100 replies to this topic

[tarebuta]

What is the difference between FT-i and FT-i Tour?

[cyr67]

tarebuta, on Jun 18 2007, 08:53 PM, said:

What is the difference between FT-i and FT-i Tour?

The FT-i Tour is 0.5 degrees open and comes in .5 lofts...8.5, 9.5 etc. It also comes with a Fuji 686 shaft instead of a 586 on the stock FT-i. I think you can get it in a fade bias, which is not available on the regular FT-i model.

Edited by cyr67, 19 June 2007 - 11:01 PM.

[electroleum]

I have one on order that I won through Callaway. I have ordered the 9.5* (fade) Tour model w/Graphite Design Pershing 75x.

I'll post a thorough review once i get it. Unfortunately, due to the Callaway backorder, I may not have it until August-ish...and I'm not sure it will out-perform my HiBore XL Tour

Edited by electroleum, 26 June 2007 - 01:30 AM.

[tarebuta]

Thanks, cyr67.  

Another question, what is the difference between the shaft 686 and 586?

[electroleum]

686 is heavier with less torque and a slightly higher kick point

[tarebuta]

Thanks.

Does this mean it will promote a lower ball flight?

[lilikejr]

tarebuta, on Jun 27 2007, 10:54 PM, said:

Thanks.

Does this mean it will promote a lower ball flight?

Yes it will and less spin too i believe.

[lilikejr]

tarebuta, on Jun 27 2007, 10:54 PM, said:

Thanks.

Does this mean it will promote a lower ball flight?

Yes it will and less spin too i believe.

[KoKo2]

cyr67, on Jun 17 2007, 11:49 PM, said:

All the reviews for the FT-i, be it magazine or forum, seem to be very positive. The driver is very forgiving and very straight according to all reports. What I do not understand is that virtually no one uses the FT-i on tour... PGA, European Tour, LPGA...Seniors... it is a rarity when someone uses an FT-i and I am wondering why? I am aware that professionals like to "work the ball", and it is harder to do this with this driver, but I would expect that Callaway Pros (and others) would be lining up to use it if it was as straight as it is being reviewed and would guarantee them more fairways. (Think Phil!--He has used it...but rarely) If anyone can offer me an explanation as to why it is a rarity on tour, I'd appreciate it. I'm considering buying one, but it's absence on the major tours makes it suspect for me.

Here is a quote directly from Ernie Els "Big Easy" website:

"I tried Callaway’s new square-headed driver at Wentworth just before the Scottish Open and I liked it straight away. I shot 66 on the West Course that day and didn’t miss a tee shot; not one. Then I hit it great at Loch Lomond, and also at Carnoustie, and then again at Firestone. I really like the low ball-flight and I feel like it goes a long way, and straight and pure. It’s perfect."

[8thehardway]

I'm a slow swinger - tee shots average 220 yards carry and roll - using 10.5 Ping G5 reg flex and an 11.5 Cleveland 460 with senior flex. Tried an FT-i yesterday and was blown away. Borrowed it from a strong swinger who had the 9* neutral model with a stiff shaft - wrong specs for me but I wanted to see if it was hype or the real deal.

Used it on 4 holes. All shots were in the middle of the fairway; I'm often 10/14  for fairways and rarely far off but this was dead accurate. One drive was the longest I'd ever hit on that hole - went 240 - 250 yards -and three were in the 95% bracked for distance. One hole required a fade off the tee and it was ideal - maybe 10 yards of fade without any drastic manipulation. Trajectory was lower than normal on all shots except the fade, but with the correct specs it should improve.

Noise not an issue. Shape is odd, but reassuring. Stiff shaft didn't feel stiff - at least not like others I've tried.

I'm going to a Launch Monitor soon - this is too good to miss.

[EHSgolf11]

Loved it. Now I want one.

[ColinMB]

Can anyone else compare this to the Burner? I see a few people said they liked it, but in their sig's I see Burners.

Any further comparisons appreciated.

[Johnnyallthetime]

love this driver.  straight as can be and longer than my previous ft-3 w/ epic regular, probably due to a flexier shaft producing high spin rates.  i've yet to pop an aftermarket shaft in this driver to optimize launch and spin, but right now, this driver is firmly planted in the bag.

[hosierd]

An amazing driver for someone like me.  I'm more of a hitter than a swinger.  Natural swing has always yielded some degree of fade.  The right setup makes it more manageable/predictable.  I just completed a driver fitting yesterday.  Hit the Ping G10, Callaway Big Bertha 460, Callaway FT-5, and Callaway FT-I.  For me the FT-I was clearly the best performer.  Club head speed and ball speed were way up, do in part to the 45.75 shaft that seems easy due to the forgiveness of  the head.  Finally, saw real distance improvement over my previous club as well as the others I mentioned.  My buddy also did a fitting and did not do well with the FT-I.  He's more of a swinger and for him the G10 was the clear winner.  As with most things, its about the right fit for the individual in question.

[jc101mx]

I just got a 10degree nuetral stiff shaft FT-i. I have played the club three rounds and hit it on the range 4 times. I could not have dreamed of being this comfortable with a driver. I haven't used a driver for years but im very happy to gain the extra yards back of the tee. The  club feels great at setup and awsome to swing! Ok now here is the bad part.... yesterday on the range i had hit about 7 balls with my driver, all of which were very straight and far. And then after the next shot i hear a weird sound in the club head, it sounded like there was a little piece of plastic or a little pebble inside the head moving around. I shook the driver and the piece seemed to get stuck; it stopped maiking noise. So a little freaked out, i hit some more balls and the noise came back. I shake the club again and the noise stops once more. I hit a few more balls and the noise didn't return. The club still hits great and didnt seem to be affected by this mysterious noise which is probably something broken off inside the head. Well I am trying to contact callaway to see what they think or what they can do for me, but i was wondering if anyone might know what this could be? Has anyone ever experienced anything like this? I would appreciate any info you guys have. Thanks

[steverum]

I play the FT-I and think it is easily the straightest driver I have ever hit.  I went from averaging 6-7 fairways a round to now averaging 11-12 a round.  Not superlong driver, but accurate.  Quit worrying about distance and get an FT-i, golf is a lot easier from the fairway.  Golf is a lot more fun and stress free now too.
              

Also, I combo the 9.5 neutral head with an Aldila VS Proto 70-x and it seems to work.
The stock shafts were way too soft, even in x-flex, they played very week and lots of balloon balls.
Don't give up on it until you try a custom shaft.

Way to go Callaway.

[Jim123]

Ive loved my ft-i so far but today i ran into a little problem with it. Today, it saw the first day of playing in the cold( about 45-55 degrees ). Anyway, I step up to the first tee and take a mighty swing. First thing i notice is the usual sound is gone and was replaced with more of a "thud". Seemed odd so i teed it up again and got the same result. It didn't have that great also. The pattern continued the next couple holes until eventually around 7. It didnt thud that much and got a little closer to its usual sound. My question is, when it is cold, is this what is always going to happen? I never really experianced so much of a difference with my other taylormade drivers, only slight changes.

[Johnny]

if it's in my bag it means it's the longest/straightest driver on the market (for me).. I try them all.

[Chris32]

Jim123, on Oct 28 2007, 10:35 PM, said:

Ive loved my ft-i so far but today i ran into a little problem with it. Today, it saw the first day of playing in the cold( about 45-55 degrees ). Anyway, I step up to the first tee and take a mighty swing. First thing i notice is the usual sound is gone and was replaced with more of a "thud". Seemed odd so i teed it up again and got the same result. It didn't have that great also. The pattern continued the next couple holes until eventually around 7. It didnt thud that much and got a little closer to its usual sound. My question is, when it is cold, is this what is always going to happen? I never really experianced so much of a difference with my other taylormade drivers, only slight changes.

I'd say its the ball, not the club

Had my FT-i 3 weeks, stiff neutral, and love it. Will take one hell of a driver to knock this one out of my bag.
Previous drivers - Hi-bore, 907D2, Sumo

[d0n]

steverum, on Oct 27 2007, 10:01 PM, said:

Also, I combo the 9.5 neutral head with an Aldila VS Proto 70-x and it seems to work.
The stock shafts were way too soft, even in x-flex, they played very week and lots of balloon balls.
Don't give up on it until you try a custom shaft.

VERY true.  I was getting to where I would balloon every drive with the original 586 stiff shaft.  This lead to me changing the shaft.  It works like a machine now.  It works so well that when I go to the range I seldom hit the driver anymore for fear that I may mess up my playable driving ability.      (Here's a thread about my experience.)

[canada]

steverum, on Oct 27 2007, 11:01 PM, said:

I play the FT-I and think it is easily the straightest driver I have ever hit.  I went from averaging 6-7 fairways a round to now averaging 11-12 a round.  Not superlong driver, but accurate.  Quit worrying about distance and get an FT-i, golf is a lot easier from the fairway.  Golf is a lot more fun and stress free now too.
              

Also, I combo the 9.5 neutral head with an Aldila VS Proto 70-x and it seems to work.
The stock shafts were way too soft, even in x-flex, they played very week and lots of balloon balls.
Don't give up on it until you try a custom shaft.

Way to go Callaway.

11 to 12 fairways a round? are you on tour? can you break 67?

[Gerardo_Guadarrama]

Hey!1 I need your help, I have a 90-110mph swing, controled slice and not a long distance shooter, I am going to buy a new Driver next week, but I am not sure what would help me for LONG and straigth shoots, My 2 options are Callaway FT-i or Cleveland HiBore XL.

What do you recomend??

HELP!!!!

[airworden]

I bought the FT-i with Diamana Blue...straight and long is all I can say! Yeah it costs a ton...but it is so nice to finally be in the fairway most of the time. Previously owned the FT-5...a hooking machine for me...but very long when I hit it!

[BettinardiIntern00]

I know that alot of tour players don't use the FT-I on tour, however I see more FT-5. The FT-5 has more workability and is easier to address I found. I do love the look and feel along with the range of the FT-I but then again I can't understand how TW uses the SQ2 I hated that driver. Just a preference kind of thing I guess. A Tour player can get paid X amount of dollars to use a club but players like Furyk just want the club that will help them win, and for some of these players this driver may just not do it.

[dr.golf]

I've hit my longest and straightest drives with this club. It's a keeper!

doc

[8thehardway]

dr.golf, on Dec 31 2007, 01:49 PM, said:

I've hit my longest and straightest drives with this club. It's a keeper!

doc

same here.

Straightening out my drives automatically adds distance and I'm hitting so many fairways it's crazy. Missed fairways now average 2 or 3, and not by much. Missed just one last round.  

Bought one after trying one during a round over the summer (see previous post). After 30 rounds, I'm still in love and have never felt more comfortable with a driver. Others were a Burner (too head heavy) Cleveland Launcher and Hi-Bore, Ping G5, TM 580XD (really nice, not as forgiving) and the Titleist D1.

[sturmbrigade]

Just dont wrap around on finish or you will end up with one like mine.

unsuprisingly Callaway did'nt honour the warranty.

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[ezra76]

I'm an 11cap and a 100% hitter. My swing is very much imperfect and inconsistant but my SS is fairly high for my cap at 107-108. I've been playing TM drivers since day 1, 4 years ago. I moved on from the regular models and up to the TP's. I'd found the regular models too prone to a miss left and they started feeling uncomfortable at adress. Every "TP" driver I had was just too much stick for me. The BurnerTP was the closest but still, on a bad day it got rough, literally.

I purchased a used FTi tour nuetral with the 686S shaft. The ballflight is very high, it carries very deep and is very straight. I had it on the range today and hit 2 dozen drives, 1 push with a little slice and the rest were within 20yds. of center R to L and as deep as I'd hit the Burner on the best swings. I looked at the face when I got home. A lot of shots were hit above center on the sweet spot but a lot were not, I only really noticed 1 as far as ballflight was concerned. If getting off the tee is a weak point, it's worth a look.

[thejoneses]

I've just trialled a neutral 9 degree FT-i with a stiff 586 speeder shaft.

I couldn't hit anything but a draw with it - possibly to do with the face seeming so (1 degree) closed. I was also a good 30 yards behind my Hi-bore XL.

If you're thinking of getting one, I'd really suggest getting fitted properly - I'm going to have a go with a tour version (.5 degree open) and get it fitted out with a low spin shaft like  Matrix code 7 - you never know that may do the trick!

[bentampa24]

I tried this club today for the first time.  While i love the FT5 and WANT that to be the club for me, it was honestly downright difficult to not keep the ball in the fairway.  I know it sounds hard to believe but try it for yourself.  Multiple times i hit shots that had the feel of a ball that was going to balloon out to the right, and at the start you could almost see the ball working that way but straightening out.  I also think the FTi is a better looking club than the FT5 (not in terms of beings square but in terms of everything else).  I'm going to get optifit and compare the two.