Matching woods

[Vater]

I saw a comment somewhere on here recommending getting woods (and hybrids) of the same series and to get the same shaft in them at varying lengths and weights. Personally, this concept is super appealing to me - getting ALL TSi or Stealth driver, 3 wood, 5 wood, and hybrid from that line... and then to put the same shaft in them at the 60/70/80 weights. Man, that would be sweet.

 

But my reality is that I have a SIM driver, a V Steel 3 wood(!), an M6 5 wood, and a TSi2 hybrid... And not one of them has the same shaft as another club. Not to mention my 5 iron has a Recoil shaft in it. And two of my wedges have DGs in them while my 60* has a Modus shaft...

 

I know that some folks on here don't even have the same series through their irons...

 

So my question is - does anyone come close to what I described above and if so, has it been a game changer?

[bellken]

My fairway woods match Ping G425 with the same shafts, and, my hybrids match - Titleist 818H1 with Atmos Red shafts. I don't find them to be a game changer, but, they seem to help consistency.

[Lasorcier]

Well I am Tsi4 (either autoflex or ventus black, depending on wind) in driver, STz 3 wood, PXG proto 2H or blueprint 2i, depending on conditions, and ping 425 3h or PXG 0311T, again depending on wind).  

 

High winds which is usually the case is the irons and the ventus.  Low wind is the hybrids and the autoflex.

 

Seems to work well.

[Stinger83]

This is an OCD thing for me as well. I can kind of live with it for a while if the finish is similar but after a while I start wanting uniformity 

[bnperrone]

I tried to sync up my 3-wood based on my driver specs and it was a total failure. I have a driver swing and it doesn’t translate to anything else equipment-wise.

[LoopySwing13]

I have always preferred my 1/3/5 woods to match, but that isn’t for everyone. As long as I am not losing my gaps, I prefer the same look and feel. The same goes for shafts.. the GD AD TP series works really well so I have usually just reshafted those with any new wood purchase. 
 

It doesn’t mean that is the best/only way to go, as my friend has a G425 driver, cobra LTDx 3 wood and callaway apex hybrids, and it works for him. They also have different shafts in all of them.

[Drewhill44]

It's what ever clubs work best for you.  I DO like to at least match(Brand and Model) my Fairway Woods and Gap thru Lob wedge together. I also have the same series shafts in my driver and fairway woods(like Sergio),  I like the consistent feel.  On tour you'll see a lot of mix and match at the top of the Pro's bag, like each club is treated individually for how the player needs it to perform in regards to the feel, spin, trajectory, and distance they want the club to achieve.  

[Tree Levino]

1 hour ago, Vater said:

I saw a comment somewhere on here recommending getting woods (and hybrids) of the same series and to get the same shaft in them at varying lengths and weights. Personally, this concept is super appealing to me - getting ALL TSi or Stealth driver, 3 wood, 5 wood, and hybrid from that line... and then to put the same shaft in them at the 60/70/80 weights. Man, that would be sweet.

 

But my reality is that I have a SIM driver, a V Steel 3 wood(!), an M6 5 wood, and a TSi2 hybrid... And not one of them has the same shaft as another club. Not to mention my 5 iron has a Recoil shaft in it. And two of my wedges have DGs in them while my 60* has a Modus shaft...

 

I know that some folks on here don't even have the same series through their irons...

 

So my question is - does anyone come close to what I described above and if so, has it been a game changer?

If you can hit the ball you can hit the ball. The amount of guys who I’ve seen with matching woods and shafts who can’t sniff a good round of golf vastly outweighs the number of people who have a variety of clubs that fill roles and go low. Don’t know a single plus HC that I play with has matching woods/shafts. 

[jholz]

I take whatever I can get that's good quality and fits my budget. As a result, the top end of my bag is all over the place. Different shafts, different weights, different flexes.

 

Somehow I manage to get around the course ok. YMMV.

[T2WIN]

I've always played all my clubs the same through the bag. As in if I have Taylormade driver all my bag is Taylormade. The only clubs that might be different are say my wedges but even those will all be the same brand. 

[JShaw]

I've tried to make this work in the past but it hasn't worked for me since the Callaway warbird days.  For me drivers come and go, 5 woods have some flexibility in what will work for me, and if I find a 3 wood I like I keep it, even if I move on to something else.  Strangely, often times when I find a 3 wood that works the 5 wood sets up funny.  I definitely don't match shafts as I like more of a low/low in driver and mid/mid in my fairway woods. If I had to have the same shaft in all my woods the Proforce V2 would be my choice.

[Maroon_19]

Last year:

OG Sim 10.5* w/ HZRDUS smoke black 6.0 70gm shaft

OG TM RBZ 15* 3 wood (bought new in 2012) with stock stiff shaft

OG TM RBZ 19* hybrid (bought new in 2012) with stock stiff shaft

 

This year:

Cally Rogue ST MAX 10.5* driver with VA Composites Slay 65gm stiff shaft

Cally Rogue ST Max 15* 3 wood with Aldila Rogue White 130 MSI 70gm stiff shaft

Cally Rogue ST Max 20* Heavenwood with Aldila Rogue White 130 MSI 70gm stiff shaft

 

The new setup is beyond believable.  I cannot tell a lot of difference between the VA Composites driver shaft and the Aldila fairway wood shafts.  Both fit my swing really well.  I really cannot see getting away from this setup for a long time.

[Vater]

Most recent change - my woods aren't the same maker, much less model line.

 

And my shaft weight is out of line/progression, too.

 

The 3 wood spot has been a hard one for me to figure out, but now I'm playing with a RadSpeed with the Motore X shaft in it.

 

So now I go:

Driver - SIM Max Ventus Red 5

3W - RadSpeed Motore X 6

5W - M6 Atmos Orange 5

 

Dollars to donuts, I bet I go all Cobra for the woods sooner or later.

Edited July 10, 2022 by Vater

[BYK]

Only thing I really match is my wedges.

[Ephemerlol]

My driver and 4 wood match, Titleist Tsi2 with Tensei blue 65x/75x.  I actually retrofitted the Tensei into the 4 wood a month or so after I got the driver. I have enjoyed the consistency and I feel better about the fairway wood which I generally don't hit that often.  Launch and spin have been good for me but I suspect guys with lower spinning driver setups will tend to mix and match more.

[sshadow2]

I lean towards match at least by brand and model. I currently play a current version and a previous one. Beyond that gets too uncomfortable to me.

[getitdaily]

Stealth+ driver

Rogue st ls 3w

Ts2 hybrid

 

All have ventus velocore shafts.

 

I tried ever make and model 3w and hybrid thr last few years. Found what worked and kept it.

[phizzy30]

I have TM driver, 3 metal and hybrid.  Everything else is a different OEM/DTC.  I don't subscribe to the theory that a golfer should play the same series/OEM for their equipment with the same shaft just at different weights and lengths.  You should play what feels right/good to you that gives you the most optimal numbers. 

[MtlJeff]

I typically try to play the same woods and shafts, just for looks and feel. I have an RDX black in both my woods, and the 0211 3wood and driver look very similar. They sound very different, but look similar

[herkyjerk]

Disregard anyone shaming you for suggesting this.  Our head pro has almost matching everything and I’m pretty sure he would wax anyone saying great players don’t do it.  For mid hacks like most it’s an OCD thing.  Entirely between your ears.  Find a head / shaft combo you hit well and yes get as many as you want.  You’ll play better and have more fun. 

[Billfitz]

On 5/6/2022 at 9:48 AM, Vater said:

does anyone come close to what I described above and if so, has it been a game changer?

That's what I've always had, going back to 1972. I can't say if it changed my game, there being no basis for comparison.

[Mrgreen36]

Not me. Sim2 driver, Cobra LTDx LS 5 wood.  Evenflow riptide in my driver, I like the AV series tensei in my fairway woods, in the white variety, low launch low spin. 

 

 

[Jeff58]

As the apparent poster child, here’s my poster.

 

 

Should everyone do this and does it make a significant difference? No, and yes.

IMO -

 

Many/most models are name grouped by intended player level or pricing structure. There is little overt attempt to match balance, CG, spin and flight characteristics, etc. across product types.

 

Most shafts for most players will work significantly better in either driver or FW, not both. Again, it’s the rare shaft that, as weight increases, doesn’t produce a lower trajectory, which may or may not be what you’re looking for in a FW shaft. For hybrid shafts, while the basic flex categories may be the same, the materials and tip flex specifically, are almost random in the cases where there is a “matching” shaft at all.

 

It’s also not like TaylorMade has made swing profile matching a corporate goal. Looking at the current Stealth Plus range, we see a low launch/spin hybrid (for those with little interest in holding greens), a Ti face FW (so you can hit your FW as far as your driver), and a driver that’s the grandchild of  Callaway's C4 and TM’s SLDR. These clubs have literally nothing to do with each other.

This year I’ve played both the Stealth and Rogue ST drivers. Comparing them in range conditions to the SIM, both were objectively “better”. The Stealth was longer and spun less, and the Rogue had better dispersion with similar distance. The Rogue also feels and sounds great. However, when I put them in the bag, the Stealth had a tendency to create very long distance push shots, and the Rogue wanted to do nothing but draw.

 

If I had no means of comparison, I’d likely conclude that i was having an off day with driver. With My Three SIMS, a single swing produces near-identical result shapes every time. Is that an advantage? Absolutely.

[Vater]

Do any of you go up and down in shaft weight?

 

For example:

Driver 65g

3W 76g

5W 68g

 

Or is pretty much everyone going incrementally up from driver to 3W to 5W (or whatever your woods are)?

[coyote09]

I have matching shafts in driver, 3W, & 5W. In my 2H, and 7W I have different shafts, but from the same manufacturer.

My ball flight with the driver thru 5W are all consistent, a mid high ball flight.

The ball flight with the 2H is a low boring flight.

The 7W is brand new.  It is really just a coincidence that the 7W came with a Mitsubishi shaft. The ball flight with the 7W is high.

I was fitted for the head and shaft driver thru 5W. The 2H was a existing club, that was the shaft change-out during the fitting.

My wood and hybrid makeup is as follows:

Driver 

Head - Ping G410

Shaft - Mitsubishi C6, 50 Series, mid flight.

3W & 5W

Head - Ping G410

Shaft - Mitsubishi C6, 60 Series, mid flight.

2H

Head - Titleist 915H.

Shaft - Mitsubishi C6, 60 Series, hybrid shaft.

7W

Head - Cobra Speedzone

Shaft - Mitsubishi Tensi AV65, R flex.

The combination works well for me.

 

 

 

 

 

[shanx]

Been ho'ing fairway woods and drivers spring into the season, landed on a set of TSI2 driver and fw woods, but not all at once.

 

I had a 5wood length shaft with a Titleist tip. I went to a 4wood, so I ditched my TS2 5wood. Saw a TSi2 7wood on the classifieds here, quickly fell in love.

 

Swapped a bunch of older stuff for a TSi2 driver. Really like it, very forgiving!

 

The last piece, 16.5 4wood arrived a few weeks ago, and it plays just like the 7wood. Easy to launch, forgiving and long..

 

I don't think my woods have ever had matching manufacturers, no way the same lineup.

[Zena]

I tried this in the beginning.

 

Almost full Cobra bag. F8 line in Driver, 3 wood, 3/4/5 hybrid, 6-GW irons. Driver was a 60S Atmos TS Blue, 3W was a 70S Atmos TS Blue.

 

Liked the driver and the irons. Hated literally every other part of the bag.

 

Now I have a Cobra driver, Callaway 3W, PXG hybrid, TM 4 UDI, Mizuno irons.

 

My love of the Rogue ST 💎💎💎 driver led me to try the Rogue ST Max 3W. I liked both so much I went to a fitter to update the top half of my bag. Unfortunately the Rogue ST driver did not outperform my current F9 driver but it was close! The rogue 3W outperformed every other head of the current gen. So I think I would have been happy with the same line in my driver and woods.

 

As for the shafts, I did not get along with my driver shaft (Raijin 2.0 65 Four) in the 3 wood off the deck. It was just fine off the tee, but not lively enough to give me the feel I wanted. However, I did end up going with the Aldila Ascent 70X, which is a very similar profile, 10g heavier, but just a shade less stiff which made it lively enough to feel better off the dirt.

 

My brother loves the Sim Max 3w, but absolutely hates the Sim, Sim2, and Stealth driver lines. Also, his driver shaft is a Ventus Blue 7X, but his 3 wood shaft is a Rogue Silver 110MSI 60X +0.5”. So pretty close in weight, but he goes a little lighter in the shaft because he plays his 3W a little longer than standard.

 

I think for some people, matching all their woods would work well. Shaft weights should generally be ascending to help match SW if you’re using everything “standard length.” But for others, it may be more helpful to find their optimal setup for each slot, regardless of manufacturer or setup of other clubs.

[JosephNewton293]

Epic speed max ls driver, original Rogue 3 and 5 wood, Titleist 816 H2 19*@21 and H2 21 @23. I'm working with a PXG 7 wood and original Rogue 9 wood to possibly replace the hybrids. If I had found an original Rogue 7 wood to try I'd probably be matching in the fairway wood area at least. Of course that also is pending on the 7 wood-9 wood experiment working out.

[phizzy30]

On 7/10/2022 at 6:02 PM, Vater said:

Do any of you go up and down in shaft weight?

 

For example:

Driver 65g

3W 76g

5W 68g

 

Or is pretty much everyone going incrementally up from driver to 3W to 5W (or whatever your woods are)?

I jump from 60 to 80 gram.  I can use either 60 or 70 gram in driver, but have to add weight to the head if I go with the lighter option so I can feel the head on the down swing.  I like going heavier in 3 metal for feel.  Don't have to add as much weight to the head as a result. 

Edited July 13, 2022 by phizzy30

[Tree Levino]

On 7/10/2022 at 9:02 PM, Vater said:

Do any of you go up and down in shaft weight?

 

For example:

Driver 65g

3W 76g

5W 68g

 

Or is pretty much everyone going incrementally up from driver to 3W to 5W (or whatever your woods are)?

 

I go 65X in driver to 85X in 3 wood. It just happened that way. Got fit for the driver and fell into this 3w that I love. You will see a lot of tour bags with a driver shaft in the 60tx range and jumping up into 80tx in 3w. I've been enjoying the little bit of extra weight in the 3w and find it keeps my tempo in check. I've never felt more comfortable hitting a 3w into par 5s before.