Best Driver?

[mattpodger]

Re: Best Driver?

Best driver ? How long is a piece of string?

And there's the rub!

If you're going to buy off the shelf then it's trial and error. Hit a few (pro's will hit 4 or 5 balls only before they know if a driver's suitable - after that you're just 'grooving' your swing to a club) with a variety. Last time i bought a new driver i tried Adams Redline, Nike SQ, Mizuno MX-500 and Taylormade R7 (425 & 460) before settling on the Taylormade 460. But I will definitely look to be custom fitted next time out. As stated elsewhere here, components do seem the way to go, and generally works out cheaper! Certainly £300 for an off the shelf club seems excessive!

Remember also to shop around if you do find a club you like. You'll definitely find it cheaper elsewhere!

[golfseeker]

Re: Best Driver?

The MacTec NVG and the newer NVG2 do launch it out there. And I keep it in the fairway better than anything. It is longer than my Callaway FT3 Fusion by 30 yards. Beware of the regular shaft...its too flexible. Get a stiff shaft. The stock stiff shaft is outstanding....made by Fujikara. I love it. One thing happened to my MacTec....it developed a rattle in its head. I took it to the pro shop at the club. They sent it to Macgregor and they replaced the club and head cover in two days....FedEx back to the club at no charge. Macgregor stands behind their products 100%. That is outstanding in my opinion. I know that there are plenty of great drivers out there but keep in mind that the shaft makes all the difference. You have to try them before you buy, however. Just like buying a car...you have to try them out before you buy. Good Luck!

[edshaw]

Re: Best Driver?

I recall one of the Sam Snead stories .. Sam, you
know, was hitting it 285 when 285 was a long way.
He had this favorite persimmon driver he played
with forever...even when the grip was falling
apart and the winding thread was
flapping around, Sam hesitated to change the
club in any way, even by having it repaired.
One day, it got lost in an airport and it took
Sam forever to get over that.
My point, even for those who might think the
human race has evolved significantly over the
past 50 years, is that, hey, that Callaway War
Bird, if it's MY War Bird, could easily be the
best driver out there. I have one of the early
Ping TiSt. The more I play with it, the more I
find myself able to do with it. Whether it has a
trampoline face or not, I've convinced myself it
does. Are golfers a superstitious lot? Yeah, we
probably are. Is golf a mental game? Yes, it
probably is. Do I look over every driver in the
shop and wonder what I might be missing? Hell,
yeah, I do.
One more point: does finding the right match
between ball and driver make a difference? I'm
thinking it does. I have always been 100% Titleist
until lately, I found out about the Nike Black One.

[jman100]

Re: Best Driver?

Just recently got the Cleveland HiBore, 9.5deg loft, regular shaft. Was amazed by the results. Really drills the drives pretty straight and has very good distance and once you get used to its design its a very nice club to use. I was using a Deep Red, stiff shaft and was getting good distance out of it but the HiBore has added at least 30yds and a lot more consistency. Wasn't looking for a new driver, I had made up my mind to go for a club fitting, but was offered this second hand very reasonable and after trying it jumped at the chance. Has anyone else used one? Any opinion on it?

J

[golfseeker]

Re: Best Driver?

Go to some demo's and try various clubs or go to a driving range that have clubs you can try out. That's the best way to find something you can live with and enjoy. Also pay attention to the shaft in the club. The shaft is very important and maybe more important than the head. I've built drivers using Golfsmith components and they are as good as any OEM manufactures such as Callaway, Cobra, etc. Another thing you have to keep in mind is your swing speed and your swing style. Of course distance is nice but if you hit the ball into the forest that is not a good thing. I have two drivers...a Callaway Fusion 10.5 degree and a MacTec NVG 10 degree. The Callaway has a regular stock shaft and the MacTec has a stiff shaft. Both have a draw bias and I hit them exactly the same and both land in the fairway about 75% of the time. I am an older golfer so my distance is not that great...usually around 225 to 250 yards. But I am satisfied with that because I am usually in the short grass. I have let playing partners use my drivers and they get much more distance than I do. So I think, in most cases, it is not the arrow but the Indian. Or to put another way its the golfer not the equipment that determines whether you can play the game or not.

[canadian_man_44]

Re: Best Driver?

My KZG Maraging Power 9.5* driver has just been put to the side. I've tried out Cleveland's Hi-bore and Launcher. Very nice drivers but a little too steep in the price for me. After some research online, I purchased an Intech YellowJacket, 460cc 10*. This driver is made of hyper titanium with Max Cor face technology(whatever that means ). According to several sites it has the hottest face allowable under USGA rules. After going to the driving range and playing a couple rounds with it, here's my verdict: It has similiar feel to the Cleveland Laucher and the hot face gives me maximium distance for my swing. Because of the size, it has a large sweetspot and is very forgiving. My first ball on the driving range hit off the ss towards the toe and it still went fairly straight and around 240 yards in the air. That's pretty good with a ****py range ball. I find the club to be very good and the YellowJacket colors get a lot of looks on the range and the course. Bottom line: this is a great club, great distance, easily controlled and workable. For those who are not concerned with carrying a big brandname in their bag, and for those of us who cannot afford to pay big bucks, this is perfect. At $50 CDN it's a steal.


On second thought, this club may be a good club for driving. Distance and control may be great, but after playing a couple more round with it, the paint started chipping off the top. Too bad they hadn't put as much time into perfecting the paint as they did in making the MaxCor face. Anyway, the short story is that I returned it for a refund since I can't be carrying a driver around that doesn't look good. I am currently waiting for my new driver to arrive. It's an exact clone of the Cleveland Hi Bore. I'll let yous know how it works after at least 5 rounds and 10 buckets of balls. LOL

[canadian_man_44]

Re: Best Driver?

Okay, I'm back. My new driver has arrived and I've played some with it. Just couldn't wait for 5 rounds and 10 buckets to let everyone know how it goes. Like I said in my last post, I got a clone of the Cleveland Hi Bore. It a Classic Tour Highly High Bore. 10.5 degree with a Gramman TP440 stiff shaft. Right after I got it I took it out to one of the local courses driving ranges. The 250 yard marker on this range is a 30 foot high fence. After some comparison shots with a true blue Cleveland Hi Bore, I settled down with a bucket of balls and my clone. I employed a slightly strong grip and swung away. Out of 50 balls, 41 cleared the fence by anywhere from 10 to 20 feet. Because they disappeared into the trees, I couldn't get an accurate reading on distance, so, today I went to another range that is marked to 300 yards with a mowed field that extends at least 50 yards behind the last marker. After warming up with my irons, I pulled out the driver. Most of my drives carried between 270 and 290 and rolled out to between 300 and 320 with a few falling a little shorter and a few going a little longer. I can hardly wait to play my favorite 344 yard par 4 and try to drive the green.

[BrianW]

Re: Best Driver?

OK! I know this is a cheesy answer but I guess it's what I think.

The best driver available is as only good as the golfer holding it, I have seen very large amounts of money being wasted on drivers that promise greater performance but gain nothing in the hands of a poorly executed swing. For most recreational golfers any reasonable kit will perform well enough and the money would be best spent on good lessons and practice.

BUT! If it makes you feel good and money is not an obstacle then buy it.