What we did

Five testers — handicaps 4, 9, 10, 13 and 17 — each hit 43-inch graphite-shafted versions of the clubs from the fairway. The clubs have 15 degrees of loft, except Ping's Rapture, which has 14 degrees. Only well-struck shots were recorded, and we averaged the testers' totals. The AccuSport Vector launch monitor collected the data.

What we learned

Ball flight: TaylorMade r7 Ti 3-wood generates the most backspin, making it easiest to get shots airborne.

Distance: Yonex Nanospeed has the highest launch, which leads to the longest carry.

Control: Yonex Nanospeed has the least average sidespin, so you can conclude it has the tightest dispersion.

Cleveland HiBore combines a medium ball flight with ample sidespin. This gives testers the freedom to maneuver shots from tight fairway lies.

Ping Rapture produces the fastest ball speed off the clubface. It also has the lowest, most boring trajectory due in part to lower loft.

TaylorMade r7 Ti is the club most likely to produce right-to-left shots. More than half of its test shots, with 14-gram moveable weight in the heel and a 2-gram weight in the toe, have draw spin.

Yonex Nanospeed is longest in terms of total distance.