Macgregor tourney persimmon head with true temper tour shaft from 1949. This hard, resilient american timber has long been recognised as the most perfect golf club head material in fact nothing gets near it for the essentials of distance, accuracy and feel. If the shaft is too flexible, you would lose distance due to too high of a ball flight sometimes with a stiff shaft vs regular you gain direction control but may lose yardage on distance more noticeable on woods. The oldest shafts for all golf clubs were made of hickory wood. A good day is hitting two or three fairways in an entire round. Macgregor persimmon head and hickory shaft from 1923. And, depending on how you measured, given the size of head on the modern driver, you distance from the end of the shaft to the sweet spot on each club will. A few months back i had an old steel shafted persimmon club out on my lesson tee. Drivers with a low closed offset or no offset are often called.
Clubhead speed is 112 with that same old driver and distance is about 280. Nov 03, 2014 what advantage does modern driver technology actually provide the golfer over a steel shafted persimmon club. After seven weeks of wilsons sometimes entertaining and sometimes painful reality tv program driver vs driver, we get the wilson staff triton. Many drivers have too little loft or shafts that are too long for the average golfer. Driver steel shaft golf clubs persimmon wood head for sale ebay. Dec 16, 2010 can a persimmon wood be reshafted by the normal club repair man. I am thinking of reshafting this driver with a ust low carb aflex shaft which i was very pleased with in my previous driver a cobra ss350. Old school vs modern technology 35 year old ping eye 2. Ping say it gives more momentum at impact helping increase ball speed and carry distance. Golfsmith tests show 50% of golfers show a less than 6% increase in swing speed.
Persimmon 182 feet average 18 off line three wood shaft 234 feet average 23 feet off line driver shaft 315 feet average 31 off line on my andrew rice golf facebook page i asked readers if they had any experience with shortening the shaft of their driver and here are a few of their responses. Taylormades revolutionary twist face curvature is designed to deliver a corrective face angle on offcenter shots, producing straight distance. Switch to the modern graphite shaft and the swing speed jumped to 1 miles per hour. Higher clubhead speed players had a greater percentage increase in distance. Therefore, our supplies of true temper steel shafts such as the dynamic gold and dynalite models are limited to our current stock. Seemed to have glossed over the difference in shaft length. The wood driver was 43 inches long and built with a steel shaft. What i have found is that you can get away with a longer graphite shaft in a persimmon wood than you can with the original old steel shaft, thereby also helping to eliminate the performance difference. Because of these differences one can use a higher lofted titanium driver and launch the ball higher with less spin than its persimmon counterpart giving one another 58 yards. That is a shame because many would benefit greatly from the control and precision of this fine, oversized, persimmon club.
How does low spin with your driver affect the trajectory. Testing the performance of drivers of different eras miles of golf. And, depending on how you measured, given the size of head on the modern driver, you distance from the end of the shaft to the sweet spot on each club will vary. Hitting the golf ball a mile can be a confidence booster and impress everyone around you, but if you arent hitting it where you want this can be a problem.
Modern balls with multiple layers can produce different spin rates on each type of shot. New and cheap drivers from top brands like callaway, taylormade, and wilson, to name a few. Our meticulous golf club crafting process involves over 200 unique steps. In the persimmon days the greatest players attempted to contact the ball in the center of the face with a level or descending impact approach angle. Mar 26, 2008 persimmon vs titanium frank, i truly enjoyed the.
In fact, testing shows an inch of extra shaft length equals roughly 10 yards in distance. Because missing the center of a persimmon driver lost even more distance and direction than todays bigger, more forgiving drivers. I purchased a persimmon driver, blade iron, and some older golf balls off. Many manufacturers provide custom fitting not only for the correct driver loft, shaft type and stiffness, but for the best type of golf ball to use as well. Are titanium drivers really that much better than wood drivers. Jul 21, 2018 stock driver shaft vs expensive upcharge driver shaft. However, distance loss is more dramatic with an offcenter hit when using persimmon. Taylormade drivers allow players to tune the driver s loft for a game that matches their technique. The original one mini driver incorporates that heritage of innovation with key performance technologies, packed into a confidenceinspiring shape that delivers on distance, forgiveness, and accuracy. Nov 24, 2005 difference in distance between persimmon and titanium heads are very similar if struck on the sweetspot. Gear effect in titanium vs persimmon this entry was posted on may 1. Perhaps more than anything else, added shaft length has increased driver distances. Now im not some golfing luddite about to sing the praises of persimmon and steel shafts.
For nongolfers or those just starting to get into the sport it can seem almost impossible that the design of the shaft will have much effect on the overall swing of the user. However, put a modern shaft in the persimmon and if you get the club to the length of the modern driver very hard to do for given swingweight, the numbers get a lot closer. In actual fact the best driver shafts can add a remarkable number of yards to. I think one of the special order shafts was the g loomis shaft. Unfollow persimmon driver to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. When it comes to golf club heads, each head is numbered differently according to its degree of loft. Driver steel shaft stiff flex golf clubs persimmon wood head. Many also find they swing a shorter shaft faster as well. I assume that is based on the proportions of shaft length. So, if you just decide to copy the pros and buy a driver with an extrastiff shaft, you arent necessarily going to get the same performance from that shaft that they do. These hand made persimmon woods are the same type of golf club that were used from the early 1900s until the mid 1980s.
Widely overlooked, the proper shaft increases distance and accuracy, while a poor shaft can lead to inconsistent shots, slices, and reduced distance. Ive personally seen the same exact driver clubhead yield significant variances in launch, spin, dispersion, carry distance, and angle of descent, depending on shaft weight, flex, torque. He swung the 150gram steel shaft in the persimmon at 106 miles per hour. Get the best deals on driver steel shaft golf clubs persimmon wood head when you shop the largest online selection at. Counterbalancing means the alta positions more weight closer to the head and under the hands with the ping g400 driver. If your swing speed is 8085 mph, the average driver swing speed of a male golfer today, youre giving up real distance increases of at least 10 yards or more if you are not using a driver with a loft angle of at least 12 degrees.
However, by producing 20 yards more distance with a tighter dispersion. Only when the right combination of swing and golf club shaft is found can maximum distance be achieved. The most widely cultivated of these is the asian or japanese persimmon, diospyros kaki. Hickory golf clubs, custom golf irons, and hand shaped persimmon drivers. To compensate, modern drivers have very shallow loft say 7 9 degrees compared to the traditional persimmon 10. The idea that stiffer shafts are more accurate is busted. If you have a driver with a regular flex and are hitting the ball long but inaccurately, you may want to consider going to a stiffer shaft. Does shaft flex affect driver distance i believe flex can affect distance. More than 100 steps go into manufacturing these clubs. However, no matter the material, the things that benefit average distance purely in the clubs design tend to work against the ability consistently work the ball in my. Driving distance on the pga tour has increased from the early 80s, when.
In this persimmon driver test, gm digital editor neil tappin hits a 25 year old driver putting it up against his own titleist 917 d2. Best driver shafts for distance in 2020 our top 7 picks. What is the effect of gripping down a longer driver vs playing a driver with a shorter shaft. I had one young female student ask about the club and she stated she had never before seen a wooden club she was born in the very late 90s let alone hit one. The dci 8 iron was 5 my normal distance and a tighter shot pattern. Aug 20, 2015 persimmon 182 feet average 18 off line three wood shaft 234 feet average 23 feet off line driver shaft 315 feet average 31 off line on my andrew rice golf facebook page i asked readers if they had any experience with shortening the shaft of their driver and here are a few of their responses. It had the scoops in it, like the cobra drivers have, and had a graphite shaft in it. Effect of driver shaft length on distance im a very consistent and straight hitter but can use all the help i can get on distance since my typical drive is about 210 yards. This was the impetus for a test we conducted in the miles of golf cluboratory in ann arbor, michigan using a trackman ball. The graphite shafts i have used in the past 8 years have been a harrison pro titanium 2. These are the last players to win a major with persimmon. The other assumption is that the 220y length of a titanium driver would only be 202y, if it was made to the same length and weight of a persimmon.
If youd like to see a more detailed chart on distance vs golf clubs, read my complete guide on golf club distances here. Powerbilt sold a persimmon driver, about the time callaway came out with the big bertha. Efficiency, or the ratio of clubhead speed to ball speed, increased 6%. True temper has discontinued manufacturing steel shafts for woods as of november 2017. Roughly onehalf the increase in distance % took place between the late persimmon early stainless steel drivers of the 1980s and the current titanium. The number one thing that keeps all of us from hitting the ball farther is the physics of impact, otherwise translated to mean if you dont have the swing speed, you cant hit the ball to the screen at the end of the practice range. Also, much of the distance gain is due to longer and better shaft technology rather than the head itself. Shots struck on the toe or heel somehow almost miraculously find their way back into the fairway. So i went back to a persimmon driver last summer for a try, ill be darned. If your swing speed is 90100mph and your driver loft angle is lower than 11 degrees, 90% of you are losing distance by playing the wrong loft. Drivers with a low closed offset or no offset are often called game. How hard is it to hit and how much of a difference did it. How about early steel shafted clubs from the 1930s, or drivers from the 195060s, or the early metal drivers.
All things being equal, a longer driver shaft will allow you to swing the club faster, which could add more distance. Lets remember that the swing speed set for the old overall distance standard test, established in 1976, was 109 miles per. Develop a better understanding from the feedback of our natural persimmon club heads. Also the newer driver is likely a lot more balanced. New driver shafts are made as long as 46 inches, requiring them to be cut down to size for most players. Louisville golf company is dedicated to crafting the highest quality.
Big differences between persimmon and metal wood eras. He swung the 75gram graphite shaft in his driver at 1 miles per hour. When looking at the group average, the modern driver was 30 yards ahead of the persimmon driver and yards ahead of the. Selecting the right shaft flex maximizes distance and accuracy. These differences, of lower spin and increased ball speed will, by themselves, result in at least 10 11 yards increase in distance. Or does it have to go to the seasoned persimmon expert. Now that you know what you should be looking for in a driver shaft, lets consider some of the most popular and effective shafts on the market. Jan 12, 2017 whether you put a premium on distance or accuracy, getting fit for the proper shaft weight is essential to making a golf club perform for you. With such high emphasis on drive distance and accuracy by players. Get the best deals on graphite shaft regular flex golf clubs persimmon wood head when you shop the largest online selection at ebay. Almost all have come to associate successful drives with a certain steel or titanium sounding crack. Also the overize nature of a clubhead moves the center of gravity back and as a consequence the ball leaves the clubface with often greater spin and a higher trajectory.
Are titanium drivers really that much better than wood. Dec 08, 2017 in this persimmon driver test, gm digital editor neil tappin hits a 25 year old driver putting it up against his own titleist 917 d2. You could possibly be a full club longer by finding the right shaft weight. I am also contemplating reshafting my m43t to see if i can gain some distance from it.
Golf club shaft flex and the effect on driving distance. The other 8 iron was showing an average distance of 126 yd and i was all over the place. In our iron test, we routinely saw a 10 or 20 gram change in shaft weight produce distance variations of 810 yards. Actually, a golfer with a clubhead speed less than 85 mph will lose distance. There are huge differences in the shafts of each driver, and that obviously had a large impact on the performance of the clubs. Best golf drivers for distance and accuracy in 2020. Testing the performance of drivers of different eras. Persimmon golf clubs drivers, fairway woods and putters.
There are literally hundreds of shaft options, massive driver heads. Shaft flex does have an influence on distance and ball flight. But what about us mere mortals with our 60 to 90something mph swing speeds. Free shipping on many items browse your favorite brands affordable prices. I also totaled the distance after roll the ten shots with each club finished from the center line. This edition of golf tips relates to driver accuracy. Recently we performed a fun test comparing older golf clubs and balls versus modern. What golfer isnt impressed by the driver distance of tour players. Our woods are available with hickory or steel shafts and are durably constructed to ensure longevity and style. Golfers sometimes try to optimize their equipment for maximum distance and control. I swung an smt head on an accuflex shaft longdrive specialties. A persimmon driver with a steel shaft is going to swing a lot heavier than a titanium driver with a high performance graphite shaft. Driving distance on the pga tour has increased from the early 80s, when persimmon drivers were the primary club around 260 yards to today when the primary driving club is titanium about 287 yards.
Does shaft flex affect driver distance callaway community. Apr 24, 2019 ive personally seen the same exact driver clubhead yield significant variances in launch, spin, dispersion, carry distance, and angle of descent, depending on shaft weight, flex, torque. There are literally thousands of combinations between shafts and heads that can. The program itself was a bold experiment in product introduction and has. Do current drivers perform better than hickories from the 1920s. Testing the performance of drivers of different eras miles. I am in the process of reshafting the other set tt lite xl r flex i used this shaft on a set of irons i constructed and a couple of my persimmons have the same shaft. We believe metal woods may help the average golfer by offering a greater distance on your.
From what i have been told, in going, say, from one flex to the next softer flex, will make it easier to launch the ball and will add spin. Get the best deals on graphite shaft regular flex golf clubs persimmon wood head when you shop the largest online selection at. Get the best deals on driver steel shaft stiff flex golf clubs persimmon wood head when you shop the largest online selection at. If you are going to reshaft a persimmon driver with a. As you would expect the results were fairly dramatic as well here. For maximizing your driver distance is the loft angle on the face of your driver. One shaft might be perfectly suited to hit long drives for another golfer, but could perform poorly with your swing. Gear effect and the case for persimmon drivers louisville golf. Players with a higher swing speed should opt for a stiffer shaft. So far everything i have read on titaniums drivers vs persimmons woods, graphite vs steel shafts, blades vs cavatity back irons is. Efficiency, or the ratio of clubhead speed to ball speed, increased 6 %.
With a more appropriate and modern driver and work on flexibility, 300 will come. Although the best driver shafts for distance will vary for each individual, we have covered many of the varying factors for you and curated our list of our top 7 choices to help you to hit further drives. Can a persimmon wood be reshafted by todays club repair man. The original smart driver is an excellent club for players who shoot in the 80s and 90s who sometimes have difficulty finding the fairways with metal woods. Also, will using todays harder golf ball slowly destroy the persimmon wood.
Fitted driver vs off the shelf driver unbelievable results. You havent experienced golf to the fullest unless you have played the game with these persimmon woods. How far would golfs legends drive the ball using modern. Players with a slower swing speed should utilize a driver with a more flexible shaft. When you hit the perfect balance between the two, you end up with shots that maximize your distance while still remaining under control hopefully. I think if a ti driver had the same steel shaft and length the wood driver would go farther, not to mention persimmon drivers feel times better off the face, easier to work the ball compared to this giant thin metal crap we hit today which is cheap as hell to make, wow what a big surprise ha, but they are more durable than wood clubs. Compared to 252yard carry and 272 total distance with my titleist, thats a. Second, if softer shafts inherently produced longer shots, we would have seen the stiff flex produce more distance than the xstiff. The golf club shaft length and driving distance relationship. I am playing a titleist 917 d3 driver with an aftermarket shaft from accra, so this is some of the best equipment that modern design has to offer. I was only able to carry the persimmon driver 219 yards for a total distance of 238 on average.