radiman's WITB *** Straight out of Cabot***

[radiman]

*** PIC HEAVY ***

 

So, for those that haven't seen the trip thread, I have a fresh WITB thanks to @Wilson_Golf!  Was fit on 2/18 and received the clubs on 2/19.  Built straight off of the tour van that they had at Cabot Citrus Farms.  

 

If you want to see what the trip was all about:

 

Everything is really solid so far.  I am fairly confident that all of it will be able to make the cut this season.  If not, I will update what's going on and why.  

 

 

Driver: Wilson Dynapwr LS 10.5 set to 9.5 w/UST Mamiya Lin-Q Red M40X 6F5

 

So, the Lin-Q Red is definitely not a profile that I have hit before.  I don't go for the Ventus Black type of stout, but I also don't typically go for something with so much play and torque.  I have mentioned it in the other threads, but during the fitting my driver swing was garbage and I was just not releasing the club and coming through with a closed face producing some ridiculously low spinning shots.  This was an attempt to get the spin up and the LS head was to try to introduce as much fade bias as possible.  It was the best fit for the day.  They were able to put the heaviest weight they had on hand in the back of the club and get as much spin as possible.  

Since then, I have tried to take care of the issues and have found my swing again.  So, now the Lin-Q Red has been interesting.  Tons of feel.  When I time it right, it feels like a whip and contact feels insanely powerful.  If I am off a bit, it feels like the face struggles to close.  Now, there are some me factors in there no doubt.  But, I am also going to be getting some Wilson adapters to start converting my old faithful Ventus Blue Velo+ 6X, a new AD VF 6X, and the recently acquired Diamand WB 73TX.  And, honestly, going on the softer tip concept, after hitting the Diamana RB in my fairways, I may end up with one for the driver too.  Would be a little closer to what I am used to but still maintain some of that tip activity.  

 

 

Fairways: Wilson Dynapwr Carbon 13.5 3w w/Diamana RB 73TX & Wilson Dynapwr Carbon 7w w/Diamana RB 83TX

 

The fairways are pretty straight forward.  I rarely rarely hit a 3w off the deck.  Not only is it typically not needed where I play, I have historically sucked with them through the years lol.  It is mainly a tee club for me and I ended up in a 13.5 BRNR last season.  I discussed that with Harry from Wilson during the fitting and he had me convinced a strong 3w would be the ticket.  We worked through them and after everything at the top was set, I felt he was right.  It is a low to mid launch just like the BRNR has been for me, and it gaps really well between driver and 7w.  Off the tee, it's not as close to driver as the BRNR and that's honestly a really good thing.  

 

For the 7w, I was pretty confident from the word go.  I think he started both fairways off with the Diamana RB and the numbers were pretty good.  My 3w swing was struggling with a less severe version of the same issue my driver swing was.  The 7w was pretty good though.  We ended up going with -1* on the adapter so it could better gap between the 3w and my 4i.  I ended up hitting it a few times at Karoo the next day and I found it to be incredibly easy to launch and seem to get more consistent distance than the Ai Smoke TD 7w I was using previously.  

 

 

 

Irons: Wilson Staff Model CB 4i & Wilson Staff Model MB 5-PW Standard Loft and 2* Flat Lie Angle w/Tour Issue X100 at Standard Length

 

The iron fitting went extremely well.  I warmed up with my P7CB 7i and then got right into it with the Ai Fit system.  After 5 good swings, the system recommended the Staff Model CB with heavy steel shafts in a flat setting at +.5".  All sounds pretty similar to what I have fit into in the past.  Aside from the lie angle.  Every fitting chart or fitter I have seen previously has recommended 2-3* upright.  So, I was shocked to see the word FLAT on the output lol.  

 

We started with 2 degrees flat and +.5".  My strike immediately started climbing up on the face.  I was hitting it a bit heavy so Ed from Wilson had me back in standard length with the 2* flat setting.  And, it was a stripe show (for me anyhow lol).  I told him I wanted to set up left and watch the ball fall to the right without being afraid of going left.  And that's EXACTLY what I get with these.  I was hitting it so well, he wanted me to try the MB.  Picked up a couple mph in ball speed and they felt superb.  Seemed like the flight flattened out a touch and spin was very close to what I was getting with the CB.  

After the fitting, I assumed CB would be it.  But, Ed told me that I could easily play the MB.  Recommended the CB 4i and the rest in MB's.  I have played them in the past and I guess other than the mental hurdle of worrying about them being punishing, I have had good success with them.  I hit them well during the round, and the sim time I have gotten in since the event has shown them to still be a really good match for me.  

 

 

 

Wedges: Wilson Staff Model ZM 52/08, 56/12, and 60/10 Standard Loft and Lie w/Tour Issue S400 at +.25"

 

Typically, to me a wedge is a wedge.  As long as it looks appealing at address and has the right bounce, I can be happy with them.  I started the fitting day in the tour truck, after chatting and touring a bit, they had me pick my lofts and bounce.  I just went with what has worked for me in the past and they set them up similarly in length and lie.  This was pre-iron fitting.  So far, I do not find any issues having my wedges at stock lie and my irons 2* flat.  

 

The wedges are stamped with my initials on the 52, and my daughters names on the 56 and 60.  It was a really nice touch that I wasn't expecting.  They asked "what do you want stamped on them?" and not realizing it was happening, I froze haha.  But, I feel like I did the right thing and put down the two most important things in the world to me.  Since I am not clever nor original, I just went with my initials on the third haha.  

 

The wedges perform really well, they were producing some really good spin on the very firm greens at Cabot.  On full shots, they feel great being forged.  They're more compact than the MG4 wedges that I was playing previously.  I think these will likely end up being what I roll with this coming season.  I'm not too picky.  The wedge just has to look good and these definitely do.  

 

 

 

Putter: Odyssey Jailbird 380 and Soon To Be Added Scotty Phantom 5.2

 

I don't have pics of this yet, but will upload later.  It's been a solid option since I picked it up and really helps keep the stroke smooth with the counterbalanced setup.  Big fan so far.  I much much prefer the microhinge insert over their typical White Hot.  

 

Being a relatively new mallet convert, I couldn't resist the blend of old school blade and mallet forgiveness with the Scotty Phantom 5.2.  It's on order and should be here before all of the snow melts!

 

 

 

 

Edited March 4 by radiman

[Birdieputt19]

Congrats on being part of the Wilson experience! I’m sure it was incredible. They really hooked you up with that setup. How are the irons? I’ve heard some good things about Wilson’s equipment lately

 

also curious about those fairways woods? They look clean on the crown/topline.

Edited February 27 by Birdieputt19

[Ben B]

Straight 🔥 

[CCTwentyOne]

Wilson’s new woods look awesome - they give me a mix of Cobra, TaylorMade, and Titleist all in one.

 

Great bag and great writeup. Love the detail you’ve added.

[radiman]

13 hours ago, Birdieputt19 said:

Congrats on being part of the Wilson experience! I’m sure it was incredible. They really hooked you up with that setup. How are the irons? I’ve heard some good things about Wilson’s equipment lately

 

also curious about those fairways woods? They look clean on the crown/topline.

The irons feel amazing.  A no frills muscleback that, when you hit it, reminds you why people rave about the feel of MB's haha.  The one thing I particularly like about them is that the face seems slightly taller than a lot of other options out on the market.  I don't know if it raises the CG a lot in comparison, but I want to say that my launch and peak height have lowered a bit.  

Of course, I have only had one round on grass and most of my time with them have been in a simulator off of a mat.  Time will tell.  

 

I do know they're not nearly as demanding as I was worried they'd be after I got back.  I hit a shot with the 7i on Tuesday in sim league that was towards the toe.  It's my miss and the shot I was most worried about.  I definitely could feel the off center contact.  It didn't sting the fingers or anything, but could just feel the club torque in my hands.  It ended up being a very slight push to the right, lost about 5 yards of carry, but it hit the green and released and I was hole high to the right.  Maybe 15 ft right of my target.  So, great feedback on quality of strike without feeling harsh, and really not any more punishing than the CB's I have typically played the last few years.  

 

Fairway woods have been pretty decent too.  I am still acclimating to the size and footprint of the 7w.  It's slightly bigger and not as round as my current 7w.  But, performance is there.  Feels great.  And it's just consistent.  I haven't hit the 3w enough yet to pass much judgement on it.  At 13.5 loft, it launches low for a guy who struggles to hit a 3w off the deck.  I seem to launch my mini driver higher off the deck.  But, with the much larger head, I think it is easier to hit down on the ball since I absolutely have to.  With the more shallow 3w, I think I try to pick it and and up catching it a hair thin.  

But, in any event, the fairways do look pretty good.  I wish all of the fw had the gloss finish on the metal portion of the crown like the 3w does.  But, other than that, I am very happy with them.  They both seem very consistent.  

[Shanks2424]

Not going to lie super jealous. 😠 

[radiman]

Forgot to add the actual in the bag pics I took lol.  Updated the OG post. 

 

 

Edited February 27 by radiman

[AdExec]

Good looking set of sticks there. Cool experience. Wilson sure seems to have upped their game in looks department on woods line up. 

[wam78]

Hell yeah @radiman  Great pics as well.  Wilson Golf are making some great moves!  
 

Looking forward to some updates as the season progresses.

[Mox52]

Great post.  Was reading the other thread about the trip.  Looks like you guys had a great time, like others have said jealous.  I have the CB irons and the ZM wedges.  The wedges were a surprise too me, and everyone that sees them raves about them.  Want to try the driver out, maybe that will be my next adventure.  

[BallerNate]

Congratulations @radiman, incredible man!!

 

Got picked for the Stealth, and for this…amazing!! 🔥🔥

 

The setup looks awesome…very cool for Wilson to hook you up like that! 

[radiman]

2 hours ago, BallerNate said:

Congratulations @radiman, incredible man!!

 

Got picked for the Stealth, and for this…amazing!! 🔥🔥

 

The setup looks awesome…very cool for Wilson to hook you up like that! 

Thanks bro! Man, everything about the experience was so sick.  The people, destination, and the clubs.  

[BallerNate]

2 hours ago, radiman said:

Thanks bro! Man, everything about the experience was so sick.  The people, destination, and the clubs.  

Must’ve been incredible!! 🔥🔥

[radiman]

I ended up with some extra time on my hands this weekend. A rarity but I may try to capitalize on it and hit up the closest foresight LM I can rent tonight. 
 

I want to get comparisons of the top end clubs and try to figure out which options gap the best up there. 
 

I will be starting with the Staff MB 5i to get a baseline. Then I will go into the 4i comparing the Staff CB to the P7CB and P770 4i. Then into comparing the Dynapwr 7w to the Callaway Ai Smoke TD 7w. Then I will be putting the Dynapwr Carbon 13.5° against the BRNR 13.5° off the deck and off the tee. Off the deck isn’t as important as I rarely hit a club that long off the ground. I either don’t need it or dont want to take the risk from that distance. Off the tee, I want to see how far behind driver they are. I don’t want that club to be on the heels of my big dog. 
 

Then it’s the big show. Dynapwr LS vs Qi10 Core with a surprise contender making an appearance. The Qi35 LS is out for delivery today. It was ordered before I found out about the trip to Cabot and I didn’t cancel because I wanted to see how the Dynapwr LS stacked up against TM’s latest LS driver. 
 

The only hiccup is that it won’t be apples to apples. The two TM drivers will have a Ventus Blue+ 6x tipped 1” and an AD VF 6X tipped 1”. The Wilson will have the Lin-Q Red M40X 6F5 straight in. I ordered a Diamana WB 73TX to test in the Wilson. But it arrived with a tire track over the tube and the shaft was crushed. Waiting on a replacement. 
 

Wildly different shaft profiles. I really wish I had a universal adapter setup haha. 
 

This should serve to determine what the 3w and 7w spots look like. Depending on results I may have to run through it again. But we’ll see. In regards to driver, it will be a starting point and I will likely run it again with tweaks. But I should be able to eliminate one of the TM drivers from the equation. 
 

Will be cross posting here and in the Cabot thread. 

[radiman]

I was able to get a 2 hour session in to figure out the gapping at the top end of this setup.  I tested these new sticks against my previous setup to see how they gapped and compared.  

 

I will just cross post that info here.  

[radiman]

Started with setting a baseline with my 5i to see if the Staff CB 4i fit the bill for the next best option.

 

Ok, so I will start by saying the main purpose for this session was not only to compare the new Wilson Dynapwr woods to what I already had, but to figure out what the top end of my bag looked like for gapping purposes.  

 

I have been struggling the past couple of seasons with a left miss that can be a two way miss when things are bad.  I used to hit a pretty reliable fade and just haven't been able to put in as much work into my game as I used to.  Last off season I was able to really dedicate some time to my swing.  I have been lifting religiously for two years now and I think I am faster than I have ever been.  But, I still struggle with the left miss.  I want to line up left of the target and just be able to swing away knowing the ball will only fall to the right.  It's easier to control and it's easier to plan for missing further right.  The low spin left shot is a nightmare.  

 

For the session, I was on a Foresight GC Hawk only measuring ball data.  I wanted 5 solid shots for each club/situation to compare good for good.  I got rid of bad outliers and focused on shot shape, spin, ball speed, and launch.  

 

I started with setting a baseline with my Staff MB 5i.  That would be the golden number that I wanted to gap off of.  4 different spots above the 5i that needed to be sorted out.  

 

4i: P770, P7CB, and Wilson Staff CB 

7w: Ai Smoke TD 7w (AD IZ 8X), Wilson Dynapwr Carbon (Diamana RB 83TX)

3w/mini dr: BRNR 13.5 (OG Ventus Blue 7X), Wilson Dynapwr Carbon 13.5 (Diamana RB 73TX)

Driver: TM Qi10 9* (Ventus Blue+ 6X), Qi35LS 10.5 set to 9* (AD VF 6X), Wilson Dynapwr LS 10.5 set to 9.5* (Lin-Q Red M40X 6F5)

 

All testing done with a TP5X

 

Going to break it into different posts.  And will post them as I have time throughout the day.  

 

I will post the numbers and share some thoughts on what I liked or didn't like about them.  Shot tendencies, outliers that were deleted, confidence, etc.  

 

So, the 5i set the golden number that I needed to gap off of.  225-230y was what I was expecting.  235 wasn't shocking as I was hitting it pretty well.  I was really hoping to see a bit of a fade with it but was hitting a little push draw.  It was acceptable and set a good pace for the rest of the testing.  

 

Wilson Staff MB 5i

 

With that set, I then grabbed the first 4i up on the list.  The P770.  I ordered it to combo with my P7CB looking for something easier to hit at the top.  In the limited time I had with it, I felt it was too long.  Wasn't going to gap well with my 5i and that was proven correct last night.  It's just too hot.  Leaving about 30 yards between my it and my 5i.  It also wanted to turn over which I absolutely didn't want to see.  I will give it credit, it was pretty consistent with its carry.  

 

P770 4i

 

Next up was the P7CB.  I knew the P770 was going to eliminate itself before I started.  Once I realized the P770 was kind of ridiculously long, I ordered myself a CB 4i just in case.  I expected the P7CB to be a lot closer in numbers to the Staff CB or MB.  It proved to be a very worthy gapping club to he Staff MB 5i.  Around 12 yards more carry than the 5i, I was happy with the results. Definitely harder to hit than the P770 and I did have to remove a couple of outliers that were pretty poor. 

 

P7CB

 

I mean, let's be honest, there was no way I was going to play a P7CB 4i with my Wilson MB's haha.  I guess I could have but really I just wanted to compare the P7CB I had been using to the Staff CB I was going to play.  The numbers were extremely similar to the two.  I found the Staff CB to be easier to hit and I didn't have outliers to really contend with.  Plus, if you look at the dispersion, it wanted to go right.  Exactly what I want to see.  One shot where the face was closed a bit into impact.  

 

 

WINNER: Wilson Staff Model CB

 

No surprise that it would gap well with it's MB counterpart.  I found it to feel slightly less muted than the P7CB and the MB 5i I hit before it.  It feels extremely soft mind you, but just a slightly higher pitched sound at impact I think.  Nothing to be concerned about and I can easily say that I have zero intention of replacing it with a hybrid or driving iron.  

 

And, this one was less of a battle and more or less just a way to get some comparison numbers.  

Next up is the 7w.  But that will be later.  I have some running around to do today.  

[radiman]

Next spot had two 7w's to battle it out.  Looking for an option that would be as consistent as possible and fit well between the 4i and 3w/mini driver spot.

 

Ok, so here's the 7w breakdown.  I am going to start off by saying the Ai Smoke TD 7w I have now has been my absolute favorite 7w I have owned.  I had a Ping G425 Max and a TSR2 previously.  I ended up moving on from the Ping because it would just spin sooooo much at times and I would essentially balloon it at the worst possible time.  The TSR2 was a lot better in that regard, but I was missing left with it a lot.  I know it's a common theme for me, but if I start missing left with everything, I may as well pack my bag in my car and go home.  

 

The Ai Smoke TD was everything I wanted.  Compact, neutral to open, with a deep face.  I had a pretty great season with it.  I didn't really think it was lacking in any way.  If anything, it seemed a bit too hot at times.  I flew some greens and ended up in some precarious situations because of it.  But it wasn't necessarily a common theme.  But it did happen.  

 

This spot was one I really struggled with the idea of anything just coming in and beating it outright.  But I was pretty impressed with the Dynapwr Carbon 7w up to now.  And obviously I am going to give it a shot.  

 

I started off with old faithful.  And hit some pretty good shots with it.  I ended up left on a couple of the first ones.  Then, on the 4th shot, I hit a good ball.  The ball hit the screen and was rolling past me and I was trying to stop it.  I knew it was a straight shot.  I stopped the ball and looked up at the screen to see my ball just finishing out at 301y.  Uhhhh... That's cool I guess.  But, what the hell?  I don't think I would pull the club from 280 out and if I hit that shot from 260 I would have been dead over the green.  22 yards from the shortest to the longest carry with it (I am highlighting this to come back to in a minute).  Overall, it felt great, easy to launch, and got some pretty impressive numbers if you look at the averages.

 

 Paradym Ai Smoke TD 7w

 

Now, we are onto the Dynapwr 7w.  Equipped with he new Diamana RB 83TX which I have to say, is a phenomenal shaft.  I have been really impressed with the stability.  

 

I hit this club a few times during our round at Karoo down at Cabot.  Hung it out to the right a touch, expecting a draw that didn't happen.  And, while in the moment, it is disappointing.  Overall, I do want to see my shots not going left.  Heading into the testing session, I didn't expect it to beat the Ai Smoke in ball speed and distance.  I didn't want it to.  As I said, the only thing I thought could be improved on was the consistency.  

 

And, on that... Well, look at the numbers.

 

Dynapwr Carbon 7w

 

Remember that 22 yards I highlighted earlier?  It's down to 3 with the Dynapwr.  3 yards difference from the longest shot to the shortest.  I was chuckling as I hit these.  Every one of them just dropping in that 270ish range.  Launch and Spin is a touch lower.  And it should be mentioned that Harry had it down to -1 in loft for gapping purposes.  And, I have to say, it is kind of spot on.  

 

I do love the Ai Smoke 7w too much to just dump it.  But, the Wilson Dynapwr is going to get the starting position for now.  

 

Winner: Wilson Dynapwr Carbon 7w

 

So, for gapping purposes (rounded to nearest 5y for simplicity), I am at 5i - 235y, 4i - 250y, 7w - 270y.  Um... this is shaking out to be working out pretty great.  I know I could choke down on that 7w to get a 260y shot out of it if I had to.  

[radiman]

Then, I had to figure out what the second tee option was going to be.  Mini driver has shown a lot of promise and maintained playability off the deck.  I tend to hit the BRNR left and would like to eliminate that side of the course from my game if possible.  The Dynapwr 13.5 3w looks amazing and is easy to hit.  But, it launches pretty low, as low as the mini.  Is it going to be good enough off of the deck to force me to take the mini driver out as a second tee club?

 

Onto the 3w spot!  I am going to break this down into two segments.  Off the deck and off the tee.  I will preface this summary with the following disclaimer.  I have historically sucked with 3w off the deck.  For as long as I can remember, I have struggled to launch them consistently.  And, I really only carried one because that's just what you do lol.  And, it was mainly a tee only option for me.  Every once in a while I would try my luck if the situation presented itself.  Usually it would end up with me hitting a worm burner that I would be lucky to see ending up in the same position if I had just laid up with a 8i.  

 

Last year, I went with a mini driver.  I figured since I am not hitting the 3w off the deck and I get plenty of distance with my 7w, let's just make that second tee option easier to hit.  I did eventually see myself a mile out from a green and decided to try the BRNR off the deck for S&G's.  Surprise surprise, I striped it.  Sure it was a flat flight but it carried a mile.  Next time I tried it, same thing.  It wasn't long until I realized that I could hit the mini driver more consistently than any 3w I have owned off the deck.  That flat flight wasn't always ideal, but it was an option that I could lean on if the situation was right.  Off the tee, I have developed a tendency to hit the mini left.  Sometimes absolutely taking myself out of the round.  But off the deck, I tended to hit it pretty straight.  I think the larger head just forces me to make sure I am hitting down on it.  

 

In any event, here are the numbers.  All in all, pretty good for what it is.  A low spin low launching club.  It is a cool option to have, but realistically, I want more spin and a little more launch out of that spot off the deck.  I am getting driver like spin numbers out of this thing.  And, at 290 carry, it's pushing up really close to a teed up driver.  To get less out of it, I would have to lighten up the swing and probably get an even flatter trajectory and less spin.  It's not super versatile.  I can hit it off the deck for one situation really.  I hit a bad drive on a par 5 and have 300+yards left into the green.  

 

BRNR 13.5 Off the Deck

 

The Dynapwr Carbon 13.5 was picked, again, for gapping purposes.  And that's the name of the game for me right now.  I want to take the time to ensure that not only do I have different clubs for different trajectories and shots, but I want to make sure my gapping is spot on at the top.  I do wish I would have spent some time with the 15 degree 3w, but I was hitting the number I needed to with the 13.5.  

On this day, the Dynapwr Carbon was performing extremely similar to the BRNR with one caveat, I was hitting more balls to the right with it.  And, as I have mentioned numerous times as I post these numbers, that is exactly what I want to see.  And, along with that right shot, I was getting more spin.  Exactly what I was hoping to see.  At 13.5 I am still seeing a really flat trajectory and low peak height relative to my other clubs.  But, honestly, that will come in handy for me playing in the wind we get up here in the Fargo, ND area.  I can already see myself teeing it down really low into a stiff breeze to keep the flight down on a hole I would typically hit driver.  

 

 

There were some shots off the deck with this club that were absolutely frightening.  171mph ball speed, another where it carried 304.  I do not have the same level of distance consistency that I do with the 7w.  And honestly, that's expected and I am ok with it.  I still do not anticipate me needing to hit the 3w off the deck often.  And compared to what I have, it is giving me that extra spin.  

 

I don't think I can declare a winner on this one quite yet though.  Not until I get some time with this club outdoors.  I will have to weight the difference in their performance off the tee heavily before I can say if I am comfortable with either one of these off the deck.  But, with the Dynapwr, I am seeing my distances fluctuate a bit compared to the BRNR being pretty consistent, even with the lower ball flight.  

But, hey, for the sake of my gapping, it does average out to 285y haha.  There is definitely more to it than that on deciding which club is right for my game though.  

 

Winner: Undetermined 

 

Let's get these balls teed up now and see what these can do on the placement shots.

 

So, I struggle with the lefts with he BRNR off the tee.  Ugh, I am sick of typing the word LEFT out at this point lol.  But, I see the face and it looks super closed to me.  After starting out hot with it last season, I have been hot and cold with it for a while.  It's no use laying up off the tee if the ball is going to be almost as hot as your driver but hook off the planet.  But that's not an uncommon result for me with a 3w either.  So, I was really interested in seeing how they stacked.  

 

We'll start with the BRNR numbers.  And, as I said before, I removed outliers.  And looking back, I probably should have left them in since it was as common as it was lol.  I missed a few left with it.  Hard left.  The carry was throwing the numbers off and honestly, it is a me issue and would serve no purpose in comparing the performance of two clubs if you had to stare at my duck hooks.  I wanted to bleach my eyes even watching the ball fly on the screen.  I can't remember exactly how many, I think the first 3 were pretty hard left until I made an adjustment and hit some decent ones.  

 

Now, the BRNR off the tee approaches driver distance for me.  Some of the holes I need this second tee club for, I absolutely do not want driver numbers.  Last year, I had to hit 7w off the tee quite a bit.  For one, I didn't have enough faith in not losing the ball left with the BRNR, and two, it's just too damn long sometimes.  You'll see in the numbers, I get decent spin out of it, but the ball speeds are nuts.  It is very easy hit a solid shot with with all of that extra real estate compared to a 3w, so there are some things going for it.  

 

BRNR 13.5 Off the Tee

 

Now the Dynapwr Carbon strong 3w was a contender off the deck.  It wasn't super consistent for me.  But, like I said, I know my weaknesses enough to know that not being able to stripe a 3w off the deck immediately is no surprise for me.  Off the tee is where this club will make a claim for itself.  Now, I did remove a hard left outlier.  But, just the one.  Otherwise, this 3w was pretty damn consistent for me.  So, that alone is reason enough to rejoice haha.  

 

It's a little slower, it spins a little more, and carries 10 yards left.  Now, I am trying to highlight the benefits here, and I know at face value none of those things sound like the makings of a club that is going to win a spot in the bag.  But, I don't need max distance here.  I don't want blistering ball speed or to smash this thing through a dog leg into the trees.  I want to be able to hit this thing 285y in the air time after time.  Don't get me wrong though, you'll see with the numbers, it can produce some speed.  The last two shots I think I was just feeling great after hitting so many good ones in a row and just got confident putting a move on the ball.  The BRNR had some similar that carried over 3 bills.  Will gladly take a little shorter for this spot.  

 

Dynapwr 13.5 3w Off the Tee

 

Winner: Dynapwr Carbon 13.5 3w. 

 

The Dynapwr was just so much easier to not lose left.  That alone was enough for me to give it the nod.  Coupled with the fact that it will actually be a toned down distance with slightly less variation in spin, makes it a bit of a no brainer for me.  

 

I will note, that it is still teetering on being too long and I would not discount the idea of testing a 15 degree 3w as time goes on.  I think it could prove to be valuable off the deck and off the tee.  While the Dynapwr is the best option that I own at the moment, I am still a little concerned on whether or not it will be the best fit long term.

[radiman]

Onto driver.  I got the Qi35LS I ordered at pre order this weekend.  So, I wanted to compare the two LS models.  The Dynapwr wins hands down in the looks department.  Deeper face, more compact.  And, after playing carbon faced drivers for a few years, I can say I prefer the Dynapwr LS feel over the TM drivers.  I want the Dynapwr to win.  

 

So, last night when testing the Dynapwr LS and Qi35 LS (forgot my Qi10 at home), I started off with the Dynapwr.  I was taking a few swings to get the feel down before I started grabbing data.  My driver swing is a bit of a mess but you dance with the girl you brought I suppose.  I was still seeing some super low spin left misses with it from my own swing flaws I am battling.  Made some adjustments and started introducing some blocks.  I really had to focus on tempo and releasing the club to get to a point where I felt I could do a meaningful comparison.  

 

First, I want to talk about the feel.  I have been playing carbon faced TM drivers since the OG Stealth came out.  I had some little trysts with a few other OEMs in that time, but I was having the most success with TM.  I like a muted feel and haven't really cared for anything else that's come out in that regard.  After last night and then again today, I do prefer the Dynapwr LS over the Qi10 and Qi35 LS.  It's still muted, but that crack of metal hitting the ball muted with he Carbon body just feels so crisp and powerful.  

 

The deep face of the Dynapwr LS is a perfect look for me.  The slightly open face and compact footprint just looks so so mean.  

 

As you can see by the spread here, I am still a bit off and going a bit left and right with no real pattern.  I came back to the Dynapwr a bit later trying to hit a cut and had a little better success.  Just trying to make solid contact and release the club so the spin doesn't dip.  Even though I got the spin up a bit, it's still pretty low.  And I swear it's a me issue.  And I proved that today when I was able to get some better performance out of it with a better swing.  Hitting spin numbers that low on a Foresight unit is going to give you that unrealistic carry number.  So, take the distance readings with a grain of salt.  There's no way I hit any of these drives as far as it says I did.  

 

Dynapwr LS Driver:

Trying to smooth out the swing, I wasn't hitting in the 180BS range like I can, but they were all at least playable.  I don't think they're ideal numbers for the course, but I could survive a round with them.  

 

In comparison, the Qi35 LS was a bit more consistent in shot shape and spin.  I was getting better results and starting to gain some confidence in it so I could tell I was getting more aggressive with my swing.  Getting close and hitting 180BS, but if you notice, that's when the spin would drop as my mechanics started to get sloppy.  I don't know what happened to the spread screenshot, but here are the numbers. 

 

QI35LS Driver:

 

Now, this isn't apples to apples.  The Dynapwr has a LinQ Red 6X (installed straight in) shaft that I don't think I would have ever expected to be in while the Qi35 has the much more stable AD VF 6X (tipped 1").  I will admit, that while the LinQ was the best fit for my swing during the fitting at Cabot, I feel like I am struggling to get consistent results from it.  If I catch a shot towards the heel for instance, I can feel the shaft vibrating in my hands.  I hit some absolute blocks with it that felt like the head just couldn't catch up, in part because my swing flaw, but on the flip side, it wasn't nearly as drastic with similar swings with the AD VF.  

 

In any event, I was a little down after hitting the TM, not that I would be sad that I had better results with a different driver, but because I did much prefer the look and feel of the Dynapwr LS.  So, I decided to put it up again and see if I was able to get some better results with it after a couple more adjustments.  

 

I am glad I did, because it did really redeem itself.  

 

Dynapwr LS Driver Round 2

 

 

Granted, the majority of these shots were right, and that's what I wanted to do.  Like every other club in my bag, my desire with it is to line up left and hit it to the right without fear of turning it over.  With that open face to path, I was able to get my spin numbers in a much more manageable position.  Even on some of the faster ones.  

 

Now, during this second run, it did feel like the shaft was struggling to keep up, and since I apparently don't know how to release the club through impact anymore, it was just a little looser than I would like.  

 

Even though the accuracy I displayed last night left a lot to be desired, the head showed me enough to motivate me to get a shaft that's more stout in there to retest it and see if I can tighten that up a bit.  The Dynapwr was faster, launched higher, and felt better to me.  And, I just love the look so much that I am going to take the time to make sure I find the right setup for me with it.  

 

Winner: I don't want to declare a winner, because I feel like my lack of consistency at the moment contributed a lot to the really low spin and wide dispersion.  I think both drivers performed relatively well for the swing I had last night.  

 

Just for reference, during today's simulator session, my spin numbers with both drivers were a lot more stable.  Up in the mid 2k's pretty consistently with it creeping to 2k or slightly below every so often.  The LinQ was still a bit wiley, but with the right tempo, I could get it straightened out.  It's not out of contention by any means.  But, I really want to get something a little more robust in there just to see how it reacts.  I should have a Diamana WB built up this week.  Really looking forward to dialing this in further.  

 

 

[CCTwentyOne]

These are the type of things I love to nerd out about - great stuff! Fun seeing how others interpret their data and utilize it effectively. Seems like you have some serious speed too man. Good luck with the rest of your testing!

[radiman]

Ha, well, I guess hosting my pics on Facebook to save space here wasn't a great idea.  All of the links expired, so downsized the files and reposted pics. 

[radiman]

I love to tinker with shafts.  I settled on the Ventus Blue profile a while ago and that kind of killed my interest in much else since nothing really ever seemed to match it.  I kind of fell in love with the Diamana RB profile in my fairway woods.  So, I ordered a Diamana WB 73TX and a Diamana RB 73TX to try out.  Up until this off season, I have used a driver shaft in the higher end of the 70g range.  And, in an effort to try to get back to where I was last year with my driver swing, I decided to just try that 70g driver shaft again.  

 

Still going to keep plugging away with the Lin-Q.  But, it's still winter.  I kind of love the new Diamana shafts, so I figured what the hell.  May as well scoop up some adapters and try some new stuff.  It's not like any of these options are available to test out locally.  

[dishantchhabra]

2 years ago I wouldnt have sniffed the thought of playing anything Wilson.

 

After this review, im tempted to get a whole bag lol

[CanFred]

Stumbled on this thread looking for more info on the 3w+ - thanks (as always) @radiman! Incredible write up!!!