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R1 Driver Precision Test

• andyson 6,415 Posts

  Mon, Sep 23 2013 10:25 AM

  While playing the 1st round of the weekly free multi-round last Friday on Kiawah's front nine, I was very surprised to plunk my drive in the bunker on the par 5 7th hole.  This tournament was from the Gold (Master) tees and it was only 289 (down 3) to carry the bunker and I had a 7 tail wind.  I used the R1 driver.  Half backspin with a Callaway Hex Chrome+ (L35) that has 4 dots of distance.  Plus I dinged it.  I thought I should have cleared that bunker easy.  It carried only 287yds. It was a really strange shot so I saved a replay.

  Here's the replay:  http://www.wgt.com/replay.aspx?ID=81c08396-7e1f-44ae-9418-a23f0010e8a9

  This morning I went back to #7 in a practice round from the Gold tees and was lucky to catch a 5 tail wind and ding the drive. Everything else same as above.  It carried 295!  Way over the bunker!  Here's that replay:  http://www.wgt.com/replay.aspx?ID=0c75e244-34f0-4325-9a23-a24200d936a5

  I've had the R1 for only 3 weeks and this episode caused me to go ahead and run a test of the R1's precision.

  I used the weekly 9 unlimited tournament on RSG since it has no wind.  I hit a bunch of drives off the first tee and saved replays of 9 dinged shots.  I restarted after each drive.  Same club and ball as above.  Half backspin on all (photo of my spin setting below).  I zoomed in on the ball to set the spin as accurately as possible each time.  I did not touch the default aim. 

  I then played all the replays and took a screenshot as the ball landed using camera 4.

  Here's an animation of all 9 shots showing the distance each shot carried.

             

  Considering this is a very small sample, I do find it surprising to see a 19 yard spread between the shortest carry at 281 and the longest at 300.  I'm going to remember 289 as the avg. carry yardage with half back spin (but will keep in mind a 1 in 10 chance of a stinker 281 or a OMG 300 carry)

  Bottom line on me plunking it in the bunker...I got caught by the stinker 281 normal deviation.   Stuff happens.

• Chinajohn 1,190 Posts

  Mon, Sep 23 2013 11:05 AM

  These types of 'precision' results analysis are gonna hang WGT!

  Please remember this is supposed to be a 'realistic' game and all the shills will shout this happens in 'real golf' (of course this is not real golf but a series  of mathematical equations or algorithms), but more importantly I ask you to look again at that posted replay and rather than looking at the variation in length look instead at the variation in width. That variation is almost the entire width of some fairways, so what WGT is saying is effectively 'doesn't matter where you aim or how accurately you hit it sometime WE are going to miss the fairway for you'.

  I don't know about you but when in the distant past I played REAL golf I was pretty certain when I hit a sweet shot it was at least going to land in the fairway, heck I never made better than a 20 handicap but 95% of the time I KNEW a poor shot without looking, and I sure as hell knew if I hit it good.

• WGTicon 12,511 Posts

  Mon, Sep 23 2013 11:20 AM

  Andy,

  did you plugin landing spots or end results? If you plugged in the resting result, then undulations on the fairway likely had some effect. Also, I think 19yards on a 300 yard drive is less than 3% deviation ratio (assuming 19 is the circle, so it's 9.5 yards each way).

  -wgticon

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Mon, Sep 23 2013 12:03 PM

  WGTicon:

  did you plugin landing spots or end results?

  Those look like carry results but that range is what I have used as the difference between no spin and fbs where no spin produces the lowest number (level 33Callaway.) Pretty consistent, too.

• Fraenkel 2,252 Posts

  Mon, Sep 23 2013 1:01 PM

  That's a great work Andy. Well done dude.

  David.

• andyson 6,415 Posts

  Mon, Sep 23 2013 2:40 PM

  WGTicon:

  Andy,

  did you plugin landing spots or end results? If you plugged in the resting result, then undulations on the fairway likely had some effect. Also, I think 19yards on a 300 yard drive is less than 3% deviation ratio (assuming 19 is the circle, so it's 9.5 yards each way).

  -wgticon

  Carry, to me, is how far the ball flies before it first hits the ground (or in my case sand/water/cart path)

  Total Distance = carry + bounces & roll   I charted carry only.

  WGTicon:

  Also, I think 19yards on a 300 yard drive is less than 3% deviation ratio (assuming 19 is the circle, so it's 9.5 yards each way).

  Using the "average" distance of 290 not the max 300:   9.5 / 290 = 3.3%  I agree it looks small as a percentage.    But its close to 30 feet and enough to end up in the water on RSG 14 or STA 1 and not the fairway.  If you don't account for it.

   

   

• Jimbog1964 8,378 Posts

  Mon, Sep 23 2013 3:44 PM

  Interesting as ever Andyson.

  I use the Nike L81.  FBS 100% I have that club mapped at 304 total distance and 292 at 95% and so on.  Played with only slight backspin I want all it has so don't take regard to how far it went apart from more the better.

  Played like that, some extra caution on trampoline causes,  any fway missed has only ever been down to me.  But with that club even I can't miss very often:)

  Quickly - one poster was concerned about sideways precision.  I have used that club extensively now, never had a problem.

  What I see in my game.

   

• WGTicon 12,511 Posts

  Mon, Sep 23 2013 3:54 PM

  andyson:

  WGTicon:

  Andy,

  did you plugin landing spots or end results? If you plugged in the resting result, then undulations on the fairway likely had some effect. Also, I think 19yards on a 300 yard drive is less than 3% deviation ratio (assuming 19 is the circle, so it's 9.5 yards each way).

  -wgticon

  Carry, to me, is how far the ball flies before it first hits the ground (or in my case sand/water/cart path)

  Total Distance = carry + bounces & roll   I charted carry only.

  WGTicon:

  Also, I think 19yards on a 300 yard drive is less than 3% deviation ratio (assuming 19 is the circle, so it's 9.5 yards each way).

  Using the "average" distance of 290 not the max 300:   9.5 / 290 = 3.3%  I agree it looks small as a percentage.    But its close to 30 feet and enough to end up in the water on RSG 14 or STA 1 and not the fairway.  If you don't account for it.

   

   

  agreed and for me, if I see a huge side wind, I just aim off the fairway and hit late if needed... 

   

• KittyWumpus 345 Posts

  Mon, Sep 23 2013 6:10 PM

  I am using the L48+ R1 (still).  I use a L71+ Nike, and for maximum distance, I typically use "one dot back from full BS." For less roll, I will use FBS. 

  In a no-wind tournament, to a fairway with less than 10' elevation change, I can count on ~279yds with "one dot back from FBS," and about 5-8yds more with FBS. The plus for me with "one dot back" is the bounce and roll, which has afforded me more overall yardage in many cases (versus a player using the same driver, same tees, same ball). 

  Generally, I find I can get ~284-299yds with no wind on a hole with a fairway +/-10' elevation. On, say, Kiawah H10, my drive from the tee warrants consideration of the bunker to the right at ~275yds out. While I have cleared it in a no-wind, I have also landed in that bunker. Yes, I realize the better shot is to the left of that bunker (with roll, it results in a closer approach than clearing the bunker); I did have to try clearing the bunker though... because it is there, taunting me. Laughing at me, as Kiawah seems to always do...

• wldthng016400 250 Posts

  Mon, Sep 23 2013 9:03 PM

  They want the green players in and the knowledgeable players out, because the green players spend more money and don't cause as much flack!

  By the way, precision and forgiveness on the R1 has been reduced as well as the R11 irons for forgiveness.