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United States24745 Posts
There hasn't been a golf thread in a while (other than about pro tourneys). One reason why I haven't talked about it on tl is I stopped playing years ago and my clubs have been sitting around collecting dust. When I was on my cruise to Canada a few weeks ago there was a golf pro aboard giving lessons. I took a lesson and felt motivated to get back into it.
Since then, I've signed up for lessons with a local pro (I can't even remember how to hit the ball that well haha). After the second lesson he took a look at my set and commented that my woods are particularly outdated (he said my irons are fine). Years ago I had gotten a set of clubs that say Triumph Instinct on them. Anyway, the cast iron heads on the woods are apparently pretty weak by today's standards.
What woods should I get?
I don't want to spend a ton of money so the top of the line best clubs are probably not for me. I stopped by my local golf store where I original purchased the old set and, except for a couple of buy one driver get one fairway wood free sales, the woods all seem to be sold pretty much a la carte. My irons are steel but I believe I should be going with graphite for the woods.
My original set came with 1, 3, and 5. Later on I had gotten a steel 7 wood to experiment and liked using it from the rough. My driver is since kinda dented so even if I didn't replace the 3 and 5 I would still want to do something about the driver. My best bet is probably to get a 9.5 or 10.5 degree driver with a regular flex graphite shaft, and a 3 and 5 wood that match each other.
What are my options? I could go to a brick and mortar store or order online if it is better. According to the salesman, I can get halfway decent woods for 150, 100, 100, or a very nice set of woods for 100-200 more dollars total. I'm stuck between two options: spending a little extra to get the nice woods that will be worth keeping even if I change over my irons, and just getting as inexpensive of woods as I can get away with to make my set playable and being prepared to get new woods in the future if I ever get a nice set of irons. In addition to suggestions for clubs/retailers, I would love if anyone could weight in on this decision.
Enough ranting. What are good golf clubs?
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have you considered getting fitted for clubs? many golf shops can put you through a few tests to determine what clubs and angles are the best fit for you, it cost a little extra but it's usually worth it
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On July 26 2009 10:41 jonnyp wrote:
have you considered getting fitted for clubs? many golf shops can put you through a few tests to determine what clubs and angles are the best fit for you, it cost a little extra but it's usually worth it
I have never played golf extensively, but I think this seems like a good idea. When I played, I never knew what clubs were best for me, so I just picked the closest club I had, and tried it. Sometimes I chose right, sometimes not. It would have been nice to have clubs better fit for me when I played. I haven't golfed in quite a while but every now and then I'll go outside and hit a few balls.
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There's a fairway 3wood that I got last year and it has become the best club in my bag. 215 yards dead straight when I hit it right. It's been ridiculously awesome. I'll have to go check out what make/type it is, I bought it used from some golf store, that's the way to go really find the good deals at the smaller golf shops there's always good stuff to be salvaged.
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By todays standards you can't really go wrong with a lot of the clubs you see in most golf shops. Cheaper brands tend to try and imitate more well known brands such as taylormade and callaway so even they're mostly decent. Your best bet would be going to a local golf shop and spend a few hours going through sets of woods not paying any particular attention to prices or brands.
Head size, shaft length, and weight should be what you pay most attention to. ( <---lol) I, for instance, hit best with shorter shafts, small heads, and quite a bit of weight. If you find that you like a set that's a little out of your price range then ask a salesman for clubs similar to those, This is basically what I've done for the past 12 years and its seen me through a few good sets of clubs than I've enjoyed for a long while.
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I've found that more than the clubs themselves, it's the technique. I've finally started hitting the ball right and with 4 different drivers, my ball goes about the same amount, about 210-250 yards, no matter which one I used.
I don't pretend to know anything about golf clubs, but I like Calloway and TaylorMade, the latter is what my dad uses and it seems to work well for him.
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On July 26 2009 11:14 Archaic wrote:Show nested quote +On July 26 2009 10:41 jonnyp wrote:
have you considered getting fitted for clubs? many golf shops can put you through a few tests to determine what clubs and angles are the best fit for you, it cost a little extra but it's usually worth it I have never played golf extensively, but I think this seems like a good idea. When I played, I never knew what clubs were best for me, so I just picked the closest club I had, and tried it. Sometimes I chose right, sometimes not. It would have been nice to have clubs better fit for me when I played. I haven't golfed in quite a while but every now and then I'll go outside and hit a few balls.
yeah, you can't go wrong getting fitted (make sure they are a professional fitter though). you can pick up some good deals, especially on used clubs, but without getting fitted it's pretty much a crap shoot on whether the club will work for you.
even if the golf shop doesn't offer fitting many will have display clubs of different models that you can test out (if they have their own driving range)
on the downside it can be expesive :/. im pretty sure, though, that they would work with a budget
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I would definitely recommend you do some research on different clubs you're interested in. Check prices, read reviews, etc. Once you have a few different clubs in mind head up to your local golf store and explain to them that you're just getting back into golf and you want to try out a few clubs. I actually did this quite a few times with many different people, so I knew they weren't trying to just sell me clubs to get them out of the store. I found that most of the sales people were pretty consistent in their recommendations.
I just recently purchased a new set of irons a little over a week ago. The irons I had before them were old, but not horrible. However, I decided to look for a much more forgiving, higher-MOI set. After testing at least ten different iron sets, the Nike Sumo SQ's were a perfect fit for me. I highly recommend this set to anyone, but I believe it's more important to have your clubs fitted. Also I wouldn't really worry about the fitting costs. If you tell them that you're interested in buying a set they will generally fit you for no charge (they did for me at least). May I ask the name of the golf shop your going to?
I use to play golf just about every weekend several years ago, but I quit for a long time and just started getting back into it. With the technological advances of golf clubs and the popularity of hybrids I found myself barely ever using fairway woods. This is one of the reasons why you're seeing so many major club manufacturers doing those "buy a driver get a fairway wood free" deals. As for your dilemma about which clubs you should buy it's a very difficult decision that you will have to make. I can't tell you how many times I went into several different golf stores in my area just trying to make my mind up about what to buy. Golf clubs are a pretty big investment, so be sure you take your time in making your decision.
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United States24745 Posts
On July 26 2009 12:28 Colbi wrote:
May I ask the name of the golf shop your going to?
I went to the New York Golf Center which has a store near me. There are several other golf stores in my area I'm pretty sure but I haven't visited most of them. I'm not even 100% how to figure out which ones there are...
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On July 26 2009 12:28 Colbi wrote:
I would definitely recommend you do some research on different clubs you're interested in. Check prices, read reviews, etc. Once you have a few different clubs in mind head up to your local golf store and explain to them that you're just getting back into golf and you want to try out a few clubs. I actually did this quite a few times with many different people, so I knew they weren't trying to just sell me clubs to get them out of the store. I found that most of the sales people were pretty consistent in their recommendations.
I just recently purchased a new set of irons a little over a week ago. The irons I had before them were old, but not horrible. However, I decided to look for a much more forgiving, higher-MOI set. After testing at least ten different iron sets, the Nike Sumo SQ's were a perfect fit for me. I highly recommend this set to anyone, but I believe it's more important to have your clubs fitted. Also I wouldn't really worry about the fitting costs. If you tell them that you're interested in buying a set they will generally fit you for no charge (they did for me at least). May I ask the name of the golf shop your going to?
I use to play golf just about every weekend several years ago, but I quit for a long time and just started getting back into it. With the technological advances of golf clubs and the popularity of hybrids I found myself barely ever using fairway woods. This is one of the reasons why you're seeing so many major club manufacturers doing those "buy a driver get a fairway wood free" deals. As for your dilemma about which clubs you should buy it's a very difficult decision that you will have to make. I can't tell you how many times I went into several different golf stores in my area just trying to make my mind up about what to buy. Golf clubs are a pretty big investment, so be sure you take your time in making your decision.
i totally forgot about my hybrid, <3. definitely > fairway woods, the one i have (fairly cheap knock off xD) is so easy to hit but it still gives good distance
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United States11637 Posts
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On July 26 2009 12:44 boesthius wrote:
I'm actually going to get fitted for clubs in a week or so - I'm starting up golf again as well after playing in a benefit tournament last week with my dad. i've been fitted before when i was a freshman in high school and before i grew 8 inches - and those clubs were amazing. if you plan on playing again for a while and it's not just a spur of the moment OH MAN I WANNA GOLF but will die off within a month or so, then getting fitted isn't worth it. i also definitely agree with everyone recommending hybrids - i am a horrible shot on the fairway with a wood, but that's changed once i started using my hybrid; which is somewhat weird.
colbi gives some pretty good advice, sounds like he knows more than me haha.
you mean it is?
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[/u]
After doing a quick search I found a Golfsmith and Dick's Sporting Goods possibly within your area:
[url=http://www.golfsmith.com/ps/retail_store.php?zip_code=10001]http://www.golfsmith.com/ps/retail_store.php?zip_code=10001
[url=http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/corp/index.jsp?page=storeLocator&zip=10001]http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/corp/index.jsp?page=storeLocator&zip=10001[/url]
I recommend these major retailers because it's much more common they're going to have a larger selection, more frequent sales. It might be a good idea to subscribe to their e-mail newsletters, so you know when they're having decent sales. Another thing about purchasing golf clubs is getting them at the right time. I found the Father's Day sales to be the best, but that holiday is over. I expect a lot of the stores to do some more mark downs on different clubs before summer officially ends though.
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United States11637 Posts
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United States24745 Posts
I've been to a couple of stores since I made the thread, and I've since given my teaching pro a call on the phone.
Summary of salesman 1: Take advantage of a driver + fairway wood deal, get another fairway wood, and you are set. Alternately, you can get away with just a 3 wood for a while if you aren't going to buy several woods.
Summary of salesman 2 (Golfsmith Store): You need a driver no matter what, but instead of getting a fairway wood from the sale, get a hybrid instead. Get a driver and 4h and that will cover you for a good while. If you get to the situation where you desperately need another 10-15 yards off the 4h, then finally get a 3h. You shouldn't need anything in between a driver and the 3h unless you get very good. Also, judging from your size and level you probably shouldn't bother trying to get fitted yet.
Summary of conversation with my teaching pro afterward: I don't advise you to follow the advice of salesman 2. I actually have a hybrid in my bag, but generally you shouldn't have a problem with your 3 and 4 iron and it's nice having clubs that you can put back in your stance and get a lower ball path (which the hybrids can't do). Also the gap in between your driver and say the 4h or 3h will not be a big deal until suddenly you have 220 to the green and all you can do is shove your thumb up your ass because you have to lay up. Hold on, you can practice with your woods in the meantime, and by September they will have begun practically giving clubs away.
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+ Show Spoiler +
It's like sex on a stick.
Edit: But on a more serious note, I will casually drop your concerns into conversation at work tomorrow and see what my pros say.
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thedeadhaji
39489 Posts
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thedeadhaji
39489 Posts
It's VERY likely that the thing you need to do the most is regrip your irons or sandpaper them down so they are tacky again. Having out of shape grips is literally the worst thing you can have, muchmoreso than an outdated set of clubs.
If you're just getting back into golf, then your #1 priority is building yoru swing and sharpening your shortgame. Ratio of practice time, if you are serious about improving, should be AT LEAST 70% into shortgame and 30% into fullswing, and honestly for 99% of amateurs, should actually be closer to 90/10.
If your iron grips are fine, then the next thing you need to do is make SURE your coach is actually decent, not some random schmuck. See if you're within driving distance of the top coaches in New york (if that's where you live atm). Being coached by a mediocre instructor is devastating for the long-term health of your game.
http://www.golfdigest.com/images/rankings/2007/08/gd200708bestinstate_teachers.pdf
Otherwise, see if there are 'academy' type places under reknown teachers such as David Leadbetter, Jim Mclean, any of the Harmon brothers, Jim Flick, etc.
You honestly only need to consider buying woods if/when you can hit the ball where you want it about 70%+ of the time and can actually control your game. Just play from the whites and honestly the vast majority of courses are easily playable - I can prolly still break 90 with no woods even though my game is in abysmal shape haha.
Also if you dont mind, could you take a pic of your clubs: the clubface, the back, and the grips?
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United States24745 Posts
On July 28 2009 19:04 thedeadhaji wrote:It's VERY likely that the thing you need to do the most is regrip your irons or sandpaper them down so they are tacky again. Having out of shape grips is literally the worst thing you can have, muchmoreso than an outdated set of clubs. If you're just getting back into golf, then your #1 priority is building yoru swing and sharpening your shortgame. Ratio of practice time, if you are serious about improving, should be AT LEAST 70% into shortgame and 30% into fullswing, and honestly for 99% of amateurs, should actually be closer to 90/10. If your iron grips are fine, then the next thing you need to do is make SURE your coach is actually decent, not some random schmuck. See if you're within driving distance of the top coaches in New york (if that's where you live atm). Being coached by a mediocre instructor is devastating for the long-term health of your game. http://www.golfdigest.com/images/rankings/2007/08/gd200708bestinstate_teachers.pdfOtherwise, see if there are 'academy' type places under reknown teachers such as David Leadbetter, Jim Mclean, any of the Harmon brothers, Jim Flick, etc. You honestly only need to consider buying woods if/when you can hit the ball where you want it about 70%+ of the time and can actually control your game. Just play from the whites and honestly the vast majority of courses are easily playable - I can prolly still break 90 with no woods even though my game is in abysmal shape haha. Also if you dont mind, could you take a pic of your clubs: the clubface, the back, and the grips?
Shit Haji you seem hardcore. I'll definitely follow up in this later today.
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17018 Posts
When I first read this thread, I thought it was going to be about the actual clubs like Bridgewater Golf Club or something, not the sticks you use to hit golf balls with XD
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United States24745 Posts
On July 29 2009 01:35 Empyrean wrote:
When I first read this thread, I thought it was going to be about the actual clubs like Bridgewater Golf Club or something, not the sticks you use to hit golf balls with XD
Haha yeah that confusion Comes up a bit. There are several clubs within walking distance (barely) of my house actually, but I think they are very expensive (not sure since they don't advertise their rates). There are probably about 30 clubs withing a 30 minute drive of here!
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off topic but,
289 is your high game? that's amazing (just read your sig lol), if i may ask, how'd you miss 300?
@micronesia btw
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United States24745 Posts
On July 29 2009 05:04 jonnyp wrote:
off topic but,
289 is your high game? that's amazing (just read your sig lol), if i may ask, how'd you miss 300?
@micronesia btw
10 in a row, then a 9 spare.
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Go Callaway man ~
My dad used to play with that.
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On July 29 2009 05:31 micronesia wrote:Show nested quote +On July 29 2009 05:04 jonnyp wrote:
off topic but,
289 is your high game? that's amazing (just read your sig lol), if i may ask, how'd you miss 300?
@micronesia btw 10 in a row, then a 9 spare.
really off topic, but thats brutal man. sorry to hear that
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United States24745 Posts
On July 29 2009 08:04 Pawsom wrote:Show nested quote +On July 29 2009 05:31 micronesia wrote:On July 29 2009 05:04 jonnyp wrote:
off topic but,
289 is your high game? that's amazing (just read your sig lol), if i may ask, how'd you miss 300?
@micronesia btw 10 in a row, then a 9 spare. really off topic, but thats brutal man. sorry to hear that
Oh it wasn't bad at all. The bowling alley was empty so I didn't end up with like 100 people watching me for the last frame or two. My high prior than that was a 279 so I was still very happy with a 289.
My friend has had several 299s including one during the sanctioned league lol
Although he's had a couple of unofficial 300s.
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United States24745 Posts
On July 28 2009 19:04 thedeadhaji wrote:
It's VERY likely that the thing you need to do the most is regrip your irons or sandpaper them down so they are tacky again. Having out of shape grips is literally the worst thing you can have, muchmoreso than an outdated set of clubs. Ah interesting. I hadn't thought about the grips that much, but let me look into that now.
If you're just getting back into golf, then your #1 priority is building yoru swing and sharpening your shortgame. Ratio of practice time, if you are serious about improving, should be AT LEAST 70% into shortgame and 30% into fullswing, and honestly for 99% of amateurs, should actually be closer to 90/10. This advice reminds me of when I was interested in Go, the board game, and a good player told me I should play like 1000 games before I do anything else. He said I needed me to gain the experience of playing a lot of games before I started reviewing games, discussing strategy and joseki, etc. I told him I didn't think that was what I wanted to do since I wasn't all that serious to which he responded that I should not question his teaching strategies and how he had gotten them from a pro. Meanwhile, I sorta quit go after that.
If my goal is to become as good as possible then I fully understand your point about focusing on short game. My understanding is that the difference between a scratch golfer and a pro is 99% short game. However, the difference between going to a golf course and doing all right VS embarrassing yourself with complete mishits etc has a much more long-game heavy ratio.
There are one or two like 45 minutes away, but none reasonably close by. The guy I'm working with is not listed. I'm not sure how to truly evaluate how good he is, but so far I am very satisfied at least.
Otherwise, see if there are 'academy' type places under reknown teachers such as David Leadbetter, Jim Mclean, any of the Harmon brothers, Jim Flick, etc. I don't know how to do this.
You honestly only need to consider buying woods if/when you can hit the ball where you want it about 70%+ of the time and can actually control your game. Just play from the whites and honestly the vast majority of courses are easily playable - I can prolly still break 90 with no woods even though my game is in abysmal shape haha.
Back when I played I got to the point where I could afford to focus somewhat on woods. I'm confident that I will reach that point soon where I'm confident with all of my shorter clubs. The courses that I have played near my house, with one exception, are rather difficult without woods. While I certainly can afford to de-emphasize woods while I'm doing my first rounds back, I ultimately consider getting woods into my arsenal important.
Also if you dont mind, could you take a pic of your clubs: the clubface, the back, and the grips?
+ Show Spoiler [clubs] +Here are some shots of some of my clubs. If you need anything else let me know. 7 iron face (from the same set as pw to 3 iron): 7 iron from the back: Grips: 3 wood from my original set: 3 wood face: 3 wood from the back: Random SW I accumulated since I needed one: Random LW I bought a while ago: Random 7W I bought that didn't come with my original set (set came with 1,3,5w):
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thedeadhaji
39489 Posts
On July 29 2009 11:32 micronesia wrote:
If my goal is to become as good as possible then I fully understand your point about focusing on short game. My understanding is that the difference between a scratch golfer and a pro is 99% short game. However, the difference between going to a golf course and doing all right VS embarrassing yourself with complete mishits etc has a much more long-game heavy ratio.
I can definitely agree that the long game is... well where the testosterone is  P. Plus it's definitely 100x more fun to practice the full swing. (plus your back hurts like a motherfucker after putting for liek 3 horus straight T_T) I do maintain though that you can DEFINITELY embarass the shit out of yourself with an abysmal shortgame, like repeatedly duffing/skulling chips/pitches, not being able to get out of a bunker ever, 5+ putting tough undulating greens, etc. P
There are one or two like 45 minutes away, but none reasonably close by. The guy I'm working with is not listed. I'm not sure how to truly evaluate how good he is, but so far I am very satisfied at least.
You honestly only need to consider buying woods if/when you can hit the ball where you want it about 70%+ of the time and can actually control your game. Just play from the whites and honestly the vast majority of courses are easily playable - I can prolly still break 90 with no woods even though my game is in abysmal shape haha.
Back when I played I got to the point where I could afford to focus somewhat on woods. I'm confident that I will reach that point soon where I'm confident with all of my shorter clubs. The courses that I have played near my house, with one exception, are rather difficult without woods. While I certainly can afford to de-emphasize woods while I'm doing my first rounds back, I ultimately consider getting woods into my arsenal important.[/quote]
Sounds reasonable to me. I'd prolly recommend you look through ebay, since there are some SICK deals out there, though you need to be fairly knowledgeable to know what you actually want etc.
Photos
As far as I can tell your LW is 'passable' and your SW needs to be swapped. Though... the grooves tend to bust pretty fast with wedges so you really can't go used. And new costs ~$100 usually so hmm. If you're willing, I'd go with a 56 or 58 degree Cleveland wedge, probably medium bounce of 8 to 10 degrees (bounce is the angle between the leading edge of the club and the very bottom point).
Irons seem ok for now, plz clean them though T_T. On teh course you can use a tee for the grooves, and a wet towel for dirt/grass. At home, I usually go with an old toothbrush and normal handsoap.
Grips dont look too bad from what I can tell - basically if the rubber is still, or if it's really slick, you need to take action. For now, I'd do the toothbrush + handsoap deal to clean it up (you'll prolly be surprised how fucking black the foam will become)
Mmm I can see why you'd want/need new woods. I'd prolly just buy a 5wood and that's prolly enough for now, since there's basically a 5% chance you'd be able to hit a driver straight on the course anyways (and if you don't, that's an auto +3 to your score as you lose your ball and have to retee). Some brands to look for are Callaway, Taylor Made, and maybe Cleveland. I'd prolly advise against Titleist b/c honestly, the aforementioned 3 brands make woods that are more suitable for teh avg golfer I think (and honestly if I had to buy a wood, I'd go Taylor made or Callaway for sure). Find a model that's like 2-5 years old and you'll save mad bucks. I personally LOVE my steelhead+ 5 wood, and it's like 10 years old lol. Fred Couples was actually playing with a woman's 5wood (reshafted) for a while lol - all about how it looks/feels etc.
I'd say dont bother regripping those irons - b/c you may as well just go buy a used set off of ebay for $200 and regrip those when you improve and want to move onto a more proper set.
For reference my set looks like this atm.
Taylor Made R5 Driver
Callaway Steelhead+ 5wood
Ping i3 irons 3-PW (or Mizuno MP33 irons 3-PW)
Titleist Vokey 54 degree wedge
Titleist Vokey 60 degree wedge
Scotty Cameron Pro Platinum Putter 34"
It's fairly oldschool lol.
For the 14th club I usually stick in a random 3 wood or a Titleist 990 2iron, but I'm not too pleased with either choice - then again I rarely need a 3wood so whatever.
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United States24745 Posts
On July 27 2009 09:39 Lemonwalrus wrote:+ Show Spoiler +It's like sex on a stick. Edit: But on a more serious note, I will casually drop your concerns into conversation at work tomorrow and see what my pros say.
Lol I ended up buying this coincidentally. I tried out this, the Taylormade Burner, and another club and the salesman and I agreed I was doing the best with the s9-1. According to the simulator I was hitting them straight 235-250. Not bad considering I haven't even touched a driver in like 4 or 5 years lol.
So 9.5 degree face, stiff shaft s9-1.
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^^Welcome to the club, we meet on tuesdays.
byob.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://z.about.com/d/golf/1/0/d/0/1/cobra_s9-1_driver.jpg)
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