Anyone Still Gaming an Older/Ancient Driver

[S.A. OSO]

I have 3 R7 Quads that I have used for several years. Also liked the 983k and 905s.

I went to an AeroBurner this past summer and found that I did hit some longer drives with it. It feels much different and launches much higher. I still think the R7 feels more controllable to me, and am thinking about going back to it.

[Illest]

Does the 910 count? Just ordered another 910 head too...

[sevenfourate]

[quote name='Illest' timestamp='1451745821' post='12791762']
Does the 910 count? Just ordered another 910 head too...
[/quote]

If your 'shunning' bang-up-to-date technology for an old favourite..............its all good with me ;-)

[fr0sty]

Always come back to the 905R...I'm looking for another as we speak.

On a related note, does anyone know how the OG rapture compares to the 905R?

[RainShadow]

Just picked up a R510 (non TP) for 20$ at the local range. It had been sitting in the rack there for about 6 months.
M.A.S. 75 shaft in stiff. Needs a new grip, but otherwise in good shape.
I'm trying to talk my dad out of an FT-9 he has but doesn't use....

[D-rok]

I am currently gaming a Titleist 905s 8.5* with stock Grafalloy Blue and it's my favorite driver in terms of accuracy and feel, and importantly, DISTANCE. I bought it for cheap, thinking of pulling the shaft and putting it in my R11s head, and I hit the Titleist to test out, to see if I could handle such a boardy shaft. I was always intimidated to try this shaft, and read that so many people say that the blue is way too stiff. I don't know why, but with the head design being a bore-thru, I love this driver! the shaft feels great and I never have to worry about timing, the clubface arrives to the ball when I do on the downswing and I have had the best season driving the ball in 2015. I am coming from an R11s 9* with an AD DI6x TP shaft that was too loud and ballooned in the air. I forgot to mention how the sound of the 905s is not loud, but gives a muffled, pleasant sound. If I break this, I wonder what newer combination will give me similar results.

Titleist 905S 400cc (love the small head)
8.5* (always played 10.5 and above)
Grafalloy Blue stiff in bore-thru 45" (didn't think I could handle this)
Golf Pride Tour Wrap (used to hate this grip, now love it, helps me control the clubface)
3g of lead tape for D4 sw (I do prefer heavy clubs for feel)

There is nothing about this club that I should like, given my preconceived notions. However, after hitting on the range, and adding lead tape for feel, I have never driven the golf ball better and with better distance than before. I will keep gaming this until I find something better!

[CameronStewart1988]

In all honesty I still play a titleist 975J

[DaveGoodrich]

Still can't find anything I hit better than my 983k. And that's not for any lack of trying. Other drivers seem promising on the sim or range, but never come through on the course in actual play.

[fatkid]

905R. The best driver Titleist ever made.

[Puppetmaster]

[quote name='D-rok' timestamp='1451751987' post='12792150']
There is nothing about this club that I should like, given my preconceived notions. However, after hitting on the range, and adding lead tape for feel, I have never driven the golf ball better and with better distance than before. I will keep gaming this until I find something better!
[/quote]

Funny how that works sometimes. I bought a driver off eBay with an 80 gram shaft I was going to pull for my 3W and hit it for the heck of it. Turned out I hit the driver as long as my usual drivers with lighter shafts. Like you said, it should not have fit me on paper, but it worked out on the course.

[ayotte2]

Well, it's not a driver but I stiff have my Rapture V1 fairway metal in the bag. Put a Blueboard in it several years ago and it's been real nice for me. I've tried dozens of fairway metals since and just can't justify the change. I've hit some real good shots with that club and it's just as good off the deck as it is off a peg.

[starry1966]

You guys keep buying. You keep your respective countries economies going.

I will stick to my old gear thanks.

[BeerAndGolfAndLuke]

My girlfriend's lil sister just gave up her dream after a few years on the Symmetra. She games that Callaway pictured. I've hit it (ref flex) Thing bombs. It's all shaft at this point. You can move little bits of metal around but at the end of the day it's the combo.

[BeerAndGolfAndLuke]

My girlfriend's lil sister just gave up her dream after a few years on the Symmetra. She games that Callaway pictured. I've hit it (ref flex) Thing bombs. It's all shaft at this point. You can move little bits of metal around but at the end of the day it's the combo.

[thedawson]

R9 supertri tp with xcon5. Nothing can beat it imo

[Meurig]

Adams Speedline and Speedline 9032LS with HTD 65X. I still keep trying the new kit but nothing beats these for me!

[zefolantar]

Many guys are still playing drivers that are up to 5 years old, but me and a buddy of mine are still playing a driver that is thought to be one of the worst EVER, and also the biggest dud by the company that brought it out.......the CALLAWAY C4! It came out in 2001, and I actually bought one new. (still have the receipt for $649 Canadian - what a price!?!? Wow!) I used it for 2 weeks with great success, but traded it in once I heard the bad reviews and that it was going to be a total dud! Now I likely have the biggest Callaway C4 collection in the world, and bought most of them on eBay for under $50! I have 12 of them, and all in MINT condition. Lofts vary from 7* all the way to 14*, with one being a one-of-a-kind European Prototype 9* driver that was never played, and the 7* mentioned above is a Tour Issue head from the LPGA Tour with a Fujikura-SIX shaft in R-Flex that cycles in as Stiff. To be honest, the C4 @ 360cc is quite a forgiving driver. And, it is very long because the lighter overall weight helps you generate more clubhead speed, plus....the C4 is a very low spinning head, so a "boring" ball flight is the norm with the C4. The stock shaft has a .410 tip, so it adds a lot of stability (accuracy) on off centre hits, similar to Wilson's "fat shaft" technology. I even sent two of my 10* heads back to Callaway to have them re-shafted with the Fujikura Motore F1 & F3 shafts, and they turned out amazing. For my buddy, he gained distance (likely due to increased roll) and liked the feel much more over the TM Burner (460cc) that he was using. Plus....in all our use of the C4 heads, we have yet to have one fail! Likely one of the most durable heads of all time, unlike many titanium heads that crack or cave in. All the work Callaway did on the C4 in terms of R & D and testing was worthwhile. (The report I read was that the C4 head was tested with 5000 hits @ 120 mph without EVER failing). If you can get over the sound, it is an AMAZINGLY driver that will last a long time. Yes....it's not as forgiving as some of the most forgiving drivers out today, like the PING G30.....but the forgiveness of the C4 will surprise you. It truly is a great driver. If you come across one....don't be afraid to try it. You may be surprised!

[Tigerskills]

It's more about your golf swing than the equipments. You can have the best golf equipments but w/ a crappy golf swing, you still suck! Invest in golf lessons, at least you'll see progress in your game.

New Year=New Swing=New Scores!

[mattwood]

I'm still playing a Tommy Armour Forged Persimmon driver. I haven't found anything in a newer driver that gives me the feel that this driver has. Everything else I have tried is very clicky and metallic.

[Tim Sherwood]

[quote name='Meurig' timestamp='1451791356' post='12794486']
Adams Speedline and Speedline 9032LS with HTD 65X. I still keep trying the new kit but nothing beats these for me!
[/quote]

I picked up a black Speedline S a few days ago, just took it to the range. My god that thing is good - so forgiving. Heel shots stay reasonably straight and toe hits seem to draw back on line somehow! Not sure on the distance I hit with it yet as it was a cold and wet day today and the range I use has proper sh*t balls, but it's looking like the Adams will replace my Aeroburner Mini in the bag. Very, very impressed. The velocity slot works man!

[amair]

I'm still playing a TI hot melted Superfast TP with RIP 70 x shaft. I just spent time with all the newest drivers, M1, 816 DBD etc, and still nothing performs better for my swing. I have a couple extra of the driver heads as well. I don't see myself switching in the near future.

[awr_84]

Picked this "Vintage" driver up last week to relive my high school days and played it last weekend. Out drove my buddies on a few occasions who were using a R11 & R15.

[attachment=3087834:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1451842225.897504.jpg]

[roadrebel26]

I took my R510TP out yesterday and I hit it just as well as all my other drivers.

[njlam]

With the restrictions on COR and clubhead size, any technology-based advances in distance are limited.

As a result of these COR/size restrictions, one could argue that driver clubheads can only become more forgiving.

In the continued presence of these clubhead restrictions, improvements in driver distance can only come from advances in shaft technology, fit, and practice.

I believe the COR restriction was implemented in 1998 and the 460cc clubhead size limitation was introduced in 2004.

Therefore it is possible that improvements in driver distance over (up to) the last 10 years have not come from improvements in clubhead technology.

That being said, I play an original Ping Rapture 12 degree with a MB Diamana BB and can't imagine playing anything else. The clubhead loft and the shaft are an incredible combination (for me) and I buy this club whenever I find one on ebay (I own 5 of them, average cost <$75).

I think the original Rapture came out in 2007 or 2008, so while I have demoed other drivers, none have offered any meaningful improvement.

I guess this means I have been out of the driver market for over 7 years.

Does anyone honestly feel any of the newer stuff is any better than the post 2004 stuff?

With the money I save by not buying new (but not better) equipment, I go to Bandon every year and play all the courses. My caddie there (whom I have used for over 10 years) still marvels how my bag never changes (but how my game has improved).

[No_Doubt_Stout]

My Nike Vr tour is golden. There's a reason Tiger and Schwartzel played it forever

[Fubuman]

Callaway Razr fit 8,5/ Fubuki k70x. I got this just because it had a nice fubuki a70x that I was after. CPO shipped it to me within a week to South Africa, I pulled the shaft & torqued it to my Razr fit xtreme & off I went. A few weeks later and still struggling to keep the RFE straight I looked at this Razr Fit &'decided to go to the range. I tried it with 5 different shafts & fell in love with the fubuki k/70 combo. I hit this driver longer & straighter than anything else, so much so that I have sold the RFX driver & have actually bought a dbd/rouge combo but I've had it for 4 months & it has not knocked the Razr Fit out

[slantsflood]

I'm going to try some different "newer" shafts in a titleist 905s and a nike vr tour. I love these 2 heads and I'm determined to find the right match. I came from a og rapture that had a speeder 757 x that just bombed balls. But I need less spin and more fairways.

[jjr]

SFTP V1

[njlam]

Many guys are still playing drivers that are up to 5 years old, but me and a buddy of mine are still playing a driver that is thought to be one of the worst EVER, and also the biggest dud by the company that brought it out.......the CALLAWAY C4! It came out in 2001, and I actually bought one new. (still have the receipt for $649 Canadian - what a price!?!? Wow!) I used it for 2 weeks with great success, but traded it in once I heard the bad reviews and that it was going to be a total dud! Now I likely have the biggest Callaway C4 collection in the world, and bought most of them on eBay for under $50! I have 12 of them, and all in MINT condition. Lofts vary from 7* all the way to 14*, with one being a one-of-a-kind European Prototype 9* driver that was never played, and the 7* mentioned above is a Tour Issue head from the LPGA Tour with a Fujikura-SIX shaft in R-Flex that cycles in as Stiff. To be honest, the C4 @ 360cc is quite a forgiving driver. And, it is very long because the lighter overall weight helps you generate more clubhead speed, plus....the C4 is a very low spinning head, so a "boring" ball flight is the norm with the C4. The stock shaft has a .410 tip, so it adds a lot of stability (accuracy) on off centre hits, similar to Wilson's "fat shaft" technology. I even sent two of my 10* heads back to Callaway to have them re-shafted with the Fujikura Motore F1 & F3 shafts, and they turned out amazing. For my buddy, he gained distance (likely due to increased roll) and liked the feel much more over the TM Burner (460cc) that he was using. Plus....in all our use of the C4 heads, we have yet to have one fail! Likely one of the most durable heads of all time, unlike many titanium heads that crack or cave in. All the work Callaway did on the C4 in terms of R & D and testing was worthwhile. (The report I read was that the C4 head was tested with 5000 hits @ 120 mph without EVER failing). If you can get over the sound, it is an AMAZINGLY driver that will last a long time. Yes....it's not as forgiving as some of the most forgiving drivers out today, like the PING G30.....but the forgiveness of the C4 will surprise you. It truly is a great driver. If you come across one....don't be afraid to try it. You may be surprised!

 

Before I started gaming the original Ping Rapture, I also played the C4. It is a great driver!

 

I loved the sound of this driver and I have three of them (10 and 11 degree, plus my wife has a 12 degree).

 

Unfortunately, I have become a stronger player since I originally bought these and I am afraid to reshaft them due to the all carbon fiber heads.

 

The C4 is another reason to play old drivers.

[mcrobertsjmac32]

I play a Bombtech Grenade which is the best I've ever played. It wasn't so long ago I was playing the old Titleist 975J until I broke the shaft and didn't want to pay $100+ for a shaft when the Grenade was $200ish.

 

On the otherside I'm a huge proponent of older clubs, my Hogan CFT Apex Edge's, Wilson Staff Fybrid, and Hogan P-SI putter are very old and nothing beats them that's out there right now. Post 2000 not a whole lot of improvement in clubs IMO. ‎