Dustin Johnson's driver: a broader discussion

[15th Club]

So let's start with the basics; Dustin Johnson's driving, and his driver. Brandel Chamblee made some truly great points about yesterday's performance by Dustin Johnson. He hit every fairway, drove an average of 318 yards and hit two of the par-4's with his driver. Brandel made the case that it was the greatest performance with driver in the history of the U.S. Open, and he may be right. The stats for Chambers Bay might be a bit skewed; look at all of the driving distance averages way above 300 yards, and it is sort of staggering. And yes there have never been fairways this wide in a U.S. Open. Talk amongst yourselves.

 

But now to Dustin's driver. According to this site's remarkable witb information, Dustin is playing a TaylorMade AeroBurner, 9.5 degrees, with a Fujikura Speeder Evolution 661x that is tipped one inch, length at 45 inches and a D7 swing weight.

 

It is no doubt one of the few drivers in the field that does not have an adjustable hosel. Adjustable hosels, it seemed to me, were a wonderful invention for recreational players who did not have access to driver-bending services, but were sort of irrelevant to tour players who could get any number of heads, bent in any number of ways, with unlimited resources to switch and change shafts. As with almost any engineering choice, that sort of convenience for recreational players came with a downside; more weight gets stuck into the hosel, where the adjustability is.

 

So Dustin Johnson goes with a non-adjustable driver; is it an advantage to him? I presume, without knowing that his driver can be, and probably was, bent by a TMaG technician, and perhaps hot-melted, and that if Dustin wanted to test out fifty different AeroBurners with the same or different shafts he could do so in Carlsbad or with the help of Wade and the guys on the Tour Van. And they can be bent, and if a bunch of them break in the bending process nobody cares.

 

Is an AeroBurner a particularly good choice as a driver, if one has access to bending and/or hotmelting services?

[Enfynet]

Any driver is a particularly good driver if you have access to comprehensive fitting services.

[BirdieBob]

One thing is for sure......Taylormade will be ( and has) selling a ton of the Aeroburner Drivers!

[Sinclair]

It fits him just as well as any pro's driver fits them. 99% credit has to attributed to the player for his performance. He may driver the ball terribly today, and will we say it's because his driver didn't fit him well today because of the fixed hosel?

[jonn443]

[quote name='Enfynet' timestamp='1434908365' post='11800810']
Any driver is a particularly good driver if you have access to comprehensive fitting services.
[/quote]

This to start^^^^^

But I will add that he probably doesn't really play the 661X,and it's likely his old F1 with a paint job. He also probably has it spec'd out to his optimal numbers which he got from hours of testing hundreds of shaft combinations. Then had it hot melted to his desired head weight.

The resources they have is not even comparable to what we can get.

[EaglesGolf99]

You think he really meant his comment yesterday about this being the first time he hit all the fairways within one round? Or was that a sales pitch?

I accomplished that feat before the age of 19, now it wasn't the US Open or Chambers Bay, but the fairways were 1/3 of the size.

Just curious.

[wolfpack]

I think his accuracy has a lot to do with his shut face at the top. He doesn't have to release with hand timing like a lot of players, he just turns through the ball. That mixed with his strength and flexibility allow him to drive with incredible power and accuracy. The model and specs of the driver are just a flavor of the month.

[green_grass]

The only people who truly know what DJ is playing is DJ and the TM fitting guru who set him up. Doubt it's as it's listed on some website though.

[Cwing]

How many pros are using an adjustable?

[widow-maker]

It's not the driver. It's the drivee.

He just flat out puts a great move on the ball. He could hit any brand of driver once he dialed in the specs. It's just a matter of which company is going to pay him the most money. He'd be hitting a Parsons driver tomorrow if they gave him enough money to do so.

[Fade to Black]

D7 is a pretty swing-heavy weight. Must be a pint of hotmelt in there

[Jamboy72]

[quote name='jonn443' timestamp='1434914737' post='11801438']
[quote name='Enfynet' timestamp='1434908365' post='11800810']
Any driver is a particularly good driver if you have access to comprehensive fitting services.
[/quote]

This to start^^^^^

But I will add that he probably doesn't really play the 661X,and it's likely his old F1 with a paint job. He also probably has it spec'd out to his optimal numbers which he got from hours of testing hundreds of shaft combinations. Then had it hot melted to his desired head weight.

The resources they have is not even comparable to what we can get.
[/quote]

By F1 are you suggesting it's the old R1? And if so, is this totally conjecture or do you have something that actually supports this thought???

[Masse1369]

He plays the Fujikura 2.0 profile F1 with the speeder graphics. There have been a few on eBay. Lots of other shafts with the new graphics, most notably the 6.2, 7.2...

[MacDaddyMike]

Yes his driver shaft is not the Speeder 661X. It's a Fujikura Motore F1 2.0. It just has a paint job to look like the retail shafts that are in the R15. That is a fact.

[Scratch2Plus]

[quote name='Fade to Black' timestamp='1434918804' post='11801812']
D7 is a pretty swing-heavy weight. Must be a pint of hotmelt in there
[/quote]

Agree, D7 is on the heavier side but it doesn't take much HM.
1 gram = 1 swing weight point
$1 Bill = 1 gram

[tatertot]

Why would DJ need an adjustable driver? The guys at TM will build him whatever he wants, whenever he needs it. Not like he has ever said "Man, I wish I could afford to test the 9.5 vs the 10.5 SLDR."

[hoganasmith]

[quote name='Raidersgolf99' timestamp='1434915804' post='11801528']
You think he really meant his comment yesterday about this being the first time he hit all the fairways within one round? Or was that a sales pitch?

I accomplished that feat before the age of 19, now it wasn't the US Open or Chambers Bay, but the fairways were 1/3 of the size.

Just curious.
[/quote]Yeah, guys who hit it 235 often hit more fairways.

[aswo3332]

Anyone know what swing weight he has his irons at? D7 in the driver seems really heavy. Obviously works for him!

[ace036]

Anyone know how many wraps he plays under his Golf Pride Tour Velvets?

[ignitewvu]

[quote name='BirdieBob' timestamp='1434908780' post='11800846']
One thing is for sure......Taylormade will be ( and has) selling a ton of the Aeroburner Drivers!
[/quote]

There is NO question in my mind the ABTP is a better stick than the R15 (either size). But, My question is why does TM make DJ use a R15 Cover on this stick.

To me its total BS Marketing by TM.....Let the people know he's hitting a AeroBurner TP and NOT a R15. It's not like the AB TP is a cheap driver....

[BreakingPar]

[quote name='jonn443' timestamp='1434914737' post='11801438']
[quote name='Enfynet' timestamp='1434908365' post='11800810']
Any driver is a particularly good driver if you have access to comprehensive fitting services.
[/quote]

This to start^^^^^

But I will add that he probably doesn't really play the 661X,and it's likely his old F1 with a paint job. He also probably has it spec'd out to his optimal numbers which he got from hours of testing hundreds of shaft combinations. Then had it hot melted to his desired head weight.

The resources they have is not even comparable to what we can get.
[/quote]

I would also put my money on it being his old Motore. He had that shaft for ages in all his old drivers since R9 I think

[Santiago Golf]

The glued head will preform better than a adjusted obe

[c.brown]

I'm playing his shaft, the 661 paint in Motore 2.0 profile. Although mine is the H version which is 75g instead of his which I believe is the 65g profile. Mine however is not tipped an inch. If you have a quick tempo and really like to go after the ball the shaft is very stable, yet doesn't feel like a board.

[MJisGOAT]

If only he was accurate with the putter.

[KEverett1982]

[quote name='MJisGOAT' timestamp='1434942930' post='11806166']
If only he was accurate with the putter.
[/quote]

Ouch....

[randywildman]

I wonder how much money he saved the PGA superstore who bought the driver hoping he would win and they would get it for free ?

[NoCalHack]

[quote name='randywildman' timestamp='1434948623' post='11807170']I wonder how much money he saved the PGA superstore who bought the driver hoping he would win and they would get it for free ?[/quote]

These giveaways are insured. But I was thinking how I wish I had bought one when he was coming up 18.

[TaylorMadeLuv]

[quote name='ignitewvu' timestamp='1434935177' post='11804120']
[quote name='BirdieBob' timestamp='1434908780' post='11800846']
One thing is for sure......Taylormade will be ( and has) selling a ton of the Aeroburner Drivers!
[/quote]

There is NO question in my mind the ABTP is a better stick than the R15 (either size). But, My question is why does TM make DJ use a R15 Cover on this stick.

To me its total BS Marketing by TM.....Let the people know he's hitting a AeroBurner TP and NOT a R15. It's not like the AB TP is a cheap driver....
[/quote]

Maybe he likes the easy to use R15 head cover better...

[TaylorMadeLuv]

[quote name='ignitewvu' timestamp='1434935177' post='11804120']
[quote name='BirdieBob' timestamp='1434908780' post='11800846']
One thing is for sure......Taylormade will be ( and has) selling a ton of the Aeroburner Drivers!
[/quote]

There is NO question in my mind the ABTP is a better stick than the R15 (either size). But, My question is why does TM make DJ use a R15 Cover on this stick.

To me its total BS Marketing by TM.....Let the people know he's hitting a AeroBurner TP and NOT a R15. It's not like the AB TP is a cheap driver....
[/quote]

Seems pretty obvious to me what marketing is trying to do here...

[mrcool3101]

[quote name='hoganasmith' timestamp='1434931788' post='11803656']
[quote name='Raidersgolf99' timestamp='1434915804' post='11801528']
You think he really meant his comment yesterday about this being the first time he hit all the fairways within one round? Or was that a sales pitch?

I accomplished that feat before the age of 19, now it wasn't the US Open or Chambers Bay, but the fairways were 1/3 of the size.

Just curious.
[/quote]Yeah, guys who hit it 235 often hit more fairways.
[/quote]
i hit the ball along way, averag usually around 320 (im 6'6 so it doesnt take me alot) and have played numerous rounds hitting all fairways and greens. it aint so hard