One man's driver fitting launch monitor experience

[avrag]

Also reveiled a home-made swing flaw caused by the wrong club

This is what I wrote this morning as a reply to another topic:

From what I know so far, my SS is also about 93-95 mph, can max out at 98 at times (only simulators, no LM). Like a previous poster mentioned, the Cobra HS9 with the stock Graph Design YS 6+ shaft in stiff (plays soft to flex) seems to be a good combo. But I have a fitting session this afternoon and I am very, very curious what the results will be.
I'll keep you informed.

Hehe. All wrong :jester:
First of all: Simulators lie, clubhead speeds on real launch monitors turn out to be lower. In my case 90, 91 maxing out at 93. I remember a Vector last winter indoors, telling me 94 and 95, though, but I don't care about numbers anymore.
The plain result, as far as head/shaft combos go: G10 10.5* Proforce V2 High Launch R-Flex.
Just have to swallow my pride. But if I get the same results on the course that I got in the fitting session, I won't care.

Details: My biggest problem with my current driver seems to be the low launch angle (under 10*). In an unconscious effort to fight this, I manipulate the clubface of my current driver open. I often wondered, why my slices were actually longer than my straight drives, which is just the opposite of what most people do. Now I know. The only way for me to get a half decent launch angle is to open the clubface. The HS9 works for me, because the clubface is closed. At impact, I turn the 9* closed face into a 10.5* or 11* by opening it to get a higher launch. If I overdo it: Slice. If i get it just right, I get a launch angle that's slightly lower than optimal, with a controlled fade and quite good results, but it is all a compromise and walking a very thin line. The LM also showed that my slices were not caused by a "god-given" swing flaw (out to in, as I always thought), but rather by an effort to somehow make a driver work that doesn't fit me. My club path actually isn't that much out to in, if I just go for it (only 1 or 2*, and I can get it completely straight, but as a result, my drives will be short, low and left).
G10 10.5* Proforce V2 High Launch R-Flex:
At about 91, 92 mph clubhead speed with a really controlled, smooth swing I got a ball speed of around 130mph with a 14* launch angle and just about 3000 rpm backspin. Now, according to sonicboom, that's still too low for that sort of ball speed, but the fitting took place on an outdoor range into a slight head wind. With those numbers, I reached the 200m mark every time (carry and roll). Higher launch than that or more spin meant distance loss (in the real world), so I'd stick to that rather than go for theroretically perfect numbers.
The ballflight with the G10 and the V2 HL was just perfect, high, flattening out, getting a roll distance that was just about 7% to 9% of the carry distance. Slight 5m fades or draws, which only reflected the path of the clubhead through impact. That club also gave me a great feel and a ton of confidence.
Funniest thing about it: The place specializes in TaylorMade clubs and the launch monitor was a MATT. But after tinkering around with the weights and several shaft options of an r7 CGB Max, the guy just told me that he couldn't think of any TM combo that would really fit me, and came out with the Pings and the Cobras he had. By the way: L4V: not for me, at least not with the stock shaft. The combination of heavy head and very light shaft felt awkward.
Reason why I didn't buy the G10 right away, although I would have gotten it for a great price: There's still the Nike Sumo 5900 waiting to be tested thoroughly. I just can't make that decision before I have tried it.