GOLFNEWS.CO.UK
[46] MARCH 2018 | EQUIPMENT
COMFORT & SPEED
THE LATEST DRIVERS ARE AS FORGIVING AS THEY ARE FAST
CLEVELAND LAUNCHER HB £279, clevelandgolf.com Cleveland has focused on improve the flexing of the face to increase ball speed and distance withe the Launcher HB, introducing a wraparound cupface design, which increases the area of the face that flexes the most. It also includes a thin, slightly recessed HiBore crown and fins that fan out along the sole. That allows both the top and bottom of the club to give at impact to allow more face flexing around the perimeter. The saved weight from the thin crown and not having an adjustable hosel is pushed low, back and slightly towards the heel to provide a higher-flying, more draw-biased flight.
MIZUNO GT180
WILSON STAFF C300 £329, wilsonstaff.com
£469, callawaygolf.eu
£449, golf.mizunoeurope.com
The new Rogue drivers feature a re-designed version of Jailbreak Technology which sees the previously uniformly thick vertical bars located behind the face turned into a hour-glass shape. This reduces weight by 25% without affecting their ability to minimize crown and sole deflection at impact, which improves energy transfer to promote faster ball speed. Distance is further enhanced by a new X-Face VFT design, which thickens and thins areas of the face to promote higher ball speeds on slight miss-hits. The Standard model boasts a 460cc head, which is stretched from front to back and from heel to toe to offer a more forgiving look at address.
Mizuno’s latest driver is arguably one of the most adjustable models currently on the market, with not only loft and face angle customisation available, but also shot shape bias and centre of gravity location tuning. Two 7g sliding sole weights help with the latter, while heel and toe weight slots enable shot-shape correction. An adjustable hosel allows four degrees of loft adjustment and three degrees of lie adjustment. The GT180 features a forged multi-thickness face that promotes accelerated ball speeds. SP700 is ten per cent stronger than the titanium typically used in drivers, allowing for more varied thicknesses in the forged face, which leads to more consistent distances on off-centre strikes.
The new C300 driver features a new iteration of the company's ‘power hole’ technology, which incorporates four holes around the clubface to promote more flexing at impact for increased ball speed and distance. The two holes on the crown and the two on the sole are filled with a urethane material that enables the face to flex more towards the heel and toe of the club. Other new features include sole weight adjustability – two 6g and one 2g weight – to customise performance for neutral, draw, or fade tendency, and adjustable hosel technology for a variety of lofts. The pear-shaped head boasts a matte dark red finish, helping to reduce glare and avoid reflections.
HONMA BEZEAL 535
PING G400 MAX
VERTICAL GROOVE
£435, honmagolfeurope.com
£389, ping.com
£399.99, verticalgroove.co.uk
Honma’s BeZeal range is designed to provide ultimate distance and forgiveness for a wide range of golfers. The new 460cc 535 titanium driver features a channel in the sole that is wider and deeper in both heel and toe than its predecessor, the 525, to provide greater flex and less ball speed loss on slight miss-hits. A 7g weight in the heel aims to counteract slice tendencies, while the revised shape lowers the centre of gravity for a slightly higher launch. Honma’s 45.75-inch Vizard shaft, which boasts progressive kick point positions, and is stiffer on the gripside to increase power to the ball.
The G400 Max's forgiveness gains are attributable to the 460cc head and nearly four times the discretionary weight created by Dragonfly crown technology and the thin, forged face. A 15g tungsten backweight wraps around the back of the sole to help bring the combined MOI over 9,900g cm2. Its centre of gravity position is lower and further back than any other driver on the market. The forged face boasts a thinner, hotter impact area that is precision machined to elevate ball speed across the entire face, while Ping’s proven crown turbulators improve aerodynamics for faster clubhead speed.
The Vertical Groove driver features scorelines that run from crown to sole instead of from heel to toe. The theory is that the vertical grooves will reduce sidespin to produce shots that slice or hook less. The 17 grooves are deeper than traditional grooves and form part of an 450cc head design that aims to increase accuracy. The white crown features a large black oval section covered in raised hexagonal nubs to improve airflow, while a long green dotted line down the centre aims to improve alignment and encourage the correct swing path. It comes with a choice of five stock shafts, ranging from 45g to 65g in the Aldila NV2K.
CALLAWAY ROGUE STANDARD
SRIXON Z 565 £325, srixon.co.uk
TAYLORMADE M3
LYNX #BB
£479, taylormadegolf.eu
£329, lynxgolf.co.uk
The Z 565 is Srixon’s most forgiving driver, with the 460cc model aimed at a wide range of players looking for competitive distance and forgiveness with looks and feel. Dispensing with the moveable sole weights that featured in the Z 545 driver, key technologies include a multi-step Power Wave Sole for increased face deflection on shots hit low on the face; a stretch cup face that extends around the sole and crown to expand the sweetspot by up to 10%; and a lightweight crown for lower centre of gravity and increased forgiveness. The black gloss crown offers a clean look at address, with no alignment aids or markings.
The M3 boasts TaylorMade’s new Twist Face, which sees the low-heel area of the clubface twisted inwards to de-loft the face, while the high toe area has been opened to increase loft. This counteracts the worst effects of fades and slices and encourages straighter shots. Available with 440cc and 460cc heads, it features a Y-Track weight system that offers more precise adjustability. The heel-to-toe track and front-toback track are connected, allowing all 22g (two 11g weights) to be used to alter shot shape and trajectory. The front section of the crown features a matte silver finish, while a five-layer carbon composite crown – which is the thinnest, strongest and lightest in the industry – lowers CG even further.
The new #BB driver boats an adjustable hosel and sliding sole weights to enable golfers to fine tune trajectory and shot shape to suit swing patterns and prevailing conditions. The sole features two 3g weights in the toe and heel areas which can moved to manipulate spin rates and shot shape. Changes to the angle of loft can be made via the adjustable hosel, which can be cranked down to 8.5 degrees or raised to 12.5. The forgiving 460cc head is made from Bi Cast Titanium, which is not only very light, but is also very strong, encouraging faster swing speeds and more distance. The #BB driver is offered in right-hand only, with a UST Mamiya Recoil graphite shaft in lite, regular or stiff flexes,