Category: Golf Equipment

The review is further down the page if you want to just skip to it. What follows are the reasons why I bought the driver.

It’s been driving me mad …

Trying to get off the tee, with decent distance and accuracy

As I’ve previously reported, I’ve tried using woods off the tee and done nothing but get myself into trouble …

So I reverted to leaving the woods out of the bag in order to try and get round safely with iron shots

Which seemed like a sensible plan to me …

But not to the Golf Pro who I’m taking lessons from – Paul Stoller at Ulverston Golf Club

My series of lessons ended last Friday, but I booked another one as I still wasn’t happy with my basic technique …

Video analysis of my golf swing this Friday revealed that I’m getting there

I acually look more like a golfer than before and I’m not moving around so much during the swing …

So I mentioned my crafty Iron plan

And he shot it to bits, by telling me that whilst that might result in short term gains, in the medium to long term it would be counter productive …

I knew that was true

Paul persuaded me to buy the Tour Edge Geomax 2 Bazooka Driver

It was new, and the price was right (rip Leslie Crowther) so I did

On Sunday morning I took it to the driving range, and as usual duffed my first half dozen shots, but then I caught the next one clean

And couldn’t beleive what happened

The ball flew high into the air, straight, and landed about 180 yards away

Which was exactly what I’d been looking for

Review

The Driver id specified as 15 loft, a 2 degree draw draw and higher MOI

I had to look up MOI to find out that it simply means that the driver is more forgiving on mis hit shots

So this driver is designed for use by someone who doesn’t always strike the ball cleanly and has a tendency to hook the ball i.e. has the club face too open at impact

That’s me

And it might be you

I hit maybe 80 balls at the range

The loft I got varied enormously which meant that distanced acheived ranged from 150 – 230 yards

But what a sweet feeling it is, seeing the ball flying through the air with height. Anyone who’s ever topped a drive off the tee or into any short hazard will know what I mean

I still hit some shots with slice, I still topped some shot, I still pulled some shots left. But half of them went straight down the middle and would have cleared anything in front of me on a golf course.

Two hours later I was on the first at Grange over Sands Golf Club which is a straight 319 yard par 4 so out came the driver

And I sliced it out of bounds

Twice

I used the driver throughout the round where appropriate, and at one hole where it wasn’t with mixed success

But I know that this is the driver for me

I went out in 60 and back in 61, the highlight for me being a bogey on the 508 yard par 5 18th

So I’m still crap

But I’ve found my driver

Today, I took it to the driving range again and hit another 60 balls

Most of which went within an acceptable angle of straight and all around 180 yards

It’s not a budget option to purchase this club

But if you’re a beginner like me

It’s worth it

As I’ve previously mentioned, the Mizuno irons that I’ve been using have a bit of a problem, so I’ve bought a new set of MD Golf Superstrong ST2 Irons 5 -PW
That’s 5,6,7,8and 9 irons, a pitching wedge and a sand wedge in case like me you’re just becoming familiar with golfing terms.

Why did I choose that particular set?

I didn’t, the Pro who’s been giving me lessons recommended them to me, and the price was good, so I took his advice

Here’s what the manufacturers blurb says:

“The MD Superstrong ST2 irons have been manufactured using the finest 403 stainless steel. MD has designed the club heads with an undercut cavity which provides a wide sole and thick top line which aids the golfer with confidence and less turf interaction. By having the thick sole it enables a cleaner transition from club to ball without taking too much turf, so all of the energy is transferred to the ball rather than ground. The steel shafts used in this set are a brand new UST Tour Force shaft which has been designed to improve the launch angle and distance.”

And here’s what I think, based on admittedly limited experience i.e. comparing them to the Mizuno’s

They don’t look as nice – the Mizuno heads are slim and angular but the MD’s are fat and rounded, the toe of the club head is also much thicker.

At first attempt on the driving range I was hitting the ball maybe 10 -15 yards shorter, but given that I don’t have a consistant range yet, that was probably just me

The MD’s feel heavier, so I felt like I had to swing more slowly, which took a bit of getting used to.

But I’ve been to the range again today, and had another lesson, and I’m warming to them.

Incidentally, I weighed both 6 irons to satisfy my curiosity and they both weigh in at 400g and both sets have steel shafts.

The MD’s feel more forgiving though and for me, right now, that’s good.

 

I don’t know how the majority of beginners choose their first set of clubs. Maybe they buy a set online, maybe the local pro sells them a set if they take lessons before they start; here’s how it worked out for me.

I’d better start by saying that I know nothing about golf club manufacturers, the angles of club heads, length and construction of shafts or the merits of different grips. My only real criteria were they must be right handed, because I am, and they must be relatively inexpensive in case I’m completely crap at the game.

After a few excursions to the local pitch n putt at Rampside where I borrowed a wedge and a putter, I decided that I liked the game so I bought a new Calloway bag and a set of Mizuno Tzoid Mx 20’s of a friends dad for £120. Thrown in with the deal were a pair of Dimension Footjoy golf shoes, some balls and tees and assorted bits of golf paraphernalia.

I’d sort of assumed, wrongly as it turned out, that I was buying a set of clubs. I got 3-9 irons and a pitching wedge.

To remedy this problem, I bought a sand wedge from a charity shop for £2 and borrowed a putter from a friend.

I also have 1, 3 and 5 woods borrowed from the same friend – thanks Mike! – they are Slazenger Fastrax anti-slice. I had no idea at the time whether I had a slice or not and I’m really not sure at the moment that learning with corrective clubs is sensible. But until I work that out, I’ll be sticking with them. Currently I can hit both sliced and pulled shots with them anyway.

A glove came with the irons, as did some tees. I don’t seem to break many and am able to replenish my stock by picking up the tees that others have left behind.

I quickly realised that golf balls are a consumable – given my tendency to knock the ball out of bounds, into the nearest available patch of heavy rough and inevitably, water hazards. Initially I was buying the ones that the courses resell but I found what seems to me a great deal on 100 AAA rated Top Flite balls which I’m in the process of losing at a slightly slower rate.