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Boccieri Heavy Driver - Forum Testing Review

SuperStroke
dubbledxu said:
I went to the range last night to prep for a round I have scheduled this weekend. While I spent the chunk of my time working on bunker shots, I carved out 15 mins to hit the Heavy Driver side by side with my SuperTri. The weather was a bit cooler, being this was around 7 pm, so I did not see any slippage on the grip like I have previously during the heat of the day. I switched back and forth every 10 balls and I continually hit a nice high draw with my SuperTri carrying the majority of shots just past the 250 pin. I had a few quick hooks with the ST, but the majority of them were around the 250 pin I was aiming for.

The Heavy Driver had mixed results. I found that I really need 2 different swings in order to have the most success with the HD. My best shots are when I hit very controlled swings, almost to the point where I felt like I was 'backing off' the throttle a bit. But with this swing, I found the center of the face much more often and hit my typical draw at the 250 pin. The trajectory was lower than my ST trajectory, but the distance was similar (just passing my 250 aim pin). When I used my normal driver swing or swung like I was trying to go after it, I would most often miss out towards the toe and I would see a low hook.

Once I found the slower swing was the key, I was hitting consistent shots with the HD, even when switching back and forth to my ST. While I was in the groove on the range, I wonder if I can harness this HD controlled swing on the course or during the heat of a match. Over 2+ months of testing, I continue to be impressed with how well the club has held up in terms of wear. The face does not have any wear spots and the sole only has the light surface scratches I've seen with previous drivers. Fortunately, still no pop up marks.

Here's a pic I cant remember seeing before. This is what I call the "balance point" of the club. Basically this is the point on the shaft where the head and grip are parallel to the ground when being held on the tip of my finger. Hopefully this is easy to see, I need to get a helper like Thainer had...
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I agree in that it takes two different swings. I'm very good most of the time with my K15 and hit a ton of fairways, but it really takes a different swing for me with the HD.

I also like what you have found, in that a slower swing seems to work better with the HD. I'll have some time off work the next four days and I will get some more rounds in with the HD. I will see how it goes for me with a slower speed. I had a Callaway driver a few years ago, I think it was the BB 460 and if I slowed down a bit with it, the ball flight was a little higher and it gave me a good 10/15 yards. It took me a bit of time to adjust, but once I did, it was a very good driver for me.
 
Dr. Teeth said:
Thanks for sharing Thain! I either see a high push fade or a low pull hook. But most of the time the flight is pretty good. BTW I like how the camera girl was laughing at your bad shot!
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Haha anytime Teeth. She has a ton of fun with the camera and a pretty decent golf swing herself!
 
I finally got the Flip back from my wife and took it to the range yesterday. It was really hot here (mid 90s) so the ball was really flying.

First video is a closeup shot of the impact zone. Its really easy to hear how great and solid the HD sounds at impact. I apologize, but you will also hear the guy next to me trying to get my life story. Coincidentally, all 3 of these were well struck with my HD swing and flew just past the 250 marker with a slight draw.



Second video is a down the line shot. Again, guy next to me still talking. First shot was a quick pull left, next 2 were pretty well struck, again flying just past 250 mark with a slight draw. Yes, I took an extra second to watch the 2nd one, it was one of the best I've ever hit with the HD.



My HD drives were still not flying as far as my SuperTri drives and had a bit lower trajectory. My SuperTri drives were landing about 10 yards short of the 275 stick and flew a bit higher. Overall, I continue to like the HD using a slower swing speed, it just takes some effort to really focus yourself on slowing down and taking it easy. Even with the slow swing, I am still putting it out there around 250 with relative ease.
 
Intereting stuff dxu...

You think youre getting about 10 or 15 yards of extra carry distance with your ST?
 
Thainer said:
Intereting stuff dxu...

You think youre getting about 10 or 15 yards of extra carry distance with your ST?
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Yes, using my "get it straight swing" with the HD, I get 10 to 15 yards more carry with my ST. I am using the standard Fuji TP stiff shaft, std length, with a 8t, 4c, 6h weight @ Neutral shaft setting
 
I get more carry with my R11 as well when my R11 is set at 9* compared to my 9* HD. The HD gives a lot of roll, but I am seeing more carry from the R11.

edit: I just went back and looked at the LM data I have and my R11 averages 10-15 yards more carry, but only 5 yards more in total distance.
 
Great videos Dubble! You could really see those yellow range balls in flight, loved it.
 
Have any of the other testers tried hitting the HD off the deck? I know I havent and wondered if anyone else has tried it yet?
 
dubbledxu said:
Have any of the other testers tried hitting the HD off the deck? I know I havent and wondered if anyone else has tried it yet?
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I haven't tried, nor will i. IMO it's not a necessary shot in golf, and a driver's merits should not be at all affected on how it performs off the deck.
 
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Got out to hit the HD tonight and man, was it ever a good range session. I focused specifically on putting swings on the golf ball that were headwind and downwind related.


When I have the wind with me, I swing and try to launch the golf ball as high as I can and let the wind just carry it. When against me, I tend to tee the ball lower, and try and beam it through the wind about 15 feet off the ground.

While launching the ball in the air, I noticed that it still launched at roughly the same angle, but took alot longer to hit it's cresting point before it started to descend. Fell from the sky, and did not really get any roll whatsoever. I found that this could be useful at any par 4 under 300 yards. Possibly trying to hold a green with it, or something. I havent seen a par four that short in probably 10 or 12 rounds though.

I do have issues hitting this driver low though. I mean, I can do it, but not the typical way that I am used to doing it. I cannot tee this ball low, because this driver plays shorter than others, and I am afraid of thinning it and drop kicking it 12 ft infront of me. I cant trust the swing while teeing it low. Poor results come from poor swings from not trusting the ball position.


All in all I am pleased to say that I still currently game this driver and I feel it has made me a better driver of the golf ball.
 
Thainer said:
Got out to hit the HD tonight and man, was it ever a good range session. I focused specifically on putting swings on the golf ball that were headwind and downwind related.


When I have the wind with me, I swing and try to launch the golf ball as high as I can and let the wind just carry it. When against me, I tend to tee the ball lower, and try and beam it through the wind about 15 feet off the ground.

While launching the ball in the air, I noticed that it still launched at roughly the same angle, but took alot longer to hit it's cresting point before it started to descend. Fell from the sky, and did not really get any roll whatsoever. I found that this could be useful at any par 4 under 300 yards. Possibly trying to hold a green with it, or something. I havent seen a par four that short in probably 10 or 12 rounds though.

I do have issues hitting this driver low though. I mean, I can do it, but not the typical way that I am used to doing it. I cannot tee this ball low, because this driver plays shorter than others, and I am afraid of thinning it and drop kicking it 12 ft infront of me. I cant trust the swing while teeing it low. Poor results come from poor swings from not trusting the ball position.


All in all I am pleased to say that I still currently game this driver and I feel it has made me a better driver of the golf ball.
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Thats awesome Thainer, if sure this driver is just as good as the Heavy Wood im currently testing. Quick question maybe a little off topic but what do you do to get the ball up in the air quicker with this driver vs another driver and same for keeping it low? You said keeping it low you dont do it like you normally would so im assuming you get it up in the air a little different as well. I hate assuming but was just curious
 
Getting the ball airborne for me is easy with any driver. I lean off of the ball and just completely uncoil while on my back foot. It's easy to do and helpful if you learn to hit it straight. Its a reverse stack and tilt swing pretty much.

To play this specific drive low, I need to setup to play a 30 yard pull. Pulls are much easier to keep low because you can shut down the face so easily. Normally I could just tee it lower and thin-bunt it out there, but I'm too afraid to miss thin(ner) with this driver.
 
Great job you guys....and Hoosier's wife...LOL

Great reviews and videos, I have to say I love the impact zone video dxu....you could really hear the sound at impact and I like it!! Gotta love when you get one of those guys next to you on the range that insists on talking the whole time:D

Really interesting to see that several of you are seeing more carry from your current drivers, do you attribute that to the fact that several of you have also commented that you have to swing the HD "slower" than your normal driver..in other words...less clubhead speed means less distance?
 
Thainer said:
I haven't tried, nor will i. IMO it's not a necessary shot in golf, and a driver's merits should not be at all affected on how it performs off the deck.
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I understand your view Thainer, but will give it a try next time I hit the range anyways. I know these are hard for people to find and test, but maybe someone out there loves driver off the deck. Its not a shot I ever hit, but think it will be worth 10 mins of my time and a a dozen range balls.

TripleBogieTim said:
Great reviews and videos, I have to say I love the impact zone video dxu....you could really hear the sound at impact and I like it!!

Really interesting to see that several of you are seeing more carry from your current drivers, do you attribute that to the fact that several of you have also commented that you have to swing the HD "slower" than your normal driver..in other words...less clubhead speed means less distance?
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Thanks man, glad you liked the video. I do think the lack of equal carry distance does result from using a slower, more controlled swing with the HD. The HD does get more roll than my ST, but the total distance is still less.
 
Thainer said:
Getting the ball airborne for me is easy with any driver. I lean off of the ball and just completely uncoil while on my back foot. It's easy to do and helpful if you learn to hit it straight. Its a reverse stack and tilt swing pretty much.

To play this specific drive low, I need to setup to play a 30 yard pull. Pulls are much easier to keep low because you can shut down the face so easily. Normally I could just tee it lower and thin-bunt it out there, but I'm too afraid to miss thin(ner) with this driver.
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Makes sense on how your keeping it low, thanks for the info
 
I am going to be headed to the range tonight. I will try a few off the deck, but I was wondering if anyone had anything specific that they would like me to test for? Any certain things that people are wondering about this club?


I must admit that the finish is as resilient as anything ive ever owned. It looks like Ive only owned it for a week...
 
Dr. Teeth let me hit this club a few times this morning on the range before their round. I liked the way it looked and it felt great in my hands. The ball seemed to come off the face pretty hot and I had a couple good shots with it. My first two swings I blocked it to the right. The next few swings were much better. I only had a few swings with it, but it seems like a nice club. I must say, and I'm not sure how much the club costs, the headcover is very cheap and old looking. It seems to be enough padding to protect the club but I would be disappointed if I bought a new club and it came with that headcover. Just my opinion.
 
Having now had the Heavy Driver in the bag for a couple of months, I thought I would write a summary of what I have found with this club to date. I’m 50 years old. I’ve been playing since the mid 70’s. I’m right handed and have a driver swing speed of 88 to 92 mph on average.

Background information: Like many mid handicap players, I have had problems over the years with my misses with the driver. My stock shot with driver is a left to right fade. My miss when I’m off has always been a slice. Over the years, I have found that I can keep the miss under control by using a higher lofted driver. I have been using either a 12 or 13 degree driver for the past ten years. The higher loft was suggested by my PGA teacher many years ago when I was trying to figure out why I tended to miss or slice the driver, but was always pretty straight with a 3 wood. My HD has 12 degrees of loft. I have found in this loft that while I may give up a few yards off the tee to those with lower lofts, the loss is offset by a higher percentage of fairways hit. I would much rather have approach shots from the short grass. Accuracy is very important to me.

Looks: A-. I really like the looks of this club. At address, the driver has a very modern classic look. I’m a big fan of dark colors on the crowns of drivers and woods and I find the gloss black to be very easy on the eyes. The sole of the clubs looks nice and simple as well. The colors all work well together. I also like the black shaft with the only exception being the graphics, as I find them a little distracting. This is a simple fix of just turning the graphics down when shafting.

Feel in Hand: A. The club feels just a little heavier in hand than what I’m use to, yet it feels very good and balanced. The weight is very easy to quickly get use to. The grip was a standard rubber grip, which is ok but I switched mine to my normal Winn grip. Even though the entire club is a little heavier than any driver I have owned before this, the balance is perfect and the club swings very smooth.

Sound: A+. I love the sound of this club. It is not nearly as loud as my current driver, and that may be a good thing. I find the sound though to be very pleasing and crisp. Sound feedback is important to me, and when you hit this driver on the screws, you know it before even looking up.

Feel at Impact: A+. Same as above. The ball seems to really jump off the face at impact.

Performance on Tee: C+. As with any new driver, there is bound to be an adjustment period. Right out of the box, this driver was a slice machine for me with my normal swing. After several range sessions and rounds on the course in the beginning, I brought on board my PGA teaching pro who has been giving me lessons since the early 70’s. Right away, given the natural setup of the driver, it was apparent to my teacher than my swing was going to have to change a little for this club. With my current driver, to hit a straight shot, I would use a fairly strong grip and a slightly closed to square stance. With the HD in this setup, it was easy for me to slice the driver on miss hits. Through much work, we found that I needed a really strong grip and my stance needed to be closed about 10 to 15 degrees to hit a straight shot. Once we had this figured out, the overall results have been good. I have not seen any real distance gain over my current driver, but I’m more interested in accuracy even though I would say it is every bit as long as my current driver. Another tester of the club here pointed out that he had better results with the driver if he backed off slightly in his swing. I have to agree that I found the same thing this past week. If I slow down slightly and not try to swing out of my shoes, the results are much better.

Specialty shots: B-. As noted above, I need a strong grip and closed stance to hit a high percentage of drives straight. When the tee shot must be a draw, I really have to play the ball back off my left foot, keep the strong grip and closed stance to get a good draw. For a must have fade tee shot, this one comes a little more natural. All I need to do is use a weaker grip, open my stance slightly with the ball a little farther forward and swing away. When in this position, if my timing is off, it can result is an over faded shot or slice. I really have to be careful with this setup and shot. Because I simply don’t need a fade that often, I have been working hard on just hitting the ball straight with this club.

Third party interest: A+. At the range and on the course, many people have asked me about the club. Some wanted to know more about the brand and the maker. I researched Mr. Boccieri and his company to try and make sure I was giving accurate information. I have also been very open to allowing others to use the club both on the range and on the course. It is very interesting that one person will hit a high draw, and the next will hit a low fade. Just goes to show that this setup is not for everyone and how important a proper fitting is today.

Closing thoughts: There is so much about this club I really like, yet there is a couple of things that keep it from knocking my current driver out of the bag full time.

First is what I like the most; I really like the simple basic colors and classic head shape. I’m a no flash kind of guy and this driver works for me in the looks department. Second is sound. So many of today’s drivers with the use of a mix of construction components, the sound can be pretty dull or dead, but with the HD the sound is very good. Sound feedback is great on well hit shots and not bad even on miss hits. The stock black shaft with the green graphics is great and it works perfect with the gloss black crown and the others colors on the sole, but the shaft graphics need to be turned down so the are not noticeable at address.

Some of the things I don’t like; I’m not a fan of the head cover. The soft foam comes off as a bit cheap to me. I’m more a fan of stitched head covers and I don’t like the zipper either, although it has yet to fail and has been off and on a few hundred times during this testing. This is simply personal preference. I have remained very open minded to the fact that this is Mr. Boccieri’s first driver so I’ll go easy in saying there is not enough forgiveness built in for us mid handicappers. The driver when hit dead on the screws is great, but as a mid capper, my swing is not perfect each and every time. For that reason, it is simply not as forgiving on miss hits as my current driver. My misses tend to be worse with this driver and come more often that what I’m use to. For my swing, a face closed 2 degrees works well and this one appears to be less than that at address. When it is hit perfectly, it is hard to argue the results. I think this is a very good first driver and it I believe in both the technology and the person behind the company.

Another thing I have put off addressing is the price. With so many options out there in the $300 range, I think asking more at this time would turn away some buyers. The technology behind the brand is great, but getting the word out, getting clubs in stores & shops and in the hands of everyday players is a must. Pricing this driver above what I see as the average ($300) in my eyes is not the way forward with just a basic driver. When I ask myself if I would pay $400 for this driver, I have to be 100% honest and say that I doubt I would. There are many pluses with the driver and I like it as a first driver, but I’m pretty sure, in its current form (shaft etc) that this driver is not 100% for me. I’m sure though, that if I had the ability to quickly change shafts, face angle etc. I could make it work. Maybe for the current price point, adding adjustability and maybe even interchangeable shafts would be a great selling point. I have already decided that my next driver will be adjustable so I think that area really needs to be considered in the future.

I tip my hat to Mr. Boccieri. You have done very well with a first driver. It is not as dependable as I’m use to, and that is not all because of the driver. I would rate my confidence level with the HD at about 75%. This is the one thing that is holding me back from this driver get full bag time. It is so close, and I will continue to game it for the next two months before our season ends for the year.
 
Great writeup Hoosier, well done, Im looking forward to seeing if your confidence grows with it and it earns a spot in the bag full time
 
Great summary HG! I appreciate your candor, as well as your being fair in your assessment. Honest feedback is one thing that makes THP what it is today. Anything else would defeat the purpose for the manufacturer,and THP, not to mention any readers who may choose to buy a club based on your reviews. jmho
 
I played another round yesterday with the HD and the honeymoon appears to have worn off. My miss is a push to the right that comes up very short. I'm sure its from trying to get more distance out of the club and over swinging. I did have a weird knuckle ball today that only went about 200 yards but was straight. I'm going to focus on slower swings next time out and see what the results are.
 
Great summary HG. I agree with your thoughts on the lack of forgiveness for us mid handicappers. I too cant argue with the well struck shots, however its the penalty on misses that keep me from giving this my full stamp of approval.
 
Great stuff Hoosier. Love the honesty! Thainer how was the off the deck shots yesterday?
 
Thainer said:
Hey guys, I wanted to show what my typical miss and my typical fix was with this driver. Because this driver plays an inch shorter, my miss is low inside-flair right. Its a big issue of mine and this driver has helped me stay down and through the ball. As you can see on the second swing, my posture is better, which results in a pure strike on the golf ball.

Sorry for the poor quality, ill reload in HD when I get a chance...

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I still think you have a great swing buddy....I love the feedback. Glad your getting this driver worked out.

**I workabilitied that post using Tapatalk**
 
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