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How Many Drivers Do You Test Before Buying?

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SuperStroke
Probably 2-3. Callaway, Cobra and TaylorMade are usually hit for sure before I make a purchase. Inevitability I'll end up owning all three at some point during the season :banghead:.
 
YukonLiving said:
Unfortunately, I don’t have the ability up here... so it’s buy and then try.
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Ah that sucks... Maybe get some of your golf buddies to let you hit their drivers... Good luck tho. I wouldn't let my first born hit mine lol. Again, tough spot.giphy (4).gif
 
Ashamed to admit this but I was testing a crap ton of them when I first got back into golf a few years ago. It had a lot to do with how long I'd been gone (19 years) how much info was available when I returned to the game, and how numbers driven the comparisons were. It was what I did in my professional career and being newly retired I still enjoyed analyzing the numbers. Especially so with me and my golf game now being 'the customer'.

All in all I comparatively tested 22 different drivers in 2014 and ultimately bought a self fit Cobra Bio Cell+ that season.
In 2015 I tested 18 drivers but didn't purchase.
I bought a first version TaylorMade M1 in 2016 through an independent Trackman fitter. It was one of 13 drivers I tested in 2016.
In 2017 I tested 11 drivers but didn't purchase.
In 2018 I purchased a TaylorMade M3 after confirming it being my top option from that Trackman fitter. I tested 6 drivers in 2018.
In 2019 I tested 8 drivers but didn't purchase.
I bought a Callaway MAVRIK (standard) in 2020 utilizing the same Trackman fitter. I tested 9 drivers in 2020.

I'm getting a little better but I still enjoy testing the new releases too much to cut myself off completely.
 
I hit a couple before I bought my last one. There wasn't a lot of selection in the lefty used club rack at Golfsmith. What they did have was either out of my price range and too new or too old and totally beat up.
 
This year I tested SIM, Mavrik, and SZ. I ordered a SZX a bit later.

Im really not sure how I would go forward in the future. Really testing seems more like figuring out loft and if I like the shape behind the ball.

I might try to do the bag is set challenge for 2021.
 
i dont even try i just buy
 
I do my homework/research, then I buy the driver. 1 for 1 So far so good.
 
A little ashamed to admit that the last driver I bought was completely untested. Budgetary constraints means I'm hitting the models from at least a couple years prior so I come here and read the review of the driver I most interested in. Also guilty of heavy brand loyalty as I basically only looked at Taylor Made.
 
I’m very fortunate to have a facility nearby that always has everything with multiple shaft offerings available to bitnoutside with a FT machine. So if I went in thinking about a particular driver I could easily try as many drivers as I want. Usually I get tired before I run out of options. But for the sake of argument let’s say 5 or 6 drivers
 
JayFló said:
Ah that sucks... Maybe get some of your golf buddies to let you hit their drivers... Good luck tho. I wouldn't let my first born hit mine lol. Again, tough spot.View attachment 8965881
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That’s usually what we do - just hit each others clubs. Unfortunately that means someone had to buy it first though. All fun though!
 
Will there be a thread on how many drivers you buy before you try them?

Asking for a friend.....
 
As many as I can. Which is usually somewhere betwen zero and seven.
 
I'll bring the average down because it's zero. I just buy what I want on ebay or Callaway Pre-Owned or here to test out.

I've never been fitted and it's been over 10 years since I've tried multiple anything before buying.

And yes... it's wholly inefficient.
 
Testing, what testing? I depend on THP for my info and sofar I've been lucky this year. My driver and shaft choices have exceeded my expectations.
 
I knew I was high spin high launch so I looked at driver profiles that would help me lower same. I tried three for two weeks each.
 
If "testing" includes hitting friends' drivers (in addition to a fitting), I "tested" four drivers before my last purchase - Callaway Epic Flash, Ping G400, and then the Mav Standard and Mav Max at my fitting.

I usually do my homework first and have a pretty good idea of what I want before I ever test anything or get the wallet out. Both my local shops are small mom and pop outfits and have limited selections, with no launch monitors and no certified fitters. If I want more than that I either have to wait for manufacturers to do demo days at one of the local courses or drive 2 1/2 hours to a city where they have bigger shops and trained fitters.
 
If you try the Big Bertha B21, then it will be only one! It’s legit!
 
I like messing with the boys at the Superstore - so I limit my testing to every driver in the store
 
I typically buy 7-8 before testing....

Anyone want to buy a gently used driver?
 
JB said:
Each year THPers get excited about the latest drivers hitting the market and rightfully so. In a recent survey, golfers were asked how many drivers they test before buying and the answer was a bit of a surprise with the number being around 3.

We wanted to pose the same question to you. How many drivers do you try before buying one?

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Zero. Based on reviews only.
 
Before I got my current driver, I probably hit multiple heads from at least 5 different OEM's but each of those were also with a number of different shafts to find something that worked
 
I don’t hit enough drivers before just picking one. This thread had my attention but I just learned a buddy who works for a golf brand is sending me one for free. Guess the trick now is adjusting it to work. Free is good
 
#THPExperiences bruh.... :love::love::love:

Just roll with The One
 
I would like to say all of them :). Last time I got fit and went through 4-5 with more shafts before settling on something. This year because of Covid I ordered a Mavrik when I was bored and couldn’t get fit and have been playing it all year.
 
I used to extensively demo and buy two or three drivers each year but that ended in early 2007 when I bought the GBB Epic SZ. I’m of the opinion that I could optimize and get the same numbers with driver’s from a dozen different brands so I choose on looks and sound. I’ve stuck with Callaway because I have 6 driver shafts that fit me well with the Optifit adapter. I just got the Mavrik SZ(hated the sound of the Epic Flash SZ) and I’ll bet it will stay in my bag for the next few years.
 
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