On 2002-09-09, Roland rated this Louisville Smart Fairway 2 Wood a 5...(522)
Purchase: I ordered the 2 wood directly from Louisville Golf through their internet catalog. The original cost was close to 200 but with a special promotion at that time, I received 15% off paying a total of 165 including shipping. Louisville Golf also called me to confirm shaft type and length and grip choice. About 2 weeks after the delivery Louisville Golf again called to ask me if I was happy with the club.
Pros: The 2 wood head size is 185 cc with a 13 deg. loft. Imagine a Taylormade spoon or Titleist PT made of persimmon.
Over muscling my swing is not neccesary with this club, giving me a well-controlled straight 250 yards off the tee. Short for some of my peers but my ball is more often in the fairway. The TT Dynamic Gold shaft suits it well and gives definate feed back on both good and bad shots. The head is not so lite that I am not aware of it at my downswing. The crackled sound on contact is solid and surrounding unlike that sharp piercing hollow "dink" similar to a faucet dripping in a janitorial sink.
Cons: This club and the Louisville Niblick 3 wood will stay in my bag until I wear them out. Unfortunately the stigma of carrying persimmon finds me among all these titanium and steel heads. I'm often called "the purist" or "old man" when I'm often the youngest in the foursome. "You can hit further with a 350cc titanium." I would rather hit the ball into the direction I want, thank you. "But titanium is harder". Uh, that piece of balata doesn't understand that after a certain hardness factor is achieved. "But titanium is the best material". Oh yeah? I'm just a structural engineer that deals with metals and strength analysis all day, that's all.
Quality: The craftsmanship is gorgeous. I was too young to appreciate the era when persimmon reigned supreme in golf bags. Now all you see are clubs that have a passing resemblance to frying pans. This club head has a dark brown lacquer that enhances the rings of the wood. The face has a tapered black insert with 2 low grooves and a circular array of 8 small gold painted punches above them. The sole looks to be aluminum flush to the head with 4 screws. My model has the black whipping reminiscent of the older persimmons. Overall a very attractive club modernized to be functionally comparable to the metals.
Review Summary: The 185 cc size forces me to improve my swing rather than get by on a numbed mishit from a a club that's big enough to paddle a canoe. It is not a band aid for a bad swing. Aside from the sound at impact the material hitting the ball does not matter after a certain hardness is reached. This club looks like a classic but can hold its own if not better against a metal in the right hands.
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