Senior Driver; Less Than 240 Yards

[henrysdadda]

While being far from a senior at 31, I do have some health issues that effect the way I play. I have never really got on with a driver before now.

Recently purchased the Callaway XR speed with a 13.5 degree head. I’m finally getting somewhere!

Can be lifted up to 15.5 if I really need it but it’s neutral setting is giving me a nice ball flight and about 210 yards carry.

It’s early days but really enjoying it so far.

[platgof]

XR is a great driver. Played the F8 again today, and did well with it. Still looking for the unicorn, and so far the Fusion holds that spot.

[platgof]

Trying out the Callaway Epic Gold to see what it can do. The face is closed and not liking that. I have the weight in the neutral position because the closed face already moves it left. It has decent distance and will take time to see if I like it. After playing the F8 and trying to keep it left, the Gold goes way left. Some adjustments will be needed.

[myspinonit]

> @platgof said:

> Trying out the Callaway Epic Gold to see what it can do. The face is closed and not liking that. I have the weight in the neutral position because the closed face already moves it left. It has decent distance and will take time to see if I like it. After playing the F8 and trying to keep it left, the Gold goes way left. Some adjustments will be needed.

 

Plat, I may have said this before but have you looked at getting a proper fitting? Sounds like you are spending a fair amount of coin and time getting one club sorted. You could take your current heads and shafts along as a starting point and to go back to them as reference points during the fitting.

[cxx]

> @sirukuma said:

> > @AlohaJoe said:

> > Thanks for sharing your experience! I'm not super long off the tee either. I tried some drivers in the golf store and the Ping G series was consistently longer for me, vs the various Callaway composite drivers I tried.

> >

> > I'm new to golf technology so still learning, but I'm also a mechanical engineer so I have my hypotheses. The market seems to be favoring light clubs to increase swing speed - I've read people/companies talking about 2-5mph gains in club head speed for more distance. But physics says the velocity of the golf ball is determined by the speed AND weight of the object hitting it:

> >

> > Club Weight x Club Speed = Ball Weight x Ball Speed (in physics, m1*v1 = m2*v2)

> >

> > Adding 5mph to a 100mph club speed is 5% improvement. I feel like it would take a lot to find an extra 5mph in my swing. Adding 12.5g to a 200g driver is 6.3% improvement. I don't think it would bring my swing speed down anything significant so that seems like a much easier option to add a few ball mph. I know there's other stuff going on in terms of spin, launch angles, etc. but it's a place to start.

> >

> > The Ping driver heads (with metal crowns) felt heavier to me than the Callaways with the forged crowns. I tried same shafts on both and Ping felt like heavier swing weight, so club head must have been a few g heavier. My dispersion and most everything else looked the same between the two, but Ping just went longer.

>

> I would think the Kinetic energy you impart on the ball is the important figure. E=1/2mv^2...... In other words energy increases linearly with mass, but increases exponentially with velocity.... You get a much bigger bang with an increase in swing speed than you do with an increase in club head mass.

 

I think the conservation of momentum would be a better way to approximate. You'd have to include the angular momentum post impact. A squared term is not exponential.

[platgof]

myspinonit, well said and it will be my next stop, thank you. The Gold Star has been just that, I really like this driver. Once I squared the face(closed) up with my target it was a fairway finder, just awesome! Finally found the club I have been looking for, and I got a real good deal on this new, very happy. It took quite a awhile to find it, but it is done for "now!" Shot a really decent score with it, and if only the putter had been hot!

[sirukuma]

> @cxx said:

> > @sirukuma said:

> > > @AlohaJoe said:

> > > Thanks for sharing your experience! I'm not super long off the tee either. I tried some drivers in the golf store and the Ping G series was consistently longer for me, vs the various Callaway composite drivers I tried.

> > >

> > > I'm new to golf technology so still learning, but I'm also a mechanical engineer so I have my hypotheses. The market seems to be favoring light clubs to increase swing speed - I've read people/companies talking about 2-5mph gains in club head speed for more distance. But physics says the velocity of the golf ball is determined by the speed AND weight of the object hitting it:

> > >

> > > Club Weight x Club Speed = Ball Weight x Ball Speed (in physics, m1*v1 = m2*v2)

> > >

> > > Adding 5mph to a 100mph club speed is 5% improvement. I feel like it would take a lot to find an extra 5mph in my swing. Adding 12.5g to a 200g driver is 6.3% improvement. I don't think it would bring my swing speed down anything significant so that seems like a much easier option to add a few ball mph. I know there's other stuff going on in terms of spin, launch angles, etc. but it's a place to start.

> > >

> > > The Ping driver heads (with metal crowns) felt heavier to me than the Callaways with the forged crowns. I tried same shafts on both and Ping felt like heavier swing weight, so club head must have been a few g heavier. My dispersion and most everything else looked the same between the two, but Ping just went longer.

> >

> > I would think the Kinetic energy you impart on the ball is the important figure. E=1/2mv^2...... In other words energy increases linearly with mass, but increases exponentially with velocity.... You get a much bigger bang with an increase in swing speed than you do with an increase in club head mass.

>

> I think the conservation of momentum would be a better way to approximate. You'd have to include the angular momentum post impact. A squared term is not exponential.

 

You are correct - I should have said squared as opposed to exponential. I blame it on the jetlag at time I wrote this. My point however remains valid... A small increase in swing speed has a much larger impact on the energy the club exerts on the ball at impact than an increase in club-head mass. That is why everyone is working on swing speed to increase distance and not just adding lead tape to their club-head.

[AlohaJoe]

I agree - my thoughts about momentum conservation were incomplete.

 

M1V1 + M2V2 remains constant after impact. Since the mass of the club and the ball doesn’t change, the only way for the ball to accelerate is for the club head decelerate at impact. A heavier club would have more inertia (resistance to accelerate/decelerate) and therefore maintain club head speed, and wouldn’t transfer as much momentum to the ball. So lighter, faster heads for distance makes sense.

[platgof]

But a lighter head would be more likely to deflect at impact, whereas a heavier club would be able to maintain better through impact, as in less deflection. I have a lighter club, and it is much harder to maintain a consistent impact zone area if you will, while the heavier club is more consistent in hitting the center of the face, whereas the lighter club has more "disorientation" at impact.

[platgof]

Just got my 17 gram weight for the Gold Star driver. The stock one is 11 grams. I weighed these on a very accurate gram scale and they were very close on stated weights. Hope to try it out Thursday.

[platgof]

I decided to try the Gmax once again. I originally cut it and felt that it was a mistake as it didn't respond right. So I decided to go the other way and added an extender to 46 1/4", 1/2" over standard. At first I tried it with the standard weight, and it was not working right. So I added the heavier weight(12.5 grams)and nailed it, who knew. Before I was driving way right, now the longer length has brought it to center, and I hit some of my best drives ever, as it was point and shoot. I am very pleased with the outcome and the GMax is in the bag.

[puttitin]

I couldn't agree more with the XXIO suggestion. I have the XXIO 9 driver with regular flex shaft (41 g weight). They have lightweight shafts in A ,R, SR(stiff regular) and S.

For me this driver is a game changer in terms of distance and forgiveness.

[Milfordlefty]

Am I correct you're playing a 10.5 Gmax with a 12.5 gram weight, 40g Distanza sr flex shaft at 46.25"? Is the grip 50 grams? I have the 10.5 with the R flex Alta CB and was considering the Distanza shaft. Any idea what the 12.5 gr moved the swingweight number to?

[Socrates]

That would only apply if the shaft was less stiff in the tip and had a high torque number. Very easy to get a lighter head and have a shaft with a stiff tip and low torque numbers. Heads rarely change in weight (most in 200g range) but the big variable is in shaft weight. It is becoming known that clubs that are too light lead to all sorts of swing problems while heavier clubs (usually from heavier shafts) produce better swings and better contact. The theory about being able to swing a lighter shaft and club faster, is in most cases a myth.

[platgof]

That is correct. I guess around D-4, but don't know for sure. It does feel heavy, but controllable for some reason. I am sure my smash factor went up a few!!! I have no idea why it became so controllable with the heavier weight, but it did. I took the heavier weight along to try it out if the lighter weight was not performing. After the third hole the heavier weight went in, and the control/distance increased a lot.m I am using MMC grips so they are heavy @ 66 grams, but that also counter balances everything as well.

[Milfordlefty]

thanks, gives me food for thought for any future experimentation.

[platgof]

Walked nine today and the same performance with the driver, outstanding. Mishit it one time, the others were perfect. In the bag solidly.

[2Down]

I’m one year younger but with a similar drive it seems.

 

I went with the ping 410+ with the tensi orange stiff

Set it up with the flattest lie and the weight widget set to neutral. Stopped my draw and I’m loving it

Currently I’m hitting it all over the face as I transition to heavier clothing here in Maryland but still getting good distance out of it

Maybe not longer than your fusion but I would think perhaps a bit more forgiving. And a different sound for sure.

 

goof luck.

[doctormizuno]

I didn’t read all the posts yet, but shaft and shaft flex could play into this also. Were the torque rating similar in the

Fusion you have now and the Cobra F8. In my own personal experience, the shaft has been as important as the head.

[Switter]

You may want to consider a Krank Formula X conforming or Double X nonconforming forged driver.

Krank Forumula X (USGA Conforming) & Formula Double X Extreme Driver (Nonconforming)https://krankgolf.com/shop/shop_detail/krank_formula_double_x_extreme_highcor_driver_/

Krank Nonconforming Formula Double X Extreme Driverhttps://youtu.be/daLQLKiv5cA

[doctormizuno]

I had a Krank Formula x conforming. Good feeling Driver, sounds good and I did hit some big drives with it.

ultimately I went back to my old one. I had the wrong shaft in it and couldn’t keep it in the fairway.

[platgof]

The shafts in the Fusion, F8, and the Ping all feel about the same, except the Tensei felt amazing. I have now moved to the Max after making some adjustments. It has the Distanza shaft extended to 46 1/4", and the 12.5 gram heavier weight. Feels heavy but works for me. The F8 felt the best of all of them, but was fade biased, which was difficult for me to control, but that feel was exceptional. The Max is fade biased, that is why I extended it. I find longer drivers tend to be draw biased, which I like. I will probably extend the F8 and see what happens.

[dmeeksDC]

One option that gets overlooked a lot does depend on where you rank on ball striking, but if above average you can use a smaller clubhead and pick up some speed. A Callaway X2Hot 2 Deep Pro is 12.5 degrees. I have one with an Adila Tour Blue and it is far more consistent for me and I hit it longer on average for that reason, and I can aim it easier. Head is 210cc and its 43.5 inches Those X2Hots are cannons!

i got the idea when I had driver struggles and played for months with a 3 Deep/Diamana 80g Whiteboard off the tee and hammered that thing. It also was 43.5 inches Took a lesson from Erika Larkin with video breakdown and she really helped. My fundamental flaw (after she fixed my horrendous aim at setup) is I get quick at the top, turn my left hip away from the target line too soon, and come down over the swing plane. With a 45 inch shaft and a giant head that often means an open face at impact and a push or cut. (Also can be a dead pull, hit far and into deep rough or timber). I have gotten better at avoiding this death move. Still, a shorter shaft and smaller head instead of toaster, I can recover a little better and its a power fade. On my best swings I hit it fine with anything so this has been about accounting for my main miss. Weirdly, when I have confidence I can get away with more, I don’t do it as much.

Also am currently testing an S Yard 388cc driver with a Graphite Design shaft. Has a deep face so looks inviting but swings fast. I find these size heads easier to square consistently. I’ve stopped going by which driver I hit the absolute longest. It is more about which one I hit long and accurately the most often and it has definitely contributed to more greens in regulation, which is my No. 1 stat followed by putts. You don’t need a huge driver head to get it out there. These heads I’m using are the size drivers used to be.

[mootrail]

I like TM drivers, but Twist Face is another story. My SS is down and I've been on the hunt for something to replace my AB TP with a Kuro Kage Tini 60 S. I've switched from S to R in my Fairways and Hybrids recently, so I thought it was time to give an R in my driver a shot. I took a Flyer and picked up an EPIC STAR driver in 10.5° with an R shaft (only R & Lite available).

Originally a JDM driver, it looks phenomenal and the gold accents look way better then the Epic green. Without the bulk of the adjustable hosel, it just looks like all class. The specs however with a 286g total weight, D0 SW and a 45g shaft, were all red flags. In play, it feels the way it looks and the JailBreak is hot and hard. The face sits open the 2° and looks like all business at address. The Mitsubishi Grand Bassara 39 R is a super premium shaft that looks and plays the part. It flexes easily, but is really stable in play. It's rated from an 81 to 90 SS, but I bet 95+ won't be an issue.

Two things take a bit of adjustment; the total weight is one thing, but the grip is going to throw off many. It's a 41g J-Spec grip which is thinner then standard that promotes a quick and easy turnover. I adjusted easily, but this was as an issue right out of the gate. Super high praise for both the hot and forgiving head as well as the fantastic shaft. Oh yeah, the leather head cover is out of this world, the best ever.

[platgof]

The Max is still in the bag, and not leaving anytime soon. I hit a lot of great drives with it, and some not so good, but still playable. Have a problem with draws when not wanted, oh well. To be hitting it this good in cold ... weather is remarkable. Will be great when the soggy bottoms dry out.

[scomac2002]

Soon to be 61. Swing speed 83-88 with a mid tempo. AFter returning to play last year following a year off due to back injury I had lost a lot of distance and was having difficulty getting the ball airborne. Tried a few of the guys in men's league weapons out to see what felt good and might yield a reasonable result. Ended up buying a TM RBZ Black 2.0 off of eBay in 12° loft with a Matrix White Tie 55X4 shaft in senior flex.

This has been a winner for me! Great feel and lots of kick that gets the ball up in the air and carrying. 220 has become fairly routine; 240 and up on the rare flushed shots. It's set dead neutral in terms of hosel adjustment.

Picked up a couple of new to me fairways in senior to fill out the top end of the bag hopefully bringing some more distance and consistency to my long game. First impression with the Adams Tight Lies 2.0 have been excellent. 55 gm Kuro Kage in Lite flex gets the ball up easily.

[myspinonit]

I'm going to get 10-20 yards more this season now I'm 69. I'm moving up a set of tees on most layouts.

[Sean2]

The average drive for those 60+ is 196 yards. A lot of you folks are well above average.

[Milfordlefty]

Yeah, but we are GolfWRX'ers and we are not average! (but I am).

[braincramp52]

Thanks Sean! My 200-220 drives make me a bomber at 67.