RDs M43T

[RobotDoctor]

Persimmonpal sent me this picture of my M43T driver he is in the process of finishing. It is not yet finished (as noted with paintless scoring lines and no whipping). This turned out terrific. The pictures show the unfinished and refinished version of this driver. I think John did an outstanding job! Thanks!

[RobotDoctor]

Here are the before and after pictures.

[persimmonpal]

Glad you like the clubs, Sam! Cant wait for you to get them!

[freddiec]

Amazing Refinish job. Looks fantastic. When the scorelines are done white, even better! Great job John!

[drewspin]

OUTSTANDING!!

[johnalex444]

More proof that my 693's are in the proper hands.
Looks great John. Sounds like RD is very happy.

[RobotDoctor]

Here are the 3 drivers of mine John refinished. I have to say that he did a terrific job (as seen from pictures). I love the way they turned out. He will be getting my Mac 945TW EOM in the future to refinish as well (John, oh by the way .... ).

I can't wait to see the finished products. The M43T is definitely going in the bag!

[drewspin]

Those are immaculate. Very, very nice work John!

[astamm8]

[quote name='drewspin' date='20 March 2010 - 06:09 PM' timestamp='1269133770' post='2330013']
Those are immaculate. Very, very nice work John!
[/quote]

+1. beautiful!

[RobotDoctor]

Here are three more pictures.

[johnalex444]

Any before photos Sam?

You make me want to spend money that my wife says could go towards better things. (she just doesn't understand)

BTW - NICE STICKS!



OH - I almost forgot.

Socks next time.

[freddiec]

RD,
Those came out fantastic. Great stain colors too and with the score lines white everything just pops. You got some super nice classics. The M43 head is huge and has cool grain pattern. I think i see some carbon on the top of the head too,which is always a plus. John, great job, especially with the etchings!!

[MoaningM]

Absolutely Beautiful!

[Nspiel58]

Beauties! Thanks for sharing.

[2OnePutt]

Amazing work. I'd probably just sit at home and stare at em for the whole season.

[RobotDoctor]

The drivers have made it to me. All I can say is that pictures do not do justice to the work on these three. The M43T is stunning. The natural wood is dark and has a terrific dark golden hue to it. I can't wait to tee it up in the next couple of weeks!

Thanks for the outstanding work on them John!!!

[freddiec]

Sweet! RD, let us know how the M43 flies.

[RobotDoctor]

[u]Update:[/u]
This M43T is pretty solid and the ball flies on a tremendous trajectory, using old (but pristine) Titleist Professional 90 golf balls. I used this driver for one round because there are a couple of neck cracks that caused the poly coating to crack. Due to the cracks, John is taking this driver back and will install the AeroTech Steelfiber ss75 shaft I got for it. This driver will be my experimental driver to see if a modern shaft gains back a few yards. (I believe it will)

[u]Observations of this driver:[/u]
Yes, the head is rather large, which I love. It is still very small compared to the 400+cc drivers today. The driver almost looks the same size as a small modern 3 metal or a average 5 metal today. I have gamed my two M43T drivers this year and have heard quite a bit of chatter from people I have played with. One guy wanted to hit it and I said sure but if he sky-marked it then he would have to pay for the refinish. He backed out.

The persimmon woods are a thing of beauty and since I am no longer a competitive golfer and play just for the fun of it I think persimmons are in my bag to stay. I can still pound the ball (currently a Bridgestone e5) a fair distance and do not lose too much from my 983K/ProV1 set up (maybe 15 - 20 yards). These statistics are using my M43Ts that are still shafted with the original steel shaft at 43" in length. I am in hopes of gaining 10 yards with the new graphite shaft that will be installed on my other M43T. If I can gain that yardage in addition to honing my swing to handle the persimmon (which will mean greater accuracy due to additional benefits) then I will be completely pleased (more-so than I am right now).

I have heard too many people not on board with gaming persimmon saying that they could not afford losing 40 to 60 yards off the tee. Well, my experience shows that if the ball is struck on, or very close, to the sweet spot distance loss is not that much. My last round last month had a few well stuck drives going over 300 yards (at Colorado altitudes) and only being 5 to 10 yards shorter than my buddy (a moderately long hitter) who was using a Taylor Made 420 Ti head and a ProV1 golf ball.

Finally, what purist would not want to game a driver that looks like this one (pictured below)?

[persimmonpal]

[quote name='RobotDoctor' timestamp='1280939518' post='2618058']
[u]Update:[/u]
This M43T is pretty solid and the ball flies on a tremendous trajectory, using old (but pristine) Titleist Professional 90 golf balls. I used this driver for one round because there are a couple of neck cracks that caused the poly coating to crack. Due to the cracks, John is taking this driver back and will install the AeroTech Steelfiber ss75 shaft I got for it. This driver will be my experimental driver to see if a modern shaft gains back a few yards. (I believe it will)

[u]Observations of this driver:[/u]
Yes, the head is rather large, which I love. It is still very small compared to the 400+cc drivers today. The driver almost looks the same size as a small modern 3 metal or a average 5 metal today. I have gamed my two M43T drivers this year and have heard quite a bit of chatter from people I have played with. One guy wanted to hit it and I said sure but if he sky-marked it then he would have to pay for the refinish. He backed out.

The persimmon woods are a thing of beauty and since I am no longer a competitive golfer and play just for the fun of it I think persimmons are in my bag to stay. I can still pound the ball (currently a Bridgestone e5) a fair distance and do not lose too much from my 983K/ProV1 set up (maybe 15 - 20 yards). These statistics are using my M43Ts that are still shafted with the original steel shaft at 43" in length. I am in hopes of gaining 10 yards with the new graphite shaft that will be installed on my other M43T. If I can gain that yardage in addition to honing my swing to handle the persimmon (which will mean greater accuracy due to additional benefits) then I will be completely pleased (more-so than I am right now).

I have heard too many people not on board with gaming persimmon saying that they could not afford losing 40 to 60 yards off the tee. Well, my experience shows that if the ball is struck on, or very close, to the sweet spot distance loss is not that much. My last round last month had a few well stuck drives going over 300 yards (at Colorado altitudes) and only being 5 to 10 yards shorter than my buddy (a moderately long hitter) who was using a Taylor Made 420 Ti head and a ProV1 golf ball.

Finally, what purist would not want to game a driver that looks like this one (pictured below)?
[/quote]

Sam the driver just arrived.. I cant wait to do this driver for you, and really hope it plays even better when finished.. I'll keep you posted!

[RobotDoctor]

[quote name='persimmonpal' timestamp='1281014352' post='2619943']
[quote name='RobotDoctor' timestamp='1280939518' post='2618058']
[u]Update:[/u]
This M43T is pretty solid and the ball flies on a tremendous trajectory, using old (but pristine) Titleist Professional 90 golf balls. I used this driver for one round because there are a couple of neck cracks that caused the poly coating to crack. Due to the cracks, John is taking this driver back and will install the AeroTech Steelfiber ss75 shaft I got for it. This driver will be my experimental driver to see if a modern shaft gains back a few yards. (I believe it will)

[u]Observations of this driver:[/u]
Yes, the head is rather large, which I love. It is still very small compared to the 400+cc drivers today. The driver almost looks the same size as a small modern 3 metal or a average 5 metal today. I have gamed my two M43T drivers this year and have heard quite a bit of chatter from people I have played with. One guy wanted to hit it and I said sure but if he sky-marked it then he would have to pay for the refinish. He backed out.

The persimmon woods are a thing of beauty and since I am no longer a competitive golfer and play just for the fun of it I think persimmons are in my bag to stay. I can still pound the ball (currently a Bridgestone e5) a fair distance and do not lose too much from my 983K/ProV1 set up (maybe 15 - 20 yards). These statistics are using my M43Ts that are still shafted with the original steel shaft at 43" in length. I am in hopes of gaining 10 yards with the new graphite shaft that will be installed on my other M43T. If I can gain that yardage in addition to honing my swing to handle the persimmon (which will mean greater accuracy due to additional benefits) then I will be completely pleased (more-so than I am right now).

I have heard too many people not on board with gaming persimmon saying that they could not afford losing 40 to 60 yards off the tee. Well, my experience shows that if the ball is struck on, or very close, to the sweet spot distance loss is not that much. My last round last month had a few well stuck drives going over 300 yards (at Colorado altitudes) and only being 5 to 10 yards shorter than my buddy (a moderately long hitter) who was using a Taylor Made 420 Ti head and a ProV1 golf ball.

Finally, what purist would not want to game a driver that looks like this one (pictured below)?
[/quote]

Sam the driver just arrived.. I cant wait to do this driver for you, and really hope it plays even better when finished.. I'll keep you posted!
[/quote]

Thanks John. I know the driver will be outstanding when it is done. I hope the shaft is right for me. Thanks!

[johndeere10]

I found plenty of righties to use as curtain holders in our living room!! HAHAHAHA

Sam those look great!

[RobotDoctor]

[quote name='johndeere10' timestamp='1281016451' post='2620003']
I found plenty of righties to use as curtain holders in our living room!! HAHAHAHA

Sam those look great!
[/quote]

Andy, if this experiment proves to be a bust, I will have a terrific curtain holder with a Steelfiber graphite shaft.

[persimmonpal]

Well, I have been able to start on this M43T.. Should be fun seeing it through..
So far I have taken the old shaft out, drilled out the hosel to accept the 335 shaft, stripped the club and weighed it. Clocks in at 200 grams with the finish and whipping on it.. Should be pretty easy to get this sucker to D3-D4.
I have an album on photobucket that I will be updating as I progress through..
[b]here is one pic,[/b]
[attachment=637451:olive 019.jpg]
[b] and here [/b]
http://s719.photobucket.com/albums/ww200/persimmonpal/RobotDoctors%20M43T/
[b]is a link to lots more![/b]

[RobotDoctor]

Thanks John for working on this (especially so fast).

For those who don't know it yet, John is outstanding in his work with these beauties. He has my highest endorsement.

[RobotDoctor]

Now this is what I [b][u]love[/u][/b] to see. Seeing no lead under the sole is my preference as this (as John said in his caption) is representative of a heavy, dense block of persimmon. Oh baby, I really want to game this driver now!

[84425]

Thanks for posting those pictures John. Great to follow the whole proces this way.

Be sure to inform us all about the results when you get to play this driver with new shaft Sam. I for one am curious to hear how much you'll gain from the lighter weight (and longer)shaft. This will truely show if the difference in distance between a modern driver and a classic persimmon is mostly due to the (weight of) the (modern) shaft (and added length of the shaft), or due to the head.

[persimmonpal]

[quote name='84425' timestamp='1281102955' post='2622378']
Thanks for posting those pictures John. Great to follow the whole process this way.

Be sure to inform us all about the results when you get to play this driver with new shaft Sam. I for one am curious to hear how much you'll gain from the lighter weight (and longer)shaft. This will truly show if the difference in distance between a modern driver and a classic persimmon is mostly due to the (weight of) the (modern) shaft (and added length of the shaft), or due to the head.
[/quote]

I do think Sam will gain some length, as the driver will be 44.5 inches, versus the standard 43 to 43.5 inch driver of the classic era. Also, it will be lighter as well as longer...
The shafts kickpoint should give him a slightly higher trajectory over the old shaft, which hopefully will further increase the distance.
Glad you like the pictures..
I just posted a few pics of the shaft being epoxied into the head, and the repair (so far) of the neck cracks...Keep checking back for more as I will continually update as I make my way through the project.

[RobotDoctor]

I will definitely keep the board informed. My current dilemma is how long the shaft will be. My standard has been 44.5" (due to my height, posture, etc). This has been my standard length from '97 or so when I put the 975D in my bag through my current driver. Actually come to think about it my current driver is 45" since I have not altered it at all. I was going to have the M43T cut to 44.5" but am considering 45". I suppose one half inch isn't going to affect the club too much and I can always choke down a half inch if needed.

I suspect that I will test this driver in 3 or 4 weeks and will certainly give an update. I will be certain to play 2 balls that day with my 983K/ProV1 (current driver and ball) and M43T/Bridgestone e5 setups.

[freddiec]

This has turned out to be one of the best Persimmon threads ever. Love how this club doesnt' have the Weight under the plate. You gotta love that Sam.

Since John weighed the club and your installing a graphite, I dug up an old email Dave Wood sent me a few months ago with some info on head weights..



At older standard lengths (43-43.5), heavier heads were used for graphite shafted woods. A 196-204 (200 optimal) gram head for steel and 202-212 for graphite. I would suggest very carefully pulling the shaft.
1. Use a heat gun with slow and gradual heating to not pop, or burn the finish and leave the whipping on to support the neck from not cracking.

2. Clean out the hosel with a slow speed tapered reamer, or better yet, use a round file.

3.Check the head weight. If heavy you might think about lighter weight steel, or do some counter balancing in the butt section (Nicklaus always did this).

4. Measure the profile of the removed shafts tip dimensions with caliper or micrometer. At WB we used reduced tip graphite shafts, they were parallel but emulated taper tip. This will tell you whether or not the neck needs to be reamed for a tapered steel shaft.


All the best

Dave

[persimmonpal]

[quote name='freddiec' timestamp='1281143366' post='2623551']
This has turned out to be one of the best Persimmon threads ever. Love how this club doesnt' have the Weight under the plate. You gotta love that Sam.

Since John weighed the club and your installing a graphite, I dug up an old email Dave Wood sent me a few months ago with some info on head weights..



At older standard lengths (43-43.5), heavier heads were used for graphite shafted woods. A 196-204 (200 optimal) gram head for steel and 202-212 for graphite. I would suggest very carefully pulling the shaft.
1. Use a heat gun with slow and gradual heating to not pop, or burn the finish and leave the whipping on to support the neck from not cracking.

2. Clean out the hosel with a slow speed tapered reamer, or better yet, use a round file.

3.Check the head weight. If heavy you might think about lighter weight steel, or do some counter balancing in the butt section (Nicklaus always did this).

4. Measure the profile of the removed shafts tip dimensions with caliper or micrometer. At WB we used reduced tip graphite shafts, they were parallel but emulated taper tip. This will tell you whether or not the neck needs to be reamed for a tapered steel shaft.


All the best

Dave
[/quote]

Awesome stuff Freddie! Thanks for passing that email along...