From Super to What the...

[Fairway_CY]

So last night, decided to buy myself a new driver (thanks to my wife) for the first time in about 5 years. I'd been playing a TaylorMade R540 10.5* for awhile and... while I've learned to hit it fairly well, I wasn't getting much distance on it.

Went with the Cleveland HiBORE XLS 9.5* with the Fujikura Gold shaft. I demo'd it against the Nike SUMO 5000 and it just felt a little better. I didn't get a chance to really hit it after I bought it... but this morning, I had a Club Championship match to play, so I brought both drivers with me.

I was facing the #1 seed in our flight and expected to have a tough go of it... but early on, things just clicked. I was hitting the HiBORE with a low (15-20 feet off the ground) trajectory with a slight draw that ended up about 250 each time... but I only used it on 2 holes on the front side.

The front side saw me shoot a career low 40 which is 4 strokes better than my previous best. Along the way, I ended the front with a 3 up lead in the match. I thought I was on my way to obliterating my previous career best, shot a few weeks ago during the qualifier.

I used the HiBORE on #10 and hit another low, drawing shot that ended at 250. Put my 9 iron onto the green and picked up another par to go 4 up. Then, things got a bit nasty. Drive on #11 was a snap hook into the woods... lost that ball, and the provisional did the same, but stayed out of the woods. I ended up with a triple bogey and went back to 3 up.

Next time I used the HiBORE was on #14. This time, I played for the draw and I smashed it but it stayed straight and went OB on the right. I ended that hole with a 10 after putting my approach shot into the pond on the left. At that point, I was back to 4 up with 4 to play.

I closed out the match on #15, but no thanks to the driver. I topped it (my fault, I looked up to see it fly) and it went 70 yards, leaving me just under 300 to the green. My 3 wood ended up 20 yards short of the green and I got up and down for the par to close it out.

Since we paid for the round and all, we decided to finish out the round and continued on.

Drive on #16 actually sliced because I opened the face a bit... and it was just ugly. Carded a 9 there with a lost ball from the right rough for my 3rd shot and a duffed chip.

On the 18th, I tagged the ball and it flew straight as an arrow. The GPS measured it at 253 but it felt great. Nice trajectory and everything, but I hit it through the fairway, leaving me about 175 left on a 440 yard dogleg right. I tugged my 5 iron a bit and then chipped on from the left side of the green and 2 putted for a bogey after burning the edge with my first putt.

In the end, I shot a 94 with a 40 on the front and a 54 on the back. I've never had such a difference in 9 holes. And, it really wasn't due to my play being any different, if nothing else, I can attribute it to 2 bad tee shots and another poor shot from the rough.

This game amazes me though... it can be so easy for a few holes and then just turn on me.

Now, I've got to wait to see who I face in the finals... which is a 36 hole final next Saturday morning.

CY

[SilverUberXeno]

So you hit your 3 wood 280? Wowza.

[Fairway_CY]

So you hit your 3 wood 280? Wowza.

Woops... typo. No, I WISH I hit it 280... then I wouldn't have bothered with the new driver.

The hole was playing 340 and I hit my drive 70. Left me about 270 to the middle of the green (not just under 300 to the front... that was my typo), and I was 20 yards short of the front... so, probaby hit the 3 wood 230 from the rough.

That's about typical for me. My distances today (via GPS) by hole and club:

1 - HiBORE (249)
2 - 3 Wood (230)
4 - 5 Iron to short dogleg (150)
5 - 3 Wood (230)
6 - HiBORE (245)
8 - R540 to dogleg right (250)
9 - 21* Hybrid (197)
10 - HiBORE (250)
11 - HiBORE (Lost Ball)
13 - 3 Wood (215)
14 - HiBORE (Lost Ball)
15 - HiBORE (68)
16 - HiBORE (197)
18 - HiBORE (253)

I should have proofread my post... made myself out to be a monster with the 3 wood. Good catch though!

CY

[warbirdlover]

I can only imagine how well you would have scored if you'd have bought a Ping G10.... JK, hope the Cleveland works out for you.