TM Original One - knuckleballs

[bjh1]

Finally got my hands on a TaylorMade Original One mini driver. Took it to the range today and have to say I was underwhelmed. I wasn't hitting any of my clubs great today, but especially this one. There were a few I hit right on the screws and they really flew, but I had a bunch of others that I thought I made decent contact on, but they just seems to knuckle and just fall out of the sky. I have the stock Diamana shaft in stiff. I have 'made for Titleist' Diamana stiff shafts in a few other clubs, and the TM shaft felt a little whippier. What would cause the knuckleballs? Would that be the shaft? The clubhead? The golfer?

 

I was really hoping to love this club, but the difference between a perfect shot and a pretty good shot seemed to be pretty drastic.

[PowderedToastMan]

So you were admittedly hitting it bad today and you want us to speculate why you were hitting knuckleballs?

 

My actual guess is that it’s none of the things you mentioned. It’s probably the range balls mixed with you hitting the ball poorly. The range balls at my range, my woods just fall out of the air unless I hit a spinny cut.

[bjh1]

I would like to believe that, but it wasn't happening with any other club.

[NRJyzr]

Knuckleballs are too little spin, aren't they?

[bjh1]

> @NRJyzr said:

> Knuckleballs are too little spin, aren't they?

In baseball, they are. Maybe was just a bad day as ToastMan suggested. Will try again when I get a chance, hopefully with real balls on a course.

[Ivyguy]

I hit the original one, it is too low spin for me. I hit some really big shots with it, but I am mortal... I cant keep with it enough to replace something else (see: jack of all trades master of none).

 

Keep with it though. Seriously cool club.

[Stanks]

Knuckleballs are dead dead spin ball. I'm talking under 1500 maybe revs for a high swing speed.

Personally, I don't ever care how well someone says they're hitting them. We all have good and bad days. If the driver works for you then rock on. Screw what everyone else thinks. I guess the end question is, did it help lower your score?

[b2bbirdies]

Has anyone hit this thing well?

[NRJyzr]

> @bjh1 said:

> > @NRJyzr said:

> > Knuckleballs are too little spin, aren't they?

> In baseball, they are. Maybe was just a bad day as ToastMan suggested. Will try again when I get a chance, hopefully with real balls on a course.

 

Rhetorical question, sorry. :)

 

Unless there's a defect with the balls you're hitting, I think that's exactly what's up with what you're seeing. Too much spin produces that not so lovely upshooting trajectory, and too little spin results in a ball that falls from the sky too early, and can even knuckle.

[craz-e]

> @b2bbirdies said:

> Has anyone hit this thing well?

Only got to hit it at a demo event but yes I hit it well.

I just don’t have any use for it though with my current set up

 

[DCMorgan89]

Same thing for me. On the course it’s better, but, super unforgiving for me on mishits. I did crush a couple that rolled for days. Sold it a week after I bought it. 11.5 with rogue silver

[gvogel]

More loft would help to generate more spin to keep the ball in the air. Add loft to the 11* model, or try the 13* model.

[mootrail]

1. The Original One Mini Driver is very low spin and launch to start with. That sets you up for knuckler right there. FYI, in golf, we usually think of a knuckler as a good thing. Did you get the 11° or 13.5°? If it's the 11°, you may have bitten off more then you can chew based on your choice of an S flex shaft. The 11° is like a one iron, it's not for many.

 

2. It's not a driver it's a Mini Driver. It should be swung like a long fairway and not a puffy balloon headed driver. That heavy headed feel, you might be calling whippy is something I don't mind, it feels heavy, just like my fairway woods. It doesn't have that light feeling head like a driver and it's something some are put off by.

 

3. If you are teeing the ball high, forward and swinging up at it like a driver, then you've got all the elements in your favor to hit a not too pretty knuckler. You've got a low spin and launch club to start with. Catching the ball a bit high to high toe on the face because it's tee'd too high and a closed face at impact because the ball is too forward in your stance. Add that all up and you've got a low pull knuckler.

 

For me, I still haven't sorted out the tee height conundrum. I tee it low for a low cut or into the wind and high for a high draw or a high cut. Try teeing it lower, put it back in your stance and set up to swing much more level. And remember, it's not a driver.

[Myherobobhope]

I’m really interested in this club. Feel like it might fill a goose niche for me. We shall see.

[Sfd732]

I purchased an Original One as my salvation, on paper it did everything I could have hoped for. I hit the 3 wood amazing off the tee and had issues with my driver, however, I have never hit a club so poorly in my life. I don't quite understand what I was doing....but I was digging it into the dirt like I was swinging a pick axe. Even when I made great contact it wasn't anything to write home about. I ended up selling the Original One as quickly as I purchased it. I would recommend just choking up on your driver about 2 inches and seeing if that fixes whatever it is you are looking to fix. Your other option might be to find a TEE EX9 Long.

[BCULAW]

May be too little spin for you, but beware of judging clubs based on range ball performance. Those range rocks often spin SO much less!!

 

I went for a driver fitting at the local range a couple of years back and was convinced I needed to move to a regular flex in the driver. I simply could not elevate the x-stiff I had been playing, or even the stiff shafts I was trying. Custom ordered a $500 driver and proceeded to hi high, spinny drives as soon as I got it on the course. Went back and got the owner of the range to let me take a stouter shaft to my course to demo, and viola!!!

 

Hit it with your gamer ball before you decide.

[LHGolf4]

Tried one at PGA Superstore today (11.5 stiff) and it is definitely a low spin club. I hit a couple to start off with that were spinning around 2000 RPM.

 

I adjusted the tee so that it was lower and I could hit a little bit down on it or at worst keep it flat through impact and that was the trick for me. Spin came up to 2400-2600 and got some good carry and roll. They had a used one left handed one I decided to buy because the dispersion was really good.

[isitour]

I have been gaming the Original One for a couple months now. 13.5* with the stock stiff shaft. This is just

a great club! Its only slightly ,10-15 yrds shorter than my driver (M5 10.5*) with better accuracy and just the best feeling when you hit it flush! I have adjusted it as low as 12* but I get the best results around 12.75 to 13.5*. I think the combination of the shorter shaft and the heavier feel to the head is the reason I enjoy hitting it so much! I did try the 11.5 and did not feel the love...

[bjh1]

OP with an update - I think the knuckleballs I was seeing were mostly due to crappy range balls. Haven't seen that when hitting with real balls. But so far, it's not doing anything for me that my SLDR mini can't do. The stock stiff shaft is a little soft in my opinion, and I'll hit some snap hooks with it if I swing too hard. Not a bad club, but consider a shaft upgrade.

[Cory B]

Hey man, just grabbed this club. I'm in a similar boat. Hit my 3 wood great, hit driver ok... thought mini driver might be the trick for my home course that is fairly skinny. 

 

Full nuckle balls lol - I moved it up to 13 loft still no go. I twitch to my wood or driver, hitting them pretty normal. Just can't hit this club for some reason.