Grandista RS-D !!!

[wmclarenf1]

So I played the second round today with the Grandista RS-D shafted with a Crime of Angel 5 shaft which is a low mid kick shaft.  I had the 8 gram weight at the back for Thursday’s round and given the launch, I moved that to the left today and the 2 gram weight to the back.

As you guessed, this head in 10* with this COA model has no launch issues for me.  I’m guessing my swing is very different to Nob’s whose review iirc mentioned he finds it relatively lower launching.  For me, this head launches higher than the RS-001 and I had the same model shaft u=I that head as well.  I would call this a mid high launch combo but one with a penetrating trajectory which holds well into wind ie no ballooning.  So this launch view begs the question of spin… and hence roll.

I think this is a low spin head.  Not much side spin which is good as well.  There is roll for this combo and on this course, to get roll is good.  I would not say this is a road runner but that could change if I put in my COA California mid launch shaft which will lower the trajectory and apex and hence should give more roll.  I’ll be playing this at my other course next week where the fairways are much faster. Will wait till then to decide if I want to switch shafts.

So distance… this is a damn driver after all…make no mistake, this combo is long.  In fact and this is on 2 different days in a row, on the same hole, I’ve hit my longest ever drives on that hole. Yes, wind assisted but I’ve never hit this distance ever wind assisted even with my other drivers.  I’m very impressed.. Average distance again, this appears to be very long.  I would say its up there with my Ito Xanadu combo for distance.

Dispersion.. ok.. this is where its different for me.  I rarely miss left.. Misses are push fades (not power fades ie slices). My misses with this are left.  Pull hooks.  That is not me. When I played the RS-001 with this same model shaft, I did not miss left or very rarely.  Now this could be that the weighting is set up as a draw biased head.  Weight screws at the heel and back, not on the toe.  Even when I had the 8gram weight at the back, my miss was left. Please don’t; read this as a hook draw machine.  On the 12 driving holes on this course, I missed 3 fairways on Thursday and 3 today.  All left so fairway percentage is not all too shabby.  Maybe I just need to get used to the setup. Did not take it to the range before the rounds.

Looks.  Unlike the RS-001 which really has an obscure sole plate, the RS-d is very classic and classy looking.  At address, it looks very compact.  For me, this is a mid deep face height.

Feel and sound are very good as you would expect an SP700 face to be. That said, its not as soft feeling as the SP700 face on the Astro Tour VIII.  With the 8 gram weight at the back, it has a lowER twack than when the 8gram wiehht is at the heel.  I posted a video of the sound at impact earlier in this thread. That is very representative.

So, the RS-D head is for sure a keeper for me.  I may try the mid kicking COA Cali shaft but as is, if I can sort out the address position to help me manage the left misses, it’s a great enough combo.  Again, 75% FW hit rate for me is not shabby at all.  Well done… again.. Grandista!

[mauvanilla]

Awesome! Thank you for the very detailed review.

It is indeed a great a driver; happy and glad that you like it. See if you can bring it for a round here in HK!

[nobwas]

Very good review!!   Interesting about the launch you are getting on your 10 deg.
I don’t know what my real loft is for the 9 deg head,  but perhaps could be lower than stated.   In any case,  very true about the draw bias thing,  I initially thought it will be horrible to get along with but like you say,  most shots end up on the fairway for me as well.  And it’s longer than anything.  I’ve become somewhat of a SP700 driver junkie as of late and added Romaro Type R and Callaway Epic Forged to my collection.  Need to sort out the right shaft for those two heads,   but as of now,  Grandista is champ for overall distance.

[wmclarenf1]

Just played with this again today.  There's no doubt this is a very long combo... I do however still have to mind my left with this combo. 

[db2]

I have four or five range sessions and nine holes with my RS-D.  10*; 198 grams; 0.5-1.0* open.  It's shafted with an AD-BB 70s.  My swing speed averages 99.  I tend to hook the ball, as well as hit it low on the clubface.  Because I hit it thin a lot, I would prefer a driver to have a little too much loft as opposed to too little.  So far, I would say the RS-D plays true to loft.  I wouldn't want more than 10*.  If I tee it high and move it up in my stance I can hit it as I high as I'd ever want too.

I have hit this driver along side my GPOM 10* with Rogue Silver 70s, and T.388 10.5* with Kuro Kage Dual Core 60s.  As far as draw bias, I haven't seen it, but I need more time on course to be sure.  At the driving range, I have tried to hit draws and fades with it and don't find it easier to draw or harder to fade.  As far as launch, the RS-D launches lower than the GPOM but it's similar to the T.388. 

It's a great looking head with a very attractive shape and it feels great.  It is slightly less soft than the T.388 but it feels a bit more solid.  As far as sound, it's pretty good.  It's not a thwack but it's a metallic sound that reminds me of my TM 510 TP.  I should try hitting them together at the range.  Although they sound different, the RS-D is as quiet as the T.388 which makes it quieter than my Onoff 358, GPOM, and Epic.

In addition to the drivers listed above I also have a 2016 TM M2 with a Tensei Blue 60s.  In my stable of drivers the RS-D currently is in the number one slot.  I'm also carrying the GPOM because it's the Mr. Fixit of drivers--it's stupid easy to hit--and want to get a better idea of how the RS-D and GPOM compare in terms of total distance.  I actually find the RS-D pretty forgiving on mishits but the GPOM launches more easily.  Again, as someone who's tendency is to hit it thin, I find a little extra security in the GPOM's higher launch.  Also, I would like to see if I can use lead tape to turn it into a fade-biased, never-miss-it-left driver and switch the weights in the RS-D and turn it into a draw-biased, never-miss-it-right driver.  If so, I'd continue to carry both as I don't carry a three wood.

[wmclarenf1]

Good grief... it just occurred to me that I should start carrying 2 drivers as you described as I've played 13 clubs for the longest time.

[db2]

Why not?  Especially if you have two drivers that you like that have tendencies that are repeatable but different (and complementary): i.e. high/low; fade/draw.

[Nolixul]

Yeah I often use a two driver set up but for a different reason. One low loft (7.5-8.5 degrees) and the other high (generally 12 degrees). Both with X or XX shafts.

There are a few courses I play that have several severe dogleg holes. You can cut the corners if you can launch very high (tall trees with dense forest) and also carry 270+. I can't get the distance with a fairway wood, but the high lofted driver is money. It works out a much safer play than trying to curve drivers or fws around the dogleg as the degree of bend required to is too great. On a couple of holes it even works out a safer play than trying to tap irons or hybrids in between fairway bunkers protecting the apex of the dogleg.