Hot New Drivers - 2007
http://www.publinksgolfer.net/articles/353/1/bHot-New-Drivers---2007b/Page1.html
Tom Landers
By Tom Landers
Published on 06/21/2007
New Driver Shapes Make Your Misses Better
It was an idea that started back in 2001, but not until this year were design engineers convinced that it was time for drivers to undergo a radical change. The fluid, symmetrical head has given way to the square shape, the bullet-shape and even the triangle-shaped driver heads.
The idea of the new shapes was the result of designers trying to find ways to help golfers still hit good shots, even when they happen to mis-hit the ball. An off center hit causes the clubhead to twist, resulting in a shot that flies down the fairway and leaves the short grass headed for the thick rough or even worse. The square, bullet or triangular shape of the new clubheads allows for extreme weighting in the head. This ensures the clubhead rotation around its center of gravity is reduced. Less twist means a straighter shot. It is all about maximizing moment of inertia (a club’s resistance to twisting on off-center hits). Now that the USGA has put a number to MOI, manufacturers are departing from traditional shapes to maximize their club’s MOI.
Traditional shapes wouldn’t allow for the kind of movement of the weight necessary, so the new shapes were born. It was time to put what looked like a car hood on the end of a shaft and step up to the tee box. Crazy? Perhaps, but ask anyone that reared back and poked a solid drive with the brand new square head driver and they’ll tell you that although it may sound funny, they’re thrilled with the performance they get, drive after consistent drive.
The club that most golfers hit just 14 times a round might be the one club that designers spend the most time tweaking and reworking to find that magical shot that every golfer can repeat over and over again. This year, with the debut of square head drivers from Callaway, Hippo, Nickent, Nike and others is no different. In fact, these new drivers offer the most drastic change, which just might foretell what could be ahead for drivers of the future.
Director of product creation for Nike, Tom Stites knows a little something about the moment of inertia, or MOI. He says that by moving the weight back further behind the clubhead and into the corners the square head offers, the MOI increases, meaning more stability.
Theoretically, the enhanced stability of the club head provides for less twisting and turning at impact. The end result is supposed to mean straighter drives.
“It’s like the wheelbase of a car,” Stites said. “The wider it becomes, the more stable it is around turns.”
That shape is the reason for what might be the most unusual feature about the club. When struck, it makes a sound unlike anything you’ve heard before. Instead of a crisp pinging noise delivered from a normal metal face, the square head drivers resound with more of a thumping “thwack” that is louder than normal.
Jason Gore claims that when he practiced with the Nike club, “A woman came out from the back door of her course side home and claimed I woke up her baby with the sound!”
Will other pros hit these newfangled drivers? Tiger Woods has practiced with the Nike Sasquatch Sumo Squared, but he has not yet put it into play. Phil Mickelson went a step further. During this year’s Masters, the two-time champ introduced the Callaway FT-i driver and at The Player’s Championship recorded a victory.
But not all new drivers introduced this season look like something that may have popped out of your toaster. TaylorMade has introduced 2 new drivers the more traditional pear shaped r7 Superquad and the bullet-shaped Burner. Benoit Vincent, Chief Technical Officer at TaylorMade says that you achieve a greater MOI the further back the center of gravity is from the face. “With the new square shaped drivers the center of gravity is closer to the face because of the design. With the more traditional pear-shape of the r7 Superquad or Bullet-shape of the Burner driver, we are able to position the center of gravity further back and lower than any club on the market. This creates an effective MOI that is among the highest in the market and effectively up to the USGA conforming benchmark of 5900. These are the longest drivers we have ever produced.”
We have taken our swings with most of the new offerings from many golf companies…big and small. Which is the best for you? Take a moment and read through our reviews. See what each club does and determine which one fits YOUR game. Then head to the nearest shop and get a hold of a demo model and hit it yourself!
Adams Insight BUL
www.adamsgolf.com | 800-709-6142 | $400
Unique Features: One of the brightest innovators in the fairway wood field has used its talent towards making a driver that combines those same elements of forgiveness and distance that golfers have loved for years. The Adams Insight BUL is the result of this innovation. Boasting a high MOI and a dramatic reduction in sidespin, the Insight BUL is amazingly consistent. Long drive after long drive will boom off of the club’s hot face. Ironically, you may have to keep your fairway woods in the bag. More times than not, you’ll be close enough to hit a wedge!
Tester Comments: Very consistent, I hit a lot of fairways …. The trajectory was great on every shot, even my misses … Not a fan of the sound, but a fan of the results.
Bob Burns No Bananas 430cc
www.bobburnscustomclubs.com | 920-991-9663 | $325.00
Unique Features: The No Bananas virtually eliminates slicing by adding weight to the heel and toe of the club. This eliminates clubhead twisting at impact, while also providing an expanded sweet spot for maximum distance, even on imperfect shots. Golfers will have no problem getting the clubhead square at the moment of impact. The two-inch deep, incredibly thin face makes the ball jump off the club, giving golfers the maximum COR allowable under USGA rules.
Tester Comments: The offset look was a little much for me, but it straightened out my slice… Not as long as others I tried however I found the fairway more often … No more slice.
Bridgestone J33 460
www.bridgestonegolf.com | 800-358-6319 | $499
Unique Features: High strength steel face plate allows for increased ball speed and sAn elastomer compound insert within the clubhead reduces vibration throughout the crown, sole and face of the club. The reduction in vibration accounts for a more efficient energy transfer resulting in more distance. A patented Low Modulus (Thin) Crown flexes slightly at impact adding loft to the clubhead, which enhances the vertical gear effect. The enhanced vertical gear effect then leads to an even higher launch and further decreased backspin off the tee.
Tester Comments: I was able to work the ball more with this driver than others … Nice clean lines and a solid feel at impact.
Bullet Golf X-4
www.sportssourceinc.com| 866-664-0016 | $199
Unique Features: The X-4 460cc 6-4 Titanium driver, which incorporates the same technology as more the expensive drivers in the marketplace. The X-4 driver expands upon the shape of most drivers and extends the mass of the driver to its lowest and deepest point, thus increasing the launch angle of the ball off the clubface and reducing spin resulting in straighter and longer drives.
Tester Comments: Hits as good as the more expensive clubs…The price point of this club works for me … Felt as good as my r580 Driver … Would put in my bag because of the price.
Callaway Fusion FT-5
www.callawaygolf.com | 800-588-9836 | $535
Unique Features: The FT-5 has been getting rave reviews from both amateurs and Tour players, and for good reason. The carbon composite body allows for 50 grams of weight transfer that improve stability and distance, while the Optifit Weighting System allows golfers to promote a draw, fade, or straight drive. The more traditional-shaped head won’t scare off those that want the best technology without the sometimes intimidating look of a square driver.
Tester Comments: Very consistent and great trajectory … Sound was best I have heard for a carbon composite driver … Off-center hits still out drove my playing partners.
Callaway FT-I
www.callawaygolf.com | 800-588-9836 | $625
Unique Features: The square shape, titanium face and carbon-composite crown of the FT-I driver is designed to position discretionary weight to the extreme corners of the clubhead, raising the MOI for unparalleled resistance to twisting both horizontally and vertically, providing forgiveness on shots hit all over the face. Proprietary Fusion Technology creates maximum perimeter weighting and more discretionary weight for precise positioning of the CG and exceptional stability on off-center hits. The launch with this driver is high with minimal spin.
Tester Comments: Ugly but performed well, I have to get over the looks … Nice high launch off the tee and seems to go forever … Sweet spot seemed to be the entire clubface, I could not miss it.
Cleveland HiBORE XL
www.clevelandgolf.com | 800-999-6263 | $390
Unique Features: Cleveland’s HiBORE XL is one bad-ass golf club. The dark charcoal look makes it so, as does the Full Face Performance of Cleveland’s enormous sweet spot. With maximum ball speed off of almost the entire face of the club and a high, low-spin ball flight, golfers will win many a long drive contest with the HiBORE XL in their bags. Just try not to scare the other golfers.
Tester Comments: Really loud at impact but everything was high and straight, so I go over sould … The look was unsettling until I hit it … Felt a little hard at impact but it was easy to hit.
E21 Golf Emc2
www.E21Golf.com | 888-365-2121 | $599.00
Unique Features: Features a multi-material Scandium cup face technology with variable wall thickness. The forged scandium cup face is designed to maximize energy transfer and provide a larger sweet spot. The extremely low angle of dispersion maximizes both distance and accuracy on off center mis-hits. The carbon composite crown of the driver allows the majority of the weight to be moved to the perimeter for straighter more accurate drives.
Tester Comments: This is the longest driver I tried by far … My mis-hits found the center of the fairway, not just the fairway … Center hits felt like “butta”
Hippo Golf Hex 2
www.hippo-golf.com | 800-204-2807 | $199
Unique Features: The Hippo Hex 2 driver is unlike any other driver on the market. Utilizing the benefits of the new geometrically inclined drivers while managing to reposition weight to the corners of the hexagonal clubhead, the Hex 2 reduces drag and increases clubhead speed. The super-hard Beta Ti face allows for the maximum COR for huge distance, while the extremely high MOI stabilizes the clubhead on mis-hits, resulting in straighter, truer drives.
Tester Comments: When I hit it on the screws, it screamed … Ball launched a little low and not very forgiving … Never heard of Hippo and this is ugly but it works.
MacGregor MACTEC NVG2 Draw
www.macgregorgolf.com | 800-841-4358 | $400
Unique Features: Most clubs are constrained by their technology, but not the NVG2 from MacTec. By using Plasma Welding on the Cup Face 360, MacTec has eliminated face welds, meaning the NVG2’s sweet spot is on the entire face! The Quadra Tungsten Weighting System keeps the ball in the fairway, and the club even comes with a draw bias to prevent slicing.
Tester Comments: Does what it says – draws the ball … Not the longest, but got rid of my fade … Really good looking club and sounded even better.
Mizuno MX-500
www.mizuno.com | 800-966-1211 | $299.99
Unique Features: The MX-500 driver from Mizuno combines a titanium body with a graphite toe insert and top crown to make for the perfect weight distribution. Golfers will find their shots sailing long, high, and straight thanks to Mizuno’s perimeter weighting system and innovative CORTECH face areas. The MX-500 also has a 460cc head, the largest allowable under USGA rules, for more forgiveness than any other club on the market.
Tester Comments: This set up really square to the ball and had a nice high trajectory … Even though it is 460cc, it did not look that big and it was easy to hit … Not the longest or the straightest but very consistent.
Nickent 3DX
www.NickentGolf.com | 888-NICKENT | $199
Unique Features: Its profile repositions weight to the corners of the clubhead, raising the MOI across both the horizontal and vertical axes. To ensure the best ball flight possible, Nickent also improved the bulge and roll of the driver, producing a ball flight that is straight, while still being workable. The proprietary Total Accuracy Control technology of the 3DX Square is maximum perimeter weighting and more discretionary weight for precise positioning of the CG and MOI. The entire clubhead is forged titanium, giving it the same Titanium power produced by traditional drivers.
Tester Comments: Very straight and priced right … As good as any other square driver I have tried, very straight … The sound was more like a driver than some of the other square drivers.
Nickent 4DX
www.nickentgolf.com | 888-NICKENT | $399
Unique Features: The 4DX from Nickent combines everything golfers want: a 460cc head that hits the ball a long way with forgiveness, and a draw bias that makes slicing obsolete. The draw bias is made possible by an XW Insert that is placed deep in the toe of the club. The super-thin Titanium crown and Titanium face are responsible for the hottest ball speed allowable.
Tester Comments: Wow--this thing smokes--and is straight … Trajectory was a little low, but distance and accuracy were awesome … Carried it right over a tree and the corner of a dogleg and had a shot to the par 5 in two for the first time ever.
Nicklaus Dual Point
www.nicklaus-golf.com | 800-322-1872 | $300
Unique Features: From the greatest golfer of all time comes a club befitting a champion. The Nicklaus Dual Point driver is precisely crafted to yield tremendous results. The multi-layered clubface is thin around the perimeter and thicker in the center, creating the maximum trampoline effect allowed by the USGA. A 14-gram weight is positioned low and deep in the clubhead, adding distance and aiding trajectory with every shot. The Micro Welding process is extremely durable and saves weight to be strategically repositioned throughout the clubhead.
Tester Comments: Not the most forgiving, but it really goes when you catch it in the sweet spot … Feels like a forged iron when you hit it in the center … Good distance and a nice trajectory.
Nike Sasquatch SUMO
www.nikegolf.com | 888-799-6453 | $395
Unique Features: Like a 500-pound man wearing a sadly insufficient diaper, the Nike Sasquatch SUMO is a sight to behold. Unlike its Japanese namesake, though, the SUMO is aesthetically pleasing. It also packs one heck of a punch. Nike’s PowerBow geometry pushes the MOI even further than last year’s Sasquatch. With an even lower center of gravity and more weight behind the ball, the largest footprint in golf just got bigger.
Tester Comments: I think the sweet spot is bigger than the clubface, I could not miss it … Great distance, solid sound at impact and very foregiving, what more do I need … Very forgiving, this is staying in my bag.
Nike Sasquatch SUMO Squared
www.nikegolf.com | 888-799-6453 | $479
Unique Features: The SUMO Squared has an even higher MOI than the SUMO. One of the pioneers of the hot new square geometry that is sweeping the driver industry, the SUMO Squared is long, straight, and forgiving. The composite crown allowed Nike’s engineers to move even more weight into the sole of the club, giving golfers a ball flight that will still be rising as it sails over your playing partner’s.
Tester Comments: Not sure what I was looking at but found the center of the face and it does go straight … I bought some ear-plugs and then I played well … The sound was unlike a golf club sound but the results were unlike anything this 16 handicapper has experienced.
Orlimar Fury 460
www.orlimar.com | 888-502-4653 | $375
Unique Features: The Fury 460 is the latest in a long line of popular woods from Orlimar. The Fury 460’s extra-large head increases forgiveness and distance while remaining easy to swing. The club’s classic profile instills confidence on the tee as you belt high, straight drives throughout your round.
Tester Comments: Extra Easy to hit and very forgiving … Nothing sexy about the club it just worked well … I found I could draw or fade this driver without a loss of distance.
Ping Rapture
www.pinggolf.com | 800-474-6434 | $475
Unique Features: The Ping Rapture’s carbon composite crown may be visually striking, but it’s also one of the main reasons that the driver hits the ball so well. The carbon composite used in the crown allows two 10-gram weight pads to be positioned within the club for a lower center of gravity and a higher launch. The Rapture also features one of the sweetest sounds around because of the variable thickness milled face.
Tester Comments: Great sound for a composite driver … Distance was better than average on solid hits, above average on mis-hits … Off-center hits still went straight.
Srixon W-506
www.srixon.com | 888-4-SRIXON | $299.99
Unique Features: The Srixon W-506 is the only driver that utilizes Srixon’s Impact Power Body Construction. With varying thicknesses in the face, sole, and backwall of the club, the W-506 has both an optimal launch angle and a low spin rate. With such a forgiving face, there’s no such thing as a sweet spot—the whole face is the sweet spot! The W-506 even features its own proprietary shaft that was made to perfectly complement the qualities of the club.
Tester Comments: Liked the look, not distracting at setup … Was a little hollow feeling on misses, but good on center hits … Misses were not very forgiving and seemed to be overly short.
TaylorMade Burner
www.taylormadegolf.com | 800-888-2582 | $499
Unique Features: TaylorMade’s assault on the driver market continues with the Burner. Dubbed as the “bomber’s” driver, the Burner’s low, bullet-shaped head makes it look a weapon capable of some serious damage, and in this regard, looks aren’t deceiving. The super-deep center of gravity afforded by the clubhead’s shape gets the ball airborne quickly for a longer, higher ball flight. Despite being 460cc, the Burner is lighter than other its driving competitors, almost as if it’s asking the one holding it to go ahead and let ‘er rip.
Tester Comments: I was sold after one swing, straight, long and affordable … Great color and look and so easy to hit … They need to extend the range for this driver, I bought one.
TaylorMade r7 SuperQuad
www.tayloremadegolf.com | 800-888-2582 | $499
Unique Features: The most popular driver in the world just got better. TaylorMade’s r7 SuperQuad sports a mean black look, an incredibly high MOI, and 26 grams of movable weight. Want to draw it? Fade it? Customize the club however you like — it’s going to go far anyway. The SuperQuad’s Inverted Cone Technology helps send the ball long, even on mis-hits. The SuperQuad is already being snatched up by the pros, but it works wonders for amateurs, too.
Tester Comments: This is the most solid feeling driver I have ever hit … Love the dark look, it oozes confidence … Big distance, great sound – this is the best TaylorMade driver yet.
Tour Edge Bazooka GeoMax
www.touredge.com | 800-515-3343 | $200
Unique Features: Tour Edge’s GeoMax driver is the company’s answer to those that say that square drivers are the next big thing. The GeoMax pushes the USGA’s limits, giving golfers a superior MOI and the highest allowable breadth-to-face-length ratio. The 20-gram tungsten weight positioned in the back of the club keeps drives long and straight. The GeoMax looks good, hits great, and sounds sweet.
Tester Comments: Off-center hits were as good as center hits and just as long … I tried the more expensive clubs and this is every bit as good … Not crazy about the look, but the distance and accuracy made me get over it quickly.
Wilson Staff Dd6
www.wilsongolf.com | 773-714-6400 | $279.99
Unique Features: The ETF frame of the Wilson Staff Dd6 captures energy and focuses it towards the face of the club, making the “Hot Zone” of the club even larger. This results in greater ball velocity at impact and more forgiveness on off-center hits. The rear-positioned “L-Pods” deliver a higher launch angle. The Dd6 is perfect for the golfer who wants a perfect blend of power and forgiveness.
Tester Comments: Nice look and sound, distance was average … Not as forgiving as other drivers I tried, but when I hit it square, the ball really jumped off the face and went long …
Warrior Ti 460
www.WarriorCustomGolf.com | 800-223-0198 | $699
Unique Features: This is a completely new technology with interchangeable weights which gives players the freedom of changing the launch conditions by redistributing the weights for different launch angles, allowing the golfer to choose the one that produces optimum results. This new Driver is 460 cc’s of Forged Titanium combined with a Harrison Long Drive graphite shaft for longer, more penetrating shots off the tee. This club conforms with USGA rules.
Tester Comments: As forgiving and as long as anything I tried with a solid sound and feel at impact … My mis-hits were closer to the middle of the fairway than I am used to, time to upgrade … Traditional shaped driver with good distance and no slices.
The idea of the new shapes was the result of designers trying to find ways to help golfers still hit good shots, even when they happen to mis-hit the ball. An off center hit causes the clubhead to twist, resulting in a shot that flies down the fairway and leaves the short grass headed for the thick rough or even worse. The square, bullet or triangular shape of the new clubheads allows for extreme weighting in the head. This ensures the clubhead rotation around its center of gravity is reduced. Less twist means a straighter shot. It is all about maximizing moment of inertia (a club’s resistance to twisting on off-center hits). Now that the USGA has put a number to MOI, manufacturers are departing from traditional shapes to maximize their club’s MOI.
Traditional shapes wouldn’t allow for the kind of movement of the weight necessary, so the new shapes were born. It was time to put what looked like a car hood on the end of a shaft and step up to the tee box. Crazy? Perhaps, but ask anyone that reared back and poked a solid drive with the brand new square head driver and they’ll tell you that although it may sound funny, they’re thrilled with the performance they get, drive after consistent drive.
The club that most golfers hit just 14 times a round might be the one club that designers spend the most time tweaking and reworking to find that magical shot that every golfer can repeat over and over again. This year, with the debut of square head drivers from Callaway, Hippo, Nickent, Nike and others is no different. In fact, these new drivers offer the most drastic change, which just might foretell what could be ahead for drivers of the future.
Director of product creation for Nike, Tom Stites knows a little something about the moment of inertia, or MOI. He says that by moving the weight back further behind the clubhead and into the corners the square head offers, the MOI increases, meaning more stability.
Theoretically, the enhanced stability of the club head provides for less twisting and turning at impact. The end result is supposed to mean straighter drives.
“It’s like the wheelbase of a car,” Stites said. “The wider it becomes, the more stable it is around turns.”
That shape is the reason for what might be the most unusual feature about the club. When struck, it makes a sound unlike anything you’ve heard before. Instead of a crisp pinging noise delivered from a normal metal face, the square head drivers resound with more of a thumping “thwack” that is louder than normal.
Jason Gore claims that when he practiced with the Nike club, “A woman came out from the back door of her course side home and claimed I woke up her baby with the sound!”
Will other pros hit these newfangled drivers? Tiger Woods has practiced with the Nike Sasquatch Sumo Squared, but he has not yet put it into play. Phil Mickelson went a step further. During this year’s Masters, the two-time champ introduced the Callaway FT-i driver and at The Player’s Championship recorded a victory.
But not all new drivers introduced this season look like something that may have popped out of your toaster. TaylorMade has introduced 2 new drivers the more traditional pear shaped r7 Superquad and the bullet-shaped Burner. Benoit Vincent, Chief Technical Officer at TaylorMade says that you achieve a greater MOI the further back the center of gravity is from the face. “With the new square shaped drivers the center of gravity is closer to the face because of the design. With the more traditional pear-shape of the r7 Superquad or Bullet-shape of the Burner driver, we are able to position the center of gravity further back and lower than any club on the market. This creates an effective MOI that is among the highest in the market and effectively up to the USGA conforming benchmark of 5900. These are the longest drivers we have ever produced.”
We have taken our swings with most of the new offerings from many golf companies…big and small. Which is the best for you? Take a moment and read through our reviews. See what each club does and determine which one fits YOUR game. Then head to the nearest shop and get a hold of a demo model and hit it yourself!
Adams Insight BUL
www.adamsgolf.com | 800-709-6142 | $400
Unique Features: One of the brightest innovators in the fairway wood field has used its talent towards making a driver that combines those same elements of forgiveness and distance that golfers have loved for years. The Adams Insight BUL is the result of this innovation. Boasting a high MOI and a dramatic reduction in sidespin, the Insight BUL is amazingly consistent. Long drive after long drive will boom off of the club’s hot face. Ironically, you may have to keep your fairway woods in the bag. More times than not, you’ll be close enough to hit a wedge!
Tester Comments: Very consistent, I hit a lot of fairways …. The trajectory was great on every shot, even my misses … Not a fan of the sound, but a fan of the results.
Bob Burns No Bananas 430cc
www.bobburnscustomclubs.com | 920-991-9663 | $325.00
Unique Features: The No Bananas virtually eliminates slicing by adding weight to the heel and toe of the club. This eliminates clubhead twisting at impact, while also providing an expanded sweet spot for maximum distance, even on imperfect shots. Golfers will have no problem getting the clubhead square at the moment of impact. The two-inch deep, incredibly thin face makes the ball jump off the club, giving golfers the maximum COR allowable under USGA rules.
Tester Comments: The offset look was a little much for me, but it straightened out my slice… Not as long as others I tried however I found the fairway more often … No more slice.
Bridgestone J33 460
www.bridgestonegolf.com | 800-358-6319 | $499
Unique Features: High strength steel face plate allows for increased ball speed and sAn elastomer compound insert within the clubhead reduces vibration throughout the crown, sole and face of the club. The reduction in vibration accounts for a more efficient energy transfer resulting in more distance. A patented Low Modulus (Thin) Crown flexes slightly at impact adding loft to the clubhead, which enhances the vertical gear effect. The enhanced vertical gear effect then leads to an even higher launch and further decreased backspin off the tee.
Tester Comments: I was able to work the ball more with this driver than others … Nice clean lines and a solid feel at impact.
Bullet Golf X-4
www.sportssourceinc.com| 866-664-0016 | $199
Unique Features: The X-4 460cc 6-4 Titanium driver, which incorporates the same technology as more the expensive drivers in the marketplace. The X-4 driver expands upon the shape of most drivers and extends the mass of the driver to its lowest and deepest point, thus increasing the launch angle of the ball off the clubface and reducing spin resulting in straighter and longer drives.
Tester Comments: Hits as good as the more expensive clubs…The price point of this club works for me … Felt as good as my r580 Driver … Would put in my bag because of the price.
Callaway Fusion FT-5
www.callawaygolf.com | 800-588-9836 | $535
Unique Features: The FT-5 has been getting rave reviews from both amateurs and Tour players, and for good reason. The carbon composite body allows for 50 grams of weight transfer that improve stability and distance, while the Optifit Weighting System allows golfers to promote a draw, fade, or straight drive. The more traditional-shaped head won’t scare off those that want the best technology without the sometimes intimidating look of a square driver.
Tester Comments: Very consistent and great trajectory … Sound was best I have heard for a carbon composite driver … Off-center hits still out drove my playing partners.
Callaway FT-I
www.callawaygolf.com | 800-588-9836 | $625
Unique Features: The square shape, titanium face and carbon-composite crown of the FT-I driver is designed to position discretionary weight to the extreme corners of the clubhead, raising the MOI for unparalleled resistance to twisting both horizontally and vertically, providing forgiveness on shots hit all over the face. Proprietary Fusion Technology creates maximum perimeter weighting and more discretionary weight for precise positioning of the CG and exceptional stability on off-center hits. The launch with this driver is high with minimal spin.
Tester Comments: Ugly but performed well, I have to get over the looks … Nice high launch off the tee and seems to go forever … Sweet spot seemed to be the entire clubface, I could not miss it.
Cleveland HiBORE XL
www.clevelandgolf.com | 800-999-6263 | $390
Unique Features: Cleveland’s HiBORE XL is one bad-ass golf club. The dark charcoal look makes it so, as does the Full Face Performance of Cleveland’s enormous sweet spot. With maximum ball speed off of almost the entire face of the club and a high, low-spin ball flight, golfers will win many a long drive contest with the HiBORE XL in their bags. Just try not to scare the other golfers.
Tester Comments: Really loud at impact but everything was high and straight, so I go over sould … The look was unsettling until I hit it … Felt a little hard at impact but it was easy to hit.
E21 Golf Emc2
www.E21Golf.com | 888-365-2121 | $599.00
Unique Features: Features a multi-material Scandium cup face technology with variable wall thickness. The forged scandium cup face is designed to maximize energy transfer and provide a larger sweet spot. The extremely low angle of dispersion maximizes both distance and accuracy on off center mis-hits. The carbon composite crown of the driver allows the majority of the weight to be moved to the perimeter for straighter more accurate drives.
Tester Comments: This is the longest driver I tried by far … My mis-hits found the center of the fairway, not just the fairway … Center hits felt like “butta”
Hippo Golf Hex 2
www.hippo-golf.com | 800-204-2807 | $199
Unique Features: The Hippo Hex 2 driver is unlike any other driver on the market. Utilizing the benefits of the new geometrically inclined drivers while managing to reposition weight to the corners of the hexagonal clubhead, the Hex 2 reduces drag and increases clubhead speed. The super-hard Beta Ti face allows for the maximum COR for huge distance, while the extremely high MOI stabilizes the clubhead on mis-hits, resulting in straighter, truer drives.
Tester Comments: When I hit it on the screws, it screamed … Ball launched a little low and not very forgiving … Never heard of Hippo and this is ugly but it works.
MacGregor MACTEC NVG2 Draw
www.macgregorgolf.com | 800-841-4358 | $400
Unique Features: Most clubs are constrained by their technology, but not the NVG2 from MacTec. By using Plasma Welding on the Cup Face 360, MacTec has eliminated face welds, meaning the NVG2’s sweet spot is on the entire face! The Quadra Tungsten Weighting System keeps the ball in the fairway, and the club even comes with a draw bias to prevent slicing.
Tester Comments: Does what it says – draws the ball … Not the longest, but got rid of my fade … Really good looking club and sounded even better.
Mizuno MX-500
www.mizuno.com | 800-966-1211 | $299.99
Unique Features: The MX-500 driver from Mizuno combines a titanium body with a graphite toe insert and top crown to make for the perfect weight distribution. Golfers will find their shots sailing long, high, and straight thanks to Mizuno’s perimeter weighting system and innovative CORTECH face areas. The MX-500 also has a 460cc head, the largest allowable under USGA rules, for more forgiveness than any other club on the market.
Tester Comments: This set up really square to the ball and had a nice high trajectory … Even though it is 460cc, it did not look that big and it was easy to hit … Not the longest or the straightest but very consistent.
Nickent 3DX
www.NickentGolf.com | 888-NICKENT | $199
Unique Features: Its profile repositions weight to the corners of the clubhead, raising the MOI across both the horizontal and vertical axes. To ensure the best ball flight possible, Nickent also improved the bulge and roll of the driver, producing a ball flight that is straight, while still being workable. The proprietary Total Accuracy Control technology of the 3DX Square is maximum perimeter weighting and more discretionary weight for precise positioning of the CG and MOI. The entire clubhead is forged titanium, giving it the same Titanium power produced by traditional drivers.
Tester Comments: Very straight and priced right … As good as any other square driver I have tried, very straight … The sound was more like a driver than some of the other square drivers.
Nickent 4DX
www.nickentgolf.com | 888-NICKENT | $399
Unique Features: The 4DX from Nickent combines everything golfers want: a 460cc head that hits the ball a long way with forgiveness, and a draw bias that makes slicing obsolete. The draw bias is made possible by an XW Insert that is placed deep in the toe of the club. The super-thin Titanium crown and Titanium face are responsible for the hottest ball speed allowable.
Tester Comments: Wow--this thing smokes--and is straight … Trajectory was a little low, but distance and accuracy were awesome … Carried it right over a tree and the corner of a dogleg and had a shot to the par 5 in two for the first time ever.
Nicklaus Dual Point
www.nicklaus-golf.com | 800-322-1872 | $300
Unique Features: From the greatest golfer of all time comes a club befitting a champion. The Nicklaus Dual Point driver is precisely crafted to yield tremendous results. The multi-layered clubface is thin around the perimeter and thicker in the center, creating the maximum trampoline effect allowed by the USGA. A 14-gram weight is positioned low and deep in the clubhead, adding distance and aiding trajectory with every shot. The Micro Welding process is extremely durable and saves weight to be strategically repositioned throughout the clubhead.
Tester Comments: Not the most forgiving, but it really goes when you catch it in the sweet spot … Feels like a forged iron when you hit it in the center … Good distance and a nice trajectory.
Nike Sasquatch SUMO
www.nikegolf.com | 888-799-6453 | $395
Unique Features: Like a 500-pound man wearing a sadly insufficient diaper, the Nike Sasquatch SUMO is a sight to behold. Unlike its Japanese namesake, though, the SUMO is aesthetically pleasing. It also packs one heck of a punch. Nike’s PowerBow geometry pushes the MOI even further than last year’s Sasquatch. With an even lower center of gravity and more weight behind the ball, the largest footprint in golf just got bigger.
Tester Comments: I think the sweet spot is bigger than the clubface, I could not miss it … Great distance, solid sound at impact and very foregiving, what more do I need … Very forgiving, this is staying in my bag.
Nike Sasquatch SUMO Squared
www.nikegolf.com | 888-799-6453 | $479
Unique Features: The SUMO Squared has an even higher MOI than the SUMO. One of the pioneers of the hot new square geometry that is sweeping the driver industry, the SUMO Squared is long, straight, and forgiving. The composite crown allowed Nike’s engineers to move even more weight into the sole of the club, giving golfers a ball flight that will still be rising as it sails over your playing partner’s.
Tester Comments: Not sure what I was looking at but found the center of the face and it does go straight … I bought some ear-plugs and then I played well … The sound was unlike a golf club sound but the results were unlike anything this 16 handicapper has experienced.
Orlimar Fury 460
www.orlimar.com | 888-502-4653 | $375
Unique Features: The Fury 460 is the latest in a long line of popular woods from Orlimar. The Fury 460’s extra-large head increases forgiveness and distance while remaining easy to swing. The club’s classic profile instills confidence on the tee as you belt high, straight drives throughout your round.
Tester Comments: Extra Easy to hit and very forgiving … Nothing sexy about the club it just worked well … I found I could draw or fade this driver without a loss of distance.
Ping Rapture
www.pinggolf.com | 800-474-6434 | $475
Unique Features: The Ping Rapture’s carbon composite crown may be visually striking, but it’s also one of the main reasons that the driver hits the ball so well. The carbon composite used in the crown allows two 10-gram weight pads to be positioned within the club for a lower center of gravity and a higher launch. The Rapture also features one of the sweetest sounds around because of the variable thickness milled face.
Tester Comments: Great sound for a composite driver … Distance was better than average on solid hits, above average on mis-hits … Off-center hits still went straight.
Srixon W-506
www.srixon.com | 888-4-SRIXON | $299.99
Unique Features: The Srixon W-506 is the only driver that utilizes Srixon’s Impact Power Body Construction. With varying thicknesses in the face, sole, and backwall of the club, the W-506 has both an optimal launch angle and a low spin rate. With such a forgiving face, there’s no such thing as a sweet spot—the whole face is the sweet spot! The W-506 even features its own proprietary shaft that was made to perfectly complement the qualities of the club.
Tester Comments: Liked the look, not distracting at setup … Was a little hollow feeling on misses, but good on center hits … Misses were not very forgiving and seemed to be overly short.
TaylorMade Burner
www.taylormadegolf.com | 800-888-2582 | $499
Unique Features: TaylorMade’s assault on the driver market continues with the Burner. Dubbed as the “bomber’s” driver, the Burner’s low, bullet-shaped head makes it look a weapon capable of some serious damage, and in this regard, looks aren’t deceiving. The super-deep center of gravity afforded by the clubhead’s shape gets the ball airborne quickly for a longer, higher ball flight. Despite being 460cc, the Burner is lighter than other its driving competitors, almost as if it’s asking the one holding it to go ahead and let ‘er rip.
Tester Comments: I was sold after one swing, straight, long and affordable … Great color and look and so easy to hit … They need to extend the range for this driver, I bought one.
TaylorMade r7 SuperQuad
www.tayloremadegolf.com | 800-888-2582 | $499
Unique Features: The most popular driver in the world just got better. TaylorMade’s r7 SuperQuad sports a mean black look, an incredibly high MOI, and 26 grams of movable weight. Want to draw it? Fade it? Customize the club however you like — it’s going to go far anyway. The SuperQuad’s Inverted Cone Technology helps send the ball long, even on mis-hits. The SuperQuad is already being snatched up by the pros, but it works wonders for amateurs, too.
Tester Comments: This is the most solid feeling driver I have ever hit … Love the dark look, it oozes confidence … Big distance, great sound – this is the best TaylorMade driver yet.
Tour Edge Bazooka GeoMax
www.touredge.com | 800-515-3343 | $200
Unique Features: Tour Edge’s GeoMax driver is the company’s answer to those that say that square drivers are the next big thing. The GeoMax pushes the USGA’s limits, giving golfers a superior MOI and the highest allowable breadth-to-face-length ratio. The 20-gram tungsten weight positioned in the back of the club keeps drives long and straight. The GeoMax looks good, hits great, and sounds sweet.
Tester Comments: Off-center hits were as good as center hits and just as long … I tried the more expensive clubs and this is every bit as good … Not crazy about the look, but the distance and accuracy made me get over it quickly.
Wilson Staff Dd6
www.wilsongolf.com | 773-714-6400 | $279.99
Unique Features: The ETF frame of the Wilson Staff Dd6 captures energy and focuses it towards the face of the club, making the “Hot Zone” of the club even larger. This results in greater ball velocity at impact and more forgiveness on off-center hits. The rear-positioned “L-Pods” deliver a higher launch angle. The Dd6 is perfect for the golfer who wants a perfect blend of power and forgiveness.
Tester Comments: Nice look and sound, distance was average … Not as forgiving as other drivers I tried, but when I hit it square, the ball really jumped off the face and went long …
Warrior Ti 460
www.WarriorCustomGolf.com | 800-223-0198 | $699
Unique Features: This is a completely new technology with interchangeable weights which gives players the freedom of changing the launch conditions by redistributing the weights for different launch angles, allowing the golfer to choose the one that produces optimum results. This new Driver is 460 cc’s of Forged Titanium combined with a Harrison Long Drive graphite shaft for longer, more penetrating shots off the tee. This club conforms with USGA rules.
Tester Comments: As forgiving and as long as anything I tried with a solid sound and feel at impact … My mis-hits were closer to the middle of the fairway than I am used to, time to upgrade … Traditional shaped driver with good distance and no slices.