905R better than HiBore XL and FT-5?

[Springbok]

http://www.golf.com/golf/gallery/article/0...14791-1,00.html

[abewley]

thats why i have one... for my the combo i have is a rocket.

[Grum]

Better than an FT5? not difficult. Better than an XL? not a chance in hell. Own both and the XL bombs it past the R every time.

[BJG718]

i made a post the other day that these guys seemed to pick out about the hibore xl...noticeable shorter carry and lower ballflight than most other drivers these days. interestinggg

[itsSKYLINEtime]

the 905R is the best driver out there right now

[littlepingman]

Its really impossible to compare the drivers unless you take the same player, same swing, same shaft, same loft. And even then there are a hundred other variables that can make one person like a driver more than another. I personally love the 905R but for me I hit the FT-5 better, longer and more consistent. Every driver listed is a great club, its really what is better for each particular player. I wouldn't call the FT-5 a "better" driver simply because I hit it better than the 905R or the HiBore XL Tour. Its better for me. And the shaft makes a big difference.

[Sakman]

Its really impossible to compare the drivers unless you take the same player, same swing, same shaft, same loft. And even then there are a hundred other variables that can make one person like a driver more than another. I personally love the 905R but for me I hit the FT-5 better, longer and more consistent. Every driver listed is a great club, its really what is better for each particular player. I wouldn't call the FT-5 a "better" driver simply because I hit it better than the 905R or the HiBore XL Tour. Its better for me. And the shaft makes a big difference.

 

You couldn't have said it any better. Nice post.

[spencer0071]

I found the test to be a little biased. The FT-5 is the only driver of the bunch that was tested only with the stock shaft. The Hi-Bore was tested with the most shafts, two Fujikura and a Diamana. I don’t think it takes a whole lot of club if it is fit with the proper shaft. I would take a ten year old head with a good shaft over anything modern with a bad shaft any day. I am one that does not have a high opinion of stack shafts. I feel that it is the cheapest shaft they can put in their driver and maintain a healthy profit margin. That being said I don’t think that there is a bad driver in the four that they chose to compare, if it is fitted with the proper shaft for you.

[maxilim]

I'm becoming more and more disappointed with the way Golf magazine has been doing their club testing. It's all subjective and limited to the number of clubs. With the comments that were made last month about the 2007 equipment tests, I would have thought that they would do a better job at informing their readers which clubs are better. Oh well. I guess no stars and just user comments are enough to determine a winner... I've posted the link of the 2007 test comments.

 

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=84138

 

For me, I wish they would just stick these clubs up to an iron byron and give us the numbers. I know, no one swings like an iron Byron but I can make some general assessments with these numbers. For example, in a test like the one above, I would know which club produces more spin or less spin, low or high launch, less dispersion, etc.

 

If all we are going to get from Golf magazine are user comments, then there are no winners or true club testing. What we get is another Advertising section courtesy of Golf magazine...

 

FWIW, I get better reviews from this forum than any magazine...

[littlepingman]

FWIW, I get better reviews from this forum than any magazine...

 

This site has real world reviews. With people whom (alot of times) you already know their game. You know if this person is into clubs that you have had success with in the past. That helps tremendously. Obviously, what Tiger Woods uses isn't for me. Same with players such as Fred Funk. GolfWRX gives us the ability to find a player on here that matches our numbers or overall game and allows us to take reviews and insight from a person with similar specs. Just one of the hundreds of reasons that this is the best site on the web.

[TeeTime907]

Lets face it the 905R got so much bad reviews early from people that said it was a very high spin head. So a lot of people didn't touch. I think if those people that gave the negative reviews had the right shaft it probably would be one of the more popular drivers the last few years. I think people are finding out you can pick up a 905R for fairly cheap and will perform better then their new stuff. Your seeing this a lot on different boards.

[lbhitter]

I believe its all about the shaft. For the majority of us novice golfers, the difference in heads is more about cosmetics and how it looks to our eyes. The real performer is the shaft, and matching the shaft to your swing and abilities.

 

I play a 905R. For me what makes this club shine is the Pershing 65 I have in it, frequencied out to match my swing speed. I am averaging 274yds off the tee with this club, not bad for a guy in his late 40s.

 

LB

[hungrymarine]

Just put my 905R back into the bag rotation. I've tried many others but this thing always makes it back in. It has the one of the best combinations of feel, distance, and forgiveness out there. I'm sure that the tight shaft has a lot to do with it, but I can easily find the center of the clubface with this driver.

[abewley]

the 905r and v2 combo is a rocket..

[Britboy]

I second that...best driver I've hit this year and I've tried them ALL...

[hayam]

I hate to be biased..

 

But 905R , R7 TP irons are the best available money can buy now. ( in that skill range ) .. Tried D2 , xl ... They are good but 905R is better.

[golfernut78]

the first time i hit the 905R i thought it was a joke. with a v2 in a 9.5* head i was ballooning all my balls. recently tried it with a speeder 757 and a 8.5* and it was absolutely awesome. with the wonders the whiteboard did to my sq tour i could see a whiteboard being perfect for a 905R. with the recent price drops on them i've actually been scouting for a good deal on one.

 

as for the golf magazine test - i would take the 905R over the others too. i will agree the ft-5 was handicaped in the test. it was not the tour model and the shaft was below average compared to the other shafts in the test. plus, why is last years titliest going up against this years callaway and cleveland. they always seem to be behind with titliest at golf magazine.

[iamit]

I'm becoming more and more disappointed with the way Golf magazine has been doing their club testing. It's all subjective and limited to the number of clubs. With the comments that were made last month about the 2007 equipment tests, I would have thought that they would do a better job at informing their readers which clubs are better. Oh well. I guess no stars and just user comments are enough to determine a winner... I've posted the link of the 2007 test comments.

 

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=84138

 

For me, I wish they would just stick these clubs up to an iron byron and give us the numbers. I know, no one swings like an iron Byron but I can make some general assessments with these numbers. For example, in a test like the one above, I would know which club produces more spin or less spin, low or high launch, less dispersion, etc.

 

If all we are going to get from Golf magazine are user comments, then there are no winners or true club testing. What we get is another Advertising section courtesy of Golf magazine...

 

FWIW, I get better reviews from this forum than any magazine...

 

Completely agree, not sure why Golf Digest and Golf magazine insist on subjecting there readers with these tests that are so subjective. Some may say that advertisers have somewhat controlled how these tests are published, but I don't beleive this as the UK's Today's Golfer is the only magazine yet that offers proper equipment reviews that provide launch monitor statistics and a feature that could be expanded on where feedback is provided by regular golfers and a pro.

 

My suggestion is to offer equipment reviews where a prominent golf industry celebrity that has no equipment affiliation (Brandel Chamblee or Hank Haney?) provide a review comparison plus electronic stats supporting results.

 

I have hit these clubs and I beleive that the Hibore XL non-tour would have been a better choice and is more accepted in the marketplace but it looks like they were going for the "players" version where available for each of these clubs. Interesting is that I have not hit the Hibore XL tour version however I did feel the subjective comments for the other 3 were close to what I actually experienced in my demos, I personally would have chosen the FT-5 if a Hibore XL non-tour was not available.

[Viking Golfer]

Its really impossible to compare the drivers unless you take the same player, same swing, same shaft, same loft. And even then there are a hundred other variables that can make one person like a driver more than another. I personally love the 905R but for me I hit the FT-5 better, longer and more consistent. Every driver listed is a great club, its really what is better for each particular player. I wouldn't call the FT-5 a "better" driver simply because I hit it better than the 905R or the HiBore XL Tour. Its better for me. And the shaft makes a big difference.

 

Great post :friends:

[zenman4711]

Hey Moecat,

 

What shaft are you using in your 11.5 905R?

 

Thanks.

 

Bobby

[drpino]

way to selectively quote my post and ignore the context of it as a whole. reading comprehension anyone? i even italicized "for me" in the preceding paragraph.

[Springbok]

So I could not resist...

 

Yes I just got a new FT-i, and yes, I JUST posted revision 5 of my WITB, but my Titleist contact contacted me, and wanted to know if there was anything he could get me. I wasn't going to say no, so I proceeded to tell him about the best club I ever owned.... a 983K with Titleist 4560 R-Flex shaft. I cracked the face of that driver, and could never find an equal. The R7 460 I had came close, but I cracked that face too. The FT-i I have now is nice, but I don't think I can quite lump it into the "Best of" category (just yet).

 

I told him I would love to try a 905R (I prefer the look of the 905R over the 907), with the 4560 R-Flex. Well, yesterday I got a box. In it was a brand new 905R built by the tour van, R-Flex 4560, no serial number. I took it took the range this morning. I only hit 7 shots with it (and 6 with my FT-i). More testing is obviously needed, but from that short session, the 905R is the leader over the FT-i. Sigh. I don't have a problem. Really I don't. Do I?

[herkyjerk]

The differences between the top drivers today are so negligible it's ridiculous. For anybody to say this driver & shaft is better than that one is fine, but it should be followed by "for my swing". What is a garbage driver for player A is Mothers Milk to player B. Out of the three drivers named the FT-5 with a Speeder 652 stiff IMO appeared to be the best "FOR MY SWING".

[wakenwae]

I'm wondering if some of the lost love for the 905R was that it was one of first heads to really have a high launch and we weren't used to that trajectory? I know that at first the high launch on mine put me off as I hadn't bought into all this "high launch; low spin" approach like I do now. I demoed the FT-5 with specs as close as I could to my 905R for a good valid test and wanting to buy "another driver with 20 more yards" but came away from the demo with the only change I would make to my 905R was to lengthen the shaft 3/4".

[drpino]

says something (what, i'm not going to assume) that the 905R, a 1+ season old model, is going head to head with the latest/greatest from two other major OEMs and holding its own.

 

for me, the 905R is the perfect blend of traditional look, sound and feel/feedback. add those characteristics to ideal launch and spin numbers (with the right shaft, of course) and you've got a stick that's hard to beat.

 

i've hit the HBXL, FT-5/i and D1 (haven't had the chance to hit a D2 yet) and none of them come close to the all-around performance/aesthetics of the 905R.

[golfernut78]

I'm wondering if some of the lost love for the 905R was that it was one of first heads to really have a high launch and we weren't used to that trajectory? I know that at first the high launch on mine put me off as I hadn't bought into all this "high launch; low spin" approach like I do now. I demoed the FT-5 with specs as close as I could to my 905R for a good valid test and wanting to buy "another driver with 20 more yards" but came away from the demo with the only change I would make to my 905R was to lengthen the shaft 3/4".

 

huh??? while the 905R is a high trajectory, it wasn't the first - not even for titliest. to me the 905R was a 460cc 905T without the draw bias. plus, the 905R is not low spin. to me, the 905R might be the closet head out there to a sq tour (mid/high launch, high spin) and both rock with a whiteboard.

[herkyjerk]

i've hit the HBXL, FT-5/i and D1 (haven't had the chance to hit a D2 yet) and none of them come close to the all-around performance/aesthetics of the 905R.

 

..........for your swing

[asneddon]

905R > FT-5

 

but,

 

FT-5 Tour > 905R.

 

[herkyjerk]

way to selectively quote my post and ignore the context of it as a whole. reading comprehension anyone? i even italicized "for me" in the preceding paragraph.

 

Yo no comprendo. OK don't get flustered handsome. I had my "this driver is way better than that driver" antenna up it appears. Your italics are duly noted, the appropriate disclaimer was there. ;)

[juansky]

I agree 905R ROCKS and hibore xl sucks by at least 30 yards shorter than 905R.