Tuesday 11 March 2014
Our annual drivers test is always keenly anticipated – but we can’t remember one quite as exciting as this year’s. Click here to start discovering the winners. Technology has evolved so quickly in the last 12 months that almost every manufacturer has at least one totally new driver in their line-up. If you’ve been following our launch coverage over the past six months,...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> Back to the start The Drivers Test 2014: TaylorMade SLDR – GOLD AWARD Cost: £349. Tech: The SLDR has the CG positioned extremely low and forward in the head for high launch with low spin and faster ball speeds. A 20g sliding weight on the sole can be fixed in any one of up to 21 positions, changing dispersion by...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: Callaway Big Bertha – GOLD AWARD Cost: £349. Tech: Adjustable Perimeter Weighting (APW), an 8g sliding weight on a five-inch track on the back of the sole to reduce dispersion by up to 15 yards. A Hyper Speed Face has a larger sweetspot than its predecessor while a forged composite crown means weight...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: Nike VRS Covert 2.0 – GOLD AWARD Cost: £249.99. Tech: Cavity-back design has been redesigned with FlyBrace technology, which reinforces the rearward portion of the head for greater ball speeds and up to six more yards than its predecessor. The Tour version is more pear shaped and has a face 15 per cent...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: Ping i25 – GOLD AWARD Cost: £345. Tech: Aimed at the better player with high swing speeds. A racing stripe on the crown helps align the face and take the club away on the correct path. Two tungsten weights in the rear of the sole raise MOI and move the CG low...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: Mizuno JPX EZ – Silver Award Cost: £249. Tech: ‘QuickSwitch’ adjustability allows users to open or close the face up to 2° and adjust the loft 1.5° up or down. The driver also boasts a low-profile aerodynamic head design and 0.6mm ‘Rebound Crown’, where the head expands at impact to produce more of...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: Ping G25 – Silver Award Cost: £299. Tech: Large, forgiving head, ‘Trajectory Tuning Technology’ and a speed-generating shaft. Each loft can be tweaked by half-a-degree up or down. The clubface is larger and the crown is thinner than last year’s G20 and has the highest MOI and lowest centre of gravity of any...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: TaylorMade JetSpeed – Silver Award Cost: £249. Tech: The first driver from TaylorMade to feature a “Speed Pocket”, which boosts ball speeds on shots struck low on the face. It has a lower, more forward CG than its predecessor to optimise launch, and a 12-position loft sleeve means loft can be adjusted up...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: Callaway X2 Hot/Pro – Silver Award Cost: £279. Tech: Callaway say the X2 Hot is nine yards longer than its predecessor due to the fastest, thinnest and lightest all-titanium face it has ever produced. The sweetspot is also 10 per cent larger for more consistent distances on varying strike patterns. The loft and...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: Titleist 913D2/D3 – Bronze Award Cost: £345. Tech: D2 is the larger model with a slight draw bias. The D3 model has a 445cc head for Tour-inspired workability and distance. Independent loft and lie adjustment. What we said… James Ridyard: “The D3 feels very stable and nice to hit. It doesn’t feel like it...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: Cobra BiO CELL/BiO CELL+ – Bronze Award Cost: £249/£329. Tech: 50 per cent lower CG than last year’s model. Better player BiO CELL+ is 440cc. Loft can be adjusted without affecting face angle via SmartPad. Comes in five colours. What we said… James Ridyard: “Really like this. Nicely- shaped head, very stable shaft and...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: Adams XTD Cost: £329. Tech: First driver from Adams to feature its “Cut-Through Velocity Slot” to increase ball speeds. Progressive thickness face, loft and lie can be adjusted up to 1.5° via the hosel. What we said… James Ridyard: “Solid club, nice matt grey finish. Had to adjust right down to 7.5° to get...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: Benross RIP/HOT/MAX Speed 2 Cost: £149.99 Tech: Minor head tweaks and grip and shaft upgrades for 2014. RIP Speed 2 is 450cc aimed at the better player with fast swings. What we said… James Ridyard: “I like the head shape, deep face and the matt finish. The shaft feels a touch soft and the...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: Tour Edge Exotics XCG7/Beta Cost: £249/£299. Tech: Variable face “Power Grid” boosts forgiveness. Eight-way adjustable loft system. Low-spinning 440cc Beta version. What we said… James Ridyard: “The Beta feels faster off the face with a lower flight. I like the head shape and finish, it frames the ball nicely. It’s powerful, but with forgiveness...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: Yonex XP Cost: £249. Tech: A heavier head increases ball speeds, counteracted by a heavy-ended grip to reduce swing weight. Adjustable loft by 1.5°. What we said… James Ridyard: “Visually there’s a lot going on, I’m not a fan. The head is a good weight, I thought a lot of the shots would be...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: Wilson FG Tour M3 Cost: £249. Tech: A variable thickness face boosts forgiveness. “Right Light” technology features in the head along with adjustable 3g, 7g or 11g sole weights. Aldila RIP Phenom shaft. What we said… James Ridyard: “The heavier of the two stock shafts (60g) helped keep the flight down. It looks cheap,...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: Cleveland 588 Custom Cost: £279. Tech: A variable thickness “MAX COR” face boosts ball speeds away from the sweetspot. Sole weight, loft, lie and face angle are all adjustable. Now has a 460cc clubhead. What we said… James Ridyard: “The classic look stands out from the more common shapes. A very light feeling shaft...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: Lynx Boom Boom 3 Cost: £299. Tech: Lynx’s pressurised “hot gas” injection technology has been combined with new Effective Energy Transfer Technology (EET) to enhance distance and forgiveness. What we said… James Ridyard: “A unique sounding golf club that goes miles. Nice compact head, but the finish lacks class. Shaft tech is a touch...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: MD Golf Superfit Cost: £129.99. Tech: A tungsten screw in the sole lowers the CG for a more optimum launch and spin. Has a Mitsubishi Rayon Javln FX shaft. What we said… James Ridyard: “The triangular look to the head wasn’t appealing, nor was the sound. The sole design is really cool and...
Friday 7 March 2014
<< VIEW PREVIOUS DRIVER >> VIEW NEXT DRIVER The Drivers Test 2014: John Letters Masters Model Cost: £249. Tech: Features a plasma-welded, Beta Ti face and “Feel Cell” sole bar for explosive distance. Sits open by one degree. What we said… James Ridyard: “A very solid driver, in part due to the high-spec Aldila RIP shaft, but also a head that’s well balanced and inviting...