350 CC to 420 CC size drivers

[Fairway]

My tee ball shots with 450 CC to 460 CC drivers produce reasonably good results, but I get more enjoyment playing with relatively small head size drivers, Recently I've rotated between a KZG SP700 model driver (355 CC) and a TM R7 (425 CC). The world of JDM is new to me and I would like to know which brands/models currently offer driver heads within the 350 CC to 420CC head size. Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

[Hutch]

Welcome to the boards mate. 

S yard T 388, Epon Technicity 380, Labospec 420 to name a few. You wont be doing bad if you find these to start.

 

[Ian-500]

Some of the limited edition Tourstage models were below 400cc.

[Fairway]

1 hour ago, hutchy said:

Welcome to the boards mate. 

S yard T 388, Epon Technicity 380, Labospec 420 to name a few. You wont be doing bad if you find these to start.

 

Thanks. I've looked at photos of the drivers you mention and the T.388 is the one which seems to have a relatively shallow face height. My past experience with deep face drivers is not good, so maybe the T.388 will be a good fit for me.

A few years ago I had in the bag a Mizunp JPX driver (the light grey model with royal blue trim). I think Mizuno's design concept with that one was to get as shallow a face as possible, yet still offer a relatively large 440 CC head size. The result was a head that was elongated from front to back, an appearance-shape which looked o.k. to me. However the impact sound was a bit loud so I've sold that club.

[Fairway]

36 minutes ago, Ian-500 said:

Some of the limited edition Tourstage models were below 400cc.

I remember swinging some Tourstage drivers back when 300CC to 400CC was a common size driver head within the golf industry. The Bridgestone's and, or, Tourstage models I saw were beautiful pear shaped heads with relatively deep faces. 

[Ian-500]

Tourstage x-drive 905 is the model I had. 385cc.

[Fairway]

1 hour ago, Ian-500 said:

Tourstage x-drive 905 is the model I had. 385cc.

 

Deep face driver ?

[nobmontana]

Mizuno MP The Craft (410cc) ,  or more recently 2017 MP Craft Type-1 (435cc) or 2019 Mizuno Pro Model S (435cc) 

Yamaha Inpres X V425 Tour Model (425cc)  , V202 Tour Model  (415cc) , V203 Tour Model  (430cc) 

Tourstage X Drive P02-6  (365cc) 

Srixon ZTX Tour P420 (420cc) 

These are big brand heads but there are many more boutique brand heads that are equally good or sometimes better. 

Jbeam, Baldo, Epon, Miura had excellent sub 420cc heads in the past.  

 

Most of these drivers today can be bought for very cheap.  (less than $100)   

I've owned most of these heads before and my favorite has been the P02-6 

 

 

 

[Fairway]

3 hours ago, nobmontana said:

Mizuno MP The Craft (410cc) ,  or more recently 2017 MP Craft Type-1 (435cc) or 2019 Mizuno Pro Model S (435cc) 

Yamaha Inpres X V425 Tour Model (425cc)  , V202 Tour Model  (415cc) , V203 Tour Model  (430cc) 

Tourstage X Drive P02-6  (365cc) 

Srixon ZTX Tour P420 (420cc) 

These are big brand heads but there are many more boutique brand heads that are equally good or sometimes better. 

Jbeam, Baldo, Epon, Miura had excellent sub 420cc heads in the past.  

 

Most of these drivers today can be bought for very cheap.  (less than $100)   

I've owned most of these heads before and my favorite has been the P02-6 

 

 

 

Thanks. Are any of the drivers you've listed know to a relatively shallow face height ? In the past I've swung some Bridgestone drivers and a Yonex 380, both with fairly deep faces, and I did not especially like the consistency of shot results. I seem to do better with shallow faces rather than deep.

[nobmontana]

Probably not any of the ones I mentioned. 

The S-Yard T.388 mentioned above actually is pretty shallow faced.      

 

 

 

Also A-Grind Y-Proto Driver is shallow too.    https://www.tourspecgolf.com/a-grind-y-proto-driver.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[supo]

nobs the  old p-51.5  i think it was , the old  Aichan model .........

. that  was a painters brush of a driver head, one  cud make that do anyhtig u wanated  AND  a lot u didnt.. the proto tourstage, ,bugger  all of them ever  made and if iremebrer  close to  double the price of the  retail ones.

had a MONSTER of a weekend  out where i hit  none of 14 with it affter hitting 11 /14 the day before and sold it to the baron 2 seconds after the game ended.

next weeknd  he hit 0-14 and i crusssssssssssssssssssssshed his ooooooooooul nad wallet 

haaah

loved that driver tho.  wish id kept it

 

 endo perfection 

[Fairway]

2 hours ago, nobmontana said:

Probably not any of the ones I mentioned. 

The S-Yard T.388 mentioned above actually is pretty shallow faced.      

 

 

 

Also A-Grind Y-Proto Driver is shallow too.    https://www.tourspecgolf.com/a-grind-y-proto-driver.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The S-Yard T.388 seems to fit my criteria including relatively small head shape combined with a shallow face height. I will try that one.

Also, thanks for your suggestion for the A-Grind Y-Proto. I checked out the link you provided and like the looks of that driver, as well as some of the other A-Grind brand clubs. Once I get the driver sorted out I will probably be in the market for a fairway wood as well.

[Ian-500]

On 1/28/2021 at 8:14 PM, Fairway said:

 

Deep face driver ?

Not really, relative to others of a similar size

[Fairway]

30 minutes ago, Ian-500 said:

Not really, relative to others of a similar size

After giving it more thought,  just about every driver produced during the past 20 years had a deep face. The only exceptions I can think of are the Mizuno JPX driver of a few years ago (grey finish with blue trim). This one was about 440 CC head size but with an elongated heel-to-toe and wide front-to-back shape. Some thought it looked like a pancake but to get a shallow face on a 440CC driver  it will have to have an extra long and, or, wide shape to the head.

The other shallow face driver seems to be the S-Yard T.388, which too is as above, elongated and wider, but since it is only 388 CC head size it not quite as "pancake-like shape" as the larger Mizuno head.

In general I think the equipment companies, especially those in Japan, try to make good looking pear shaped driver heads. Really the only way to do that with a head above about 260 CC's, is for the head to have a deep face. The legendary 975D, I think was the last of the mainstream large volume selling shallow faced drivers, and that was aout 25 years ago.

[nobmontana]

23 hours ago, supo said:

nobs the  old p-51.5  i think it was , the old  Aichan model .........

. that  was a painters brush of a driver head, one  cud make that do anyhtig u wanated  AND  a lot u didnt.. the proto tourstage, ,bugger  all of them ever  made and if iremebrer  close to  double the price of the  retail ones.

had a MONSTER of a weekend  out where i hit  none of 14 with it affter hitting 11 /14 the day before and sold it to the baron 2 seconds after the game ended.

next weeknd  he hit 0-14 and i crusssssssssssssssssssssshed his ooooooooooul nad wallet 

haaah

loved that driver tho.  wish id kept it

 

 endo perfection 

p51-5 were so hard to find back then... checking on YJA now...   holy crap!!    they are a mere 2000 yen!!     

 

 

 

[Hutch]

In the pursuit of better driving you do forget that small head drivers can be a lot of fun, well I did, so this is a great topic to bring back the urge of using the old boys that get put to the back of the pecking order. T388 was sold....bugger, but have these 2 smaller ones looking for a couple of shafts. Thinking Xanadu in the Crazy 435 and the LY Noir in the old boy 380 Techno. Faces aren't too deep either.....These should be fun! 

Edited January 30, 2021 by hutchy

[Fairway]

I purchased an S-Yard T.388 10.5* with stock stiff shaft. Now after three rounds of golf and approximately a dozen driving range shots with the driver, here are my observations:

1) impact sound-feel is excellent, especially for the shots struck solid.

2) bounce and roll after landing is excellent.

3) the stock GD shaft is good quality, similar to the other GD shafts I've had in other drivers, including GD AD Di, MJ,  DJ, and MT. For me all of these GD shafts demand a 

smooth transition well timed swing and if that is accomplished good shots happen.

Thanks to all who made suggestions to this thread, I appreciate that.

[Fairway]

I now have played approximately 8 rounds of golf with the T.388 and like it very much, especially its impact sound and shot distance.

Usually my bag includes 16*, 19* and 22* hybrids. For extra distance from a fairway lie I've taken to swinging the T.388 and found it produces low trajectory straight shots which carry about 205 yards but then may bounce and roll another 30 to 50 yards. My 16* hybrid from a fairway lie carries about 210 with little bounce and roll, so the T.388 off the fairway is nice to have when extra distance is useful.