Top 3 drivers

[gregoire56]

A constant topic of conversation among gear heads is that of old gear vs. new gear.. which is better, the newest and latest/greatest technology or the older reliable design features that have withstood the test of time? Arguments can be made to support both sides, but that's not what this post is about. This idea led me to wonder.. if lots of golfers listed their top 3 drivers of all time, what would the spread of ages be like (ie. less than 5yrs old vs. 5-10yrs old vs. 11yrs old +)? 

This is a post to list your top 3 drivers of all time. They can be your favorites for any reason. Throw in a quick description of why they're your favorites and/or add pics if you'd like. 

My top 3 drivers:

• J-Beam ZY-11 (White) 11° with GD TourAD BB-6x
• Honma TW727 455 10.5° with GD TourAD M9003-6x
• Epon AF-105 10.5° with GD TourAD GP-6x

J-Beam ZY-11 - Very unique driver. The first thing that caught my eye immediately was the way the face looks from the address position. It has a very unique upside-down triangle sort of shape, very deep. For whatever reason, this strange shape of the leading edge with its sharp angles frames the ball very well for my eye, makes me feel very comfortable over the ball. Also, the factory foamed head plus J-Beam's special titanium face material make this very pleasant feeling and sounding. I use this head in a higher loft (11°) combined with a lower launching (high kick) shaft and find that I get plenty of distance with great accuracy and control; this combo gives me ideal launch ballistic and good positive attack angle. 

Honma TW727 455 - Very different from the ZY-11, totally different head shape/material/feel/sound. And yet, I like this driver for all the same reasons that I like the ZY-11, despite them being so different in all those ways. The face shape is very round at the leading edge and is much more shallow, but I still find it very easy to return to the ball with consistency and accuracy. It is an Endo forged titanium face and feels and sounds very nice. 

Epon AF-105 - Honestly, can't say for sure exactly what it is about this driver that I like so much, aside from that it is a great performer. Obviously, Endo forged. Two types of titanium used to create its nice sized face, very solid sound and feel. Head is 460cc but without an overly large profile because of its deep face and high back. In general, there's nothing about it that I don't like. All I know is that when I address with this driver I feel like I can demolish the ball. 

Honorable mentions:

• Grandista RS-001 10° with GD TourAD GP-6x
• Mizuno MP-Craft 9.5° with Aldila Rogue I/O Tour 60x 

Grandista RS-001 - DAT55G face, one of the best. Another very appealing 460cc shape. Carbon fiber crown. As much a point-and-shoot driver as one can be. 

Mizuno MP Craft - Endo forged SP700 face. Yoro craft design. Excellent head. 

Edited April 1, 2020 by gregoire56

[supo]

Oh yes.................. I love this...!

str8 away, without having to think on it  , in no order here  bec. it don't matter which one I take out  as I know  im 100% comfortable that ill nail the drive with any of these regardless  of conditons, length , sneakiness of course !

-jbeam 435 ( distance , flat and not movement king )

-ryoma d1 ( cant miss with  it, not the longest but workable a smidge and THE most reliable)

-epon 101 (just over the callaway erc 3)  BOY this  was a tough  call, ultimate versatility, feel, all round

-onoff red 460  (2009)  best easy driver of all time by a mile!

 

All these are still in my bags with  ...........................dramatic  pause... DIANAMA STINGERs  in them.

no point fkking about  this shaft is the shaft of shafts (  that isn't a 7 dreamers   )

END OF CHAT on that point for me!

honourable mentions........

--prgr egg 7

--Yamaha v4.6

--astro tour v3  ( beats out the v(2) bec of its versatility)  the v2 is out and out longer , IF NOT the longest ive hit and surprise surprise its got a STINGER in it as well............  wonder why ??????

--kasco DNA  340 , best small head EVER.

--Callaway erc 3

--jbeam 425 tour

--kamui pro tp07..........sheeeeeeesh tough  to not have this in top4 . actually  fk it  top 5 this is in!

--taylor made tp 09  and  tp 07

SHAFTS , ill stick to the stinger form 2009   and  X  from 2014   from diamana,  the PT  from  2014    from graphite deisgn, and  the shingo  spec from roddio in 2010.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

caveat

 the diamana blue ,  " the original upmkt shaft '  is  the game changer every other shaft shud measure itself from and very little lived up to!

 

yes argue away , bring it on taylor made  " bestest longest ever  every 3 months "  lemmings!!!!!

hahaahah..

 

 

 

 

Edited April 7, 2020 by supo

[+TourSpecGolfer]

I like how you describe the 435 - ( distance , flat and not movement king ) spot on.

[supo]

yup, that's it is,  hard to get this to soar ,  and even harder to make it draw.

you can cut it no  worries and the  best  drives I put on this are small fades 

 I have 2 of these in my bag s  both at 9.5* I wanted  to take the 7d out  and put it in a 10.5* as this combo  is prob my best along with the kamui pro /diamana X which is my all carry driver so  I don't wanna mess with it  bec. everyttime I hit it , ( I always  seem to take it out when its windy which is always is here.)  it just makes the day so much easier and il ltake the stinger one out when its a good day  so  Ive decided  (when  were allowed to play again!) to take  the stinger   out  and  put it in  a  10.5*  instead

[dickyfowler]

and we all know that buying drivers based on other people's recommendations will get you a hefty credit card bill and a garage full of unwanted drivers.

[supo]

ahhhh here he is again.  mr.asgard the  negative adding to the world  one negative .post at a time.... mate if u have nothing to add thats positive or thought provoking why are  you here?

wherre s you contrivtion to this post ?

or  anythng actually.

every post.of  yours is  a.take.done  of somone elses thought or idea, its an arguement designed to be inflamatory

 

whats your point on this forum? 

 

if u dont like what u read go elsewhere  or add somehting that contributes.

 

its just draining reading  ur negativity 

pls.stop it.

Edited April 2, 2020 by supo

[gregoire56]

3 hours ago, dickyfowler said:

and we all know that buying drivers based on other people's recommendations will get you a hefty credit card bill and a garage full of unwanted drivers.

You misunderstand the purpose of this thread. The concept of a forum like this is to provide an outlet for people with similar interests to have discussions and exchange information; the concept behind this thread is the same, to foster enjoyable discussion and provide info for anyone who's interested. I thought the idea of this thread was described pretty succinctly in the first post, but I can restate..

The idea here is NOT for posters to list three drivers that they recommend for everyone who is going to read this thread. When I make a club recommendation for anyone it is an individual suggestion for that specific person and is based solely on their specific golf game; I do not make blanket judgements and recommendations for all golfers based only on what I like. 

My idea in starting this thread was simply that I am curious to see what the age spread will be like (0-5yrs old vs. 6-10yrs vs. 11yrs +) for lots of golfers' top 3 drivers. A secondary benefit to this thread is that anyone who is interested in the opinions of people who've tried lots of different JDM gear can get info on clubs that they might possibly be interested in, but do not necessarily want to drop the money on to purchase. I can't speak for anyone else, but I researched lots of opinions on the JDM clubs that I was interested in on here before I bought them; I found those opinions very helpful. 

So, to be clear for anyone else who might have also had the same misconception about this thread.. in no way does the original post suggest that anybody should list any sort of club recommendations. This is not for members to make blind club suggestions for others based on their own opinions. This is simply a thread to share different peoples' opinions on their favorite drivers. 

[Hutch]

Edited April 10, 2020 by hutchy

[nobmontana]

For me to name 3 ... 

- Grandista RS-D / Loop GK 

- Epon AF-153 /  Basileus AAA 2015   ( no longer in possession ) 

- Mizuno Craft 2014 /  Seven Dreamers  ( no longer in possession ) 

** 

Grandista RS-D / Loop GK combo is still the best JDM combo I've found thus far.  

It's not super long but it does keep the ball in the fairway for me far more than anything I have played in the past.  

 

 

 

 

[Hutch]

Great point Nobs.....We will all probably have a favorite or five we have moved on with regret or maybe not at the time, and will probably go back to at least one at some point, yes when we look back with rose tinted glasses thinking why did I do that.

I am pretty sure I have even purchased the same item back. Not unlike the proverbial dog chasing its tail.....Crazy. Anyway...

My 3 all timers:

Modart MA01D+R 9.5*.....Quadra RB 6S

Not much to say, I am sure you all know about this one...Current gamer. Great all round club, head is stunning at address with very pleasing sound and feel, easy distance combo that loves a smooth neutral swing.

Yamaha V202 9*........Quadra Max WBQ 65S

This is the windy stick. Love the distance this old boy combo puts out, penetrating accuracy with a low to mid flight......This combo is second to non when I want to step on it and keep it low. One of my favorite all time shafts in this one.

Crazy CRZ-450 9.5*.........Crazy LY-02 7.2

No longer own this one.

Just an out right bomber. Owned a couple of these over the years with a few different combos. This combo (LY-02) was early on in my JDM journey, this is the combo that showed me what JDM was all about. At the time (for me) this was a full on JDM Boutique product that put a smile on my face when I pulled it out of the bag on the first T.

 

So many more to choose from over the years..... So the following 3 I wish I had now to use, I loved the looks, the feel and pedigree. Performance wasn't bad either.

First release S-Yard T388.....Seven Dreamers

JBeam ZY-7 Mat Black.....Basileus b60S Mat Black and Red.

Epon AF 152.....Crazy TJ 46 6.9.............This was my first combo purchase from Tario. 

 

 

Edited February 2, 2021 by hutchy

[gregoire56]

58 minutes ago, nobmontana said:

For me to name 3 ... 

- Grandista RS-D / Loop GK 

- Epon AF-153 /  Basileus AAA 2015   ( no longer in possession ) 

- Mizuno Craft 2014 /  Seven Dreamers  ( no longer in possession ) 

** 

Grandista RS-D / Loop GK combo is still the best JDM combo I've found thus far.  

It's not super long but it does keep the ball in the fairway for me far more than anything I have played in the past.  

Nob - is the MP Craft that I listed and pictured in the first post also the 2014 model that you're referring to? I do not actually know which season's model mine is

[Hutch]

19 hours ago, hutchy said:

Great point Nobs.....We will all probably have a favorite or five we have moved on with regret or maybe not at the time, and will probably go back to at least one at some point, yes when we look back with rose tinted glasses thinking why did I do that.

I am pretty sure I have even purchased the same item back. Not unlike the proverbial dog chasing its tail.....Crazy. Anyway...

My 3 all timers:

Modart MA01D+R 9.5*.....Quadra RB 6S

Not much to say, I am sure you all know about this one...Current gamer. Great all round club, head is stunning at address with very pleasing sound and feel, easy distance combo that loves a smooth neutral swing.

Yamaha V202 9*........Quadra Max WBQ 65S

This is the windy stick. Love the distance this old boy combo puts out, penetrating accuracy with a low to mid flight......This combo is second to non when I want to step on it and keep it low. One of my favorite all time shafts in this one.

Crazy CRZ-450 9.5*.........Crazy LY-02 7.2

No longer own this one.

Just an out right bomber. Owned a couple of these over the years with a few different combos. This combo (LY-02) was early on in my JDM journey, this is the combo that showed me what JDM was all about. At the time (for me) this was a full on JDM Boutique product that put a smile on my face when I pulled it out of the bag on the first T.

 

So many more to choose from over the years so I have named 3 I wish I had loved to use as much as I loved the looks and pedigree.

First release S-Yard T388.....Seven Dreamers

JBeam ZY-7 Mat Black.....Basileus b60S Mat Black and Red.

Epon AF 152.....Crazy TJ 46 6.9.............This was my first combo purchase from Tario. 

 

 

Feel almost guilty leaving this one out......

First full custom driver I had made here at Tourspecgolf.

Kamui Works Ray 10* Thunder god driver, Metallic Green.......Matrix Ozik F7 in Lime Green.

Best feeling driver I have personally had the pleasure of using.

Edited April 4, 2020 by hutchy

[604_skyline]

supo, 

saw you gave a shout-out to the kasco dna 340, reminds me of another "340" the also legendary tourstage j340, so simple looking, yet just pure awesomeness.

[dickyfowler]

You will like the new XXIO drivers

[dickyfowler]

any reviews are welcome reading because we don't get much help from the basic translations

[nobmontana]

Totally forgot about the PTune PG313 / Fire Exp Max WBQ.   That was a great combo!!  

[nobmontana]

17 hours ago, gregoire56 said:

Nob - is the MP Craft that I listed and pictured in the first post also the 2014 model that you're referring to? I do not actually know which season's model mine is

Yup that’s the one.   SP700 face but likely not Endo.    

[supo]

The tourstage "Ai chan"  p5 ithink the  model is called was  a corker as well if u can hit the middle  more.often than not. its as forgiving as a razor but when u got it pure it  cud  make you sing!

small compact  that wasn400ish cc as well.

 bsck when i played the yamahav4.6 , this and that were the uber hot clubs  im JP.

very hard to get  hold of was the Ai model.

tough task  master  but so rewarding on a.good day.

-- ptune i had that when it.first came outwth a.stinger. my builders club.

yea that was.simple.and.good! 

versatile.as they get, good memory

Edited April 7, 2020 by supo

[supo]

ok let me.break down my best in categories.

DISTANCE-

astro tour v(2)

jbeam435

kamui pro tp07.

these seem to get me the most consistent distance taking good and bad drives  into account. typically my misses with these are. pretty.good. so im not punished much.

ACCURACY-

ryoma d1.

prgr.egg.7

onoff 2009 red v460.

these go fine for  diatance  but dont excell. but if its a short course  say pete.dye style  it.wud be hard for me.not to take on of those out that day.

the on off in particular was great  . very high launch. and just went where it wa.ssposed.to all be it not  lomg.

won a amatuer club choper comp yrs.ago with it in japan  14/14 off the front tees.

so naturally... i sold it!

FEEL-

epon 101

callaway erc3

yamahav4.6

all made by endo , says it all  guess.

 

LOOKS-

jbeam425 tour

roddio s tuning

kamui pro kp-x

very diff heads. the kp is like a fist at address  all muscle all thump.

the roddio is a flat elongated  face that just looks impossible to miss with. this is my new onoff  replacement. very reliable.

425 tour is.a.versatile 435. this is workable .where as the 436 isnt very.

crazy black 50sx.in it.was. one.of.my all time.best sold it.to a. memebr here  im oz

 i played.with him.afew.yrs back  and he crushed  me.with it.  no idea why i sold.that.

Edited April 7, 2020 by supo

[daamartin]

Jbeam 425 tour is as good as it gets if you are really swinging well. What a pretty and workable driver.

Yamaha V 4.6 rpm still holds its own against anything and wins on feel over all else for me.

Playing G400/Crazy boron sx now and finding plenty of fairways, but the above 2 would be just fine for me honestly!

[+TourSpecGolfer]

 

On 4/2/2020 at 2:01 PM, dickyfowler said:

and we all know that buying drivers based on other people's recommendations will get you a hefty credit card bill and a garage full of unwanted drivers.

I recommend used clubs for you.   

Many of the drivers in this thread can be had for killer prices used.

The endless choice of drivers is a good thing for those wanting to buy others unwanted clubs.

opportunity.

[dickyfowler]

yes you can pick up great drivers 'second hand' and then just reshaft them to suit

[cuistot]

12 hours ago, TourSpecGolfer said:

 

I recommend used clubs for you.   

Many of the drivers in this thread can be had for killer prices used.

The endless choice of drivers is a good thing for those wanting to buy others unwanted clubs.

opportunity.

I’ve been reading the driver posts for some time and I have bought and still have the favs. Yammy 4.5, EPON, Technity, Tourstage 705, Kamui 07s ,Egg 7, Cally Eec, Royma M, but what escapes me is finding the matching shaft for my swing. I’ve had the best results w stock shafts in the PRGR line. Red 2016, RS 2018, Egg 1, and Cally erc III. Calmly and the EPON are the best feel off center strike. PRGR 2018 is the most forgiving off the face. I do like the Kamui but the Quadra TP-V and me aren’t compatible. 

[cuistot]

I miss the day’s of persimmon drivers. Had several from Precision golf San Diego Ca. Blonde, Red head, and brunette, beauties  all.  

[supo]

heres a few  pics..

 

the astro tour, and jbeams have a pretty similar look

the kamui kp-x just looks very   draw  biased   but its not  loved this head. its a  big  fat  compact hammer

 

 

Edited April 6, 2020 by supo