2 February 2023|Golfing with gratitude
All will be revealed soon….
For those who read the previous posts about my full bag fitting at SGGT, you will remember that we didn't reach a conclusion regarding the driver. Since then I've been working hard on improving my strike while waiting for the new products to be released and available for fitting. I also had a dedicated driver lesson with Sandy at Ladybank and I've made a concerted effort to work on improving this part of my game. Jon Sherman's book "The Four Foundations of Golf" will give you plenty of evidence for why improving driving is so important for your whole game. For reference, my current driver is a Titleist TSi3 at a measured 10.7 degrees of loft, fitted with a Ventus Blue 6 stiff shaft.
Only part way through, but this book is essential reading.
Watching the product releases as they came through, there were only three clubs that I really wanted to try. The Ping G430, the Callaway Paradym and the Titleist TSr3. SGGT don't have a relationship with Ping so I can't get fit for that there. Ladybank Golf Club stock all three brands allowing a head-to-head comparison. Also, given I've been having lessons there with Sandy, I thought I would use him for the fitting. Ladybank have an excellent indoor facility and there is also the added bonus of being able to try the demo clubs on the course before making a final decision too.
Ahead of the Ladybank showdown, Sandy arranged a fitting appointment at the Callaway performance centre here in St Andrews to try the Paradym. The fitting was conducted by Mike Lander and it's the second time I've had a fitting with him (irons last year). As well as being the Callaway fitter, he is also a coach and has a really good approach to telling you what does or doesn't work and why. After a comprehensive fitting, the optimal setup was the 10.5 degree triple diamond head with the weight moved to the back and using the Tensei Blue 55 stiff shaft. This shaft is also part of the Titleist matrix so can be used when trying the TSr models. When we tried the Ventus Blue shaft in the Paradym we saw a marked drop-off in performance. It's a decent fit, but it isn't the best.
If I had one criticism of the fitting experience at the performance centre it's that you have to use their standard range balls. Given it's the main Callaway fitting centre I'd have hoped they would have more premium Callaway balls, but I guess the logistics of splitting them from the range balls makes that too hard. SGGT and Ladybank use Titliest ProV models.
Also, ahead of the final showdown, I was able to try the Paradym, Ping G425 LST and G430 LST on the course with the latter two not being fitted, just off-the-shelf demo clubs. So, onto the fitting appointment today. After warming up we took some baseline data with my own driver and started on the alternatives. First up was the Paradym and it performed pretty much as expected from the previous fitting session. It was again significantly better than my own driver for spin, carry, total distance, and dispersion. Second, we tried the TSr3 as it was fitted with the same shaft. It just felt harder to swing and I wasn't as consistent with it so was quickly eliminated and we moved to the G425 LST with Tensei orange. Other than the noise, this actually performed really well. In terms of ball speed and distance, it closely rivalled the Paradym but wasn't as consistent and had quite a wide dispersion. The G430 LST was up next, first with the CB55 shaft and then the Kaili. Surprisingly, it marginally underperformed the G425. The good shots were better, but I found it less consistent and harder to hit. It did sound much better though. Reviewing the results, the new options all outperformed my current driver making it pretty clear it should be changed. The best performer for me, by a considerable margin, and backed up by its recent performance on the course, was the Paradym Triple Diamond. Sound, feel, distance, dispersion, confidence - a proper winner.
Winner - now on order
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