Will my custom fit driver help me become a scratch golfer?

Firstly, let me introduce myself. I’m Gary, one of the co-founders of Compare Golf Prices, and I’m golf obsessed.  I'm always trying to improve and get to my ultimate goal of becoming a scratch golfer - and I’m not far off, currently sitting at 1.1 exact in the WHS.  And I only play off white tees and in official competitions when it comes to handicap. I believe a real scratch golfer can only feel satisfied if they are scratch under competitive and testing conditions when it matters.

 

Screenshot of my England WHS Index.

 

I have been looking for ways where I feel I can get that extra shot off to take me to the scores I need.  Having improved areas of my game that were loose, such as wedge shots under 100 yards, and increased my shot availability for chipping.  That left me with two other options.  Firstly, putting, which is my nemesis! 

I am not good with the flat stick, in fact I’m bang average. I have worked on putting a lot over the past two years and I will seek more professional help this season to improve it.

 

 

Cobra Ltd custom fitting equipment

 

The second area I haven’t explored for gains is actually getting my clubs fitted to my swing.  I’m a tinkerer, I’m impatient and when I decide to change something I normally buy whatever is in the shop, straight off the shelf, and hope it works.  If it doesn’t I’ll buy something else (last year I changed my irons three times in the space of two weeks costing me over £300 from the buying and selling process).

 

At 44 I feel my swing is not getting any quicker and using technology should be my friend if I want to gain yardage.  My current Sim2 Max driver, which is 12 degrees stiff with a Hzadus blue smoke shaft, and adjusted down to 9.5, so the face looks straight to help eradicate my bad shot in the low pull, has been a great driver.  I was sceptical that fitting me to a new driver, especially a brand I have never really felt fits my eye when I hold their drivers, would help improve my game to margins that could affect my scoring significantly.

I was so wrong!
 

Sim2 and Cobra drivers

 

I swing the driver on average between 102-105mph. With my Sim2 the average carry is 236-240 yards and roll out to 255-260 yards.  As I found out I hit it quite high and spinny.  But, in my head that’s ok because my accuracy is quite good when I’m playing from the fairway and that always plays to my strengths with irons in hand.

 

Now we are getting to the clever bit.  In stages Luke from Cobra, after around 20 drives with my Sim2, he hands me a Cobra LTDx with a Hzadus green 60grm stiff smoke shaft. After hitting 10 shots which were a much more piercing lower ball flight, I consistently averaged 240 yards carry!  My mind straight away was like ‘ah I knew it was bullshit’.  

Then Luke showed me my roll out, at 270 yards, and I thought well that is a club less into every green so that’s a good improvement to lower scores. 

 

Then the magic happened.

 

Luke still wasn’t happy with my spin levels so changed the head to the Cobra LTDx LS (Low Spin).  Again, my carry remained at 240 yards and 270 yards total.  The big difference with this head was my dispersion narrowed, each shot felt very consistent and within my target range.  Again I thought ‘ah well’.  More accuracy is always going to benefit you when you stand on the tee with trees either side and a need to confidently let your hands go. 

 

Sole plates of the drivers

 

But Luke still insisted that he felt we could get more. He changed the shaft to a Tensei AV 65grm raw which sits in between stiff and extra stiff and is slightly heavier than my normal go to shaft choice.

 

Hzrdus and Tensei AV shafts

 

Then … BOOM. 

First drive 251 yards carry! 

Second drive 249 yards carry.

Again and again averaging 250 yards. 

 

Luke asked me to really go after one and get my swing speed to my top end of 105/6mph - followed by a 260 yards carry.  I’d normally have to take a run up to get that, I was so amazed by the change we hadn’t even glanced at the total roll out which was at 279 yards.  SOLD!

 

From being sceptical to actually doing what I should have done years ago will gain me on average a 30 yard total improvement.  My longest driving stats ever.  I sound like a golf marketing advert, don’t I? 

 

When you break that down into real world golf it is going to allow me to hit pitching wedges into holes I normally hit seven-irons into.  The 30ft distance from hole average with my seven-iron will turn into 15ft averages with pitching wedges, meaning more realistic birdie chances.

 

I’d better improve my putting sharpish. I’m confident this will be the difference between 1.1 and a scratch handicap….(watch this space).

 

But what I really need to be clear on here is what was achieved, before everyone thinks changing to the new Cobra Driver will add 30 yards to their driving distance.  The club head itself is brilliant and it looks, feels and performs really well. The fact you can change heads to adjust spin, forgiveness and weight means there is a head for all golfers.

When you get the combination of head, loft and shaft right that is where you get the huge gains.  My advice to all golfers, at all levels, is go and get fitted. Do it now. Why wait?

 

By the way, on a final note, I also got fitted for a five-wood cranked down to a three-wood loft, like what the Tour pros do. But that’s for another blog … it’s amazing. 

Completely won over.