James, try the wood driver with a ball from the same era (balata and wound rubber band construction) as I played 9 holes with those and my 1970's irons in my upcoming video. The ball has made much more difference in the game than the clubs since that time.
I took up the game in 1979. My first set of clubs were Golden Bears (Jack's label ). I wood, 3 wood, (all made of persimmon) 5 wood, 3-9 and PW. The irons were muscle back blades and I could hit the three iron 240 yards using a 100 compression balata ball. I chewed through the first set of woods, literally, as I had a tendency to heel the ball, but I could really play the irons. My next driver was a great honking Slazenger that I could get almost 300 yards out of. I didn't play a metal wood club until the mid 1980s. I still have a couple of sets of persimmon driver and fairway woods, which I sometimes pull out of the garage and play for giggles. I don't think I've ever enjoyed the game more than when I played that first set.
I have both of the first two drivers you started with in the video. I paid $30.00 for both of mine with second one chewing up most of that $30.00. My wooden driver was $10.00. The Acushnet was a dream driver in my youth. I still play the wooden ones from time to time with forged irons.
I still play the 910D2 and my Uncle had the TSR3 and I personally think they are SUPER similar except that the TSR is just better in every way. I wouldn’t say it’s like a jaw dropping difference though…
Really enjoy your channel, but I think one of the biggest problems today is that people are paying too much attention to numbers and forgetting to just play golf! These new launch monitors and thousands of videos telling you how important numbers are, really screw with people’s heads and game! You really are just getting small advantages by getting the “numbers” right with your clubs. Just grab some clubs you like the look and feel of and work on your game! Quit buying and chasing equipment that really isn’t going to make a bit of difference until you work on yourself!
James I started playing in 78 had a bad slice so my dad got me a crookshank driver , turned out to really suit my baseball grip . Got me down to 10 hcap , then as you do I changed to an interlocking grip and treated myself to ping woods and irons . Never improved hcap wise but remained very consistent for many years , watching this video just reminded me how well we used to play with these clubs .
Hi James I have bought golf clubs in the past my recent one was a Wilson 5 hybrid with a senior shaft price at £45.99 on the sight said head good shaft good grip good the grip was not good to me so changed it for a golf pride at American golf now feels really good
Makes you appreciate that Jack Nicklaus got 300 yards with a driver like the Titleist that you were hitting. I paid 35 bucks for my Hogan Radial Driver, mid 80s persimmon wood. I actually enjoy hitting it too. Surprisingly I can still get almost 200 yards out of it. I had the same club in high school.
There's a niche market for someone to bring out an old style liquid centre/balata ball for those old style trajectories. Fun to get one out occasionally! I do have some original Dunlop 65s, still wrapped, but I doubt the rubber still works the same way. (And I fancy an outing with my dad's 1970s blades, just for the hell of it...)
You’re correct about ball flight being easier these days. I had Wilson Staff clubs in the early 1980’s and my ball rolled hot and fast across the fairways far more than it was in the air back then. 😂👍😎
I used to play with a set of McGregors that were from the 70s or 80s at the latest, & to be honest, I used to hit that driver 350+ on the screws (I play at 5,100ft altitude, so factor that in). My Ping G-410 only goes about 15 yards longer, but it's far more difficult to hit a DOD with the Ping. All of this is why I love having the BRNR Mini Driver in my bag at 13.5° for a 2-wood.
I just did a comparative test with my 8 drivers: Peerless Peraimmon, Arnold Palmer Registered, 1972; 1979 Pittsburgh Persimon, steel driver, acquired new in 1982, Callaway Big Bertha Titanium High Loft, 2004; Callaway X 480 11 degree; Tommy Armour, 2021 /EVO3 Driver Sr f;ex (from complete set); Top Flight 2020 Gamer Sr flex; Tomy Armour 845 Max Sr flex. After field testing all, the best results for this 76 year old, very high handicapper came from the Big Bertha Titanium Hi Loft and the Tommy Armour 845 Max. My dispesion was actualy better with the Big Bertha, even though it is nearlsy 20 years old. Probably my swing is now about 12 mph lower than it was in 2005.
Hi James.. I have had my Cobra F 9 driver since Nov 2019 and still game it..Will till I hit the lotto or the head or shaft breaks...Thanks for your review....
Good video but I would really like to see the same shaft in the 983k as the newer drivers of today's, I also have a 983k 9.5 and like it, thinking about putting a newer shaft in it but as you know it doesn't have shaft adapters to try different ones right away, it's a pig and a poke hoping I get the right one, keep up the good work.
I got the TSi3 for around $220 on Callaway's preowned site. I've got some good deals on there over the years. Being in the US, I don't look around at GC4$ or golf bidder
Really enjoyed that video, thanks James. Golfers are apparently besotted by distance, at least, if the marketing hype is true. I have never been a long hitter but do hit it fairly straight. In the summer when the course is firm and the ball running an extra 20-30 yards do golfers shoot lower scores? Not in my experience. Would I pay £500 for a driver which goes about 5yds longer than my current model - nooooo. Consistency is the name of the game. I also think most golfers would improve their game by playing a ball with a lower compression which suits their club head speed as opposed to some leading brands with a 100% compression. Finally, how many golfers choose a ball which in tests has the best dispersion rate? Very few I would wager.
My guess would be that distance and dispersion would improve in a stepwise fashion as the size of the driver heads got larger. For heads of the same size, I'd suspect that the tech that goes into them really fight for small bits on the fringes. On average, my guess is about a yard per year difference.
This is the exact video I needed. As a owner of a 913 I've been wondering if the newer TS range was worth upgrading to. Probably not looking at the numbers.
@rossgerry8231 They're way before my time, I bought the complete set for 50 bucks on Facebook because they looked cool and they all have matching serial numbers. I've only ever hit the driver and the 2 iron just for amusement at the range.
I’m old enough to have played persimmon driver and woods back in the day. I could hit them quite a long way. My favourite brand was Hogan. I loved them but they didn’t carry very far and ran a long way. There is no doubt that modern equipment is easier. Between the metal heads, the centre is just as hot for them all. As soon as there was a rule for COR, all clubs have been made to the same limit imho. The difference is off centre hits. More modern clubs are better.
I own three 1970 McGregor Jack Nicklaus Golden Bear woods, 1, 3 and 5. My father won the full set when I was a kid, but he didn't play golf so they never got played, they are still in mint condition. No idea what happened to the irons. I've often been tempted to play them, but they're so pretty I cannot bring myself to do it.
James I’ve some Penfold Ace ball still in the original rappers unopened from 1965 to 70… It would be a fair challenge using balls from the same era as the clubs.. ask Rob Andrews to send you the pics.. Ian
Without seeing the rest of the video I reckon the gain from the Titleist wood driver to the latest metal version will be 35-40 yds. Of course, if you used a 1970s balata ball v a modern day ball the difference would be even greater. In 1980 Tom Purtzer was the longest average driver on the PGA Tour with 276yds, whereas today the longest would be 320yds plus - you do the maths.
Hey James great video it'll be great if you did the other golf brands as well like Taylormade especially the bubble shaft burner I mean just trying to give you a idea
Distance and no spin for Driver has become the go to stat these days. What happened to strategy and being able to shape a ball to suit the hole or the wind. I bet the old persimmon wood excels at playing big cuts and draws.
With advances in technology (both woods and balls), pretty sure there's at least 50 yard difference between persimmon and carbon/titanium. Courses seem to play much shorter today, even if they've been lengthened. And golf course conditions are much more uniform, so less skill required. Not enough penalty for inaccurate shots, particularly off the tee.
Io gioco ancora i miei primi bastoni (i burner della Taylor made) e non li riesco a cambiare (perche' sono ancora performanti )....vorrei ma dovrei fare prima un fitting perché quando li acquistai li presi su Consiglio del venditore ed essendo per neofiti andavano più che bene...e perché non so niente sul mio swing anche se sono arrivato a 17 di hcp...
I think the 1975 club’s ball flight was a little low, no offense. Too bad you couldn’t have found a solid persimmon wood, there is a difference between them and the laminate clubs.
Of all the years I played golf I played my best golf with a PGA Persimmon driver fitted with am Aldila HM40 Gold graphite shaft. My low round was 71 and my worst with that club was 79. I loved the fact those clubs punished a poor swing. You can get away with a lot with modern drivers🙄
I have a full set, 14 clubs from the 1970's. Putter, 3 iron to SW, 1,3,5 woods. I play them regularly for a change. Total cost Australian S18.50. That's 9.70 in pounds and condition is better as well. You were robbed mate.
James, I’m 61 years old my father started me in golf at age 10 I’ve played every single technology you just hit and it totally revitalized the reason Jack was a much better player than Tiger. Jack played with crap clubs and balls compared to the incredible technology that Tiger grew up on.
James, try the wood driver with a ball from the same era (balata and wound rubber band construction) as I played 9 holes with those and my 1970's irons in my upcoming video. The ball has made much more difference in the game than the clubs since that time.
James’s on the course voice is the one I’m used to. When he gets in the studio, I don’t know who that guy talking is. 😂
I took up the game in 1979. My first set of clubs were Golden Bears (Jack's label ). I wood, 3 wood, (all made of persimmon) 5 wood, 3-9 and PW. The irons were muscle back blades and I could hit the three iron 240 yards using a 100 compression balata ball. I chewed through the first set of woods, literally, as I had a tendency to heel the ball, but I could really play the irons. My next driver was a great honking Slazenger that I could get almost 300 yards out of. I didn't play a metal wood club until the mid 1980s. I still have a couple of sets of persimmon driver and fairway woods, which I sometimes pull out of the garage and play for giggles.
I don't think I've ever enjoyed the game more than when I played that first set.
My first professional driver was the 983k. I still miss that club. I upgraded to the 910 D2 and currently use the Tsi3.
I still have a 1970s Cobra Baffler 5 wood in my bag. There is nothing that compares to the feel of an actual wooden club.
I have both of the first two drivers you started with in the video. I paid $30.00 for both of mine with second one chewing up most of that $30.00. My wooden driver was $10.00. The Acushnet was a dream driver in my youth. I still play the wooden ones from time to time with forged irons.
I still play the 910D2 and my Uncle had the TSR3 and I personally think they are SUPER similar except that the TSR is just better in every way. I wouldn’t say it’s like a jaw dropping difference though…
Really enjoy your channel, but I think one of the biggest problems today is that people are paying too much attention to numbers and forgetting to just play golf! These new launch monitors and thousands of videos telling you how important numbers are, really screw with people’s heads and game! You really are just getting small advantages by getting the “numbers” right with your clubs. Just grab some clubs you like the look and feel of and work on your game! Quit buying and chasing equipment that really isn’t going to make a bit of difference until you work on yourself!
I'll take 275 yard drive every day if it means I can put it where I want vs 300+ and never know where it'll go
You are absolutely correct. 6 yards when hit by a robot is not worth $699.
Still take my 975D out for a spin once in a while. Still feels great.
Still using my Ping G2 that I bought maybe in 2005, looks great and I don't have an overwhelming need to replace it just to gain a few yards more .
James I started playing in 78 had a bad slice so my dad got me a crookshank driver , turned out to really suit my baseball grip . Got me down to 10 hcap , then as you do I changed to an interlocking grip and treated myself to ping woods and irons . Never improved hcap wise but remained very consistent for many years , watching this video just reminded me how well we used to play with these clubs .
Hi James I have bought golf clubs in the past my recent one was a Wilson 5 hybrid with a senior shaft price at £45.99 on the sight said head good shaft good grip good the grip was not good to me so changed it for a golf pride at American golf now feels really good
Makes you appreciate that Jack Nicklaus got 300 yards with a driver like the Titleist that you were hitting.
I paid 35 bucks for my Hogan Radial Driver, mid 80s persimmon wood. I actually enjoy hitting it too. Surprisingly I can still get almost 200 yards out of it. I had the same club in high school.
Well done James 👏 we used the taylormade burner in steel shaft
There's a niche market for someone to bring out an old style liquid centre/balata ball for those old style trajectories. Fun to get one out occasionally! I do have some original Dunlop 65s, still wrapped, but I doubt the rubber still works the same way.
(And I fancy an outing with my dad's 1970s blades, just for the hell of it...)
You’re correct about ball flight being easier these days. I had Wilson Staff clubs in the early 1980’s and my ball rolled hot and fast across the fairways far more than it was in the air back then. 😂👍😎
I still remember gaming a wooden driver back in the early nineties 😂😂, awesome video comparing the drivers
For almost 15 years, i played a persimmon 5 wood. For a reason, it was almost an automatic 180 yards and straight.
Great video James, I'm playing with a Taylormade R15 and hitting it past the guys in my group using new drivers.
983 K and PT15 boom, bag is ready ( put ventus 60X at 45, ventus 70x red ) no lost of distance
My first ever driver was a Titleist similar to the wooden one you tested. Zero forgiveness, but went well when hit properly.
I played the Hogan brand woods. They were not persimmon but laminated. Very accurate but I had a hard time not fading them.
I used to play with a set of McGregors that were from the 70s or 80s at the latest, & to be honest, I used to hit that driver 350+ on the screws (I play at 5,100ft altitude, so factor that in). My Ping G-410 only goes about 15 yards longer, but it's far more difficult to hit a DOD with the Ping. All of this is why I love having the BRNR Mini Driver in my bag at 13.5° for a 2-wood.
Yeah, same here. I only hit my modern driver about 360 at sea level. A big slacker if you ask me...
I just did a comparative test with my 8 drivers: Peerless Peraimmon, Arnold Palmer Registered, 1972; 1979 Pittsburgh Persimon, steel driver, acquired new in 1982, Callaway Big Bertha Titanium High Loft, 2004; Callaway X 480 11 degree; Tommy Armour, 2021 /EVO3 Driver Sr f;ex (from complete set); Top Flight 2020 Gamer Sr flex; Tomy Armour 845 Max Sr flex. After field testing all, the best results for this 76 year old, very high handicapper came from the Big Bertha Titanium Hi Loft and the Tommy Armour 845 Max. My dispesion was actualy better with the Big Bertha, even though it is nearlsy 20 years old. Probably my swing is now about 12 mph lower than it was in 2005.
This was awesome James.
Provides a great perspective
I like this James. I’d love to see a series of playing with retro clubs
Hi James.. I have had my Cobra F 9 driver since Nov 2019 and still game it..Will till I hit the lotto or the head or shaft breaks...Thanks for your review....
Cool video mate. You should do a few full set rounds and use clubs from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000 with matching balls
I know much hasn’t changed since Taylormade’s R9 as far as forgiveness, distance and adjustability.
Good video but I would really like to see the same shaft in the 983k as the newer drivers of today's, I also have a 983k 9.5 and like it, thinking about putting a newer shaft in it but as you know it doesn't have shaft adapters to try different ones right away, it's a pig and a poke hoping I get the right one, keep up the good work.
I got the TSi3 for around $220 on Callaway's preowned site. I've got some good deals on there over the years. Being in the US, I don't look around at GC4$ or golf bidder
Really enjoyed that video, thanks James. Golfers are apparently besotted by distance, at least, if the marketing hype is true. I have never been a long hitter but do hit it fairly straight. In the summer when the course is firm and the ball running an extra 20-30 yards do golfers shoot lower scores? Not in my experience. Would I pay £500 for a driver which goes about 5yds longer than my current model - nooooo. Consistency is the name of the game. I also think most golfers would improve their game by playing a ball with a lower compression which suits their club head speed as opposed to some leading brands with a 100% compression. Finally, how many golfers choose a ball which in tests has the best dispersion rate? Very few I would wager.
James good video and good information and showing you don’t have to pay a boat load of money. Where is Foxy?
Wish you would have added one more driver. When Titleist changed to TS. Any real distance between that and TSR
My guess would be that distance and dispersion would improve in a stepwise fashion as the size of the driver heads got larger. For heads of the same size, I'd suspect that the tech that goes into them really fight for small bits on the fringes. On average, my guess is about a yard per year difference.
This is the exact video I needed. As a owner of a 913 I've been wondering if the newer TS range was worth upgrading to. Probably not looking at the numbers.
If I were close enough I'd loan you my full set of 1973 Walter Hagen Haig Ultra clubs (1,3,4,5 woods, 2i-9i) for a few days just to mess around with.
my buddy had those irons! they had a sharp leading edge if memory serves? I played the wilson staff Tour blades...
@rossgerry8231 They're way before my time, I bought the complete set for 50 bucks on Facebook because they looked cool and they all have matching serial numbers. I've only ever hit the driver and the 2 iron just for amusement at the range.
Play 18 holes with that 983K driver or a 975, then you get some 680 Titleist blades 👍
I used to love my old persimmon driver, use the TSi3 now.. P. S. Jaws came out in 1975 😉
Brilliant stuff James. Love your content mate. Keep up the excellent work & keep progressing pal.
I’m old enough to have played persimmon driver and woods back in the day. I could hit them quite a long way. My favourite brand was Hogan. I loved them but they didn’t carry very far and ran a long way.
There is no doubt that modern equipment is easier.
Between the metal heads, the centre is just as hot for them all. As soon as there was a rule for COR, all clubs have been made to the same limit imho. The difference is off centre hits. More modern clubs are better.
There's no metal / composite driver that sounds as good as a wooden one. A "whack" as opposed to a "tink."
I own three 1970 McGregor Jack Nicklaus Golden Bear woods, 1, 3 and 5. My father won the full set when I was a kid, but he didn't play golf so they never got played, they are still in mint condition. No idea what happened to the irons. I've often been tempted to play them, but they're so pretty I cannot bring myself to do it.
Jack Nicklaus Slazenger VIP 1 1/2 wood was my first driver,,,close enough in distance to my TSI3 But nowhere near as forgiving.
James I’ve some Penfold Ace ball still in the original rappers unopened from 1965 to 70… It would be a fair challenge using balls from the same era as the clubs.. ask Rob Andrews to send you the pics.. Ian
Very interesting comparison. There is not so much difference between the three metal woods.
Even the old wood gives good results.
I have a 910 H hybrid & 917 D2 still in bag feel comfy still & 875 behind front door just incase 😂
Without seeing the rest of the video I reckon the gain from the Titleist wood driver to the latest metal version will be 35-40 yds. Of course, if you used a 1970s balata ball v a modern day ball the difference would be even greater. In 1980 Tom Purtzer was the longest average driver on the PGA Tour with 276yds, whereas today the longest would be 320yds plus - you do the maths.
Not bad for the older clubs especially considering how much longer the shafts are in the more modern clubs compared to the old school clubs
Hey James great video it'll be great if you did the other golf brands as well like Taylormade especially the bubble shaft burner I mean just trying to give you a idea
Wish I still had my 1997 Taylormade Ti bubble shaft.
I’m tempted to find an old 90s burner that’s about 11* and put a modern shaft in it and make it a mini driver. 😂
@@miguelaniceto7296 I was tempted the same for the titanium 9.5 degree.
Nick Faldo visited Broadstone and tried to purchase McGregor key hole driver for a huge amount.
Distance and no spin for Driver has become the go to stat these days. What happened to strategy and being able to shape a ball to suit the hole or the wind. I bet the old persimmon wood excels at playing big cuts and draws.
With advances in technology (both woods and balls), pretty sure there's at least 50 yard difference between persimmon and carbon/titanium. Courses seem to play much shorter today, even if they've been lengthened. And golf course conditions are much more uniform, so less skill required. Not enough penalty for inaccurate shots, particularly off the tee.
Its the ball. Using ball for each era, true difference in distance more like 50 yrds.
Io gioco ancora i miei primi bastoni (i burner della Taylor made) e non li riesco a cambiare (perche' sono ancora performanti )....vorrei ma dovrei fare prima un fitting perché quando li acquistai li presi su Consiglio del venditore ed essendo per neofiti andavano più che bene...e perché non so niente sul mio swing anche se sono arrivato a 17 di hcp...
This is Cool Video showing Differences in Technology. 1 Wood cost $50?
I think the 1975 club’s ball flight was a little low, no offense. Too bad you couldn’t have found a solid persimmon wood, there is a difference between them and the laminate clubs.
Of all the years I played golf I played my best golf with a PGA Persimmon driver fitted with am Aldila HM40 Gold graphite shaft.
My low round was 71 and my worst with that club was 79.
I loved the fact those clubs punished a poor swing. You can get away with a lot with modern drivers🙄
£10 for the old wooden wood. $3 at Goodwill.
I still use my 983K driver, I hit a 299 metre drive last Friday, I see no reason to change…..
Would assume about 30yds in total from all those years.
“The numbers were NOT interesting” they’re exactly what I thought they’d be. Along without everyone else I’m sure.
I still play the 983k.. fujikura speeder which I can smash
I had the 907, 910, 913, 915 and 917. 917 was short and spinny.
But, you are a proper golfer. How would this test have gone with an 18 handicap who rarely finds the centre.
Before even finishing the video I"m going to guess 40 yards of carry minimum. 1970 to the Tsr series
Loved this
Titleist is the gold standard of golf clubs .
£25 for the acushnet?
“You don’t have to go out and spend 500-600 on the latest and greatest”
Coming from the guy with a 500+ Paradym in his bag.
I was born in 1975 lol.. I had to grow up playing 1975 Bert Yancy blades with a tiny 2 iron as a driver. 😊 that will teach what not to do quick.
My driver is still the 983k 9.5°... has it really been 20 years? 😮😅
1:51
Titleist, 983K still the best driver ever made in my opinion.
10$ for the old Titleist?
Seems like the pattern is more forgiveness = bigger sweet spot = bigger face
👍👍👍
In the US, you can't give the wooden headed drivers away.
Full 18
15 bucks not a penny more
Shame you didn’t have a ball from 1975
I guess 30 pounds
Man I’m 8 minutes in & you’ve hit 1 ball with 4 clubs. Just too much talking for testing 4 clubs against eachother.
I have a full set, 14 clubs from the 1970's. Putter, 3 iron to SW, 1,3,5 woods. I play them regularly for a change. Total cost Australian S18.50. That's 9.70 in pounds and condition is better as well. You were robbed mate.
James you can't have someone doing a voice over jesus. At least not pretending to be you
The achusnet is laminated a proper wood 🪵 better with solid block persimmon head . Cracking old clubs
James, I’m 61 years old my father started me in golf at age 10 I’ve played every single technology you just hit and it totally revitalized the reason Jack was a much better player than Tiger. Jack played with crap clubs and balls compared to the incredible technology that Tiger grew up on.