Official WRX Gear Trials Event Thread: Results are in and Data live- Page 27

[Stuart_G]

Well, have to admit after all this talk of my fellow testers' new equipment, I couldn't resist the temptation any more and finally broke down. Now have a new Ping G on it's way. :yahoo:

 

Didn't bother with a special order as I already have the shaft I need on hand and actually had decent results with the stock shaft during the trials so thought I could play with that as well (maybe tip it a bit to tighten up the feel).

 

Now maybe I will have to make a trip south after it shows up as not sure I'll be able to wait for the course to open up around here. :dntknw:

[Stuart_G]

What is the testing criteria for this again? I don't want to read 30+ pages.

 

The criteria wasn't 'hard'. Each head tested was fit to try and get the best "results" for each tester. Distance obviously was a factor but it could also include accuracy or consistency, miss tendency avoidance, able to execute preferred shot shape, etc and even possibly some subjective aspects if the objective data didn't give a clear answer. Haven't read all of them yet, but the individual articles on each tester should include a bit more info about why the choices were made for that individual.

[PapaJohick]

Very interesting to read through this. Still really shocked that collectively Nike didn't make an appearance in anyone's too 3 haha. Love that cobra dos though.

 

Very cool day it sounds like and happy to see such a great test done

The Vapor Flex was one guy's #3 pick

 

I liked the Nike but just not as much as my top 3. It was in top 5 though. Definitely an attention getter.

 

oh yes forgot about that one. Funny thing is, I have never really had a fitting done and the fact that I am hitting my Vapor Fly Pro so well (longer and better control), just blows my mind that there could be a much better fit. I know every one is different, but there are obviously some drivers that fit a broader spectrum than others such as the LTD, M1, and Ping LS. very cool results.

[PapaJohick]

Well, have to admit after all this talk of my fellow testers' new equipment, I couldn't resist the temptation any more and finally broke down. Now have a new Ping G on it's way. :yahoo:

 

Didn't bother with a special order as I already have the shaft I need on hand and actually had decent results with the stock shaft during the trials so thought I could play with that as well (maybe tip it a bit to tighten up the feel).

 

Now maybe I will have to make a trip south after it shows up as not sure I'll be able to wait for the course to open up around here. :dntknw:

 

Stuart, quick question,

 

it seemed as if the M1 had the best results for you with consistency, spin, and distance. Am I reading it wrong or was there a preference choice involved?

 

EDIT: Sorry I do see that the PXG had better distance gains for you

[Stuart_G]

Well, have to admit after all this talk of my fellow testers' new equipment, I couldn't resist the temptation any more and finally broke down. Now have a new Ping G on it's way. :yahoo:

 

Didn't bother with a special order as I already have the shaft I need on hand and actually had decent results with the stock shaft during the trials so thought I could play with that as well (maybe tip it a bit to tighten up the feel).

 

Now maybe I will have to make a trip south after it shows up as not sure I'll be able to wait for the course to open up around here. :dntknw:

 

Stuart, quick question,

 

it seemed as if the M1 had the best results for you with consistency, spin, and distance. Am I reading it wrong or was there a preference choice involved?

 

EDIT: Sorry I do see that the PXG had better distance gains for you

 

No problem. Yes the PXG did win out in the end and I did like it but it wasn't $300+ better IMO :-)

 

As far as the M1 vs the Ping G goes, it's a good question based on the way the data is presented. Part of it is that there was one shot with the Ping that was really a bad swing that probably should have been thrown out and and it is skewing the presented averages. I had several sessions with both the M1 and the G (both with various shafts) and found that I was getting a bit more consistent results, especially with respect to shot shape, with the Ping.

 

Quit frankly, with some more tweaking (length and swing weight) I felt I could end up with equally good results from either so in that respect it was a bit of a toss up. However, I really wasn't crazy about the feel of the M1. It wasn't so bad that I wouldn't play it if it had been a clear winner but it was a bit too soft and 'undefined' as to where the face contact location was occurring. The ball contact with the Ping felt much more lively.

 

And you never know, I'm not unlike a lot of the other ho's here on the forum, it wouldn't surprise me if I ended up getting one down the line as well as the Ping. :D

[JustTheTips]

For next years. Can we see some big hitters in the group? 115mph + would love to see the data and shaft combos, tipping ect for a group like that added to the mix.

 

Surprised they found 15 posters who couldn't get 115+!!!

 

They forgot to set the launch monitor to internet mode:) Notice all the testers who are still in denial about how slow they swing even with real numbers?:) Just teasing, losing 5mph in the offseason (combo of poor weather and just not swinging a ton) is pretty standard.

[Cspackler6]

There may be only 15 people that agree with me on this, but I think it would be a good idea to try to keep everything the same moving forward as much as possibe. It would make sense to try to use the same testers next year. Seems like it would be much more efficient as there is already a baseline among testers. More time could be spent on the heads themselves by not having to take as much time dialing in shafts. From a business standpoint I can understand why they chose MOG. Doesn't make sense to spend the $$$ for staff to travel when there is a quality shop near by. As far as the time of year I'm sure something could be tweeked as far as that. My guess is MOG could justify cutting into a more peak time by the free advertising they are getting. Suppose the problem with moving it later into the season is the products are out and people are itching for info so idk. I think adding 1 or 2 players in the sub 90mph range and maybe a freak could be done also.

[easyyy]

Well, have to admit after all this talk of my fellow testers' new equipment, I couldn't resist the temptation any more and finally broke down. Now have a new Ping G on it's way. :yahoo:

 

Didn't bother with a special order as I already have the shaft I need on hand and actually had decent results with the stock shaft during the trials so thought I could play with that as well (maybe tip it a bit to tighten up the feel).

 

Now maybe I will have to make a trip south after it shows up as not sure I'll be able to wait for the course to open up around here. :dntknw:

 

Stuart,

 

I see what you are talking about. As a matter of fact after looking at your data I might also try that M1 as well as the G you said. You were getting some sick number on both the G and the M1

[knudson81]

There may be only 15 people that agree with me on this, but I think it would be a good idea to try to keep everything the same moving forward as much as possibe. It would make sense to try to use the same testers next year. Seems like it would be much more efficient as there is already a baseline among testers. More time could be spent on the heads themselves by not having to take as much time dialing in shafts. From a business standpoint I can understand why they chose MOG. Doesn't make sense to spend the $$$ for staff to travel when there is a quality shop near by. As far as the time of year I'm sure something could be tweeked as far as that. My guess is MOG could justify cutting into a more peak time by the free advertising they are getting. Suppose the problem with moving it later into the season is the products are out and people are itching for info so idk. I think adding 1 or 2 players in the sub 90mph range and maybe a freak could be done also.

 

Yeah, what he is saying!

[Medic]

There may be only 15 people that agree with me on this, but I think it would be a good idea to try to keep everything the same moving forward as much as possibe. It would make sense to try to use the same testers next year. Seems like it would be much more efficient as there is already a baseline among testers. More time could be spent on the heads themselves by not having to take as much time dialing in shafts. From a business standpoint I can understand why they chose MOG. Doesn't make sense to spend the $$$ for staff to travel when there is a quality shop near by. As far as the time of year I'm sure something could be tweeked as far as that. My guess is MOG could justify cutting into a more peak time by the free advertising they are getting. Suppose the problem with moving it later into the season is the products are out and people are itching for info so idk. I think adding 1 or 2 players in the sub 90mph range and maybe a freak could be done also.

 

Count me in! But just be aware that by next year the yoga my wife is making me do will have increased my flexibility and I will be around 97 mph. : )

[Stuart_G]

Well, have to admit after all this talk of my fellow testers' new equipment, I couldn't resist the temptation any more and finally broke down. Now have a new Ping G on it's way. :yahoo:

 

Didn't bother with a special order as I already have the shaft I need on hand and actually had decent results with the stock shaft during the trials so thought I could play with that as well (maybe tip it a bit to tighten up the feel).

 

Now maybe I will have to make a trip south after it shows up as not sure I'll be able to wait for the course to open up around here. :dntknw:

 

Stuart,

 

I see what you are talking about. As a matter of fact after looking at your data I might also try that M1 as well as the G you said. You were getting some sick number on both the G and the M1

 

Yes, I might. It's been interesting going through the complete data in more detail. I must admit I didn't pay a lot of attention to it during the test (at least until the very end) as I didn't want to get in Bryan's way during the fitting process and wanted to focus on keeping the swing consistent. The M1 data certainly looks stronger than the impression I got during the testing itself - which was that the results for the M1 were good distance wise but more inconsistent (shot shape). And at the time, decision to put it 3rd was a fairly unanimous consensus between Bryan, myself and Rob. However, I hadn't realized he was switching back between the 8.5 head and the 9.5 head, especially for the final round.

[larrybud]

They forgot to set the launch monitor to internet mode:) Notice all the testers who are still in denial about how slow they swing even with real numbers? :) Just teasing, losing 5mph in the offseason (combo of poor weather and just not swinging a ton) is pretty standard.

 

People underestimate how much an extra layer or two affects their SS. I took off my jacket when it was my turn, and I was within 1mph of what I put on my application. I even broke into triple digits a couple of times, to my surprise.

 

In the 2nd round of testing I hit my first shot with my jacket on. I went from 97 to 93 mph. Realized I had my jacket on, took it off, right back up to 97.

 

I'd probably gain 10 yards if I played naked :-)

[Yellow Jacket]

How can this be the GolfWRX trials when the fastest swing speed was under 113 mph? Might as well be testing 13* drivers with A flex shafts!

[3_Jack_Par]

How can this be the GolfWRX trials when the fastest swing speed was under 113 mph? Might as well be testing 13* drivers with A flex shafts!

Hey, it's an average! I cracked 116 a few times.

[3_Jack_Par]

I built my LTD Pro last night -- Tour AD DI 7x, tipped an inch and a half, 44.5" total length -- and that head is pretty hefty. I put my usual Z Cord grip on it, which is pretty average in weight at about 50g, and the swingweight came out out at about D4, which is pretty high compared to other drivers that I've set up shorter than standard. Feels solid, though, and I'm looking forward to getting it out on the course in a couple days down in Texas.

[knudson81]

I built my LTD Pro last night -- Tour AD DI 7x, tipped an inch and a half, 44.5" total length -- and that head is pretty hefty. I put my usual Z Cord grip on it, which is pretty average in weight at about 50g, and the swingweight came out out at about D4, which is pretty high compared to other drivers that I've set up shorter than standard. Feels solid, though, and I'm looking forward to getting it out on the course in a couple days down in Texas.

 

I was told the same thing about that head, just comes in a little heavier. That is awesome you didn't have to tape or hotmelt it to get a good swing weight out of it!

[3_Jack_Par]

I built my LTD Pro last night -- Tour AD DI 7x, tipped an inch and a half, 44.5" total length -- and that head is pretty hefty. I put my usual Z Cord grip on it, which is pretty average in weight at about 50g, and the swingweight came out out at about D4, which is pretty high compared to other drivers that I've set up shorter than standard. Feels solid, though, and I'm looking forward to getting it out on the course in a couple days down in Texas.

 

I was told the same thing about that head, just comes in a little heavier. That is awesome you didn't have to tape or hotmelt it to get a good swing weight out of it!

I was excited about it, though the Space Port would have made it easy to add some weight inside the head.

[ThunderBuzzworth]

For next years. Can we see some big hitters in the group? 115mph + would love to see the data and shaft combos, tipping ect for a group like that added to the mix.

 

Surprised they found 15 posters who couldn't get 115+!!!

Me too, I thought I was the only golfer on golfwrx.com that actually had limited swing speed ability… where are all those 125-140 mph swingers? lol. :superman2: :telephone: :slow_en:

 

Here I am :)

[bobbyclampett!!]

Not sure if this would be the best place for this post, but these trials inspired me to do my own test, and could offer some ideas to the trial masters here...

 

Picked up a used driver on the bay to compare against my current driver. I think this is the best way to do a trial- compare a new club (or shaft) against your current club (or shaft), see which one works better, keep the winner. Took them both to the unopened, empty driving range last night (I love the month of March, range is closed, I get to hit my own balls, not the rocks provided by our low end muni...). Hit five of one, five of the other, and repeat. Marked balls for one driver one way, the other driver another way. Watched them fly, then went and picked them up, saw where they ended up. There was a clear winner based on where all the balls were and how they flew there.

 

I realize this will probably not be feasible at future trials, as there will be all sorts of mofos hitting balls at the same time, and no way to mark them differently for each driver, but I think this would be the most ideal scenario, and eliminates the need to rely too heavily on trackman, or just blasting balls out on to a range. Obviously trackman could still be of some assistance to the naked eye, and will be necessary for posting results, but nothing beats the good old eye, and walking out down the fairway to see where they ended up.

 

Anyway, thanks for the inspiration to do my own "mini-trials", since I was not one of the fortunate few (can I put my application in now for next year for the 115-120 ss category??)

[3_Jack_Par]

Not sure if this would be the best place for this post, but these trials inspired me to do my own test, and could offer some ideas to the trial masters here...

 

Picked up a used driver on the bay to compare against my current driver. I think this is the best way to do a trial- compare a new club (or shaft) against your current club (or shaft), see which one works better, keep the winner. Took them both to the unopened, empty driving range last night (I love the month of March, range is closed, I get to hit my own balls, not the rocks provided by our low end muni...). Hit five of one, five of the other, and repeat. Marked balls for one driver one way, the other driver another way. Watched them fly, then went and picked them up, saw where they ended up. There was a clear winner based on where all the balls were and how they flew there.

 

I realize this will probably not be feasible at future trials, as there will be all sorts of mofos hitting balls at the same time, and no way to mark them differently for each driver, but I think this would be the most ideal scenario, and eliminates the need to rely too heavily on trackman, or just blasting balls out on to a range. Obviously trackman could still be of some assistance to the naked eye, and will be necessary for posting results, but nothing beats the good old eye, and walking out down the fairway to see where they ended up.

 

Anyway, thanks for the inspiration to do my own "mini-trials", since I was not one of the fortunate few (can I put my application in now for next year for the 115-120 ss category??)

This is kind of how I usually test between two clubs when I get a new contender. I play a lot early in the morning during the summers -- there's a course not too far from my office where if I get out there early enough, I can be the first one off, and I can get around 18 holes in a cart in under 2 hours most days. If I have clubs I want to test, I'll mark a few balls and hit the clubs head to head, and see where they end up. With any luck, I can hit two shots similarly enough to do a decent comparison.

[PapaJohick]

Not sure if this would be the best place for this post, but these trials inspired me to do my own test, and could offer some ideas to the trial masters here...

 

Picked up a used driver on the bay to compare against my current driver. I think this is the best way to do a trial- compare a new club (or shaft) against your current club (or shaft), see which one works better, keep the winner. Took them both to the unopened, empty driving range last night (I love the month of March, range is closed, I get to hit my own balls, not the rocks provided by our low end muni...). Hit five of one, five of the other, and repeat. Marked balls for one driver one way, the other driver another way. Watched them fly, then went and picked them up, saw where they ended up. There was a clear winner based on where all the balls were and how they flew there.

 

I realize this will probably not be feasible at future trials, as there will be all sorts of mofos hitting balls at the same time, and no way to mark them differently for each driver, but I think this would be the most ideal scenario, and eliminates the need to rely too heavily on trackman, or just blasting balls out on to a range. Obviously trackman could still be of some assistance to the naked eye, and will be necessary for posting results, but nothing beats the good old eye, and walking out down the fairway to see where they ended up.

 

Anyway, thanks for the inspiration to do my own "mini-trials", since I was not one of the fortunate few (can I put my application in now for next year for the 115-120 ss category??)

 

This is in no way meant to be condescending or rude haha but you know they were hitting in a bay and were able to watch the ball flight out to the range right? In this setting you get to see how flight was and then track man just gave them numbers. It is very accurate and you can trust the numbers. Plus with every shot on the same machine for each group, you do get a true comparison between clubs. Golfwrx probably did this the most accurate and seems to be feasible way of doing a trial. The only thing I was worried about was how tired some of the guys were by the third round and the finals. May have skewed a bit but it did sound like they had enough rest for the most part and had the ability to keep loose also between rounds

[PapaJohick]

But as most of us know, this can only help point is in the right direction. There have been multiple trips or tests done through here that seemed to work perfectly on the machine but course results were a bit different. So on course testing is he last step and hopefully the results carry over to play

[bruinsPATSirish]

How can this be the GolfWRX trials when the fastest swing speed was under 113 mph? Might as well be testing 13* drivers with A flex shafts!

Hey, it's an average! I cracked 116 a few times.

 

Samesies

[jefftomahawk]

For next years. Can we see some big hitters in the group? 115mph + would love to see the data and shaft combos, tipping ect for a group like that added to the mix.

 

Surprised they found 15 posters who couldn't get 115+!!!

Me too, I thought I was the only golfer on golfwrx.com that actually had limited swing speed ability… where are all those 125-140 mph swingers? lol. :superman2: :telephone: :slow_en:

 

Here I am :)

 

Yep count TBW in for the insane clubhead speeds next year, just gotta turn the trackman machines around to accommodate he being left handed.

Saw his awesome display of power at Carls golfland this summer and at my local Golfsmith of Lakeside.

Count me in again for the slow bunters group, Medics got yoga, me, I have been watching Rick Shiels , 20 yards in 20 minutes on youtube.

[Doc420]

For next years. Can we see some big hitters in the group? 115mph + would love to see the data and shaft combos, tipping ect for a group like that added to the mix.

 

Surprised they found 15 posters who couldn't get 115+!!!

Me too, I thought I was the only golfer on golfwrx.com that actually had limited swing speed ability… where are all those 125-140 mph swingers? lol. :superman2: :telephone: :slow_en:

 

Here I am :)

 

Yep count TBW in for the insane clubhead speeds next year, just gotta turn the trackman machines around to accommodate he being left handed.

Saw his awesome display of power at Carls golfland this summer and at my local Golfsmith of Lakeside.

Count me in again for the slow bunters group, Medics got yoga, me, I have been watching Rick Shiels , 20 yards in 20 minutes on youtube.

played with Thunder a couple times, the most recent a week before these trials. Two drives of note, 394 range on a par 5, wind aided. Par 4 16 around a lake he drives it over the green, I went out and measured it the next day, 360. 50 degree, windy, and wet in Kentucky. All carry very little roll if any.

[PeanutsDaddy]

They forgot to set the launch monitor to internet mode:) Notice all the testers who are still in denial about how slow they swing even with real numbers? :) Just teasing, losing 5mph in the offseason (combo of poor weather and just not swinging a ton) is pretty standard.

 

People underestimate how much an extra layer or two affects their SS. I took off my jacket when it was my turn, and I was within 1mph of what I put on my application. I even broke into triple digits a couple of times, to my surprise.

 

In the 2nd round of testing I hit my first shot with my jacket on. I went from 97 to 93 mph. Realized I had my jacket on, took it off, right back up to 97.

 

I'd probably gain 10 yards if I played naked :-)

 

I look at your avatar and all I can think is . . .

 

"look at that blubber fly". : )

[hayzooos]

can anyone list screen name and real name so that we can ask specific questions?

 

Pretty sure everyone's handle is listed on their profile page. If you click on a specific person, I believe their handle should be listed in the bio box or whatever it is.

 

I see only about 4 testers were best fit with shafts shorter than 45 inches. Any thoughts on that?

Don't know if it's the case for anyone else, but for me the results show the actual shaft length, not the length I was playing it at. I was choking up on every shaft, down to around 44.5". They didn't seem to have a lot of shaft options available under 45". Only one of the shafts that I was given to try was under 45".

 

Also we have to understand that we didn't have a lot of time to fully mess with head weight and dial in swing weight for every single head we demo'd, so if one went a lot shorter, the head weight could start to be an issue.

 

Agree with Stuart here. The big assumption here, and it's a BIG assumption (but it was asked/required when applying) is people had been fit previously. Some were recent, some were a few years ago from what I remember. Anyway, the assumption was you already had a pretty good setup, including length. I'm one of the guys who was literally hitting drivers fat (FAT) when I had them at 45-45.5" long. Seriously. But I know I hit it better with a shorter club, so most of the setups I was testing were with shorter club builds. Other guys who were already playing 45" drivers, were hitting those instead.

 

Did any of you guys that tested get a chance to try the Kuro Kage XT or XM? It looks like several tried the Silver, but I don't see the XT or XM.

 

So hard to remember all the combinations that you hit! I am pretty sure I hit the KK 70 XT, but cannot remember what head it was with. I know I told the fitter it was a silky smooth shaft. I think the HZRDUS has a slightly stiffer butt section and I found a little more control with it, but I did like the XT

 

You did, I remember the XT coming out during one of your sessions.

[ladahl]

There may be only 15 people that agree with me on this, but I think it would be a good idea to try to keep everything the same moving forward as much as possibe. It would make sense to try to use the same testers next year. Seems like it would be much more efficient as there is already a baseline among testers. More time could be spent on the heads themselves by not having to take as much time dialing in shafts. From a business standpoint I can understand why they chose MOG. Doesn't make sense to spend the $$$ for staff to travel when there is a quality shop near by. As far as the time of year I'm sure something could be tweeked as far as that. My guess is MOG could justify cutting into a more peak time by the free advertising they are getting. Suppose the problem with moving it later into the season is the products are out and people are itching for info so idk. I think adding 1 or 2 players in the sub 90mph range and maybe a freak could be done also.

 

You, sir, are a genius ;)

[swizbeatz]

Yo Hayzoos, were the numbers really that extreme between one driver to the next? Reading yours things looked a little off.

[scratchswinger]

I hope next year the powers that be considers one shaft for each tester.