Seven Dreamers Dreaming (Again) !

[robbie]

Seven Dreamers Shaft Review

- Ive been contemplating getting a 7D shaft again ( I've played both the control as well as the control /distance model.)

Pros :

- Shaft is a beauty, a absolute beauty

- Shaft minimizes your mistakes, i notice less wayward drives

- Feel is silky smooth 7D is just a smoother and easier shaft to swing, it reminds me of the old mitsubishi blueboards with the matte finish, but couple that feel

Cons :

- On the course, this driver flat out performs, but when i put it on the launch monitor it was not very different from my poor man's 7D ( Kuro Kage XT 60 ). The spin however had a tighter range of 1800-2700. haha i know that doesn't sound tight but it is tighter than any of my other setups. On a good swing day i can expect 1850-2300

- 7D is expensive and most of us will feel some significant pain when it gets damaged ( accidents do happen ) They should sell this with a insurance policy like the iPhone.....send back in a damaged shaft and pay deductible of say $400 and get a replacement.

-Which 7D to get, the Control or the Control/Distance

*Conclusion : Its just a better shaft, not longer at all via launch monitor but longer on course results....only a 5 yard difference at most. Very pretty to look at but panic sets in when the bag handlers at the club grab your bag or those vultures who try to clean your clubs at the end of the round with a super dirty filthy towel. And i always leave it at home when i go to Hawaii, which is a shame.

Edited January 31, 2016 by robbie

[nobmontana]

I can tell you that my craving to try all the other shafts in the world has subsided at least for my driver.

I am still heavily searching and experimenting on fairway shafts.

I am thinking about possibly going 7D for my FW shaft and just be done with it.

Seems like a money saver in the long run since instead of trying 3 off the rack high end shafts for a total around $1500,

I can be done with a single shaft for about the same price and I can stop worrying about "what's better out there?"

Perhaps a better strategy for concentrating on scoring for a change! :)

[supo]

that thinking, cud end ho'ing once and for all!

[Daveraul]

that thinking, cud end ho'ing once and for all!

Stew.. Let's be honest.. The ho'ing bug is a hard habit to kick..................

It's like an incurable disease that keeps rearing it's ugly head just when you think it's under control.....

Occasionally propped up by Chris' beautiful pictures of the latest releases, making you think "hmmmm, wonder what that feels like"

and WHAM!! Back in it again..

[supo]

hahaahha yea.... I know

[Daveraul]

By the way, Robbie.. Or anyone who has a 7D...

What's the next closest shaft you ever played that is closest to your 7D...

[+TourSpecGolfer]

Robbie, your 7D shaft is not mated to your swing it's one of M's right?

Also we have lots of info/feedback on our customers experiences with these and Distance is for sure the way to go.

---

Daves question, many have said AAA limited shaft was most similar, Fujikura EVO II as the lease expensive closest model. nothing substitutes a 7D imo.

[nobmontana]

I agree that AAA 2015 came close to 7D from a performance (distance/dispersion)

perspective but I think the 7D wins in the feel department by quite a bit.

[RLL33]

What remains true for me is that the 7D shaft seems adaptive and therefore retains the so-called "honeymoon" effect longer than any shaft I've used. It was hard for me to put my finger on it at the beginning, but it seemed to work differently with my different swing days, if that makes any sense. It seems to be able to take whatever asset my swing on any particular day is offering it and maximize THAT asset on THAT day. In that regard, it seems to stay new.

I agree it also stays the smoothest of any shaft I've swung no matter what I throw at it. And as Robbie says, it seems to like to save its best stuff for the course, i.e. when it counts. <g> It's like a racehorse in that regard -- it seems to pick up on my game in the moment and do what it can for it then and there. I know it sounds like a lot for an inanimate object, but that's the way it feels.

I've only let one friend swing it, but I don't worry about it otherwise, certainly not when the guys at my club clean up my bag after a round. (I trust them more than many of the guys I play with... <g> ) And last, true to my form of liking the looks of a dirty Porsche over a clean one, I don't obsess over its appearance. My guess is it's also tougher than any shaft I've bagged before. If I was going to swing a shaft on the moon, this is the one I'd stow on board for the trip.

[1dirtypanda]

Robbie, your 7D shaft is not mated to your swing it's one of M's right?

Also we have lots of info/feedback on our customers experiences with these and Distance is for sure the way to go.

---

Daves question, many have said AAA limited shaft was most similar, Fujikura EVO II as the lease expensive closest model. nothing substitutes a 7D imo.

We don't need to see Robbie's mating calls.

[robbie]

tsk tsk......bad panda !

* in terms of feel, the tour ad mj feels the closest to the 7D and in terms of flight and spin, the closest is the Kuro Kage XT60.....Evolution II, i must look into that shaft. Besides the Adams XTD woods and the ATV wedges, everything is one of M's

Edited February 2, 2016 by robbie

[bngolfer]

I've not had the privilege of hitting a 7D or an AAA. I do have a Diamana X 70S they I've not hit yet either though but how would that compare (or would in not?).

B

[needmoregolf]

I've had all three of those and while the dia X is nice, it didn't produce the results of what I get with both the 7d and AAA. im longer and straighter with both (both have lower spin than X), and feels better than the X. the 7d is smoother than the AAA and I agree with others that it seems to kinda adapt to whatever swing you've got that day, and doesn't really fight you. I've given up the driver hoing and just stick to my zy11/7d and 435 black/AAA these days.

Edited February 2, 2016 by needmoregolf

[Chanaa]

I've had all three of those and while the dia X is nice, it didn't produce the results of what I get with both the 7d and AAA. im longer and straighter with both (both have lower spin than X), and feels better than the X. the 7d is smoother than the AAA and I agree with others that it seems to kinda adapt to whatever swing you've got that day, and doesn't really fight you. I've given up the driver hoing and just stick to my zy11/7d and 435 black/AAA these days.

Did u go for full fitting & picked a head in advance ? Thks

[dickyfowler]

love my 7D and will be interesting to see what comes from them in the future -- iron shafts ever?

[Aston55]

I finally pulled the trigger on a 7D and it will be arriving this week! I was fortunate to pick up one of M's 7D, which felt great but did not work out for my swing. After the failed attempt of trying someone else’s build, I decided to order a custom one fit for my swing. If anything, my test with the other 7D was probably a good reference in building my custom one as I was able to say what I liked and didn’t like from that profile.

One thing I thought that was interesting is that 7D recommends the shafts to be played at LEAST 45.5 minimum and even going as high as 46.5/47. I like to play all my clubs a lot shorter than standard, with my driver anywhere from 43.75 to 44.5 as I have very long arms for my height. My 7D was unique as it was built specd to a 44.5 playing length. Initially, Chris and 7D advised my against going 44.5 as I would lose the unique feel of the shaft. I insisted on the shorter length and they eventually designed my shaft saying they would try to retain the feel but making it more “flexible” throughout the shaft. Chris said it was the first time they mentioned something like this in the design phase, so I’ll definitely comment once I give it a try. I think my driver playing length is outside their norm, so it will be interesting to see how it plays.

I agree with the above remarks that 7D feels closest to the AAA and Kuro Kage XT. I have both of these shafts in 70 and 60 gram which may go onto the BST if the 7D is everything I was hoping it to be. Like Nob, I hope this ends my pursuit of hoing all these drivers. I think 7D and AAA, you can't go wrong and well worth the money$. Golf is so much more enjoyable when you’re long and on the FW J

[Aston55]

Alright guys, here's my initial review of the 7D. I just got it yesterday and immediately put the driver together and went straight to the range for an hour session at 10 PM in 35 degrees weather! After waiting a whole month for the shaft, I couldn't stand to wait one more day to try it.... :)

I ordered a distance model and it was designed as "tailored" and "flexible throughout the shaft" to compensate for the playing length of 44.5". It was also built to 71 gram weight. BTW, Chris was really helpful in aiding me through the questionnaire and design process as I asked a ton of questions just to make sure the engineers had everything they need to build the perfect profile.

On my way to the range, I was trying to keep my expectations in reasonable control as I have tried many of the best shafts out in the market and have even tried a control 7D (which was not designed for me). To be honest, I have had such good results with my JBeam/2015 AAA combo that I wondered if I even really needed something better, or IF ANYTHING COULD be better for me at the moment? Quick note in case anybody wants comparisons but I've tried 2015 AAA 60S and 70S, TRPX X Line, TRPX Aura, Kuro Kage XT 60S and 70S, Kuro Kage Proto 2013 60S and 70S, Diamana X 70S and 60S, Crazy CB-50 Black, and all the other usual suspects that are more accessible Diamana lines, Fujikura Speeders lines, Aldila Rogue lines, etc. Most of the shafts I've tried are profiled as tip stiff to get the ball and spin down.

Anyways to the review: I built the club initially at 45" to test before I cut it down to 44.5. After hitting my very first drive, I knew this shaft was special and my God I can't believe how spot on the shaft plays based on the questionnaire I filled out for the matrix distance model. The ball flight was a medium to high draw (which I specd) and the feel was incredible. To me it felt very different than the other 7D control model I tried. It felt very much more alive and actually softer off the face. I typically don't like shafts that feel active with tip bending as its hard to time for my swing. This thing is a beast that it times perfectly well while maintaining good feel and control through the swing. Also something interesting for me is that it doesn't feel like a typical 70+ gram shaft. I think because it feels so alive my perception is different, but it definitely has the control like a 70 gram shaft.

So first couple of drives I was playing the full length of 45 and I tried different shots draw, fade, high, etc.. with great results. Most important to me is that my typical drive was med high and no ballooning (my medium high is probably higher than most) since I hit the ball super high if not controlled with a low launch low spin setup. Since it was at the driving range and cold weather, I couldn't get actual distance or spin comparisons, but I'm certain by trajectory that I will be getting more distance by roll. Probably not much more, but some. One of the key things in my questionnaire was that I specifically requested a shaft that would produce roll as most of the time I get less than 5 yards of roll and even sometimes negative roll out!

It only gets better, now I choke down half an inch. Remind you this is the length it was designed for. My drives start producing lower medium flights that are like bullets. No joke, I'm talking minimum 20 yards of roll type of flight. Reason I can say that is my friend who played College div 1, drives the ball super long and he gets the same type of flight with 20-40 yards of roll and he hits it 300-330. I can see myself hitting these shots on tighter straight FWs where I must get the ball in position.

Then I tested with all types of different swings where I would go after it full throttle, slow it down, abbreviated finish, etc... It flat out performed so well in almost every circumstance. There were only two drives I can remember that were really off OB territory with even all those type of swings :) Remarkable!

Now the real test will be on course as a driving range session doesn't mean much. In fact I was going to wait to play the driver before I wrote this review, but I was so compelled to write this review because of my satisfaction in the shaft.

My friends, 7D is the REAL DEAL! I should buy stock in this company lol! Look no further, it is incredible how well they match these shafts to your swing. I can't think of one thing that it lacks. Its so alive with feel but has super good control. Let me tell you there is nobody else out there that can mix those variables that well.

Since I'm a numbers guy, if I had to quantify the difference to my now backup 2015 Basileus AAA, I would say 50+% increase in feel (compared to AAA, I have played other drivers that feel better than AAA), 15-20% increase in penetrating flight, 15-20% increase in dispersion, 200% increase in satisfaction. Now that's something I didn't expect going up against the infamous AAA.

I went into this thinking this will be the most expensive driver test to fill my curiosity turned best investment made, PERIOD.

[needmoregolf]

Great review Aston, sounds like you've got yourself a winner!

what head is mated with the 7D? and did you find yourself tuning the head (if it's an adjustable one) to better fit the shafts results as you were trying different things at the range?

[nobmontana]

So we should be seeing a few tip stiff / high end shafts on BST ? :)

I am in need of a good fairway shaft.

Great to hear you got excellent results from your 7D shaft!!

[Aston55]

Great review Aston, sounds like you've got yourself a winner!

what head is mated with the 7D? and did you find yourself tuning the head (if it's an adjustable one) to better fit the shafts results as you were trying different things at the range?

JBeam Zy-11 10 Degree, 1.5 open face angle.

I didnt have the time yesterday as the range closes at 11, but I most certainly will be adjusting the weights for different MOI. The setup was at 2815 MOI and SW D1.5 if I remember correctly. I'm not so big on SW, mainly MOI. If anything, my results may get even better after the fitting.

I actually have a fitting spec sheet that I created for MOI which gives me reading on MOI based on how much weight I add. I found through testing that when adding 2 grams of weight to a driver head, adds 26 MOI. I have the sheet to share if anybody wants it but it requires an MOI machine to get your first read.

I also have a bunch of extra JBEAM weights which I color coded similar to the Titleist weights so I know which color is how many grams. There's no way to know just by looking at them.

[Aston55]

So we should be seeing a few tip stiff / high end shafts on BST ? :)

I am in need of a good fairway shaft.

Great to hear you got excellent results from your 7D shaft!!

I would suggest Kuro Kage 70S in FW. That is my current FW mated with Exotics CB Pro head. Thing is a beast. Its my go to club and I hit off the tee on most narrow FWs.

[Aston55]

Seven dreamers mention on this article on Bentley golf clubs:

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/dollar100000-golf-clubs-bentley-enters-the-equipment-market

[supo]

ahhh finally got my 7d shaft..................

well

almost....................

Edited February 4, 2016 by supo67

[+TourSpecGolfer]

Alright guys, here's my initial review of the 7D. I just got it yesterday and immediately put the driver together and went straight to the range for an hour session at 10 PM in 35 degrees weather! After waiting a whole month for the shaft, I couldn't stand to wait one more day to try it.... :)

I ordered a distance model and it was designed as "tailored" and "flexible throughout the shaft" to compensate for the playing length of 44.5". It was also built to 71 gram weight. BTW, Chris was really helpful in aiding me through the questionnaire and design process as I asked a ton of questions just to make sure the engineers had everything they need to build the perfect profile.

On my way to the range, I was trying to keep my expectations in reasonable control as I have tried many of the best shafts out in the market and have even tried a control 7D (which was not designed for me). To be honest, I have had such good results with my JBeam/2015 AAA combo that I wondered if I even really needed something better, or IF ANYTHING COULD be better for me at the moment? Quick note in case anybody wants comparisons but I've tried 2015 AAA 60S and 70S, TRPX X Line, TRPX Aura, Kuro Kage XT 60S and 70S, Kuro Kage Proto 2013 60S and 70S, Diamana X 70S and 60S, Crazy CB-50 Black, and all the other usual suspects that are more accessible Diamana lines, Fujikura Speeders lines, Aldila Rogue lines, etc. Most of the shafts I've tried are profiled as tip stiff to get the ball and spin down.

Anyways to the review: I built the club initially at 45" to test before I cut it down to 44.5. After hitting my very first drive, I knew this shaft was special and my God I can't believe how spot on the shaft plays based on the questionnaire I filled out for the matrix distance model. The ball flight was a medium to high draw (which I specd) and the feel was incredible. To me it felt very different than the other 7D control model I tried. It felt very much more alive and actually softer off the face. I typically don't like shafts that feel active with tip bending as its hard to time for my swing. This thing is a beast that it times perfectly well while maintaining good feel and control through the swing. Also something interesting for me is that it doesn't feel like a typical 70+ gram shaft. I think because it feels so alive my perception is different, but it definitely has the control like a 70 gram shaft.

So first couple of drives I was playing the full length of 45 and I tried different shots draw, fade, high, etc.. with great results. Most important to me is that my typical drive was med high and no ballooning (my medium high is probably higher than most) since I hit the ball super high if not controlled with a low launch low spin setup. Since it was at the driving range and cold weather, I couldn't get actual distance or spin comparisons, but I'm certain by trajectory that I will be getting more distance by roll. Probably not much more, but some. One of the key things in my questionnaire was that I specifically requested a shaft that would produce roll as most of the time I get less than 5 yards of roll and even sometimes negative roll out!

It only gets better, now I choke down half an inch. Remind you this is the length it was designed for. My drives start producing lower medium flights that are like bullets. No joke, I'm talking minimum 20 yards of roll type of flight. Reason I can say that is my friend who played College div 1, drives the ball super long and he gets the same type of flight with 20-40 yards of roll and he hits it 300-330. I can see myself hitting these shots on tighter straight FWs where I must get the ball in position.

Then I tested with all types of different swings where I would go after it full throttle, slow it down, abbreviated finish, etc... It flat out performed so well in almost every circumstance. There were only two drives I can remember that were really off OB territory with even all those type of swings :) Remarkable!

Now the real test will be on course as a driving range session doesn't mean much. In fact I was going to wait to play the driver before I wrote this review, but I was so compelled to write this review because of my satisfaction in the shaft.

My friends, 7D is the REAL DEAL! I should buy stock in this company lol! Look no further, it is incredible how well they match these shafts to your swing. I can't think of one thing that it lacks. Its so alive with feel but has super good control. Let me tell you there is nobody else out there that can mix those variables that well.

Since I'm a numbers guy, if I had to quantify the difference to my now backup 2015 Basileus AAA, I would say 50+% increase in feel (compared to AAA, I have played other drivers that feel better than AAA), 15-20% increase in penetrating flight, 15-20% increase in dispersion, 200% increase in satisfaction. Now that's something I didn't expect going up against the infamous AAA.

I went into this thinking this will be the most expensive driver test to fill my curiosity turned best investment made, PERIOD.

What a great review! It was actually your questions, concerns and detail oriented replies that are partly of the reason why this shaft turned out the way it did. I like when customers get involved this deeply in the process and push me to understand more it's extra work but I feel comfort when all bases are covered. Then more stress when it ships because I talked these up so much, they cost a pretty penny, and I'd hate for you guys to be disappointed. To my surprise nearly everyone has been impressed so far. If for any reason someone isn't please get in touch with me and I'll see what can be done for you.

I think RLL said it but the honeymoon period on these shafts keep going and going strong, I've had mine for almost a year! I haven't gamed another shaft. I've ordered the same combo 4 times with the only changes being the loft/face angle of the same head, that's not normal for me.

The L01's are now arriving in owners hands this week and I feel the nerves with crossed fingers that it's worth every penny paid and then some.

[nobmontana]

I would suggest Kuro Kage 70S in FW. That is my current FW mated with Exotics CB Pro head. Thing is a beast. Its my go to club and I hit off the tee on most narrow FWs.

Actually have a KK XT80S coming my way. It's going in my grandista 16.5 3 wood.

Hoping that Kurokage will bring down the flight a bit.