do drivers wear out?

[martyepp]

I'm just curious...do drivers wear out? I have a Taylor Made Burner Bubble, s90, circa 2000. I've never been a long hitter, for whatever reason, and I've always wondered if maybe i needed a different driver.

[golfaholic]

I would recommend upgrading.

The newest isn't necessary, but you're defiantly well behind the times.

[Pky6471]

I'm just curious...do drivers wear out? I have a Taylor Made Burner Bubble, s90, circa 2000. I've never been a long hitter, for whatever reason, and I've always wondered if maybe i needed a different driver.

460cc driver head could be more forgiving, but it's tough to tell because I can hit my 2004 BB 360cc head as well as the 460cc TEE head ... new shaft technology definitely helps... Go ahead and try a few

[SDB1]

To answer your question, yes. Drivers can wear out. This is more common with players that have higher clubhead speeds. The face basically goes flat and loses it's COR. Repeated impact with a golf ball can weaken and distort the thin walled face and can greatly reduce performance. In extreme cases a driver will experience a complete failure or cracked face. All of this depends on the way the product was manufactured and to what types of tolerences.

[martyepp]

perhaps this might explain, to a degree, why i hit my adams tight lies 3 wood as long as my BB. but, then, my "tight lies" is no spring chicken either.

[mongrel]

I bought my first metal headed wood in 1979, a 9 degree Taylor "Pittsburgh Persimmon." I beat thousands of balls with it at the range and played a goodly number of rounds with it until one day something didn't feel right because the ball was going left-right-high-low with what felt like the same solid sweet-spot contact. The range proprietor from whom I bought the club new looked at it with his magnifying glass putting a machinist's metal ruler across the face and saw that the face had collapsed a quarter inch inward from its original shape. It took a couple of weeks but Taylor sent a new one to me. It was the second generation without the "Pittsburgh Persimmon" written on the head and was not as good as the original.

[famousdavis]

I'm just curious...do drivers wear out? I have a Taylor Made Burner Bubble, s90, circa 2000. I've never been a long hitter, for whatever reason, and I've always wondered if maybe i needed a different driver.

Why would you still be playing that club when you could go to Play it Again sports and get a newer one for maybe $30? I think you need to ask yourself why you're such a cheap SOB.

[daveperkins]

Yes, drivers wear out. Old ones wear out, but the newer designs do as well, because of face thinness (as others have mentioned).

I'd bet a ten year old driver isn't at its best. I am considering replacing the head on my HiBore XL driver, just cuz it's almost four years old and I hit it pretty hard. :-)

[SDB1]

Yes, drivers wear out. Old ones wear out, but the newer designs do as well, because of face thinness (as others have mentioned).

I'd bet a ten year old driver isn't at its best. I am considering replacing the head on my HiBore XL driver, just cuz it's almost four years old and I hit it pretty hard. :-)

The cool thing is you can get brand new XL 9.5 drivers for $100 or less right now on closeout!

[famousdavis]

The cool thing is you can get brand new XL 9.5 drivers for $100 or less right now on closeout!

Not only that but you can use the top of the driver as a soup bowl.

[SDB1]

Not only that but you can use the top of the driver as a soup bowl.

Since the release of the square driver HiBores are off the hook as being the ugliest clubs available!

[Kiwi Player]

Not only that but you can use the top of the driver as a soup bowl.

I call BS. Everyone knows it's a soup ladle.

[famousdavis]

I call BS. It's a soup ladle.

Actually, you could use the original hibore driver as the ladle and then the hibore XLS as the soup bowl. I don't know, I think I'd rather play a square driver than the hibore.

[Kiwi Player]

Actually, you could use the original hibore driver as the ladle and then the hibore XLS as the soup bowl. I don't know, I think I'd rather play a square driver than the hibore.

If it performed I guess you could get used to the look of that monstrosity but I demoed one once and thought it felt terrible compared to my 460 Launcher. Don't even get me started on that square Callaway FTi POS.

[famousdavis]

If it performed I guess you could get used to the look of that monstrosity but I demoed one once and thought it felt terrible compared to my 460 Launcher. Don't even get me started on that square Callaway FTi POS.

The 460 launcher is one of the best looking and best performing drivers of all time. The 460 Ti was even better looking with a darker head and dark blue shaft. A true sleeper. The hibore is an abomination and should only be used for hunting prarie dogs.

[SDB1]

The 460 launcher is one of the best looking and best performing drivers of all time. The 460 Ti was even better looking with a darker head and dark blue shaft. A true sleeper. The hibore is an abomination and should only be used for hunting prarie dogs.

I owned both of those. The original HiBore was garbage. The XL is my favorite. It is better better than the earlier Launcher 460 Comp(my previous favorite). The XLS is just a really ugly XL and the Monster is just downright disgusting! The newer Launcher was passable and then they screwed it up with the DST.

[famousdavis]

I tend to wear out irons a lot faster than other people because I hit the ball in the exact same location every single time. Four years ago I was observing the face of my 8 iron. It appeared as though letters were starting to appear on the face. 2 years later I took another close look at the face and I could clearly read the word Titleist spelled backwards.

[Kiwi Player]

I tend to wear out irons a lot faster than other people because I hit the ball in the exact same location every single time. Four years ago I was observing the hosel of my 8 iron. It appeared as though letters were starting to appear on it. 2 years later I took another close look at the hosel and I could clearly read the word Titleist spelled backwards.

That must've looked pretty cool grooved into the hosel.

[famousdavis]

That must've looked pretty cool grooved into the hosel.

All of my irons read "famousdavis" down the hosel in 24k gold.

[SoonerBS]

I am anticipating FON coming in and posting the egg carton full of broken balls again . . . .

[daveperkins]

I owned both of those. The original HiBore was garbage. The XL is my favorite. It is better better than the earlier Launcher 460 Comp(my previous favorite). The XLS is just a really ugly XL and the Monster is just downright disgusting! The newer Launcher was passable and then they screwed it up with the DST.

COMPLETELY agree. The original HiBore was a backspin machine, couldn't hit it out of my own shadow. Pros hated it and Cleveland had to make a new one.

The HiBore XL is a solid sounding, great feeling, perfect launching (with the right shaft of course) driving machine. You get over the looks quickly, because it feels and hits so dammn well.

I haven't even TRIED the new big ones though. I have the hybrids and the strong 3 wood in XLS, but the heads are so much smaller that the design is more a brand badge than a feat of engineering. But the XLS and the Monster just don't look right to me. I'd switch to a Launcher head before I went to XLS in the driver.

hit some today, just could not MISS with the 13* three wood with the X flex. Bangin'. Driver good too... I might have to get on the course again... with my new 64* Adams flop wedge the golf course will beg me to stop thrashing it! :-)

[famousdavis]

COMPLETELY agree. The original HiBore was a backspin machine, couldn't hit it out of my own shadow. Pros hated it and Cleveland had to make a new one.

The HiBore XL is a solid sounding, great feeling, perfect launching (with the right shaft of course) driving machine. You get over the looks quickly, because it feels and hits so dammn well.

I haven't even TRIED the new big ones though. I have the hybrids and the strong 3 wood in XLS, but the heads are so much smaller that the design is more a brand badge than a feat of engineering. But the XLS and the Monster just don't look right to me. I'd switch to a Launcher head before I went to XLS in the driver.

hit some today, just could not MISS with the 13* three wood with the X flex. Bangin'. Driver good too... I might have to get on the course again... with my new 64* Adams flop wedge the golf course will beg me to stop thrashing it! :-)

Could you please stop calling it a flop wedge?

[daveperkins]

That must've looked pretty cool grooved into the hosel.

POTD without a doubt

[famousdavis]

POTD without a doubt

What is POTD?

[Home-slicer]

What is POTD?

Post of the day.

[famousdavis]

Post of the day.

My questions "what is POTD" is post of the day?

[Home-slicer]

My questions "what is POTD" is post of the day?

We had an irony thread one time. It got me so confused that I'm not sure if this should be in that thread or not, which in itself is ironic....I think.

[daveperkins]

My questions "what is POTD" is post of the day?

for those having trouble keeping up...


when "POTD" is called, the POTD is the post that is quoted above the call for "POTD".

something about Titleist being grooved into the Hosel of your irons, I think. ;-)

[Kiwi Player]

I am anticipating FON coming in and posting the egg carton full of broken balls again . . . .

Yeah like THAT proves anything.

I'm sure if we all hung around a driving range for a few hours we'd all be able to collect an egg carton of balls to post on the internet and brag about.

[daveperkins]

Could you please stop calling it a flop wedge?

No.

That is all.

[Kiwi Player]

Could you please stop calling it a flop wedge?

What else can you call it? All the other names are taken.

Gap wedge 50-52* - Taken
Sand wedge 54-56* - Taken
Lob wedge 58-60* - Taken
X Wedge 64* - Pelz calls it an X Wedge which automatically rules out this option.

Yes folks, 64* Flop wedge it is.

[Jeff_h]

What else can you call it? All the other names are taken.

Gap wedge 50-52* - Taken
Sand wedge 54-56* - Taken
Lob wedge 58-60* - Taken
X Wedge 64* - Pelz calls it an X Wedge which automatically rules out this option.

Yes folks, 64* Flop wedge it is.

Why can't we call it a flat wedge?

[Kiwi Player]

Why can't we call it a flat wedge?

As in short for "Flat Out Stupid" wedge then I agree.

Can't understand anyone wanting a 64* wedge myself.

[Not a hacker]

I call BS on all this talk of drivers wearing out. Sure the face integrity may weaken over time and possible eventually cave in, but I don't buy this talk of the performance being affected by wear and tear. This notion of the face wearing out is almost as ridculous as the myth that shafts lose their flex over time. If the face of your driver hasn't caved in, it will play as well as the day you got it.

[Jeff_h]

As in short for "Flat Out Stupid" wedge then I agree.

Can't understand anyone wanting a 64* wedge myself.

I played around with ultra high loft wedges for a short while a few years ago.

I had a 56/12 sand wedge lying around and bent it to 68 just for kicks. Couldn't do anything with it except hit low line drives with the bounce all the way up to 24 degrees.

So I grabbed a .350" driver shaft and experimented. It fit fine with the .355" taper hosel.

Sold the concept to Cleveland.

They called it the Hi-Bore or some stupid sh!t.

[Horseballs]

I call BS on all this talk of drivers wearing out. Sure the face integrity may weaken over time and possible eventually cave in, but I don't buy this talk of the performance being affected by wear and tear. This notion of the face wearing out is almost as ridculous as the myth that shafts lose their flex over time. If the face of your driver hasn't caved in, it will play as well as the day you got it.

I know they used to deform a bit with older clubs. I had a Cleveland Quadpro driver about 10 years ago that lost its pop. I was in a golf store doing a comparison with other drivers and the dude who worked their put a business card both horizontally and vertically on the face of my driver and a new Quadpro. Mine had lost a bit of the bulge and roll. Don't know if it happens nowadays very often.

[tweaky]

if you're not swinging faster than 105mph consistently then it's highly unlikely that you are weakening the titanium, but, then I'm not a metallurgist.

[Not a hacker]

if you're not swinging faster than 105mph consistently then it's highly unlikely that you are weakening the titanium, but, then I'm not a metallurgist.

Lacking formal qualifications, training, or even a remote subject knowledge should not deter you from posting sweeeping statements. This is a golf discussion forum, theories here do not need to be backed up by logic or evidence.

[tweaky]

Lacking formal qualifications, training, or even a remote subject knowledge should not deter you from posting sweeeping statements. This is a golf discussion forum, theories here do not need to be backed up by logic or evidence.

thanks, I was a bit concerned that I might come off as a bigger dipsh!t than I really am.

[famousdavis]

thanks, I was a bit concerned that I might come off as a bigger dipsh!t than I really am.

Your concerns are materializing.

[Steelman]

Metal fatigue can occur in drivers after a period of time. It's just like if you take a piece of any metal item that can be flexed somewhat and keep bending it back and forth. Eventually metal fatigue sets in and it gets weaker. Same with a driver. How long this takes is anyone's guess but it is real.

[lorenzoinoc]

Metal fatigue can occur in drivers after a period of time. It's just like if you take a piece of any metal item that can be flexed somewhat and keep bending it back and forth. Eventually metal fatigue sets in and it gets weaker. Same with a driver. How long this takes is anyone's guess but it is real.

I've occasionally worried about the effects of bending them back and forth alot. Over time they can get stretched out a bit from the pounding and require replacement. I always seem to be looking for potential replacements, but then I'm single.

[Steelman]

I've occasionally worried about the effects of bending them back and forth alot. Over time they can get stretched out a bit from the pounding and require replacement.

Logic would dictate too that hard as hell range balls would do more damage than say a standard Pro V1 ball or balls softer than that.

[lorenzoinoc]

Logic would dictate too that hard as hell range balls would do more damage than say a standard Pro V1 ball or balls softer than that.

Jeez, I'd hate to have to hit them with golf balls, but if that what it takes to make them go away.....

[jt1135]

Just like a stray dog. Feed it once and the damn thing won't go away.