i need help choosing a driver. i've got a callaway ft-3 10 draw regular, a taylormade r7 460 9.5 reg, and a sq 9.5 with the aldila nv shaft stiff...i've tried them in the net and so far like the callaway the most. but i figure i can grow with both the r7 and the sq (improve my always fade to a nice striaght shot that i can work when i want)...tomorrow i'm hitting the range and then i'm playing 18. my prob is that i'm very indecisive when it comes to equipment and can never make up my mind...as a matter of fact, my wife had to choose my irons for me cause i couldn't...
any info on your personal experience with either of these drivers is very very welcome.
thanks in advance,
G.
I have owned the FT-3 9* Draw R flex since they came out and I can tell you that it is not going anywhere soon. It is a great driver, straight as you could hope for, long as I have ever hit. I have not hit the SQ so I cant tell you anything about a comparison between those two drivers but when I purchased my FT-3 it was at a demo day and I hit the R7 along with about every other driver besides the Nike line and for me it was the FT-3 hands down. My second pick that day would have been the Bridgestone followed by the 905.
I will speak for the SQ. It is by far the longest driver I have ever hit. The TM is a good driver too but the weights are not worth the extra $100 that is cost over the SQ. The SQ has a lower center of gravity than the TM or the Callaway. Also the Callaway is a bore thru which means the shaft will not play to spec...it will play a little stiffer and lower torque.
The SQ with a super low center of gravity also has a low spin rate and hits the ball very straight so you can take a very hard swing and not miss much. I have hit it off the toe 260 yards of carry before. I would rate the three in this order:
1. SQ
2. R7 460
3. FT-3
And as far as the wife goes......well brother your doomed!
The FT-3 felt like it had a heavier clubhead which is exactly what I like. They also had two very distinct sounds...the FT-3 to me didn't have a muffled, towel in a coke can sound...just a different one altogether. After hitting it about 5 times, I didn't even notice the sound b/c I was too busy watching the ball flight in satisfaction. For me the FT-3 was just a smoother all-around club than the X460. I was doing all I could to convince myself to save the extra money and go with the X460, but hitting them back to back, I couldn't bring myself to like the X460 over the FT-3. If I was to rank them I would have gone,
FT-3
X460
TM R7 460
And one can't say I'm biased b/c I have an R7 and was looking forward to either the 460 or 425. I just wanted to mess around with a few other manuf. to make sure those were the best choices and found out for me, there is a better one out there. On the monitor, the FT-3 gave me the same mph as the SQ, TM 460, and slightly more than the X460. I also liked the way I was able to control the ball with either a slight fade or draw/straight. With the TM b/c of the closed face, it just gave me that feeling of I might hook this thing. The X460 was almost the same way as the TM but not as bad. The biggest difference I noticed between the X460 and the FT-3 was the fact that mishits on the FT-3 still go in the air and went straight or slightly on way or another. Mishits with the X460 were about 20-40yards shorter and varied offline farther.
The SQ does hit the ball well, but the FT-3 is just as long for me, less bulky, and I have the ability to work the ball better than the SQ. Get what works best for you though...
The FT-3 felt like it had a heavier clubhead which is exactly what I like. They also had two very distinct sounds...the FT-3 to me didn't have a muffled, towel in a coke can sound...just a different one altogether. After hitting it about 5 times, I didn't even notice the sound b/c I was too busy watching the ball flight in satisfaction. For me the FT-3 was just a smoother all-around club than the X460. I was doing all I could to convince myself to save the extra money and go with the X460, but hitting them back to back, I couldn't bring myself to like the X460 over the FT-3. If I was to rank them I would have gone,
FT-3
X460
TM R7 460
And one can't say I'm biased b/c I have an R7 and was looking forward to either the 460 or 425. I just wanted to mess around with a few other manuf. to make sure those were the best choices and found out for me, there is a better one out there. On the monitor, the FT-3 gave me the same mph as the SQ, TM 460, and slightly more than the X460. I also liked the way I was able to control the ball with either a slight fade or draw/straight. With the TM b/c of the closed face, it just gave me that feeling of I might hook this thing. The X460 was almost the same way as the TM but not as bad. The biggest difference I noticed between the X460 and the FT-3 was the fact that mishits on the FT-3 still go in the air and went straight or slightly on way or another. Mishits with the X460 were about 20-40yards shorter and varied offline farther.
The SQ does hit the ball well, but the FT-3 is just as long for me, less bulky, and I have the ability to work the ball better than the SQ. Get what works best for you though...
I spent a good 3 hours at a range here about 3 weeks ago trying the Ping G5, Callaway FT-3, Nike SQ, and the TM r7 460. I could not get the SQ in the air. I could consistently hit the r7 460, FT-3, and G5 well. For me, it came down to personal preference. I ended up choosing the r7 460 because the feel of the club was amazing to me. If you think you're going to hook with the TM, just move the ball slightly back in your stance. Good luck with your search for a new driver.
At this point I don't want to have to adjust my swing around the driver, I want a driver that fits my swing and eye. Plus, I've been working really hard to be able to hit both a fade and a draw/straight shot with the driver and having a driver with the face that closed with just make it harder for me to do that. I'd def. recommend the r7 460 for anyone that is having trouble with a slice though.... Good luck with the r7 460, I know I've enjoyed the r7 Quad very very much!
The FT3 won 3 of the last 5 major PGA tournaments. One guy actually had 2 in his bag with different weighting configurations. I think that speaks volumes.
If money is a factor, just go with the Calloway X460 - it's $100 cheaper without that movable weights feature, and it hits longer than the FT-3 (barely). The regular (non-tour) version comes with a 2* closed face, so that should change your shot from a fade into a straight shot, and a straight shot into a draw. To anybody else reading this, if you are hooking your drives as a matter of course, or have a slight draw as a regular shot, get the tour version of the X460 which has a square face instead.
Tiger uses Nike because he is forced to. Pros who have a choice choose Calloway. The choice should be pretty clear.
The FT3 won 3 of the last 5 major PGA tournaments. One guy actually had 2 in his bag with different weighting configurations. I think that speaks volumes.
If money is a factor, just go with the Calloway X460 - it's $100 cheaper without that movable weights feature, and it hits longer than the FT-3 (barely). The regular (non-tour) version comes with a 2* closed face, so that should change your shot from a fade into a straight shot, and a straight shot into a draw. To anybody else reading this, if you are hooking your drives as a matter of course, or have a slight draw as a regular shot, get the tour version of the X460 which has a square face instead.
Tiger uses Nike because he is forced to. Pros who have a choice choose Calloway. The choice should be pretty clear.
Dude you are so wrong!
Tiger does not play a Nike driver because he is forced to. His contract states that he can play what ever he wants. For a while last year Tiger played an old Titleist driver.
As far as my recommendation for the SQ.....my entire bag is Titleist except my driver. I have hit them all including the X460 and FT-3 and the Nike SQ by far out performed them. To go make a recommendation to buy a driver because it won a few majors is nuts. Heck Phil could not hit a fairway at the US open with the FT-3 to save his life and because of that the Callaway drivers are Da Bomb?
okay...i bought the ft-3, what a sweet driver ! not the very longest i've hit (though i did hit a monster drive that had to have been atleast 300 yards ...reason being i had a small pitch shot to the green which couldn't have been more than 30 yards and it was 340 par 4), but man that thing is forgiving. absolutly killed my slice. i found myself on the left side of the fairway all the time i'd use the thing, even when i'd misshit it, the ball would go striaght. the sound is very subtle...you hit it and you think it's not going anywhere, till you look up and the ball is 250 yards down the fairway...WOW!! i've still got to get used to miss bertha being that this was only our first outing, but i forsee a very long and fruitful marriage. thank you all for you input (and the cracks about my wife ), you've been a great help!