ClubTest: Drivers

ClubTest: Drivers Our testers tee up six new models to see which reigns supreme in power and accuracy. WHERE WE DID IT: The Hot Stix Performance Center at Legend Trail GC in Scottsdale, Ariz. HOW WE DID IT: Our research partner, Hot Stix Golf, captured data for testers' current drivers using a Trackman launch monitor. Test clubs are measured for torque, center of gravity, MOI and other metrics. The fitters use this data to recommend a match between testers and test clubs. For a more detailed description of the methodology, visit golf.com/testing RATING SYSTEM: HOW IT WORKS Testers vote on Look, Feel, Playability, Forgiveness and Distance. The winning model (the one receiving the most points) is awarded Golf Magazine/ClubTest 5-star status.

The men on the left, golfers just like you, hit thousands of shots with the drivers during out testing.

Mizuno MX-560 $299, graphite mizunousa.com WE TESTED: 8.5°, 9.5° and 10.5° in Exsar DS3 graphite shaft COMPANY LINE: "The geometric head shape increases the heel-toe and up-down MOI for massive forgiveness, while maintaining a low spin rate and high launch angle. The CNC milled plasma welded CorTech face insert delivers maximum USGA allowable ball speed across the face." OUR TEST PANEL SAYS: • Pros: Minimal loss of distance or direction on mis-hits; good heft during swing, not like an oversized feather; some like the raised bar on crown and aerodynamic shape; heel s hots are covered up; delivers tightest side-toside dispersion; glossy blue exterior makes club look strong and easy to hit; ball jumps off face. • Cons: Nothing spectacular, but nothing terribly lacking versus the field; not a vast amount of difference in feel between good and not-so-good hits; closed face can be disturbing; high-pitched ringing sound at impact; better players frown over raised runner on crown. "Extremely consistent, repeatable, high-ball flight." —Bud Adler (14) Rate and review this club in the GOLF.com Equipment Finder

Nike Sumo2 5900 $399, graphite nikegolf.com WE TESTED: 9.5° and 10.5° in Mitsubishi Diamana graphite shaft COMPANY LINE: "The deeper face, convex crown and a redefined body shape increases ball speed and accuracy. 'PowerBow weighting' repositions mass to the corners of the head to optimize stability, and a multi-thickness face maximizes ball speed across the face." OUR TEST PANEL SAYS: •Pros: Ball wants to fly straight; no hooks or slices, just pushes or pulls; highest ball flight of the six models; impact sounds loud but not too noisy or weak—an improvement over previous Sumo; misses definitely stay in play; very accurate; reduces sidespin dramatically; richer look than first Sumo2. •Cons: Square shape still seems strange to some, even distracting; difficult to hit draws or fades, even when you try; many testers say they must adjust stance or clubface at address to compensate for closed look due to its upright lie; not a 'feel' club. "Very forgiving—the large sweet spot and distribution of weight in the corners makes it easy to hit straight."—Dave Daumit (12) Rate and review this club in the GOLF.com Equipment Finder.

Ping G10 Draw $299, graphite pinggolf.com WE TESTED: 9°, 10.5°, 12° in Ping TFC 129D and UST ProForce V2 graphite shaft COMPANY LINE: "This 460 cc head has a larger profile with taller face and deeper crown that produces a higher momentof-inertia for greater forgiveness and increased ball velocity. An internal weight pad is farther back and closer to the heel than the G10 to promote easier head rotation." OUR TEST PANEL SAYS: • Pros: Doesn't overcook a draw, even for guys who regularly hit one; longest driver in test; off-center hits lose little in terms of direction; G10 Draw does not play like an offset club; best club in test for mid- to high-handicappers with slice issues; balls that normally fade will often straighten out; minimal distance loss on misses; medium-high ball flight that appears to bore through wind; most draw-inducing club of those tested. • Cons: Muted feel on center and off-center hits; some midhandicappers want it to be more forgiving on off-center hits; halfmoon alignment aid can be more distracting than helpful; testers not able to dictate direction as much as with other drivers. "Poor hits travel well—pretty forgiving of my misses."—Mark Barrette (13) Tell us what you think and see what other GOLF.com readers say about this club

Srixon Z-RW $299, graphite srixon.com WE TESTED: 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5°, 11.5° in Fujikura SV3014 graphite shaft COMPANY LINE: "The 'starburst power face' creates more uniform clubface deformation at impact, which increases the effective sweet area for more forgiveness and distance on off center hits. The face has a 4-zone design, where bulge and roll differs in four different zones, to control sidespin." OUR TEST PANEL SAYS: • Pros: Pleasing feel and feedback rate as high as any club tested; nice combo of neutral aesthetics plus playability; more substantial than other clubs while swinging, like it's an extension of your arm; center shots are very gratifying; misses are well-disguised; red-and black color scheme looks powerful; better players often see an easy draw; ball jumps off face; good players can turn it both directions; a sound, reliable instrument; flies on a low, strong trajectory without ballooning. • Cons: Mid-handicappers find that misses can be magnified; may not get a look by some due its lack of name recognition, but it's worth a try. "So much feedback I could feel the dimples. After two or three shots, I just knew I'd hit it well every time."—Shelby Yastrow (7) Rate and review this club in the GOLF.com Equipment Finder

taylormadegolf.com WE TESTED: 9.5°, 10.5°, HT in Fujikura REAX SuperFast 50 graphite shaft COMPANY LINE: "SuperFast Technology reduces total club weight to 299 grams from an average of 320 and promotes faster swing speed for added distance. The bullet-shaped head incorporates a far-back center of gravity location to launch the ball higher." OUR TEST PANEL SAYS: • Pros: Nascar-like graphics give it a fast, cool look; bigger guys and harder swingers find it light and easy to swing; stable through impact; a point-and-fire club, not one that begs to be worked; high, flat ball flight; easy to align because of prominent "T" on crown; produces easy right-to-left flight for many testers; mid-handicappers feel like they crush it. • Cons: Extra-long, 46-inch shaft is too long to swing comfortably for shorter guys; shaft makes it difficult to consistently find middle of the face; some find crown graphics to be too 'busy'; low handicappers prefer a stronger, more solid feel. "Very good carry. Balls seem to resist the force of gravity."—Drew Isaacman (8) Rate and review this club in the GOLF.com Equipment Finder

Titleist 907 D2 $399, graphite titleist.com WE TESTED: 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5° in UST ProForce V2 75; 9.5°, 10.5° in Aldila VS Proto 65; 9.5°, 10.5°, 11.5° in Graphite Design YS-6+ graphite shaft COMPANY LINE: "Our advanced traditional geometry driver has enhanced MOI for increased distance with workability and shot control. The low-mass crown and hosel optimize weight distribution and lower the center of gravity for solid feel and better energy transfer. OUR TEST PANEL SAYS: • Pros: Big enough head to instill confidence but still looks like a Player's club; addictive feel has you reaching for the next ball; one of a few drivers that begs to be worked; alignment aid gets you square at address; lower ball flight than most others; everything works together, head feels substantial during swing and solid on contact; forgiving enough for low handicappers; testers prefer its sleek, classic look to odd-shaped heads; mis-hits go well enough distance-wise. • Cons: Mid-handicappers find misses are punished more than with some others tested; not as directionally forgiving as others. "Love the lower ball flight and the ability to work it."—John Brambert (7) Rate and review this club in the GOLF.com Equipment Finder

Winner—Titleist 907 D2 Testers found reasons to embrace each one of the drivers. In the end, though, Titleist's 907 D2 prevailed due to testers' preference for its overall look, feel and playability. "Can shape shots left or right."—Brad Marcus (3) "Well ahead of other 460 cc heads in terms of eye appeal."—Mark Barrette (13) "Surprisingly good forgiveness given the traditional look and feel."—Drew Isaacman (8) "A strong crack through impact on all hits."—Lee Grawn (6)

Launch monitor testing data by Hot Stix Golf Properly fitted drivers lead to longer, straighter shots WHAT WE DID: Our 12 testers hit hundreds of balls with the clubs. Hooked up to a launch monitor, they hit clubs in varying order. Well-struck shots were recorded, and we averaged their totals. Here's how the clubs fared:Launch monitor testing data by Hot Stix Golf Properly fitted drivers lead to longer, straighter shots WHAT WE DID: Our 12 testers hit hundreds of balls with the clubs. Hooked up to a launch monitor, they hit clubs in varying order. Well-struck shots were recorded, and we averaged their totals. Here's how the clubs fared: What we learned: • Trajectory: The Nike SQ Sumo2 5900 driver has the highest ball flight and stays in the air longest. The Srixon Z-RW has the lowest, most piercing ball flight, followed by the Titleist 907 D2. • Control: All six models deliver relatively similar side-to-side dispersion numbers. In all cases, testers' shots fall within an 18- to 22-yard-wide cluster. Not surprisingly, the Ping G10 Draw produces the most "left-biased" shots. • Distance: The Ping G10 Draw carries the farthest, on average, due to its ball speed and strong launch conditions (launch angle and backspin). It surpasses the Srixon Z-UR by one yard. The Mizuno MX-560 has the tightest pattern (20 yards) in terms of shortest to longest shots.

Here is another way to look at the data collected by Hot Stix. Think of the circles on the left as rings surrounding the shots hit with each driver. As you can see, most of the rings are slightly to the right of center, meaning most shots hit with the drivers went to the right. The Titleist 907 D2 is the most right (10 yards) and the Ping G10 Draw is the least right (1 yard). The Titleist 907 D2 also had the shortest average carry distance (222 yards) while the Ping G10 Draw had the longest average carry distance (228 yards).