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Driver distance spec accuracy

• JasCooper 528 Posts

  Thu, Oct 27 2016 8:43 PM

  I'm wondering how accurate the stated distances are for the top drivers. Interested in two particular clubs 

  #1: Nike Vapor Fly Pro (was L85, now L80)

  and

  #2: TaylorMade SLDR 9.0 L79

  Both are rated at 282 yds high trajectory. Nike is +0.5 slower meter. But somehow I suspect that the TM is more conservative and will fly farther than the Nike. Is it just an unsubstantiated idea, or will it travel farther in the same conditions. The few reviews for the Nike seem more like ads than actual user opinion.

  I'm a mobile app player and don't often ding my shots, so the extra meter would help. But not at the expense of distance. Any opinions from those who've used both?

• phred952 2,714 Posts

  Thu, Oct 27 2016 11:50 PM

  I have both and i just compared them using a Volvic L53 ball, an orphan ball.  This was on Kiawah #10 with a 3-5 mph tail wind @ 2 o'clock.

  4 shots each club, full BS using Mulligans and all groups of shots hit in as close to the same spot as pissible:

   

  1 Shot each Slightly left of ding:

   

  SLDR                293 yds Carry, 298 total yds  Elevation 117 ft

  Vapor Fly Pro   293 yds Carry, 301 yds total  Elevation 123 ft

   

  2 Shots each on the  Ding:

   

  SLDR    285 yds Carry, 293 yds total  Elevation 112 ft

  SLDR    288 yds Carry, 298 total     Elevation 112 ft

   

  Vapor    290 yds Carry, 302 Total   Elevation 123 ft

  Vapor    291 yds Carry, 302 Total    Elevation 123 ft

   

  1 Slightly right of ding:

   

  SLDR     291 yds Carry, 298 Total  Elevation 117 ft

  Vapor     297 yds Carry, 305 yds Total  Elevation 124 ft

  I chose to hit 2 shots on the ding each because I didn't believe the figures I got for the SLDR with the first shot.  I thought it was a fluke the first time

  Since both are 9.0* loft I was surprised to see the Vapor Fly had higher elevation..

  Hope this helps. 

  phred952

   

   

• JasCooper 528 Posts

  Fri, Oct 28 2016 7:57 AM

  Great info! Thanks. I did a less scientific test and found that the Nike would roll past 300 more often than the SLDR. And the extra meter put shots closer to where I aimed more often. 

  Apparently WGT is taking them out of the Pro Shop after November, and why they're lowering the minimum buy levels. /??? I wonder why. 

   I'd like to see how the companion 3W compares to my Callaway X2 Hot Wood. I had the L43 Nike and wasn't crazy about it. The X2 seemed more forgiving and the 240 yd rating was way conservative. It'll go 260 or more unless there's a strong headwind. Can the Nike match that and be that much better than the L43 was?

  And if the Nike Fly clubs are going away, will I regret no getting the 3W while I have the chance. Too bad I have no chance of getting to level 94 before December. By my calculation, I'm more than a year away of getting close. Unless WGT screws up the CDP numbers again in the other direction and adds a couple of decimal places to my days played. (HINT.... HINT.... WGT). It shouldn't take a year to move up two levels.    

  Thanks again for the useful info... 

• phred952 2,714 Posts

  Fri, Oct 28 2016 8:32 AM

  I've played that L81 Nike Pro Fly 3W for a couple of months, as I finally gave up on the L89 BB, due to the lack of forgiveness.  I used to use a L81 Ping G25, which I compared to the L73 Xhot 3W.  I used the Mulligan feature so each shot was identical.

  I tested those 2  during a free rental period about 1 year ago.  On 18 holes of Par 5 using only both 3W's and no driver, I found that the average difference between the 2 clubs was just over 1 yard total for the whole round.  This on fairway shots only.  I didn't include  the tee shots in that number.  

  Very slight advantage to the XHot.  Since the G25 was 1/2 the cost of the X hot, it made more sense to me to buy that.  Even though some people piled on me about what a bad club it was.

  Consider renting first.  After the 10% discount for purchasing after renting it would cost you about 75 credits extra to rent first and then buy.  The rental should be 232 credits, approx.  Obviously you lose all of those 232 credits if you don't buy.

  One thing I noticed at first was that the Nike meter seemed to me to have a smaller sweet spot than i was used to with other clubs.  And the 4.0 meter at times seemed faster than the Driver 4.0 meter.  But it could easily have been my reaction time that was off.

   I went to the 4.0 meter speed because I hit a point where my swing timing was way off.  I had to start playing a Nike Black with 4.0 instead of a Cally L33 with 2.5 or even a Nike L61 with 3.5 meter speed.  For a while it was so bad that I bought the set of Max Meter Irons (L94) so I could at least continue to play the game.  I eventually worked through that problem.

  Hope this helps.