After a couple seasons with his old driver, it’s time for some new equipment
By Ryan Gager
GOLFTEC Athlete Joe Hooks recently visited GOLFTEC for a driver fitting to help him dial in a little better shot shape and some added distance is always a bonus. Hooks likes his current driver’s ability to move in both directions, but dislikes how it lands softly even after hitting it hard. He also wants to eliminate misses to the left resulting from over-hooking the ball. Take a look at the video and see what Hooks gets fit for in this edition of Club Explorers.
Starting with the Current Gamer
The first thing we do is test his current driver, focusing on ball speed, launch angle, spin and descent angle. Having those numbers provides a baseline to see which driver can not only improve on those numbers, but also give Joe the best look at address and feel throughout the swing.
Based on his ball speed, GOLFTEC Director of Club Fitting, Brad Skupaka, looked to improve his launch and spin numbers, which were a little low, and then get his descent angle a little flatter.
With an average ball speed around 170, Hooks can really move it, and at this point they were looking to find the optimal set up by fine tuning the club’s loft, weights and shaft, which they were able to do thanks to GOLFTEC’s TECFIT software, one of the most advanced fitting systems you can find.
In case you missed it, former NFL receiver Brice Butler recently visited GOLFTEC for a club fitting as well, see his story here.
Sticking with TaylorMade
Hooks came to GOLFTEC already playing the TaylorMade Sim 2 driver from a couple years ago, so he was used to the look and feel of the TaylorMade brand.
Because of this, Skupaka had him try TaylorMade’s newest model, Stealth 2. Hooks was immediately impressed and after trying several different shafts, Hooks landed on the TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus as his new driver.
Even though the Callaway Paradym was a close contender, Hooks preferred the look, feel, ball flight and distance that the Stealth 2 Plus provided him. Paired with the Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green shaft, AKA “The Hulk,” which is designed to handle the fastest, most aggressive swings, producing low, penetrating drives, Hooks found his perfect fit at GOLFTEC.
Oh, and his numbers from his final drive with that new driver are pretty good:
- Ball Speed: 172 mph
- Launch Angle: 14.3 degrees
- Backspin: 1,910 RPM
- Carry: 317 yards
Now of course we can’t guarantee that you will hit the ball like Joe Hooks, as not many people can. But, that’s the great thing about having so many clubhead and shaft combinations at GOLFTEC. We are able to find the perfect fit for anyone who plays this game, from beginners to professional golfers, like Joe Hooks. The club fitting process is a fun experience that will not only teach you a lot about new clubs, but will help you play your best. Getting started is easy, simply find a local GOLFTEC near year and come in for a club fitting with one of our professional Coaches.
Check out more driver videos from GOLFTEC below, including Hannah and Fredrik’s trip to PING headquarters to check out the new G430 drivers, plus a fun video on how to hit driver off the deck from a Tour player.
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