WRX Forum Buzzz
Pure745’s 2013 Woods Launch Monitor Shootout
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:
then this:
then this:
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:
Callaway Contenders:
Titleist Contenders:
Nike Contenders and 2012 gamers:
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
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:
••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
• 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
•• 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.
via Click here to see the original thread in the forums and all the discussion in his words.
Equipment
I’m a 31 year-old male and I turned my apartment living room into a driving range stall – GolfWRXers react
In our forums, our members have been reacting to a post from ‘GolferTodd’ who has turned their apartment living room into a driving range stall. ‘GolferTodd’ produced the following photo in our forums with the caption:
“To the exclusion of furniture. Bachelor life.”
And our members have been reacting to the post in our forums.
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.
- MtlJeff: “This is amazing……When i was 28 i lived in an apartment that had my winter tires in the kitchen, i only had one plate and 1 set of knives and forks, and i cooked pasta in a witches cauldron from 1835. And i still convinced a woman to marry me. So i am all for this. In fact this is way better than what i had to offer.”
- TiScape: “Love it Todd. Go Dodgers!!”
- imkirby34: “Based on the view out the window, it looks like you’re on the first floor, which is probably a good thing because I’d hate to live below you, even if you have an extremely shallow AoA. Haha.”
In our forums, our members have been discussing classic irons. WRXer ‘DonaldDunes’ has caught the vintage club bug, and wants to know other members’ favorite iron models that “have stood the test of time or were the top performers for their day.”
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.
- Maine Golfer: “I love a lot of clubs but ’69 Wilson Staff’s are an all time favorite. Easy to hit in relative terms and they look amazing.”
- Wilsonian: “No surprise from me, but the Wilson K-28 irons, specifically blades with the glide thru sole. I grew up playing Ram clubs, but got away from them as I got older. My return to vintage was with the Wilsons, and my first set of hickories were the Wilson Plus Success irons. You’ll try a lot of sets, but I think it’s a matter of what feels best in your hands, specifically your 7 iron which is the best indicator imo.”
- Hawkeye777: “Hogan Redlines. Macgregor Nicklaus Muirfield 20th. Wilson Staff Tour Blade. Those are mine, don’t play any of them these days (no real reason to) and didn’t really “collect” them. The Wilsons I played with for years.”
In our forums, our members have been discussing how much wear is too much wear when purchasing used irons. WRXer ‘con_mon2’ is interested in a used set of iron and kicks off the thread, asking:
“Would love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this! How much wear are you comfortable with?
I found a set of irons on eBay that I am very interested in buying, but they have a bit more wear than I’m comfortable with. I have attached a few pictures showing especially the wear on the sweet spot on the PW and 9 iron. Maybe you can convince me that I’m being too picky and I should just buy them? Or maybe I should be concerned about the wear? I’m not really sure. They are Ping i230s which came out in 2022 so they aren’t that old. And the seller had this to say about the condition: ‘Good: Normal wear for their age. Excellent playing condition but they have cosmetic wear on faces and soles. Sweetspot wear is visible.’
Beyond the cosmetic, I’d really like to know this: At what point do you start to worry about the grooves being so worn that they have a substantial effect on the shots you’re hitting?”
And our members have been sharing their thoughts 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.
- rsballer10: “The term you are looking for is “browning” and these irons have some of that going on. They are completely playable, but I’d say they’ve reached their half-life.”
- Nessism: “Those heads are stainless steel. The “browning” that some people reference, is really the yellow shade of the nickel layer under the chrome. When forged carbon steel heads wear through the chrome, the “brown” is RUST. These heads will never rust. People applaud the old Ping irons as being “indestructible”. Those heads had no chrome. These heads, even if the chrome is beginning to wear through, on one head, are miles more durable than the older unplated “indestructible” Ping’s. And even further ahead of any forged club.”
- phizzy30: “Hard pass for me. I would rather get a new set of DTC irons and would be glad to spend the extra couple to few hundred.”
Entire Thread: “When buying used irons: How much wear is too much? – GolfWRXers discuss”
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Castle24rd
Jan 17, 2014 at 9:45 pm
Will you try the SLDR?