Well I got the SMT Deep Bore with Rifle flighted 65 gram graphite @ 44.5" long

First impressions

Looks good although 455cc's does not appear huge
no grooves looks good aswell
build and finish look great.

on the course

1st day

incredibly dissapointing lost at least 40 on average in comparison to the Mellow Yellow and did not gain in accuracy
only positive thing wasball flight was ok
Very dissapointed to the point of just tossing into the cupboard and not looking at it again but then thought that as it was very cold and I was using old balls maybe there was something in that.

Day two (today)

Went to the course with the head low and dissapointment high

results distance wise only slightly better then yesterday but still less then the Haweye I used on the weekend.

changed my stance a few times slicing the ears off it and got it a straighter distance a little better
Teed it up higher and got more consistant but still shorter then the Mellow Yellow.

at this staged I was a %$# off and thought time to load up and smash it and finally the distance came but just as far as the Mellow Yellow
The only way to get this club to go is to swing as hard as possible it is not a club that can be swung easy, I have hit what I thought were good drives that were 30 less were I would be with other drivers.

The club feels really harsh to hit not at all smooth, not a nice feeling club at all.

on the whole very dissapointed with the SMT will probably offload as soon as possible and replace with a hawkeye (only missed one fairway) all weekend with it.

mate, sounds like you just need to re-shaft the club :?

what shaft was in the

mellow yellow

:?:

Yeah the Rifle 65 gram shaft sucks! Get a REAL shaft!

My Deep Bore with the NV is the best combo I've ever hit.

[quote="Ben"]Yeah the Rifle 65 gram shaft sucks! Get a REAL shaft!

Thanks Ben I feel even better now

just suprised that the club feels so bad given that the shaft is set up so similar to what I had in the yellow ( I tipped it in the yellow and put it in full bore in the SMT)

chuck an

NV

... it'll feel like a totally different animal 8)

I hit an

SMT 455DB

and it was awesome :!: 8O

nearly as long as my

300Tour

w/speeder 757 :wink:

I haven't used an SMT driver before so I can't comment on that but I have used both shafts and I don't think that changing from a rifle to an NV is going to make that much difference.

I do think that the NV is a better shaft (even though mine snapped :evil: ) but if you are that disappointed in the driver, changing shafts is not going to make it that much better.

prmeier,

gotta disagree with you there. Its the shaft that makes the driver. My NV feels and performs totally different to my Pro Launch 65 R... and I mean totally different. The prolaunch feels like I really have to work the club in order to get it to go anywhere, where the NV isa very smooth shaft where I don't feel like I have to hit the ball. The response from the head is also totally different.

I just pulled a complete set of MAS 2 shafts from a set of Taylor Made R500 clubs (drivers, 3 x woods, resuces and irons) and put in TX90 shafts. The guy had replaced one with the TX90 to try it and he couldn't believe the difference and how much better he hit the ball. (and for all those who thinks OEM's are on spec his irons swing weight ranged from C8-D2 before they were pulled which should not be acceptable in any "premium" golf club).

Oh well - that's why there are so many different club manufacturers!

prmeier,

gotta disagree with you there.  Its the shaft that makes the driver.  

Ben,

You have any experience with ACCUFLEX Icon V-2 tour series shafts?

prmeier,

gotta disagree with you there.  Its the shaft that makes the driver.

Sorry Ben, gotta disagree with you there 8) . The shaft and the driver must work together. A rubbish shaft and great head = rubbish club and a great shaft and rubbish head = rubbish club.

I thought Naragah was saying that he liked the rifle shaft in another head but not in the SMT. My point was that spending the money on changing the shaft to a different one may not help as he already likes the rifle shaft. The shaft is certainly not going to make up the 30 metres in distance he has lost. I have used the rifle in a VS88(?) head and while not as long as what I am currently using, it still went very well. Just to loud for my tastes.

It sounds to me from his description that the shaft is simply to stiff. He is not loading it unless he really swings at it and that is not the way it should be.

It sounds to me from his description that the shaft is simply to stiff. He is not loading it unless he really swings at it and that is not the way it should be.

Hey Prmeir,

I reckon the two statements you made above contradict each other quite nicley. I disagree with no 1 quite violently but think you are spot on with number 2.

My experience with the 455 was that you can hit some big slices with it (related to the physics of very large club heads). Add to that a shaft that in a deep bore head is way to stiff and I have no doubt that a distance loss of 30 metres would be on the cards.

The 455 is in the experience of an enormous number of people an extremely long club head -whether you actually like playing with it is another question entirely.

The thing with this purchase is that it was carefully thought out. I have
used the Rifle 65 shaft in other drivers and they have worked well. It's a
light, low torque shaft. I can't see why it sucks. I went for it because I
know it works for me. Choosing another shaft would have been far more of a
gamble than using the Rifle.
I took into account the fact that it is a deep bore and got the appropriate
flex.
In comparison to the Mellow Yellow, which is 14 deg and similar head size,
with the same shaft, but tipped firm, it is not as good.This is a very fair
comparison. I currently also have a Soo long 12 degree with an Idrive shaft
and am using a hawkeye with a firm shaft and they are all going better.
There are a heap of NV shafts. You can't say that any one of them will work
better than the Rifle. The NV in the same specs as the Rifle that I have has
higher torque. Anyway the many things to look for in a shaft are it's
characteristics such as, weight, flex and torque and especially whether it
suits the player buying it.

I have to wonder why, if the shaft is so completely totally important, to the
point that it makes the driver, why pay a lot of money for the head?

Why would one shaft of approx 65 grams, reg flex and low torque be so much
more suitable than another with the same characteristics.

I have to wonder why, if the shaft is so completely totally important, to the  
point that it makes the driver, why pay a lot of money for the head?  

that is an excellent question! We have had awesome results from the cheaper hireko heads, but the SMT heads are made in a specific way which makes them the same every time which means more consistancy in the heads.

As for a shaft with the same specs... they are all different. The stiffness in the butt or tip could effect the shaft. If could be a fillament wound shaft, or it may not have us much fibre in it as another shaft.. all of these contribute to how a shaft performs.

prmeier

the shaft has the most influence (beside the swinger ) on the performance of a golf club. You can have an average head, and a shaft that suits the swinger and yes, you will have an excellent club. You can have the best head an average club and you will only ever have an average golf club.

I think you guys are missing my point :roll: :wink: . I have nothing but respect for the SMT heads . I actually intend to get one of the new model drivers (not sure which one yet, possibly an O2) and a Solitaire fairway wood once I sell the driver and RM I have for sale. I also think the NV is a great shaft. When mine snapped, I tried to get another one but couldn't on short notice so I went for the Blue which I also think is a great shaft. Bit more muted feel than the NV but similar ballflight and distance.

What I am getting at is that if the shaft is set up correctly, then Naragah is not going to get 30 metres more out of a NV than from a Rifle. From Naragah's description he is using a shaft that he has had good success with before and as such it should not be a problem unless it is not set up correctly for him. You can give me your favourite head and I can put in a great shaft and you will not like it unless it is set up to suit you. Whether it is an NV or a Rifle, to stiff or to soft will give you problems.

I think he should be looking at getting the shaft setup correctly for him, whichever shaft he chooses and not just put a different shaft in that is setup the same. If it is setup the same, it will probably give him the same result. I think he needs to go softer as the combo he's got sounds like it is to stiff for him.

Ben, I think from what you said at the end is exactly what I'm saying. Having the shaft set up for correctly is more important than putting in an expensive shaft. A cheap shaft set up correctly is better than an expensive shaft that is not set up correctly.

Sorry about the length guys :oops: .

What loft is the SMT, Naragah?

prmeier

- a question that shows my ignorance - but how is a shaft set up correctly? Is it a spine thing?

The loft of the SMT is 12° I am going to try some different shafts ...Thanks Ben

Hopefully this will make some difference the proof will be in the testing. :wink:

prmeier - a question that shows my ignorance - but how is a shaft set up correctly? Is it a spine thing?

When I say set up correctly I mean getting a shaft that is matched to your swing. This involves a number of things including weight, flex, kickpoint, torque, length, grip size. I have used shafts that have been spined and that haven't been spined and I can't say that I can tell the difference but a lot of players/clubmakers swear by it. I think that I'm just not a good enough player to tell the difference. :cry:

As far as this info and info about spining I'm sure that Ben can help you out much better than I can. 8)

it's got something to do about how the clubhead dips just at the POI...

I read about it in a circular...and the deflection angle is minor...and with the big headed drivers of today...anyway you can catch the ball on the clubface - it's not gonna make a difference...

it will to the pros tho...coz they can swing it on the right path...