[GolfSavage]

I ordered and received this Integra Quadratic 3 wood head from Solid Rock Golf this past week, and put it on an AccuLaunch 60 Stiff shaft with a Winn Grip. The club head is nice-looking, solid, with what I would call a medium-low profile. It is my first home-built club, so I may not get optimum performance if I didn't do everything just right.

Range experience:
Took a couple of shots off the deck to find the proper place in my stance. With a nice smooth swing, good contact, the ball flight was nice and straight, about 230 yards carry, but seemed a little low. It also helped to have a nice lie, with the ball perched on top of the grass. May not be a great club out of the first cut if it's sitting down at all. Off a tee, I had to move it forward about a ball's width to catch it right, and found that if I swing too hard, I get the same fade as I do with a driver (obvious swing flaw). But with a nice tempo and proper positioning, the ball took off straight and had a middle heighth trajectory, carrying a good 10-15 yards further than of the deck. Only got to hit about 10 balls before it started raining (same storms that hit Bay Hill yesterday), so I'm still not sure I have the club figured out.

On the course:
Played yesterday afternoon after the rains passed. Only had 3 chances to play this club - once off the tee, once from the center of the fairway, once from a nice lie in the rough.
Tee - downhill, par 4, about 290yards. Tricky hole with small pond (think large swimming pool) in front and to the right that makes driver risky, as the fairway slopes towards the pond. It's about 260 to the pond, so I used the new club. I pushed the shot to the right a bit, ball landing about 20 yards in front of the pond, rolling off to the right side, up the hill, and back down entering the pond about 10 feet from the end. Another 10 feet and it would have cleared the pond and been up on the apron around the green! So I was pleased with the shot, surprised by the distance, and disappointed at losing a brand new ball!

From center of fairway - hit it poorly, a little thin, off a decent lie. Still got about 200 yards out of it, but not a good hit.

From good lie in rough - right side of fairway, about 250 yards out, uphill. Had to hit it a light fade to clear a large oak tree and the wooded hill that was about 100 yards in front of me, hoping to make it on or just leave a nice chip to the green. Made good contact and ball took off like a shot, but I the ball didn't fade! Went straight in to trees. It was one of those that really feel good at contact, but then it ends up in the wrong place!

Initial impressions:
So, when hit properly, this club wants to hit it straight. Not much confidence in using it off anything but a tee or a good lie. But that may change as I use it and learn to hit it properly more often! As with any club, the mishits and such are probably more the fault of the monkey holding the stick! I'm also not ruling out a future shaft change or adjustment on the current shaft. But 10 balls on the range and 3 on the course is not a fair assessment yet.

Will be playing again Sunday, on a course that has more chances to use this club. More boring details to come!