Driver CHALLENGE!!!

[JEFF4i]

Okay, so I just did the 3 wood off the tee today, but hitting balls I brought out all my drivers.

I tried my 3, the FT-i, FT-3, and r7 460. Then I demoed a HiBore XLS and G10.

FT-3 Not quite what it used to be. Still pound them out there, but I prefer the heavier swing weight on the FT-i...at least it feels heavier.

r7 460. This is a vintage piece now. Even on my nice hits, it just doesn't measure up to the i.

XLS. A nice club, for a HiBore. I prefer it over the XL, and I'm getting decent ballflight on it, but it kind of died near the end for me, and didn't quite have enough carry for my liking.

G10. Two words: Long...straight. This thing really is a great club, and somewhat inexpensive. I'd recommend this, especially for higher cappers. Launched a little high for my liking, but still a nice club. So why not use it?

FT-i. Winner!!! I brought my dad with me for an objective point of view, since he didn't know which ones I had and all that business, and he said he liked this one the most, as did I. She's long and straight, for sure. However, when faced with a dog-log, and I get a lot on the courses I play, I can get that subtle draw or fade that prove invaluable. When I get the distance I get, its easy to cross a fairway, thus, the ability to curve the ball with the fairway is a great and grand. Not as forgiving as the G10, especially in the Tour version, but thats the cost.

So the FT-i stays, without a doubt. Not to mention I drove a 335 par 4 on Monday, that helps.

 

[SilverUberXeno]

Drove a 335? You rat bastard. Congrats on bombing it out there.

I hit some monsters the other day but nothing quite to the green. Hit about 319 two weeks ago to ALMOST green a 340/4 dogleg left. Monday I was leaving myself 20-30 yards out on a few 350 yard par 4's.

But if you hit the green from 20 yards or 100 yards, it's still on the green in 2. So eh.

 

[JEFF4i]

Drove a 335? You rat bastard. Congrats on bombing it out there.

I hit some monsters the other day but nothing quite to the green. Hit about 319 two weeks ago to ALMOST green a 340/4 dogleg left. Monday I was leaving myself 20-30 yards out on a few 350 yard par 4's.

But if you hit the green from 20 yards or 100 yards, it's still on the green in 2. So eh.

Lot easier to tuck it in at 20.

 

[ezra76]

Glad to hear that FTi is working for you. Not sure why but I couldn't hit the thing for piss. I went to the QuadTP, which should be 100 times harder to hit and smoking the thing. Had a 309yd. drive with it last round to finish... little wind and roll but I made it count by hitting the green in 2 with a 3iron.

I never got along with the HiboreXL either. XLS seemed worse. They both seemed a lot like the 8.5* FTi, deadest faces I've ever hit a ball with. Balls that were straight, swore they were a good swing, went nowhere. Like 210 carry if that. The 9.5* FTi was a different story. That carried all the way to 260-270 but it was super high and lots of backspin. Surprised me a lot as the obvious would be to drop to an 8.5* and call it a day... to no avail though.

 

[ezra76]

Lot easier to tuck it in at 20.

..... Said the middle aged transvestite.

 

[warbirdlover]

What loft was that G10?

 

[ualtim]

What loft was that G10?

sniff.......snifff.......snifff......



Smells like a new driver may be headed to Racine in the near future.

 

[Johnny Par]

Currently have the FT-i bagged as well. Great driver. long and straight.

Only gripe is length. At 45.75", it's a bit on the long side. Thinking about cutting it down to 44.5" and adding some weight.
Also have a Grafalloy COMP NT that I want to install.

 

[clemsonhacker]

i got my fti down to 43 inchs as per my TLT fitting.

 

[Poe4soul]

Not to take anything away from you Jeff but you are at about a mile high in NM. I just got back form ABQ and had many 320 to 340 yard drives. My longest was about 360 to the front of the green on hole number 8 on the Sante Fe Marty Sanchez course. It is a down hill, with a slight breeze behind. To put it in prospective at see level my drives are usually around 280 to 300 with very little role.

 

[JEFF4i]

What loft was that G10?

9

Not to take anything away from you Jeff but you are at about a mile high in NM. I just got back form ABQ and had many 320 to 340 yard drives. My longest was about 360 to the front of the green on hole number 8 on the Sante Fe Marty Sanchez course. It is a down hill, with a slight breeze behind. To put it in prospective at see level my drives are usually around 280 to 300 with very little role.

8 plays terribly short at Marty Sanchez, as do many of the holes. I play a couple tournaments there every year. And this was at UNM South. Nearly every hole slopes towards you, or to some rough. Yes, the elevation helps, but its not all of it. I played at sea level last fall and had no problems reaching 300 there either.

Also understand, after a while on the launch monitor, I am near optimal with all my readings. Launch angle is around 15 degrees, slight right to left sidespin, and all that stuff. So that helps too, being in the red zone.

Anyway, fact of the matter: Love the FT-i.

 

[Poe4soul]

Very understandable on 8 an 9 on Marty but there are not a single course in the Pacific Northwest that I could drive over 350 unless there was a 20 knot down wind and down hill drive.

I also played UNM South and it's my favorite course in ABQ. Love the set up on that course especially the 250 yard par 3, 17. Most holes are WYSIWYG with tough greens. I hit multiple drives over 300 there also but my average was just over 300 yards.

BTW, sonicboom golf reports about 10% longer at 5000 feet.

Like I said, I'm not taking anything from you. 330 yards and longer in NM is still 300 yards plus at sea level which is way above the average joe and as long as most Pro's.