SW
Grinder
Next time out just sit it down at address then take your grip. I have a similar bad habit of taking my left hand grip before adressing which throws everything out of whack.
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Cleveland CG Black Driver Forum Testing Review Thread
Next time out just sit it down at address then take your grip. I have a similar bad habit of taking my left hand grip before adressing which throws everything out of whack.
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DawgDaddy
Old Coot
Played today at a tight little course in Monticello, Ga and hit 12/13 on holes I used the driver. Choked down 1/2" and it was awesome. This driver fits my game very well to say the least.
Ole Gray
Mayor of the Woodshed
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Good going Dawg! That is some straight shooting dude :clapp:
10YardDraw
Ex Club Ho
Agreed, awesome driving.
Chunkylover77
Proud JakeNation Member
Tried to play 18 today but Yorkem hurt his back after 5 holes. Used the Black on 3 holes. Hit all 3 fairway's and was getting some very good distance in some pretty muddy conditions. Poked one 265 on one hole
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tucsondivots
Fairways and Greens
Played 36 holes this weekend with the Black. Hit 18 out of 28 fairways. The good: Distance is equal or longer than the XL270 I was playing. 95% are draws -- my usual shape is straight to slight fade. The "not so good": All my misses are hooks, left from the get go. I need to remember to keep the tempo smooth and play the draw. This is a fun club to hit but I really started guiding it the last few holes. BTW, I also got the Black 3wood and am very happy with distance and trajectory. Very easy to hit from the fairway. I get to go out and watch the Accenture Match Play this week! Next opportunities for the Black will be trying Friday and Sunday.
DawgDaddy
Old Coot
This is an absolute must with this driver, it is a bomber when you keep that swing smooth.
SW
Grinder
Watching the Champions Tour coverage and Cleveland Staffer Larry Mize is playing the Black Tour. It sounds just as sweet on tv and the black head gold shaft combo looks very good.
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c0ncept
SFT
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2011
- Messages
- 8,508
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- 20
- Location
- Renton, WA, United States
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I dialed down my swing a lot today and saw some good results (was absurdly windy today)...but when I take a full swing its just not working anymore now that I have built up a bit more strength and speed. Got a lot going on right now with family so I will try to post a full writeup tomorrow. Really sorry I cant post something now.
SW
Grinder
Test Date: 2/18/12
Course: Panther Run Golf Club, Ave Maria FL
Weather: 82* west wind 15-20 mph
Ball: Srixon Q-Star
I played the front 9 twice today, since the wind was up it was a bit difficult to judge yardages as every hole either played with or into the wind. Both par 5's were down wind which was a bonus.
Did not have a warm-up session before the round so off to the first tee I went. I have typically played a fade with the black so I setup accordingly down the left side and leave room for the ball to fade back right. Today however I had a bad case of the lefts, more like a pull hook which was completely out of the blue. This cost me a little as I only found 8/14 fairways but miraculously had only 1 penalty off the tee.
Majority of the contact was in on the heel which explains the ball flight I was seeing, still yet distance wasn't terribly affected. Obviously shorter but still in play. Ball flight today was a little higher than I would've liked, I've tried moving the ball around in my stance but with the design of the head and shaft combo being high launch and high spin bringing the ball down is not easily done.
For a golfer with a steeper swing as myself this isn't the most ideal combo. However the forgiveness across the face on misses quickly helps you forget the higher ball. Example, a shot out on the toe that still yields impressive yardage. This is something I haven't in a lot of the drivers I've owned and a feature of the club that I have come to appreciate.
Course: Panther Run Golf Club, Ave Maria FL
Weather: 82* west wind 15-20 mph
Ball: Srixon Q-Star
I played the front 9 twice today, since the wind was up it was a bit difficult to judge yardages as every hole either played with or into the wind. Both par 5's were down wind which was a bonus.
Did not have a warm-up session before the round so off to the first tee I went. I have typically played a fade with the black so I setup accordingly down the left side and leave room for the ball to fade back right. Today however I had a bad case of the lefts, more like a pull hook which was completely out of the blue. This cost me a little as I only found 8/14 fairways but miraculously had only 1 penalty off the tee.
Majority of the contact was in on the heel which explains the ball flight I was seeing, still yet distance wasn't terribly affected. Obviously shorter but still in play. Ball flight today was a little higher than I would've liked, I've tried moving the ball around in my stance but with the design of the head and shaft combo being high launch and high spin bringing the ball down is not easily done.
For a golfer with a steeper swing as myself this isn't the most ideal combo. However the forgiveness across the face on misses quickly helps you forget the higher ball. Example, a shot out on the toe that still yields impressive yardage. This is something I haven't in a lot of the drivers I've owned and a feature of the club that I have come to appreciate.
Nicklausfan
New member
I'm surprised to be seeing some of these opo up already at GG in the pre-owned bin. All things relative it sounds like a real decent driver.
Alex
Alex
Has anyone tried a heavier shaft in theirs? I've read so much about having to slow down your swing to achieve good impact with these lighter clubs. Sorry for the skim!
EJ333
New member
Tucson,
If you could only keep either the Black Driver or the Black 3 wood, which one would you choose and why ?
Chunkylover77
Proud JakeNation Member
I would keep the 3W if I had to choose one. I used it for 4 rounds and it was awesome off the tee. Just as long as some of the drivers I was hitting
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chewie69
New member
Test Date: 2/20/12
Testing Club: Cleveland Black Driver 10.5* with C Kua 39S shaft
My Prior Club: Taylormade Tour Burner 10.5*, stiff flex
Ball Used: 2012 Bridgestone B330-RX
Environment: Mostly Sunny, 58*, Right ankle in brace
Well, after a week of off and on rain and a Podiatry conference through the weekend, I was finally able to play 9 holes this afternoon. The course was cart path only, after two days of rain, so the ball was not rolling much. It felt good to swing the clubs again. While the round was not perfect I still hit 5/7 fairways, with drives of 225, 260, 213, 239, 222, 209 uphill, and 225. The CG did not really give me too many issues today, it was more the touch in the short game. I am going to hit the range tomorrow, just to get the groove back.
Testing Club: Cleveland Black Driver 10.5* with C Kua 39S shaft
My Prior Club: Taylormade Tour Burner 10.5*, stiff flex
Ball Used: 2012 Bridgestone B330-RX
Environment: Mostly Sunny, 58*, Right ankle in brace
Well, after a week of off and on rain and a Podiatry conference through the weekend, I was finally able to play 9 holes this afternoon. The course was cart path only, after two days of rain, so the ball was not rolling much. It felt good to swing the clubs again. While the round was not perfect I still hit 5/7 fairways, with drives of 225, 260, 213, 239, 222, 209 uphill, and 225. The CG did not really give me too many issues today, it was more the touch in the short game. I am going to hit the range tomorrow, just to get the groove back.
I was wondering this also. I was going to go check out their site after playing today and forgot....so off I go to do that I guess.
d_in_la
Not so in LA.
Got two (well, 2.5) rounds in this weekend. Played same course with normal grip and 1/2" grip - had some interesting results since I was dialed in with the CG Black and generally made good swings. The rest of the bag was mixed. More later.
DawgDaddy
Old Coot
Looking forward to hearing more.
c0ncept
SFT
- Joined
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- Renton, WA, United States
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So I played yesterday at ASU Karsten in a lot of wind and managed to hit 6/7 fairways. My one miss was a shot that had enough spin to roll from the center of the fairway all the way across and into a waste bunker on the right. Every shot had a fade on it but this time I actually played for it. I actually hit my R9 SuperTri on a hole just to see the difference and even with a nice fade the CG Black was longer by 26 yards.
I toned down my swing in order to stay more controlled because lately I have been feeling like the club head is too far behind at impact because of the tip soft shaft. My shortest drive was 200 yards but that was into a strong headwind and hit a "No Carts" sign in the middle of the fairway and bounced backwards...the longest was with the wind and traveled 250 yards (Average drive was 230 yards today)
I am in love with this club head completely in terms of its feel/sound/forgiveness. It is miles ahead of the SuperTri head for me and plus it looks better lol. I will definitely be trying out the CG Black Tour when I can because I really think I just need a slightly stiffer shaft. This driver really changed my mindset on the lighter drivers and I don't see myself going back to anything heavier.
I want to add that the grip is holding up great still which is kind of surprising to me considering how fast I tend to change grips especially from stock.
Hopefully I can get out at least once this week to work on things because we just moved my grandma out here (she isn't in good health) and it's been a lot to take in as well as a lot of work.
I toned down my swing in order to stay more controlled because lately I have been feeling like the club head is too far behind at impact because of the tip soft shaft. My shortest drive was 200 yards but that was into a strong headwind and hit a "No Carts" sign in the middle of the fairway and bounced backwards...the longest was with the wind and traveled 250 yards (Average drive was 230 yards today)
I am in love with this club head completely in terms of its feel/sound/forgiveness. It is miles ahead of the SuperTri head for me and plus it looks better lol. I will definitely be trying out the CG Black Tour when I can because I really think I just need a slightly stiffer shaft. This driver really changed my mindset on the lighter drivers and I don't see myself going back to anything heavier.
I want to add that the grip is holding up great still which is kind of surprising to me considering how fast I tend to change grips especially from stock.
Hopefully I can get out at least once this week to work on things because we just moved my grandma out here (she isn't in good health) and it's been a lot to take in as well as a lot of work.
d_in_la
Not so in LA.
Sorry DD, totally crashed out last night after doing some THP reading. The best post I could have written was the keys my forehead hit as I fell asleep. Will take some time at lunch to write it up.
Edit: LUNCH! HA! What was I thinking after a 4-day weekend?!?! Going home in 30 to write this up.
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d_in_la
Not so in LA.
Going home in 30?!!? HA!!! Ok ... enough with my drama ...
Cleveland Golf CG Black 10.5° Stiff Full and 1/2" Grip Down Test AND 1" Grip Down Test
Test Date: 02.17.12 and 02.18.12
Where: Woodley Lakes, Van Nuys, CA
Purpose: Shortening the club - any difference?
Ball: Bridgestone e6
Weather: OMG ... I miss SoCal.
Alright, so I wasn't planning on doing a Grip Down test, it just happened that my friends got tee times with in 24 hours of each other on the same course and I figured ... why not? If it is good enough for Chunks, I should try it! So I'm going to break down driving holes - granted, two days, but I felt pretty good (mostly) about my driver swing. Hit a bunch of solid middle irons, but my short irons and chipping ... not so much.
Woodley Lakes is a pretty easy course, plays at 6700+ yards from the blues, 6500+ from the whites, wide open with lots of fairway space.
For purposes of this post: Full = no grip down, Grip = Gripped down. (I'm too tired to come up with something witty.)
Hole 1: 359y Par 4
Full: Must have been first tee jitters. pulled the ball left HARD. <sigh>
Grip: Just off left-center fairway, left me with about 100y
Hole 2: 332y Par 4
Full: Made a great swing, solid contact, put me a little over 60 yards out. A legit 275 drive (with a gust of wind behind me).
Grip: Also a great swing, solid contact, a little shorter, I say just short of 270 (some wind, not much).
Hole 4: 534y Par 5, slight dogleg left
Full: OK Swing, ok contact: about 240.
Grip: Ok swing, better contact: 250!! I knew immediately I had out distanced myself. The ball flight was just gorgeous.
Hole 5: 380y Par 4
Full: Great swing, just over 120 yard left, call it 260
Grip: Great swing, different side of the fairway (pulled it a bit) but again, about 260
Hole 6: 384y Par 4
Full: Good swing, faded 240 in the right rough
Grip: Mediocre swing, great contact, right side, rolled past where I was. 250.
Hole 8: 498y Par 5
Full: Good swing, good result: Another 260 drive
Grip: Not so much. Horrible slice.
Hole 9: 448y Par 4
Full: Mediocre swing and contact. Rolled into the left rough about 220.
grip: Good swing, good contact, nice little roll to 240.
At this point, I would say the 1/2" grip down really didn't make much of a difference, so I went for the full inch on the back nine.
Hole 10: 449y Par 4
Full: got excited and hit a weak duck fade, nearly slice. Maybe 200/210.
Grip: Cut the dogleg, straight over the water, just to the left of the tree off in the distance I was aiming for. just about 250
Hole 11: 330y Par 4
Full: Good swing, ok result, about 235, maybe 240.
Grip: Straight down the middle, center face, rolled another 10 yards past previous round
Hole 13: 513y Par 5
Full: Got excited with this swing, made a perfect move, best swing of the day. 260 into gusts of wind.
Grip: Another good swing, not as far, only 245, but holy cow, it was like I threw a javelin.
Hole 14: 400y Par 4
Full: Ok, swing, ok contact: 235, left side, small fade. (Was aiming at the corner of the dog leg left)
Grip: Good swing, good contact: 240, center cut
Hole 16: 425y Par 4
Full: Not so good swing, still put it about 235 on the right side of the fairway
Grip: Not so good swing, better contact, rolled it about 240.
Hole 17: 442y Par 4
Full: Good swing, about 250 baby fade left side
Grip: Bad bad bad swing. If that swing was a child I would have sent it to it's room with no dinner, no TV and no internet.
Hole 18: 551y Par 5
Full: Nice swing 260, center cut
Grip: Nice Swing 260+, also center cut. I was nearly standing in the exact same spot as the day before.
Thoughts: I really didn't feel like there was much difference between gripping at the end, and choking down a 1/2 inch, however, that going down a full inch on the grip definitely brought more accuracy to my game. As I learned on the range, I have to be super super cognizant of my stance when I choke down to make up for that shorter distance. If anything, for me, the grip down performed a little better on the back nine. I'm definitely going to spending some time practicing this on the range, and I can't wait to hit the 3w at the Outing to compare, but choking down seemed to improve my accuracy and if there is one area of concern with this club for me is down tight chutes or small fairway landing areas. This might be the ticket.
Cleveland Golf CG Black 10.5° Stiff Full and 1/2" Grip Down Test AND 1" Grip Down Test
Test Date: 02.17.12 and 02.18.12
Where: Woodley Lakes, Van Nuys, CA
Purpose: Shortening the club - any difference?
Ball: Bridgestone e6
Weather: OMG ... I miss SoCal.
Alright, so I wasn't planning on doing a Grip Down test, it just happened that my friends got tee times with in 24 hours of each other on the same course and I figured ... why not? If it is good enough for Chunks, I should try it! So I'm going to break down driving holes - granted, two days, but I felt pretty good (mostly) about my driver swing. Hit a bunch of solid middle irons, but my short irons and chipping ... not so much.
Woodley Lakes is a pretty easy course, plays at 6700+ yards from the blues, 6500+ from the whites, wide open with lots of fairway space.
For purposes of this post: Full = no grip down, Grip = Gripped down. (I'm too tired to come up with something witty.)
Hole 1: 359y Par 4
Full: Must have been first tee jitters. pulled the ball left HARD. <sigh>
Grip: Just off left-center fairway, left me with about 100y
Hole 2: 332y Par 4
Full: Made a great swing, solid contact, put me a little over 60 yards out. A legit 275 drive (with a gust of wind behind me).
Grip: Also a great swing, solid contact, a little shorter, I say just short of 270 (some wind, not much).
Hole 4: 534y Par 5, slight dogleg left
Full: OK Swing, ok contact: about 240.
Grip: Ok swing, better contact: 250!! I knew immediately I had out distanced myself. The ball flight was just gorgeous.
Hole 5: 380y Par 4
Full: Great swing, just over 120 yard left, call it 260
Grip: Great swing, different side of the fairway (pulled it a bit) but again, about 260
Hole 6: 384y Par 4
Full: Good swing, faded 240 in the right rough
Grip: Mediocre swing, great contact, right side, rolled past where I was. 250.
Hole 8: 498y Par 5
Full: Good swing, good result: Another 260 drive
Grip: Not so much. Horrible slice.
Hole 9: 448y Par 4
Full: Mediocre swing and contact. Rolled into the left rough about 220.
grip: Good swing, good contact, nice little roll to 240.
At this point, I would say the 1/2" grip down really didn't make much of a difference, so I went for the full inch on the back nine.
Hole 10: 449y Par 4
Full: got excited and hit a weak duck fade, nearly slice. Maybe 200/210.
Grip: Cut the dogleg, straight over the water, just to the left of the tree off in the distance I was aiming for. just about 250
Hole 11: 330y Par 4
Full: Good swing, ok result, about 235, maybe 240.
Grip: Straight down the middle, center face, rolled another 10 yards past previous round
Hole 13: 513y Par 5
Full: Got excited with this swing, made a perfect move, best swing of the day. 260 into gusts of wind.
Grip: Another good swing, not as far, only 245, but holy cow, it was like I threw a javelin.
Hole 14: 400y Par 4
Full: Ok, swing, ok contact: 235, left side, small fade. (Was aiming at the corner of the dog leg left)
Grip: Good swing, good contact: 240, center cut
Hole 16: 425y Par 4
Full: Not so good swing, still put it about 235 on the right side of the fairway
Grip: Not so good swing, better contact, rolled it about 240.
Hole 17: 442y Par 4
Full: Good swing, about 250 baby fade left side
Grip: Bad bad bad swing. If that swing was a child I would have sent it to it's room with no dinner, no TV and no internet.
Hole 18: 551y Par 5
Full: Nice swing 260, center cut
Grip: Nice Swing 260+, also center cut. I was nearly standing in the exact same spot as the day before.
Thoughts: I really didn't feel like there was much difference between gripping at the end, and choking down a 1/2 inch, however, that going down a full inch on the grip definitely brought more accuracy to my game. As I learned on the range, I have to be super super cognizant of my stance when I choke down to make up for that shorter distance. If anything, for me, the grip down performed a little better on the back nine. I'm definitely going to spending some time practicing this on the range, and I can't wait to hit the 3w at the Outing to compare, but choking down seemed to improve my accuracy and if there is one area of concern with this club for me is down tight chutes or small fairway landing areas. This might be the ticket.
Nice write up D. Interesting to see the head to head comparison between the two grips.
You sir, owe me a new keyboard as mine now has soda all over it.
You sir, owe me a new keyboard as mine now has soda all over it.
chewie69
New member
Test Date: 2/22/12
Testing Club: Cleveland Black Driver 10.5* with C Kua 39S shaft
My Prior Club: Taylormade Tour Burner 10.5*, stiff flex
Ball Used: 2012 Bridgestone B330-RX
Environment: Partly Cloudy, 68*, Right ankle in brace
Thanks to some great weather today, I was able to get 18 in after work. STarted out really strong and got a little loose towards the end but all in all a good round. I hit 11/14 fairways today, 10 of them with the CG Black Driver. I used the CG Black 3 wood on 18 only because there is a pond I can reach with driver.
Hole 1 - 546yd par 5, Off to a strong start straight down the middle to 287yds.
[video=youtube_share;Ss-LOSic-Io]http://youtu.be/Ss-LOSic-Io[/video]
Hole 2 - 383yd par 4, 277yds straight down the middle, just left a 52* into the green.
Hole 3 - 291yd par 4, I literally was about 12ft from the green. This is the best drive I have had on this hole.
Hole 4 - par 3
Hole 5 - 430yd par 4 - Straight down the left side of the fairway to 271yds. Only left me a 9 iron into the green.
Hole 6 - 383yd par 4 - in to the wind 225yds. Landed in a fairway bunker but still got to the green.
Hole 7 - par 3
Hole 8 - 353yd par 4 - 220yds uphill ito the wind
Hole 9 - 519yd par 5 - straight down the middle 230yds in to the wind
Hole 10 - 560yd par 5 -230 yds with a little fade to the right side of the fairway
Hole 11 - par 3
Hole 12 - 418yd par 4 - 210 yds uphill into the wind. Wind caught it a little and pushed it past theright side of the fairway
Hole 13 - 355yd par 4 - had a baby fade to 235yds.
Hole 14 - 235 yds to the right side of the fairway. I started to run out of steam a little a the swing got a little loose, and lost some power.
Hole 15 - 343yd par 4 - 220yds straight down the middle.
Hole 16 - par 3
Hole 17 - 403yd par 4 - staright down the middle to 225yds, and hit my hybrid to the left side of the green.
Hole 18 - 378yd par 4 - I never hit driver on this hole as I have hit too many balls into the pond at the end of the fairway. I used the CG Black 3wood, and somehow killed it to 256yds, which I will take everyday of the week.
All in all a good day. I worked on my swing a little on the range yesterday, and obviously it worked, now I just need to get it to click for 18 holes.
Testing Club: Cleveland Black Driver 10.5* with C Kua 39S shaft
My Prior Club: Taylormade Tour Burner 10.5*, stiff flex
Ball Used: 2012 Bridgestone B330-RX
Environment: Partly Cloudy, 68*, Right ankle in brace
Thanks to some great weather today, I was able to get 18 in after work. STarted out really strong and got a little loose towards the end but all in all a good round. I hit 11/14 fairways today, 10 of them with the CG Black Driver. I used the CG Black 3 wood on 18 only because there is a pond I can reach with driver.
Hole 1 - 546yd par 5, Off to a strong start straight down the middle to 287yds.
[video=youtube_share;Ss-LOSic-Io]http://youtu.be/Ss-LOSic-Io[/video]
Hole 2 - 383yd par 4, 277yds straight down the middle, just left a 52* into the green.
Hole 3 - 291yd par 4, I literally was about 12ft from the green. This is the best drive I have had on this hole.
Hole 4 - par 3
Hole 5 - 430yd par 4 - Straight down the left side of the fairway to 271yds. Only left me a 9 iron into the green.
Hole 6 - 383yd par 4 - in to the wind 225yds. Landed in a fairway bunker but still got to the green.
Hole 7 - par 3
Hole 8 - 353yd par 4 - 220yds uphill ito the wind
Hole 9 - 519yd par 5 - straight down the middle 230yds in to the wind
Hole 10 - 560yd par 5 -230 yds with a little fade to the right side of the fairway
Hole 11 - par 3
Hole 12 - 418yd par 4 - 210 yds uphill into the wind. Wind caught it a little and pushed it past theright side of the fairway
Hole 13 - 355yd par 4 - had a baby fade to 235yds.
Hole 14 - 235 yds to the right side of the fairway. I started to run out of steam a little a the swing got a little loose, and lost some power.
Hole 15 - 343yd par 4 - 220yds straight down the middle.
Hole 16 - par 3
Hole 17 - 403yd par 4 - staright down the middle to 225yds, and hit my hybrid to the left side of the green.
Hole 18 - 378yd par 4 - I never hit driver on this hole as I have hit too many balls into the pond at the end of the fairway. I used the CG Black 3wood, and somehow killed it to 256yds, which I will take everyday of the week.
All in all a good day. I worked on my swing a little on the range yesterday, and obviously it worked, now I just need to get it to click for 18 holes.
chewie69
New member
Test Date: 2/23/12
Testing Club: Cleveland Black Driver 10.5* with C Kua 39S shaft
My Prior Club: Taylormade Tour Burner 10.5*, stiff flex
Ball Used: 2012 Bridgestone B330-RX
Environment: Mostly Sunny, 10-15mph winds, 78*, Right ankle in brace
Absolutely gorgeous day to get 9 holes in, until the wind really kicked up on hole 7. Had drives today with dry fairways of 260, 293, 230, and 275 yards, then into the wind to 200, 195 and 200 yards. I hit 6/7 fairways today, and the one I missed was still able to par the hole. With the fairways drying, and on the holes with not much wind I am really excited for when the fairways green up and are cut short. This driver is going to really shine when the fairways start getting into shape!
Testing Club: Cleveland Black Driver 10.5* with C Kua 39S shaft
My Prior Club: Taylormade Tour Burner 10.5*, stiff flex
Ball Used: 2012 Bridgestone B330-RX
Environment: Mostly Sunny, 10-15mph winds, 78*, Right ankle in brace
Absolutely gorgeous day to get 9 holes in, until the wind really kicked up on hole 7. Had drives today with dry fairways of 260, 293, 230, and 275 yards, then into the wind to 200, 195 and 200 yards. I hit 6/7 fairways today, and the one I missed was still able to par the hole. With the fairways drying, and on the holes with not much wind I am really excited for when the fairways green up and are cut short. This driver is going to really shine when the fairways start getting into shape!
Chunkylover77
Proud JakeNation Member
Have gotten to the range the past 2 nights. Need to eat but I will update later. Starting to struggle again with tempo on this driver. Grr!