WRX Forum Buzzz

Pure745’s 2013 Woods Launch Monitor Shootout

Published

13 years ago

Mar 23, 2013

GolfWRX

What makes GolfWRX novel and fresh? Why are we the place to come to over all the other? This is another reason why. Here is an incredible journey an expert in golf equipment reviews took this year to determine what he is going to play. Purchasing all of the woods on his own and running data driven test using trackman and many hours of time. Unbelievable read and journey that a regular golfer like yourself took. Enjoy!!

Written by GolfWRX member Pure745:

I posted thread last year for a shoot out that I did, which I found myself referring fellow WRX’ers to many times to see results, numbers, and feedback. The thread is here.

I wasn’t planning on posting this thread or the results of my shootout other than in my WITB thread, but I think that after some of the heated debates and threads revolving the bias of some of the reviews posted here lately I think this thread might be interesting or useful to some members on here, or at least I hope it will be.

Click here to see the original thread in the forums and all the discussion in his words

I say as “un-biased” as possible, because NONE of the equipment that will be tested and reviewed was given to me and I have not been lucky enough (yet) to join any of the free GolfWRX trips Also, as with my last shootout thread, my reviews will also be based on actual on course results paired with numbers from Trackman findings. I am hoping to get to an outdoor Trackman this year for the #’s, worst case scenario will be the Foresight CG2.

Click here to see the original thread in the forums and all the discussion in his words

So far, what has lead up to this thread looks like this:

TM R1 V2 Dot Head:

kjkj-11-1

then this:

kjkj-27-1

then this:

BST-26

I will add more pictures later, but so far the contenders will be:

• TM R1 V2 w/ Fuji Speeder TS 7.2x + RBZ Stage 2 14.5 w/ Fuji Speeder TS 7.2x
• Callaway XHP 8.5 w/ Fuji Speeder TS 7.2x + XHP 15 w/ Fuji Speeder TS 8.2x
• Nike VR LTD 8.5 w/ DI6x + VR LTD 15 w/ DI7x (Winner of 2012 shootout and my gamers for 90% of last year)
• Titleist 913 D3 8.5 w/ Fuji Speeder TS 7.2x + 913 FD w/ Fuji Speeder 8.2x (thanks to a fellow WRX’er)

Click here to see the original thread in the forums and all the discussion in his words

TM Contenders:

Shootout-2

Callaway Contenders:

Shootout-1

Titleist Contenders:

Shootout-13

Nike Contenders and 2012 gamers:

Shootout-14

Outdoor Trackman Session

Well, my back is aching and my head is spinning after hitting so many balls with 3 wood and driver on a Trackman. This is the first time I have hit on an outdoor trackman, and was definitely an interesting experience. The range we were at was definitely setup for you to hit a fade, which definitely didn’t help my swing for this test. It was interesting to see the numbers on an actual outdoor range and see what swing would produce what numbers. We used Taylor Made range balls and a few shag bag premium balls mixed in.

This review is definitely going to be different than my last review where I posted numbers for each club. This time, I will be using a blend of information from the Trackman and also what actually happens with each setup on the course. I think this balance is the best way to really find what works for you. After our Trackman session, I found myself so consumed with numbers and longer etc.. but in reality, I want the best blend of numbers, looks, performance, and playability on the course. It is very easy to get enamored with ball speed etc. while hitting on the trackman, and when I left, I even wanted to buy a head that simply produces really high ball speed when I don’t necessarily need a driver that is simply long.

Click here to see the original thread in the forums and all the discussion in his words

3 Wood Feedback/Notes

Ball speeds ranged from 166-172
Club speeds ranged from 108-111
RBZ Stage 2 and XHP were consistently the highest ball speeds
XHP had the lowest spin with TS 8.2x
Nike LTD was the highest spinning with the DI7x (shaft is definitely the culprit)
TS 8.2X is definitely the shaft I need according to the Trackman fitting
913 FD had the lowest ball speed, but when paired with the 8.2x, produced good numbers even with lower ball speed

Driver Feedback/Notes

Ball speeds ranged from 175-182
Club speeds ranged from 118-124
Nike LTD with DI6x was producing solid numbers and held it’s own on this one
R1 V2 was higher spinning than I thought and was not as great for me on the Trackman (on course is a different story)
There is a big difference between the TS 7.3 and 7.2 – The 7.2 is lower launching and spinning for players with high SS.
XHP was the lowest spinning and launching of the bunch – ball speeds were also solid
RFX felt much better than the XHP, but ball speeds were a little lower than the XHP with the exact same shaft
913 D3 was again, the lowest in ball speed – but was very solid and consistent and distance was not terrible

Shootout-12 Shootout-10

After all of this – good for good, these drivers are all very close and is why I will take the best performers on the Trackman and on the golf course – the best blend of distance, accuracy/forgiveness, feel/sound, and looks.

Click here to see the original thread in the forums and all the discussion in his words

Carry distances with the driver:

Shootout-11

••UPDATE Callaway Razr Fit Xtreme set up added

After hitting these clubs on the Trackman, I really loved the look and feel of these clubs. I was getting good numbers with the driver and 3 wood and the face seems to be pretty hot. Next report will be getting these clubs on the course and then it will be close to decision time

Click here to see the original thread in the forums and all the discussion in his words

Shootout-15
• Comparison pics of the RBZ 2 Tour, RFX, and XHP 3 woods from address and for face depth for reference:

Click here to see th eoriginal thread in the forums and all the discussion in his words

Shootout-17

Shootout-16

•• UPDATE — Where it stands now?

After 5+ rounds in with each setup that I planned on testing (not counting the RFE’s) and testing on an outdoor Trackman and indoors on a Foresight CG2, I think it’s a good time to give my impressions on each setup so far.

Click here to see the original thread in the forums and all the discussion in his words

• TM R1 V2 tested with TS Speeder 6.3x and 7.2x – The R1 V2 is one of the longest heads I have used good for good. As said previously, my “ah-ha” moment was hitting to spots I would normally hit to from the blue tees, from the black tees. The V2 440cc head shape looks a LOT better than the OTR offering and was one of the reasons I wanted to use it. The bad part is that off center hits spin like crazy.. literally, and I am reminded why I am not on tour. I have the speed to benefit from the Tour head on good hits, but lets face it, I’m not that good even when playing close to scratch my ball striking and very limited practice time makes the overall playability of this driver suffer for me. That said, for me, it is a lot better than the OTR offering, which I will not game or test on this based on what I saw hitting the OTR on the course and on the range.

• TM RBZ Stage 2 Tour 14.5 – This club is no joke. It performs so well, that you will quickly forget how ugly it is. This is definitely one of the best 3 woods out this year. This club was definitely the saving grace for my TM setup, but as of now I have opted for other, better looking/feeling, setups that provide comprable speeds without the looks. This head was achieving 170+ ball speeds for me on the Trackman with range balls and was also one of the most forgiving.

• Callaway XHot Pro 8.5 w/ TS Speeder 7.2x – This driver is a very solid performer, especially at the lower price point. It reminds me of a modern rendition of the Great Big Bertha in both looks and sound. I really never liked the sound or feel of this club, it almost felt like I was hitting with a tin can. It has a very “tinny” feel, but the ball definitely jumps off this face regardless of the feel. Ball speeds were solid, and I found it to be very low launch and very low spin, with a nice neutral to fade bias.

• Callaway XHot Pro 15 w/ TS Speeder 8.2x – As good as I thought the RBZ 2 was.. I had no idea that this club was going to be able to go toe to toe with it. I had already wrapped my head around playing TM stuff (which was a tough pill to swallow in itself) and then I hit this club. The sound and feel of the 3 wood is a lot different than the driver. The 3 woods has a very muted and solid feel, the ball feels like it’s really flying off the club face, and found it to launch lower than the RBZ2 with a touch lower spin, I found the RBZ 2 to be more forgiving by a small margin.

• Titleist 913 D3/D2 w/ TS Speeder 6.2x – This club just works, plain and simple. It doesn’t do anything that will blow you away, but it’s solid on almost every category. It has the lowest ball speeds of all clubs tested, but it is also one of the most forgiving and had the most consistent ball speeds from good shots to marginal shots. The newer head shape looks great and feel and sound are fantastic. The 913 was tested side by side on course with all of these clubs and was right there with each one, and in the fairway more on bad swings. The D3 is a much better fit for me compared to the D2, but the D2 has a great feel and sound and would highly recommend it to someone who doesn’t spin the ball enough to need a D3 head.

• Titleist 913 FD w/ TS Speeder 8.2x – Possibly my favorite club of the shootout so far. Looks/feels/sounds incredible, the head is very low spinning and makes up for the distance lost due to lower ball speed. I feel that this head produces a very nice and efficient ball flight with a great blend of carry and roll out. On the course this club is very good, and I would say more playable than the XHP for me. The RBZ2 and 913FD are tied for 1st in playability but the 913 would get solo 1st place because of looks/feel/sound.

These are my initial thoughts so far before testing the RFE setup on the course. Preliminary numbers are better with the RFE’s compared to the 913’s but it all comes down to how they behave on the course. I will have more information after this weekend.

:butcher:

via Click here to see the original thread in the forums and all the discussion in his words.

Equipment

Srixon ZXi combo or TaylorMade P7CB/770 combo? – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

1 day ago

May 12, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

In our forums, our members have been pitting a Srixon ZXi combo against a TaylorMade P7CB/770 combo. WRXer ‘edutch22’ is on the hunt for a new set of irons and kicks off the thread saying:

“Looking at picking up a new set of irons and think I’ve narrowed it down to Srixon ZXi combo or Taylormade P7CB/770 combo. I am currently a 5 cap and allbeit I feel irons are my weakness. My miss is a little to the toe side. I am decently steep at 4-5 down. Always thought I am high spin but recently on trackman my 7 was spinning at 5800 roughly.

My question or looking for thoughts on which one would benefit me more from a forgiveness standpoint? Or is there another iron is should be looking at entirely? I only get to play about once or twice a week, if I am not playing a 2-3 day event. Thanks in advance.”

And our members have been sharing their thoughts and suggestions in response.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

manima1: “You just can’t go wrong with Srixon ZXi7.”
MattM97: “You have to hit them to know, the V-Sole on the Srixon can be make or break for many.”
dmeeksDC: “P7CB is more forgiving for me than ZXi7 because my main miss is low middle and the P7CB still flies and spins great on that miss. These are both really nice irons but I like the P7CB more than the Zxi7 and the P770 (or P790) more than the Zxi5. The Srixons are larger so if that gives you confidence that is the way to go. I don’t feel like I get any benefit from the V-sole and the P7CBs live up to their high Maltby forgiveness rating so the TaylorMades have been great for me.”

Entire Thread: “Srixon ZXi combo or TaylorMade P7CB/770 combo? – GolfWRXers discuss”

Equipment

Mizuno Pro M13 vs Callaway X Forged: My actual fitting numbers – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

In our forums, our members have been reacting to a fitting session involving Mizuno’s Pro M13 and Callaway’s X Forged irons. WRXer ‘careergolfer’ recently went through a full fitting session and shared his numbers and commentary, saying:

“After playing Callaway Apex Pros for the pats 5 years, just went through a full iron fitting and thought the data was interesting enough to share. I’ve seen a lot of posts talking about fittings but not many with actual numbers, so here’s mine.

All 7-iron, same ball, same session. Final two were the ones I was choosing between:

Club	Ball Speed	Launch	Spin	Side Angle	Carry	Total
Current irons	121.1 mph	18.3°	6,691 rpm	0.7L	170	178
Callaway X Forged	125.8 mph	15.9°	6,144 rpm	2.2L	180	185
Mizuno M-13	125.8 mph	17.9°	6,638 rpm	2.2L	177	182

The consistency numbers are what actually made the decision:

Club	Ball Speed SD	Spin SD	Total Yards SD
Current irons	3.3	294	5
Callaway X Forged	2.0	211	3
Mizuno M-13	1.1	150	2

Callaway won on distance by 3 yards but got there with a much lower ball flight (15.9° launch, 6,144 spin). The Mizuno matched my existing flight profile with nearly 3x tighter ball speed consistency.

Fitter also noted I’ve been setting up with a closed face at address to compensate for a heel-heavy dynamic lie. Ordered the M-13s 1° flat to bring impact back to neutral: the theory being if I can set up square, I can actually commit to the release. I’m not sure if this was the right call TBH but took the fitter’s guidance. I’ll see what happens.

Went with the Mizuno. Clubs aren’t in hand yet. Happy to share follow-up data once I’ve played them!”

And our members have been sharing their thoughts in response.

Here are a couple of posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

PowerCobra98: “M13 certainly performed well. Enjoy the new irons once you get them!”
dmeeksDC: “Two completely different irons. The X Forged is a tour-type iron and would match up with the S3 in the Mizuno lineup. Not going to see a lot of M-13 on pro tours. It’s a crossover iron, three different types of construction in the same set. The M-13 would be more like the AI 150 as the M-13 7 iron is a half-hollow club versus X Forged, which is a straight up forged iron. M-13 middle irons have very thin faces, not holding up well for some buyers if you read through the M-13 thread. Hopefully Mizuno has corrected it. Given the differences in construction, that is surprising ball speed with the X Forged. To me the numbers are quite an endorsement of the X Forged considering it has no ‘tech.'”

Entire Thread: “Mizuno Pro M13 vs Callaway X Forged: My actual fitting numbers – GolfWRXers discuss”

Equipment

Has there been a better driver since this Ping release? – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

In our forums, our members have been discussing drivers. WRXer ‘Ty-Webb’ is still playing Ping’s G400 LS driver and reaches out to fellow members saying:

“Playing the G400 LS still and wondering if newer is any better? For someone who thinks golf equipment is 90% marketing, change my mind.”

And our members have been weighing in with their top picks in response.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

meliaant: “As someone who graduated from the OG SIM to the Qi10, I can you two things: 1) on-center hits are essentially identical. 2) off-center hits are wildly, absurdly better with newer drivers.”
Golfingfanatic: “I went from the G400 to the GT2 – probably a wash distance wise from the sweet spot, but much better at handling spin off-center.. would definitely try some new stuff if you can.”
bluedot: “Given the number of heads and shafts that are available, plus the fact that you’re talking about a 9 yr old club, plus the available fitting technology, the answer is almost certainly yes. Add to that the fact that the Ping LS models are sort of ‘specialized’ drivers, as are the Ping SFT’s; heck, you might need MORE spin! How much better is really the question, and that depends on how well suited the G400 LS is to your swing, and how you will go about finding an alternative.”

Entire Thread: “Has there been a better driver since this Ping release? – GolfWRXers discuss”