haven't tried the kuehne shaft, but it was an option. i would assume with his name on it it's probably not for my swing. when i ordered, i had the golfsmith catalogue in front of me, checking the shaft specs. i came to the conclusion(right or wrong) that the purple ice was the best fit for me. low kick point, made for oversized, high launch drivers, and good control. sounded about right. and at that price i figured, what the heck, if i've really ******* up. i can reshaft.
I was going to request the Purple Ice from the club fitter who reshafted the 580XD for me. I also needed a low kick, soft tip. But he recommended the Apache shaft, and I figured he knew more than I did. Also saved me $50+. The club works great for me, so no regrets on my part.
But from everything I've heard, the Purple Ice is an awesome shaft.
Last edited by shaderunner : August 11th, 2006 at 04:26 PM.
Reason: language in quote
I just picked up the r580XD 9.5 w/757 speeder shaft in a stiff flex.
My other drivers are the GBBII 9* w/Aerotech 75G in a stiff and the ERC Fusion 9* w/Aldila NV 65S.
This is part one since I only received it today and took it to the range.
It is a very sharp looking driver especially with the black shaft. It does seem big at first but I quickly got used to it.
I warmed up for a while, got loose and teed it up.
I was impressed but not blown away. I am an 8 handicap with a SS between 105 and 110.
The sound is very different from my other 2 drivers, a bit louder but not bad.
Ball flight was typical of my normal flight, high but not ballooning, only the ERC is lower due to the NV shaft.
The range I use is off grass and has 5-6 target greens. The longest is 250 out and beyond it is a fence about 260 out. Normally I will drive the ball to just in front or onto the front of the the green and then roll it through. Today I was hitting the back of the green and quite a few flew it. I could see the balls hitting the fence on the fly.
The feel is not great, the shaft felt nice but I could not really go after one (this is probably a benefit to keep my swing consistent).
Mis-hits are the real test of new drivers today. Most drivers when well struck will go far but when you don't catch it square how much punishment you receive is the selling point. My off center shots tend towards the toe, resulting in a drawing hook. I noticed some improvement from my old drivers in this regard. Instead of a big hook the ball seemed to hold it's line but still going left.
Workability- My normal ball is a high fade, and I can draw the ball but not consistently enough to work it into my course game. I found it easier to draw the ball with this driver and has less fade on my normal shot. I understand the face is closed .5 but I think my other 2 drivers have the same bias.
Overall, this will be my new driver this year. The little bit of extra distance and the forgiveness of the 440cc head should help me hit more fairways.
sorry about the long winded post but I like comprehensive reviews when searching for product.
I was going to request the Purple Ice from the club fitter who reshafted the 580XD for me. I also needed a low kick, soft tip. But he recommended the Apache shaft, and I figured he knew more than I did. Also saved me $50+. The club works great for me, so no regrets on my part.
But from everything I've heard, the Purple Ice is an awesome shaft.
absolutly. it is. i checked out golfsmith awhile ago & they don't seem to be carying the p-ice shafts anymore. so i went to the graphite design site & they're selling them for 150$ a pop. must be catching on or something... :nodsmiley
absolutly. it is. i checked out golfsmith awhile ago & they don't seem to be carying the p-ice shafts anymore. so i went to the graphite design site & they're selling them for 150$ a pop. must be catching on or something... :nodsmiley
I get the GolfWorks catalog. They still carry them, and for less than $150. FYI
Course tested the driver today. I have always been skeptical of added distance claims but I found I was gaining about 10yds more, this is based on where I normally drive and where I was today. One in particular was very long for me- I went driver 8 iron on a 460yd hole. My 8 iron is my 160 club. Now to see if I can be consistant.
I bought my R580XD off eBay for $93 (including shipping), with the factory MAS-2 60 S-flex, tip stiff shaft in it back in March. It has been the single biggest improvement in my game. VERY long, VERY straight, even on the mishits.
True, I said the same basic things about my Callaway Biggest Big Bertha driver 7 years ago, but the 580XD finally replaced it in my bag. Any club that I love enough to pull my old Callaway is the ****. I can't even bring myself to get rid of the Callaway. Too many good memories.
Since buying it, I've replaced the shaft with an Aldila, and gripped it with a Lamkin Professional velvet, but I can't say I've ever been tempted to pull it, and put the Callaway back in.
My brother-in-law's tried to get me to go to an R5. One of my best friends has tried to get me to go to an R7. I think they're tired of me smoking it past them with a club that cost under $150 AFTER my upgrades.
I don't know how good the deals will get. At the moment, they're going in the opposite direction. The supply is diminishing, while the demand doesn't seem to be. It didn't help things when the story got out that Kuehne, and others had gone back to the 500 series drivers.
If you're looking for one, try eBay. I'm sure you'll find both new, and used ones there.
Good luck.
This is a sweet driver. The Sports Authority had them on sale for $149 USD. Didn't impress to much with the first few balls. Slowed down the swing and things improved. The evidence led me to Precision Golf Solutions here in Gainesville. Upon investigation , on the frequency machine , my assumption was correct. The stock 'stiff ' shaft was actually barely past regular flex. Swapped it out with a UST Harmon Tour Design CBS X-Stiff shaft ( which were on SALE ) and now I have to say this driver smokes.
I only have one thing I'm not 100% on. The trajectory is still just a tad bit to high for me. It is a 9.5* and the shaft has a mid-kick point. Oh well. I'll live with it til next spring.I've already blown my equipment budget for the year on new TM Rac fe2O3 wedges(52,56 & 60)along with lie adjustments & new grips on my Rac OS irons.
I got it for $150 at Dicks this weekend. I hate the stock shaft and the driver all together, but I shouldn't have to play it for too much longer. My new Titleist should be in soon :)
I picked one up at Sports Authority too when they were on sale for $149 but only paid $135. I love it. I have the stock regular flex shaft. My only complaint is that I have difficulty hitting it straight. I'm not talking about slices or hooks, but straight pushes or pulls. I do sometimes push or pull my other clubs, but never as often nor as badly as I do with this driver.
Maybe a different shaft would help improve things?
I picked one up at Sports Authority too when they were on sale for $149 but only paid $135. I love it. I have the stock regular flex shaft. My only complaint is that I have difficulty hitting it straight. I'm not talking about slices or hooks, but straight pushes or pulls. I do sometimes push or pull my other clubs, but never as often nor as badly as I do with this driver.
Maybe a different shaft would help improve things?
Pushes could be a result of a shaft or you blocking it. Try a new shaft out though. I have an R7 425 right now and love it but Im really tempted to buy this club.
the head is 400cc. not that big i don't think. Hopefully not too big, i've got one coming from ebay. I hit the 540 and it didn't seem too big. How big is that head?
May 13th, 2005, 11:27 AM
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