How to build the ultimate fairway finder 2nd tee club going against modern design trends

[Howard_Jones]

22 minutes ago, Tbone107 said:

Very good info Howard, thanks.. is there a limit to how much melt you would put on the crown once I dial in the amount of weight I can remove? I only ask because I usually play clubheads with a good amount of added weight (6-8 grams) and didn't know if I should be cautious of how much I'm putting up there.

 

 

Head weight itself is what matters, and it takes a little more weight when we add it high, vs low (distance from shaft butt to actual COC vs SW value). If you normally add 8 grams, add them inside to the crown, so with what ever weight you can remove from the sole. if the sum is 20 grams do it, but try it off with lead tape first, so you know what you get. Hot melt is a messy job to remove, so we better be sure before we make it.

[Tbone107]

1 minute ago, Howard_Jones said:

Head weight itself is what matters, and it takes a little more weight when we add it high, vs low (distance from shaft butt to actual COC vs SW value). If you normally add 8 grams, add them inside to the crown, so with what ever weight you can remove from the sole. if the sum is 20 grams do it, but try it off with lead tape first, so you know what you get. Hot melt is a messy job to remove, so we better be sure before we make it.

thanks!

[Downtown_Brown_41]

I have had some success with a 11.5 degree driver cut down to 44 inches. I’m a few mph shy of 130 on course but it’s worth a try. I just tee it down and hit low cuts on tight holes.

 

Hope this helps.

[Howard_Jones]

3 minutes ago, Tbone107 said:

thanks!

Ive been reading it over, your miss is high toe side...then add the weight high toe side (under the crown)
the benefit of lead tape is that we can remove it and relocate it to try off different settings or BIAS, so play around with it and see what it can do for you. When you have found the needed wgt and location, replace it with hot melt.

[Tbone107]

1 minute ago, Downtown_Brown_41 said:

I have had some success with a 11.5 degree driver cut down to 44 inches. I’m a few mph shy of 130 on course but it’s worth a try. I just tee it down and hit low cuts on tight holes.

 

Hope this helps.

I struggle with looking at a 460cc head on a shorter shaft.. If I could find somethine sub 380cc I could do it..

[Howard_Jones]

1 hour ago, Tbone107 said:

I struggle with looking at a 460cc head on a shorter shaft.. If I could find somethine sub 380cc I could do it..

if a driver head is relevant, maybe this one will do?
its 415 ccm3 with a high VCOG

https://wishongolf.com/designs/designs-drivers/519shpr/

[Tbone107]

5 minutes ago, Howard_Jones said:

if a driver head is relevant, maybe this one will do?
its 415 ccm3 with a high VCOG

https://wishongolf.com/designs/designs-drivers/519shpr/

Would have been happy to try out the 11 but alas no left handed option. My search is tough lol!

[Tbone107]

11 minutes ago, Howard_Jones said:

if a driver head is relevant, maybe this one will do?
its 415 ccm3 with a high VCOG

https://wishongolf.com/designs/designs-drivers/519shpr/

Since putting the Krank Fire LD driver in my bag my driving accuracy has been 10x better, the owner lance walked me through the design being higher cg along with the much more pronounced bulge and roll on the face. Rumor has it they're close to releasing the mini driver that Bryson was using at the masters so maybe I should just sit on my hands and wait for that. 

[Downtown_Brown_41]

4 hours ago, Tbone107 said:

I struggle with looking at a 460cc head on a shorter shaft.. If I could find somethine sub 380cc I could do it..

It is definitely tough to get used to. You’re in a unique position and it’s going to take some creativity as well as trial and error to get it right. 
 

Keep us updated!

[DArnie]

Don't laugh.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/386953685001?itmmeta=01HW6X4WAS2GHJGA3FXMQ89SAR&hash=item5a183ca809:g:iwQAAOSwafZkvuNS&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4D4wGrQrzjzPVTj2n9W941njLIfOU9v%2F1a8VO2LxaUjvuTEeUMJuwHqgtN%2BkIQXjUfaN8uwO9UZ1M75z1wq06HbepRZsltULQg5%2BhcD0wSX3c4P6BUJtTKG5rjcIfv1ImSqE9fHY%2BX%2FAtBhQOOHxcED%2BLcrHa3%2BIAedxsBN5jIFG3zpoSgqYHiMKNo9H8DBKHz5IYp6xK%2BixAsN0ru7gs%2Bj3OrJM%2F8L9tUC%2Ffupzao%2FRNY93IAUgSy%2Fdh7HOMQJ%2BUnJipMvCZQOzhrP3MZqnJap3TXpUqF7C2h9EYKuC2Kp7|tkp%3ABk9SR8DFk93hYw

[Cwebb]

5 hours ago, Tbone107 said:

I struggle with looking at a 460cc head on a shorter shaft.. If I could find somethine sub 380cc I could do it..

 

Titleist 983K driver.  A 365cc head that has a relatively shallow face for a driver, closer to a mini driver depth and it's not a low spin design

[Tbone107]

11 hours ago, Cwebb said:

 

Titleist 983K driver.  A 365cc head that has a relatively shallow face for a driver, closer to a mini driver depth and it's not a low spin design

Honestly think if I can find a 983e in good condition with a X shaft I think that might be what I try. Cut it down to 43.75-44 and add some head weight and see how it goes. 

[byoshio82]

I gave up on this one and just embraced learning and fairway finder with the driver teed really low as it still allows me to go after it and it’s always a low cut that’s very predictable. 
 

Personally I am more accurate off the tee with my driver than if I have to be tentative with a fairway wood or hybrid. However if I have to hit either of those I’m not teeing them up at all and just hitting them off the deck. 

[Cwebb]

1 hour ago, Tbone107 said:

Honestly think if I can find a 983e in good condition with a X shaft I think that might be what I try. Cut it down to 43.75-44 and add some head weight and see how it goes. 

 

The 'E' is a deeper face lower spin head.  The 'K' that I mentioned is relatively shallow face and not low spin.

 

What is the loft of the Krank driver you're playing?

Edited April 24 by Cwebb

[joostin]

Good suggestions in the thread.

 

I've been wanting a similar 2nd club as OP, though don't mind seeing a 460cc head on a short shaft.  It might be the most fun experimental spot in the bag because there are so many options:  mini, low loft 3W, low loft hybrid, short driver, driving iron, old school, new school.

 

I, and most, are not as good nor as fast as OP... Upper 130s swing speed is fn great! That'll bring a decent number of par 4s within reach... But I'm currently hoping to make a short low loft older driver work.  Older, because like others said, the CG isn't as low as current heads, and MOI not as high, so you're taking advantage of added gear spin even on center strikes.  I do like the 983K suggestion vs the R510TP and Cleveland Classic that I'm experimenting with, because it's probably higher spin.

 

That said, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work, and the real end game for me could definitely be just getting comfortable at hitting a stinger with the normal driver as the low hot fairway finder.  Like Scottie:

 

 

[Tbone107]

1 hour ago, joostin said:

Good suggestions in the thread.

 

I've been wanting a similar 2nd club as OP, though don't mind seeing a 460cc head on a short shaft.  It might be the most fun experimental spot in the bag because there are so many options:  mini, low loft 3W, low loft hybrid, short driver, driving iron, old school, new school.

 

I, and most, are not as good nor as fast as OP... Upper 130s swing speed is fn great! That'll bring a decent number of par 4s within reach... But I'm currently hoping to make a short low loft older driver work.  Older, because like others said, the CG isn't as low as current heads, and MOI not as high, so you're taking advantage of added gear spin even on center strikes.  I do like the 983K suggestion vs the R510TP and Cleveland Classic that I'm experimenting with, because it's probably higher spin.

 

That said, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work, and the real end game for me could definitely be just getting comfortable at hitting a stinger with the normal driver as the low hot fairway finder.  Like Scottie:

 

 

I actually just found a cheap r510tp on eBay with an x shaft in it.. I really don't want to have to get a shaft and reshaft for this experiment..  how have you liked it for what you're trying to do?

[Tbone107]

13 hours ago, Cwebb said:

 

The 'E' is a deeper face lower spin head.  The 'K' that I mentioned is relatively shallow face and not low spin.

 

What is the loft of the Krank driver you're playing?

Ahh gotcha. Figured the deeper face of the E would be a better fit. 

 

I have the 4 degree LD head..

[joostin]

2 hours ago, Tbone107 said:

I actually just found a cheap r510tp on eBay with an x shaft in it.. I really don't want to have to get a shaft and reshaft for this experiment..  how have you liked it for what you're trying to do?

Well it's blast on the range, but don't know yet on course.. maybe this weekend.  It's 8.5° 43" and has the ball flight I'm after, as does the Cleveland 7.5°, but TBD how reliable it'll be for me on course.  The feel/sound is awesome.  You can see the flight I'm getting here:

 

[Tbone107]

15 minutes ago, joostin said:

Well it's blast on the range, but don't know yet on course.. maybe this weekend.  It's 8.5° 43" and has the ball flight I'm after, as does the Cleveland 7.5°, but TBD how reliable it'll be for me on course.  The feel/sound is awesome.  You can see the flight I'm getting here:

 

Keep me updated please!

 

Does the R510 TP set up more open then the Cleveland? One thing I hate about not having the adjustable hosels on these is to not be able to open the face up on anything closed. 

[joostin]

7 minutes ago, Tbone107 said:

Keep me updated please!

 

Does the R510 TP set up more open then the Cleveland? One thing I hate about not having the adjustable hosels on these is to not be able to open the face up on anything closed. 

Neither sit closed, and I don't like things that sit closed either, even if I override it at address. 

[Cwebb]

47 minutes ago, Tbone107 said:

Ahh gotcha. Figured the deeper face of the E would be a better fit. 

 

I have the 4 degree LD head..

 

If that 4* driver fits you well, you'll probably need a smaller driver head that's stamped 8.5-9.5* to get a decent gap between them.  Any higher loft than that and you're likely to hit it too high

[James the Hogan Fan]

I feel like you want to go back in time for this one; isn't this what the legendary hi-bore 2 wood was invented for?

 

And then I always through out the Wilson Fybrid as a controllable, higher spinning 3-wood option; the only trouble being they didn't make it stronger than 15°. I feel like that era of 2003-2010 was one of higher spinning metalwoods. It seems a lot of suggestions here have been in that vein.

 

Or maybe go crazy with a Big Bertha Warbird 2 wood or 3+? 

 

Edit: apologies, I missed the left handed requirement...

Edited April 25 by James the Hogan Fan

[ARL67]

My bag is 12 clubs ( Driver SS is only 92-94 ), so I have room for a specialty club.  I go Driver -> 5w -> 4h -> 5i 

 

I've been fooling around with a TSR3 13.5 FW head as a 2nd teeing option.  I don't have the SS to elevate it off the deck so it will be for those tighter or shorter Par 4's.  I choose the TSR3 because of the versatility of the Surefit adapter, and the sliding sole weight, which can accommodate more than 1 weight too.  All this is handy when trying different shaft lengths, getting the SW to one's liking, along with loft and lie changes.

 

I've tried various shafts in it but the interesting one was using a short Hybrid shaft.  There is another thread discussing using Titleist Hybrids shafts in Titleist FW heads.  To do so, one removes the metal ring that keeps the spinning cog from falling off.  The fun was using a whippy Aldila Ascent 50g Hybrid shaft in it.  I could take the club back and swing really hard, find the the centre of the face and get the yardage I needed.

 

 

That said, the problem with specialty clubs ( for me ) is that one uses them so infrequently, that do you have confidence in them the maybe 1 time ( sometimes none )  you reach for it a round ?   Whereas I hit my 4h often with good results so I have confidence when I need it.   My 5w is a new addition to the bag this season, so I need to get confident with that too.

[Tbone107]

9 hours ago, Cwebb said:

 

If that 4* driver fits you well, you'll probably need a smaller driver head that's stamped 8.5-9.5* to get a decent gap between them.  Any higher loft than that and you're likely to hit it too high

Ya I think 9.5 would be ideal.. just wish they made something more modern. A modern mini driver with high cg would be a dream, but Im not counting on that from any of.the OEMs anytime soon lol. 

[Tbone107]

9 hours ago, joostin said:

Neither sit closed, and I don't like things that sit closed either, even if I override it at address. 

Another thing or spec I wish there was more information on and flexibility is bulge and roll that I believe has helped immensely with my dispersion on non centered shots with the krank head. It seems as if the older smaller heads were designed with more bulge and roll, but I can't find much information outside of this spec sheet on the r510. 

[Cwebb]

1 hour ago, Tbone107 said:

Another thing or spec I wish there was more information on and flexibility is bulge and roll that I believe has helped immensely with my dispersion on non centered shots with the krank head. It seems as if the older smaller heads were designed with more bulge and roll, but I can't find much information outside of this spec sheet on the r510. 

 

I'm pretty sure it's a 10x10 bulge/roll radius

[Tbone107]

32 minutes ago, Cwebb said:

 

I'm pretty sure it's a 10x10 bulge/roll radius

Ya sorry, I saw that on the infographic, meant to say i wish it was readily available to find for me for other clubs as well. Seemingly that is another piece to the puzzle for me, but imagine it is pretty standard across the industry without much variance outside of Krank. 

[Cwebb]

Just now, Tbone107 said:

Ya sorry, I saw that on the infographic, meant to say i wish it was readily available to find for me for other clubs as well. Seemingly that is another piece to the puzzle for me, but imagine it is pretty standard across the industry without much variance outside of Krank. 

 

Is the Krank driver an 8x8 ?

[Tbone107]

16 minutes ago, Cwebb said:

 

Is the Krank driver an 8x8 ?

Just called Krank to confirm and it is 8.5x8.5... as I was talking to them I asked about the specs about the mini driver and luckily enough it sounds like it is designed exactly what I (and @joostin) are looking for in a size and design characteristics from a cg perspective.. so I think I'm going to hold off and wait for this to roll out..

[joostin]

On 4/25/2024 at 1:11 AM, Tbone107 said:

Keep me updated please!

So the few times I hit it (R510TP at 43") on course yesterday I think have confirmed what I was afraid to have seen/admit on the range - that misses can be really bad, esp. the low hook.  For me hitting fairways is a weakness, and right now it's just not the club for that.  What was a pretty decent round for me could've been better if not for a bunch of abysmal tee shots.  On the courses I have around that are relatively short for my length, I'm veering towards just sticking with normal driver (LTDx standard which is a nice forgiving head), or long iron (which is plenty long and in safety zones for a lot of holes), and just improving to be more accurate generally off the tee.  Hopefully that includes developing a stinger driver mentioned above, and maybe playing a squeeze cut that I used with a previous driver but kind of forgot about.

 

If your strike and delivery is nice and consistent, yeah I think the good shots are awesome, but for me atm the cons outweigh the pros.  For you as a plus, with probably much better strike consistency than me, and at your speed, I think it may be a great club.  Good luck!