What's your favorite vintage fairway finder?

[Binson]

Adding another one to the list (a bit different from the 905S) as recently I've been playing this set in an old Ping L8 at a nearby Executive course.  There's an industrial, just-get-the-job-done look and a simplicity to the set that I love. 

 

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Ping Zing 2 Driver with G Loomis Shaft (Green Number, 9 Degree)

Ping Eye 2 Stainless Steel - 3i-SW 

Ping Glide Eye Sole 60

Ping Zing 2 Putter

 

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Teeing-it about 1.5cm off the ground, I have loved the straight and low ball flight I've been getting from the Ping Zing 2 Driver.  Something about the shaft and head combination makes it one of the smoothest swinging clubs for me.  It's been pretty windy recently so it's a perfect club for that as well.  And, It's been good for about 220-230 carry with a TON of rollout.  I've had it roll out to 275 on one, and another that would've rolled onto the green, but got caught up in the rough just before the green at about 250.

 

I think it's an often overlooked club due to how no-frills it looks and the Big Bertha it was competing against at the time.  The Ping Zing Blondes are lookers for sure, but if you see one of these Plain Jane Zing 2 drivers out in the wild at 9 degrees with a G Loomis shaft, give it a swing.   

 

[Kmagnuss]

Ping Eye 2 1 iron with about 8g of lead tape low in the cavity.  It's nearly impossible to hit one in the woods with it for some reason... but man if you hit it a little high on the face you might as well have kicked it off the tee.

[DCCarpenter]

KMagnuss- What kind of shaft are you playing in that 1 wood?

 

Binson- Thanks for the heads up on the Ping Zing, I haven't had any luck with the lower lofted drivers but if I see that one in a bargain bin I'll give it some attention.

 

I'm hoping tomorrow will give me some decent weather to try clubs out, rain rolled in this afternoon.

 

[DCCarpenter]

I went out for 9 holes today , kind of a mixed bag of clubs. First tee shot I took was with my Wilson Gooseneck 2 iron steel shaft … nailed it down the fairway 215 yards and thought I had something going. 
 

Alas it didn’t hit another good shot the rest of the day and I gave it 8 or 9 more tries as I was the only one out and could take 4 or 5 tee shots on every hole. 
 

The laminated Wilson 5 wood was good with finding the fairway but I just wasn’t getting good distance with it, 150 to 180 max. Likewise with the Wilson Gooseneck 3 iron. 
 

The winner of the day though it still wasn’t what I’d call consistent was the Wilson utility 24 degree iron. So I either practice with that one like crazy or keep searching.
 

I did shoot a 40(using my first tee shot  on each hole) with 6 pars , which is equally maddening as I shot a 60 on the front 9 Sunday albeit at a different course. 

[scruffynick]

John Riley 14 degree spoon thing with an aluminium insert......I loved that club. Off tea, off deck...just my go to club for years. I do miss my 90s bag, eye 2s and John Riley woods, plus a bullseye putter

[DCCarpenter]

Was the John Riley the ‘repeater’ wooden woods I see on eBay or something else ? 

[scruffynick]

20 hours ago, DCCarpenter said:

Was the John Riley the ‘repeater’ wooden woods I see on eBay or something else ? 

Yep, that was the one

[raggal62]

21 hours ago, scruffynick said:

John Riley 14 degree spoon thing with an aluminium insert......I loved that club. Off tea, off deck...just my go to club for years. I do miss my 90s bag, eye 2s and John Riley woods, plus a bullseye putter

For those who aren't aware, John Riley was also the inventor of stainless steel woods. History tends to denote Gary Adams (Taylormade) as the originator. Fact of the matter is Taylormade would ride the coattails and made metal woods a commercial success.

[gripandrip]

Titleist 910D2 or the Taylormade R7 Limited.

[DCCarpenter]

I spent some time at the driving range  with the laminated Wilson Swingweight 3 wood. I am assuming it is regular flex shaft but don’t really have any idea, it is steel. 
 

Before I wore myself out from hitting 80 balls of tee shots with my random bag of clubs I was putting nice shots on it but was having more trouble keeping it from slicing than I did with the graphite shafted Whale or some of the newer graphite woods I have. 

Maybe I need to focus on a stronger grip with this club even if the offset looks funny at address. Or try a really pronounced wrist roll ? 

 

[Wham49]

On 4/17/2022 at 8:36 PM, DCCarpenter said:

I've posted on here about my Wilson Whale driver, been playing it steady and pretty well unfortunately the insert decided to give up the ghost. I'm definitely going to reglue/repair it..my guess is it sat around unusued for a long time before I got it and then I used it twice a week for 2 months in all manners of weather. Or perhaps I should be more mindful of using better balls with it..it did hit a lot of TopFlites.

 

It is definitely going back in the bag as my tee club once repaired but this is a good chance to get another club that can stay in the bag. I was looking for more of a fairway finder 200-220 yard club, off the tee use only probably , from the persimmon , laminated or early metals era. Just seeing what people liked for those days when driver acted up or it was a tight hole and they wanted to stay on the fairway no matter what.

 

I found a WHale Friday at the Goodwill and went to the range with it on Saturday. My version does not have an insert just a sole plate. I must say that it is very easy to hit and very soft and straight I had great fun at the range with it and will put it in play with other vintage stuff soon. 

[OsnolaKinnard]

On 4/17/2022 at 8:36 PM, DCCarpenter said:

I've posted on here about my Wilson Whale driver, been playing it steady and pretty well unfortunately the insert decided to give up the ghost. I'm definitely going to reglue/repair it..my guess is it sat around unusued for a long time before I got it and then I used it twice a week for 2 months in all manners of weather. Or perhaps I should be more mindful of using better balls with it..it did hit a lot of TopFlites.

 

It is definitely going back in the bag as my tee club once repaired but this is a good chance to get another club that can stay in the bag. I was looking for more of a fairway finder 200-220 yard club, off the tee use only probably , from the persimmon , laminated or early metals era. Just seeing what people liked for those days when driver acted up or it was a tight hole and they wanted to stay on the fairway no matter what.

 

How vintage is vintage?  I have a 10.5* Titleist 983E with a stock YS6 Stiff shaft that is like using a cheat code.

 

As for persimmon, I have to go with my Jack Nicklaus M09T...not sure what year, but it's not an LFF, but man is it fun and easy to hit straight.

[DCCarpenter]

I'm open to just about anything, vintage just keeps the cost down and is kind of cool to play on top of that. 

 

I tried a 983k titleist but it was 8.5 degree and just didn't suit me, I'll keep my eye open for something higher loft.

 

My inconsistency is maddening, took the Ping Eye 2 3 iron out for a round yesterday...first shot 215 down the fairway just like with the blade 2 iron the other day. Next shot with it 220 out on the par 5. Followed it up with two terrible tee shots on a par 4 and another 2 terrible shots from the tee on the next par 4.

 

Feel like I need to take that Ping and go hit 40 balls with it from a tee the exact same height with the ball aligned the exact same way for the exact same swing for a week and see what happens.  The heavy offset of the Ping Eyes keeps me from a right/slice miss which is what creeps in with the woods and drivers so figure it is probably what I should go with for now.

[Binson]

15 hours ago, DCCarpenter said:

I'm open to just about anything, vintage just keeps the cost down and is kind of cool to play on top of that. 

 

I tried a 983k titleist but it was 8.5 degree and just didn't suit me, I'll keep my eye open for something higher loft.

 

My inconsistency is maddening, took the Ping Eye 2 3 iron out for a round yesterday...first shot 215 down the fairway just like with the blade 2 iron the other day. Next shot with it 220 out on the par 5. Followed it up with two terrible tee shots on a par 4 and another 2 terrible shots from the tee on the next par 4.

 

Feel like I need to take that Ping and go hit 40 balls with it from a tee the exact same height with the ball aligned the exact same way for the exact same swing for a week and see what happens.  The heavy offset of the Ping Eyes keeps me from a right/slice miss which is what creeps in with the woods and drivers so figure it is probably what I should go with for now.

Just a thought, but my key to consistency with the Eye 2's are to not tee them up (or if you prefer, to tee them basically as if they were lying on the fairway).  When I tee them up, I personally have a tendency to then hit up and chunk or do something jerky with my arms to hook it.