- Staff
- #701
I know! Right? I'm fond of it to say the least.
Thanks Matty, sorry to hear you're struggling with the distance thing right now, I know that can be a bit demoralizing.
Nicklaus ML4 Driver - Forum Testing Review
I know! Right? I'm fond of it to say the least.
Thanks Matty, sorry to hear you're struggling with the distance thing right now, I know that can be a bit demoralizing.
MattyKrack17
MattyCaulk AkA DigDug
It's with my irons too. I don't understand how one drive I hit it 250 and the next 190 lol. I need a lesson
tapatalk addict....
- Staff
- #703
Its amazing how much one lesson can really help, I wish I'd have done it earlier than this summer, my first one and it made a big difference to just have a set of trained eyes look at what I was doing.
- Staff
- #705
Haha, nice.
I will say I was worried and then had a moment of, oh, I don't look that bad. lol
Thank goodness I'm 45lbs lighter than last year though! LOL
Well... we'll have to see if this works out. :smile:
Found a seller on ebay selling new 9* ML4's with Aldila RIP Alpha 60 shafts installed, choice of flex and grip, $209 shipped. I'll report back as to authenticity once received, fingers-crossed, lol...
Found a seller on ebay selling new 9* ML4's with Aldila RIP Alpha 60 shafts installed, choice of flex and grip, $209 shipped. I'll report back as to authenticity once received, fingers-crossed, lol...
Today I received the 9* ML4 with stiff RIP Alpha 60 shaft, built to 45", D3. So, off to the range I went.
After warming up with 6 or 7 iron shots, I went straight to driver and used the Trackman's "Compare Clubs" option. I hit 15 drives with each club and was too tired to continue with the test after that, lol... I took my 44.5" ML4 w/stiff PM 702 and my 44.5" Cobra S3 w/stiff Matrix Ozik Code-6 along for comparison.
Due to the new club's extra .5" of length I expected it to help generate more ball speed and slightly better distance. It didn't disappoint. It was very consistently 5-6 yards longer than the 44.5" ML4 and a whopping 15 yards longer on average than the S3. Ball speed averaged just over 162 mph with the RIP ML4 while it was 159 with the PM702 ML4. The Cobra was at around 157 mph. Backspin was 158 rpm's less on average than the other ML4 but the Cobra offered the lowest rpm's at an average of 1953 but the launch wth the S3 was also much lower, hence the shorter distance.
So the distance didn't surprise me but what did was the tighter dispersion of the RIP ML4. I forgot to mention that the Harrison Shotmaker is still installed down the shaft of the PM702 shafted ML4 yet the RIP was more accurate by far than the other two clubs. Trajectory is ever so slightly higher with the RIP shaft but not "high" at all. I'd classify the flight as a decidedly medium trajectory. Feel is just a touch smoother throughout the swing with the RIP combo but it feels much more stable through impact. Really, really satisfying going through the ball. The more aggressive I was, the better the feel.
The jury's still out but the RIP shaft appears to be a great match with this clubhead for my swing. Time will tell...
The ML4's a winner. I've now tried it with three different aftermarket shafts and the results have been better with each subsequent attempt.
Incidentally, I can't seem to get an ML4 clubhead with a square face-angle. Where I'd first thought the face to be square, later when comparing it to my S3 in the nuetral setting and my R7 TP Limited (along with eyeing it up along the grout lines of the kitchen tile), I discovered that the ML4 is obviously 1* or so closed. Disappointing because I asked for this last one to be hand picked by the ebay seller as, "square to open." Including my buddy's ML4, that's four of them (two 10.5's and two 9's) that have slightly closed faces.
In the end, no matter as I love the results. Just, as I much prefer thin top-lines with irons, I prefer square clubfaces with woods dernit! :smile:
After warming up with 6 or 7 iron shots, I went straight to driver and used the Trackman's "Compare Clubs" option. I hit 15 drives with each club and was too tired to continue with the test after that, lol... I took my 44.5" ML4 w/stiff PM 702 and my 44.5" Cobra S3 w/stiff Matrix Ozik Code-6 along for comparison.
Due to the new club's extra .5" of length I expected it to help generate more ball speed and slightly better distance. It didn't disappoint. It was very consistently 5-6 yards longer than the 44.5" ML4 and a whopping 15 yards longer on average than the S3. Ball speed averaged just over 162 mph with the RIP ML4 while it was 159 with the PM702 ML4. The Cobra was at around 157 mph. Backspin was 158 rpm's less on average than the other ML4 but the Cobra offered the lowest rpm's at an average of 1953 but the launch wth the S3 was also much lower, hence the shorter distance.
So the distance didn't surprise me but what did was the tighter dispersion of the RIP ML4. I forgot to mention that the Harrison Shotmaker is still installed down the shaft of the PM702 shafted ML4 yet the RIP was more accurate by far than the other two clubs. Trajectory is ever so slightly higher with the RIP shaft but not "high" at all. I'd classify the flight as a decidedly medium trajectory. Feel is just a touch smoother throughout the swing with the RIP combo but it feels much more stable through impact. Really, really satisfying going through the ball. The more aggressive I was, the better the feel.
The jury's still out but the RIP shaft appears to be a great match with this clubhead for my swing. Time will tell...
The ML4's a winner. I've now tried it with three different aftermarket shafts and the results have been better with each subsequent attempt.
Incidentally, I can't seem to get an ML4 clubhead with a square face-angle. Where I'd first thought the face to be square, later when comparing it to my S3 in the nuetral setting and my R7 TP Limited (along with eyeing it up along the grout lines of the kitchen tile), I discovered that the ML4 is obviously 1* or so closed. Disappointing because I asked for this last one to be hand picked by the ebay seller as, "square to open." Including my buddy's ML4, that's four of them (two 10.5's and two 9's) that have slightly closed faces.
In the end, no matter as I love the results. Just, as I much prefer thin top-lines with irons, I prefer square clubfaces with woods dernit! :smile:
Sounds like you found a very nice combo that works for you WMac! I too have a Harrison Shotmaker and find it makes a difference. I'm fortunate in one repect: my ML4 sets up square.
ML4 Update
Played 18 today and hit all but two fairways with the ML4. This driver continues to impress even after six months. I don't believe I've ever had a club in my bag for this long...any club. It was very windy today (20 to 30 mph), so it was nice having a driver I felt comfortable hitting under such conditions.
Played 18 today and hit all but two fairways with the ML4. This driver continues to impress even after six months. I don't believe I've ever had a club in my bag for this long...any club. It was very windy today (20 to 30 mph), so it was nice having a driver I felt comfortable hitting under such conditions.
- Staff
- #711
Mine actually sets up square to maybe even a tad open as well.
Great stuff Sean, it certainly does keep impressing.
Thank GOODNESS for fall break for this teacher Wed/Thur/Fri....major league links time coming up for me.
Hawk, it keeps the flight down in all conditions.
May the weather be with you Jman.
monroeccman
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My Edwin Watts salesman said the word is that Nicklaus golf equipment is somewhat going out of buisness. He said they may sale the premuim line on some international accounts and phase out the lower end box sets. I hape they can stay afloat.
That would be a darn shame...
After a couple more range sessions and two rounds of golf with the RIP shafted ML4, I'm thinking it's not such a good fit. The shaft feels a bit too flexible to me. Being that it was made to 45", I'm considering pulling the shaft and tipping 1/2" to try to firm it up some.
As for now, the PM702 is back in 'da bag. But now there's a surprising contender... the S3... AGAIN. I put an X-flex Mitsu Bassara shaft in it and, wow.
Aw, heck... I love all of my drivers. :smile-big:
monroeccman
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I took Ping G20 demo along with my ML4 over the weekend for a comparison. I could give the G20 a slight edge in forgiveness but the ML4 gets the nod in terms of distance, feel, workability. Amazing that a club with almost no buzz performs just as well or better than the big dogs.
I'm still playing the ML4 since last May, which for me is unheard of. I haven't hit any of the new drivers (since last May anyway). Your observation is interesting.
monroeccman
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Hey, Maybe I'm bias and don't want to drop 3 bills on a new driver but it was kind of a relief that both drivers were close and comparable. I DO prefer the ML4. I am worried about liking the Exotic xcg5 13 degree fairway wood that I also tried. It is of course the same price as the ping driver!
Ouch! Maybe that's why it's called Exotic.
- Staff
- #720
First off, my apologies for my recent absence form the site. Things have been absolutely nuts here with my wife's residency interviews beginning and things stepping up with my classes, I've not even been on course lately either, I will remedy that this week or at the beginning of next though, updates are needed and I'm a terrible person for slacking.
This concerns me, I wonder if we could possible get JB to do a little recon? If its true, I will be purchasing at least one more ML4 head to save, I like this driver that damn much.
This concerns me, I wonder if we could possible get JB to do a little recon? If its true, I will be purchasing at least one more ML4 head to save, I like this driver that damn much.
monroeccman
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Was anyone able to follow up on the status of Nicklaus Premium Golf?
- Staff
- #723
Not that I'm aware of, perhaps I will call during my plan period today out of curiosity. I certainly hope its incorrect, the ML4 is beyond for-real.
Speaking of...I forgot to come and update after Sunday...and this was having not swung a club in two weeks (**hangs head in shame**)
Round 1: "Home Course" (Pull Driver!)
41/41 = 82 (+10)
11/14 Fairways Hit
1/3 Within 10 Feet of Fairway (two FREAK slices...I never slice anymore...)
Long Drive = 270 Yards
Short Drive = 245
Average = 260ish
It was SOOOOOO wet. Raining part of the time and just SOAKED from the previous mass rain shower's we've had. So, the 270 was pretty much luck as it was downhill lol, my drives were landing to a thud of no roll out most of the day. The feel form this one makes me ashamed of myself for not getting out the last two weeks, its pretty pathetic and I admit that. Its just so much damn fun to hit. I need to go into my app and see my FIR's before and after going tot he ML4, its has GOT to be night and day.
And broken record, ML4 + Miyazaki Black = Stupid Smooth
monroeccman
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I got this email reply from Clay Long,
Yes, the Nicklaus Co. is going to move out of the domestic club business and
license the name to some international customers who buy product currently. The
lines being sold domestically, as far as I know, will no longer be available.
I will continue my work with my putters and now wedges as well continue a
relationship I have now with Taylor Made. You will see in the Spring some wedges
and a new iron I contributed to from them. I am really excited to get to work
with such a dynamic and successful group going forward. I am very luck in that
respect.
Jack Nicklaus and the Nicklaus Co. have been a great experience for me over the
last 10 years. I could not have had finer people to work with. We have made some
fine premium equipment. Unfortunately the market forces in both the equipment
side as well as the course design side have conspired to squeeze us out of the
club market. Nickalaus Golf made $ every year but 3 in 19 years. That is a great
record in this business and something Bob Kelly (Pres & CEO) and all of us
involved can be proud of.
Yes, the Nicklaus Co. is going to move out of the domestic club business and
license the name to some international customers who buy product currently. The
lines being sold domestically, as far as I know, will no longer be available.
I will continue my work with my putters and now wedges as well continue a
relationship I have now with Taylor Made. You will see in the Spring some wedges
and a new iron I contributed to from them. I am really excited to get to work
with such a dynamic and successful group going forward. I am very luck in that
respect.
Jack Nicklaus and the Nicklaus Co. have been a great experience for me over the
last 10 years. I could not have had finer people to work with. We have made some
fine premium equipment. Unfortunately the market forces in both the equipment
side as well as the course design side have conspired to squeeze us out of the
club market. Nickalaus Golf made $ every year but 3 in 19 years. That is a great
record in this business and something Bob Kelly (Pres & CEO) and all of us
involved can be proud of.