Mjr. D Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Finally got the ZY-11 shafted with the Aldila Rogue 125 MSI (90t) shaft that everyone on tour is going nuts about - it's winning everything. It's a really nice looking head. Not as deep as it looks in photos but deep enough. The face milling is a unique looking touch and the fit and finish is all very nice. Very beastly looking. I ordered mine at 8.5* with a .5* open face (it looks square at address). I hit up the range two days ago and upon first whack my reaction was "huh?". Hit another and another and another and same thing... "huh"? This continued for about two hours. I gotta say, i've never hit a driver that feels like this. Chris says a lot of people like it but for me; it felt like I was hitting a wooden baseball bat against a concrete pillar. I guess that's what a foamed head does to feel. I don't want to bash the head because feel is preference but for me, I thought the feel was utterly dead. These Japanese heads are light 195g so this only plays to a C9 or D0 which for me, is too light, so I was hooking everything, initially. I highly recommend buying the Crazy weight kit because when I adjusted the sole weights it made a big difference. Hooks were minimized and ball flight was mostly straight. I've only hit two drivers I haven't been able to get up in the air... the Taylormade SLDR 430 TP and the ZY-11. This thing is LOW (at least with this shaft) and extremely low spin. This and the SLDR 430 TP are the two lowest spinning heads I've hit and I think this is lower. I was hitting into a bit of a wind and there was absolutely no ballooning... if anything the wind was knocking the ball down. Almost knuckle-ball like. Distance was difficult to gauge because there was a bit of a wind and the sound and feel was so muted it through me off. It looked to be good but again, I can't say for sure (everyone else seems to think these heads are among the longest so I'm sure its long). I'm not sure if I'm going to keep this head because I just get around the feel. It's so strange to me. For some this may be the holy grail, I'm not sure. I may try the 435 Black or one of these new Honma drivers everyone seems to like or the Egg 1. Let me know if you have any questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHWhite Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 How much was shaft tipped - thanks for review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needmoregolf Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Thanks for the write up Mjr, great to have some user feedback on both these popular offerings. I totally understand the sound/feel part, as that is a such a subjective thing and if it doesn't gel after some quality time, usually your gut is right. But, for the sake of the ball flight argument, do you think bumping up to a 10*+ would help things for you with this particular shaft? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobmontana Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 I am waiting for a 9* ZY-11 too, which I am planning to pair up initially with the Regio Formula MB. The wooden bat feel was something I felt too with getting my P-Tune head foamed. I totally agree with this. It is definitely a preference thing and while I am not a big fan of the wooden bat sound ... believe me. it's 100 times better than using a head that is not foamed and extremely loud. ( Remember the Nike Sumo's ? ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corky3 Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 I have an old TS MR23 driver that is foamed...... It has the same sound/feel as you describe. I think if you played it enough and exclusively, you'd get used to it...... But probably best to move on..... But hey you learnt something along the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjr. D Posted May 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 My pleasure. I love this community! It's a TX shaft tipped an inch aldila recommended I tip it 1-1.5" based on 120+ swing speed. I've never played more than a 9.5* driver in my life and I launch those things really high typically so I'm a little scared about going with a 10* head... Ya those Nike Sasquatch drivers were absolute filth! I was using a s**tty Winn grip so I slipped on a Iomic and I'm going to give this driver another shot. Not going to jump the gun but if I don't like it again, I'm thinking the Honma Tour World 455 or JBeam 435 Black or the Egg 1. Thoughts? Actually is there anyway to un-foam a driver head? Pour acid in there haha? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bankbank Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Im dying to try both drivers you mentioned there as well. When i get back home later this week will probably give the tw 455s a shot. A new golfer friend got a 460 in armrq 'spaghetti' flex, and hitting it at least 10 yards further than his older rapture Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobmontana Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 My pleasure. I love this community! It's a TX shaft tipped an inch aldila recommended I tip it 1-1.5" based on 120+ swing speed. I've never played more than a 9.5* driver in my life and I launch those things really high typically so I'm a little scared about going with a 10* head... Ya those Nike Sasquatch drivers were absolute filth! I was using a s**tty Winn grip so I slipped on a Iomic and I'm going to give this driver another shot. Not going to jump the gun but if I don't like it again, I'm thinking the Honma Tour World 455 or JBeam 435 Black or the Egg 1. Thoughts? Actually is there anyway to un-foam a driver head? Pour acid in there haha? I have used the Egg 1 and it is a fabulous driver but it needs to be at least 45.75" to get decent swing weight. Head weight I believe is around 192g. Sound and feel are really nice. Lively but still well behaved sound. Straight face, launches high for a stated 7.5deg but not balloon high. Very very forgiving and straight Think Japanese version of Ping G30. Two things I did not like about it. 1) Too light ... 2) the red "egg" alignment logo is kinda annoying. otherwise it would have stayed in my bag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjr. D Posted May 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 Thanks for the feedback! Have you tried the 435 Black? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobmontana Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 no ... I chose the zy11 over the 435 black after the audio clip comparo. ordered mine with 9 deg loft and 202g . I have the Modart / AAA combo for the sound and feel so really looking for a bit more distance with the JBeam. As long as the sound is not loud, I am okay with it. Will be trying a few shafts that I have now to find a good match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supo Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 well the 435 u wont like either id say. the egg 1 , if u like feel.. go that. its also very light sub 190 but my wizad builder made mine sing like a soprano. the thing is unreal and stil lahs beautiful feel and sound. of course it cud be the shaft????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needmoregolf Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 the best way I can describe the 435 black sound is that of a metallic crunch. I get a very similar sound/feel from my trpx D-013, and I've grown to like it very much -- feels like you mashed the ball. neither is really loud (or nowhere near original sumo loud/obnoxious), and it's got a great feel off the face, not dead or uninspiring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLL33 Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 Just curious, Mjr, what do you think of the sound of the t.388? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobmontana Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 Mjr. D, I received my ZY-11 head today and currently waiting for the glue to cure . Will be out to the range this evening. Bouncing a ball on the face, the sound was indeed very muted. ( this I guess was to be expected with a foamed head ) Now I won't know what it really sounds like until I actually hit a ball. I do know from previous experience with other JBeam/Crazy heads, the weight screws and how tightly it is screwed in has a lot to do with the sound at impact. The tighter the screws, the more high pitched metallic sound you will get ( at least with non foamed heads ) Based on this experience, I did a quick test to see if this sound property also applied to foamed heads. So I took an allen wrench and removed the screws ( I wanted to find out the weight orientation anyway. ) then started to re-tighten them again. From where the rubber o-ring just touches the surface of the screw hole, I turned each one about 1/4 turn. Still very loose at this point and will eventually fall off if I played it this way. Bounce test --- Very muted and almost no metallic "tink" sound I like this sound but may be too dead ... Next I tightened another full turn which gets to be more on the tighter side not tightened to the end of the thread but tight so that you could not loosen with your fingers anymore. Bounce test ---- Still muted but now with a slight metallic "tink" mixed to the sound. Oh I think this might work!! I did read somewhere that some builders in Japan actually leave the screws pretty loose but lock it using locktite glue to control the sound. So check out the screws on your head and try and see if different tightness would make the sound closer to your liking. Don't mean to hack this thread but here's my spec for my build. Head: JBeam ZY-11 ( black crown ) loft: 9* weight: 202g ( 6g back, 2g toe, 4g heel ) face angle: +/- 0 deg Shaft: NS Pro Regio Formula MB 65 Stiff tipped 1" shaft insertion depth: 1.25" Overall driver weight: 323g Overall driver length: 45.5" Have not measured swing weight ... but probably around D3 I am guessing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjr. D Posted May 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 That's some top level experimentation right there! Funny, I did notice the screws were quite loose when I went to adjust the weights so I tightened them up as much as possible and I did notice the sound was a little bit different (maybe a little less of a pop/thwack) but I didn't realize there is a whole science behind this and guys purposely adjust screw depth to fine tune audible sound. Very interesting! Thanks for the help man, I appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjr. D Posted May 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 I've never hit the .388... is it foamed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needmoregolf Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 not to jack this thread either but the t.388 is not a foamed head stock. the sound to me, is a light "tink" and very nice sounding to the ears. just enough to know you got it but not overwhelming in any way. feel is smooth and I find it very hot off the face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supo Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 388 is excellent in all forms sound feeel look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobmontana Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 OK.... Back from my range session. I was also giving lessons to my 11 yr old on the side so I could not focus too much. A quick first impression. - Sound: Sound is muted and typical foamed head sound. but actually not too bad. I can get used to this. If I wanted the lively but well behaved sound, I have my Epon 153 or Modart to turn to, - Trajectory: I got a 9 deg head but the heaviest weight screw is in the back which means it is helping me with the launch angle. The nominal launch angle is perfect for me. Thanks to the deep face , I can go pretty low as well as pretty high with this head. just a guess , but my launch angle can be varied from about 10 deg to about 15 deg depending on tee height. - Distance: not a good day today for getting a good feel for distance as we had quite a bit of wind in the face. - Forgiveness: I did not see much side spin ( fades or draws ) with my shots. They were pretty straight no matter how I hit it. For sure this head is significantly forgiving than the original 435 or 425 models. Overall , this is the best JBeam head for me. I did not get along well with previous JBeam heads. As for the shaft combo. though the Regio Formula MB did really well. I intend to try a couple more shafts ( Waccine 77 and Skitter 550 ) to see what gives me the best matching. That's it for now. :) !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+TourSpecGolfer Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 For me I'm pretty certain these 2 drivers are the best I've had. Overkill yes but I've got all these built at once for testing: Blackout 435 10* w/ TRPX Aura Blackout 435 10* w/ AAA 60 Stiff Blackout 435 10* w/ 7D Distance ZY-11 10* w/ 7D Distance ZY-11 10* w/ AAA 60 Stiff Easily the 7D's produce more distance by at least 10 yards, the 7D ball flight is similar to the AAA just a better height of the arc at the very top. ZY-11 is straighter for sure, more forgiving, distance with the same shaft is equal to the blackout. BUT foamed is an acquired taste and not for all and add to that the 435 imo feels good not too loud, a firm metal light crunch is what I call it. As Nob says the ZY-11 is super straight always and my misses are high and low on the face not heel/toe so that shape helps me a lot. The only thing holding me back from suggesting the ZY-11 more is the fact that it is foamed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobmontana Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 7 Dreamers... adds 10 yards eh? Compared to the AAA that's about an additional $8 per yard which isn't all that bad!! :) Chris, Compared to foaming, does gelling or hot melting produce a different sound entirely? and what is the disadvantage of hot melting over foaming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+TourSpecGolfer Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 7 Dreamers... adds 10 yards eh? Compared to the AAA that's about an additional $8 per yard which isn't all that bad!! :) Chris, Compared to foaming, does gelling or hot melting produce a different sound entirely? and what is the disadvantage of hot melting over foaming. Not really, hot melt is used for weight it can change the feel but that's with no intent to do so. Foaming adds about 4g but keep in mind the ZY-11 is factory foamed so that is factored into the head weight already. I thought you were a foamed guy? Didn't your P-Tune feel this way and you liked it? I can appreciate both, not sure what I like better but I do know that the distance and especially straightness of the ZY-11 has saved me strokes. I notice that most people who like foamed also like sub 400cc heads or get nostalgic about heads of old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobmontana Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 Not really, hot melt is used for weight it can change the feel but that's with no intent to do so. Foaming adds about 4g but keep in mind the ZY-11 is factory foamed so that is factored into the head weight already. I thought you were a foamed guy? Didn't your P-Tune feel this way and you liked it? I can appreciate both, not sure what I like better but I do know that the distance and especially straightness of the ZY-11 has saved me strokes. I notice that most people who like foamed also like sub 400cc heads or get nostalgic about heads of old. Yes, I am a foamy guy! ( being careful not to sparkle another discussion about "Tokyo foam" adventures!! :) ) I don't mind the muted almost dead sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needmoregolf Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 7 Dreamers... adds 10 yards eh? Compared to the AAA that's about an additional $8 per yard which isn't all that bad!! :) Chris, Compared to foaming, does gelling or hot melting produce a different sound entirely? and what is the disadvantage of hot melting over foaming. Nob, those are my sentiments exactly!! I had a gulp moment when I read that update from Chris, and now it seems almost inevitable for a 7D sighting in my bag. wonder if they're still slow on the production times and delivery dates...anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+TourSpecGolfer Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 Nob, those are my sentiments exactly!! I had a gulp moment when I read that update from Chris, and now it seems almost inevitable for a 7D sighting in my bag. wonder if they're still slow on the production times and delivery dates...anyone? Nope they have it all sorted and ship dates are on time again, they also compensated the 15 or so TSGers that experienced a delay. By September they say they may be able to cut lead time in half but I would be happy if they could just deliver in 1 month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.