VOTE NOW!! Members Choice presented by 2nd Swing: Best driver of 2023

[SwingBlade]

Callaway Paradym.  The Triple D is a good option for better stronger players who perhaps fight a hook and/or need less spin.  But, the vast majority of golfers fight unwanted fades or outright slices and have too little spin.

 

The ability to fight the right side and more consistently tune fairway finding higher and longer ball flight is the forte of the Paradym, whether one desires straight flight , a light draw, or a light fade.

 

I was initially skeptical of the claim that the Paradym yields an 18% improvement in dispersion over the Rogue but I'm a believer now.  With the right shaft, the  ability to relax and just swing away with the Paradym can increasingly yield more fairways closer to the hole.  

Edited July 31, 2023 by SwingBlade

[Multipass613]

Ping G430 MAX.

 

Total game changer for me, fairways hit up, average distance up, longest drives up.

 

Less penalties, punch outs from trees, and nerves on par 5's, it's a winner!

[MyShortGameSucks]

Easily the Ping 430 LST for me.  Has been a total game changer for me.  Was previously in TSR3 and before that each of the Titleist releases (TSI, TS etc).   I will concede that the best strike with the Ping is not as long as the best hit with TSR3.  I've not hit Stealth or Paradyme and I am sure they are a bit longer as well.  So what? We are maybe talking 5-6 yards?  I don't play 7300 yard golf courses so it's more than long enough, I can still carry the LST 260-270 yards and roll out to 280 ish.  What the Ping LST gives me is amazing foregiveness and consistency which results in a lot of confidence standing on the tee.  My bad swings with the Ping are still surprisingly long and playable, the TSR3 not so much.  At the end of that day those playable bad swings are what saves the score and I'm down from 5-6 to 2 this year.

[TM135]

Paradym Triple D

[wjdpar1]

Titleist TSR2 for now.

[sabram]

Fir my senior swing , the Taylor Made Stealth 2 HD works best

[vamosjackets]

Tried Mizuno ST-X 230, Titleist TSR2, Ping G430 LST, Cobra Aerojet LS, Callaway Paradym, and Taylormade Stealth 2 Plus at a fitting.  For me this is the order:

1. Taylormade Stealth 2 Plus

2. Cobra Aerojet LS

3. Callaway Paradym

4. Mizuno ST-X 230

5. Titleist TSR2

6. Ping G430 LST

 

All of the top 4 were very impressive to me, and all of them left my old gamer in the dust: Titleist TS2 (with Accra fx 2.0 - 250 driver m3 shaft).  The new shaft is a Ventus TR Black 6X.  I think the shaft alone added 3-5 mph of swing speed.  I got 20+ yards of extra distance with the top 3.  I do wish I had insisted on trying the TSR3.  Paradym was so consistent (all just above 300). Aerojet LS hit bombs (60% over 315), but also duds (other 40% around 270).  For me the Stealth 2+ rivaled the bomb capability of the Aerojet and the consistency/forgiveness of the Paradym.

[SofaKingPure]

TSR 2

[Kingulfet]

It is a toss up between Paradym TD and TSR3...

 

[vandyfan]

Writing in my vote because even though I post hundreds of time on this website I cannot, for the life of me, understand how you vote in this thread. Is there some button that I am missing that says "vote here, you idiot?" 

 

My vote goes to the Mizuno ST-Z 230 because it was a great "all around" driver for me and skews towards control and forgiveness. The shaft is ACTUALLY 45" which I greatly appreciate. The head is lower spin but not LOW spin. You can hit it anywhere on the face and it still comes out at about the same speed. Does REALLY well on heel strikes and decent on toe strikes. I only tested it against the newest Stealth + and Aerojet LS but I found the Mizuno was much better for me though not a ballspeed monster by any means. 

[vamosjackets]

14 minutes ago, vandyfan said:

Writing in my vote because even though I post hundreds of time on this website I cannot, for the life of me, understand how you vote in this thread. Is there some button that I am missing that says "vote here, you idiot?" 

 

My vote goes to the Mizuno ST-Z 230 because it was a great "all around" driver for me and skews towards control and forgiveness. The shaft is ACTUALLY 45" which I greatly appreciate. The head is lower spin but not LOW spin. You can hit it anywhere on the face and it still comes out at about the same speed. Does REALLY well on heel strikes and decent on toe strikes. I only tested it against the newest Stealth + and Aerojet LS but I found the Mizuno was much better for me though not a ballspeed monster by any means. 

Mizuno's ST-X and Z are very underrated/underappreciated this year, IMO.  I was impressed as well.  

[vamosjackets]

I'm gonna write in another vote on behalf of my dad and wife.  Both of them loved the Callaway Rogue ST Max D.  My dad loves to draw the ball, but sometimes fights a "high, right, and smelly" miss (in his words), especially when he's tired.  This driver keeps him hitting a more powerful draw.  For him, it's perfect for both distance and control.  My wife (a lefty) fights a slice.  She hits this thing noticeably straighter, and it gives her good distance.  I found it interesting that both of them landed on the same Driver independently, with two very different swings.  

Edited October 16, 2023 by vamosjackets

[dchapa7]

TSR3. Was between that and the paradym but couldn’t get over the top of the paradym. The plastic strip before the face threw me off at address and I never felt comfortable with it. Never wanted to be a “titleist guy” but the look, feel, and sound was too good to pass up. 

[KMeloney]

12 hours ago, dchapa7 said:

TSR3. Was between that and the paradym but couldn’t get over the top of the paradym. The plastic strip before the face threw me off at address and I never felt comfortable with it. Never wanted to be a “titleist guy” but the look, feel, and sound was too good to pass up. 

 

This has been my experience demoing a Paradym TD for more than a month. Granted, I didn't like the shaft combo I was demoing either, but I think I couldn't get comfortable with the head shape (and how the front trim piece contributed to the look of it). I hit some very long drives with it, but I also hit some terrible drives with it, and just never could get comfortable over it. Upon trying out my buddy's TSR3 out on the course, I found it looked and felt great instantly. As stupid as it might sound, the TSR3 just seemed to want to track back and through on plane on its own. Everything about it sets up perfectly and is really confidence-inspiring.

[bobfoster]

On 7/11/2023 at 5:34 PM, Double Dodger said:

Titleist with nearly 40% of the vote? Is it *really* that good?

Yes. 😅

[Dharsini]

I got to give titleist another shot.. tried the stealth 2, cobra ltdx, ping g430 and g425, sim 2. Sim 2 still was longest and most consistent for me

[OntPingnut]

G430 LST