My Cobra SZ 440! I played nothing but second-hand up till that point. Actually, used to hit the shit out of a Dunlop 3 wood before I even gamed a driver. Would set up and consistently hit a nice draw with carry to 230 yards. That's when I started to get greedy. Well, that and I busted my matching Dunlop 5 wood on a submerged rock on the third hole at Locust Valley Country Club. So, being a budding ho back in the late 90's I had to 'upgrade'. And, I did for a few years with hand me downs until I wanted that Cobra driver. If I remember correct, a golfing buddy of mine; name was Lefty9155 had a Cobra SZ. I wanted that club as bad as that kid in "A Christmas Story" wanted a Daisy BB gun. I even hung a full page ad from Golf Magazine on the fridge, with a note that basically said 'go to see Glen at the golf store and get this for me for Christmas or I won't love you anymore'.
Well, I gamed and put that driver back in my back this past season and have never been better off the tee! LMAO! That old 440SZ has put 2 Ping G5 drivers and 2 Taylormade drivers into hibernation.

    The driver that made me finally love my driver was a Bang BOM and of course I sold it one of the drivers that I did not keep.

    I can't remember the model #, but it was a puke green Bridgestone.

    professor

    Yes. Remember that stick. Had one. We both played the same model that season. And you hit it very, very well after that notorious lesson at Wedgewood's range that morning, if memory serves.

    Glad your "retro" approach is yielding positive results!

        No driver stayed in my bag for a longer period of time than the TM Tour Burner 7* which was the first TM Burner series - late 70's. I did try a few others on demo days etc, but it stay in the bag until approx 1993-94. It was replace by my second favorite driver which was a titanium head (about 270 cc) made for Peerless by Ruger.

        I also gamed an "Allied" 15* 3wood/regular (generic) shaft that I could draw. I could put the ball out there around 230yds with that club... knockoff club, shit-quality shaft, and gamed it like the newbie I was.

        Miss those days.

        The game sure seemed more fun and interesting back then. (1993-1995).

        Taylormade 320, head was the size of a marshmellow. What ever happened to it.....

          Thanks, but at 72 yo, I don't think I could hit it anymore. Sure liked it 20 odd years ago.

            Bigborgel

            I don't think I could find the face of the drivers I played 20+ years ago and I'm only 48 yrs old. I would probably quit the game. lol

              My first "real" driver was a Taylormade Tour Preferred ca 1989, 12 degree (strictly called a "tour brassie")but I hit it well.

              My first proper driver loft was a Mizuno TP/15 Hot Metal at 9.5°in about 1991, this kind of matched my Mizuno MS-1 irons of the time but it was X100 steel shafted and although you could land it on a bath towel it went maybe 240 if I really bust it.

              I didn't really play much between 92 and 96, so stuck with the Mizuno set up. Then I got a full set for my 21st birthday (1996) which was Lynx Parallax and the "Boom Boom" Driver and 3 wood (I still have the 3 wood head somewhere).

              A few years later (1999?) I started my dalliances with "high tech" cutting edge gear with the TM Ti Burner Bubble, 7.5° with the TX-100 shaft. I suppose that was my first "good" driver as it was an order of magnitude better than the Lynx, maybe 75-100cc bigger and I reckon at least 20 yards longer ( I was hitting drives around the 270 mark with it when I really caught hold of it) and much more accurate.

              Young punk here I guess, but my real first "good" driver was a KZG PFT 300 with an AJ tech shaft in it, all candy apple red. She was a beauty and the distance was absolutely INSANE compared to the Zevo it replaced. I took it out and litterally drove the ball over the first par 4 I got to play with it. I had never been closer than 30 yards away, talk about a helluva first impression!

              Now she's about the size of a 3 wood haha.

              Coppertop, I had a Tour Brassie too... used to KILL that thing off the tee. I used to only hit a 3 wood off the tee, could never hit driver until I picked up a Wilson Whale graphite headed driver from the Wilson rep.

              I'll ahve to look when I get home but I think I still have the first gen taylormade metal wood driver in the basement with my Karsten 1 itons and wooden woods.

              DC... you ever try the gripless AJtech driver shaft?

                I had one of the Taylor Made Pittsburgh Persimmon drivers. I hit it well but never really liked it because it sounded different than the wooden drivers I had been using. I sold it for less than I paid for it about 3 weeks after buying it.