours ago, My2Dogs said:

Now this is one I’m looking forward to.  The shape of the Sim2 looks much better than last years and smaller footprint is also appealing.  The larger Sim was trouble for me off the deck.  

 

It does.  I had the SIM Ti for a little while and it was a cannon off the tee but terrible for me off the deck.  I tend to get under plane and come too much from in to out which can make some fairway woods hard to get in the air.  I'm getting better at hitting a high cut so i'm looking forward to seeing if SIM2Ti works.  I'd love to take advantage of the distance.

[Deuce78]

Are you stopping at these two for the year?  I am biased towards ping for a few reasons over the others but do also like the tsi2 and sim.  We know tsi2 is a winner.  I think a man with your talents and shop can dial in the 425 to do exactly what you want it to do.  I have been able to with my pings.  Nothing is left to wanting with the correct bias weighting, swingweight, and the best sleeve options for lie out there...food for thought.  still always eyeballing these...looking forward to it.

[J13]

1 hour ago, Deuce78 said:

Are you stopping at these two for the year?  I am biased towards ping for a few reasons over the others but do also like the tsi2 and sim.  We know tsi2 is a winner.  I think a man with your talents and shop can dial in the 425 to do exactly what you want it to do.  I have been able to with my pings.  Nothing is left to wanting with the correct bias weighting, swingweight, and the best sleeve options for lie out there...food for thought.  still always eyeballing these...looking forward to it.

 

I don't understand this word "stop" 😉

 

Ping fairway woods have always been spinny for me but as I said above, my swing has changed and now i'm relooking at everything.  Ping will have it's shot eventually, especially seeing the positive reviews from people like yourself and YouTube testing.  After this review I have 3-4 things already lined up for more testing 😎  The big challenge this year will be inventory and getting a hold of things outdoors.  My hope is to wrap up testing the SIM2 TI in the next 2 weeks (weather dependent) then onto the next test which i'm really looking forward to.  

Edited February 3, 2021 by J13

[Callaway96]

Snell is my gamer when I can get them! Awesome golf balls

[J13]

 I got 1 round in with the SIM2 fairway woods and the weather isn't looking stellar so i'm just going to drop the a quick review and maybe come back to it in March.  I have some other toys on the way so I want to keep it moving.

 

As always (at this stage) i'm going to keep it short and sweet

 

 

SIM2 Max - Very large footprint and forgiving off the tee. If you primarily use 3 wood for the tee and want some extra forgiveness this is a great stick. 

Sound/feel - Good, no complaints

Distance - Fairly long, it's a TM 3 wood so they don't make short stuff.

Off the tee - This is it's strength, large and forgiving

Off the deck - I found it difficult to hit consistently due to it's size/shape

Verdict - Not for me👎

 

SIM2 Ti - Smaller footprint than SIM Ti (which i had).  I like the upgrade and slightly straighter lines and face

Sound/Feel - Good, solid

Distance - Rocket ship

Off the tee - Rocket Ship

Off the deck - fairly easy to elevate and still goes a long way.  I love the V Steel design

Verdict - I like it and will be in the running 👍 

 

 

 

Curious if others have hit these and saw the same thing?

Edited February 10, 2021 by J13

[J13]

Up Next

 

Ping G425 Max 

This test is complete and I will give a rundown later today or tomorrow. 

 

[J13]

Ping G425 Max (vs my Ping G410LST) - Both tested with Fuji Ventus Black 7X

 

Pics below show what i saw on course in the real world.  Below is my "ADHD" review

 

Feel/Sound: G425 Max is loud and very simliar to the Cobra L4V.  Think softball bat.  Outside it's much better than indoors and with melt it's perfectly fine if you like the more muted sound

Distance: Avg distance was great with the MAX but it wasn't keeping up with my 410LST.  It's not short but it's not going to be a rocket launcher either.  SIM is heavy on distance, Ping Max is heavy on forgiveness

Accuracy: I hit it well but I found it harder to shape shots so accuracy suffered a bit to be honest.  Made swing changes and I shape shots a lot more now.  Smaller head makes it easier for me.

 

 

Final Thoughts:

 

Ping knocked it out of the park with a max forgiveness / lowish/mid spin profile.  They took the G400 max and made improvements across the board. The only area it’s not as good is sound and feel. I think Ping has a big winner on their hands and I especially like other companies following their lead of super forgiving with playable spin, even for players with speed.  With that said this won’t be for me. As I said above, I enjoy working the ball and found it almost impossible to hit a fade. The ball just wants to go straight or go left for me unless I pushed the weight to the toe but then ball speed suffered.  Anyway for a lot of people it’s going to be hard to pass on this one.
 

But back to testing to find my 2021 stick.

 

The pics below tell the tale better than words. Plus it's less reading 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 13, 2021 by J13