Despite recently proclaiming to all and sundry that my 510TP would never be displaced from the bag the simple conversation started me thinking about a new driver. Now it just so happens that we all have a friend / foe / neutral here who can do some good deals on drivers -can't he Pete. This simply added to a sudden desire to see if the last couple of years had actually past the TP by.

So last Saturday and Sunday I went to two different golf shops both with launch monitors principally to test the FT3 versus the 510TP.

Initial results were not good for my trusty weapon of choice. The FT3 Tour (most comparable to the 510TP) showed 6-8 metres more distance on the launchy. The distances the machine was showing were roughly comparable to real life so it seemed a fair reflection.

This gnawed away at my mind for the rest of Saturday so sunday I went to a second shop. They wouldn't let me hit a Tour model but had the standard FT3 in 9 and 10 degree as demos. So I hit these and took notice of the launch specs. Firstly -yep still longer than my 510TP. Interestingly both the TP and the FT3 do not give me "optimal" launch conditions as both showed launch angles of 10.5-11 degrees and spin rates of 3,300 ish with a ball speed of 158-160 mph (too low launch, too high spin for that ball speed).

The shop assistant guy was actually helpful and -shock horror -came over with a Nike Sasquatch Tour with the NV shaft. This club, at least in a monitor, was so easy to hit it was ridiculous. Whats more it was on average a couple of mph higher in ball speed than the FT3 and hence a couple of metres longer. However, spin rates stayed around 3,250.

So this raised a question. It seems the 510TP's day are numbered. But if I were to get a FT3 Tour or SQ Tour what shaft would help me lower those spin numbers and raise the launch angle? Oh and anyone want to buy a very well used 510TP?

(note the FT3 had the NVS and the SQ had the NV).