What driver you gaming?

[Ripken08]

On 6/6/2025 at 2:13 PM, Pepperturbo said:

For the longest time I have been a diehard Titleist equipment user, including Driver, up to and including GT2; but after a month, traded it in for a GT3, 10'.  Had a Ventus TR Blue stiff installed and played it for under two yrs until a golf trip late last year. 

 

For sh** and giggles, a buddy and I decided to switch bags.  His irons were AP1, they were respectable, but what got my attention was his Callaway Rogue ST Max 10.5 that has a senior shaft.  For reasons beyond me, I was hitting the bejesus out of it.  Came home and bought a new Callaway Rogue ST Max 10.5, same shaft too. 

 

Over a few months, it started not liking me, honeymoon was over, so had a new Diamana GT stiff installed.  I hit it further and more consistently.  Honestly, I am not convinced the head offers anything different, but matched to the Diamana GT shaft, lowered tee height, and put the ball further forward in stance, it's now yards longer and feeling a bit like an ole King Kong, 🦍 go figure. 

Yes imagine if you played shafts like these through the bag as you should at your age.

[DocBrown3887]

28 minutes ago, Rbsiedsc said:

Ya if I didn’t want the extra forgiveness this would have been the head I went with. It looks beautiful. 

 

This thing launches high (maybe too high) at 9.5* and has been quite "forgiving" but I haven't tried any other model either, the Xs may be cheat codes and I don't know it. Another user has the 230Z and shortened the shaft with success, that could be a way to go too but I don't want to mess with it right now because it's behaving.

[jarediogolf]

Epic Speed 10.5 at 9.5 with +11 grams. 

Evenflow Riptide CB 6.5 60 at 44.5 inches. 
 

Compact looking head with a generous face, not super high launch low spin which I’m really liking on course. It would take a lot to kick this one out. 

 

[this_is_golf]

I’m gaming a Qi10 with a Ventus Blue Velo+ shaft but I am interested in a DS Adapt Max k. 

[chachang25]

Have been gaming a G425LST 9deg with a stiff Ventus TR Black.

Bought a Cobra DS Adapt Max K today after sitting on that thread for awhile (this website is the most expensive website on the planet)

[Rbsiedsc]

25 minutes ago, DocBrown3887 said:

 

This thing launches high (maybe too high) at 9.5* and has been quite "forgiving" but I haven't tried any other model either, the Xs may be cheat codes and I don't know it. Another user has the 230Z and shortened the shaft with success, that could be a way to go too but I don't want to mess with it right now because it's behaving.

@vandyland

[MillRiverCaddy]

Srixon MK II X5LS Ventus blue. 

[PeteW]

Titleist TSi3 8* turned down to 7.25 Ventura Blue Velcore TR 6X shaft. 

[Mitchell]

Titleist TSi2 9* w/ Tour AD HD 7s tipped additional 1/2”

[mizuno player]

GT3 9°

Graphite Design AD BF 5x

 

Very solid combo. 

[brutus27]

PXG 0311 XF 10.5 w/ Ventus Red 5R

[tbone18]

ELYTE TD MAX 9* w/ Tensei CK White 60TX w/ Boron Tip.  This head is very forgiving and easy to hit.  Plus it's easy to move it both ways.

[barnes44]

G430 10k with OG ventus black 6x tipped 1/2". You have to try hard not to hit it straight. 

[pak]

Callaway AI Smoke Max 10.5 with a replacement 6 gram weight in the front, Mitsubishi C6 Blue R @ 45.5 inches.

[MerryTex]

I just put the Qi35 LS 10.5 in. HOLY SMOKES it flies off the face. I might have found what works for me - a low spin head at 10.5 degrees of loft. For whatever reason, a TM or Cally low spin head just seem to rocket off the face compared to any Titleist I’ve ever used. 
I say that with so much love towards Titleist products I’ve used in my bag. 
 

The LS model this year looks so good at address. 🤌🏼

[tx_bayou]

G430 10k with Fuji Pro Black.

 

Missile launcher. 

[rainkingjr]

Srixon ZXi LS 9 deg PX HZRDUS Black Gen 5 6.5. Standard loft in the flat setting with the heavy weight in the back. Really love the Srixon line this year.

[MountainMan]

Cobra DS Adapt Max-K. I’ve never driven the ball as well as I have with this driver. 

[Qegurezi]

Ping G430 10K which sports a Diamana PD70s. I have a VF7s as backup. The Cobra Max K has me intrigued. 

[gumpy]

Ping g430 10k with the mini driver as a back up particularly for dogleg left holes. 

[GameChange24]

G425 Max

Edited June 8 by GameChange24

[JFORBES]

G425 LST Tour AD IZ 6s. 
 

The buzz around the Max-K has me intrigued though. 

Edited June 8 by JFORBES

[Pepperturbo]

16 hours ago, Ripken08 said:

Yes imagine if you played shafts like these through the bag as you should at your age.

LOL  """should at my age"""  LOL If you ask most ole farts, they don't have the reactions to be behind the wheel tracking a car at 175+mph, yet I still got it.  But it's been a few years, now, since 195+.

 

And I have tried senior shafts in irons and woods three times.  They were fine and fun as long as I used a lackadaisical swing, except by the middle of 2nd or 3rd day, my aggressive swing came back.  The added length isn't worth the excessive left dispersion.  I still card mid-70s with my current shafts, so there is NO "should because of age", for me.  Play well.

[Gr8Balls]

Callaway AI Smoke TD 9 deg, Ventus black 6x tipped .5" @45.5"

 

It's been the most consistent driver I've played, and BS improved over my paradym td and stealth+ 

 

I keep toying with trying the elyte TD max to see if some added help/spin on the toe miss would benefit, but it's hard to justify when I'm hitting this one so well.

[ggee6887]

G440 Max

[braincramp52]

Louisville F2 Smart Persimmon

[Ri_Redneck]

On 6/7/2025 at 1:15 PM, The Mad Bomber said:

Love this. 

 

It's a super unpopular opinion around here, but they're all good and it doesn't matter what you play. I've run this experiment in the past and it always ends up the same way. This dumb search for this spin number or that launch or some CG always ends up in a bunch of money spent and a LACK of lower scores. I always believe people get so caught up in the driver number BS that they forget the one that matters - the number on the card.

 

OP - it ain't the driver...it's you. We're all in the same boat on that one.

 

It doesn't make one lick of difference if I'm playing a Cally, TM, Titleist, PING, Mizuno, Cobra - whatever. As long as you get something in your hands that's relatively well fitted, it's a fools errand to fall down the rabbit hole of optimizing every damn number on a TrackMan. Sure, the pro's do it but 1/20th of a stroke/round over the course of a season has implication for their standing on tour. We aren't them. Once you reach a certain level of ability (meaning you're no longer needing some crazy light, massively draw biased setup or something like that), the search becomes moote. 

 

So the driver I play is just the nicest looking to my eye, and that always seems to be a Titleist with my tried and true shaft and grip, because my handicap is NOT gonna go down by chasing some other setup. 

 

You can come at me - but you'd better be able to prove that your new driver has actually measurably lowered your cap. Years upon years of data from the USGA/GHIN proves that on average, that ain't happening. 

I've actually picked shafts, many times, just because I like the color. But the specs are always close to what I like.

 

BT

[Ri_Redneck]

On 6/6/2025 at 2:39 PM, Stuart_G said:

 

+1 - but add playing length to the top of the list.  Ridiculous stock playing lengths are by far the biggest source of driver problems and inconsistencies for am's.

 

But to answer the question, I play a Ping G425 MAX 10.5, Aldila NV NXT GEN 55 R flex shaft, 44" ~D0,  w/ midsize grips.

 

I would have been happier to just stay with the G400 - but my swing changed to the point where I needed a bit more loft.

I would have mentioned length, but when I found my ideal MOI, I was able to play a longer length just as well as the 44.75" ones I used to play. I am happily playing my drivers a 46" now.

 

BT

[Stuart_G]

8 hours ago, Ri_Redneck said:

I would have mentioned length, but when I found my ideal MOI, I was able to play a longer length just as well as the 44.75" ones I used to play. I am happily playing my drivers a 46" now.

 

BT

 

You're lucky then.   That's not really all that common.

[BallHooker]

LA Golf 10-10, 70g x-flex 

 

Very happy with it. Cannot remember the last time I lost a ball and the drives are longer than what I was able to hit with my Titleist TSR2. The balls roll well on fairways with the LA Golf driver. I was already used to balls landing and stopping. Just sold my Titleist driver. 
 

 

Edited June 9 by BallHooker