Bryson testing prototype driver at Augusta

[extrastiff]

17 hours ago, Seattlegolfnut said:

Just curious and trying to learn -- would tape on the top make a head non conforming for play? Or just hotmelt to avoid the tape coming off and not being able to replace it mid round?

Yeah you can’t put anything on the top of the crown, inside or bottom is typically fine. 
 

Edit: Stuart says I’m wrong, go with that.

Edited April 6, 2021 by extrastiff

[extrastiff]

4 hours ago, Myherobobhope said:

Seems likely that they had something in the pipeline coming when they signed Berkshire... seems to make sense they’d launch it with Bryson at the masters... 

 

toss a green shaft and white head on it, have a second special release for the masters.

A white crown with this club and the infinity face would be amazing. Can’t scratch it up, looks clean

 

18 minutes ago, TheMoneyShot said:

Which wrxer is buying this first😂

It would be my honor lol

[swgolf12]

From what Jonathan Wall posted I guess it's built different on the toe side of the head/face because he was finding that was more of a spot of impact with the increased swing speeds he's been producing. Would be interesting to see what exactly is different between this and the regular version.

[The4TH]

1 hour ago, TheMoneyShot said:

Which wrxer is buying this first😂

slap in TX flex and still bombing down 350 yard on an easy swing 

[TheMoneyShot]

No way Cobra releases this exact club to the public.  Or will they??? 

[JDennis]

It will be the new Cobra Long Drive driver.  

 

I couldn't even imagine hitting it. I am not talented enough to tee the ball 5 inches high and start my back swing with the driver 4 inches off the ground and know I am going to hit the center of the face. 

[KennyP]

Will it make the bag on Thursday, or is it a publicity stunt to promote Radspeed sales?

[golfmatt]

19 hours ago, third-times-a-charm said:

Pretty much no one on Cobra staff plays their recent current models with any conviction. Duffner, maybe? 

 

They desperately need a retail head that Bryson can use since no one else on their staff moves the needle.

Well Rickie has been using the driver for a while, the only thing in his bag that has been working

[Llortamaisey]

11 hours ago, swgolf12 said:

From what Jonathan Wall posted I guess it's built different on the toe side of the head/face because he was finding that was more of a spot of impact with the increased swing speeds he's been producing. Would be interesting to see what exactly is different between this and the regular version.

A few years back I went from 88 mph to 98 mph with the driver in one season. As my swing speed increased, I noticed that I was hitting it more off the toe. I wonder what it is about that type of raw power that makes a golfer hit off the toe? I might have to look into this driver if it comes to retail. 

[wcbjr]

1 hour ago, Llortamaisey said:

A few years back I went from 88 mph to 98 mph with the driver in one season. As my swing speed increased, I noticed that I was hitting it more off the toe. I wonder what it is about that type of raw power that makes a golfer hit off the toe? I might have to look into this driver if it comes to retail. 

If everything else about the swing stayed the same, then you would have a bit more droop in the shaft at impact which would bring the clubhead closer to you.  Of course it would also lower the clubhead so maybe you were correcting for that.  Just guessing...

[Stuart_G]

14 hours ago, extrastiff said:

Yeah you can’t put anything on the top of the crown, inside or bottom is typically fine. 

 

Sorry, I think you're mistaken.  I don't see anything in the equipment rules that limits where the lead tape can be placed except 1) it can't be attached to the face and 2) it can't be added in a way that would confuse the identification with respect to the list of conforming heads.

 

https://www.usga.org/equipment-standards/equipment-rules-2019/equipment-rules/equipment-rules.html#!ruletype=er&section=rule&partnum=1&rulenum=1

 

Edited April 6, 2021 by Stuart_G

[gioguy21]

2 hours ago, Llortamaisey said:

A few years back I went from 88 mph to 98 mph with the driver in one season. As my swing speed increased, I noticed that I was hitting it more off the toe. I wonder what it is about that type of raw power that makes a golfer hit off the toe? I might have to look into this driver if it comes to retail. 

i'm not saying it's a proven fact -- however, i think it's b/c as you are trying to get more and more speed you have a tendency to 'crack the whip' at the ball and thus pull off of it as you're pushing up/away from the driver clubhead on the way down...resulting in your hands being a little inside where they are at address - ie hitting on the toe. 

[Stuart_G]

17 hours ago, Seattlegolfnut said:

 to avoid the tape coming off and not being able to replace it mid round?

 

The rules allows any lead tape that falls off during the round (as a result of normal play and usage) to be replaced.  The rules consider that as a valid "repair" of damage done to the club during the course of play.

Edited April 6, 2021 by Stuart_G

[BirdieBob]

I've played a 6.5* Titleist driver, so I can see using a soft tipped shaft like a Ventus Red, etc. at 47" so that the dynamic loft will increase at impact.  

High bombers!

[QuigleyDU]

Interesting that he is choosing to reduce the bulge on the face because of toe strikes. That is the complete opposite of what Taylormade says you need with twist face. 

[extrastiff]

32 minutes ago, Stuart_G said:

 

Sorry, I think you're mistaken.  I don't see anything in the equipment rules that limits where the lead tape can be placed except 1) it can't be attached to the face and 2) it can't be added in a way that would confuse the identification with respect to the list of conforming heads.

 

https://www.usga.org/equipment-standards/equipment-rules-2019/equipment-rules/equipment-rules.html#!ruletype=er&section=rule&partnum=1&rulenum=1

 

As usual I’m sure you are correct.  

 

Just to highlight why I am confused, some discussion in this thread I just found that echoes stuff I’ve read before, that I was not clever enough to follow apparently. Probably written by you lol. So anyways good to know, not illegal according to Stuart on golfwrx is what I’ll tell the tourney director 🙂 

 

•  

“That would be a mis-read, there is nothing there that limits this issue to things done during the round. The relevant section is about whether a club conforms and adding electrical tape renders a club non-conforming. A non-conforming club taken on the course counts as one of your 14, but gets you DQ if you make a (counting) stroke with it.

On your reflected glare issue, this was the coverage in (part of) the old decision (but only the material discussed above should be relied on currently).

4-1/5

Adhesive Bandage or Tape Applied to Clubhead to Reduce Glare

or for Protection

Q. May a player put an adhesive bandage or tape on the clubhead to reduce

glare or to protect the club from being damaged?

A. An adhesive bandage or tape added to the clubhead is considered an

external attachment, rendering the club non-conforming (see Appendix

II, Rule 1a, but see also Decision 4-1/4). However, material attached

to the clubhead that does not affect the performance of the club and

is semi-permanent, durable, not easily removable and conforms to the

shape of the clubhead may be permitted by exception, but an adhesive

bandage or tape does not fall under that exception because such items

are temporary in nature and easily removable.”

[J13]

When it comes to Cobra I always go to my man Robo.  It would be nice to see him allowed back on here but I'll pass the info along, See below

 

 

FROM THE DESK OF ROBOPTI ....

I got up this morning to several emails regarding Bryson's prototype driver. Although I have not confirmed this with COBRA PIMP DADDY ... I promise you I know what the deal is with the lead tape.

This is very common in long drive and as Bryson's loft is in the long drive region ... It's an absolute no-brainer what they're doing.

The lead tape is there for BALLSPEED increase ... Or at least maximizing ball speed. It was very common with all long drive guys that I've worked with whom include Jason zuback Joe Miller Jamie saidlowski etc etc ... on a long drive head since the loft is unusually low you ideally want to put Mass directly behind impact. Theoretically on a 0° driver the way to figure out maximization of where to locate mass is to fire a laser straight through your impact area and find on the back of the head where that would be. Less than six degrees you will find that that will be primarily on the crown not the sole plate. It was very common with long drive guys to have crown waiting done extremely high. This results in higher ball speed across the board at high speeds and low loft. The gear effect are spinning increases negligible because the loft is so low to begin with .... And nothing has a more dynamic effect on spin than loft.

So in short just looking at that one picture I can promise you he's just trying to hit the ball to Mars.

ROBO HAS SPOKEN  👾😬🤑

Edited April 6, 2021 by J13

[Pmookie]

15 minutes ago, J13 said:

When it comes to Cobra I always go to my man Robo.  It would be nice to see him allowed back on here but I'll pass the info along, See below

 

 

FROM THE DESK OF ROBOPTI ....

I got up this morning to several emails regarding Bryson's prototype driver. Although I have not confirmed this with COBRA PIMP DADDY ... I promise you I know what the deal is with the lead tape.

This is very common in long drive and as Bryson's loft is in the long drive region ... It's an absolute no-brainer what they're doing.

The lead tape is there for BALLSPEED increase ... Or at least maximizing ball speed. It was very common with all long drive guys that I've worked with whom include Jason zuback Joe Miller Jamie saidlowski etc etc ... on a long drive head since the loft is unusually low you ideally want to put Mass directly behind impact. Theoretically on a 0° driver the way to figure out maximization of where to locate mass is to fire a laser straight through your impact area and find on the back of the head where that would be. Less than six degrees you will find that that will be primarily on the crown not the sole plate. It was very common with long drive guys to have crown waiting done extremely high. This results in higher ball speed across the board at high speeds and low loft. The gear effect are spinning increases negligible because the loft is so low to begin with .... And nothing has a more dynamic effect on spin than loft.

So in short just looking at that one picture I can promise you he's just trying to hit the ball to Mars.

ROBO HAS SPOKEN  👾😬🤑

Now y’all have your answer....

[Stuart_G]

26 minutes ago, extrastiff said:

As usual I’m sure you are correct.  

 

Just to highlight why I am confused, some discussion in this thread I just found that echoes stuff I’ve read before, that I was not clever enough to follow apparently. Probably written by you lol. So anyways good to know, not illegal according to Stuart on golfwrx is what I’ll tell the tourney director 🙂 

 

 

Didn't read the thread but based on just the title, the confusion might be from the fact that lead tape is an explicit exception with regards to external attachments so isn't treated the same as any other tape (or non semi-permanent attachments).

 

The two long-standing permissible “external attachments” are (a) the permission to use lead tape on the shaft or the head for weighting, and (b) the use of a suction cup at the end of the grip of a putter to assist with retrieving the ball from the hole. While lead tape can affect the performance of the club and a rubber suction cup would exceed the diameter of the butt end of the grip, the use of both of these items continue to be permitted on a traditional basis (but see Section 4b(i) below for details on the use of lead tape on driver heads with a high Moment of Inertia).

 

Edited April 6, 2021 by Stuart_G

[QuigleyDU]

36 minutes ago, J13 said:

When it comes to Cobra I always go to my man Robo.  It would be nice to see him allowed back on here but I'll pass the info along, See below

 

 

FROM THE DESK OF ROBOPTI ....

I got up this morning to several emails regarding Bryson's prototype driver. Although I have not confirmed this with COBRA PIMP DADDY ... I promise you I know what the deal is with the lead tape.

This is very common in long drive and as Bryson's loft is in the long drive region ... It's an absolute no-brainer what they're doing.

The lead tape is there for BALLSPEED increase ... Or at least maximizing ball speed. It was very common with all long drive guys that I've worked with whom include Jason zuback Joe Miller Jamie saidlowski etc etc ... on a long drive head since the loft is unusually low you ideally want to put Mass directly behind impact. Theoretically on a 0° driver the way to figure out maximization of where to locate mass is to fire a laser straight through your impact area and find on the back of the head where that would be. Less than six degrees you will find that that will be primarily on the crown not the sole plate. It was very common with long drive guys to have crown waiting done extremely high. This results in higher ball speed across the board at high speeds and low loft. The gear effect are spinning increases negligible because the loft is so low to begin with .... And nothing has a more dynamic effect on spin than loft.

So in short just looking at that one picture I can promise you he's just trying to hit the ball to Mars.

ROBO HAS SPOKEN  👾😬🤑

 

 

Great info. Miss robo.. 

 

 

 

[KrazyTrain18]

The next time I start missing towards the toe consistently I'll hit up OEM of choice and get a driver designed for that....

[Stuart_G]

1 hour ago, J13 said:

The gear effect are spinning increases negligible because the loft is so low to begin with .... And nothing has a more dynamic effect on spin than loft.

 

Everything is good except the last sentence.

 

For drivers, gear effect has way more of an impact on spin than dynamic loft and the low loft has no impact on the amount of gear effect.  But in this case, I have no doubt that the goal is to get an impact position on the face where there is no gear effect.  That will maximize the energy transfer to the ball and therefore ball speed and also not have to worry about what the gear effect might do.

Edited April 6, 2021 by Stuart_G

[mogc60]

10 hours ago, Stuart_G said:

 

The rules allows any lead tape that falls off during the round (as a result of normal play and usage) to be replaced.  The rules consider that as a valid "repair" of damage done to the club during the course of play.

I’ve used lead tape on nearly every club I’ve used the past 30 years and I’ve never had a piece of lead tape fall off. I hear about it a lot on here but I’ve never had it happen. 

[Stanks]

If Robo clued in, we might as well close the thread. I'm looking forward to the show that bryson is going to put on this week. 

[grm24]

Info on BDC's new driver.

 

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2021/04/06/driver-bryson-dechambeau-new-masters/

 

What he’s been seeing will lead the reigning U.S. Open champion to more than likely go to the first tee Thursday with a new driver – the latest version of Cobra’s RadSpeed driver that hit the U.S. Golf Association’s conforming list this week. Cobra Tour rep Ben Schomin said it has a 5.5-degree face that DeChambeau will adjust to 4.5 degrees, which would provide the PGA Tour’s longest driver even more distance. DeChambeau leads the Tour in driving distance (320.8 yards) and is No. 1 in strokes gained off the tee and strokes gained tee to green. The new driver, which DeChambeau and Cobra have worked on for several months, has a thicker face for durability

Edited April 7, 2021 by grm24

[phizzy30]

On 4/5/2021 at 10:20 AM, bennycoop9882 said:

In an inverview with Golf.com on youtube currently, he mentions a prototype that just got added to the USGA conforming list.  I looked and only saw the RadSPeed (Version 5) in 5.5 degrees, not sure if it has already been posted here.   He says this prototype has been in development for 3 years.  Should be interesting.

5.5 degrees?  That seems like too much loft for Bryson, LOL.   

[phizzy30]

22 hours ago, TheMoneyShot said:

No way Cobra releases this exact club to the public.  Or will they??? 

Mostly likely no.  I don't know too many guys on the planet that can successfully hit any driver with 5.5 degrees.  I sure as hell can't.  The Radspeed line up is excellent in it of itself. 

[grm24]

14 minutes ago, phizzy30 said:

5.5 degrees?  That seems like too much loft for Bryson, LOL.   

He's playing it at 4.5 degrees.

[phizzy30]

6 minutes ago, grm24 said:

He's playing it at 4.5 degrees.

Good to know.  Also, I was joking about it being too much loft.  😉

[QuigleyDU]

23 hours ago, TheMoneyShot said:

No way Cobra releases this exact club to the public.  Or will they??? 

No way.. no need.. haha. Release more special colorways.. those are better.