royalwulff

New member
Joined
Jun 26, 2009
Messages
4,647
Reaction score
12
Location
Colorado
Handicap
21
Ok Andy I am in need of more of your magic. I now have a Diablo Octane in my bag with the same shaft as was in my last driver the FT5. the last shaft was 45 inches and this one is 45 1/2 inches long. I went out to the range today with it for the first time and it was duck hook city. I normally hit a fade and would hit a hook very seldom. I should also say that while I don't have the numbers it really feels so much lighter than my last driver. When I did hit it well it was dead straight (which I can live with) and longer than my FT5. I wound up hitting several 275 yard drives with the Octane. I have not hit a ball in several weeks but I did warm up with several irons and my 5 wood and was hitting them well. But I have never hit so many duck hooks as I did today. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
thanks bunches
 
Are you sure that it is the same shaft? or is it just the same flex? This is a tuff one. My gut says you have a different shaft than you are used to. Plus the weighting of the octane is different than the FT5. are they the same lofts? Get me as much info on each as you can. The shaft, weight, lofts, etc. I have a hard time going to just one thing if it is just happening with the one club in the bag.
 
Ok the loft on my FT5 was 11 degrees the loft on the Octane is 10.5 degrees. The shaft in both clubs is the Graphite Design Pershing, stiff flex, 65 grams. The Graphite Design site says that the shaft is actually 72 grams. The only difference in the two shafts is this one in 45.5 inches long and the one in the FT5 was 45 inches long. I don't know how much lighter the Octane head it but it sure feels lighter. Hope this helps.
 
I believe Octane is a little more of a GI club than the FT line is/was, it may be draw biased to begin with.

I know not everyone says this, but I know I snap hook all these new lightweight drivers, think I just get ahead of myself. But that is just from a few swings sure if I spend some time with them the timing would come around...maybe thats all it is for you too...
 
Last edited:
JN that was my thought at first. Come to find out the Octane in a 10.5* is neutral where the FT5 is 1* closed. That really surprised me. My gut now says it is more of a total weight of the club issue. Many people with the lighter clubs tend to swing them a little faster (this is what they are designed to do). You said you hadn't played in a while and my thought is with the change in over all weight you have poor timing right now. As a result of the increase in club head speed you are really throwing the hands at the bottom to square the face and you are in reality shutting the face.

Try this next time out to slow your release just a touch. Place a tee in the ground 3-4 inches in front of the ball you are hitting. On the down swing try to swing out to the secondary target. This will keep the club head moving down range a touch longer and allow the hands to release the club more naturally. Extension post impact is VERY important and this will help you get a better feel of a proper release of the club.
 
Thanks Andy i will give this a try when I can get on the range again and then let you know how it went.
 
JN that was my thought at first. Come to find out the Octane in a 10.5* is neutral where the FT5 is 1* closed. That really surprised me. My gut now says it is more of a total weight of the club issue. Many people with the lighter clubs tend to swing them a little faster (this is what they are designed to do). You said you hadn't played in a while and my thought is with the change in over all weight you have poor timing right now. As a result of the increase in club head speed you are really throwing the hands at the bottom to square the face and you are in reality shutting the face.

Try this next time out to slow your release just a touch. Place a tee in the ground 3-4 inches in front of the ball you are hitting. On the down swing try to swing out to the secondary target. This will keep the club head moving down range a touch longer and allow the hands to release the club more naturally. Extension post impact is VERY important and this will help you get a better feel of a proper release of the club.

Ok Andy I have been working on your tip for swinging over a secondary target and while I am not hitting the hooks I was, now I am all over the place. I have no where the ball is going but my impact on the face is all over the place.
 
I would love to see some video of your swing if that is possible. I don't know where to start. Incosistant contact on the face can be caused by many things. Let me know what else I can do for you.
 
I will try and get some video and get it to you as soon as i can. thanks again RW
 
Back
Top