TwoSolitudes
Swingin' for the fences
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2010
- Messages
- 1,511
- Reaction score
- 12
Driver vs Driver is always requested so I thought I would give you all my mini-review of these two clubs. This is my first review ever- so be kind.
First- I am a plus 25 HCper. I live where there is a long winter so I don’t get to play as much as I would like. My drives are average 220-230 including the roll (though I hit one 260 once!) and I normally drive the ball straight down the middle. I look for forgiveness, lots of carry and a good roll out. (doesn’t everyone!) I can’t shape shots right or left, but I can move the ball a little up and down depending on conditions.
Last season I played the Launcher09 10.5* with the fit-on gold stiff shaft. It’s the longest club I have played and I like it, but it makes me work hard to get it right. The stiff flex is not the best choice for me. But to change up, I want something that is both easier and longer.
Also I learned to drive on a Cleveland- so I really want the DST to come out the winner!
The Contenders:
Ping G15: 12* Reg Flex TFC shaft
Cleveland DST 10.5* Reg Flex 44g shaft
In the looks department I think it is a toss up. They are both great looking clubs. I like the classic shape and I like that they are both more compact than the Launcher09. The sole design on the Ping is more angular while the DST is more about sweeping lines- but both are sharp. On the top the alignment aid on the Ping is nice while the DST has nothing at all. Again both are sharp and both are much better that the bright “Wings” on the Launcher09. I noticed the face of the Ping seems larger then the DST- but the point is to hit it in the middle.
The headcovers are no contest. Why doesn’t everyone use the E-Z Grab style? Cleveland’s HC are the best.
Right. So this morning, armed with the Drivers I headed out to the range. First time swinging any club in months. I warmed up with my trusty Cleveland XL- a very forgiving club it has been my back-up for whenever I feel like I am loosing my swing. Then I decided to start with the Ping.
My plan for new clubs is to take about 20 balls out and swing a few while making any adjustments. Get used to the weight, Tee a little higher, a little lower, back in the stand, forward , faster swing slower, etc etc. Then when I have hit 3 or 4 in a row that are comfortable, I take out 10 balls hit 10 shots and see where I am. Sometimes I never get comfortable and I have to leave the 10 shots for another day. Not scientific- but the system works for me.
Ping G15
The Ping felt good. A little lighter than the Launcher09, but still a good weight and like the Launcher09, I could feel where the head of the club was right through the swing. The set-up looked pretty square, so I didn’t make any adjustments and gave it a go. My first shot was a towering drive right down the middle that landed at the back of the range net. Probably the longest shot I have ever hit at that range. The sound was a very nice CHinggg. It felt solid.
Further shots gave similar results. When I missed on the toe I still managed to stay on target. When I missed on the heal the ball moved left but not by a lot and in both cases I still had enough distance that they would have been playable shots. I didn’t slice it at all- in fact the ball never moved more than 10 yards to the right of my target. A few experiments with tee height and swing speed and I was getting very consistent shots. Time for the 10 ball test.
Out of the 10 balls- 8 were huge (for me) drives with pretty tight dispersion. Every one was longer than my normal Launcher09 drives with much more carry. 7 of the shots hit or rolled up to the back of the fence. One shot I caught way in on the heal and sent it left the other I got way under and so was high straight but really short. 80%. That is a winner. It was more forgiving, much easier to swing and visibly longer than the Launcher09. I could get used to 80% plus FWIR.
Cleveland DST
Next the DST. Lighter, Longer, Faster! I was ready for some magic.
The DST also looked pretty square at address, but maybe a bit more closed than the Ping. It was hard to tell. It was also a longer club. So I had to step back a bit. Swinging it you can feel that is lighter, but as has been said, the weight is still nice- balanced is a good word. Unlike the Ping or the Launcher09 there was not that feeling of the weight being concentrated at the head- it was much more even. Frankly it felt a bit odd. Not bad, just unusual.
I took my fist swing and after a very light “ting “ the ball seemed to leap off the face, however it lept up and wayyyy right . What the *%$#*? I have not hit a shot like that in years. Three more swings and three more slices. They were going really long but right right right.
OK, this club was going to make me work for it. It took the full 20 balls to find a way to hit it. I had to open up the face, lower the tee and swing way out to get my shots online. When I did this I was getting shots that moved slightly right with slightly more distance than the Launcher09. But the swing was too awkward to keep consistent and I am sure it was costing me some power. Normally I would have bagged the club at this point and tried again another day- but for this review I took out the 10 balls.
Out of the 10 balls I hit 5 straight (but drifting right) shots that were at least as long as my Launcher09. One of those hit the back of the fence- so the potential is there. The rest were variations on a slice. It was just so hard to keep up the kind of swing the DST seemed to demand. I am not sure if it was the longer shaft, the weight or what, but 50% isn’t going to cut it. JB has said that the DST is a completely different club to the Launcher09 or the XL/XLS and he is right.
Just be sure it was not just me loosing it, I teed up the Ping again and hit two more straight long shots down the middle with little effort.
The Winner:Ping G15
No contest. For me the Ping was superior in every way (but the headcover). Not only a longer and easier club than the DST, it was also much easier and longer than what I am using now. The Launcher09 goes up for sale and the Ping G15 takes over when the first round of the season starts (next weekend I hope!).
But I have not given up on the DST. It took me a few range sessions for figure out the Launcher09, but when I did it worked better for me. The same may be the case here. The DST feel is unique and the ball really does leap off the face. So I will try some other variations, tempos and swing styles and see if I can’t catch the magic.
If not, it could join the Cleveland XLS and the Nike Sumo2 as good drivers that just were never able to work with my swing.
First- I am a plus 25 HCper. I live where there is a long winter so I don’t get to play as much as I would like. My drives are average 220-230 including the roll (though I hit one 260 once!) and I normally drive the ball straight down the middle. I look for forgiveness, lots of carry and a good roll out. (doesn’t everyone!) I can’t shape shots right or left, but I can move the ball a little up and down depending on conditions.
Last season I played the Launcher09 10.5* with the fit-on gold stiff shaft. It’s the longest club I have played and I like it, but it makes me work hard to get it right. The stiff flex is not the best choice for me. But to change up, I want something that is both easier and longer.
Also I learned to drive on a Cleveland- so I really want the DST to come out the winner!
The Contenders:
Ping G15: 12* Reg Flex TFC shaftCleveland DST 10.5* Reg Flex 44g shaft
In the looks department I think it is a toss up. They are both great looking clubs. I like the classic shape and I like that they are both more compact than the Launcher09. The sole design on the Ping is more angular while the DST is more about sweeping lines- but both are sharp. On the top the alignment aid on the Ping is nice while the DST has nothing at all. Again both are sharp and both are much better that the bright “Wings” on the Launcher09. I noticed the face of the Ping seems larger then the DST- but the point is to hit it in the middle.
The headcovers are no contest. Why doesn’t everyone use the E-Z Grab style? Cleveland’s HC are the best.
Right. So this morning, armed with the Drivers I headed out to the range. First time swinging any club in months. I warmed up with my trusty Cleveland XL- a very forgiving club it has been my back-up for whenever I feel like I am loosing my swing. Then I decided to start with the Ping.
My plan for new clubs is to take about 20 balls out and swing a few while making any adjustments. Get used to the weight, Tee a little higher, a little lower, back in the stand, forward , faster swing slower, etc etc. Then when I have hit 3 or 4 in a row that are comfortable, I take out 10 balls hit 10 shots and see where I am. Sometimes I never get comfortable and I have to leave the 10 shots for another day. Not scientific- but the system works for me.
Ping G15The Ping felt good. A little lighter than the Launcher09, but still a good weight and like the Launcher09, I could feel where the head of the club was right through the swing. The set-up looked pretty square, so I didn’t make any adjustments and gave it a go. My first shot was a towering drive right down the middle that landed at the back of the range net. Probably the longest shot I have ever hit at that range. The sound was a very nice CHinggg. It felt solid.
Further shots gave similar results. When I missed on the toe I still managed to stay on target. When I missed on the heal the ball moved left but not by a lot and in both cases I still had enough distance that they would have been playable shots. I didn’t slice it at all- in fact the ball never moved more than 10 yards to the right of my target. A few experiments with tee height and swing speed and I was getting very consistent shots. Time for the 10 ball test.
Out of the 10 balls- 8 were huge (for me) drives with pretty tight dispersion. Every one was longer than my normal Launcher09 drives with much more carry. 7 of the shots hit or rolled up to the back of the fence. One shot I caught way in on the heal and sent it left the other I got way under and so was high straight but really short. 80%. That is a winner. It was more forgiving, much easier to swing and visibly longer than the Launcher09. I could get used to 80% plus FWIR.
Cleveland DSTNext the DST. Lighter, Longer, Faster! I was ready for some magic.
The DST also looked pretty square at address, but maybe a bit more closed than the Ping. It was hard to tell. It was also a longer club. So I had to step back a bit. Swinging it you can feel that is lighter, but as has been said, the weight is still nice- balanced is a good word. Unlike the Ping or the Launcher09 there was not that feeling of the weight being concentrated at the head- it was much more even. Frankly it felt a bit odd. Not bad, just unusual.
I took my fist swing and after a very light “ting “ the ball seemed to leap off the face, however it lept up and wayyyy right . What the *%$#*? I have not hit a shot like that in years. Three more swings and three more slices. They were going really long but right right right.
OK, this club was going to make me work for it. It took the full 20 balls to find a way to hit it. I had to open up the face, lower the tee and swing way out to get my shots online. When I did this I was getting shots that moved slightly right with slightly more distance than the Launcher09. But the swing was too awkward to keep consistent and I am sure it was costing me some power. Normally I would have bagged the club at this point and tried again another day- but for this review I took out the 10 balls.
Out of the 10 balls I hit 5 straight (but drifting right) shots that were at least as long as my Launcher09. One of those hit the back of the fence- so the potential is there. The rest were variations on a slice. It was just so hard to keep up the kind of swing the DST seemed to demand. I am not sure if it was the longer shaft, the weight or what, but 50% isn’t going to cut it. JB has said that the DST is a completely different club to the Launcher09 or the XL/XLS and he is right.
Just be sure it was not just me loosing it, I teed up the Ping again and hit two more straight long shots down the middle with little effort.
The Winner:
Ping G15No contest. For me the Ping was superior in every way (but the headcover). Not only a longer and easier club than the DST, it was also much easier and longer than what I am using now. The Launcher09 goes up for sale and the Ping G15 takes over when the first round of the season starts (next weekend I hope!).
But I have not given up on the DST. It took me a few range sessions for figure out the Launcher09, but when I did it worked better for me. The same may be the case here. The DST feel is unique and the ball really does leap off the face. So I will try some other variations, tempos and swing styles and see if I can’t catch the magic.
If not, it could join the Cleveland XLS and the Nike Sumo2 as good drivers that just were never able to work with my swing.
