FT Tour

[wundej]

[quote name='aplomb' date='26 June 2010 - 06:52 PM' timestamp='1277592737' post='2538762']
[quote name='TMAG-FireMedic' date='26 June 2010 - 01:53 PM' timestamp='1277578422' post='2538297']
[quote name='aplomb' date='26 June 2010 - 10:32 AM' timestamp='1277562720' post='2537662']
[quote name='TMAG-FireMedic' date='23 June 2010 - 12:03 PM' timestamp='1277312595' post='2528219']
[quote name='aplomb' date='23 June 2010 - 12:20 PM' timestamp='1277310029' post='2528154']
I've never been a Callaway fan, and I've especially never liked any composite offerings. However, I think the FT Tour is fantastic! I'm a high spin player despite a mere mortal's clubhead speed and the FT Tour reduces the spin giving me a more penetrating flight. I've also always preferred a solid sound and feel from a driver...I like a thwack not a tink, which the FT Tour delivers. For me the ball also comes off the face hot. The Voodoo shaft is take it or leave it for me, and I may reshaft it, but it's definitely a winner!
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May I asked your previous driver and clubhead speed? I too am a high spin , lower speed guy who likes the solid sounding driver......supertri has been beaten out by 510 non tp 330cc head.......
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I could go on for a while about my rotation of drivers used recently but I'll give you the Reader's Digest version. My swingspeed varies too much...it ranges from 99 mph or so to 107 or 108 mph. My spin rate used to be ridiculous so I was using an 8 degree Ping G10 (digitaly lofted by Ping) with a VS Proto shaft, S flex. As I've continued to work with an instructor my spin rate is coming down as my clubhead delivery to the ball improves. So, I went up in loft to a G10 9 or 9.5 degree...I forget which, with the Prolaunch Red shaft, S flex. The flight was decent but the feel wasn't that great, probably the shaft. And, I still struggled to get my spin rate below 3000 rpm with a good lauch angle of about 12 degrees. I now have a 10 degree(digitally lofted by Ping)G15 that I ordered with a Project X 6.0 shaft. It was good but not great....again good launch angle but spin still a little above 3000 rpm. I continue to lose carry distance and roll with that spin rate. Currently to get my spin rate down to 2700 or better I have to make adjustments in my set up and hit the ball with a lower launch angle, about 8 degrees, which overall is not optimal. When I go after one and increase my ball speed my spin rate also increases negating any benefit of the increased ball speed. But, it all continues to get better little by little as I work with my instructor. I just reshafted the G15 with a Miyazaki Black S flex but I haven't tried it yet. ANYWAY, on a lark I picked up the FT Tour 10.5 with the Voodoo shaft. I had no expectations and tried it just for fun. Well, watta ya know my launch angle was good at about 12 degrees or so (it varies up and down a little of course, I'm not that consistent)and my spin rate fell to about 2700 to 2800 RPM from the Ping. As a bonus the club feels and sounds very solid and muted, and the ball feels to come off the face hot. Some who may prefer a more explosive soud may describe the FT Tour as too muted or dead, but I like the thwack. It of course is not as forgiving as the Ping, which you could hit anywhere on the face and get a good result, but it's not bad, especially for a "players" club, and not nearly as bad as some claim. I've caught a couple waaay out on the toe that turned out to be a very playable miss without too much loss in distance. I get the impression that it feels more unforgiving than it is due to the feedback it gives you. FWIW I have tried the Supertri and other current TM offerings including the Superdeep and I'm not impressed at all. None gave me very good numbers and they all sounded and felt like the clank of a tin can. That's just my perception though, if the TM works and sounds/feels good to another they should ignore me and play it! (I did love the 510 back in the day)I also have a tour issued J33P with a Bluboard X flex that I hit as good or better than anything else, and definitely straighter, but I continue to experiment as the Bridgestone's little head isn't that forgiving. I also tried the low spin highly touted Adams heads and didn't care for the sound or feel (again subjective and individual preference) and they were not as forgiving as the FT Tour. For now the FT Tour is a winner as it brings my spin rate down as good as any other club (including the Superdeep) and feels fantastic. Another thought or observation...even with my meager swing speed I sometimes get good results from X flex shafts as I have a quick tempo. I may experiment with more X shafts if I need to lower my spin rate more, but for now I'm making progress with swing improvements. Sorry for such a long reply, I hope it helps.
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Tremendous response and thank you..........LM aren't my cup of tea.......being a ploddler ala Hale Irwin or Loren Roberts, I don't concern myself with raw distance.....I find a lot of fairways with most any driver.......the pleasure of strike so much more vital for my game.........actually my scoring has been better due to this pleasure principle......so to hear the ft tour is a solid, muted driver is good to hear
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You're welcome. I agree to a point about the launch monitors. I'll give up what may be the perfect spin and lauch angles to have a club that feels right and gives me confidence even at the expense of a few yards, especially as you say for the pleasure of what to me is a sweet feel and sound. However, I could obviously see on the course that I was losing way too much yardage due to the high spinning drives that would float and drop with no roll. So, to the lauch monitor I went to get better educated on what equipment may serve me, even as my swing improves. I won't give up the feel, sound, and look at address that inspires confidence, but if I can find that and then allow the lauch monitor to dial in the right loft and shaft then even better! In the end the ball flight needs to suit my eye on the course, but the technology of the launch monitor has been a useful tool to use among other factors. Anyway, solid and muted are terms I would definitely use to describe the FT Tour, and that coming from a non Callaway and anti composite player. Give it a try and good luck!
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I have an even more mortal swing speed than Aplomb, 85-90...and was amazed at the results...here is a link to a thread with some additional info about my findings, hope it helps

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/368475-ft-tour-playability/page__p__2405178&#entry2405178

[Banker]

has anybody tried the ft tour with a graffaloy blue?