Where to find a flat modern driver?

[Zoulfly]

Yes, where do I find flat modern drivers, in the range of 50-53 degrees?

I got a tip from a club fitter here in Sweden that I should look for tour prototypes etc on eBay if I want to have a driver that I can flatten. The reason should be that these models might have longer/thicker necks which makes them easier to bend.

Any other ideas???

[robbo]

I hate to promote Ping products, but they’re one of the few oem’s that simplified purchasing “off the shelf” irons that had options as far as lie angles (I think you can still order a set up to 4 flat) for the general public.

I believe they’ll make a flat driver (the G15) for you, but I think 2 degrees flat may be the limit. You might contact them to see what they’ll do.

[bobscottjnr]

I know this probably not of any reall interest to the hardcore equimenttites out there, but I have some anecdotal results of a little experiment I ran.

1. I tried to find the flattest modern driver I could. This turned out to be the Callaway Steel III. There may be flatter but at 55* it was the flattest I could find for a low price.
2. I purchased one of those ferrule adaptors. The kind that permits you to open/close, and flatten the lie by 1 degrees. So I am at 53*.
3. I then purchased an extra stiff, low torque and “heavy” graphite shaft. After I cut it down from 46 inches to 43 to effectively flatten it from its former 45.5 shaft. Not sure what the shaft trimming did for the flattness.
4. Put some lead tape on to get the head weight up to D4.

She is ugly, but it made a big difference! Thought I would pass the experience along!

[littlealm]

I know this probably not of any reall interest to the hardcore equimenttites out there, but I have some anecdotal results of a little experiment I ran.

1. I tried to find the flattest modern driver I could. This turned out to be the Callaway Steel III. There may be flatter but at 55* it was the flattest I could find for a low price.
2. I purchased one of those ferrule adaptors. The kind that permits you to open/close, and flatten the lie by 1 degrees. So I am at 53*.
3. I then purchased an extra stiff, low torque and “heavy” graphite shaft. After I cut it down from 46 inches to 43 to effectively flatten it from its former 45.5 shaft. Not sure what the shaft trimming did for the flattness.
4. Put some lead tape on to get the head weight up to D4.

She is ugly, but it made a big difference! Thought I would pass the experience along!

How has this worked out for you? Do you still like your adjusted Cllaway Steel lll? Thanks

[slice_oftheday]

Yes I’m curious as well to see how bobscottjr’s driver came out

I just bought a 975D head for $15 in really good condition, going to put a 80+g X driver shaft in there and add lead tape. According to the Titleist website, it is at a 57° lie angle which is flatter than most drivers

[ongandrew]

I believe you can flatten/upright the taylomade r9 and nike drivers. Thats how they make you fade and draw the ball. Upright = high draw. Flat = low fade. hope this helps.

[lagpressure]

Thanks for the posts…

I hope someone here can come up with a solution for flattening modern drivers. It’s good to see some experimenting going on.

I haven’t really investigated it yet.

I suppose I could shoot a comedy youtube video, and walk into a so called “custom golf shop” and explain that I need a proper club fitting, and then get on their analysis machine with a 48 degree entry into impact and see what they suggest for me…

I would imagine they would want to sign me up for lessons so I could change my golf swing back to normal!.

[NRG]

Here is some advice that I was given a while ago on bending a metal wood.

JH wrote The major consideration in bending drivers is the ‘type’ of driver…you need a reasonably long hosel design all the TM burners up until they changed to the screw in hosel are OK…some of the Bridgestone models of up until about a year ago will suffice as well.
I have bent about 25 to date …20 were TM burners or alike some older 540/425 xd’s as well, a few obscure brands with shorter hosels were able to be bent however creasing of the head around the hosel area resulted.
You require a Bending Machine with a Wood attachment…preferably later models that cater for 460cc heads…because most heads are Titanium they are springy and brittle so you really have to flame heat them to red hot to get the bend going…we have someone hold the torch on the hosel while we bend because the heat escapes so quickly when you take the torch away.
The process is tricky to do and requires great feel to get the bend going and maintained…you will most times burn paint off the head …can’t be avoided …even the Tour Vans do that, if you are seeing Marty he has one of my drivers …a TM prototype Burner …it is bent to 53/54 degs…it is not damaged as such but to do that level of bend requires a bit of experience.
Additionally when we bend lies down we invariably open the face as well as most production drivers are closed face even the Tour Issue ones…to do that requires experience and I would suggest it would be a bridge to far for you starting out…your club bender unless he has been exposed to Tour Van fitting requirements would not know how to achieve that bending finish.
You also require certain types of bending bars to grab a woods hosel so it doesn’t crush into the back of the heel area of the head…all in all the procedure is very difficult and I would suggest you will trash a couple of heads learning the process.

                           Another very important part of the bending is how much of the hosel you bend..if you grab the  hosel to high up it will bend only in that area ..the resultant being a kinked section of hosel which will not allow the shaft to go far enough into the head.. unfortunately this bending is not very easy if you have no experience or the wrong equipment..

And

If you are going to bend anyway do this.
1. Make sure the Hosel is Cherry red when you Bend, try to get someone to keep the heat on the Hosel when you bend.
2. Get a Drill bit or Bolt that will fit in the Hosel snug and insert it at least the depth you want the shaft to go in keep it there when you bend and that will keep the hosel straight in the area you want to insert the shaft,otherwise you can kink the hosel high or low and the shaft will not go all the way in, good luck

I never did give it a go, I like the sound of wood, so I can’t offer any more advice than that

[NRG]

Had a go at bending a metal wood today as per JHs instructions, was quite easy to do.

[lagpressure]

Did I hear 50 cents a share IPO?

[Pippolo]

@NRG

Had a go at bending a metal wood today as per JHs instructions, was quite easy to do.

[attachment=0]tm_driver.png[/attachment]

Any “testing” done already NRG?

[NRG]

Any “testing” done already NRG?

Took it out for a smack today and it was not a particularly pleasant experience. I have used Persimmons all year and I can now see exactly what Lag is going on about when he says that these clubs rob us of feel. Am going to get working on flattening out another set of Persimmons right away.

[lagpressure]

The fastest way to improve your golf is to use gear that is going to give you the truest, purest immediate feedback.
If you use giant headed drivers or cavity backs, you are simply slowing down your progress.

If you use modern gear, that’s fine, but just don’t use it as a crutch… or not because you can’t hit classic gear. Learn to hit classic gear, then go kill em with the modern gear if you feel the need.

What’s really fun is killing them with the classic gear… and it can be done easily on a proper golf course with a proper golf swing.

[zicomartin]

@NRG

Had a go at bending a metal wood today as per JHs instructions, was quite easy to do.

[attachment=0]tm_driver.png[/attachment]

played some of my best golf with that driver

ZM.

[NRG]

played some of my best golf with that driver

ZM.

Well lets see how you hit it this Friday!

It’s now 46 degrees, about 4 or 5 degrees open and with a X100 shaft tipped by about 3 inches.

[NRG]

Lag,

I am not sure if i bollocked up by tipping the shaft by too much to make that club almost unplayable.

My thinking was that I was trying to get the shaft step pattern to be the same as my Persimmon. With the Persimmon, the shaft which was tipped an inch goes all the way down to the sole plate, with the Metal wood, the shaft only goes into the hosel by about 1 1/2 inches. Therefore to get the same step pattern, I had to tip the shaft in the metal by about 3 inches.

Was this a mistake?

I just added some weight to the head, that might help.??

[NRG]

Lag,

I am not sure if i bollocked up by tipping the shaft by too much to make that club almost unplayable.

My thinking was that I was trying to get the shaft step pattern to be the same as my Persimmon. With the Persimmon, the shaft which was tipped an inch goes all the way down to the sole plate, with the Metal wood, the shaft only goes into the hosel by about 1 1/2 inches. Therefore to get the same step pattern, I had to tip the shaft in the metal by about 3 inches.

Was this a mistake?

I just added some weight to the head, that might help.??

[lagpressure]

You would measure the step pattern from the ground… not the neck.

Stiff if good… for hitting is straight, and keeping the left side of the golf course for your opponents to discover

[kafka01]

Titleist introduced the 910 where you can adjust lie angle independently from face angle (previously you only could do it combined) - that made me all giggly - problem is, a change in 0.5° flat isnt doing you much good but they offer 1.5° upright)…

[NRG]

Lag wrote

I hope someone here can come up with a solution for flattening modern drivers. It’s good to see some experimenting going on.

I Think i’ve pretty much sussed it now, have done about half a dozen or so and snapped a couple along the way. Its pretty simple, the tricky bit is getting all the right tools together do the job.