G10 vs. FT-5 vs. SUMO vs. Burner vs. HiBore XLS

Okay for the past month I have been researching these drivers but I still can't make up my mind. I am mainly looking for something that pops off the face and goes nice and long. If anyone has anyone tried some of these drivers could you please give me some feedback or suggestions?

You left out the Rapture which will be in my bag as soon as I get my raise :)

All of them are good drivers. G10 & Burner have very hot faces. Just demo all of them and pick the one out that works best for you. I did not care for the Sumo at all. Just my opinion.

I tell you what- I have a Sumo2 5300- and it goes as straight and long as any driver I've ever hit. I used to have a nasty slice- now I'm driving on the fairway 90 percent of the time and between 270-295 yards. But bjdrivers is right- demo one before you buy.

I recently got fitted for a driver and demoed all the ones you mentioned above. From your list I got best results from the G10 but believe or not I got better results than any of them from a Powerbilt Citation FZ. It was less than half the price but had heaps better numbers with the VS Proto shaft in it (clubhead speed was 10mph faster with the citation than nearest competitor). If you haven't demoed one give it a go before shelling out the big bucks for the name brands. The nearest challenger to the citation for me was the Hyper X which got me better numbers than the FT-5.

Apart from the excellent numbers the citation felt solid and appeared to be as well made as any of the more expensive ones. I've had powerbilt clubs in the past and I can't believe they are so much cheaper than other OEM brands.

I had the Sumo2 5300 but switched to the Cleveland Hi-Bore (not the XLS) this year. The Sumo is a good club, but I couldn't work the ball like I could w/ my trusty old Callaway GBB II or my Cleveland Hi-Bore. The Sumo isn't the longest driver out there, but I do believe it is one of the straightest.

Honestly, a driver is only as good as the shaft it has in it. It has to be in sync w/ your swing. With today's technology, I believe any driver head is good. It's the shaft that will determine whether or not you fall in love w/ your driver or become disgusted w/ it and put it on Ebay........

I agree with the others in that you must find the combo that works for you by trying them. You must choose the right shaft and the right face bias. Tour models tend to be 2* open, standard models square, and draw models 2* closed with heel weighting. The XLS DRAW with the yellow stiff shaft suits me well. I was looking to hit more fairways and this combo met my needs.

I strongly agree with the last two comments especially. The proper shaft-to-player fit can make any clubhead these days launch huge drives. At the beginning of this golf season and for the two prior I had been playing a Callaway X460 with a Graf Blue regular shaft. It is still my favorite driver of all time. I have switched however to a King Cobra F Speed LD which I got for a stupid deal. The driver itself is amazing and its much longer than the Callaway, but i don't like the shaft it came with. I am in the process of getting the Graf Blue installed into the Cobra to make it even better!
I don't know why? but i've never really been a fan of Taylormade equipment and I can't stand the sound of a Nike Sumo... although you can't help but hit the ball straight with it!! If those were my choices I'd have to say G10 or the FT-5, but I have a buddy who just got the Nickent 4DX and he is raving about it... so there are plenty to choose from, why not try them all??

_____________________________________
King Cobra F Speed LD 10.5*
X-series frwy. 3 & 5
X-hybrid 3i
King Cobra 3100i H/L (5-GW)
Cleveland CG11 56 & 60
YES C-groove (natalie)

"Lefties Rule!!"

[QUOTE=gouga8383]Okay for the past month I have been researching these drivers but I still can't make up my mind. I am mainly looking for something that pops off the face and goes nice and long. If anyone has anyone tried some of these drivers could you please give me some feedback or suggestions?[/QUOTE]

out of that list, the Ping G10 wins hands down in my opinion
but you should also look at the Titleist d2 (its amazing)

[QUOTE=Golf King]out of that list, the Ping G10 wins hands down in my opinion
but you should also look at the Titleist d2 (its amazing)[/QUOTE]


I tried a G10 but couldn't get the ball and the middle of the face to meet...

meanwhile I was happy with my HiBore XL Tour 9.5 with the FUjikura Red in Stiff, but when I finally changed over to an X flex shaft, a UST V2, it got both straighter and longer.

IT is an awesome driver but I agree with others that the shaft is in many ways more important than the head... not that I want any other head, mind you... but the combination I finally ended up with is by far the best I"ve ever had in the bag.

It made me go out and buy the rest of the HiBores, in the current generation... I have the XLS 13* three wood in X flex Fujikura FitOn Red, and a 16 and 19 hybrid in stiff. longest, straightest bunch of long clubs I ever owned.

Another point with shafts is not to pay too much attention to the listed flex of the shaft. Different shafts rate flex much differently. I have always liked low torque/stiff tip/mid bend point shafts myself, and get best results from UST Pro Force 75 and Graf Blue, but there are a few other shaft models that fit this criteria. The driver I just got fitted for has a regular flex VS Proto, but it feels and plays firmer than the stiff in many stock shafts on other OEM drivers. The only way to get a clear picture of which shaft you should use is to get fitted on a launch monitor and get the specs of the shaft which you get the best results from. From my own personal experience the things that influence shaft performance most are torque rating, bend point and tip stiffness, and length and weight to a lesser extent, but Lyle would be a better person to advise on this topic.

I used to hit all my drives 260 with a rising curve and a vertical drop. I had a shaft too 'tip active' and a kickpoint too low, as well as a shaft that had in general too much flex. Since I've understood this (thanks Lyle) and fixed all my long clubs, I'm much longer and more consistent. Now I launch mid high, flatten out (without that upward curve of high backspin) and then when it hits the ground it rolls forward cuz it has way less backspin on it.

I hit all those clubs. The furthest and straightest for ME was the Burner 9.5. About 10 yards further than anything else. That said, go and hit them all for your self, its the ONLY way to do it!

I've hit all on the list except the Nike, which quite honestly, I just don't like the look of it. The G10 was by far the best for me. I agree with vjr13 that shaft is everything. NaH is also correct in that shafts are extremely inconsistant from one manufacturer to the next. I hit the tileist D2 with a stiff flex and it felt like I was swinging a 2 X 4. The Pings' stock stiff shaft had more flex to it and I hit it much, much better.

[QUOTE=bjdrivers] G10 & Burner have very hot faces. [/QUOTE]

.830 COR is .830 COR is .830 COR

Every new driver on the market has a coefficient of restitution of .830, a face may feel hotter, or sound hotter, but it is still.830.

[QUOTE=LyleG].830 COR is .830 COR is .830 COR

Every new driver on the market has a coefficient of restitution of .830, a face may feel hotter, or sound hotter, but it is still.830.[/QUOTE]

Thank you Lyle! I had been losing a lot of sleep lately worrying about that!

I just went through this process about a month ago. I bought the g10 with the TFC shaft, and I love it. In the past 4 years I have played the TM R580 and the original Nike SQ, and this club seems to be more accurate.

The g10 launches higher than my other 2 drivers, and seems to spin less. I like the higher launch because I have kind of a flat swing. If you already hit it high off the tee, the g-10 TFC combo might balloon on you.

I don't think the g10 is any longer than other drivers Ive hit, but it does seem more forgiving. Misses toward the heel or toe still seem to get out there pretty decent. It won't cure a bad swing path (push or pull), but it does seem to straighten out shots where the clubface was a little open or shut. This probably isn't a good driver for those who like to work the ball off the tee. I was trying to hit a fade off the tee on a few holes last week, and the ball would start off gently bending to the right, but then would seem to start knuckling straight foward.

The g10 definitely looks and sounds better than most of the other drivers out there (at least to my eyes and ears).

[QUOTE=The Purist]I just went through this process about a month ago. I bought the g10 with the TFC shaft, and I love it. In the past 4 years I have played the TM R580 and the original Nike SQ, and this club seems to be more accurate.

The g10 launches higher than my other 2 drivers, and seems to spin less. I like the higher launch because I have kind of a flat swing. If you already hit it high off the tee, the g-10 TFC combo might balloon on you.

I don't think the g10 is any longer than other drivers Ive hit, but it does seem more forgiving. Misses toward the heel or toe still seem to get out there pretty decent. It won't cure a bad swing path (push or pull), but it does seem to straighten out shots where the clubface was a little open or shut. This probably isn't a good driver for those who like to work the ball off the tee. I was trying to hit a fade off the tee on a few holes last week, and the ball would start off gently bending to the right, but then would seem to start knuckling straight foward.

The g10 definitely looks and sounds better than most of the other drivers out there (at least to my eyes and ears).[/QUOTE]

What loft did you get? I had the G5 10.5 and it ballooned on me pretty badly. Went to the 9* and it's perfect, even with the same shaft.

I agree, the PING TFC shaft is one of the best OEMs out there. I think it's made by UST.

[QUOTE=The Purist]I just went through this process about a month ago. I bought the g10 with the TFC shaft, and I love it. In the past 4 years I have played the TM R580 and the original Nike SQ, and this club seems to be more accurate.

The g10 launches higher than my other 2 drivers, and seems to spin less. I like the higher launch because I have kind of a flat swing. If you already hit it high off the tee, the g-10 TFC combo might balloon on you.

I don't think the g10 is any longer than other drivers Ive hit, but it does seem more forgiving. Misses toward the heel or toe still seem to get out there pretty decent. It won't cure a bad swing path (push or pull), but it does seem to straighten out shots where the clubface was a little open or shut. This probably isn't a good driver for those who like to work the ball off the tee. I was trying to hit a fade off the tee on a few holes last week, and the ball would start off gently bending to the right, but then would seem to start knuckling straight foward.

The g10 definitely looks and sounds better than most of the other drivers out there (at least to my eyes and ears).[/QUOTE]

the g10 from my experiences is a pretty high-launch driver... but i think that the g10 is fairly workable if you want to...

[QUOTE=daveperk]I tried a G10 but couldn't get the ball and the middle of the face to meet...

meanwhile I was happy with my HiBore XL Tour 9.5 with the FUjikura Red in Stiff, but when I finally changed over to an X flex shaft, a UST V2, it got both straighter and longer.

IT is an awesome driver but I agree with others that the shaft is in many ways more important than the head... not that I want any other head, mind you... but the combination I finally ended up with is by far the best I"ve ever had in the bag.

It made me go out and buy the rest of the HiBores, in the current generation... I have the XLS 13* three wood in X flex Fujikura FitOn Red, and a 16 and 19 hybrid in stiff. longest, straightest bunch of long clubs I ever owned.[/QUOTE]

haha yea the ping is a great club but some people think that the head is a bit big
thats a nice set up that you have got there :)

what are your yardages for them?

[QUOTE]What loft did you get? I had the G5 10.5 and it ballooned on me pretty badly. Went to the 9* and it's perfect, even with the same shaft. [/QUOTE]

I have the 12* (Im as bad as Edgy). The numbers were pretty similar for me between the 10.5* and 12*, but I had a tighter dispersion with the 12*. I only demoed clubs in the 10-12 loft range. I don't have the swing speed for anything less than 10* (98-100 ss). Ballooning hasn't been a problem for me with my average swing speed and flatish swing plane. Hopefully I won't lose too much roll-out when the fairways start to dry out and harden up.

I Hit he Burner today and I hit the Sumo a few days ago. The Burner went about 10 yards farther. But none of the golf store in my town (Augusta, GA) carry the G10 so i can't hit it.

I'd go with the G10. I have the Rapture now that I can hit it consistently, but I previously had the G10 and it really helped my drives. I don't recommend Nike drivers, they go straight but feel dead. Works for some people though. I never liked pings until I had the G10. Now all my woods are pings. I previously owned an R7 then an X460. The G10 (and Rapture) takes drivers to another level.

Ball crusher- 90% of fairways hit? Wow! What place are you on the money list? Just curious...

Of all the drivers you listed they're all worthy. Take 'em out with different shaft combos and hit them. There are MANY places now, Nike does it for sure, with the fit-on or screw-in or whatever they are called shaft and head combos. Find a place, and match up a bunch of different shaft and head combos then find the club that works for you, not The Purist or me or whoever else. Every "fact" on this thread is all personal. Just because person A thinks Nike's are weak doesn't mean they are. I've hit every club you listed and the results are the same with all. Personally, I like my hearing, so I don't play the Cleveland and Nike, but they knock the ball just as far as my Rapture. The G10 and Burner didn't "TINGGGGG" quite as loud for me but the Rapture's marshmallow sound just stuck with me. See, I base my club selection off sound, because I can hit anything. Maybe you don't care about sound...so hit them and figure it out yourself.

[QUOTE=Golf King]haha yea the ping is a great club but some people think that the head is a bit big
thats a nice set up that you have got there :)

what are your yardages for them?[/QUOTE]

Actually I liked the head, and I think if I had it back I'd be hitting it great... I figured out too late, had already sold it, that I need to address a driver on the toe because when my arms straighten on the downswing they end up reaching a bit farther out with the driver... since I figured that out, I"m hitting my driver way more solidly, and I think the G10 would have been the same.

yardages are, for me:

HiBore XL Driver 265-285, sometimes bigger on drier days...

HiBore XLS 13* 3 wood 250 off tee, 240-245 fairway

16* XLS hybrid 220-230

19* XLS hybrid 195-215 can choke it to consistent 195 or full to 210-215

Adams 4 iron 190-200 and the rest on down....

[QUOTE=daveperk]Actually I liked the head, and I think if I had it back I'd be hitting it great... [/QUOTE]

I'm generally not the sentimental type, but I recently said the very same thing about my ex-girlfriend. I sure do miss her.

[QUOTE=collegegolfer] See, I base my club selection off sound, because I can hit anything. [/QUOTE]
Don't flatter yourself!

I just purchased the TAYLORMADE burner 9.5* with the Aldila NV 65 S shaft. If you read my previous posts, you will see that I have had trouble with distance off the tee. Everyone suggested a new shaft and get fitted. I did just that and splurged on the new head.

I have gone from ~225 yrds to ~ 260-270yrds.

When I posted my issue with short drives, I received a lot of great advice. Which I heeded. And the results have surpassed my highest expectations.

It did take a few driving range sessions to get used to the different ball flight.

When I played last Saturday (my 3rd round with it), I was chipping onto the par 5s vice hitting a short iron on my 3rd shot.

Congrats!!!

I would have the hibore any day looks nice ive got the 905r the now that still cool

[quote=daveperk]Actually I liked the head, and I think if I had it back I'd be hitting it great... I figured out too late, had already sold it, that I need to address a driver on the toe because when my arms straighten on the downswing they end up reaching a bit farther out with the driver... since I figured that out, I"m hitting my driver way more solidly, and I think the G10 would have been the same.

yardages are, for me:

HiBore XL Driver 265-285, sometimes bigger on drier days...

HiBore XLS 13* 3 wood 250 off tee, 240-245 fairway

16* XLS hybrid 220-230

19* XLS hybrid 195-215 can choke it to consistent 195 or full to 210-215

Adams 4 iron 190-200 and the rest on down....[/quote]

i see you dont have a problem with lack of distance
how do you find the 13* fairway?

ive always wanted to get a 3+ wood but have thought that i might not get enough height with it off of the fairway


GK

[QUOTE=Golf King]i see you dont have a problem with lack of distance
how do you find the 13* fairway?

ive always wanted to get a 3+ wood but have thought that i might not get enough height with it off of the fairway


GK[/QUOTE]
I have a launcher 13* that I'm actually trying to get rid of if you want it...but personal opinion is don't get it unless you need it for something specific the only reason i got it was so i could try and go at a long par 5 in 2 at my home course. It's just like a driver for me off the tee not any more accurate but doesn't go as far!

[quote=iWILLbeatU64]I have a launcher 13* that I'm actually trying to get rid of if you want it...but personal opinion is don't get it unless you need it for something specific the only reason i got it was so i could try and go at a long par 5 in 2 at my home course. It's just like a driver for me off the tee not any more accurate but doesn't go as far![/quote]

i dont think they are for me 'cause i used one of my firends one a couple of months ago and i just could'nt get enough height on it

sure it was still getting good distance but it wasnt landing soft enough to be able to stay on the green :eek:

I tried all those clubs too on an indoor ball launch monitor. I got a 2007 Cobra LD F Speed -- mostly because I think the Aldila shaft worked for my swing & swing speed. I agree with the previous posts that shafts make a huge difference and getting fitted is the best way to go.