Tour vs. Retail NO BULL

[DemolitionMan]

DM, thanks for a most informative and reasoned post.  How do you find time to play between the time it took to think all that out and the time involved in typing it all  8O  :?: ...........j/k  :lol:  :lol:

I type all this stuff instead of working on something. So golf forum time is really expensive for me. :lol:

My wife already thinks I spend too much time in golf and overall is pretty cool about it. So I do not push my luck to much - one round a week (two if there is some unusual opportunity) and a few trips to the range to putt for dollars.

That's why I will most likely never be a scratch golfer, you have to play a ton and 45 - 50 rounds a year is not a ton.

[shokosugi]

WOW...!!!! Awesome insights DM Forgive me on going off tangent on the topic here but I saw an opportunity to ask you if you have played TS V-IQ drivers and woods? They seem to catch my attention from their Technology. I want a long hitting driver like your TP 510, would V-IQ do the job vs PRGR Duo.

Also I want a long hitting woods, V-IQ vs Royal collection SFD or BBD. (or any brand that you recommend)

Thanks in advance

[lohrm1]

I've been getting so bored with the tour vs. retail debate on all the web sites that it's been driving me away from these sites all together. DM took the time to articulate what a lot of us have known/felt for a long time. The ones usually hyping the difference between retail and tour are also usually the ones with listing in the BST sections. Don't misunderstand, there's nothing wrong with tour stuff, but none of the stuff I've owned over the last year has lowered my handicap one stroke. I don't have a single tour club in my bag at this point, and even have some sitting in the basement, and I couldn't be happier. Buy whatever you love and what works for you, but don't expect that playing Tiger's driver is going to make you Tiger. It isn't even making Tiger, Tiger these days!

[shoe295]

I found that using a Tour Pencil complete with Tour Eraser with the old wooden shaft provides the greatest improvement to my score.. much better than the retail variety without the eraser

For those tree lined courses I also prefer a Tour Chainsaw works to eliminate those nasty inhibitors of my swing/line..i never leave for the course without it.

[br61]

Great post DM - I spent a year figuring out what you just said - why didn't you post this a year ago and save me money and I could have improved my game over the set back I had  :o

Yes, but think about all the fun you would have missed out on. :lol:

LOL! I wished I could've read this 1-2 years ago too. Club ho'ing is fun and expensive but it's been absolute hell on my game. I'm tired of it and bored with ho'ing too.

[DemolitionMan]

WOW...!!!!  Awesome insights DM     Forgive me on going off tangent on the topic here but I saw an opportunity to ask you if you have played TS V-IQ drivers and woods?  They seem to catch my attention from their Technology.  I want a long hitting driver like your TP 510, would V-IQ do the job vs PRGR Duo.  

Also I want a long hitting woods, V-IQ vs Royal collection SFD or BBD. (or any brand that you recommend)

Thanks in advance

I have not played the TS V-IQs, I really have not looked into them. Generally, I have very little interest in a high COR driver and so I assume upfront most Japanese offerings with the best technology are high COR. I have hit the PRGR-Duo, again, the best one's are high COR, so they do not get too much attention.

I will say this about the latest craze of carbon composites with Titanium, take a look at the new Cobra. I do not know what they did that is different than TS, Mizuno, Yonex, and Cally, but they got it right big time. The 414 Comp hits the ball FAR and is really forgiving. Every other composite driver I have hit has the muted sound, the Cobra does not. It still has a strong bang. But oh my is it ugly. The cobra logo, the lighter lattice of the carbon, and the indentations on the top really contribute to a distracting look. But perhaps that is the price to pay for a driver that performs. The stock offering has a 45G Mitsubishi Rayon. For a light shaft, it sure works.

Side by side between ERC Fusion and Cobra Comp...the Cobra kicks the Cally to the curb.

[DemolitionMan]

I've been getting so bored with the tour vs. retail debate on all the web sites that it's been driving me away from these sites all together.  DM took the time to articulate what a lot of us have known/felt for a long time.  The ones usually hyping the difference between retail and tour are also usually the ones with listing in the BST sections.  Don't misunderstand, there's nothing wrong with tour stuff, but none of the stuff I've owned over the last year has lowered my handicap one stroke.  I don't have a single tour club in my bag at this point, and even have some sitting in the basement, and I couldn't be happier.  Buy whatever you love and what works for you, but don't expect that playing Tiger's driver is going to make you Tiger.  It isn't even making Tiger, Tiger these days!

In fairness to the ones listing tour clubs for sale, they are afterall the ones who have the experience hitting the clubs, so there is some truth, some hype.

And still, the 510 DF was tour only until the TP came out and dialing in the right shaft with that head has saved me at least two strokes a round....some days more.

[golfdr]

BR and DM - I agree that it has been fun and I have enjoyed it and learned alot about my game. My handicap went stright up while doing this also though. I am currently back to playing my old 975J and while I am still messing around with some drivers, the rest of my bag is set. Thanks to CHris and everyone for the great Tourstage MR23 CB irons - which was part of my HOing dreams also - my game is back to where it was before I started and improving. My handicap is now a 5 and dropping still. It did balloon up to a 9 during the HOing.

[golffan]

Thanks a lot for the insight Chris.

I've been browsing this site a little lately, and really like it.

Chris, your insight honestly did give me a different opinin of equipment althogether especially in the tour vs. retal department.

I was a long time member of BSG and I'm really really getting sick of all the Taylor Made Tour stuff, and Tour Isuues Titleist..blah blah blah..it's nice to get back to a site that talks about equipment in general and not the same dam,n posts about Taylor Made Drivers and Fujikura shafts, etc, etc. I'm sure they're all good, but it's nice to hear about different stuff too.

[wmclarenf1]

Hi all,

Am new to this board due to some techinical deficiency on my part in siging up but am a senior member on another board (not "that board"). I have surfed "that board" and still do once in a while and fully agree with the original poster that "that board" is absolutely full of biased BS till no end.

I've never played tour irons or wedges so I can;t comment there but I have played tour issue drivers and frankly, it is way over hyped and not worth the extra $$$ IMO. That said, I now own a R500 10.5 and in this head, I do feel and see a difference to retail heads. It is damn solid.

I've also tried tour FWs and while it looks and feel different (TM 200 retail 3W and Tour 15*), I obviously do not posses the swing to handle teh Tour 15*. My TM 200 retial 3W is much more forgiving and I get the desired results which I guess is what's important. I now has a tour issue TM 200 4 wood 17* sitting around. Sigh... if only I knew better then.

[shokosugi]

=

I will say this about the latest craze of carbon composites with Titanium, take a look at the new Cobra.  I do not know what they did that is different than TS, Mizuno, Yonex, and Cally, but they got it right big time.  The 414 Comp hits the ball FAR and is really forgiving.  Every other composite driver I have hit has the muted sound, the Cobra does not.  It still has a strong bang.

Thanks for the recommendation DM, I will definitely consider the Cobra 414 comp over TS V-IQ. I just wish someone would test both this club, a high COR vs. Carbon composite (which is now the new craze).