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Advances in driver tech?


twice

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I'm playing a driver 7 years old. I bought it 3 years ago, and I hit it pretty well. I only struggle when I don't swing in to out. There are some current drivers that have caught my eye. Yahama RMX, and Honma TW.

I'm just wondering how much advancement there really is in these newer drivers? I Obviously I can't demo them, and all the new domestic drivers I've tried I don't like the feel of at impact at all.

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In my opinion there is quite a big diffrence in a 7 year old driver compared to now.

I think you would find they are much more forgiving and probably longer, but definately more forgiving.

The technology is now maxed out and I believe the only differences are aesthetic. Everyone has the technology and are using it.

As we are seeing, shaft technology is pretty much where improvements will be made. But even that is only a matter of time before they make some rules to limit it.

Best of luck

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About your profile photo... Its been a while since I was in the Del Monte forest, but isn't that Cypress Point... the course Bobby Jones used as inspiration for Agusta National?

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I am with you on the modern USDM with their harshness and lack of feel.

Though I do think some of the heads make up for that with performance and added forgiveness.

In my opinion, JDM drivers have also been pursuing higher performance the last couple of years and have made significant compromise in the feel and sound department. My favorites from a sound and feel perspective have been Endo made driver heads from around 2008 to 2013. They have that dense and mild feeling at impact where you feel the ball stick to the face just a tad longer.

Mizuno MP Craft 611

Mizuno MP Craft 513

Yamaha V203

Epon AF-103

Epon Zero

Epon AF-153

Tourstage X Drive 705, 905 series

Tourstage X Drive P02-6

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Oh and DAT55 faced JDM heads have fantastic feel and distance performance to go with it... but sound can be a bit harsh.

You can get these heads foamed to get rid of the harsh sound. That might be the ticket for you.

Jbeam 535

Jbeam 435 ( Crazy 435 )

JBeam 425 Tour

to name some with DAT55 face

Edited by nobmontana
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intersting this....

my callway erc 3 from 7-8 yrsd back which is about as no frills u can go in a driver .

and its is without doubt as long as anyhing out now. it was also an 800 buck head made at endo of course...,

the thing is , its not as forging as todays brutes/ i , miss hit it , i loose lots of distance. i get it sweet .. man its AS good as everything.

As for the yamaha drivers, i think the last 2 years effors have been totally lame-o

go back to the 2013 and previous, all the way back to 2008, that driver is magnificent.

search ..... the fun is in the exploration sir..!

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honma getting endo to do their stuff???

what about sakata?

Endo makes the base driver & irons and Sakata finishes it.

It is widely known inside the Japan Golf Industry that Endo drivers don't have the best distance and it's because the face is too soft, so Honma has a proprietary process they have Endo manufacture called W-Forged which is basically a firmer version of ELF Ti.

The 455/455S/460 are made by Endo but the pro's want firmer so the 430 is made at Sakata. They also work with other makers in Japan then finish the clubs in house. Shafts as well, i.e for some but not all Quadra buys prepreg, collaborates with honma on the axis weave then Honma finishes the process and hand rolls the shaft themselves in Sakata.

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In my opinion, JDM drivers have also been pursuing higher performance the last couple of years and have made significant compromise in the feel and sound department. My favorites from a sound and feel perspective have been Endo made driver heads from around 2008 to 2013. They have that dense and mild feeling at impact where you feel the ball stick to the face just a tad longer.

Couldn't agree more. Not sure if the 2008 Maruman is Endo forged, but the feel is amazing. it feels like it catches the ball rather than just colliding with it.

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About your profile photo... Its been a while since I was in the Del Monte forest, but isn't that Cypress Point... the course Bobby Jones used as inspiration for Agusta National?

It's Bayonet Golf Course. A public course between $45-$75. It's in the (mostly shutdown) Fort Ord Army Base. Bobby Jones decided to have Alastair Mackenzie design Augusta after playing Cypress Point. Cypress Point and Augusta are ranked #2 and #3 in the the world. If you're on the central coast and you want to play an Alastair Mackenzie course that's public an affordable check out Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz. Very difficult to walk. Mr MacKensie designed that course to wear you at key spots.

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Distance wise I can't imagine hitting any driver further than I do my current one. With a 103 swing speed, and hitting a toe hook i can get 270 carry, 1900 spin, and 295 total. My average in neutral conditions is about 255carry 275 total, but on any given swing I can be 30 yards offline on either side. So I guess I'm looking for = distance more forgiving..

I have the new ping G30 hybrid and man that thing is automatic. even the Maruman 3 wood, off the deck, is a lot more forgiving (as 3 woods tend to be)

I'll look into the 727s. 4 different versions though. Not sure which would best suit me.

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Oh yeah, Black Horse and Bayonet...played them both, very narrow and tee shot must be straight.

PasaTiempo was a real favorite too. Actually the Dr collaborated with a women on the design.Marrion Hollins.

Id like to play another or his designs.. Royal Melborne someday.

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+1

i like how the weights placed on the 717 + it comes with the armrq8 for no additional charge

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Advances in Driver tech .. great question!

All of us looking for more distance. When I decide to sell a driver or a driver head 90% it´s because of less control:

So which innovation made control "easy as nothing"?: Sliders ! (see TM SLDR, Callaway Big Bertha orig., Mizuno JPX 850).

1. Most innovation to get control / stable trajectory:

With "normal" drivers in the pastI tried over 4-6 month (for each driver) by changing shafts, grips, add. weights, rotating the shaft spine .. to get the "perfect and stable trajectory". Most of the time the result didn´t impress me.

With all driver heads with sliders I needed 15 Minutes (not month..) to get a stable trajectory (need more weight at toe). That how it works (for me).

2. Most innovation to increase distance:

I like the CoG around 20-22deg (bec. of control). With the original Ryoma D1 and the heavy 60g back weight it was the first driver witg CoG

around 27-30? deg. The addion. distance I got was really impressiv (but the D1 was a hook machine..). The idea of Ryoma is copied by a lot of companies (new Ping driver, Egg 1..).

So a new JDM driver head with a slider AND much weight back would be a really innovation. Control after 20 balls..

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