This was eye opening!

[braincramp52]

Alright, I'm posting this here because if I post it in other places I'll just catch a bunch of crap from people who say I'm either nuts or a liar. So I ordered a set of nice old Ping Eye2 woods, D,3,4,and 5. Went out and played 18. I kept my Titleist driver in the bag and took out my 3 wood and 4 hybrid and put in the Ping driver and 4&5 woods. I started by hitting both drivers off the tee and to be honest I wasn't expecting much. On the 3rd hole I pretty well flushed both of them and when I got to the balls the Ping was within about 3 feet. Long story short, for me there's not a hell of a lot of difference between the old Eye2 and my GT2 and this makes no sense to me. Granted, when I missed the Ping it was worse than a miss with the GT2 but they weren't disastrous. There was even a couple holes that I thought I really hammered the GT2 and the Ping was 10 yards further because I actually hit a high draw with the Ping which I never do. What really blew me away was the performance of the 4 and 5 woods. I was longer all day with both of them because of the roll out I was getting. I was actually laughing to myself after a few shots. What the hell is happening!!?? This can't be! Honeymoon phase? Somebody help me out!

 

Quickly, a little about me. Gonna be 73 in June. I don't hit anything long even with new stuff. My 9 hole scores vary between 38 and 44 and I'm normally in the low 80's for 18. I'm stay out of trouble and can chip and putt a little. 

[bcstones]

I wouldn't worry about it....may your "honeymoon" last a very long time - Enjoy!

[braincramp52]

4 minutes ago, bcstones said:

I wouldn't worry about it....may your "honeymoon" last a very long time - Enjoy!

I guess the word "shocked" might be more appropriate. 

[bcstones]

2 minutes ago, braincramp52 said:

I guess the word "shocked" might be more appropriate. 

😂 IMO - think less, let the clubhead do the work...Enjou (forget your strokes, does the ball go where you aimed....& eventually go in the hole 🤣)

[braincramp52]

3 minutes ago, bcstones said:

😂 IMO - think less, let the clubhead do the work...Enjou (forget your strokes, does the ball go where you aimed....& eventually go in the hole 🤣)

I agree.  But why?🤪  Is it because of the 43 1/2" steel shaft and higher loft? The roll out i was getting from the driver and woods was crazy. 

[Hawkeye77]

Now I'm sitting here contemplating all the money I've spent on drivers the past 30+ years . . . 🌨️

[braincramp52]

21 minutes ago, Hawkeye77 said:

Now I'm sitting here contemplating all the money I've spent on drivers the past 30+ years . . . 🌨️

I know!!! $649 on a titleist that doesn't perform any better than an old wooden driver. The titleist is much better on miss hits but I find the center more often on the ping that's 2 1/2" shorter. 

[Hawkeye77]

LOL, I’m auditioning some drivers on Thursday - has to be a real ten more yards one of these years!

[AdExec]

I would imagine the results would be drastically different if coming from another player swinging 110-120mph and pushing ball speed into the 170/180 range with modern driver. These likely fit your launch conditions perfectly  which can override ball speed gains on more modern equipment. Im still impressed at the best swings with the Titleist 975D, 975J, and 905R I have in my closet from time to time. That said, enjoy. There’s nothing better than flushing the middle of vintage equipment and see the flight. 

[Nard_S]

It's probably the weight & length. One time, head to head on one hole with persimmon vs ti and the result was the same. My general sense was i could feel the club more and my sense of timing was better with it.  My most consistent Ti driver has an 80g shaft and is -1".

[bcstones]

33 minutes ago, braincramp52 said:

I agree.  But why?🤪  Is it because of the 43 1/2" steel shaft and higher loft? The roll out i was getting from the driver and woods was crazy. 

Now I get it - after paying that much mula, guess I'd wonder also. It's an interesting comparison - 43 year old vs <1year old. Glad to see the vintage driver outplay the new thingie, well, I'm also vintage bordering on antique 🤣 

[braincramp52]

29 minutes ago, AdExec said:

I would imagine the results would be drastically different if coming from another player swinging 110-120mph and pushing ball speed into the 170/180 range with modern driver. These likely fit your launch conditions perfectly  which can override ball speed gains on more modern equipment. Im still impressed at the best swings with the Titleist 975D, 975J, and 905R I have in my closet from time to time. That said, enjoy. There’s nothing better than flushing the middle of vintage equipment and see the flight. 

Well said, I agree. At almost 73 and a towering 5'7", I don't hit anything long.😂

[braincramp52]

30 minutes ago, Nard_S said:

It's probably the weight & length. One time, head to head on one hole with persimmon vs ti and the result was the same. My general sense was i could feel the club more and my sense of timing was better with it.  My most consistent Ti driver has an 80g shaft and is -1".

Yea Nard, I don't exactly have what one would call a smooth transition.🤣 

[Stephen8802]

When I play the simulator, like I did this morning, I usually take both a persimmon and a modern driver. Today I hit a Palmer P31 for the first round and a combo of a Ping G425 and a TM Minidriver for the second. I hit 11 fairways on the first round with the Palmer, averaged around 245, with a long of around 265. None of the misses were more than a few yards off the fairway. I hit 10 fairways on the second round with the Ping/TM, averaged about 255, with a long of 295. A couple of the misses got me into trouble.

 

For me, the modern stuff makes a difference, but not the crazy difference that people think. However, the big difference is joy...I get much more satisfaction out of the feel of hitting a persimmon in the screws than I do when I crush the Ping.

[Nard_S]

22 minutes ago, braincramp52 said:

Yea Nard, I don't exactly have what one would call a smooth transition.🤣 

Mean either, found heavier works better with that going on. i was switching between a ti/graphite vs  steel on steel #5W for years, both have their advantages but the old steel was just more consistent, the ti was longer but more erratic and it came down to how my swing related to it. All my better rounds have had a smoother transition going on with longer /lighter clubs. A big reboot post surgery is being more mindful of poor transition, starting that sooner and being smoother throughout without getting lazy about the fast fire part.

[ezgoer]

  I suspect it could be the weight of the fairway woods in comparison to moderns. They sure seem to be getting lighter and lighter nowadays. Actually in my modern fairway wood I’m getting along with it better than ever after installing an old 85 gram shaft in it.  I’m no expert but I’ve played around with heavier swing weight with a lighter static weight but it seems that higher in both does good things for me. I can definitely thank falling in love with vintage for helping me too this realization! Modern thought is quite different. I’m not that great of a golfer but it helps me to feel the club head a lot more. Knock on wood I don’t have many physical limitations at this point so I don’t need light weight for that reason anyways. Maybe if I knew I could deliver the head to the right spot at the right time I could take advantage of the lighter weights??

 

As far as the driver I think the PING’s play a lot more like modern than other wood clubs. Just not modern sized. I have a black dot stiff steel shafted EYE2 driver. It’s 12 degrees of wooden club therapy whenever I have a brutal persimmon round. I believe it’s as much the LCG design of the club as the loft. I’d bet money they produce higher spin than an older driver. Then I’ll play a Wilson laminate then I’ll go back to persimmon. If struck right there’s few things that compare to the persimmon but the laminate’s make a very satisfying thump. Hogan said he couldn’t feel the difference. Maybe he was trying to sell a new model?? I affectionately call my EYE2 driver a billy club. I’ve never tried but wondering if I could hit it off the deck hmmm???

 

Edited April 15 by ezgoer

[tatertot]

4 hours ago, braincramp52 said:

Alright, I'm posting this here because if I post it in other places I'll just catch a bunch of crap from people who say I'm either nuts or a liar. So I ordered a set of nice old Ping Eye2 woods, D,3,4,and 5. Went out and played 18. I kept my Titleist driver in the bag and took out my 3 wood and 4 hybrid and put in the Ping driver and 4&5 woods. I started by hitting both drivers off the tee and to be honest I wasn't expecting much. On the 3rd hole I pretty well flushed both of them and when I got to the balls the Ping was within about 3 feet. Long story short, for me there's not a hell of a lot of difference between the old Eye2 and my GT2 and this makes no sense to me. Granted, when I missed the Ping it was worse than a miss with the GT2 but they weren't disastrous. There was even a couple holes that I thought I really hammered the GT2 and the Ping was 10 yards further because I actually hit a high draw with the Ping which I never do. What really blew me away was the performance of the 4 and 5 woods. I was longer all day with both of them because of the roll out I was getting. I was actually laughing to myself after a few shots. What the hell is happening!!?? This can't be! Honeymoon phase? Somebody help me out!

 

Quickly, a little about me. Gonna be 73 in June. I don't hit anything long even with new stuff. My 9 hole scores vary between 38 and 44 and I'm normally in the low 80's for 18. I'm stay out of trouble and can chip and putt a little. 

I got a brand new set of Ping Eye 2 irons and Anser 2 putter if you'd like a matching bag.

[braincramp52]

2 hours ago, tatertot said:

I got a brand new set of Ping Eye 2 irons and Anser 2 putter if you'd like a matching bag.

I'm playing a set of becu's with them now. Thanks though. 

[bcstones]

9 hours ago, braincramp52 said:

At almost 73 and a towering 5'7", I don't hit anything long.😂

since I was 10 & about 4'7 & maybe 94lbs - I'm pretty sure I never hit anything long....& these days, some 68 years later, 5'8" & ~140lbs, I still don't even try to hit anything long (just try to swing & hit the ball, screw length)
🤣🤣🤣

[braincramp52]

9 hours ago, bcstones said:

since I was 10 & about 4'7 & maybe 94lbs - I'm pretty sure I never hit anything long....& these days, some 68 years later, 5'8" & ~140lbs, I still don't even try to hit anything long (just try to swing & hit the ball, screw length)
🤣🤣🤣

I hope I don't jinx myself but I think my not swinging all out is what has kept me injury free for almost 40 years of golf. I didn't start playing until I was almost 35.

[Shallowface]

12 hours ago, bcstones said:

since I was 10 & about 4'7 & maybe 94lbs - I'm pretty sure I never hit anything long....& these days, some 68 years later, 5'8" & ~140lbs, I still don't even try to hit anything long (just try to swing & hit the ball, screw length)
🤣🤣🤣

There's a bit of discussion on genetics in another thread, but one thing I've noticed through the years is that guys your size seem to have more good health and longevity than most. 

 

I used to go to church with a guy about your size that was well into his 80s.  At church dinners that man could eat like no one I've ever seen.  Four pieces of fried chicken and everything that went with it, washed down with cola and still with room for more than one piece of dessert.  He never gained a pound.  He did nothing of a physical nature except whatever needed done around his house.  He took a bad step on some stairs one day and the fall is what got him.  Otherwise he might still be here.

 

If more beginners would approach the game the way you do, they'd become decent players (85-90 shooters) almost immediately, and then could progress from there.  But they are sold a gigantic driver and everything they see in golf media tells them that swinging as hard as they can is how it should be done.  Most of them lose $60 worth of balls every round and a lot of them quit. 

 

All the best to you!

Edited April 16 by Shallowface

[bcstones]

2 hours ago, braincramp52 said:

I hope I don't jinx myself but I think my not swinging all out is what has kept me injury free for almost 40 years of golf.

Totally agree....

[bcstones]

8 minutes ago, Shallowface said:

If more beginners would approach the game the way you do, they'd become decent players (85-90 shooters) almost immediately, and then could progress from there.  But they are sold a gigantic driver and everything they see in golf media tells them that swinging as hard as they can is how it should be done.  Most of them lose $60 worth of balls every round and a lot of them quit

Thanks....that is the way I was instructed. The couple/3 Pro's that I went to, just worked with the swing I had (didn't try to change or "upgrade to current day" it in anyway).
I've always been active - swimming, cycling, x-country skiing, running (loping really), canoeing, kayaking, even tried wind surfing awhile back.
Cuz of an "slight" exposure to Agent Orange, I'm a vegitarian (NOT a vegan) at least for the past 30+years...I'd always been a "conscious omnivore"

I don't keep score, most important to me is - did the ball land where I aimed & does it eventually go into the hole.

[Shallowface]

5 hours ago, braincramp52 said:

I hope I don't jinx myself but I think my not swinging all out is what has kept me injury free for almost 40 years of golf. I didn't start playing until I was almost 35.

I've been playing since I was 12 (64 now) but I've never made a golf swing that hurt my back.  I've always used a swing that had a lot of hand action and never had a lot of twisting or hip rotation through the ball.  

 

I've had three back surgeries but it's from congenital spinal stenosis.  I have a stretching routine I do every single day and that has helped me retain flexibility even after a fusion.  I really feared having a fusion but once the long recovery period passed I don't feel restricted at all.

 

When I was still working I'd get home and be in a lot of pain.  I'd hit balls into my net for 30 minutes and the pain would be gone.  So much for golf being hard on the back.  If you aim left, slide and block (70s era Trevino and Couples) that is tough on the back.  If you get the club under the plane coming down and have to rotate a lot to square the face (Tiger during the Hank Haney era and a lot of modern players.  He moved away from that post surgeries) that can cause problems.  But golf in and of itself in my experience is not an automatic pain sentence for the spine.      

[braincramp52]

Another 18 with the Ping Eye2 driver and woods. Was not a great day for contact but I doubt I would have hit anything off the tee well. There is one club that has shined and that's the 5 wood, damn I love that thing! High and straight! One thing I have noticed hitting the Eye2 driver is it has taken my big miss out of the picture which is a pull off the tee. I'm a leftie and according to ShotScope when I miss off the tee 82% are right. Still experimenting with balls but it seems like the Wilson Duo works the best. 

[NRJyzr]

On 4/15/2025 at 8:00 AM, braincramp52 said:

Alright, I'm posting this here because if I post it in other places I'll just catch a bunch of crap from people who say I'm either nuts or a liar. So I ordered a set of nice old Ping Eye2 woods, D,3,4,and 5. Went out and played 18. I kept my Titleist driver in the bag and took out my 3 wood and 4 hybrid and put in the Ping driver and 4&5 woods. I started by hitting both drivers off the tee and to be honest I wasn't expecting much. On the 3rd hole I pretty well flushed both of them and when I got to the balls the Ping was within about 3 feet. Long story short, for me there's not a hell of a lot of difference between the old Eye2 and my GT2 and this makes no sense to me. Granted, when I missed the Ping it was worse than a miss with the GT2 but they weren't disastrous. There was even a couple holes that I thought I really hammered the GT2 and the Ping was 10 yards further because I actually hit a high draw with the Ping which I never do. What really blew me away was the performance of the 4 and 5 woods. I was longer all day with both of them because of the roll out I was getting. I was actually laughing to myself after a few shots. What the hell is happening!!?? This can't be! Honeymoon phase? Somebody help me out!

 

Quickly, a little about me. Gonna be 73 in June. I don't hit anything long even with new stuff. My 9 hole scores vary between 38 and 44 and I'm normally in the low 80's for 18. I'm stay out of trouble and can chip and putt a little. 

 

I ran into this quite a bit about 10 years ago.  At that time, I played a Cobra Fly-Z+ driver, and I would swap out the modern driver and 3w for a Zing Blonde laminate, or some of my Golden Ram persimmons.

 

I found I would frequently hit tee shots to the same places on the course.  On a particular hole at my course, I would find myself next to a yardage marker regardless of which clubs I was playing that day.  It was fairly common.

 

A few things about 10 years ago me...  I was swinging driver at 111mph.  I played my Ti drivers the same length, or a half inch longer, than my persimmons/laminates.  I was a high spin player off the tee.  Tended to mess around with golf balls choices but it was full mixing and matching; I didn't use only softer balls with wood or firmer balls with metal woods.

 

A long winded way of saying I've seen what you're describing in my own game, and suggest it's not related at all to your overall distance profile.

 

Added note, because I like to mention this, in spite of how tiring it must be for everyone else...  my longest tee ball, non cart path edition, of 2016 to 2025 is with a Zing Blonde.  😁

 

[braincramp52]

7 hours ago, NRJyzr said:

 

I ran into this quite a bit about 10 years ago.  At that time, I played a Cobra Fly-Z+ driver, and I would swap out the modern driver and 3w for a Zing Blonde laminate, or some of my Golden Ram persimmons.

 

I found I would frequently hit tee shots to the same places on the course.  On a particular hole at my course, I would find myself next to a yardage marker regardless of which clubs I was playing that day.  It was fairly common.

 

A few things about 10 years ago me...  I was swinging driver at 111mph.  I played my Ti drivers the same length, or a half inch longer, than my persimmons/laminates.  I was a high spin player off the tee.  Tended to mess around with golf balls choices but it was full mixing and matching; I didn't use only softer balls with wood or firmer balls with metal woods.

 

A long winded way of saying I've seen what you're describing in my own game, and suggest it's not related at all to your overall distance profile.

 

Added note, because I like to mention this, in spite of how tiring it must be for everyone else...  my longest tee ball, non cart path edition, of 2016 to 2025 is with a Zing Blonde.  😁

 

Thank you @NRJyzr 

Reading your post makes me feel better in the sense that maybe I'm not crazy!😅

[Forged Hack]

Braincramp52….Glad to hear you had some success with them.

I’m playing mine weekly. Very easy to hit, and they sound cool too.

[57charlie]

This is exactly why I'm still playing my Callaway Big Bertha Hawkeye 3,5 & 7 woods that I bought new in 1999. It's appalling how much I've spent on "new & improved" clubs over the years & have yet to find fairway metals that can outperform the Hawkeye's. They're going to bury me with those sticks.

[CanFred]

This was a fun thread to read - as the OP pointed out, I think the technology differences really come on the forgiveness side, but still a fun compare!

 

Also, beautiful clubs @Forged Hack!