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Nicklaus ML4 Driver - Forum Testing Review

SuperStroke
coolbreeze said:
Looking forward to it Jman, I've read all your write ups in this thread and you did a great job of testing this driver. I feel like we might have similar swings and if this driver was avaliable in lefty I would have OEM'ed it already. Great stuff man.
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Thanks CB, I truly appreciate the kind words, its been a blast to test so far. I was thinking today I bet the club has that "oh no" round tomorrow knowing a shaft change is coming lol, seems like that always happens.

Alas, the Miyazaki is coming!!! lol
 
After all the incredible feedback in this thread I haven't found this driver locally to give a good run through. I'm digging how impressed the testers are with it.

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Because I haven't played much at all lately, after an extended layoff, I decided to put the Cobra S3 back in the bag for no other reason than plain curiosity. Although I played well with it, after the second round I was belly-aching to the guys that I missed my ML4 and its explosive feel. The S3 is excellent in its own right but it's considerably muted at impact compared to the Nicklaus.

Where the guys just kinda shrugged me off, it was when I put the ML4 back in the bag this past Friday where they agreed with me. Although I didn't have my best day overall, I was absolutely POUNDING the ML4. As one of the guys put it, "geez... that's your driver, don't ever switch it out again." My other buddy said, "the ball jumps off that thing like no other driver I've ever seen you hit." And I've been playing golf with him since '91 and say... 100 different drivers ago. Lol...

Best drive of the day came early on #2 (Tallgrass Country Club in Shoreham, NY on Long Island). According to my Golf Guru GPS, 315 yards right of center on this ever so slightly uphill par-4. I'd installed the Shotmaker in the ML4 the night before the round and although I'd say my experience and opinion overall with the Shotmaker is inconclusive as of yet, I can say the the ballflight seems to be a bit lower. On #2 in particular, the ball launched on a medium-low trajectory and just bounded forward down the fairway. Wrt trajectory, I was very surprised to see the distance I received on that shot.

For the rest of the day, my drives were very predictable, a nice medium height fade. Save for one hole where I COMPLETELY came out of it and suffered a wicked and well-deserved slice.

I averaged about 290 off the tee for the round an that's with the Q-Star which I'd previously thought to be about 10 yards shorter than the B330. It was, at least, off of the Cobra S3. With the ML4, I suffered no discernable loss of distance. Actually thought I was getting quite a lot out of the ball/club combo.

Only hit driver on 10 holes and finished with 7/10 fairways. All were very long and only one put me in trouble. Absolutely love the ML4 and love the combo of the 9* clubhead with the PM702 shaft. It's a stout shaft but as long as I get through it well enough, not a better combo have I ever hit.
 
Jman - can't wait to hear how the Miyazaki works in this driver. It could really be a great combo for you.
 
Earlier in the thread someone had mentioned contacting the company about getting just a head. I am curious if they were receptive to that, or if it's only sold as a complete club.
 
Hawk said:
Jman - can't wait to hear how the Miyazaki works in this driver. It could really be a great combo for you.
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Thanks Hawk! As well as the RIP was working before its demise, I really think this will be a great combo as well. Could it be pure awesomeness? I think it may!

SW said:
Earlier in the thread someone had mentioned contacting the company about getting just a head. I am curious if they were receptive to that, or if it's only sold as a complete club.
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That was me SW. I know that Nicklaus has said somewhere they WILL sell just a head only, which is cool as hell IMO. I shot them an email but have yet to call as I've thought about grabbing a 9* this fall.
 
Jman215 said:
Thanks Hawk! As well as the RIP was working before its demise, I really think this will be a great combo as well. Could it be pure awesomeness? I think it may!


That was me SW. I know that Nicklaus has said somewhere they WILL sell just a head only, which is cool as hell IMO. I shot them an email but have yet to call as I've thought about grabbing a 9* this fall.
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Thanks for the quick response Jman, I'd love to get one minus the stock shaft offerings.
 
SW said:
Thanks for the quick response Jman, I'd love to get one minus the stock shaft offerings.
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No problem SW.

They really seem to me to just be in it for the golfer first by doing things like this, they know the head will stand up on its own and it truly does!
 
Went to the local "dog track" after work yesterday just to get out. Went in expecting nothing, got a personal best 75...crazy how that works sometimes.

Round 1: Local Dog Track...lol (Pull Driver!)
39/36 = 75 (+3)
11/14 Fairways Hit
0/3 Within 10 Feet of Fairway
Long Drive = 265 Yards
Short Drive = 230 uphill into the wind, boo.
Average = 250ish

What started off with 1/3 fairways hit ended with me not missing the rest of the round until the last hole, but that one may have been 25 yards right of the fairway, but it was also about 265-270 so I'll take it every day. The ML4 performed wonderfully on my best round ever. Still though, even wit 11/14 FIR's I'm ready for the Miyazaki Black to get in, I also don't think the shotmaker will be going back into it, as I've gotten my swing back into a groove I think the honeymoon with it is ended since I've begun playing my KBS C-Tapers and can now feel just how stiff the F-Insert is in my Saga, that is neither here nor there about the ML4 but you know by now I tend to ramble. Its been simple, turn back and turn through with tempo and let the club work. Can't get any better than that.
 
Way to go, Jman!

I like the long/short/average drive info you give.
 
Wtg jman. I'll be out sat. Wanted to get out today but I'm to Sick.,boo

MattyCaulk Aka Hawk hunter
 
MattyKrack17 said:
Wtg jman. I'll be out sat. Wanted to get out today but I'm to Sick.,boo

MattyCaulk Aka Hawk hunter
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Thanks Matty, hope you get to feelin' better, I hate being sick.
 
monroeccman said:
I was able to order a "head only" from my local Edwin Watts.
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Good to hear, what shaft are you gona go with?

MattyCaulk Aka Hawk hunter
 
Nice update Jman, consistency keeps coming back over and over throughout this thread, something I like from a driver.

monroeccman said:
I was able to order a "head only" from my local Edwin Watts.
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If you don't mind sharing, what was the charge?
 
SW said:
Nice update Jman, consistency keeps coming back over and over throughout this thread, something I like from a driver.


If you don't mind sharing, what was the charge?
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Thanks SW!

ANd +1 to the bolded part (even if by PM)
 
Nicklaus ML4 head only

Nicklaus ML4 head only

I think the head only was around 140.00 to 150.00.
 
Miyazaki Black is in and cured. Going out for a quick 18 after work...this thing looks meeeeeeean in the ML4's already all business look.

I'll snap some pics at the course and better ones when I get home, video to come soon as my camera should be in MONDAY! WHOO!
 
Good luck man! I bet that's a great looking combo.
 
Jman215 said:
Miyazaki Black is in and cured. Going out for a quick 18 after work...this thing looks meeeeeeean in the ML4's already all business look.

I'll snap some pics at the course and better ones when I get home, video to come soon as my camera should be in MONDAY! WHOO!
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That'll be very sweet Jman! :)
 
I figured out a way to lower my ball flight. It's resulted in some serious gains in distance without losing accuracy. The ML4, along with the Eclipse/Shotmaker combo continues to perform very well together.

Anyway, I've teed the ball lower. Much lower. I mean really low. The result is a mid-low, mid-trajectory ball flight. It's a thing of beauty: distance, accuracy, roll, and a nice piercing ball flight. The ML4 still rocks.
 
Sean said:
I figured out a way to lower my ball flight. It's resulted in some serious gains in distance without losing accuracy. The ML4, along with the Eclipse/Shotmaker combo continues to perform very well together.

Anyway, I've teed the ball lower. Much lower. I mean really low. The result is a mid-low, mid-trajectory ball flight. It's a thing of beauty: distance, accuracy, roll, and a nice piercing ball flight. The ML4 still rocks.
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I've gotten to where I tee it very low as well, I mean looooow. lol

Good to see ya Sean, I was getting worried about ya buddy! (seriously!)
 
Another quick after work round at the local "dog track" after work today....first round out with the Miyazaki Kusala Black.

Round 1: Local Dog Track...lol (Pull Driver!)
43/36 = 79 (+7)
12/14 Fairways Hit
0/2 Within 10 Feet of Fairway
Long Drive = 285 Yards
Short Drive = 230
Average = 260ish

I'm not going to make this about the Miyazaki, there are other threads for that, suffice to say however that the Black brought my flight to exactly where I think it needs to be for the ML4 10.5*, nice and penetrating. That said, the smoother loading shaft (for me) was letting the ML4 do its thing today, 12/14 and the 2 misses were actually HUGE slices on the first two holes (I got too quick with the combo) but after that, pipe after pipe. The highlight was the 285 yard drive on the 340 yard par 4, truly one of those "Oh YES" ML4 moments where you get the feel of contact and pure explosion from the face. Was hitting fairways even hitting LOTS of them high and inside, I love that I CAN feel where I make contact on the face but still git great forgiveness. All in all it was a good first outing with the shaft but the ML4 just continues to do what it does no matter what shaft is in it...find fairways.

I'll be out for 18/36/54 on Monday as I'm not going in to work, more Monday! (MAY even have my Flip cam by then!)

Oh yes...and before I forget...

SESSINESS!!!!

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Jman215 said:
I've gotten to where I tee it very low as well, I mean looooow. lol

Good to see ya Sean, I was getting worried about ya buddy! (seriously!)
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Thanks Jman! Good to see you too! Had some medical issues, but am moving forward. :)

ps: never thought I'd tee a ball so low. lol
pps: beautiful club J...nice shoes too!
 
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