drivers - MD Golf

pp 87-89 Lead to Drivers 16/03/2011 11:30 Page 87
Golfer
NATIONAL
CLUB
TESTS...
DRIVERS
It’s the most exciting club in the bag – but which one is right for you?
Our team trials 24 of the latest models to find out
pp 87-89 Lead to Drivers 16/03/2011 11:30 Page 88
NEXTH:
MONT
TE
WE LRAA
E
T ST
THE
HYBRIDS
ABOUT THE TEST
We invited manufacturers to send in samples
and used the excellent facilities at Moor
Allerton Golf Club (www.magc.co.uk) in Leeds.
We tested drivers with the mid-handicapper
in mind, and thus awarded more votes to
drivers with mass appeal, but also highlighted
clubs that excelled in certain areas.
UNDER THE BONNET
Master club builder Gary Pickering on the
rules and technology of driver heads
THE rules of golf state a driver head can be no
larger than 460cc, with dimensions no larger
than 127mm x 127mm x 71mm.
Heads have a nominal weight of 200g, but
many are built lighter.
The top of a driver head is called the crown
and is often made from very light material,
which allows weight to be positioned in
different parts of the sole to promote different
flights. For example, when it is pushed back, it
launches the ball high, and when it is pushed
towards the toe, it promotes a fade. This is
known as altering the centre of gravity, or CG.
Clubhead shapes vary for different abilities.
Heads that are larger front to back offer a
deeper centre of gravity and a high trajectory
and forgiveness level – making them perfect for
beginners – while shallower, taller heads launch
88 MAY 2011 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
lower and are usually less forgiving. Generally
speaking, if you struggle to get the ball
airborne and want maximum carry, go for a low
CG, whereas if you frequently play in a lot of
wind – say, if your home club is a links – and
want to keep it flatter, go for a high CG.
Loft is also vital. Many drivers are designed
to minimise backspin so can fall out of the air
quickly. Therefore, if you swing slowly or hit it
low, a driver with 12˚ or 13˚ of loft should
maximise your carry.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
TRACKMAN EXPLAINED
PGA pro James Whitaker explains what the
numbers mean and how they can help you
1. BALL SPEED
The speed of the ball as it leaves the face at
impact. Most of the fittings I see are between
135 and 150mph with a driver.
2. VERTICAL LAUNCH
This figure tells us the launch angle of the ball
pp 87-89 Lead to Drivers 16/03/2011 11:30 Page 89
THE TESTERS
James Whitaker
Head professional at
Moor Allerton
Current driver: Nike SQ
Machspeed Black Round
What I look for: I really like the
club to sit squarely at address as
anything that points left is no good
for my eye. I also like the club to
produce a solid sound – not a
tinny one – and feel quick off the
face. A penetrating, workable
flight is also very appealing as it
allows me to control the ball more
effectively.
Dan Murphy
Handicap: 3
Current driver: Ping G15
What I look for: I have yet to fall
for an unconventional shape but
am very happy to experiment with
composite heads if it helps control
my excessively spinny
flight.
Less is usually more when
it comes to looks in a
driver for me.
Mark Townsend
HOW TO HIT
THE BALL
FURTHER
As clubhead design and
technology has changed
over the years, so too has
the technique required to
hit long drives.
If you struggle for
distance with the big dog,
perhaps your swing has
not evolved like your
driver has – so check out
this video from Moor
Allerton pro James
Whitaker.
In it, he shows you
how to utilise your
shoulder turn to increase
clubhead speed and the
distance you hit the ball.
More yards for you,
absolutely free!
during impact. It is a by-product
of the angle of attack, clubface
loft and clubhead design. Ideally
it should be around 12˚-14˚.
7. LAND ANGLE
3. LAUNCH SPIN
Not many people know this, but
as soon as you hit the ball it spins
backwards. This figure is in
revolutions per minute. You
never want to see a high number
here, but it is relative to clubhead
speed. More spin can help keep
the ball in the air and maximise
carry for slower swing speeds.
4. SMASH FACTOR
This is a basic measure of strike
quality obtained by dividing ball
speed by clubhead speed. The
optimum is 1.50, but once the
figures reach over 1.40, you are
making solid contact.
5. CARRY
How far the ball carries, in yards.
6. TOTAL
Turn to page 8 to learn
how to use this tag
ball doesn’t roll more that 20
yards as, after this point, the
player has often lost control.
The total distance is the carry
plus how far the ball will roll. I
always try to make sure that the
This tells us the angle at which
the ball approaches the ground,
the optimum being around 30˚.
8. ANGLE OF ATTACK
This is critical as it directly
affects spin. It is recommended
that this number is a positive,
because if you’re hitting down on
the ball it’s likely to result in too
much spin. This number has a
big effect on other statistics used
with Trackman, so I use it
regularly to inform me during
custom fittings.
• James is an expert club fitter
and the owner of one of very few
TrackMan launch monitors in the
north east of England. He
specialises in fittings using this
industry-leading precision tool so
call 01132 665 209 and quote
NCG to book a half-price session
with him (full price is £50) at
Moor Allerton GC, near Leeds.
Handicap: 7
Current driver: Ping K15
What I look for:
This is generally the most
unreliable club in the bag
with my really bad shots a
big slice or huge balloon.
Therefore I like something
that boosts confidence and is
going to be forgiving while still
looking the part which, for me,
tends to be simple. Square and
triangular heads are not for me.
Joe Whitley
Handicap: 12
Current driver:
TaylorMade
R9 SuperTri
What I look for: I hit the ball
really high so I like something that
launches nice and low.
I am not hugely bothered by the
shape or colour of the head, I just
want a driver that goes further
than my three wood and that I can
find fairways with.
THE NCG
PROMISE
We pride ourselves on offering
unbiased, independent reviews
and approached each set with an
open mind.
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | MAY 2011 89
pp 90-91 Drivers 16/03/2011 10:20 Page 90
RAM EVOLUTION
WILSON STAFF DXI
SRP: £59.99 LOFTS: 10.5 & 12˚ LH? Yes
STANDARD SHAFT: Evolution Power
Kick graphite
TECHNOLOGY
Designed for maximum forgiveness; 460cc
titanium head; large sweet spot
SRP: £249 LOFTS: 9, 10.5 & 12˚ LH? Yes
STANDARD SHAFT: Aldila VooDoo
TECHNOLOGY
Rubber inserts and weight pad for high
launch; variable face thickness offers high
ball speed
PLAYER COMMENTS
Mark: I thought the black finish disguised
the loft so I didn’t have masses of
confidence. The head looks very shut.
Joe: This is probably not the best-looking
club out there for me as I tend to hook and
this is a little toed in.
The shaft really
kicks the head
through,
though, so if
you struggle
for swing speed
this might be for
you.
PLAYER COMMENTS
James: A good all-round driver but
nothing spectacular. Best described as solid,
I would say.
Dan: I agree with James, it doesn’t jump
out of the pack but
the head shape
is pretty
good and
getting a
VooDoo as
a standard
shaft is
excellent.
CONTACT
w: ramgolf.co.uk
MD GOLF
SEVE ICON
CONTACT
w: wilsonstaff.com
t: 01276 404 970
POWERBILT
AIR FOIL TOUR
SRP: £99.99 LOFTS: 8.5, 9.5 & 10.5˚
LH? No STANDARD SHAFT: UST
Proforce OTHER OPTIONS: White
version
TECHNOLOGY
Titanium construction; perimeter
weighting for stability and accuracy
SRP: £224.99 LOFTS: 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 &
12.5˚ LH? No STANDARD SHAFT:
Fujikura Fit-On OTHER OPTIONS:
More forgiving MOI version
TECHNOLOGY
Thinnest face of any driver; pressurised
nitrogen support helps increase distance
PLAYER COMMENTS
Joe: You can’t argue with the value and the
nice shape, but the sound just doesn’t
inspire confidence. I hit a few
shots that I thought
were terrible
after hearing
them, but in
reality were fine.
Mark: I really
like the head shape
but it sounds quite
tinny.
PLAYER COMMENTS
Joe: I love how low and powerful the
launch is, but I just can’t get on with the
head shape.
Mark: This looks
like it points left
and I think it
is quite
unforgiving.
The sound
is odd, too.
CONTACT w: mdgolf.co.uk
t: 02894 460 333
90 MAY 2011 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
CONTACT
w: powerbilt.co.uk
t: 08442 098 886
CALLAWAY
RAZR HAWK
SRP: £329 LOFTS: 9.5, 10.5, 11.5 & 13˚
LH? Yes STANDARD SHAFT: Aldila
RIP OTHER OPTIONS: Tour, draw
TECHNOLOGY
Forged composite material allows
engineers to control flight; hyperbolic face
boosts distance; aerodynamic head
PLAYER COMMENTS
James: I’m not entirely sure about this one.
I can’t see enough performance difference
between this and the Callaway
Octane to justify the
price increase.
Joe:
Undoubtedly
powerful and
forgiving, but
if it was my
money on the line,
I’d go for the Octane.
CONTACT w:
callawaygolf.com
t: 02083 910 100
SNAKE EYES 685T
SRP: £199 LOFTS: 9.5, 10.5 & 11.5˚ LH?
No STANDARD SHAFT: UST Proforce
XTD
TECHNOLOGY
Sleek, bullet shape head; dynamically
optimised clubface for ball speed; high
launch with low spin for maximum carry
PLAYER COMMENTS
Dan: The shaft is short, which I’m
guessing is to improve control, but it is very
light and that seemed to counteract any
gain in accuracy
Mark: It was
really easy
to get the
ball in the
air but
not very
inspiring to
look at.
CONTACT
w: snakeeyescustom.com
t: 01480 308 800
pp 90-91 Drivers 16/03/2011 10:21 Page 91
EQUIPMENT in association with
TAYLORMADE
BURNER
SUPERFAST 2.0
SRP: £249
LOFTS: 9.5, 10.5 & 12.5˚
LH? No
STANDARD SHAFT: Matrix XCON 4.8
TECHNOLOGY
Aerodynamic shape cuts through air for
faster club and ball speed; white finish; high
launch
PLAYER COMMENTS
Mark: The standard grip is a bit spongy. I
have no problem with the white head but
the shape is ugly and the alignment aid is
right in the heel. I don’t think it is that
forgiving, either.
James: There’s too much going on for me.
I don’t think it needs all the graphics on the
crown and think it is a bit too light.
CONTACT
w: taylormadegolf.eu
t: 08000 480 781
MIZUNO
MP-630 FAST
TRACK
SRP: £299
LOFTS: 8.5, 9.5 & 10.5˚
LH? No
STANDARD SHAFT: Mitsubishi Rayon
Fubuki
TECHNOLOGY
Slightly open face; shallow, 445cc head; fast
track weight system for ball flight
manipulation
PLAYER COMMENTS
Dan: I got very good results with this club.
It’s really consistent, reliable and feels
lovely.
Joe: Head shapes don’t come much better
than this, but you sacrifice forgiveness for
good looks – I struggled with off-centre
hits.
CONTACT
w: mizuno.com
t: 01189 362 100
CLEVELAND
TL310
SRP: £239
LOFTS: 8.5, 9.5 & 10.5˚
LH? Yes
STANDARD SHAFT: Miyazaki C.Kua
TECHNOLOGY
Weighs only 310 grammes which allows for
faster swings and therefore more ball speed
and distance
PLAYER COMMENTS
Joe: The shaft and head launch really low,
which will suit better players. I really like
the head.
James: This is the heaviest of the three
Cleveland drivers in this range (but still
very light) and is clearly aimed at the better
player.
The head looks very neat and the feel is
good.
I like the neutral flight.
CONTACT
w: clevelandgolf.com
t: 01420 541 709
JOHN LETTERS
T9+
SRP: £199
LOFTS: 9.5, 10.5, 13 & 15˚
LH? No
STANDARD SHAFT: Aldila Tour Gold
TECHNOLOGY
Designed to disperse the impact of bad
strikes; feel cell provides maximum
feedback; titanium face for ball speed
PLAYER COMMENTS
Joe: I’m a big fan of this club. I liked the
shape of the head and thought the
alignment aid stood out well. The flight
was strong and the forgiveness levels were
high.
Dan: This represents a huge upgrade in
quality compared to the John Letters
drivers we were testing a few years ago.
Very solid and has a fast flight. These are
serious clubs now.
CONTACT
w: johnletters.co.uk
t: 08000 139 139
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | MAY 2011 91
pp 93-95 Drivers 16/03/2011 10:23 Page 93
EQUIPMENT in association with
TITLEIST 910D2
NIKE VR PRO
SRP: £305 LOFTS: 8.5, 9.5 & 10.5˚ LH?
Yes STANDARD SHAFT: Five available
OTHER OPTIONS: Smaller-headed D3
TECHNOLOGY
Fast face insert for distance; SureFit Tour
hosel for loft/lie adjustments, precise fitting
SRP: £360 LOFTS: 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 & 11.5˚
LH? Yes SHAFT: Project X 6.0
TECHNOLOGY
Pear shaped head; fast launch with low
spin; compression channel for fast ball
speed
PLAYER COMMENTS
Dan: So much easier to use than previous
Titleist drivers. It’s fast off the face and
offers a strong flight. But I don’t think the
head shape is the most attractive we tested.
Mark: It seemed to point a touch left to
me, but the sound
was as good as
anything, as
was distance.
James: An
excellent
driver. The head
looks good and the
strong flight will
appeal to better players.
PLAYER COMMENTS
James: The head shape is beautiful.
Dan: I’m not such a fan as James of the
rounded head, but the feel out of the
middle is excellent and so too is the
performance. More forgiving than it looks.
Mark: The
STR8-FIT
dial is a
bit offputting
and looks a
bit odd on the
shaft, but the sound
is great and so too is the
distance.
PLAYER COMMENTS
Joe: Without doubt a serious piece of kit,
but best left to low single figure golfers.
The small head gave me no
confidence
whatsoever.
Dan: I’m a
huge fan of
this. It looks
classy and feels
great and I
didn’t find it
unforgiving at all. Ideal
for a better player.
CONTACT
w: titleist.co.uk t: 01480 301 114
CONTACT
w: nikegolf.eu t: 08000 561 640
CONTACT
w: yonex.co.uk t: 02087 429 777
COBRA S3
CLEVELAND XL270
SRP: £249 LOFTS: 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 & 11.5˚
LH? Yes STANDARD SHAFT: Fujikura
Blur OTHER OPTIONS: Offset S3 Max
TECHNOLOGY
E9 face technology changes shape of sweet
spot to meet misses of average players
SRP: £239 LOFTS: 9, 10.5 & 12˚ LH? Yes
STANDARD SHAFT: Miyazaki C.Kua
OTHER OPTIONS: Draw version
TECHNOLOGY
The lightest driver ever; just 270g – the
same as a can of Coke; offers distance
through increased clubhead speed
PLAYER COMMENTS
Joe: We also tested the S3 Max, which is
extremely forgiving but not as appealing
visually. I didn’t think the S3 was as good
looking as its predecessor, the S2, but it
offered a lovely high flight.
Mark: I love the nice
and simple head
shape and the
feel is good.
The flight is
strong, too.
Dan: I’m not
sure about looks,
but the feel and flight
are great.
CONTACT
w: cobragolf.co.uk t: 084512 978 628
PLAYER COMMENTS
Dan: I had no idea where the head was
during the swing – too light for me.
Joe: I agree the light weight makes it hard
to feel the head, but you
can increase your
club speed –
TrackMan
testing
suggested I
could gain
several mph
compared to a
standard driver.
YONEX
EZONE TYPE 420
SRP: £299 LOFTS: 9 & 10˚ LH? No
STANDARD SHAFT: Yonex
Nanopreme OTHER OPTIONS: Type
450 (450cc); Type 380 (380cc)
TECHNOLOGY
Mid-size head; low spin and low launch;
deep, open face
BENROSS QUAD
SRP: £129.99 LOFTS: 10, 12 & 14˚
LH? Yes SHAFT: Aldila VooDoo
TECHNOLOGY
Classic head shape; internal weighting;
large footprint; high launch with low spin
PLAYER COMMENTS
Mark: Felt great, classic looking and a lot
of power. It will suit most handicaps, too.
Dan: The alignment aid has a hint of Ping’s
G15. Overall I liked this.
CONTACT
w: benrossgolf.com t: 01276 404 970
CONTACT
w: clevelandgolf.com
t: 01420 541 709
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | MAY 2011 93
pp 93-95 Drivers 16/03/2011 10:23 Page 94
FEELS GREAT – AND FORGIVING
MOST VERSATILE
BEST FOR SLICERS
MIZUNO JPX800
NIKE SQ
MACHSPEED ROUND
PING K15
SRP: £229.99 LOFTS: 9, 10.5, 12 & 13.5˚
LH? No SHAFT: Mizuno Exsar DS5
TECHNOLOGY
Hot metal face boosts ball speed; internal
weighting for forgiveness; ultra thin crown
offers high launch
SRP: £240 LOFTS: 8.5, 9.5, 10.5, 11.5 &
13˚ LH? Yes SHAFT: Mitsubishi Fubuki
OTHER OPTIONS: Square version
TECHNOLOGY
Tapered heel improves aerodynamics;
STR8-FIT for ball flight manipulation; two
head options for accuracy or workability
SRP: £269 LOFTS: 9.5, 10.5 & 12˚
LH? Yes SHAFT: Ping TFC 149D
TECHNOLOGY
Invisible draw bias; minimal offset; low CG
for high launch
PLAYER COMMENTS
Mark: The most forgiving club on test for
me. Anyone who needs a bit of help will
love this. The blue finish is a bit odd, but
you’ll soon forget
it.
Joe: This
was my
favourite
driver in the
entire test. I love
the shape and the
boring flight that cuts through the
wind. It also feels brilliant.
PLAYER COMMENTS
James: The custom-fit
options are
brilliant – I’d
recommend
it to all types
of player.
Dan: The
round head looks
better than the
square – and seemed just as
forgiving.
PLAYER COMMENTS
Mark: You can see plenty of the face, which
is a big positive for me, and the forgiveness
is ridiculously good. Bit of an odd head
shape but you quickly forget it.
James: Undoubtedly
easy to hit.
Joe: There is a
big chunk of
weight in the
heel but you
can’t see it at
address – anti-slice
technology without
ugly looks. A masterstroke.
CONTACT
w: mizuno.com t: 01189 362 100
CONTACT
w: nikegolf.eu t: 08000 561 640
CONTACT
w: pinggolf.com t: 01427 615 405
BEST TOUR DRIVER
MOST FORGIVING
CALLAWAY DIABLO
OCTANE TOUR
CALLAWAY DIABLO
OCTANE BLACK
SRP: £249 LOFTS: 8.5, 9.5 & 10.5˚ LH? No STANDARD
SHAFT: Project X 7E7
TECHNOLOGY
Compact, all-black head; forged composite material allows engineers
to place CG precisely
SRP: £249 LOFTS: 9.5, 10.5, 11.5 & 13˚ LH? Yes STANDARD
SHAFT: Project X 6E7
TECHNOLOGY
Hyperbolic face for distance; forged composite material allows for
precise CG placement
PLAYER COMMENTS
James: I love the all-black finish and
the ball flight is hard to beat.
The feel is brilliant too.
Dan: Brilliant. It looks
great and the ball speeds
were consistently high.
Decent value too.
Mark: This is the bestlooking Callaway driver I’ve
ever seen. There’s plenty of power
and a really nice sound. Impressive
when you get hold of it.
PLAYER COMMENTS
Joe: The pattern on the
crown is a little off-putting
initially but the
forgiveness on even big
mis-hits is extremely
impressive. If you need
to hit fairways, give this a
go.
Mark: This sits nicely and I love
the sound. Undeniably forgiving.
Dan: I don’t like the marbled crown but I do like
the performance. I felt like I couldn’t miss.
CONTACT
w: callawaygolf.com t: 02083 910 100
CONTACT
w: callawaygolf.co.uk t: 02083 910 100
94 MAY 2011 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
pp 93-95 Drivers 16/03/2011 10:24 Page 95
EQUIPMENT in association with
NOT JUST A NEW FINISH
SHAFTS
GLOSSARY
TAYLORMADE R11
Don Brown, Grafalloy’s product
development manager, translates
the jargon into plain English
SRP: £329 LOFTS: 9 & 10.5˚ LH? Yes
STANDARD SHAFT: Fujikura Blur
OTHER OPTIONS: TP (tour shaft)
TECHNOLOGY
Three ways to independently adjust the head:
you can change face angle, loft and flight
PLAYER COMMENTS
Joe: The white is much sharper than I expected
and being able to adjust loft is a massive plus.
Mark: The sound is lovely but I struggled to get a
decent flight.
Dan: Underneath all the white hype, this is a
quality driver. The white really works for me and
the shape is great.
James: It seems I’m the only one who can’t get on
with the white finish. However, the performance is
top notch.
TORQUE
Golfer
BRON
NATIONAL
CLUB
ZE
Torque’s main impact is on feel. Two
shafts with identical bend
patterns can feel radically
different if their torque ratings
are significantly different. A low
torque shaft will feel “boardy”
where as a higher torque shaft
will feel smoother. The impact
on trajectory is not as great as
many golfers believe. The time
that the ball remains on the
face of the driver is so short
that the twisting of the shaft
due to impact occurs after the
ball has left the face.
KICK POINT
By varying the kick point, or
more accurately the butt-to-tip
stiffness ratio, we can alter the
launch angle with the driver.
The shaft can be used to finetune launch angles within a
couple of degrees, any larger
change than that would need to
be a combination of shaft,
head and ball.
CONTACT
w: taylormadegolf.eu t: 08000 480 781
FLEX
GENUINELY IMPOSSIBLE TO FAULT
PING G15
Flex refers to the butt stiffness
of the shaft and is usually
noted in terms of regular, stiff,
extra stiff (or 5.0,5.5,7.0). This
is a good measure of which
swing speed is required to load
the shaft properly.
TIP STIFFNESS
SRP: £249 LOFTS: 9, 10.5, 12 & 13.5˚ LH? Yes
STANDARD SHAFT: Aldila Serrano
TECHNOLOGY
External sole weight optimises launch conditions;
face increases ball speed; shape offers forgiveness
GolfeRr
L
NATIONA
CLUB
SILVE
PLAYER COMMENTS
Dan: Very solid, brilliant performer and appeals to
everyone – from high-handicappers to tour players.
Excellent value and I’d recommend it to anyone.
Joe: Not an especially exciting driver but I really
can’t fault it in any way. Nice to look at, really
forgiving and as long as anything.
James: You can see why it is so popular.
Mark: Sounds great, sits great and the standard
shaft is brilliant. A big confidence booster – I felt
like I couldn’t miss with it.
Tip stiffness controls the
launch characteristics of the
shaft. A ProLaunch Blue and
ProLaunch Red may both be
regular flex and have very
similar butt frequencies but
their differences in tip stiffness
is what makes one a high and
one a low-launch shaft.
WEIGHT
Lighter is not always better.
Reducing shaft weight is a
great way to increase clubhead
speed but often a light shaft
doesn’t have the stability to
produce repeatable results.
Our Axis technology is
designed to make ultra-light
shafts with the stability of their
heavier counterparts.
CONTACT w: pinggolf.com t: 01427 615 405
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | MAY 2011 95
pp 97 Drivers 16/03/2011 10:26 Page 97
EQUIPMENT in association with
TALKING SHAFTS
Don Brown has the lowdown
What sets Grafalloy shafts apart?
Their technology continues to
perform years after it is released.
For example, Grafalloy ProLite
technology was introduced 15
years ago and is featured in the
Grafalloy Tour X which has won
twice on the PGA Tour this year.
What these shafts have in
common is they all featured a
revolutionary material
technology that provided
demonstrable increases in
distance and control.
Are these shafts also suitable
for the average club player?
Shafts used on tour can provide
great results for the better club
player who needs the tip
stiffness that our tour shafts
provide to give the penetrating
trajectory they require.
r
GoOlfLe
D
NATIONAL
CLUB
G
QUALITY OF A CLUB MORE THAN TWICE THE PRICE
MD GOLF
SUPERSTRONG ST Ti460
SRP: £99.99; £139.99 with UST AxivCore
LOFTS: 9.5, 10.5 & 12˚ LH? Yes OTHER OPTIONS:
Offset version STANDARD SHAFT: UST ProForce
TECHNOLOGY
Classic head shape; long, shallow clubhead for forgiveness;
high-quality UST components
PLAYER COMMENTS
James: Pretty much impossible to fault – fast off the face,
looks good at address, and has a strong flight.
Dan: Different class. Brilliant for the money. We all found
that this performed as well as anything on test.
Mark: Great value and a really nice sound. Excellent
irrespective of the price.
Joe: The head shape is lovely and offers lots of forgiveness.
It feels and sounds much more expensive than it is.
CONTACT w: mdgolf.co.uk t: 02894 460 333
What about average players?
Our ProLaunch Blue shafts are
great for the average player who
needs help maximizing carry.
This performance continues
through ProLaunch Axis Blue.
NCG COMMENT
NEVER before has a club or set around
half the price of most of the
competition been the unanimous
winner of our test.
We haven’t voted MD Golf’s
Superstrong our top choice purely
because of its price. It was simply that,
the more we hit it the more we liked it.
When we request test samples, we
give manufacturers the choice of
sending clubs in shaft and loft options
that we think will best suit us. In this
case, to match our request, MD Golf
sent us their driver with a UST AxivCore
(pictured below) rather than the UST
ProForce that comes as standard.
Upgrading to this shaft costs £40.
For all we know, the club would
have performed equally or almost as
well with the standard shaft – it is very
hard to quantify the exact difference a
shaft makes.
We came away having reached two
key conclusions: the Superstrong is an
outstanding driver regardless of shaft;
and finding a shaft that suits your
swing is massively important and well
worth paying a little extra for.
What is the most common
misconception the golfing
public has with driver shafts?
That simply having high-end
materials and a big price tag
makes a shaft good.
Does the performance of the
shaft depend on the head?
The shaft and head work
together in combination, the
shaft can improve the overall
club performance by helping
achieve ideal launch conditions.
What is Grafalloy’s policy on
producing bespoke versions of
shafts for manufacturers?
We often work with OEMs
(Original Equipment
Manufacturers) to engineer
shafts that will provide
maximum performance in their
heads for the golfer targeted
with that product. These OEM
versions are made with same
quality of materials and to the
same manufacturing tolerances
as our after-market shafts.
n To learn more visit
www.grafalloy.com
www.nationalclubgolfer.com | MAY 2011 97
pp 98 Drivers Conclusion 16/03/2011 10:27 Page 98
WHAT WE LEARNED
Get the right shaft, forget strange head shapes, and trust adjustability
SHAFTS ARE VITAL
THE TEST IN NUMBERS
Shafts are the most important part of a club
in our opinion.
Clubheads can influence ball flight, sure, but
unless the shaft is doing what it should be
during your swing then you will struggle to
get the best results. Flex and kickpoint
position (where the shaft bends and
therefore how high/low the ball launches)
can make all the difference so do some
research and/or get fitted.
24
1
124
STRANGE HEAD SHAPES ARE
A THING OF THE PAST
4
Drivers tested
Drivers tested with a square, triangular
or pentagonal head (Nike MachSpeed)
Highest clubhead speed
recorded by Trackman on the
day in MPH – the shot itself was a cold top
Aching backs the following day
One or two clubs on test didn’t offer the
prettiest aesthetics at address, but generally
speaking, it seems the weird and wacky shape
phase has been and gone – for now.
tested one, but do try drivers with all-black
heads, or white crowns and black faces to see
which one suits your eye best.
LOOKS AREN’T EVERYTHING
SPECS VARY BY BRAND
Even if you find a club with a head that
doesn’t immediately suit your eye, we think
you should still give it a go. We found these
issues could easily be forgotten after a
handful of shots. So before you dismiss a
white or blue finish, or turn your nose up at
an odd head shape, give it a go.
If you think you are, say, a 9.5˚ stiff, don’t
assume it’s the same for every
manufacturer – different heads work
differently with different shafts.
FACE COLOUR A FACTOR
It all comes down to personal preference,
but the colour of the clubface can really
make a difference. The traditional black
crown/silver face combination is a tried-and-
98 MAY 2011 | www.nationalclubgolfer.com
ADJUSTABILITY WORKS
It’s been around for years now and has
encountered a fair bit of criticism, but the
truth is – and we saw the TrackMan data to
prove it – adjustability works. Let’s face it,
your low slice isn’t going to turn into a
soaring draw by changing a weight but you
will see a difference.
LIGHT DRIVERS CAN WORK –
BUT THERE IS A TRADE-OFF
One of the newest trends we’ve spotted in
driver construction centres around weight.
Manufacturers are keeping clubs as light as
possible to help you swing faster and get
more distance.
We can safely say it works (judging by
increased swing speeds on TrackMan), but
there is a trade-off. We found the lightest
drivers were harder to feel throughout the
swing and strike quality seemed to suffer
when swinging flat out at high speeds.
LONG SHAFTS CAN BE WILD
The same applies for another common
feature among new drivers – long shafts.
The longer the shaft, the further away the
clubhead is from the golfer and the more
speed it generates on its wider arc.
This will generally increase club speed and
therefore distance, but may well come at the
cost of accuracy.
The industry standard, in so far as there is
one, is around 45”.
Tiger Woods famously used a 43.5” driver in
the pursuit of accuracy, and won most of his
Majors with it, while Long Drive
competitors use clubs over 50” in length.
The longest shaft we tested was 46.5”.
If you want to find more fairways, go for a
shorter shaft, and if you want to hit it as far
as possible, go for a longer one.