What driver you gaming?

[DooZ]

Very pleased with the Smoke TD 9 turned down 1 with a X-wave 5s. A little leary early on of the more flexible shaft, but can't believe how stable it is even going after it. Personally for me, it's going to take Callaway to make something special for the Smoke to come out of the bag. Just love the high center toe bombs.

[Pepperturbo]

20 hours ago, beluga99 said:

This is good advice, and shorter length shaft testimonies has given me food for thought.  I always choke down as well, so might just trim the shaft and see what transpires.

 

Playing the stock Kai'li at 45.5 inches in my Ping G430 LST.  Can feel a bit unwieldy in cooler conditions - D5+ I think.

The food that pays off.  Ping heads tend to be heavier, add the extra shaft length, I can see D5+ as good sometimes, not so other times.  That 45.5" length hits the ball further.   My problem is along with it, I see dispersion, and hate it.  

 

Admittedly, I don't have a sweet fluid swing that, so many seem to be chasing, which is needed for lengthy setups.  My Driver SW is closest to D4.  I have 1" strip of LT in sole center touching face edge, back.  This weekend I'll add another 1/2" LT and see what excitement that causes. 🙂 

 

I can't seem to find enthusiasm for all the LM jabber, jabber. LOL Seems the numbers tend to occupy the mind more than improving the game on the golf course, but to each their own.  I just want the ball out respectable distances on the fairway, and play decent golf.  Shorter driver with the right shaft, does that.  Even when it comes to smacking long irons off the deck, it's the same, choke down 1"+ and sweep.  Play well. 🙂

 

Edited June 12 by Pepperturbo

[phizzy30]

11 hours ago, DooZ said:

Very pleased with the Smoke TD 9 turned down 1 with a X-wave 5s. A little leary early on of the more flexible shaft, but can't believe how stable it is even going after it. Personally for me, it's going to take Callaway to make something special for the Smoke to come out of the bag. Just love the high center toe bombs.

+1 for Smoke TD.  I rarely say this about any club, but it's got that special sauce.  I normally swap drivers out on a yearly basis, but the Smoke TD is still the bag.  I need something extremely fade biased with low spin yet forgiving toe side and the Smoke TD is money.  

Edited June 13 by phizzy30

[cobragolf2929]

Ping i25. Just as long or longer than anything brand new these days. 

[golfjam]

Cobra LTDx LS. Just can't finda anything longer or forgiving. 

[sshadow2]

Tour Edge Exotics C723. What a hidden gem for me.

[boycer]

Got a lesson scheduled for Sunday.  We will see how that goes. My bet it take away to far outside,  all arms/not rotating, overthe top and chicken wing. 

 

Right now gaming gt4 9* with a ventus red 6s.  Really want to try the elyte td td.  We will see what happens after the lesson.

[aussieb]

Ai Smoke TD w/ OG Accra RPG has been the best combo for distance and control.  Do lose it a bit left when I get the blocks, but you can't bandaid a s*** swing. 

The GT series has me intrigued, but Titleist always seems to leave me wanting.

Ping 440 LST and TM Qi10 LS were both really solid, but not enough to switch.

[ran098gr2]

PXG 0311 Black Ops Driver

Project X Denali Blue 50 5.5

[ShortSticks]

PING 10K with OG Ventus Red 6-S.

 

GOAT status achieved.

[Radeon962]

Went round and round with Ping G440 Max, LST and Titleist GT2. 
 

Ping G440 Max won and is firmly in the bag.
 

Shaft is between Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White and Fujikura Ventus VeloCore TR Black.

 

Preferring the CK Pro currently as it seems to load better with my swing but VC has some extra sauce when you hit it well so still a test in progress. 

[AdamMW]

Qi10 dot head 10.5 ventus red x

[kthomas]

On 6/6/2025 at 8:21 PM, Erik_A said:

2016 Ping G SF Tec (12 deg.) with Tensei AV Blue S shaft.  I keep thinking that I need a newer Ping driver to gain distance, but then I remember that my problems have to do with my swing...

 

This is one of my current drivers. 10° with a HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX in 6.5. It's a very reliable driver.

 

My other is a Mizuno STZ-220, but having issues finding the right shaft to pair up with it. 

[JardGolf]

Had a driver fitting a month ago and got fit into the Cobra DS Adapt X 9.0 w/ Denali Blue.  Fantastic driver, I just feel so confident on the tee now, hitting more fairways and upped my distance.

[BigGameDb]

GT1.  Alternating right now between the GD UB 6s and OG Diamana Ion Blueboard 63x.  

Edited June 21 by BigGameDb

[9ClubberLang]

I wanted to play a driver that aligned marketing wise with my personality, attitude to the game and level of dexterity. Unfortunately there aren't drivers called:

 

Taylor Made Incon5i5tent

The 30% by Titleist - (relating to the players fairways hit percentage)

Ping Gee Fore!

Callaway SkyMarrk

Or the Cobra Topper

 

As a result I play the Mavrik, which is about as far away from summing up my personality as you can get!

 

I think many drivers are very similar nowadays. For the average golfer get one:

 

1. Whose head shape gives you confidence behind the ball.

2. With the right head type and shaft

3. With a shorter than standard shaft length. I like 44.75 inches myself and if that makes me a Mavrik then so be it.

 

 

 

[dmeeksDC]

TaylorMade Qi35 standard head 10.5 degrees (playing at 9.5) with a Fujikura Speeder TR 757 shaft. Most consistent driver for me on accuracy and on distance it beat the Ping G440 LST I was playing. I’ve noticed I am needing one club less for approach shots on the long par 4s at the course I play. The shaft has been a big plus. 

[Gr8Balls]

On 6/9/2025 at 4:56 AM, phizzy30 said:

If you really love that setup, then remove all doubt because you'll most likely see more spin BUT also see more balls go left with the Elyte TD MAX.  I've tested it and TD version and both spin more and are neutral bias compared to AI Smoke TD.  This is exactly why Luke Kwon and few other Cally staffers still rock it.  

 

Well, curiousity got the best when I saw a like new Elyte TD Max 9.0° for $600cdn... couldn't resist. 

 

I really should have.  One extended sim session and I found exactly what you mentioned - lefts.  I had to work to keep it straight or fade.   

 

Toe miss was definitely better, but I was also struggling to keep spin down in my preferred window.  Unless I hit it way up near the crown I was seeing ~2800rpm with the heavy weight fwd and turned down at 8°.  Ballspeed took a hit by 3-5mph, too. 

 

On 6/9/2025 at 9:02 AM, phizzy30 said:

How often do you see the big hook?  I love mine because I rarely hook the ball now with my setup.  I've been able to work the ball both ways with ease the past couple years but have chosen to play the fade.  

It's once every 20ish tee balls, exclusively from a toe strike. 

Funny enough, just by trying the Elyte TD Max I may have found my way into avoiding it altogether.  I wanted to force some toe strikes to check performance, and realized a small ball position tweak fwd and back in my stance made a huge difference for me strike wise.  I pumped 100+ in a row without sniffing the toe with the old trusty AI smoke TD afterwards.  Fickle game.

 

The Elyte TD Max Seems like a great head for the right swing.  Fast enough with loads of forgiveness, good feel and sound.  It just isn't for me (like you tried to tell me 🤪) 

[muniman]

After playing the Rogue ST Max since '22 ( and hitting most of the new releases since then ), I finally found a driver worthy of replacing old trusty.  Purchased a Cobra DS Adapt Max K. Struggled with it at first. Even sold it in the BST. Fate intervened, buyer backed out, and I decided to give it another try. Discovered through reading about the stock Denali Red,  that it was a counterbalanced shaft. I absolutely hate counterbalanced shafts. Never have hit one consistently. I popped a Hzrdus IM10 in it, then made the lie more upright, and added some loft. Totally different driver than my first encounter with it. It is now a fairway finder with some admirable distance. So consistent,  my confidence, and comfort levels are up there where they haven't been in a long time. Such a fun driver to hit.

[stratgolf]

I got fit for my Qi35 LS earlier this year, and went in for a fitting last week to see if I was in the right spot given I've made some significant swing changes. Was so surprised to see my current combo with the ventus blue 6s hang on! Numbers were absolutely spot on and couldn't beat it.

 

Will be staying in the back for as long as possible!

[NRJyzr]

Right now, playing a Cobra DarkSpeed LS that I picked up, just to have a new toy.  Has the Lin-Q M40X Blue 6X.  The heavy weight is back, I've cut it to 44½ and weighted it to D6 or so.

 

Along the lines of RI_Redneck and MadBomber, it's not done that much for my game.  It *is* noticeably better into the wind, but overall it's been pretty similar to what I've been using.

 

Amusingly, my overall tee game was better during the rounds I played with a Zing Blonde.  Even shot my best rounds of the year so far with it.  Maybe I'll follow braincramp's example and put it back in the bag, or possibly the Louisville Smart Driver instead...

 

[Shanks2424]

I changed my set up. I am playing right now a Titleist TSI3 9* on A1 with a Project X Hzrdus Gen5 Black 6.0 at 45 inches. d3 Swing weight

Edited July 31 by Shanks2424
changed set up

[jjthomp2]

GT3 9.0 head D4 setting with an accra TZ6 M5 shaft 44.75"

[NoTalentLefty]

Callaway Paradym 9 degree. Regular flex in stock shaft. Got off the new driver every year and grew up . Took me till I was 64. 

[BlackFlamingo]

Mini driver all day, Bertha Mini 1.5

[ciscojaws]

Traded in the AI Smoke Mini for the G430 Max 10.5° w/ Tour Stiff.

 

Longer and more forgiving, but boy does it look closed at address.

[kdb2]

Ping 10K with a TZ5 

[Mrgreen36]

Still 10k max with tour ad TP.  

[NMarko]

Haven’t been able to kick the G400 lst out yet.

[highloftwedge]

QI10 Core 9* w/ LA Golf DJ series