How Long for You to Get Comfortable with Your New Driver?

theoverswinger

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So after 4 years wandering in the bargain bins I buy a brand new up-to-date driver, an M1, set to 7.5 degrees, full length Kuro Kage 60 shaft. So I'm going through an acquaintance party with it, getting the feel of the thing and finding the right tempo.

Which got me to wonder, how long does it take for you to be totally comfortable with your driver? How many games or sessions on the range?
 
I've had different feelings with my last few drivers, really. R9 and R11s were nearly immediate. SLDR I was never really comfortable with. R15 was nearly immediate. M1 took me about a week and I'm completely in love with it.

7.5 degrees!?!?!? Yikes!
 
The Yonex Rekin Super II, Taylormade Burner II, Taylormade 360, Taylormade 580XD and Callaway 815 Alpha DBD required no adjustment period.

Every other driver has required a 2-4 week break in period. Those include...

Ping TiSi and TiSi Tec
Taylormade Firesole
Callaway 2014 Big Bertha
Taylormade R1
Yonex VMass 400
Callaway Diablo
Callaway 816 DBD
 
I've had different feelings with my last few drivers, really. R9 and R11s were nearly immediate. SLDR I was never really comfortable with. R15 was nearly immediate. M1 took me about a week and I'm completely in love with it.

7.5 degrees!?!?!? Yikes!

The 7.5 degrees is still an experiment. I've never tried hitting anything lower than 8. :)
 
For me it is right away or it goes away, considering all the info we have and hitting so many different combos once it gets to the Course it needs to work. Now I am the 1st to admit I generally do not do well at fittings or demos unless they are on grass and using good quality balls which is rare in these parts.

But for sure the general idea comes though what is working when testing. We all hit 5 balls with the XR16 and that gave a good idea of overall performance which was average (good but average) and then 1 ball with the XXIO Prime which was really, really good. If there had been a guy selling them right there taking trade ins I would own one now. "Look honey its gold plated" what sleep outside, no problem.
 
No time at all. If it's taking time to dial in a pure distance club, then it's not the right driver for me. To me great options that offer something different right out of the gate.
 
I typically can tell you in a few swings if I'm going to get along with a driver. It's not an exact science but it's generally spit on. So getting used to a new takes no time at all.
 
No more than 10 swings
 
It takes me a while with any club, I struggle with change.
 
So after 4 years wandering in the bargain bins I buy a brand new up-to-date driver, an M1, set to 7.5 degrees, full length Kuro Kage 60 shaft. So I'm going through an acquaintance party with it, getting the feel of the thing and finding the right tempo.

Which got me to wonder, how long does it take for you to be totally comfortable with your driver? How many games or sessions on the range?

I've always been lucky that at my home course, we can demo any clubs on the course and the range for a week or two before you buy, so I pretty well know if a club will work for me before I buy and I'm already comfortable with it.
 
IMO: Once its hosel/sleeve adjusted...If its a good fit, by the 5th shot you should be smiling. I know a few competitive golfers with good swings, who at this point will drop the club if its not right. Or perhaps they are not going to alter their swing to 'make it work'. Do make sure you have hit all sides of the shaft, as turning the spine into another position can change the preformance
 
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I will know within a couple of swings if I really don't like something. I would say maybe 1-3 range sessions to feel compatibility with a new driver.
 
I know after a couple of hits. Anything longer than 5mins is not going to get along with me. Same for woods also.
 
2 to 4 weeks for me. Roughly 5 rounds and a few range sessions.
 
With my new GBB it was honestly immediate. I had no break in period with it at all.
 
It's pretty quick. It either works for me during the demo or when I fist get it on the range or it's not going to work. I rarely buy a driver without demoing it
 
Good question. It depends. If it's been fit to me, pretty much right away. Probably why as well. Others somewhat longer and usually eventually fired from the bag.


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5 swings.

I change gear a lot though.
 
I can eliminate a potential driver in 5 swings or less. My keeper is known within a short-range session (25-30) balls.
 
I'd say about 10 to 20 swings on the range.
 
Sometimes it happens almost instantly, but sometimes it takes a while. My last 2 drivers took several sessions for me to really get confident in either one. Once I did, though...
 
One or two rounds for me. Sometimes I like the sound and feel of the head but have to change the shaft to really get it to come alive, but I'm always looking for next new and better one, foolish as it sounds!
 
If I have my "A" or "B" swing, I know after 10 shots or so if a driver head and shaft combination is going to be a keeper or not. Tweaking the loft/lie takes about 20 shots and then it's ready to put in play.
 
Every Driver I've owned that I hit well on Day 1 has been a good driver. Every driver I've tried to get comfortable with has screwed up my swing, so if I don't hit it well from day 1, then it goes into the old club bag. Unfortunately being a leftie, demoing drivers is limited so most of my purchases are site unseen, which in turn keeps me limited from buying a new driver very often.
 
Amazingly on the first round by the 16th hole it was like an old friend. Ordered the Cobra King F6 from an eBay seller for less than retail price, ordered the Red Tie regular shaft and left the 10.5 degree setting but moved the weight to the forward/Penetrating setting. I had been playing drivers at 9.5 degree for 4-5 years and wanted to check out a higher launch setting. After a few holes where the ball went straight but high, I moved the ball position at address back an inch and the results were a lower, more penetrating launch angle. Hit 11 of 12 fairways and am MOST WELL PLEASED with this great feel at impact and great feel through the swing. It's my new gamer.
 
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