I'm not one to upgrade my clubs very often, in fact I'm still using my Hogan BH-5 irons...but that's another discussion for another day.

I purchased a G430 (Alta CB 55 Stiff shaft) back in March of this year after getting 15 solid years of use from my Cally Bertha 460 (10-degree loft). I loved that club because I was able to shape my drives and hit dead straight piss missiles but I began to notice a big loss in total distance (280 yds max).

This is my first adjustable driver which I have kept at the factory settings in order to get comfortable (Hosel Neutral @ 0 degrees and Neutral for Fade/Draw). After a few trips to the range and approx. 20 rounds of golf, I've settled in to lining my drives towards the Toe of the clubhead which is consistently giving me a long gradual fade with 300-315yds total distance.

It seems like there is a lot more untapped potential from this club. Mainly, I'd like to even my capabilities to shape my drives with more draws. Have any of y'all worked through this learning curve on the adjustable drivers before? Should I start at the range by going to the Draw setting?

I guess my question is if y'all have a particular preference when you dial in a club from the X or Y Axis first? None of the youtube videos I've watched seem to shed any light on this to me. Granted, I am a very slow learner.

https://ping.com/en-us/golf-clubs/drivers/g430-max-driver

I think for someone that can shape shots it seems like it would be best to leave the face neutral. I've never adjusted my clubs for draw or fade bias, but I have adjusted them for loft. I want to see my ball flight then adjust up or down from the standard degree of the driver. For me, I have a low trajectory, so I adjusted my last two drivers +1 degree to bring my flight up.

Others can chime in, but I've always felt the draw or fade settings were to correct a swing that someone can't change themselves. Example, a guy that can't stop slicing, change the setting to help him close the face. If you can work the ball either way, then I would leave the face at neutral.

in theory yes, but a lot of woods these days are already have a draw bias even in the neutral setting.

If you adjust the loft, you are also adjusting the face angle. Adding loft will make it more draw biased, less loft more fade biased. Shifting it to flat will also make it more fade biased. So if you want to add loft but not have it become as draw biased as the face closes a bit, you could either add the loft in the flat section or adjust the weight to fade biased.

Ghost of Pedro Flores said:

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You hit a consistent baby fade 300-315 and you're looking to "squeeze" more out of that by hitting a draw?!? Good luck my friend…

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Exactly, If I can't bend my shots "a la izqueirda" then I'm never going to get any better. I want to attack dog legs to the left.

Enrico Pallazzo said:

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If you adjust the loft, you are also adjusting the face angle. Adding loft will make it more draw biased, less loft more fade biased. Shifting it to flat will also make it more fade biased. So if you want to add loft but not have it become as draw biased as the face closes a bit, you could either add the loft in the flat section or adjust the weight to fade biased.

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Thank you, Enrico & Dargel. I can take that to the range.

TheDecadeSapling said:

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AgFrogfan said:

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Ghost of Pedro Flores said:

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You hit a consistent baby fade 300-315 and you're looking to "squeeze" more out of that by hitting a draw?!? Good luck my friend…

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Exactly, If I can't bend my shots "a la izqueirda" then I'm never going to get any better. I want to attack dog legs to the left.

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are your drives consistently in the fairway? If they are, I'd leave my driver settings alone, play the fade and just work on my irons.

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Yes, they are but I do have 2-3 per round that end up a little rough. I changed the tungsten weight to the Draw setting to see what that does at the range. Waiting on these storms to pass through before I head over to Waterchase.

I've been playing Shady Valley CC the last couple of months as a guest (8-10 Rounds total). It's only 6,600 from the blues (tips) but it is a very narrow and challenging layout. I've never bothered with finding out my handicap but my golf buddy thinks I'm right around an 11 currently (he is an 8).

I hear ya on the irons...can't ever get enough practice with those!

Forgot I had a scale that measures grams. Tungsten weight and screw, measures at 25 grams.

Factory Head Weight is 206.0g according to the website. This one registers a mite less. I think I'll leave the weight off first and see where that leaves me…

It's going to change your swing weight by 12.5 points which is massive, going from D3 to C0/1. Gonna feel weird AF

Enrico Pallazzo said:

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It's going to change your swing weight by 12.5 points which is massive, going from D3 to C0/1. Gonna feel weird AF

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This right here. That's a huge change in swing weight.

i love a great flex when I read it.

That being said, my personal preference is to keep things neutral with equipment and work on the only two things that shape the ball - club path and face relative to path.

Once you understand those and learn to alter both, you can hit any shot you want. For me, it's hard to hit a fade, but I know how and CAN do it...it's just very uncomfortable and difficult to execute. I max out at 298 off the tee, occasionally rip one past 300 but can get my fade out there 280+ so I have it in the bag. I know this is TexAgs, but those are my honest #s.

Range impressions from today. I warmed up with my short distance irons (50deg-P-9-8) and toyed around with grips and ball placement in my stance. It was quickly apparent that I have been neglecting to generate stronger rotation through my hips and lower spine. i.e., was actually shaping my irons with consistent draws finally.

I then switched to my Cleveland 6 Hybrid and hit enough solid shots to switch to the G430.

I started off with no tungsten weight on the driver. Focusing mainly on impacting the ball as I would typically on a Par 4. Natural fade yet again. I then began over-emphasizing my draw swing for a few slight hooks then dialed it back to center shots and then added the tungsten weight to the driver's "draw setting".

At this point, even those cruddy driving range balls are going dead straight but I feel like I can bend my shots to the left better.

Here's the best way I know to equate it. I played baseball my entire life (LL, HS, College, & MSBL up til 5 years ago) and I have been golfing since I was 14 (currently 41yo):

As a right handed hitter my hips have gotten lazy and my swings are resulting in long opposite field drives. I also set up with a more "upright" stance than most. All I'm trying to find with this club is just a bit more "pull" with my swing. Initial impressions feel very encouraging.

CapCity12thMan, most people who golf are lucky to shoot below 100. In fact, when you get paired up with two randoms and pipe a drive 300 down the fairway they get instant chubbies because they're jealous. Of course I can't tag a ball 315 yards with a 10mph headwind...I'm also not overweight and I don't treat a golf course outing as an excuse to get drunk and high.

(Edit to add pic)

AgFrogfan said:

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Range impressions from today. I warmed up with my short distance irons (50deg-P-9-8) and toyed around with grips and ball placement in my stance. It was quickly apparent that I have been neglecting to generate stronger rotation through my hips and lower spine. i.e., was actually shaping my irons with consistent draws finally.

I then switched to my Cleveland 6 Hybrid and hit enough solid shots to switch to the G430.

I started off with no tungsten weight on the driver. Focusing mainly on impacting the ball as I would typically on a Par 4. Natural fade yet again. I then began over-emphasizing my draw swing for a few slight hooks then dialed it back to center shots and then added the tungsten weight to the driver's "draw setting".

At this point, even those cruddy driving range balls are going dead straight but I feel like I can bend my shots to the left better.

Here's the best way I know to equate it. I played baseball my entire life (LL, HS, College, & MSBL up til 5 years ago) and I have been golfing since I was 14 (currently 41yo):

As a right handed hitter my hips have gotten lazy and my swings are resulting in long opposite field drives. I also set up with a more "upright" stance than most. All I'm trying to find with this club is just a bit more "pull" with my swing. Initial impressions feel very encouraging.

CapCity12thMan, most people who golf are lucky to shoot below 100. In fact, when you get paired up with two randoms and pipe a drive 300 down the fairway they get instant chubbies because they're jealous. Of course I can't tag a ball 315 yards with a 10mph headwind...I'm also not overweight and I don't treat a golf course outing as an excuse to get drunk and high.

(Edit to add pic)

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What do you mean by "trying to find a pull"? A "pull" in the normal sense will cause you to hit fades, unless you're over-closing the face, then you'll hit pull hooks

TheDecadeSapling said:

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AgFrogfan said:

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Range impressions from today. I warmed up with my short distance irons (50deg-P-9-8) and toyed around with grips and ball placement in my stance. It was quickly apparent that I have been neglecting to generate stronger rotation through my hips and lower spine. i.e., was actually shaping my irons with consistent draws finally.

I then switched to my Cleveland 6 Hybrid and hit enough solid shots to switch to the G430.

I started off with no tungsten weight on the driver. Focusing mainly on impacting the ball as I would typically on a Par 4. Natural fade yet again. I then began over-emphasizing my draw swing for a few slight hooks then dialed it back to center shots and then added the tungsten weight to the driver's "draw setting".

At this point, even those cruddy driving range balls are going dead straight but I feel like I can bend my shots to the left better.

Here's the best way I know to equate it. I played baseball my entire life (LL, HS, College, & MSBL up til 5 years ago) and I have been golfing since I was 14 (currently 41yo):

As a right handed hitter my hips have gotten lazy and my swings are resulting in long opposite field drives. I also set up with a more "upright" stance than most. All I'm trying to find with this club is just a bit more "pull" with my swing. Initial impressions feel very encouraging.

CapCity12thMan, most people who golf are lucky to shoot below 100. In fact, when you get paired up with two randoms and pipe a drive 300 down the fairway they get instant chubbies because they're jealous. Of course I can't tag a ball 315 yards with a 10mph headwind...I'm also not overweight and I don't treat a golf course outing as an excuse to get drunk and high.

(Edit to add pic)

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What do you mean by "trying to find a pull"? A "pull" in the normal sense will cause you to hit fades, unless you're over-closing the face, then you'll hit pull hooks

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its worth a shot

AgFrogfan said:

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TheDecadeSapling said:

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AgFrogfan said:

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Range impressions from today. I warmed up with my short distance irons (50deg-P-9-8) and toyed around with grips and ball placement in my stance. It was quickly apparent that I have been neglecting to generate stronger rotation through my hips and lower spine. i.e., was actually shaping my irons with consistent draws finally.

I then switched to my Cleveland 6 Hybrid and hit enough solid shots to switch to the G430.

I started off with no tungsten weight on the driver. Focusing mainly on impacting the ball as I would typically on a Par 4. Natural fade yet again. I then began over-emphasizing my draw swing for a few slight hooks then dialed it back to center shots and then added the tungsten weight to the driver's "draw setting".

At this point, even those cruddy driving range balls are going dead straight but I feel like I can bend my shots to the left better.

Here's the best way I know to equate it. I played baseball my entire life (LL, HS, College, & MSBL up til 5 years ago) and I have been golfing since I was 14 (currently 41yo):

As a right handed hitter my hips have gotten lazy and my swings are resulting in long opposite field drives. I also set up with a more "upright" stance than most. All I'm trying to find with this club is just a bit more "pull" with my swing. Initial impressions feel very encouraging.

CapCity12thMan, most people who golf are lucky to shoot below 100. In fact, when you get paired up with two randoms and pipe a drive 300 down the fairway they get instant chubbies because they're jealous. Of course I can't tag a ball 315 yards with a 10mph headwind...I'm also not overweight and I don't treat a golf course outing as an excuse to get drunk and high.

(Edit to add pic)

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What do you mean by "trying to find a pull"? A "pull" in the normal sense will cause you to hit fades, unless you're over-closing the face, then you'll hit pull hooks

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its worth a shot

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It'll be funny if you end up messing up your swing to the point that you won't be able to recover from.

The golf gods gave you the enviable ability to consistently hit 315yd drives that end up in the fairway most of the time and you just want to give them the middle finger because you want to gain 10 - 15 yds.

Good luck my guy. I hope you succeed.

Peter Piper said:

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AgFrogfan said:

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TheDecadeSapling said:

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AgFrogfan said:

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Range impressions from today. I warmed up with my short distance irons (50deg-P-9-8) and toyed around with grips and ball placement in my stance. It was quickly apparent that I have been neglecting to generate stronger rotation through my hips and lower spine. i.e., was actually shaping my irons with consistent draws finally.

I then switched to my Cleveland 6 Hybrid and hit enough solid shots to switch to the G430.

I started off with no tungsten weight on the driver. Focusing mainly on impacting the ball as I would typically on a Par 4. Natural fade yet again. I then began over-emphasizing my draw swing for a few slight hooks then dialed it back to center shots and then added the tungsten weight to the driver's "draw setting".

At this point, even those cruddy driving range balls are going dead straight but I feel like I can bend my shots to the left better.

Here's the best way I know to equate it. I played baseball my entire life (LL, HS, College, & MSBL up til 5 years ago) and I have been golfing since I was 14 (currently 41yo):

As a right handed hitter my hips have gotten lazy and my swings are resulting in long opposite field drives. I also set up with a more "upright" stance than most. All I'm trying to find with this club is just a bit more "pull" with my swing. Initial impressions feel very encouraging.

CapCity12thMan, most people who golf are lucky to shoot below 100. In fact, when you get paired up with two randoms and pipe a drive 300 down the fairway they get instant chubbies because they're jealous. Of course I can't tag a ball 315 yards with a 10mph headwind...I'm also not overweight and I don't treat a golf course outing as an excuse to get drunk and high.

(Edit to add pic)

---

What do you mean by "trying to find a pull"? A "pull" in the normal sense will cause you to hit fades, unless you're over-closing the face, then you'll hit pull hooks

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its worth a shot

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It'll be funny if you end up messing up your swing to the point that you won't be able to recover from.

The golf gods gave you the enviable ability to consistently hit 315yd drives that end up in the fairway most of the time and you just want to give them the middle finger because you want to gain 10 - 15 yds.

Good luck my guy. I hope you succeed.

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Let's pump the brakes PP, the golf gods didn't give me anything. Me and my schmeckle have worked really hard to be able to hit the ball with consistent power.

I'm not trying to get more distance. In fact, I'm trying to tune it back so I can achieve a slight draw in the 275-285 range. I can live with a 15 yard loss of maximum distance from my current swing if that allows me the ability to guide my shots left-right (fade) and right-left (draw) including my irons.

The beauty of golf is the challenging endeavour to combine both physical and mental efforts while also having a firm understanding of situational awareness in a natural environment. Isn't that why we try to add various shots to our bags?

If I hit a bad shot on the course (more plentiful than I care to admit), I only have one person to blame...Myself. So... get better & be better.

I recently played a round where I used the same ball for all 18 holes. I shot a 90 (Par 71 @ Shady Valley CC 9-16-26). I can't tell you the last time I accomplished that but it was a damn good feeling that I didn't litter the course with golf balls because of my own terrible shots. Plus, ProV1's aren't cheap and I'm also too pretentious to hit anything else.

Good luck to you as well.

Feels like a good way to develop a 2way miss which is death to trying to play elite golf. It's always fun to tinker for more, but there are a lot of cautionary takes on this topic.

You play a dangerous game amigo lol I tried to learn to draw and ended up with a disastrous hooking problem. I'm finally somewhat curing it. Shot an 80 the other day

Poot said:

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This thread gets more bizarre by the day…

You're wanting to turn your 315 yard fade into a 275-285 draw? Insert… But why? GIF

Most of the dudes on tour are almost exclusively faders off the tee with the big dog. They carry a mini-driver or strong 3 wood that they can turn over when the hole absolutely demands it.

My recommendation would be to keep that dependable power fade with the driver and get a badass mini-driver or 3 wood that you can turn over. If you're 300+ with a fade driver, surely you can get to the 275-285 range with a draw 3 wood…

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This a purchase justification. Thank yoo, pee double o t

I wish I hit it 280ish with any shape.

Your thread should have been how to get better after hitting it that far.

JFrench said:

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I wish I hit it 280ish with any shape.

Your thread should have been how to get better after hitting it that far.

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Just gotta hammer the fundamentals. Easier said than done

DargelSkout said:

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So you're consistently hitting a fade out to 300+ with your driver and you're still only shooting a 90?

Driver ain't your problem bud, work on your irons and short game.

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I want that Calloway driver he gave up on in the first post.

Sapling give me some tips at Tomball. I'll have you out

JFrench said:

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DargelSkout said:

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So you're consistently hitting a fade out to 300+ with your driver and you're still only shooting a 90?

Driver ain't your problem bud, work on your irons and short game.

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I want that Calloway driver he gave up on in the first post.

Sapling give me some tips at Tomball. I'll have you out

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Well I'm no golf coach but I can try

DargelSkout said:

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So you're consistently hitting a fade out to 300+ with your driver and you're still only shooting a 90?

Driver ain't your problem bud, work on your irons and short game.

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Chicks dig the long ball.

JFrench said:

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DargelSkout said:

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So you're consistently hitting a fade out to 300+ with your driver and you're still only shooting a 90?

Driver ain't your problem bud, work on your irons and short game.

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I want that Calloway driver he gave up on in the first post.

Sapling give me some tips at Tomball. I'll have you out

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https://www.2ndswing.com/golf-clubs/drivers/callaway-big-bertha-460-driver/right-handed-regular-graphite-45dot0in-m-t2649703038

Mine lost all of its' pop after 15 years of loyal service. It's no different than a metal baseball bat losing its' crush over time.

Sorry was poor attempt at being facetious. My game would be completely different if I could hit it the way you're not satisfied with anymore.

JFrench said:

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Sorry was poor attempt at being facetious. My game would be completely different if I could hit it the way you're not satisfied with anymore.

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It's all good bull, JFrench! I'm not unsatisfied my current drive off the tees, in fact, I shot an 82 at Rockwood (F.W. Municipal) on Sept 20th so that was a good feeling, however....

Without hesitation, Shady Valley Country Club is the most difficult course I have ever had the privilege to play. It is 6,500 yards of pure treachery.

"Good shot = Expected, Bad shot = Punishment."

The best I have managed from 8-10 rounds since May is an 85. It's narrow and there always seems to be a tree blocking the intended flight path after a great shot. It leans right but it plays left....

https://www.shadyvalley.com/history

Anyways, edit to add pictures. I try to keep a scorecard from every course that I play, here are many of them.

I've never played there but on paper 73.2/138 is tough. Improving your ball off the tee there isn't going to be about more distance. Moreso lucky or course management. I don't know this feeling but you you might sail one into the fairway 10 yards too far but have a poor angle.

I've shot +/- 5 strokes on the same course for years. I've skinned that cat every way I can too. Never at 285+ though

JFrench said:

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I've never played there but on paper 73.2/138 is tough. Improving your ball off the tee there isn't going to be about more distance. Moreso lucky or course management. I don't know this feeling but you you might sail one into the fairway 10 yards too far but have a poor angle.

I've shot +/- 5 strokes on the same course for years. I've skinned that cat every way I can too. Never at 285+ though

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Maybe you should try 315?