Changing my Driver - advice

Lester Freamon

Hi guys,

For the last 2 years I have been using a Ping G10 13.5 degree Driver.

For years I would never trust myself using a driver. I tried out the 13.5 degree a few years back and I am very consistent off the tee with it since then. I'm a 17 handicapper.

I am now thinking perhaps moving to a 11 or 12 degree driver. I never get more than 240 or 250 yards out of the 13.5 degree. Now greed is starting to take over ..... and I'm hoping to add a few more yards if possible :cool:.

Has anyone tried out the new Ping G15 or G20's???

Russman

Best advice, get fitted. I think a lot of places will knock the cost of a fit off the price of the club.

Also, don't assume you'll get extra yardage from a lower loft, it doesn't work that way. Its a combination of spin, launch angle and clubhead speed. Some people might not have enough swing speed to get the ball sufficiently in the air with less loft. Your 13 deg driver might well be the best club for you.

Can't really go wrong with any of Ping's drivers IMO. G20 is a very nice machine.

GreeBo

For me its a simple question:
Are you trying to hit the ball 10 yards further or lower your handicap?
If you are consistently hitting it 250 onto the fairway then you dont need a new driver, you need to find why you can hit more than 1 GIR (or cant putt to save your life)

No one will notice you hitting it 10 yards more the odd time. Everyone will notice if you knock 7 shots off your handicap.

Creasy_bear

Lester Freamon wrote: »

Hi guys,

For the last 2 years I have been using a Ping G10 13.5 degree Driver.

For years I would never trust myself using a driver. I tried out the 13.5 degree a few years back and I am very consistent off the tee with it since then. I'm a 17 handicapper.

I am now thinking perhaps moving to a 11 or 12 degree driver. I never get more than 240 or 250 yards out of the 13.5 degree. Now greed is starting to take over ..... and I'm hoping to add a few more yards if possible :cool:.

Has anyone tried out the new Ping G15 or G20's???

The G10 is a much nicer driver than either the G15, G20 or the I drivers imo. Lee Westwood is still using the G10 and he's supposed to be the best driver of a ball in the world . Why don't you try a 10.5 degree G10.

Lester Freamon

Thanks for the advice guys.

I know I should really be thinking along the lines of "if it ain't broke - don't try fix it".

Regarding the question about whether I want to lower my handicap or hit the ball an extra 10 yards, well....the way I see it the extra yards off the tee would give me the platform to shoot lower scores.

I'm fairly ok using my 7 iron and up but 6 iron and lower and I'm in shakey territory. With the extra yardage off the tee, I see there are more opportunities to get into the range of using the clubs I am confident with.

It doesn't help that the guy I usually play with can smash it about 280 yards at least and I am always jealous of him taking out a 9 iron or something on a standard par 4 for his 2nd shot while I'm hitting a 5 or 6 iron.

GreeBo

Lester Freamon wrote: »

Thanks for the advice guys.

I know I should really be thinking along the lines of "if it ain't broke - don't try fix it".

Regarding the question about whether I want to lower my handicap or hit the ball an extra 10 yards, well....the way I see it the extra yards off the tee would give me the platform to shoot lower scores.

I'm fairly ok using my 7 iron and up but 6 iron and lower and I'm in shakey territory. With the extra yardage off the tee, I see there are more opportunities to get into the range of using the clubs I am confident with.

It doesn't help that the guy I usually play with can smash it about 280 yards at least and I am always jealous of him taking out a 9 iron or something on a standard par 4 for his 2nd shot while I'm hitting a 5 or 6 iron.

You are never going to hit 18GIR regularly so there is little difference between missing with a 7i and missing with a 6i.
Find out why you are not getting up and down and work on that.
Seriously 10Yrds at our level is nothing and even at that its not going to be a magic wand that gets you 10 yrds extra every time.
also, you are off 17 handicap, you dont need to hit more than a 6i from the fairway ever. Lay up if its further than you can comfortably hit, thats what everyone does. As you get better "what you can comfortably hit" gets longer and longer.
Everyone thinks that getting better means you are creaming 3i from 220yrds to 10feet and holing the putts. The reality is far more boring that that. You are getting up and down from everywhere.

augustus gloop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yF0Q1JJctk&feature=g-all-u


mark crossfield reviews the G20

m r c

Hi to kinda answer your original question before you buy I recommend trying the titleist 910 its a great club. They have announced the new models now so you should get a decent discount. I find my d2 the longest I've ever hit. You should be fit for it if you buy new so could check your numbers to get the optimum set up for you good luck whatever you choose.

Edit meant to say that they brought out a 12 deg model there in November too

Webbs

Lester Freamon wrote: »

Hi guys,

For the last 2 years I have been using a Ping G10 13.5 degree Driver.

For years I would never trust myself using a driver. I tried out the 13.5 degree a few years back and I am very consistent off the tee with it since then. I'm a 17 handicapper.

I am now thinking perhaps moving to a 11 or 12 degree driver. I never get more than 240 or 250 yards out of the 13.5 degree. Now greed is starting to take over ..... and I'm hoping to add a few more yards if possible :cool:.

Has anyone tried out the new Ping G15 or G20's???

If your getting approx 250yds out of your driver and say an average par 4 is 400yds (and thats probably an overestimation) you are only leaving yourself 150yds out at most on the vast majority of par 4s, which should be 7 or 8 iron at most I am guessing.

If your consistent dont go changing and trying to make it a macho game of who can hit the furthest. If I could hit 250yds and be accurate I would be in golfing heaven.

pjhamill

I recently bought the Nike VRS Driver, I'm in love with it. This club has restored my confidence off the tee.

http://www.mygolfspy.com/nike-vrs-driver-review/

pjhamill

Webbs wrote: »

If your getting approx 250yds out of your driver and say an average par 4 is 400yds (and thats probably an overestimation) you are only leaving yourself 150yds out at most on the vast majority of par 4s, which should be 7 or 8 iron at most I am guessing.

If your consistent dont go changing and trying to make it a macho game of who can hit the furthest. If I could hit 250yds and be accurate I would be in golfing heaven.

Totally agree, my max with a driver is 280. But I rarely hit it full power on the course. I take a bit off it and usually hit it 250/260.

I'm not the best from the rough (trying to fix that though) so consistency off the tee is imperative for me.

To get my 3 Wood to about 230/240 off the tee I really have to go at it usually resulting in errant tee shots, having confidence and consistency with my driver has propelled my game.

I think each and every time you go out on the course you should have some sort of game plan, really think intently about what kind of shots you're going to hit. It really does help.

spacecoyote

Webbs wrote: »

If your getting approx 250yds out of your driver and say an average par 4 is 400yds (and thats probably an overestimation) you are only leaving yourself 150yds out at most on the vast majority of par 4s, which should be 7 or 8 iron at most I am guessing.

If your consistent dont go changing and trying to make it a macho game of who can hit the furthest. If I could hit 250yds and be accurate I would be in golfing heaven.

This is exactly what I was thinking. Id say the average par 4 is slightly under 400yds. I'd hit my 7 iron about 150yds but wouldn't hit an average drive of 240-250,so if you're really being accurate with your driving distance and not overestimating it then you shouldn't need anything more than a 7-8 iron on your approach shots.

Rather than change the driver would you not get a couple of lessons on your swing & get more accurate & confident with the longer clubs as it sounds like your driver is working great to me

BoardsMember

If anyone recommends a club, just ignore them.

You need to go for a fitting. The most important thing is the shaft. Without the right shaft, you wont produce the right shot, regardless of what club head happens to be on the shaft. The shaft is so important that, relatively speaking, the club head itself is almost primarily a cosmetic consideration if you're comparing one or other of the premium brands. If you get the right shaft and the right loft on the driver you will be away in a hack. The only way to do this is to get fitted.

The added bonus is that in two years, when the next greatest thing comes along, or in 6 months when everything is going right, you know you have the right club for you and you dont have the expense or the head-wreck of another change.