At 04:08 PM 10/12/2005, Childers, Tedd A wrote:
Personally, I would
love to build a shorter driver, but ideally I could get a reasonable
swingweight (D2-D4) at 43.5-44" and with a very light shaft (60 grams).
This would require a heavier than normal driver head (210+ grams), and that
is what I have a problem finding, at least in a model that has the specs I
want (450+ cc, ~12* loft).
Tedd,
This year I started playing with a driver with a 12* Tourswing head. (See
http://www.tourswinggolf.com/carboncrown.htm) I put it on a Mercury Savage
shaft. I went with the Savage for its very stiff tip (to stabilize it
coming into impact), and made up for that in feel with a softer shaft than
usual by about 10cpm. It was 45-3/4" long at a swingweight of D4, using the
components with no special weighting. In general, it has worked well for
me. Not more distance than my old 10* driver, but I hit fewer bad shots and
more fairways.
Halfway through the year, I decided (for a variety of apparently valid
reasons) that I should try to shorten it radically. I cut it down to 44.5".
I preserved the swingweight by putting lead tape on the sole. I used a
little over 10 grams, so your 210+ gram estimate is right on. The results
have been great. I have further reduced my bad shots. But surprisingly,
I've also hit drives on several holes that equal my best drives ever on
that hole -- places this 64-year-old hasn't been off the tee in over a
half-dozen years.
That should say something about both the feasibility and desirability (for
me, at least) of the shorter driver. If you think it might help you, try
it! Lead tape isn't THAT ugly. (I'm reminded by that statement of John
Karsten's somewhat defensive TV ads for the Ping Zing. "It's amazing how
good it looks after you see the shots you make.")
Cheers!
DaveT
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