29 replies to this topic

[rocker40]

Titleist 913D2 , Nike Covert or PING G25 - High handicap drivers...

Struggled off the tee in 2012 and looking for more consistency.  Which of the new driver offerings
will fit the high handicaps?

Thanks...

[Mitch.Parker]

Maybe all of them will. What driver did you play last year? What shaft and flex did you play last year? What was your normal miss? But, truly the only way to know for sure is to find a demo day and whack 'em.

[JasonFL]

I say forget them all.

Go to golfsmith used club section and pick up a Anser for super cheap.

I bought mine yesterday for $225 w/regular flex blur. Absolutely mint! Went to Home Depot and bought a T25 torx wrench and am using my G20 head cover. As it came with neither.

Golfsmith sales are pushing these pretty hard. Probably poorly fit drivers being returned quickly.


With a smooth and relaxed 105 mph swing I was launching at 12.5 with 2500 to 3000 rpms.

If I swung hard I was launching at like 6 degrees but that's another issue.

I consider the 175 I saved shaft upgrade money.

[rocker40]

Mitch.Parker, on 08 January 2013 - 11:03 AM, said:

Maybe all of them will. What driver did you play last year? What shaft and flex did you play last year? What was your normal miss? But, truly the only way to know for sure is to find a demo day and whack 'em.

I played the R11s driver with a Kaili 60 Stiff in it.  My miss was a slice that ive been working on.
Im going with a shorter/heavier shaft in 2013.

[sbjinx]

I tried the 913D2 (and D3) and I thought the D2 was a excellent driver.  Nothing colorful and fancy but has a nice look, sound great and feels hot off the face.  I also like the various stock offering in the 913 (all real deal shafts).  I'm waiting for the Covert (just cause I think it looks awesome) but if it doesn't perform for me, I'm going to get the 913.

Ping is also a popular choice as a very long, forgiving driver with simple good looks.  At the end of the day, most drivers are very similar if fit correctly so you have to pick the one that looks good in your eyes and have confidence swinging.

[soufrog]

I can't speak for the new stuff but I was doing the same thing with my r11s I went to a little shorter shaft and a g20 and its a fairway finding machine. I love the titleist stuff but always spins so much for me. When I miss its a huge slice nothing like that from the g20

[home0006]

rocker40, on 08 January 2013 - 12:05 PM, said:

Mitch.Parker, on 08 January 2013 - 11:03 AM, said:

Maybe all of them will. What driver did you play last year? What shaft and flex did you play last year? What was your normal miss? But, truly the only way to know for sure is to find a demo day and whack 'em.

I played the R11s driver with a Kaili 60 Stiff in it.  My miss was a slice that ive been working on.
Im going with a shorter/heavier shaft in 2013.

Rather than replace the driver entirely, you might want to look on Ebay for a new shaft.  Just did that and I put in a 42" Project X Black into my RBZ and like it even better now.

[MattMo]

JasonFL, on 08 January 2013 - 11:03 AM, said:

I say forget them all.

Go to golfsmith used club section and pick up a Anser for super cheap.

I bought mine yesterday for $225 w/regular flex blur. Absolutely mint! Went to Home Depot and bought a T25 torx wrench and am using my G20 head cover. As it came with neither.

Golfsmith sales are pushing these pretty hard. Probably poorly fit drivers being returned quickly.


With a smooth and relaxed 105 mph swing I was launching at 12.5 with 2500 to 3000 rpms.

If I swung hard I was launching at like 6 degrees but that's another issue.

I consider the 175 I saved shaft upgrade money.

I really don't think the Anser is designed for high handicap golfers.  It's designed to offer a lower spin option, which probably hurts more high handicap golfers than not.  Now the OP didn't state whether he needs a high ball flight or low flight, but as a generalization, I think he would be better suited for something offering a higher trajectory for max carry and forgiveness.  Need more info though.

Of the 3 options you mentioned, I don't know why you wouldn't try them all and decide for yourself which one works the best.  Generally speaking though, I really don't associate Titleist with high handicappers.  Not to say it wouldn't work awesome for you, just saying....

Edited by MattMo, 08 January 2013 - 01:16 PM.

[JasonFL]

MattMo, on 08 January 2013 - 01:12 PM, said:

JasonFL, on 08 January 2013 - 11:03 AM, said:

I say forget them all.

Go to golfsmith used club section and pick up a Anser for super cheap.

I bought mine yesterday for $225 w/regular flex blur. Absolutely mint! Went to Home Depot and bought a T25 torx wrench and am using my G20 head cover. As it came with neither.

Golfsmith sales are pushing these pretty hard. Probably poorly fit drivers being returned quickly.


With a smooth and relaxed 105 mph swing I was launching at 12.5 with 2500 to 3000 rpms.

If I swung hard I was launching at like 6 degrees but that's another issue.

I consider the 175 I saved shaft upgrade money.

I really don't think the Anser is designed for high handicap golfers.  It's designed to offer a lower spin option, which probably hurts more high handicap golfers than not.  Now the OP didn't state whether he needs a high ball flight or low flight, but as a generalization, I think he would be better suited for something offering a higher trajectory for max carry and forgiveness.  Need more info though.

Of the 3 options you mentioned, I don't know why you wouldn't try them all and decide for yourself which one works the best.  Generally speaking though, I really don't associate Titleist with high handicappers.  Not to say it wouldn't work awesome for you, just saying....

I offered the anser due to the titleist and covert both being low spin driver. Assuming the coverts weight location does what they say it will do.

The G25 is probably the most forgiving of the bunch.

[Gbyeball]

G15 and G20 were and are uber forgiving so G25 should the same or more. Spend the money and go get fit that is the best way to see what really works best for you and your swing.

[CTEagle]

When are the Covert and G25 supposed to be available to demo in stores?

[MattMo]

CTEagle, on 08 January 2013 - 02:32 PM, said:

When are the Covert and G25 supposed to be available to demo in stores?

I would like to know this as well.  Called my local store last week and the guy I spoke with wasn't sure when the demo clubs would arrive.

[JohnnyB Hips]

Titleist 910D2 instead of the new 913D2. Super cheap nowadays. Lots of forgiveness. You can adjust it to you current swing. Once your swing improves, you can adjust it again.

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

One thing about the Titleist driver (whether 913D2 or 910D2) is it should be an inch or more shorter than either of the others. So when you cut it down to a high-handicapper, struggles-off-the-tee friendly 44" or so total length you can lead tape it back up to a reasonable swingweight much easier with the Titleist.

Whatever you buy, in my opinion 44" should be the absolute max (a half inch to full inch shorter, even better) for any double-digit handicapper who can't find a fairway...

[robertpetry]

[quote name='JasonFL' timestamp='1357661023' post='6190307']
I say forget them all.

Go to golfsmith used club section and pick up a Anser for super cheap.

I bought mine yesterday for $225 w/regular flex blur. Absolutely mint! Went to Home Depot and bought a T25 torx wrench and am using my G20 head cover. As it came with neither.

Golfsmith sales are pushing these pretty hard. Probably poorly fit drivers being returned quickly.


With a smooth and relaxed 105 mph swing I was launching at 12.5 with 2500 to 3000 rpms.

If I swung hard I was launching at like 6 degrees but that's another issue.

I consider the 175 I saved shaft upgrade money.
[/quote]

I went into Golfsmith a week ago with a new 913D3 I received for Christmas with the hope of checking the fit.  Aft hitting several shafts and other clubs I got the best numbers with (and walked out with) an Anser.  Why are they pushing them hard?  Are you suggesting that they have an agenda pushing Ping Ansers?  Why?

[quote name='MattMo' timestamp='1357668732' post='6191135']
[quote name='JasonFL' timestamp='1357661023' post='6190307']
I say forget them all.

Go to golfsmith used club section and pick up a Anser for super cheap......
[/quote]

I really don't think the Anser is designed for high handicap golfers.  It's designed to offer a lower spin option, which probably hurts more high handicap golfers than not.....
[/quote]

I need some help on this one. The reason I am missing so many fairways is because I am putting too much side spin on the ball.  I have an 18 hcp. Wy would lower spin hurt me?  Thanks, I'm confused.

[quote name='JasonFL' timestamp='1357671401' post='6191473']
[quote name='MattMo' timestamp='1357668732' post='6191135']
[quote name='JasonFL' timestamp='1357661023' post='6190307']
I say forget them all.

Go to golfsmith used club section and pick up a Anser for super cheap.

I bought mine yesterday for $225 w/regular flex blur. Absolutely mint! Went to Home Depot and bought a T25 torx wrench and am using my G20 head cover. As it came with neither.

Golfsmith sales are pushing these pretty hard. Probably poorly fit drivers being returned quickly.


With a smooth and relaxed 105 mph swing I was launching at 12.5 with 2500 to 3000 rpms.

If I swung hard I was launching at like 6 degrees but that's another issue.

I consider the 175 I saved shaft upgrade money.
[/quote]

I really don't think the Anser is designed for high handicap golfers.  It's designed to offer a lower spin option, which probably hurts more high handicap golfers than not.  Now the OP didn't state whether he needs a high ball flight or low flight, but as a generalization, I think he would be better suited for something offering a higher trajectory for max carry and forgiveness.  Need more info though.

Of the 3 options you mentioned, I don't know why you wouldn't try them all and decide for yourself which one works the best.  Generally speaking though, I really don't associate Titleist with high handicappers.  Not to say it wouldn't work awesome for you, just saying....
[/quote]

I offered the anser due to the titleist and covert both being low spin driver. Assuming the coverts weight location does what they say it will do.

The G25 is probably the most forgiving of the bunch.
[/quote]

What would make the G25 more forgiving then the Anser I just picked up due to low side spin?

[Doc Mcstuffins]

most high hc players can use more spin to help elevate the ball. Too low spin and the ball goes nowhere. Spin is gong to be the biggest difference between the Anser and G series. As far as just making contact? G25 and Anser are the same size.

Edited by Doc Mcstuffins, 09 January 2013 - 02:12 PM.

[MattMo]

Doc Mcstuffins, on 09 January 2013 - 02:11 PM, said:

most high hc players can use more spin to help elevate the ball. Too low spin and the ball goes nowhere. Spin is gong to be the biggest difference between the Anser and G series. As far as just making contact? G25 and Anser are the same size.

This is exactly why I bypassed the Anser and kept with my K15.  My SS is mid-upper 90's, so slightly higher spin helps my game.  This is also why the G25 will probably be in my bag this spring.  I have never bought a brand new driver and I have a little disposable income to blow after placing in a college bowl contest.  Looking forward to getting fit for the ideal combo.

[morebeerbettergolf]

There are plenty of young strong high HC that can crush the ball but need spin reduction so mishits stay somewhere on the course.  G25 for a low ball low spin duffer, Nike or Anser for someone needing lower flight and lower spin to keep the ball in play.  

I am a double digit HC and the G25 or 910D2 would probably be some of the worst drivers-for me-I could possibly buy.

[boycer11]

morebeerbettergolf, on 01 February 2013 - 12:42 PM, said:

There are plenty of young strong high HC that can crush the ball but need spin reduction so mishits stay somewhere on the course.  G25 for a low ball low spin duffer, Nike or Anser for someone needing lower flight and lower spin to keep the ball in play.  

I am a double digit HC and the G25 or 910D2 would probably be some of the worst drivers-for me-I could possibly buy.

Your just saying that because they aren't jdm. lol.

[halfsumo]

G25 is soooo big looking down at address, it might give you a ton of confidence.  At first I thought it was super ugly, but it's so big it makes other drivers look like 3 woods and I started to like it.  When I looked at other drivers after the G25, I was a lot less confident that I could swing away and hit the sweet spot. The matte finish is super cool as well.

[Doc Mcstuffins]

I could play pretty much any driver as could anyone on the PING tour staff. There's a level of confidence you get from something as big as the G series that's worth it's weight in gold. Especially if you play any kind of competitive golf where your tee ball actually means something.

[Centrecut]

rocker40, on 08 January 2013 - 10:53 AM, said:

Titleist 913D2 , Nike Covert or PING G25 - High handicap drivers...

Struggled off the tee in 2012 and looking for more consistency.  Which of the new driver offerings
will fit the high handicaps?

Thanks...

Doc was spot on regarding your need for little more spin. You might want to look at the Ping G20 and save some dollars. The G20 will spin more than G25 according to Ping. Another one to look at would be the Nike VRS which was a real surprise driver. You can pick up great buys used on either the Ping G20 or Nike VRS.

[Doc Mcstuffins]

Centrecut, on 01 February 2013 - 01:50 PM, said:

rocker40, on 08 January 2013 - 10:53 AM, said:

Titleist 913D2 , Nike Covert or PING G25 - High handicap drivers...

Struggled off the tee in 2012 and looking for more consistency.  Which of the new driver offerings
will fit the high handicaps?

Thanks...

Doc was spot on regarding your need for little more spin. You might want to look at the Ping G20 and save some dollars. The G20 will spin more than G25 according to Ping. Another one to look at would be the Nike VRS which was a real surprise driver. You can pick up great buys used on either the Ping G20 or Nike VRS.

Right on! Check out my PING 2013 driver comparison thread. G20 was the longest for me even though I'm gonna give the G25 a run at some point. It's incredible that through a place like Golfsmith you could order a G20 with UST VTS for $285. I mean...that's gonna be a hard stick to beat....superb bang for your buck right there.

[Rock Chalk Jayhawk]

rocker40, on 08 January 2013 - 10:53 AM, said:

Titleist 913D2 , Nike Covert or PING G25 - High handicap drivers...

Struggled off the tee in 2012 and looking for more consistency.  Which of the new driver offerings
will fit the high handicaps?

Thanks...

If you are serious about becoming more consistent off the tee, go get fit for a custom built driver by a trained, experienced clubmaker. You probably need more loft and a shorter & softer shaft than you realize.

[JasonFL]

morebeerbettergolf, on 01 February 2013 - 12:42 PM, said:

There are plenty of young strong high HC that can crush the ball but need spin reduction so mishits stay somewhere on the course.  G25 for a low ball low spin duffer, Nike or Anser for someone needing lower flight and lower spin to keep the ball in play.  

This ^^^

Baseball insists on staying in my driver swing. My iron play is it an issue.

Anser+a heavy shaft+me getting my hips out of the way= awesomeness!

[markactor12]

Rock Chalk Jayhawk, on 01 February 2013 - 02:09 PM, said:

rocker40, on 08 January 2013 - 10:53 AM, said:

Titleist 913D2 , Nike Covert or PING G25 - High handicap drivers...

Struggled off the tee in 2012 and looking for more consistency.  Which of the new driver offerings
will fit the high handicaps?

Thanks...

If you are serious about becoming more consistent off the tee, go get fit for a custom built driver by a trained, experienced clubmaker. You probably need more loft and a shorter & softer shaft than you realize.

Agreed

[morebeerbettergolf]

I am still looking for the place the OP said he doesn't spin the ball enough, hits too low, etc.  

Listening to equipment companies cost me a couple years of good driving because they say, here's a forgiving driver, this is what a High HC needs...except I didn't need a high launch/higher spin head, so it was the exact wrong thing for me to do.  When I first started golfing again in 09 I played a G10, then a G15, then a 910D2 and spun them all off the planet.  

It took me a lot of dollars and time to figure out through some real fittings that I was actually better off going the complete opposite direction than what message board posters and equipment companies were trying to tell me.

It is quite possible that the OP hits a high slice (what I used to do) and could use some spin reduction, yet everyone is recommending higher spin and higher launch clubs.  He might be hitting a low knuckleball slice in which case those suggestions might be great.

Point is, we don't know.  And golf being a counter-intuitive game so often, you are money ahead to go get fitted and find out what's going on with your swing and what equipment suits you.  You don't have to buy anything, just go to learn.

[Night train]

morebeerbettergolf, on 01 February 2013 - 12:42 PM, said:

There are plenty of young strong high HC that can crush the ball but need spin reduction so mishits stay somewhere on the course.  G25 for a low ball low spin duffer, Nike or Anser for someone needing lower flight and lower spin to keep the ball in play.  

I am a double digit HC and the G25 or 910D2 would probably be some of the worst drivers-for me-I could possibly buy.

The G25 will fit a LOT more than "low ball low spin duffer".................the G series drivers have received lots of Tour play over the years and the G25 will be no different.

If high launch was a true problem, you'd never see tour players hitting three woods off the tee. The secret is to be properly fit for loft, length, and shaft. The forgiveness the club offers is a great asset to many levels of players. Westwood and Watson have switched already and both have plenty of swingspeed.

[morebeerbettergolf]

Night train, on 26 February 2013 - 07:18 PM, said:

morebeerbettergolf, on 01 February 2013 - 12:42 PM, said:

There are plenty of young strong high HC that can crush the ball but need spin reduction so mishits stay somewhere on the course.  G25 for a low ball low spin duffer, Nike or Anser for someone needing lower flight and lower spin to keep the ball in play.  

I am a double digit HC and the G25 or 910D2 would probably be some of the worst drivers-for me-I could possibly buy.

The G25 will fit a LOT more than "low ball low spin duffer".................the G series drivers have received lots of Tour play over the years and the G25 will be no different.

If high launch was a true problem, you'd never see tour players hitting three woods off the tee. The secret is to be properly fit for loft, length, and shaft. The forgiveness the club offers is a great asset to many levels of players. Westwood and Watson have switched already and both have plenty of swingspeed.

I understand all this, I was generalizing that different heads generally fit different player types.  A G25 would likely be of more help to a low ball hitter than an Anser, and vice versa.  We can't properly recommend anything without knowing what the player's traits are anyways.  The last sentence of my post directly above yours tells the OP to go get fitted.

[LObin]

Can I ask why your selection doesn't include drivers like callaway X-Hot, Cobra Amp Cell and Adams super S? Not necessarly better than the models you've proposed but very good options in the category of Game improvement drivers.

BUT, no matter what you decide to game this year, cutting the shaft down to 43.5"-44" is going to make a HUGE difference in consistency while affecting minimally (if not improving) distance.. And this isn't coming from me but from Tom Wishon and Howard Jones. If you can't get professionaly fit, you may want to try the DIY driver fitting technic from Howard Jones.
Here's the link...

http://www.golfwrx.c...-a-shaft-today/