28 replies to this topic

[ajschn06]

Buying my father in law a new driver for Xmas.  He hits his well, but still playing the Taylor made 300 series and I can't help but think he's leaving something out on the course.  He's not real serious about his game but plays in a fair share of tournaments and likes to score well, always has a few beers on the course.  I'm looking for something that's a little older model(discounted price), that will add distance and has some form of adjustability so he tweak a little.  I've been eyeing the Nike VRS (I think it's adjustable correct me if I'm wrong), any others I should think about for a golfer like that?

[KILLEDBYASHANKEDWEDGE]

The i-mix drivers from 3balls are really nice, with a headcover, for little dough. They perform pretty good.

[dchoi87]

Titleist 910D would be a solid choice but if he's anything like the members of this forum, he'd probably prefer picking it out himself.  Maybe take him to get fit?

The head on the VRS has gotten good reviews but many have expressed disappointment in the stock shaft.  Great thought.  Best of luck.

[rvgolfer]

Tweaking in my opinion is over-rated, and is likely to cause as many problems as it solves, so my suggestion would be a G-15,,I think now is down to $199 most places.

The G-15 is forgiving and has good distance, plus it will look good in the bag,  and if he doesnt like it, he can sell it quite easily.

[ajschn06]

dchoi87, on 21 November 2012 - 07:41 PM, said:

Titleist 910D would be a solid choice but if he's anything like the members of this forum, he'd probably prefer picking it out himself.  Maybe take him to get fit?

The head on the VRS has gotten good reviews but many have expressed disappointment in the stock shaft.  Great thought.  Best of luck.

He's nothing like the members of this forum, and shafts don't matter at all to him, which is why he has a son in law like me to pick out clubs for him.  He has a Wal Mart 5 hybrid in the bag that he smokes.  The last club I bought for him was a FT IZ 3 hybrid that he loves.  This isn't the typical WRX club selection.  I'm looking for a solid club that will be an upgrade from the Taylor Made 300 series, shaft matters little to none, and there are probably 5 to 10 clubs out there that will get the job done.  As I said the VRS was my first thought, looking for a few other options to look at.  It's gotta be something I can buy new, I'm not going to give him a used club....

[ajschn06]

rvgolfer, on 21 November 2012 - 07:54 PM, said:

Tweaking in my opinion is over-rated, and is likely to cause as many problems as it solves, so my suggestion would be a G-15,,I think now is down to $199 most places.

The G-15 is forgiving and has good distance, plus it will look good in the bag,  and if he doesnt like it, he can sell it quite easily.

Number 2 on my list!  I was thinking adjustable only because he hits his current driver well, and could adjust to find something that felt similar?

I agree on tweaking, I have no interest in an adjustable driver, but this one isn't for me!

[KILLEDBYASHANKEDWEDGE]

Here you go:
http://www.rockbotto...ds-drivers.html

Brand new from $49.99 and up. The Callaway Diablo Octane with a R flex Project X shaft for $89.99 is a name brand bargain!

The VRS is $170 and the VR Pro is $188

Edited by KILLEDBYASHANKEDWEDGE, 21 November 2012 - 09:39 PM.

[DC300]

The Fast 11 was just on Divot.com for $39.99 .. silly price

[Terp]

Dick's Sporting Goods has the RBZ for $199 starting tomorrow.  I also like the VRS.  It is $199 as well.

[Myherobobhope]

Cobra S3

[40simguy]

Just picked up a white Cobra ZL Encore for $159 on the Bay (new).  So far, it's been pretty solid if not pretty close to my gamer (910D2 with a Claymore shaft).

[JDorfler]

[Stetson]

Usually when buying a golf gift for somebody that isn't gaming the newest gear, I'd stick with name he has heard of even if there are better out there.  The goal is to have him open the package and be excited.  The Launch Lab isn't going to give him much excitement even though it is a total beast!  Stick with discounted clubs such as: G15, Razr Hawk, VR Pro Limited Edition, 910 D2/D3... if you want to go new that's great.  Usually the best bet is the main brands though (Callaway, Ping, Titleist)

[Ampire2121]

Taylormade r7 or r9 if he like tm drivers.

I loved my r7

[ajschn06]

Stetson, on 22 November 2012 - 10:49 AM, said:

Usually when buying a golf gift for somebody that isn't gaming the newest gear, I'd stick with name he has heard of even if there are better out there.  The goal is to have him open the package and be excited.  The Launch Lab isn't going to give him much excitement even though it is a total beast!  Stick with discounted clubs such as: G15, Razr Hawk, VR Pro Limited Edition, 910 D2/D3... if you want to go new that's great.  Usually the best bet is the e emain brands though (Callaway, Ping, Titleist)

I'm not really worried about that, he'll be excited no matter what.  The gesture will be the main thing, but if I bought it for him he'll know it's good no matter what brand it is...

[Wardman]

Pay for a fitting at one of the stores - don't guess what he might like only to have it sit in his garage.  Tell him he has $xxx amount to spend and/or go with him.  That will be the part that matters most and that you showed the interest IMO (plus it may help you in another aspect of the equation - your wife!!)

That's what I did for my father.

Edited by Wardman, 22 November 2012 - 11:32 AM.

[LBlack14]

FT-IQ Tour 9.5* Fubuki Tour 63S - you can get it right here for $75 shipped.

[mpm1960]

ajschn06, on 21 November 2012 - 07:56 PM, said:

dchoi87, on 21 November 2012 - 07:41 PM, said:

Titleist 910D would be a solid choice but if he's anything like the members of this forum, he'd probably prefer picking it out himself.  Maybe take him to get fit?

The head on the VRS has gotten good reviews but many have expressed disappointment in the stock shaft.  Great thought.  Best of luck.

He's nothing like the members of this forum, and shafts don't matter at all to him, which is why he has a son in law like me to pick out clubs for him.  He has a Wal Mart 5 hybrid in the bag that he smokes.  The last club I bought for him was a FT IZ 3 hybrid that he loves.  This isn't the typical WRX club selection.  I'm looking for a solid club that will be an upgrade from the Taylor Made 300 series, shaft matters little to none, and there are probably 5 to 10 clubs out there that will get the job done.  As I said the VRS was my first thought, looking for a few other options to look at.  It's gotta be something I can buy new, I'm not going to give him a used club....

Go to Global Gold and get him a 10 degree Callaway Ft-iz driver from their selection of used equipment ... you'll get an awesome driver that is very forgiving AND at a great price.  He obviously has confidence in the Ft-iz line with the 3 hybrid he's bagging, so going with the Ft-iz driver would probably be an acceptable choice for him (IMHO) ...

Mike

[Nessism]

KILLEDBYASHANKEDWEDGE, on 21 November 2012 - 08:25 PM, said:

Here you go:
http://www.rockbotto...ds-drivers.html

Brand new from $49.99 and up. The Callaway Diablo Octane with a R flex Project X shaft for $89.99 is a name brand bargain!

The VRS is $170 and the VR Pro is $188

Agree with shooting for the $100 mark.  The face on the Octane driver is as hot as anything, and the shaft is decent.  Can't go wrong.

Budget Golf has a bunch of good choices for the same price point including the RAZR Hawk driver...http://www.budgetgol...ort_direction=0

Coupons available to save an extra 15% (miss15you)

Edited by Nessism, 22 November 2012 - 12:18 PM.

[Beatupfender]

Wardman, on 22 November 2012 - 11:32 AM, said:

Pay for a fitting at one of the stores - don't guess what he might like only to have it sit in his garage.  Tell him he has $xxx amount to spend and/or go with him.  That will be the part that matters most and that you showed the interest IMO (plus it may help you in another aspect of the equation - your wife!!)

That's what I did for my father.

There's the winning post.
You get to spend the amount you meant to, he gets to be fitted with what will work best for him, AND you both get to spend some quality time together, which will mean far more than the dollars spent.

[Huntster]

I would also recommend the Octane. It felt really good when I tried it out in the store. To be honest I regretted not purchasing it.

[shepdog]

The G 15 had rave reviews for 2 years in a row. Very long and forgiving. Can't go wrong with this one, especially as a gift. See if you can find one with the Serrano shaft as the stock TFC shafts play a little soft. The TFC shafts are good shafts for the right player though. Also consider the first and second generation Superfast drivers.

[flip flappy]

I don't know what kind of shape your FIL is in or what kind of SS he has but I saw first hand what the right shaft can do for a senior. A buddy of mine's father bought a Callaway FT iq with a senior flex due to his swing speed decreasing with age. It was unbelievable how much yardage he picked up, mainly due to the fact his ball flight is now higher. He was also able to keep the ball in the fairway more easily.

[ajschn06]

Beatupfender, on 22 November 2012 - 12:46 PM, said:

Wardman, on 22 November 2012 - 11:32 AM, said:

Pay for a fitting at one of the stores - don't guess what he might like only to have it sit in his garage.  Tell him he has $xxx amount to spend and/or go with him.  That will be the part that matters most and that you showed the interest IMO (plus it may help you in another aspect of the equation - your wife!!)

That's what I did for my father.

There's the winning post.
You get to spend the amount you meant to, he gets to be fitted with what will work best for him, AND you both get to spend some quality time together, which will mean far more than the dollars spent.

He couldn't give two you know whats about a fitting.  We'll spend plenty of time together on the course while he's using his new driver, whatever it is.  I understand the golfwrx mentality on this, but it's not the answer.  Like I said earlier, there's a handful of drivers I could select that would do the job, just looking for some options...

[ajschn06]

mpm1960, on 22 November 2012 - 12:02 PM, said:

ajschn06, on 21 November 2012 - 07:56 PM, said:

dchoi87, on 21 November 2012 - 07:41 PM, said:

Titleist 910D would be a solid choice but if he's anything like the members of this forum, he'd probably prefer picking it out himself.  Maybe take him to get fit?

The head on the VRS has gotten good reviews but many have expressed disappointment in the stock shaft.  Great thought.  Best of luck.

He's nothing like the members of this forum, and shafts don't matter at all to him, which is why he has a son in law like me to pick out clubs for him.  He has a Wal Mart 5 hybrid in the bag that he smokes.  The last club I bought for him was a FT IZ 3 hybrid that he loves.  This isn't the typical WRX club selection.  I'm looking for a solid club that will be an upgrade from the Taylor Made 300 series, shaft matters little to none, and there are probably 5 to 10 clubs out there that will get the job done.  As I said the VRS was my first thought, looking for a few other options to look at.  It's gotta be something I can buy new, I'm not going to give him a used club....

Go to Global Gold and get him a 10 degree Callaway Ft-iz driver from their selection of used equipment ... you'll get an awesome driver that is very forgiving AND at a great price.  He obviously has confidence in the Ft-iz line with the 3 hybrid he's bagging, so going with the Ft-iz driver would probably be an acceptable choice for him (IMHO) ...

Mike

My brother has an FT IZ driver and smokes it, but as I said before, I understand the GRWX mentality on this, however, I'm not going to give him something used...

[ajschn06]

shepdog, on 22 November 2012 - 01:06 PM, said:

The G 15 had rave reviews for 2 years in a row. Very long and forgiving. Can't go wrong with this one, especially as a gift. See if you can find one with the Serrano shaft as the stock TFC shafts play a little soft. The TFC shafts are good shafts for the right player though. Also consider the first and second generation Superfast drivers.

That's where I'm looking right now.  I'm interested in the VRS right now because I can get it for a good price, and get it custom fitted from DD's and get it trimmed from that ridiculous 45.75 length.  G15 is on my list as well along with some old TM drivers(Superfast and R9)...

[FLGOLFJUNKIE]

R9 is my recommendation. Adjustable and plenty long.

[PZero]

If you can find a new R9 460, that would be my choice.

[sandd70]

ajschn06, on 21 November 2012 - 07:18 PM, said:

Buying my father in law a new driver for Xmas.  He hits his well, but still playing the Taylor made 300 series and I can't help but think he's leaving something out on the course.  He's not real serious about his game but plays in a fair share of tournaments and likes to score well, always has a few beers on the course.  I'm looking for something that's a little older model(discounted price), that will add distance and has some form of adjustability so he tweak a little.  I've been eyeing the Nike VRS (I think it's adjustable correct me if I'm wrong), any others I should think about for a golfer like that?

I might be your Father-in-law's age?  62.

I used a TM R7 Quad for years.  Playing partners always were 10-15 yards longer.    Last spring went looking for new driver.  Friend of mine who is sponsored by TM got me the TM RBZ 3 wood and hybrid; I really like them.  So, on a Demo day at my club, I tried the TM's; Ping's; Titleist. Favorite was the Adams Speedline.  As I was walking away from the Adams Tent, the Nike rep called me over to his equipment.   I had settled on the Speedline, but the Nike guy really begged me to hit the VRS  (he was watching me try out the Adams).  I decided to try the NIke.   I couldn't believe the distance, accuracy, etc.   Even one of the Club Pro's came by and remarked on ball flight, distance, etc.    I bought it with the Nike Fubuki shaft, stiff.

Everyone's swing is different, so it would help to try and get him fitted.   BTW.  I'm no longer hitting first from the fairway!  Definite improvement for me.  

ps.   My swing speed is 96+.   Hope this helps.