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Post by cloran on Jan 6, 2011 20:15:56 GMT -5
bbb Attachments:
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Post by cloran on Jan 6, 2011 20:19:01 GMT -5
front. It has a "lightly" milled face. Impact is firmer with more of a "click" sound than my TaylorMade Monza Mezza, which is more of a dull thud. I really like the feedback. Attachments:
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Post by cloran on Jan 16, 2011 23:20:26 GMT -5
I made up my mind a few weeks regarding the hybrids I wanted. I needed something like the peanut, anti-left but workable. Everyone I spoke to pointed to the Pro Gold Tour heads. I ordered one 18* and one 22* head from Marcus at BSG. I had him bend them as flat as he could go (ended up being 56*) and 1/2* open with the face. He also added the heaviest weight screw in the bottom of the head, 13g. I'm probably going to shaft them with TTDG X200 shafts I have in the garage. I'm going to build the swing weight up if need be with tip weights. I don't think I'll have to add much weight at all, if any, given the heavy sole weight.
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Post by cloran on Jan 19, 2011 17:52:32 GMT -5
I took the new hybrids to the range today... not so happy. Actually, quite angry!
First of all, I can't get these shafts out fast enough. I couldn't get the ball more than 20 ft off the ground... absolutely horrible combination for me. X300 in the driver, fine... x100 in the 3wood, no worries... x200 in the Pro Golds, friggin aweful!!
Secondly, they sound more metalic than I like. More "ting" than "thwack." I like "thwack." My old V1 Peanut was "thwack." I WANT "THWACK!" Now I'll have to do research on hotmelt, or cotton balls... FUUUUUU!!
The ONLY saving grace for these God forsaken hybrids is the consistend direction. They don't want to turn right or left... super duper straight. I can deal with that.
I'm going to pick up a high launch shaft for them. I'm partial to steel for ease of use and increased gross weight (compared to graphite), so I'll probably get Dynamic Gold HL, or MultiStep Lite.
I'm really disappointed.
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Post by golfluvzme on Jan 21, 2011 18:31:41 GMT -5
Love the DR-2! I had a DR-1 with the Hi Beam hosel that Byron built as sort of a prototype, many years ago. I got it on my first and only trip to their shop, back in the day. Byron and I have built quite a relationship, but have never met in person. I will see if I can find pics of that DR-1 High Beam. It seems like I saw the picture, recently, but the putter has not been in my house for at least 8 years. Great so see someone who remembers the John Byron days. LaMont in AZ
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Post by cloran on Jan 21, 2011 18:53:52 GMT -5
Hey LaMont... welcome aboard! For those of you who don't know who LaMont is I will be posting a thread in a few seconds regarding the work he has done for me. He's a fixture on wrx, puttertalk, and some other boards. Just last week he was featured on "Teed Off with Brian Katrek" on SiriusXM, and he has worked with some of the biggest names in the putter world. On top of that he builds custom putters from scratch and can breath life into an old gamer... I have a lot of respect for his work. I could not recommend him more highly. You can see some of his gear and contact him through his website: www.mannkrafted.com
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Post by Richie3Jack on Jan 21, 2011 21:04:20 GMT -5
Yes, welcome aboard LaMont.
3JACK
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Post by bentshaft on Jan 26, 2011 12:56:04 GMT -5
I took the new hybrids to the range today... not so happy. Actually, quite angry! First of all, I can't get these shafts out fast enough. I couldn't get the ball more than 20 ft off the ground... absolutely horrible combination for me. X300 in the driver, fine... x100 in the 3wood, no worries... x200 in the Pro Golds, friggin aweful!! Secondly, they sound more metalic than I like. More "ting" than "thwack." I like "thwack." My old V1 Peanut was "thwack." I WANT "THWACK!" Now I'll have to do research on hotmelt, or cotton balls... FUUUUUU!! The ONLY saving grace for these God forsaken hybrids is the consistend direction. They don't want to turn right or left... super duper straight. I can deal with that. I'm going to pick up a high launch shaft for them. I'm partial to steel for ease of use and increased gross weight (compared to graphite), so I'll probably get Dynamic Gold HL, or MultiStep Lite. I'm really disappointed. Any further comments after your initial disappointment? Have you tried them again? I thought the X200s would be a great match for you as well... bent
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Post by cloran on Jan 26, 2011 13:39:31 GMT -5
Tell me about it, Bent. I had some high expectations and I was quite disappointed.
I removed the shafts a few days ago and the heads are waiting for new ones. I have two different sets being shipped. One is the Dynamic Gold High Launch and the other is the True Temper BiMatrix Fairway wood shaft. Both in Stiff flex.
I have two of each on order. I'll put one in one head and one in the other... then test 'em out. The DGHL shafts will fit perfectly. The BiMatrix shafts need to be shimmed. No big deal. Being a "fairway wood" shaft the tips are a little smaller.
I hope the combination of a weaker flexed shaft and higher kick point will help. The X200s are made to go medium/low, but I figured with a hybrid head they'd be fine... nope.
I need to get started on muting the sound as well. Not quite decided on how to aproach that just yet. I'm leaning towards cotton balls though.
If one of these two shafts doesn't work I'll be selling a nice set of Tour Hybrid heads...
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Post by bentshaft on Jan 26, 2011 14:45:12 GMT -5
C I assume you were feeling like you were swinging at least 'OK" that day?
Sometimes I feel like all my stiff stuff is too stiff, but on the good days, I do understand...
B
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Post by cloran on Jan 28, 2011 11:09:26 GMT -5
Yeah, swinging pretty well that day. I have S400s in my irons so perhaps I can only handle X-flex in my longest clubs, Driver + 3wood?
That being said, the DGHL S-flex shafts showed up yesterday. I didn't waste any time putting the 22* head on it, gripping it, and taking it to the range this morning. I had already installed one of the BiMatrix shafts with the 18* head.
HEAD TO HEAD COMPARISON/ REVIEW: DGHL vs. DG BiMatrix, Adams Pro Gold Tour Boxers.
First let me say that the heads MAY have redeemed themselves. I had to put a good amount of tape along the back side of each head to bring the swing weights up to D8 and the sound problem was pretty much taken care of. The tape muted the *ting* just enough to make it tolerable.
I put the DGHL shaft into the 22* head and the BiMatrix shaft into the 18* head. Cut them to length, taped the heads to matching swing weights, gripped them and went to the range this morning.
The BiMatrix shaft won HANDS DOWN! Here's why...
The DGHL stiff shaft is heavier than the BiMatrix, which I like as it requires less tape to bring the swing weight up and feels more stout in my hands; but this may also have been its downfall. While it did indeed bring the ball flight up from the X200s, it also brought a hook into my arsenal... not something I was exactly hoping for. I put some decent swings on it, but if I stepped it up just a bit I had hook city. I play DG S400s in my irons and love them so I'm curious as to why this other shaft performed so poorly for me. The DGHL was a bit boardy even though it was only an S-flex... at least compared to the BiMatrix.
The BiMatrix felt very smooth for my swing. I actually enjoyed the lighter shaft. The swing weight was still D8, but the gross weight was probably 20g or 30g lighter. I didn't feel like I had to muscle it out there. This shaft would not allow the ball to go left no matter how hard I swung. In fact I was hitting straight-fades right out of the box. I'd step up and crank one as hard as I could... straight or straight-fade. I put the BiMatrix down, pick up the DGHL, make the same swing and *WATCH OUT LEFT* hook city.
It has everything to do with MY swing. I can get too open with my shoulders at impact and not fire the hands. If a shaft has some flex held onto it at impact I'm fine. Lagging the head, keeping the face open a bit... straight fade. If the shaft is too boardy the face doesn't lag enough and closes at impact... hookapotimus. At least that's my interpretation of the data.
The BiMatrix launched a little lower than the DGHL, but the club had 4* less loft so I kept that in mind as well.
Bottom line: The heads sound better (not best) at impact. I was this close (pinches fingers together) to selling the heads after my first run on the range with them. The BiMatrix shaft gave me a much more predictable/repeatable ball flight, and a fade which I prefer to hit. Especially when I'm hitting into a green from 200+ yards.
[side note: when I first started trying to really improve at golf I would throw up every time I hit a ball L-to-R... now I start to get queezy when it goes R-to-L and I LOVE to see a L-to-R ball flight. Just thinking outloud]
I am going to remove the DGHL shaft from the 22* head tonight, install the BiMatrix and see how it performs next week (traveling this weekend). I'm not 110% sold on the heads just yet, but I'm getting closer.
I also tried a Maltby Cross Weave grip on one of the clubs... don't bother with them. The other club had a Lamkin Tour Wrap. Felt great.
The bag is almost all set for 2011.
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ioz
'88 Apex Redlines
Posts: 195
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Post by ioz on Jan 28, 2011 11:23:46 GMT -5
Just my two cents, but I have X200 in all the irons and never have issues with trajectory. Do you think that it is possible that the heads are in part responsible for the low trajectory?
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Post by cloran on Jan 28, 2011 12:30:23 GMT -5
Absolutely. They are low spin heads, and have a "lower" flight than some other hybrid heads; but they are hybrid heads afterall.
I couldn't get them higher than 15'-20' off the ground. I like a penetrating ball flight but that was rediculous.
They don't live up to my V1 peanut in terms of trajectory (that thing was fun to hit), and I'm not completely convinced I'm getting what I want out of them just yet.
I'm still keeping one eye open for 18* and 22* V1s... a 20*/16* combo would be pretty cool, but might leave too much of a gap between my 4i and 3h.
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Post by cloran on Feb 22, 2011 21:48:36 GMT -5
The night that I snapped the shaft off my newly Mannkrafted Monza Mezza putter I was so distraught that I had to quench my pain with another purchase... I've wanted a Tad Moore for a long time, but as much as I love the look of 8802's and Anser style heads I really putt better with center shafted mallets. Luckily I stumbled upon this one on ebay. Apparently Tad made 6 total heads of this style, three center shaft, three heel shafted. I spoke with Tad and he was able to set the lie angle at 68*, build up the grip to more of a midsize, and beef up the weights on the back. I'm not sure of the finished head weight, but the swing weight is E6... friggin' love it. In the ebay listing the back weighs were black and fairly flat, but I wanted the head heavier. Tad wrote me a little note saying that he did his best trying to get the head weight up for me, and his best was perfect. He must have milled new weights as they are taller, silver, and have a different threading. The weights are held in place with a Phillips head bolt where as the version on the listing had a hex bolt. I love the feel so per Tad's request I applied a little epoxy to the underside of the weights and along the threads of each screw then put them back on the putter. I can only think of a few other guys that would be willing to do such custom work... and even fewer that can actually pull it off. I hope LaMont will chime in here as well as he did the paint on this little lady. He might know a little more about how these heads came about. My new Selma The Grip is really nice. It's not a knockoff Lamkin or Golf Pride. My favorite grip has been the Cameron Baby-T (black) for a few years now... but this one may even be better. The cutouts are deeper and the feeling is as firm as the Cameron. I was quite surprised by this and I'll be sending Tad an email soon to see if I can buy some more of them. I like them that much. And then to finish it off we have a soft leather cover.
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Post by aimsmithgolf on Feb 23, 2011 8:02:15 GMT -5
My fav look! Do they have it in long putter??
Rand
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