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Testing Drivers - What Do You Look For?

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JB

JB

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Are you a total distance golfer that looks more at distance and carry distance? Do you look more at the complete numbers? Spin, launch, carry, etc. Are you a look, feel and sound person?

When you get a chance to test drivers, what is the big thing for you?
 
Ball speed. And ball speed retention. That's the biggest for me.
 
Ball Speed and Carry are pretty important. I am a sucker for clean aesthetics in any club.
 
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blugold said:
Ball speed. And ball speed retention. That's the biggest for me.
Click to expand...

Help me here as I am compiling an outline. You mention this, but over the last 3 years have played multiple drivers that are not known for ball speed retention. Do you just like to know it how it handles it, or are you looking for drivers that do not retain it and that is how you choose?
 
Feel first!! The numbers second. I like to hit the club first to see if I even like the way it feels before even seeing what the monitor says. That includes the shaft. After that a Launch monitor is essential to fitting a driver. The spin numbers are key for me. Lastly I have to like the way the driver looks.
 
In this order.

Distance both on and off center.
Direction/dispersion.
Ball speed.
Launch angle.
Spin.
Looks/feel/sound.

I'll compromise if needed, but have been able to find a good all-around combo if I look hard enough.
 
Spin and distance but also sound and feel. I know those are subjective but when I hit something that feels or sounds tinny it automatically turns me off. At that point it becomes a comfort thing for me regardless of the numbers. Once I find something like the 2014 BB that has the sound and feel that I enjoy, I look at spin and distance in terms of numbers.
 
As I age and lose distance the biggie for me is total distance. So that would encompass spin, launch, ball speed, carry and accuracy.
 
Distance and accuracy, give me those; probably carry distance. I don't know a lot about the best spin, launch, etc. So give me something I hit far and straight and I'm good; that second part is hard... I'll get used to it if it feels/sounds a little funky, as long as it performs.
 
I don't think I've tried one driver that is off the charts better than others I've tried in regards to carry distance/accuracy, but I've also never been professionally fit for a driver...so I hope to learn a lot about that at LIITA. I also feel I'm too inconsistent a lot of the times with it that it's hard to actually determine which one is better than another. So in the past I've looked at drivers based off look/feel/sound.
 
Distance and feel to start. From there it distance off mishits, spin, launch and sound for me. Lastly is whether I like the look of the driver.
 
1) Distance - center and laterally/vertically on face.

2) Ball Speeds

3) Sound

4) Bias (Fade/Draw)

5) LA/Spin

6) Aesthetics
 
I have to be honest and say, I look for Distance first (carry distance measured by LM)

After that, I like to see the following
Accuracy-real outside flight on a driving range if possible.
Sound-don't like the real loud aluminum bat sound
Cost


Hope that helps some
 
JB said:
Help me here as I am compiling an outline. You mention this, but over the last 3 years have played multiple drivers that are not known for ball speed retention. Do you just like to know it how it handles it, or are you looking for drivers that do not retain it and that is how you choose?
Click to expand...
Maybe retention isn't the right word. I want the highest ball speed over a sample size. If the driver maintains a consistent ball speed but it's 5-10mph below the average of a less forgiving option, I lean towards the less forgiving option. I don't want to give up the potential.

I am firmly entrenched in the distance camp. I want the maximum available yardage.

My #1 concern is the maximum ball speed.
 
Forgiveness. I don't have a LM nearby to get real data. (Looks like I need to get to more THP events for real LM data) I know when I don't hit one well, but when it still has ok distance and direction, I'm a fan. I'll be honest in saying I was somewhat worried when I was chosen to test the DBD, but after a few adjustments and I hit that first good ball, I knew I was capable. It ended up being a great learning experience even if I ended up with the regular 815 Alpha.
 
My opinion has changed over the years, but what's working for me now is a forgiving head with a low spin shaft. This combo is giving me the best results. Plus, I'd prefer it not to sound like an aluminum bat & not look like a transformer.
 
I am still a novice when it comes to analyzing numbers, LA, etc.

I do look at carry distance though - that is relatively important to me - immediately after that is accuracy, then feel.

As for sound, I don't really look for that - my R11s and R1 were each screamers no matter where you hit it.

I feel with the Alpha 815 if you hit it on the screws it is much more muted compared to one on the toe/heel....
 
Overall Distance on well struck shots
Consistency
Ability to work the ball
Looks


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I'd be lying if I said look and feel wasn't the most important initially. If I don't like the way it looks and sets up to my eye, the numbers are really irrelevant, as I can guarantee i'll lose my love for it pretty quickly regardless of any initial wow numbers. After that it's distance.
 
I probably go with feel/sound first. Part of the reason for that is that I don't get to spend much time on a launch monitor. Usually when I'm getting a chance to hit the newest offerings, it's on a bay at Edwin Watts with no monitor.
If I find a few drivers that I like the sound/feel off, then I will do my best to compare them on a launch monitor.
Ironically enough, the driver that I currently use was purchased without ever even swinging one before hand. I liked the looks of the Bio Cell and couldn't pass up the deal that was offered at the time. While it's entirely possible that I could find an offering that produces better numbers, I have more confidence in this driver than anything I've gamed the past 6 or 7 years. Sometimes you just get lucky.
 
1. I have to be able to hit it reasonably straight straight, or at least have the promise of a one way miss. All the other considerations on this list are malleable - I will tinker to fine tune and get it where I want it. This one is a deal breaker.

2. Distance / forgiveness

3. Subjective feel.

4. Adjustability and the ability to correct for swing flaws

5. Subjective sound and looks
 
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Distance is first and foremost for me, carry especially, and all across the face.

Feel is probably second

Looks/Aesthetics is last for sure!
 
First an formost it's sound, then it's launch and totally carry distance. I'm not a big numbers guy as far as spin and all that. I'm probably not smart enough to really analyze what's happening. If it's shaft, head a combination it can get a little overwhelming.
 
I know I seem contradictory. But my main concern with a driver is how big of a bite it can take out of a hole. I can work on dispersion. I want my driver to shorten a hole. my understanding, ball speed is the one characteristic that illustrates the most potential to do that.
 
I don't have access to a proper LM, most I get is a simulator in the store. So I don't get caught up in the raw numbers so much.
I'm pretty much split between carry distance, dispersion, and how hard it is for me to swing (call it feel for lack of a better term).

I've hit drivers where the best balls are 10y longer, but that's 2/10 balls with some wild misses. I put those back in favor of more consistent distance and tighter grouping. If I think it takes less effort to get comparable results, I'll go with that one. Results first, though.
 
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