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So Many Driver Choices… So Little Time...

As usual, we’ve been keeping our robot very busy this year testing the latest releases from golf’s top club manufacturers. Based on the requests of our readers, we thought it would be fun to publish the results of our testing for ALL drivers, rather than just a select few at a time. This way you can easily compare from club to club.

The results of this test are a lot like the results you might see in the popular golf magazines, but with one very important difference: Our test results are based on objective robot testing, not subjective golfer feedback. The robot has no preference of brand, look, feel, etc. The robot simply hits the shots and our launch monitors track the results. It is a fantastic apples-to-apples comparison that we hope you will find valuable as you consider the purchase of a new driver this year.

Just a reminder to those of you unfamiliar with our club-testing robot… Our robot is the same robot used by the USGA, R&A, and most of the major manufacturers in golf. It applies the exact same force, swing path, and angle of attack while hitting the ball in the same location on the face every time. These test results are based on swing speeds of 90 and 100 mph. In addition, we had the robot hit the ball in the center of the clubface, 1 inch towards the toe, and 1 inch towards the heel.

I am fairly certain that many of you already skipped over the first few paragraphs of this article and dove straight for the DISTANCE column of the club test ratings, but I hope you will take time to check out all of the details of these tests and some of the summary comments at the end of the article.
Vendor Model Distance* Launch
Angle
Spin
Rate
Forgiveness On Mis-Hits** Comments:
Bridgestone J38 Low Low Might need extra loft with this club. Right bias.
Adams Fast 10 Low Mid This club lost way too much on distance with heel shots.
Callaway FT-iz Mid Mid-Low TOP PERFORMER! This callaway driver goes a very looong way at just 45 inches in length.
Callaway Diablo Edge Mid-Low Mid-Low Very nice all around performance.
Callaway Diablo Edge Tour Mid Mid-Low This driver lost too much distance on heel shots.
Cleveland Launcher DST Mid-Low Low Very lightweight driver.
Cobra ZL High Mid-High The BEST driver on heel shots. You may need a bit less loft with this club.
Cobra S2 Mid-Low Mid-Low Offset model launches higher and spins more.
Mizuno MP 630 Low Low May need more loft with this club.
Mizuno MP 630 Fast Track Low Low Great distance club. Availability has been a challenge.
Nike VR Str8Fit Tour Mid-Low Mid-Low Great heel performance, not on toe. Comes with an adjustable hosel.
Nike Victory Red Tour Low Mid-Low Great heel performance, not on toe.
Nike Machspeed Str8Fit Mid Mid Unusual club, but a fantastic club - great for slicers.
Ping G15 Mid Mid-Low The BEST PERFORMING driver we have ever tested. The Serrano shaft spins less.
Ping I15 Mid-High Mid Another great performer, but not quite as forgiving as the G15.
Powerbuilt Air Foil Low Mid-Low Not very forgiving on mis-hits.
TaylorMade Burner SuperFast Mid-Low Mid-Low Very long distance, control questionable.
TaylorMade R9 SuperTri Mid-High Mid Adjustable face angle and movable weights!
TaylorMade R9 SuperTri TP Low Low Great club for players looking to bring ball flight lower.
  * Distance rating is based on ball speed produced by each club at like-launch angle.
** Forgiveness rating is based upon distance on off-center hits on both heel and toe.
 
As you can see, there are a lot of fantastic driver choices for 2010. The good news is that if you compare the performance of these drivers to nearly all of their predecessors, you will find improved results across the board. For example, you would find that the Callaway FT-iz performs much better than its predecessor, the FT-IQ. It is impressive to see how the manufacturers keep finding ways to make their products better every year.

Let’s see if I know you well… the FIRST thing you looked at was the distance rating for each club right? Which drivers got 5 stars in hitting the long ball? Please keep in mind that all of the drivers in this test performed well in terms of distance, but if you are looking to squeeze a few extra yards out of the big stick, the 5-star drivers would be an excellent place to start.

A few of these drivers really stand out…
  #1: Ping G15 Driver
As I wrote in the comments, this driver is truly the best driver we have ever tested! Ping has produced a magical combination of shaft and clubhead that is delivering outstanding performance in this club. As one might expect from Ping, there are a variety of fitting options with this club: (1) including the draw clubhead for those fighting a fade or slice. (2) the Aldila Serrano shaft, which lowers the spin rate 200-300 rpm’s for those with too high launch and spin. (3) Lofts ranging from 9-degrees up to 13.5 degrees.

The club is very forgiving on off-center hits on both the heel and toe side of the club. This is unusual because most drivers tend to favor one side of the face or the other. The G15 does well across the entire face, including the center.
  #2: Callaway FT-iz Driver
Based on past years testing of Callaway drivers, I was very surprised to see the FT-iz perform this well. This driver is fantastic! The thing that is really impressive about this club is that it delivers high ball speed at just 45” in length. The G15 is 45.75” – which makes the club nearly one inch longer in length than the FT-iz. Arguably, the shorter length of the FT-iz might make it a bit easier to control without giving up any distance.

Another great feature of this club is the accuracy you will get on your off-center hits – even 1” heel and toe shots tended to drift back to the center of the fairway.

The only disadvantage to this club for some might be a slightly unusual shape and setup. At address it looks a little closed, although you can be assured that the 9 and 10-degree lofts are set square.
  #3: Nike Machspeed Str8Fit Driver
Even though it is a little unorthodox, this driver really performed on our robot. It also is the only 5-star distance rated driver with an adjustable hosel that allows the face angle to be opened or closed up to two degrees in either direction.

Some may not like this driver’s square shape and upright lie angle, but for those willing to try something new – it is a great club! For those of you spending too much time on the fade or slice side of the fairway, it might just be the perfect club. Very long, very forgiving, and very adjustable.

Time To Get Fit...

I know I say this in every article I write, but whether you purchase a new driver from us or elsewhere, PLEASE take the time to get fit. As you can see by looking at the data, drivers have different launch angles, spin rates, lengths, adjustability options, etc. It is important that you spend time with an experienced fitter to make sure you are aligned with the driver and specifications that best suit your game.

I hope you have enjoyed reviewing these tests results. Shoot me an email if I can clarify anything further for you. My email address is seansmith@uintagolf.com. Thanks for reading!
  Sincerely,  
  Sean Smith; Owner, Uinta Golf