J13's WITB: Update- FUJIKURA AXIOM

[DNice26]

TripD is so nice.  
 

Curious to see if you try the Cobra LTD LS….it surprised the heck out of me.  

[J13]

15 hours ago, FAbb said:

I just got the TD LS this week. I did a fitting at 2nd Swing back in January. I played it on Thursday. So far, so good. It’s probably the quietest driver I’ve hit. 

This picture was taken just before my Triple went into open heart surgery for some life saving hotmelt 😉  Sounds even better now.  But agree, it does feel and sound great in stock form as well.

 

4 hours ago, dcmidnight said:

 

Funny, I tried a few different SIM2 setups and thought they were awful compared to the OG - glad I'm not the only one. Just was a huge step back IMO.

 

I had the Stealth+ hotmelted to match the weight of my SIM so I could test them like-to-like as best as possible. So far I've seen results very similar to your writeup, actually like the feel a great deal although I know thats a very personal category. Have a few hours of trackman time scheduled for Thursday so it will be the first time I can actually put some numbers to it.

 

Stealth Plus brought back the ball speeds of the OG SIM.  Only concern I have is the face durability after hitting hundreds of balls with sandy soil.  Pitting might be an issue.  

[dcmidnight]

On 2/20/2022 at 12:11 PM, J13 said:

Stealth Plus brought back the ball speeds of the OG SIM.  Only concern I have is the face durability after hitting hundreds of balls with sandy soil.  Pitting might be an issue.  

 

I have serious concerns for all the people on WRX apparently beating sandy ball after sandy ball with their driver LOL 😉

 

Am I the only one that at the very least gives it a courtesy swipe with my glove hand as I grab it out of the tray?

 

So far I've seen very little practical difference from the OG. Have 3 hours on the Trackman Thursday so I'm certainly open to be proven wrong. At least I've narrowed the testing down to two heads/three shafts.

[Rosco1216]

2 hours ago, dcmidnight said:

 

I have serious concerns for all the people on WRX apparently beating sandy ball after sandy ball with their driver LOL 😉

 

Am I the only one that at the very least gives it a courtesy swipe with my glove hand as I grab it out of the tray?

 

So far I've seen very little practical difference from the OG. Have 3 hours on the Trackman Thursday so I'm certainly open to be proven wrong. At least I've narrowed the testing down to two heads/three shafts.

Courtesy wipes are always a smart decision, whether in golf or in every day life. However, I wouldn’t recommend using a glove for all instances. 

[J13]

3 hours ago, dcmidnight said:

 

I have serious concerns for all the people on WRX apparently beating sandy ball after sandy ball with their driver LOL 😉

 

Am I the only one that at the very least gives it a courtesy swipe with my glove hand as I grab it out of the tray?

 

So far I've seen very little practical difference from the OG. Have 3 hours on the Trackman Thursday so I'm certainly open to be proven wrong. At least I've narrowed the testing down to two heads/three shafts.

 

 

The sandy ball struggle is real!!!! 🤣  

 

Interested to see how your test comes out!  Stealth Plus gives me the performance of the OG Sim but in a slightly different package.  It's a bomber for sure.

[bcflyguy1]

On 2/19/2022 at 6:38 PM, J13 said:

Next up 

 

 

 

I have a few rounds in with my 10.5 TDLS with trusty Kuro Kage XD60TX, and count me VERY impressed. I will say that if you're expecting TDLS to scream "PICK ME" on TrackMan, it's not very likely to do that. I can remember Doc Hocknell saying in an interview that the focus of Callaway R&D was shifting away from designing woods to win the TrackMan nuclear arms race and make drivers that instead focus on real world playability. I thought last years Epic line was a step in that direction, but that shift in philosophy is even more obvious in the Rogue ST line. 

 

Don't take that to mean that it's a slouch in the launch conditions department because it's not, but it also isn't the weapon of choice if you're trying to make yourself giggle with what you can make it do in a sterile, "mash it as hard as I can" fitting bay or range environment. TDLS in particular, but the other 3 models are as well, is a golf course gamer; it excels at giving the player opportunities to score in the real playing environment. It's been impossible to ignore the number of times I've either watched the ball in the air and/or walked up to where it stopped and said "wow, that's a much better result than that swing and strike deserved." That quality also seems to become even more obvious when wind conditions get challenging. Not sure what to attribute that to, but it's unmistakably there. Having those attributes in a driver that looks and sounds as good as this one does is quite unique.

[J13]

1 hour ago, bcflyguy1 said:

I have a few rounds in with my 10.5 TDLS with trusty Kuro Kage XD60TX, and count me VERY impressed. I will say that if you're expecting TDLS to scream "PICK ME" on TrackMan, it's not very likely to do that. I can remember Doc Hocknell saying in an interview that the focus of Callaway R&D was shifting away from designing woods to win the TrackMan nuclear arms race and make drivers that instead focus on real world playability. I thought last years Epic line was a step in that direction, but that shift in philosophy is even more obvious in the Rogue ST line. 

 

Don't take that to mean that it's a slouch in the launch conditions department because it's not, but it also isn't the weapon of choice if you're trying to make yourself giggle with what you can make it do in a sterile, "mash it as hard as I can" fitting bay or range environment. TDLS in particular, but the other 3 models are as well, is a golf course gamer; it excels at giving the player opportunities to score in the real playing environment. It's been impossible to ignore the number of times I've either watched the ball in the air and/or walked up to where it stopped and said "wow, that's a much better result than that swing and strike deserved." That quality also seems to become even more obvious when wind conditions get challenging. Not sure what to attribute that to, but it's unmistakably there. Having those attributes in a driver that looks and sounds as good as this one does is quite unique.

 

 

That's exactly what i'm seeing on course.  It's VERY consistent all around the face and one of the things I love about it

[J13]

Update:

 

Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS (god that's a mouthful and annoying)

 

 

First, the Triple head is gorgeous to look at, especially with the flat black finish.  Second, after a tiny bit of hotmelt it felt and sounded amazing, maybe the best of the bunch in that department.  Below is my short and sweet rundown for the 2022 spot in my bag.

 

Tested setup specs:

Triple Diamond w/ Fuji Ventus Black 7X

Triple Diamond w/ Fuji Ventus Blue TR 7X (more on this to come later)

 

Looks - Looks great.  Flat black finish is perfect and I like the gold accents

Feel - Feels and sounds the best out of anything I've tested. Had a tiny bit of a pitch to it before hotmelt though so heads up.

Distance - Average on center strikes, really good across the face as spin doesn't move much.  I still think the original Epic is the best they've produced in ball speed.

Spin - Very reasonable spin at 2500.  Not great but it keeps you in play and I'm perfectly fine with that.  Also VERY consistent across the face in spin.  Very impressive

Dispersion - Dispersion was good, especially on misses off the toe for me.

Consistency - Consistent driver and I would call it a very reasonable players driver.  It's not going to give you the best ball speed but it will produce very steady and consist drives due to the spin control.

 

Overall, if I'm being honest this one isn't going to make the cut for me.  I wanted it to work because I love the look but it was just vanilla. And if I want vanilla I'm going to max out forgiveness in the process and the Triple is not max forgiveness.  I think it's a very good players driver but I also see why tour guys are using mostly the other versions like the S and Triple (non LS). For those wondering about how it stacks up to the Epic Speed Triple, it's basically slightly different shape and less fade bias (at least for me).  I think the Max LS might be the better head for me in the lineup so possibly grab one of those to try. We shall see.

 

Onward we go!

 

 

 

[J13]

Some questions I've gotten via pm, thought I'd share with everyone

 

1. Triple sound good without hotmelt - It sounds good but has a little pitch to it.  But it's not offensive at all and is perfectly fine without hotmelt

2. Based on testing I think the best head available at retail is the Max LS head.

3. Yes, I've made a decision on driver and that will be updated soon.  My season is about to start so testing is winding down.  Also a few more toys are arriving next week.  Updates to follow.

[bcflyguy1]

Think if the Max LS T heads were what they'd released, it would do extremely well sales wise.

[J13]

18 hours ago, bcflyguy1 said:

Think if the Max LS T heads were what they'd released, it would do extremely well sales wise.

 

Is there a Max LS T?  I've lost track of Callaway heads at this point.  Seems like every time I turn around there's another version in the WITB tour thread.  

[bcflyguy1]

There is, but would be impossible to get hold of one this early in cycle.

[03trdblack]

1 hour ago, J13 said:

 

Is there a Max LS T?  I've lost track of Callaway heads at this point.  Seems like every time I turn around there's another version in the WITB tour thread.  

 

According to Johnny Wunder at Callaway

 

• 💎💎💎S (440CC, lower spin, deeper face)
• 💎💎💎 (450CC, similar to Epic Speed 💎💎💎profile with higher MOI)
• MAX LS T (Same as retail except for more face progression and .75 more loft)

 

 

Edited March 15, 2022 by 03trdblack

[Obsessed]

I have a Max LS TD, 10.5 inbound - Ordered from Will Peoples

 

they added 5G hotmelt 

[J13]

8 hours ago, Obsessed said:

I have a Max LS TD, 10.5 inbound - Ordered from Will Peoples

 

they added 5G hotmelt 

 

Interesting, and thanks for the info guys.  It's crazy how they are able to have so many versions in the same calendar year.  Makes you think if they really wanted to they could release like 8 drivers a year.

[Obsessed]

sorry, i miss-spoke, was wrong...

 

I have the LS TD inbound - Not Max LS TD...

 

 

 

[J13]

On 3/16/2022 at 11:09 AM, Obsessed said:

sorry, i miss-spoke, was wrong...

 

I have the LS TD inbound - Not Max LS TD...

 

 

 

 

Ah ok, hope it works out great for ya!

[Htk084]

This is such a great thread.  Question- if you couldn’t play a callaway driver, which driver would you choose?

 

Also, have you ever tested a ventus blue TR?

[J13]

On 4/12/2022 at 8:07 AM, Htk084 said:

This is such a great thread.  Question- if you couldn’t play a callaway driver, which driver would you choose?

 

Also, have you ever tested a ventus blue TR?

 

 

I appreciate that and I've gotten super busy with work so I'm lagging on updates. 

 

But to catch the thread up,

 

Dropped the Cally Triple LS after several rounds and went back to a Ping G425.  Everything was going well then I cracked the head last week so in a rush (had state matches days away) I grabbed a Cally Rogue Max LS head which has been pretty darn good.  So right now i'm testing it and if it doesn't work out I might grab a Cobra LTDX LS.  Not sure just yet

[Htk084]

1 hour ago, J13 said:

 

 

I appreciate that and I've gotten super busy with work so I'm lagging on updates. 

 

But to catch the thread up,

 

Dropped the Cally Triple LS after several rounds and went back to a Ping G425.  Everything was going well then I cracked the head last week so in a rush (had state matches days away) I grabbed a Cally Rogue Max LS head which has been pretty darn good.  So right now i'm testing it and if it doesn't work out I might grab a Cobra LTDX LS.  Not sure just yet

Ok interesting.   How’s the distance on the G425 vs the triple Diamond?   And I thought you really liked the callaway max ls, that seems like the one to play due to the forgiveness 

[bcflyguy1]

1 hour ago, J13 said:

 

 

I appreciate that and I've gotten super busy with work so I'm lagging on updates. 

 

But to catch the thread up,

 

Dropped the Cally Triple LS after several rounds and went back to a Ping G425.  Everything was going well then I cracked the head last week so in a rush (had state matches days away) I grabbed a Cally Rogue Max LS head which has been pretty darn good.  So right now i'm testing it and if it doesn't work out I might grab a Cobra LTDX LS.  Not sure just yet

If the slightly different look of the Max LS isn't a deal breaker, it does offer a whole lot to like. Trend I see in fittings is that if a player needs some help holding launch down without the spin also becoming too low, then Max LS is the way. Had many a high ball hitter who thought they'd be a TDLS guy walk away with Max LS instead simply because it helped flatten their trajectory without being a knuckle-ball launcher.

Also, IMHO the "LS" in Max LS and TDLS is a bit of a misnomer. Written up several of both with shafts like PX Cypher 40 5.0 and 5.5 for skilled senior players with swings in that speed range and the spin was still plenty high to maximize their carry and keep trajectories tight.

[bd59]

What happened to the Stealth??

[manxytag]

what happened to the Sldr?

[J13]

SLDR isn't going anywhere and resting comfortably in my shop.  It started to misbehave so it had to go to timeout.  Plus I wanted to toy around with longer setups (not 45" but longer than 43.5) and the SLDR isn't good for that.  

 

Ping G425 was very consistent and I was loving it until it cracked.

Callaway Rogue Triple was a no go after some eratic driving rounds. 

Callaway Rogue Max LS is a more well rounded head for my game and spins less than the triple for me.  I know it's not what they say but it does for me so it is what it is.  

Stealth - Good stick but in my testing i couldn't get used to the look and shape.  Just something about it didn't work for my eye.

 

So far the Rogue Max LS is the best of everything.  Consistent spin across the face, low spin, and maintains ball speed on mishits.  Just need a little more time then I'll post more about it, just been swamped with Edel stuff which is a good problem to have.  

[bd59]

Thanks for the info!  I see the 737V are still holding a firm spot in the MMTs.  I'm getting ready to get some P7TWs with the MMTs.  

 

On a side note, Fly Eagles Fly!! Who we drafting 1st round? Or trading it for Metcalf?  

[70sinsight]

39 minutes ago, J13 said:

 

Callaway Rogue Max LS is a more well rounded head for my game and spins less than the triple for me.  I know it's not what they say but it does for me so it is what it is.  

 

 

So far the Rogue Max LS is the best of everything.  Consistent spin across the face, low spin, and maintains ball speed on mishits.  

Rough idea on rpm difference? I ordered the TD but don't have a LS head to hit side by side.

[BostonWRX]

Did you ever try the TSI4? A more forgiving sldr mini….

[J13]

3 hours ago, bd59 said:

Thanks for the info!  I see the 737V are still holding a firm spot in the MMTs.  I'm getting ready to get some P7TWs with the MMTs.  

 

On a side note, Fly Eagles Fly!! Who we drafting 1st round? Or trading it for Metcalf?  

 

The 737v with MMT are in the bag for sure. Love the setup but testing something else that i wont be able to talk about for a minute 😎   As for the draft who the heck knows with Howie haha  Just get Hurts some weapons.

[J13]

2 hours ago, 70sinsight said:

Rough idea on rpm difference? I ordered the TD but don't have a LS head to hit side by side.

 

Wasn't a huge difference but it was consistently like 150rpms lower.  Just surprised I saw that. Triple is a great head just got a little too demanding on bad days.

 

1 hour ago, BostonWRX said:

Did you ever try the TSI4? A more forgiving sldr mini….

 

I have not.  Have seen a TSI4 and not a big fan of the shape.

[m_w]

29 minutes ago, J13 said:

 

Wasn't a huge difference but it was consistently like 150rpms lower.  Just surprised I saw that. Triple is a great head just got a little too demanding on bad days.

 

 

I have not.  Have seen a TSI4 and not a big fan of the shape.

Same findings for me, Max LS was 200-300rpm lower spin than TD for me.

 

Did you play G425 LST or Max?