Alright, so let me tell you about this Callaway FT-5 driver I picked up a while back. It’s been a journey, lemme tell ya!
First off, I remember seeing it at a used gear shop. It was just sitting there, kinda beat up, but something about it caught my eye. I’d heard some talk about it way back when it was new. Figured, why not? Haggle a bit, walked out with it for next to nothing.
Got it home and the real work began. The grip was shot. Completely disintegrated. Peeling off in chunks. First thing I did was yank that sucker off. Ordered a new grip online – a Golf Pride Tour Velvet, can’t go wrong with a classic. Watched a YouTube video on how to install it properly, got some grip tape, grip solvent, and went to town. Wasn’t pretty, my first try, but it worked. That’s step one completed.
Next up, the head itself. Scratches everywhere. Nothing major, just cosmetic, but it bothered me. I tried buffing it out with some car polish and a microfiber cloth. Helped a little, made it shine at least. Considered trying to repaint it, but decided against it. Too much effort for something that wouldn’t really affect performance. I even gave it a good scrub with soap and water to get all the grime and dirt off.
Then came the range. Took it out a few times, trying different tees, different positions. It was a bit of a learning curve. The club felt different than my old one – heavier, the head felt bigger. Took a while to get used to the balance. I started by just focusing on making solid contact. Forget distance, forget direction, just hit the sweet spot. Once I got that down, I started working on my swing, trying to generate more clubhead speed.
After a few weeks of practice, I started seeing some real improvement. The FT-5 was longer than my old driver, no doubt about it. And it seemed more forgiving on off-center hits. Still, I wasn’t hitting it as consistently as I wanted to. Some days I’d crush it, other days I’d slice it into the woods. Golf, am I right?
I watched a few videos about driver setup and swing mechanics. Realized I wasn’t getting my weight properly. I then tried to apply that knowledge to my game. It started with little steps of improvement, now I have seen progress on my consistency.
I also spent some time experimenting with different tee heights. Found that teeing the ball up slightly higher gave me a better launch angle and more carry. It made a difference.
So, the Callaway FT-5. It’s not the newest, shiniest driver on the market, but it’s been a fun project. Gave it new life, and learned a few things about golf, and myself, in the process. Still got a ways to go, but I’m enjoying the journey.
