Has played the Callaway Mavrik, Paradym and now Elyte drivers. The Elyte has cracked three times for them while the older two never had durability problems, so they would not buy it again and may switch to Ping or Titleist.
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“Elyte has cracked 3 times for me. Never had any durability issues with maverick or Paradym.”
Was fitted by a pro in a big golf shop using simulator testing, which picked the Callaway Elyte X as the best driver for their swing. Says it made a crazy difference compared with their old TaylorMade driver.
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“The elyte x was determined to be the best driver for my swing by a pro in a big golf shop who did a bunch of testing in their simulator ETC.”
Tested the Ping G440, Quantum Max, Mizuno and Cobra drivers in a fitting and picked the Quantum Max for the most distance, accepting slightly less forgiveness than the Ping. Is happy with it and plans to keep it as long as possible.
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“The quantum max had the most distance and a little less forgiveness then the ping. Absolutely happy with it.”
Plays the Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond and says it hits better and further than any driver they have had. It was their first driver fitting, so they credit the low-spin head and right shaft, and they are very happy.
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“I have the Quantum triple diamond and it's a beast. I hit this driver better and further than any”
Bought the Quantum Max after demoing several drivers, mainly for a stock shaft they liked. After three months it is a definite improvement over their Cobra LTDx, with little extra distance but much better offline misses.
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“I have played it for 3 months and it is a definite improvement over my previous Cobra LTDx. Not much distance gain but offline shots are much better than the Cobra.”
About 20 rounds with the 10.5. Flight is lower than my old driver but it runs out a long way, on firm summer fairways I'm 15 yards past where I used to be. Tried the heavier weight forward, near the face, for a few rounds, too low and my misses fell out of the air. Put it back in the rear port and the slice is more of a fade now. Off the middle it's a solid pop, you know when you've caught it. Glossy carbon crown looks great at address. Toe strikes still give up a chunk of distance, it's not a Max.
70 years old, swing about 88 on the shop's launch monitor, and I've sliced my whole life. My fitter put me in a 10.5 head, Alta CB Blue regular shaft, rear weight set to draw. My bad swings now turn into a soft fade that stays on the short grass, and toe hits still go mostly straight. Gets the ball up without any effort.
I lost a few yards of roll compared to my old driver, probably extra spin, but I'm hitting fairways so I'll live with it. Sound is a solid muted knock.
Bought the 10.5 with the Denali Blue stiff after a fitting at the end of last season. My old driver spun way too much and I'd balloon everything into the wind. With the 15 g weight in the front port the spin is down a good chunk, the ball comes out lower and runs out a lot more on firm fairways. Carry hasn't changed much, total distance has.
My miss is a hook so I parked the back weight in the fade port. It's tamed it a little, not a miracle. Strikes low on the face still hold up ok, off the toe less so.
Sound is more of a dull crack than a ping. Took me a few rounds to stop thinking I'd mishit it. Looks fantastic at address, that carbon crown is clean. I wanted to try a heavier front weight and nobody had any in stock for weeks.
Replaced my G425 Max. 10.5 set to standard, stock Alta shaft in R. Gets up in the air easier and the ones I catch low on the face don't die like they used to. Maybe 5 or 6 yards more carry on average, nothing dramatic. Fade is still there but it stays in play.
Got fitted for the GT2 after years with an old G410, and the first thing I noticed on the monitor was about 8 yards more carry. That part is real. What I did not expect is how hard the face feels to me. Center strikes sound sharp and a bit tinny, and I'm still not sure I like it after six rounds. The slice is mostly the same as before, so it's not magic for my swing. Looks great behind the ball though. If you're fast enough and want distance, try one first before you commit.
58, 22 handicap, swing speed is nothing special. Got fitted at the range and this was the one that kept my fade from turning into a full slice. Mishits toward the toe still go somewhere playable, which for me is most of them. It isn't adding yards over my old driver, so don't expect that. Sound is a bit dull at impact but I stopped caring after the third fairway in a row.
Got back into golf after a long break and bought the G430 Max without a fitting; with the stock stiff shaft and a decent swing speed it works amazing for them.
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“Didn’t get fitted, didn’t care. Decent swing speed, picked one up with the stock stiff shaft, works amazing for me.”
14 handicap, been playing about 6 years, usual miss is a weak fade that sometimes turns into a full slice when I'm tired. Had the G440 Max for roughly 20 rounds after a fitting. Mishits are definitely tamer, toe strikes still go mostly in the fairway which is what I wanted. Looks good at address too, nice and square, not too big.
But honestly I expected to gain more yards. Maybe 5 on average, nothing crazy. And the sound is kind of flat for me, a bit dull compared to my buddy's. Not bad, just not exciting. For the price I'm calling it a solid club, not a wow one.
ok so i got fitted for this after fighting a slice for like 2 years with my old driver and wow. its about 15 yards longer for me and the big miss is now a gentle fade instead of a banana into the trees. looks clean at address too. sound is a bit more muted than i expected but i dont really care. Best money ive spent on golf this year, my buddies are anoyed lol
Has played the GT2 at the A1 SureFit setting for three months but hit their son's draw-biased Callaway driver 10-15 yards further and straighter, so is experimenting with the setting.
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“I hit his driver 10-15 yards further and straighter than I do my own.”
Fitted into an 8 degree GTS4 at about 117 mph, it kept spin around 2000 to 2400 rpm and centre contact came with a half-inch grip-down, though they were living in the heel.
It took most of a season to learn but with a 12.5 degree head they put it in the middle of the fairway, find it definitely forgiving and say it shaved strokes off their handicap.
Tried a 9 degree G440K at Edwin Watts and got lower spin than they had been getting, hitting good drives around 250 yards at age 73, though still fading it.
Returning to golf after 25 years, replaced a 2003 R7 with an Elyte X from Callaway Pre-Owned. It definitely reduced their slice but cost roughly 20–30 yards on solid drives.
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“After gaming the Elyte X yesterday, it definitely did alleviate my slice but probably losing 20-30 yd on solid drives compared to the R7.”
First round with the Quantum Mini: lost no balls off the tee for the first time and shot their lowest round ever, though with some lost distance.
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“I bought a Callaway Quantum mini yesterday and played it for the first time this morning. For the first time in my life, I did not lose one ball off the tee.”
Bought the Qi4D Max after several fittings but returned it because they struggled to find the middle of the face.
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“I recently bought a Qi4D Max from Dick’s after a number of fitting experiences but then returned it because I just started questioning whether it was the right choice.”
A 7 handicap at 100 mph was fit into a 9° Quantum Max (Denali Frost 50 S) at about 2200 rpm, 12-13° launch and 240-250 m total.
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“Spin and launch data are virtually identical between Option 1 and 2 with around 2200 rpm and 12-13 launch, total around 240-250 meters suggesting high efficiency”
A new golfer bought an Elyte driver and after two rounds and a range session the crown cracked. They tracked ball speeds of 155–166 mph before it broke and ask whether it was a defect.
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“I’ve decided to buy a new nice driver this last month, it’s the Callaway Elyte. I played 2 18 holes, and then I took it to the range to practice and the top just exploded.”
Built like a large 3-wood, much easier off the deck than other minis, with a bigger, more forgiving face.
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“PXG secret weapon is built like a large 3w (as opposed to like the R7 which is built like a small driver). Much easier to hit off the deck than other minis”
A 15-handicap at 100 mph picked it over the G440 K and GTS4: 15–20 yards more carry than their M2, tighter dispersion, a great snap sound, and it shaved strokes.
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“I ended up going with the Qi4D because I got a pretty good deal from a traveling Taylormade rep for trading in my old driver.”
Owns the DS-Adapt Max K, DS-Adapt X and OPTM LS heads; the Max K keeps the ball in play (3.5 rounds without trouble) but is 15-20 yards shorter than the LS.
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“The Max K is my gamer. It’s not as long as the other two, but it’s really helped me keep the ball in play off the tee.”
Recently got a 10.5° DS-Adapt LS and built it down to 43.25 inches at C8 as a 'thriver'. Says it might be their new favourite club, with a super high launch and reliable off the tee.
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“It might be my new favorite club in the bag. Super high launch and reliable off the tee.”
Owns the G440 Max and a Paradym Ai Smoke: the Ping is more forgiving and reliable off-centre, while the Callaway goes 5-10 yards further on centre strikes; they dislike Ping's rotating-shaft hosel.
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“However.c the ping is better on mishits and gets closer to the distance I expect than the callaway.”
Loved it for 70+ rounds until a hairline crown crack; after weeks with the GTS2 the replacement head no longer appeals.
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“I purchased the Titleist GT2 earlier this year and have played with it probably 70+ times and loved it, but about 4 weeks ago, I noticed a hairline crack stemming across the crown”
With a 40g regular shaft, their HiBore XL Lite carries 230-240 on good strikes but they find their contact inconsistent.
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“Im definitely too inconsistent on where I make contact with it. But ive had it since may. And on a good drive, I carry 230-240 and total 260-270yards.”
Fitted into the Quantum Max after ten years with a Srixon; about 4 yards more carry and slightly more forgiving on misses, but dispersion has been worse.
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“I do believe it is slightly more forgiving on miss hits in terms of distance”
Played the ST-Max 230 for about 20 rounds and really liked it despite an odd sound, but found the Cobra DS-Adapt X a bit more forgiving and better sounding.
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“I bought the ST 230 Max. It's a very nice driver, but to my ears it sounds funny. Nothing bad, just an odd sound. Overall, I really liked it though.”
Played a rental GT2 with a regular shaft in Ireland instead of their usual stiff-shafted Ping G425 Max. Found it much shorter even on good hits, though they admit the shaft wasn't right for them.
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“Even on good hits it was nowhere near as long as my 425, and on bad hits it could be 40 yards shorter. Hard to judge since the shaft wasn't right”
Their Qi35 Max spins 3200-3500 rpm at their swing speed, versus 1900-2400 when their coach had them hit a GTS3.
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“I wish I knew this before I bought mine Qi35 Max, because my coach had me hit a GTS3 and the spin difference was crazy... 32-3500 with the Max and 19-2400 with the GTS3.”
Their Quantum Triple Diamond was amazing for months, but a slight face dent near the toe has cut distance and made toe hits feel dead.
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“So I have the triple diamond since march/April and it was amazing. Lately distance and consistency have fallen off similar to when I had a cracked qi10.”
Played the back nine with a new DS-Adapt Max K on a tipped spare shaft; it felt unreal, held a penetrating flight on a toe strike, and became their new gamer.
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“Left it in A1 and first hit all I can say is wow. It felt unreal and I toed it slightly and it still just had this amazing penetrating ball flight.”
Alternates between a Qi35 and an R9: the Qi35 is about 15 yards longer but the R9, with a shaft three-quarters of an inch shorter, has tighter dispersion. Uses the Qi35 on longer courses and the R9 on tight ones.
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“I have a Qi35 and a R9 that I use regularly. I hit the Qi35 maybe 15 yards further but have tighter dispersion with the R9.”
Switched from a Cobra DS LS for much tighter dispersion and better distance on mishits, while giving up some raw distance.
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“The switch to the Qi4D was because of a much tighter dispersion and better distance with mishits. Golf is really a game of how good your misses are because it's rare to hit it perfect every time.”
Their GT280 Mini 13.5° fills the gap on short par 4s and works well off the fairway on long par 5s.
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“I got a GT280 13.5°, it’s basically my 3W, my 3w is closer to a 5w… for me it fills the gap for short par4’s where driver is too long 3w is too unpredictable.”
They really like their off-the-shelf G430 Max 10K, but their miss with it is a sky ball and they wonder if a taller-faced Callaway would suit them better.
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“I just really like my ping but my miss is a sky ball and the Callaway a have a taller face.”
Bought a GT2 locally and seven months later the back of the head developed a serious dent-like defect without any abuse. The warranty replacement then stalled for weeks, so the shop lent them a demo head with a different loft.
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“the head has a serious defect in it, it looks like someone tried to drive a nail into the back of the clubhead”
A used G430 SFT bought mid-February had its shaft snap under the grip in late July on a normal swing after only 5 to 7 outings, with no warranty support from the reseller.
Swapped a TSR4 for the GTS3 and finds it far more forgiving, though they miss the TSR4's extra distance on good days.
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“I just swapped my tsr4 for a gts3. It's crazy how much more forgiving it is, but I do miss extra distance from the TSR4 on days when you're swinging good.”
Had the Qi4D and could not hit it except about once every four rounds, then did far better with a buddy's Elyte and swapped to a Callaway Triple Diamond Max; calls the Qi4D trash on functionality and quality.
Just bought the DS Adapt Max K to replace a Callaway Edge driver and says every shot is consistent now, with only a handful of bad drives in three rounds.
Moved from a Rogue ST Max to the DS-Adapt X; likes the adjustable weights and finds it just as forgiving.
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“I just went from a Rogue ST Max driver to a Cobra DS Adapt X driver. Having the weights that you can adjust is nice, and I find it just as forgiving.”
Plays the DS-Adapt Max K at 9 degrees; very forgiving on mishits, so a bad slice might end up 20 yards offline instead of 40, though it can't fix a bad swing.
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“I have the DS-Adapt Max K in 9°. It is very, very forgiving on mishits.”
Their GT3 has a wild toe ball with very low spin that runs forever, so the GTS2 replaced it.
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“My miss is toe side and GT3 has a wild toe ball that comes out super low spin and left leading to a miss that wouldn’t carry as far but run forever so it could go anywhere.”
Switched to the GTS2 from a GT3 after a fitting; more fairways, misses barely off the fairway and a much more playable driver.
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“Uptick in fairways plus misses are barely off the fairway. Overall just a much more playable driver regardless of how well I am striking it on a given day”
The G430 Max 10K is far more forgiving than their old Ping: big slices are now gentle curves into the first cut, and good strikes go down the middle.
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“G430 Max 10K driver. So much more forgiving than my old Ping driver, what would have sliced two fairways over is now a gentle curve to the first cut of rough.”
Bought a used GT3 and gained about 20 yards on every drive compared with their old $50 driver.
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“I didn't expect to actually gain 20 yards on every drive, but lo and behold, technology has actually improved since I bought my last used, $50 driver 8 years ago.”
A former college player took a used GT3 out for the first time and loves the impact feel and ability to move the ball both ways, though it is not easy for average players.
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“not every shot was perfect but the way it feels at impact and the fact it feels like I can move the ball both ways like a fairway wood is an AWESOME feeling.”
Just had a fitting into a Srixon ZXi LS and says nothing else came close; suggests getting fitted on this year's models and buying last year's to save money.
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“I’ve just had a fitting into a Srixon ZXi LS and nothing could get close to it”
Fitted into the Ping G440 SFT driver with a shorter, lighter shaft; more controlled than the longer M2 shaft before, with the same or more distance and many more really good shots.
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“my driver is definitely more controlled than the longer shaft I had on my m2, and I'm getting the same or more distance on my best shots and a lot more really good shots”
Got fit into a G440 driver last week (the G440K Max, 10.5 degrees) and says it is like magic, with some of their best drives and draws in three rounds.
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“I’ve had some of my best drives (including draws!) the last three rounds I’ve played with it.”
A used 8-degree Elyte driver with a Project X Denali Frost Blue X-stiff shaft, the same head they were fitted into at Club Champion, is an amazing weapon for them.
First round with the 2025 Cobra ADAPT Max-K: very forgiving, and the adjustable hosel let them drop loft from 10.5 to under 10, which lowered their ballooning ball flight.
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“It's very forgiving and dialing the loft down from my normal 10.5 degrees to under 10 seems to have made a difference.”
Switched to a DS Adapt LS at 8 degrees with an X-stiff shaft as clubhead speed rose; lower launch and spin gave better conditions and about 2600 rpm with little sidespin.
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“I found the Cobra to have lower launch and spin for better launch conditions with the new increase in clubhead speed.”
Added an R7 Quad mini this year, hits it as far as their driver most of the time with toe weights to stop a left miss, and uses it unless a hole wants a draw.
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“I hit it as far as my driver most of the time, but have it set up with the heavier weights in the toe”
Received a Qi35 as a gift and within a week noticed a crack after a single topped shot, while distance stayed the same but the ball sometimes dies mid-air around 175 yards. Heading for a TaylorMade warranty claim.
Swings 114–119 mph and was loosely fitted into a Qi35 as a first driver; at a later refit it beat everything except the Ping G440 LST. Likes the lower spin for a core head, hot ball speeds and decent off-centre strikes, but found ball speed and spin varied too much on similar strikes.
Fitted into the GTS2 10°: heel strikes are really good, though the gain over their GT2 is hard to justify.
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“Currently gaming GT2 10-degree and fit into the GTS2 at the same loft. Findings: 1. The GT2 is still amazing - hard to justify upgrading 2. Heel strikes are really good with GTS”
Struggling with an X-stiff shaft, hit a friend's Qi35 with a stiff shaft in a tournament and found it felt like a completely different club. They could feel the head and hit their best drives of the day, about 330 total.
Hitting the G430 LST and G440 LST side by side they were really ripping the 430 and noticed little head difference, so they bought the demo G430 LST with a Project X Evenflow for $280.
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“I have the g430 LST with a Project X Evenflow shaft.”
A year with a used G430 LST re-shafted with a Hazard Black: great distance and control, 15-20 yards longer than their old G10, with no need to upgrade.
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“Bought a G430 LST off 2nd swing close to a year ago, swapped out the Atlus shaft with Hazard Black from Amazon and love it.”
Plays a 9 degree GTS2 with Ventus Velocore+ Red and hit 9 of 11 fairways in the first round at about 250 yards, calling it a point-and-shoot club with great sound where off-centre hits lose almost nothing.
Owns both the DS Adapt and OPTM Max K and says the OPTM is the most accurate, forgiving driver they have played, hitting 12 of 13 fairways after setting the hosel to D2.
Picked up a used R7 Quad Mini alongside their driver; works great off the tee on tight holes and as a 3-wood replacement.
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“I just picked up an R7 (used) to use as an adjunct to my driver. Finding that it works great for me in tight fairways tee off as well as 3 wood situations.”
A high-70s player who could never control a driver missed only a handful of fairways in 4 rounds with the Elyte Mini, and finds it easy off the deck too.
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“I pulled the trigger on a Callaway Elyte Mini, and in my first 4 rounds, I've only missed a handful of fairways, and can only remember one wild shot.”
An 11-handicap who bought a GT280 a month ago; loses 20-30 yards versus driver but hits fairways 45% of the time instead of about 20%, with only 2 OB in about 90 tee shots.
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“Losing 20-30 yds off a good strike with my driver, but hitting fairways 45% of the time vs about 20%.”
Moved from the AI Smoke mini to the Quantum Mini: needed a flatter lie to hit it straight, but it's fantastic with better feel.
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“When I got the Quantum I had to set it in a flatter lie setting in order to hit it straight. Your mileage might vary on that but it is fantastic. Better feel and slightly better s”
Moved from a Ping G430 LST to the DS-Adapt LS, which they call awesome. Ball speed went up and spin dropped immediately, and they love how it sets up at address.
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“My ball speed instantly went up with the DS Adapt over my G430 LST and also the spin dropped.”
Found the DS-Adapt Max-K okay but had to set it as flat and open as possible to remove its draw bias, and switched to the more neutral OPTM LS, which has more weight and FutureFit33 adjustability.
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“I had to adjust it as flat and open as possible to remove the draw bias”
First round with a new DS-Adapt Max K: great control of fades and draws and dead straight when wanted, though it launched low at the stock setting, with distance similar to their G425.
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“When trying to play a fade, it was a controlled fade and never warped into a slice. Same when playing a draw, it never turned into a hook.”
Has gamed the DS-Adapt X for over a year; with the weight forward it gives ideal numbers and stays very forgiving.
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“the MaxK is incredibly forgiving but I found the X the better option overall. I’ve been gaming the X for over a year and with the weight forward I can get ideal numbers and it’s still very forgiving.”
After half a dozen rounds the Quantum Triple Diamond Max is amazing, especially on off-center and high-toe strikes.
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“I haven’t had both but got the quantum triple diamond max this year. Only half a dozen rounds but it is amazing. Off centre, especially high toe - is sooo good.”
Moving to the G430 Max 10K cut their spin for many more yards, and they call it probably the most forgiving driver ever.
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“I went from original callaway (the blue one) to ping 430 10k. The reduction in spin gave me so many more yards, and it’s also probably the most forgiving driver ever.”
Could not hit the Qi35 LS well despite hitting everything else, with spin off the charts at 115 to 117 mph and a steep swing, while an old R11S performed better.
Fitted into a 9 degree Qi4D with Reax 50X: ball speed went from 153 to 158 mph, spin from 3588 to 3000 and about 20 to 25 more total yards than their Ping G440 Max.
TaylorMade replaced their cracked Stealth 2 with a Qi35 the same week, but with matched shaft, loft and settings they are losing 50-plus yards and say it feels completely dead off the face compared with the Stealth 2.
Calls their GT2 the worst club they own because it constantly hooks, unlike their other Titleist and Callaway clubs.
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“MY GT2 is the biggest piece of crap ever constantly hooking, Callaway fairway and Hybrid also driving iron consistently acceptable, All My other T100s on the money,”
Says good hits on the 440K go 5 to 10 yards shorter than other drivers in its class, but it keeps bad strikes in play with a repeatable flight, ending their two-way miss.
Calls their Quantum Triple Diamond Max a driver that hits like a dream and loves it, though they are still getting used to it and miss slightly to the right.
Their first Titleist club, the GT3 driver, is an absolute melt show; they can't see anything replacing it soon and prefer its look at address to Ping's.
Calls the GT2 the best driver they have used. Played a Qi10 before it and thinks the whole GT line is very good.
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“Love my GT2. Best driver I’ve used. Durability aside, I don’t recall many reviews having much positive to say about the Qi35. I gamed a Qi10 prior to the GT2 and I would pick that over a 35.”
Traded a TSR3 and other clubs for a demo GT3. Finds it clearly lower spinning with real gains on course: a first drive of 295 yards where the TSR3 topped out at 250–260.
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“My first drive with the GT3 was 295 yards(slight tailwind) and left me with a 50 yard approach. It's definitely lower spin and the gains are real world,”
Fitted into a Qi35 with an X-stiff shaft, it's now one of their most consistent clubs and they hit it further than in their teens.
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“In Jan I got fitted into Qi35 with an x stiff shaft. It now one of the more consistent clubs in my bag and I'm hitting it further than I did in my tee”
Played a round with an Elyte rental: hotter face than their XR, but much less accurate, with mishits spraying more.
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“I didn't care for it. The face is hotter but I found it to be much less accurate/reliable to go straight. Occasional mis-hits sprayed way more than with the XR.”
Loves their Qi35 LS but believes the Qi10 is arguably the better driver (Scottie and Rory still game it) and they could have saved money buying one of those instead.
Returning after 12 years, the fitted Quantum Max with draw-bias weighting hit 6 fairways in a row, carried 20–30 m more than their old RBZ and stopped the slice.
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“He shifted a weight to draw bias and 6 hits in a row hit the fairway.”
Moved from a very forgiving used Qi10 to the GT2. Prefers the GT2's feel, sound and centre-strike ball speed, finding it only a little less forgiving.
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“Ended up liking the feel, sound, and ball speed better on the GT2. It’s only a little less forgiving, but the ball speed on a center strike was money with the GT2.”
Bought a G430 Max 10K 'demo' at a very low price and calls it the best driver they have ever hit, finding it comically hard to keep out of play even on awful mishits.
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“it's the best driver I've ever hit. Comically hard to not be in play even with some AWFUL mishits.”
A long hitter whose misses were as bad as their hits; put an Elyte mini head on their driver shaft and now bombs it 280-300 with the extra loft giving confidence.
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“Never going back to a regular driver head as I hit it anywhere from 280-300 regularly.”
Got a G430 Max 10K for their birthday and it cracked about eight months later. Ping replaced it with a new G440 K, which earned them a customer for life.
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“Fast forward to a few weeks ago and it developed a crack. Called Ping and they did right by me by replacing it with a brand new G440 K.”
A golfer of about a year who replaced a 2005 Big Bertha with a GT2 bought on sale. Had their two best driving rounds, losing one ball a round and going from 220–240 to 250–270 yards.
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“just had my two best driving rounds to date. Lost 1 ball a round off the tee and for the rest smoked them longer and straighter than I ever have.”
A 5-handicapper who loves their G430 Max 10K and has played it for years. Thinks the jump from one driver generation to the next is small but that the 10K's accuracy and forgiveness could tighten dispersion, and recommends checking on a sim.
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“I love my G430 Max 10k. But it’s unlikely to make a huge difference.”
Moved from a TSi2 to the GT2 with a Denali Red shaft and gets far better dispersion; it is now their favourite club.
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“I have the GT2 with Denali Red shaft and it just goes straight and far. Had the TSi2 before and I have much better dispersion with the GT2. Driver now has become the favorite club in my bag”
Switched to a Cobra OPTM X driver and in the first round hit a bunch of fairways, with the misses only off by a couple of yards, feeling like they could not miss.
Moving from a Rogue ST Max LS, the Quantum Max's sound took getting used to, but fairways hit jumped from 39% to 58% (no distance gain).
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“It took me some time to get used to the sound. It’s just different. But who cares as the results are fantastic. I went from 39% fairways in regulation to 58%.”
Fitted into a G430 SFT at an 18 handicap; now an 8, their well-struck drives still spin around 4000 rpm on a launch monitor, so they suspect they've outgrown it.
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“I got fitted for a ping g430 sft around 2 years ago when I was around a 18 handicap. I’m now a 8 handicap and am still using the same driver.”
Owned both the Ping G440 K and the OPTM Max-K and went back to the OPTM for more distance, consistency and hosel options.
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“I had both. Both are great but Going back to the optm. I get more distance and consistency with the optm and I have more options on the hosel settings .”
Bought a Qi4D 9 degrees with an extra-stiff shaft after cracking their old driver; it bombs on good hits but feels less forgiving, and they hated the carbon-face feel and returned it for a Cobra.
Testing at a superstore, the G440 Max HL 12 degree with an Alta CB 50 SR felt like heaven, the best feel in 25 years of golf, though Ping wouldn't build that combination.
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“When I say the PING G440 Max HL Driver with the ALTA CB 50 SR Flex shaft feels like heaven, buttery soft, super plush, fantastic, out of this world I mean it.”
Got fitted for a full new set and chose the GT2 driver over the Qi4D and a Ping 440 purely on feel. Disliked how the other drivers felt and hit several more drives with the GT2 before settling on it.
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“I hated the feel of the other drivers. Loved the feel of the gt2. It was all based on feel and my preference.”
At 118 mph with a 75g X-stiff Tensei, the JPX One Select is much more forgiving on misses than their Stealth, with surprisingly low spin unless they swing steep and no lost distance.
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“After playing a few rounds I can tell that the jpx one select is much more forgiving in the misses.”
Chose the 440K after trying five brands and a 440 Max, finding its dispersion far better than the rest.
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“I tried Cobra, Callaway, Titleist, Taylor made 440Max and 440K. I chose the 440K. Fitter also changed me to a stiff shaft from a Regular. Dispersion was head and shoulders better than all the others.”
A scratch player at 190 mph ball speed finds their Elyte Triple Diamond (Ventus 6TX) very fade biased and hard to turn over.
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“have an Elyte triple diamond with a Ventus 6TX shaft and the setup is very fade biased, to the point I have to make an extreme effort to try to turn it over”
Owns the Qi4D Max and says it is a good driver but the marketing was off the charts, calling it an okay driver in reality that is less hot and forgiving than the Qi10.
Bought a GT2 this season after five years of switching drivers, and feels more confident with it than with any driver in a long time.
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“I just got a GT2 this season after bouncing around between drivers for the last 5 years. This is the most confident I’ve felt with a driver in a long time”
Fitted into a G440 LST and hit it amazingly in the outdoor fitting and the sim, but then topped 75% of their drives in the first round of the season, which they put down to rust rather than the club.
Fitted into the Quantum TD Max with Ventus Black because the TD spun too little and the Max too much.
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“This is exactly why I got fit into the Quantum TD Max with ventus black. I was hitting the TD well but my spin numbers were too low. Max the spin was too high.”
A 3-handicap with a 118 mph swing says it is the best driver they have hit but not for those weak off the tee.
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“I just bought this driver, I'm a three handicap with 118 mph swing and this is the best driver I've ever hit. I will say driving is the best part of my game,”
Bought a GT2 after an indoor test with the stock Tensei 1K Blue 55 stiff shaft. Outdoors they snap-hooked everything and blame the light, high-torque shaft, planning to fit their old R9 shaft instead.
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“Took it outdoors (on golf vacation) and snap hooking everything. It's too light and seems to have too much torque for my swing.”
Fitted into the low-spin Qi4D at 9 degrees after nine years with an M2, and is really enjoying it with about 12 yards more carry and 18 more total with tighter dispersion.
Says the Qi4D is okay and a definite upgrade over the Qi35, but not the best of the year, as the Callaway Triple Diamond Max and Cobra heads are better and a Wilson outperformed it by a mile for them.
Swapped out driver and 3 wood for it and is playing the best golf of their life, hitting 250-260 yards with tighter dispersion.
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“I figured I would give this a shot and ditch my driver and 3 wood. Been playing the best golf of my life and driver 250-260 yds and with better left to right dispersion.”
Moving from the Qi35 LS to the Qi4D LS, easily broke 180mph ball speed with stable 2200-2300 spin at 7° loft.
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“Switching from the qi35ls to the 4d ls and holy balls this face is fast. Struggled breaking 180 ball speed on the 35 and broke it easily with the 4d ls.”
Traded in a Srixon ZXi MKII for a G430 Max after wishing it were more forgiving. Is playing much better with the Ping.
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“I played the zxi mkii and traded it in for a ping g430 max, I hit it ok in the store but over time I wished it was more forgiving. I’m playing much better with the ping.”
Ordered the GT2 in 11 degrees after a test and a fitting, helped by the price drop to $449.
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“Based on this club test, I ordered the GT-2, R flex shaft, 11 degrees of loft. Hit it very well in the fitting. Price drop to $449 was terrific benefit.”
At 115 mph, moving from a G425 Max to a 9° Qi35 (SpeedNX Blue X) ended their ballooning; apex about 88 ft with 2300 spin.
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“I went from the g425 max as well to a 9° qi35 core with a fujikura speednx blue xstiff. I no longer have the ballon shots I’d regularly have with the ping”
A 13 handicap fit into a Quantum Triple Diamond (Ventus Black 6X) gained 20 yards carry and 30 total over their G425 Max, with tight dispersion.
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“The numbers were better, 20 yards more carry and 30 yard more total. Dispersion was also overall tight with middle and right miss but my usual left miss was eliminated.”
Put an 8° GT2 straight in the bag: first two drives went 300 down the middle and it feels super fast with less effort.
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“Bought a GT2 8 degree and was playing a round the next day, threw it in the bag. First 2 drives 300 down the middle. Thing is super fast with less effort.”
Gamed a demo Qi35 for a few rounds without getting comfortable, coming from a Paradym X, and ended up happy with a Cobra DS-Adapt LS.
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“I had a demo Qi35 from my club that I gamed for a few rounds and just couldn't get comfortable with it. Was coming from a Paradym X and wound up happy with a Cobra DS-Adapt LS”
Got fit for the GT2 but was hooking it badly on a return visit; the G430 Max was clearly better for them.
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“I went back a month later to buy it and asked the guy if I could hit it one more time in the bay before buying it. For some reason I was hitting a big hook with it that time.”
Had a cracked Qi10 replaced and hit both the Qi35 and Qi4D in store, strongly preferring the Qi4D. Says they really like it: you can feel the extra weight, but it is super forgiving.
A 15 handicap swapped into the G440 K within the 90-day window and, three rounds in, picked up yardage, hit 60% of fairways versus 44% before, improved strokes gained from -4.2 to -1.6 and shot 10 over.
Bought a used Qi35 for $270 expecting to dislike it, but it replaced their G430 Max in the bag. They may have lost a few yards of carry but are hitting more fairways.
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“it just took the place in my bag of my ping g430 max. Might have lost a few yards off the carry but so far hitting fairways!”
Bought an Elyte driver from Callaway Pre-Owned in 'Very Good' condition and found definite paint chipping that they'd have rated Fair, but says the club is absolutely great otherwise.
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“ordered Very Good on an Elyte driver and it had some definite paint chipping. The club is absolutely great otherwise”
A week in, calls it by far the most forgiving low-spin driver they have hit.
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“picked up my G440k just last week and its' miles away the most forgiving lower spin driver i've ever hit, with the right shaft i'm excited for this season”
At a fitting the Quantum TD 8° was the only new driver worth considering, but it wasn't nearly $900 better than their G440 LST and spin was only manageable.
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“Callaway Quantum TD: This was the only 1 of the 3 (other than mine) that was a possibility for me”
A 2.9 handicap who fitted into the Qi4D over Callaway and Cobra, gaining 3-4 mph of ball speed and about 14 yards total; calls it long, hot and forgiving.
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“It is long...it is hot and most of all FORGIVING.”
Demoed the Qi4D with the stock blue Reax 65g shaft and was blown away with distance and dispersion, ending up with all TaylorMade as the best in their session.
Replaced their Qi35 LS with the Qi4D core: on Trackman, ball speed rose from ~160 to 165-175mph, with higher, more consistent spin especially on toe strikes.
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“recently got my Qi4D (core model) to replace the Qi35. Not used on the course yet, but twice on trackman range”
Bought a Qi35 with a Diamana T+ 60 X shaft off the rack after a fitting; the head is fine, but after about a year they still don't love the shaft profile.
Finds their GT3 more forgiving than a TaylorMade Qi10-type head, with misses only slightly right.
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“for my swing at least, the TaylorMade twist face drivers gave me a problem with missing both ways the AI smoke kept me from snapping L and if it’s a miss w the GT3 it’s slightly R.”
Traded in an old Titleist driver and hit it straight in a simulator, with not a single drive ending up unplayable.
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“hit the driver from my regular tees off the 1st tee and YEAH…straight and the fairway narrows right where I hit it. Couldn’t believe not 1 drive ended up unplayable.”
Chose the OPTM X over the Quantum, Qi4D and Ping lines; on Trackman at 105.5 mph it averaged 266 carry and 288 total with 2200 spin, and is very stable and forgiving with great feel and sound.
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“With an avg swing speed of 105.5, my avg carry was 266, total 288 with a launch of 14, spin at 2200 and descent angle of 37.5. literally perfect numbers for me.”
Couldn't hit the Qi35 well at all and didn't like its look behind the ball; the Elyte was better but leaked right, and they landed on a Ping G440, about 10 metres longer and straighter on bad strikes, which has been in the bag eight months.
At a fitting, the Qi4D core matched their Paradym Triple Diamond with slightly better dispersion; they pre-ordered it for its looks and face feel.
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“Nothing really topped my paradym triple diamond but the core model of this in the same shaft had almost identical metrics but slightly better dispersion.”
Their off-the-shelf Elyte matched a fitted GT2 for distance and shape with a satisfying feel at impact.
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“It was interesting when comparing to the Elyte I bought off the shelf, the shot distance and shape was very similar. Both have a satisfying feel at impact.”
Bought a used GT280 mini for about $250 and finds it easier to hit off the fairway than a standard 3-wood, surprised that an older player couldn't hit it well.
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“Also I find this thing easier to hit off the deck than a standard 3w”
A beginner tested the Qi35 Max, found it felt amazing, bought it, and it's great after two weeks.
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“I went to the Pro shop and the QI35 max was on sale from £529 to £329 so I tested out the QI35 Max, felt amazing and I purchased it. Been using it for 2 weeks and it’s great.”
Traded in an Elyte for a Qi35 Max and is in love: sounds and looks great, awesome feedback through the hands, 5 to 10 more yards, and they have to really try to slice it.
Got fitted for the G440 Max, which was consistently straight with great distance against the Elyte, Elyte X and Qi35.
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“Ended up going to a local store today and got fitted for the g440 max. Tested it against the elyte, elyte x and qi35 and it was consistently straight and great distance.”
Chose the G430 Max over the 10K for its adjustable back weight; the draw setting keeps their push in the fairway.
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“Personally I choose regular driver vs. 10k for its adjustable back weight. Draw setting seems to help keep it in the fairway since I typically tend to push my drive.”
At 110 mph, initially loved the R7 Quad Mini but found it too hard to shape off the deck to earn a bag spot.
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“I bought a R7 quad mini driver 13.5 degree when it came out, initially loved it but it really doesn’t have the versatility for me that I’d be looking at to earn a spot in my bag.”
A 12-handicap hits the R7 Quad Mini (14°) 220 with an easy swing and 90% fairways; it's the easiest club in their bag off the tee, though wind affects it.
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“I have the TM r7 quad which I have set to 14° and I hit it 220 with an super easy swing that hits 90% fairways”
Really likes their Elyte Mini 11.5°, crediting its consistency to the shorter shaft.
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“I have a Paradym at 9 degrees and the elyte mini at 11.5. I do really like the mini driver but I think the consistency comes with having a shorter shaft.”
Fitted this summer into a 9° Qi35 with a Ventus Black 6X, which keeps launch and spin where they should be, but on sims they can't get smash factor above about 1.48 and they found a crack in the composite body above the toe. Suspects the head is dead and plans a warranty claim.
Has similar club speeds to the poster and broke five TaylorMade drivers in two and a half years, then switched to the Wilson Dynapwr LS this year and has had no issues.
Fitted into the Qi35 LS with a Kai'li White shaft after a hand-me-down M2; saw higher swing speed and carry and was more consistent than with the G440, Elyte or GT2.
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“I was more consistent with it than any other driver.”
At a fitting they hit the GT2 and Qi35 Max best, the Qi35 Max longest, and bought it.
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“I was hitting the best with GT2 and the QI35 max. The farthest with QI35. Though the swing speed was almost similar across all of the clubs. I ended up getting QI35”
A 14-handicap who loved it in a fitting found slight misses produce dreadful shapes and 30-50 yards lost, and is returning it.
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“Sadly, I haven't had a good day on the course with it. If I miss just slightly, not only is the shot shape dreadful, but the distance falls off by 30-50 yards.”
Did extensive testing of the G440 against the Qi35 and, to their surprise, the Qi35 carried longer and was better overall, so they now game it instead of a Ping.
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“But much to my surprise the TM was a longer carry and better overall so I’m rocking that and not a Ping for the first time in years.”
Replacing a 20-year-old driver, found a Sim 2 not to their liking at a test swing, then tried several top drivers and the Qi35 felt best and gave the best Trackman results. It felt very forgiving; they bought a 40%-off demo and haven't played it much yet.
Demoed the G440 Max and G430 Max 10K with the same shaft: near-identical numbers, but much preferred the G440 Max's look and feel.
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“I demo’d both heads with the same shaft both in 9 degree. Performance numbers for me were basically identical. I much preferred the look and feel of the G440 Max over the 10K pancake.”
A three-month golfer fitted into the Elyte Triple Diamond driver and 3-wood; the best shot in the fitting was 260 carry at 1900 spin, 5 yards right of target.
With a tipped Hzrdus Black 6.0 TX and a 32g weight in neutral, their G430 LST became the most forgiving long bomber they've used, beating the G440 LST in testing.
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“Its turned into the most forgiving long bomber I have ever used. Tested it vs the 440lst and it won easily.”
Had Stealth, Stealth 2, Qi10 and Qi35 and the face popped off on all of them; after a fitting they went to a Titleist GT2 and will not buy TaylorMade again over quality.
A 24 handicap bought a DS Adapt Max-D with a draw setup and shorter shaft and now hits more fairways than he misses, with his long irons more confident too.
Tested the Dynapwr LS on a launch monitor at a fitting and hit it consistently 230 to 240 yards with a stiff shaft, an improvement over their Launchpad2.
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“I tried the Wilson Dynapwr LS and Ping G440 at this test. I was hitting both consistently about 230-240, both stiff shafts.”
Loves the Elyte Mini for being light enough to swing hard without losing the head.
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“I will add I have the elyte mini and I honestly love it. It’s so light, I can swing harder at it and not lose the head, but it’s not like a weighty beast slowing me down.”
Has broken three of these drivers, all replaced under warranty, gave the last replacement to a younger brother and switched to Cobra, disappointed in the quality for the price.
Was playing a scramble with their new Qi35 when the rear weight came off after fewer than 20 drives; they heard the sound change mid-round and found the weight gone. TaylorMade approved a warranty replacement head.
Swapped a nearly 10-year-old M1 for a GT2 and finds it slightly longer (under 5 yards) and far more forgiving, using a heavier Tensei 65X shaft. Demoed the Qi35 alongside it and found it lacked feedback and forgiveness by comparison.
Was reluctant to buy the Qi35 Max because of online reports but it hit far straighter and longer than everything else in their first fitting. After 25 rounds this season their handicap has dropped from 25+ to 17.
A roughly 5 handicapper with 180-plus mph ball speed has broken two Stealths, a Qi10 and now a Qi35 (the bottom of the face popped) within two seasons; all were warrantied or upgraded, and they plan to trade the Qi35 for a Ping G440 Max they are demoing.
Switched from a Big Bertha 23 to the GT3 and has been hitting it much further, their first Titleist driver since the 90s. Shoots 85–90 and says they have always played better with less forgiving clubs.
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“I switched from big Bertha 23 to gt3 and I’ve been crushing it! First titleist I’ve had since my old 975D 8 degree in the 90’s.”