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A-GRIND Classic Driver vs T388 by S-Yard


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With your swing speed and characteristics, plus sound preferences, it seems like the T.388 would be a match made in heaven. I've said it before, but for me, it has the best sound and feel of any driver I've ever hit. And its trajectory is low and it bores through the air like a missile, with huge roll out after. My guess -- admittedly from a distance -- is it might be scary long and accurate in your hands...

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I can get a T.388 for a very good price should I go for it? Any real reason to get one or pass?

it couldn't hurt?? lol

seems they are quickly becoming a classic that will forever hold a bright spot in many user's histories, so should hold value over time as well.

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I never got on with the t.388. Probably wrong shaft, but I didn't like the sound either, especially compared to Yamaha drivers.

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I never got on with the t.388. Probably wrong shaft, but I didn't like the sound either, especially compared to Yamaha drivers.

I'm weird to begin with but I felt the same way. Maybe I've just gotten too used to the feel and sound of a filled 435 because by all accounts the T.388 is one of the all time best...

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Different strokes, guys...

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This proves to me that we are all different. I didn't like the 435 especially the sound but Its the opposite for the T.388 i love this driver , flirted with others but this is the only driver T.388 that stayed in my bag for so long.

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On a side note, The t.388 I believe is slightly lighter head if I recall like 194g... or 196g so you need to go 45.5 " to get the swing weight to D2 or D3. and if I recall, the hosel size is .350" as I remember using a shim for installing a Tour AD BB7 shaft.

when I first got it , I remember I had to lower my tee height to get the ball to meet the face at the sweet spot because the face height is not that deep. Other than that, it is one sweet driver with great looks and performance.

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The t388 head i just got was 194g. I'm not sure of hosel size but i used a .335 speeder 757 pull and it was loose. I added a small wrap of fiberglass mesh drywall tape to the tip and epoxied it in. I also added 10g tip weight to bring sw up. It currently sw in at about d0 at 44.5". I need to add a 1/2" extension and this will bring it up to d3. All drying now so ill find out if this all worked soon!

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10g is a lot of tip weight in a driver. That might promote some serious draw.

Looks like you are building a fairway finder at that length! Let us know how that works out.

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I don't know how the internal weighting is situated for T.388 so it may not be a huge issue ...

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I sent the 388 that I purchased from Hutchy, it was 192.7 grams to my my clubmaker, who calls me on Friday and says he filled it with as much hotmelt as he could and it's still too light, around C8. So I asked him to just add lead tape, as I don't want it longer than 44", which means I need the head at 202-203grams. I will be getting it back on Thursday so will see how it goes then. I am using the Nunchuk shaft in it, which is especially suited to shorter shaft lengths.

I suspect that everyone who found this club too unforgiving, was playing it too long. Seems to be a trend of the JDM market to make drivers lighter and longer now.

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Keen to hear how it goes at that length, not sure if I have heard ant reviews on one that short.

All the 388s I have owned have all been more or less 193g on me scale.

Using a 410v with QFE F4 @ 45 and it is just perfect in every way, should really be sending the rest to Coventry and sticking with that but I just love the big stick collection, the putter collection, in fact I love them all.

No doubt I will acquire another 388 in the future and continue the love hate relationship, I may just need to give it a real good talking to the next time we meet....Something like...Now look here you lile bastard, are you gona behave yourself this time around.

Wish I could get on with it, hope it all works for you buddy, leme know when its up and running and will come for a hit at your track man.

Not keen on a tip weight?

Edited by hutchy
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Was just thinking Mark...doesn't happen that often...lol Usually speak first.

Wouldn't a hot melt from your builder have been better suited in 5g towards the toe and a 5g tip weight giving you the desired weight and balance?

Edited by hutchy
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193 and over 45... yikes, that's a difficult combo to hit straight!

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Yep even @ 45 as most of me 388s have been....tricky to get consistent.

For sure smaller head drivers must hold the weight for heavier shaft choices that are more accurate.

Dont get me wrong, some of the longest drives I have hit have been with the 388 crazy noir combo @45, but just not consistent enough to warrant a permanent place in the bag, having said that nothn seems to find a permanent place in the bag no matter how good it is. Working on that though ;)

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Wouldn't a hot melt from your builder have been better suited in 5g towards the toe and a 5g tip weight giving you the desired weight and balance?

I have no idea. That is the reason I leave the club building to my professional! He ( Gary Tozer) is coming up from Newcastle this week, bringing my clubs with him. Meeting at Retco on Thursday Edited by theblake
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Not really guaranteed yet, maybe Thursday. I will let you know

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I sent the 388 that I purchased from Hutchy, it was 192.7 grams to my my clubmaker, who calls me on Friday and says he filled it with as much hotmelt as he could and it's still too light, around C8. So I asked him to just add lead tape, as I don't want it longer than 44", which means I need the head at 202-203grams. I will be getting it back on Thursday so will see how it goes then. I am using the Nunchuk shaft in it, which is especially suited to shorter shaft lengths.

I suspect that everyone who found this club too unforgiving, was playing it too long. Seems to be a trend of the JDM market to make drivers lighter and longer now.

Yea i dont get this either. Anything over 45" is getting out of hand. I get longer length may give u longer distance but it's getting harder to control.

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The t388 head i just got was 194g. I'm not sure of hosel size but i used a .335 speeder 757 pull and it was loose. I added a small wrap of fiberglass mesh drywall tape to the tip and epoxied it in. I also added 10g tip weight to bring sw up. It currently sw in at about d0 at 44.5". I need to add a 1/2" extension and this will bring it up to d3. All drying now so ill find out if this all worked soon!

I measured a t.388 hosel bore at ~.350, as did another member. Requires shimming or a world class application of glass beads while gluing to get it centered on a .335 driver shaft.

This wasn't ever publicly disclosed or publicized at the time, but was brought up here on the boards at one point during the S Yard craze of 2013.

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I suspect that everyone who found this club too unforgiving, was playing it too long. Seems to be a trend of the JDM market to make drivers lighter and longer now.

I don't see this as a JDM issue at all, this has been the trend for all modern drivers mainly out of the US

Its only the fact that you can adjust non JDM drivers in a 1000 combinations including the weights that make the difference and allows us to consider head weight of a driver when purchasing JDM.

IMO that's why I like JDM drivers and FW...the fact you can order your specs without adjust-ability to an extent.

You always get the exception like the T388 which is a one of a kind and designed by IMO the best designer in golf gear history...Mr KK

As most will say on the boards here it is probably in the top 10 drivers of all time, but as with most things not perfect for everyone at 193g.

I see it more the average golfer issue not getting the distance with the shorter driver so trying to increase length with longer shafts.

You will also find that many shafts including USDM are designed to be used at 45+

Different strokes different folks, It can be easy for a low handicapper to say the driver is more about control and not distance but for us mere mortals what we have left for our second shot makes a huge difference. Distance is king if you find one that works.

Edited by hutchy
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i think its beceause........................

the vast majority of clubs in japan are built for palyers in japan that are terribel golfers and only want to hit it long to say hey i hit 250.

they cant do that with 44 inch drivers in a milion years

remebering gof is NOT a sport , its a meeting on a golf course.

so 47 inch 184 gram drivers abound!!!

that why my builder is such a wizard, gettitng one of these head to perfom at 44.5 takes imagination and skill.

90% of golfers here, id guess... cant hit the ball over 90mph.

short drivers DONT exist at all.

the common length is now 45.25 -45.5 inch.

its gettign hard to find 45!

ive got a 46.5 inch shingo driver and iahve t choke down 2 inch to hold it, it goes beautifuul, in winter , i hardly use anyhting else, but it takes such an effort to bag it, its just looks wrong

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