golfrewind.com

I am looking for somewhere to find some honest reviews, and specs etc on drivers.

My dad and I are both fairly decent golfers... he shoots in the low 80's I shot in the mid/high 90's. Both of us are out of the loop on equiptment and play really old stuff.

I have looked everywhere and it seems like everyone likes their driver no matter which it is... callaway, cleveland, taylormade, or titleist.

Both of us are looking for a new big stick and there are so many options it is impossible to decide. We've gone to a demo day at the start of the year when i wasnt in my groove so there were lots of mishits and it seems like all drivers behave the same. All I know so far is I am looking for a driver, with a stiff flex. what other things should I know about my swing or my level of play or what I want my level of play to be?

Some things I am looking for:
1) Strait and long, (well yeah) :)(prefer strait over long)(but dont want to give up too much distance)
2) something that will still be good 5 years from now.
3) something that can be played well by a low and high handicapper(I am starting to improve)
4) something i can be consistent with.

I just cant tell the difference yet but I dont want to buy the wrong club. I hear so much about people going out and buying a Titleist, they cant hit it so they trade it in on whatever else and boom it goes strait... so how do i prevent buying the club that wont work for me, where are the sites with reviews and comparissons being done where i can read up on all the clubs true characteristics.


Please help me... I dont know what to do
Mike.

How do you know you need a "stiff flex"? Have you hit different clubs with different flex shafts? The best advice I can offer is to get fit for your driver by using a launch monitor. Most golf shops will waive the cost of the monitor test if you buy the club from them. The launch monitor is a great tool for determining the best shaft and club for you. It beats the **** out of trial and error!

I know I need a stiffish flex because I have hit clubs with regular flex and I dont like the whippy feel, it is especially noticeable at the top of my backswing... I just dont like it.... knowing where the club is at all times is what I like, it just feels better.

What exactly goes into getting fit? My local Golf USA has a whole bunch of equiptment to measure stuff. but your hitting into a net, so you cant really tell how well you actually hit the shot... Would getting fit prior to looking for new clubs make sense? will it help me choose a club?

I will most likely be buying from ebay because the proshop is too expensive so getting fit for the driver wont help unless it helps prior to purchase...

Swing speed isnt the only thing used to judge stiffness needed right? Wont a stiff shaft be a little more consistant and accurate?

Now that you know you want a stiff flex, you should know what loft you're looking for. I would say the best way to find the driver for you is to get fitted but if this isn't an option for you, go to another demo day and work on finding the driver for you.

Well, getting fitted usually means using a launch monitor. Hitting into the net doesn't really matter because it will measure launch angle, swing speed, club head speed, ball speed and who knows what to calculate your optimum specs. All of this information goes towards recommending a specific shaft, driver and loft to maximum performance according to your stats.

So many variables in picking a shaft besides R or S flex. If it doesnt load and unload properly a speeder shaft wont help your game. Look at swingspeed, ball flight, roll after landing and by proces of elimination you will narrow your choices of shafts. A good place to go is Golfsmith if you have a store near you or a good club builder to look at your swing....

Chill,
I have learned that you should not buy a club you have not hit first. This is critical since even among suppostedly identical drivers each will likely hit the ball differently for you. If your swing speed is less than 90 mph you should probably consider a regular shaft with a 12*+ loft. If your swing speed is 90-100 mph then consider a regular flex or regular/stiff flex shaft with a 10.5*-11* loft. If you swing is over 100 mph then go with a stiff flex and 9*-10* loft. I have a 95 mph swing speed, use a regular/stiff shaft and 11* loft. My driving distance is 260-270 yards with a reasonably on center hit. These are general guidelines but price should also be a consideration. Premium brand drivers go for $400+ and are not any better than components and sometimes not as good. Go to www.smtgolf.com and check out their demo kit that will allow you to try 9 different potential combinations of head and shafts. You can get a driver for around $200-$250 from these folks that will match anything made by the big price boys. I play with a 11* SMT Nemesis head and RS339 regular shaft that I bought from a buddy for $150.