My Old Nemisis....

[fluffy265]

Since I've been experimenting with old laminated and persimmon woods lately I though it was only fair to haul out my first ever steel driver too.

I remember my father found this in a bargain bin at the range and forced me to try it out (even back then I wasn't a fan of steel drivers). After a few practice swings I took it and proceeded to drive balls straight out the back of the range. To this day I've never seen him get his wallet out so quickly. The funny thing is I can't ever remember actually gaming it.

 

Any way I dragged it to the range today. Just to see if I had dreamed up this club being as long as I remembered it.

It is. I was dumbfounded at how long this club plays, longer than any modern offerings I've tried. However it has a very dark side, anything I didn't hit purely quickly turned left at right angles (Light bulb went on...That's why I never gamed it!).

 

Now I think this little beasty warrants some more attention. I had no comprehension of what the club head was doing through impact. At the moment it generally feels too light. In order to try and give this a fighting chance I need to go heavier and stiffer. I plan to start by replacing the R300 with an X100 and also think about adding some weight to the head. Is there anything I need to be wary of with this old tin can that might complicate shaft removal?

 

Here are a couple of comparison pics with a Bridgestone J40 430. It's smaller than my Persimmon Hogan driver and smaller than any of my laminated drivers too..

 

J

 

 

 

 

[russad]

7 degree loft! I'm amazed and somewhat in awe that you could hit it straight some of the time but not surprised that when you do it goes like a rocket.

[fluffy265]

[quote name='russad' timestamp='1375691803' post='7606482']
7 degree loft! I'm amazed and somewhat in awe that you could hit it straight some of the time but not surprised that when you do it goes like a rocket.
[/quote]

Me too! This ones a real Jekyll & Hyde, and nothing in between. Dead straight bullets, and big bombs. Anything else was way off the chart left at warp speed. There is no right hand side. No fades, no baby draws.


J

[birly-shirly]

[quote name='fluffy265' timestamp='1375679736' post='7606196']
Is there anything I need to be wary of with this old tin can that might complicate shaft removal?


[/quote]

Don't think so. I recently recycled a shaft from a same vintage Burner (it was 8.5* loft and I couldn't see any conceivable use for it!) and had no issues.

Have to say, I'm struggling to imagine the customer who would have needed that combination of 7* loft and a regular shaft...

[braincramp52]

[quote name='birly-shirly' timestamp='1375697764' post='7606592']
[quote name='fluffy265' timestamp='1375679736' post='7606196']
Is there anything I need to be wary of with this old tin can that might complicate shaft removal?


[/quote]

Don't think so. I recently recycled a shaft from a same vintage Burner (it was 8.5* loft and I couldn't see any conceivable use for it!) and had no issues.

Have to say, I'm struggling to imagine the customer who would have needed that combination of 7* loft and a regular shaft...
[/quote]



The 7* loft and regular shaft is really a weird setup.

[ScooterMcTavish]

[quote name='birly-shirly' timestamp='1375697764' post='7606592']
Have to say, I'm struggling to imagine the customer who would have needed that combination of 7* loft and a regular shaft...
[/quote]

Hee hee. My current coffee can is a 9* R flex, and I'm tempted to try something in an 8*.

As a short guy with long arms, I tend to come down on the ball when I pull the club in to out, creating a lot of backspin, ergo, a lot of height.

Stiff shafts don't help a bunch either, as I get late with closing the face, giving me high weak fades/slices.

[Shallowface]

[quote name='fluffy265' timestamp='1375679736' post='7606196']
Now I think this little beasty warrants some more attention. I had no comprehension of what the club head was doing through impact. At the moment it generally feels too light. In order to try and give this a fighting chance I need to go heavier and stiffer. I plan to start by replacing the R300 with an X100 and also think about adding some weight to the head. Is there anything I need to be wary of with this old tin can that might complicate shaft removal?

Here are a couple of comparison pics with a Bridgestone J40 430. It's smaller than my Persimmon Hogan driver and smaller than any of my laminated drivers too..

J

[/quote]

Reshafting these is easy.

One thing you might want to check is how that R300 is trimmed. I can remember working on a number of these in the 80s and they weren't trimmed as the instructions in component catalogs would have you do it. They were actually tipped to length, making them play somewhat stiffer than their labeling. Don't know why this was the case, whether it was to compensate for the way the head played or manufacturing expediency.

A properly trimmed X100 will play stiffer, but maybe not a whole lot stiffer if your R300 was tipped to finished playing length.

I'm not surprised you can hit this well. It's really no different than hitting a fairway wood off a tee size wise. I need to take out my old 9.5 Burner Plus. Getting tired of the occasional high right with the 460 that I never used to see with smaller drivers. That old Tour Gold graphite shaft may be a bit stout for an old man like me.

[okesa]

[size=5]Trim the shaft to 34" and use as a putter on slow greens......[/size]

[fluffy265]

Thanks guy's,
I've just returned from a little testing session with the X100 installed and It's done what I'd hoped. This little beasty is now much better behaved, no hooking and I even managed to start playing fades, this looks like it's going to be a fun little club. Hopefully It'll get see a golf course soon!

Cheers J