Yonex EZONE XP Fairway Wood Review

Technology
The Dual Tungsten Power System is counterbalanced by the lightweight shaft to produce maximum power. Quick Adjust System alters loft by +/- 1.5°.

You’ve seen counterbalanced putters, but now the theory has spread to woods and irons. Yonex’s reasoning is simple. Newton’s second law of motion – force = mass x acceleration – is where a lot ‘light’ drivers fall down. They claim a lighter clubhead may enable you to swing the club faster, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into more yards.

In theory, a heavy clubhead will generate faster initial ball speeds than a ‘normal’ clubhead. But golfers struggle to maintain speed with a heavy head, which will reduces ball speed. To counteract this, Yonex has come up with a counterbalanced design that makes the swingweight feel light, but with a clubhead 10g heavier than it predecessor.

The shaft is 8g lighter and the balance point within it has been moved 40mm towards the butt compared to a conventional shaft. At the butt end, 20g of tungsten powder is integrated within the rubber. It weighs the same as a conventional grip, but makes the overall swingweight of the club lighter by being ‘heavier’ at both ends. Essentially, the swing balance and club weight is the same, yet the clubhead is 10g heavier. Yonex says this will equate to better energy transfer at impact.

Tested
As reviewed in our Fairway Woods Test 2014: Large head, but crown design makes it appear smaller. Shallow face launched quite high without too much spin. Felt hotter than it turned out to be. Worked well through the rough though. The red and black works and shots from the middle achieved good yardage. Not as long on mishits as other models on test. Easy to line up, the colour scheme frames the ball nicely. Powerful flight and distance.

Website: www.yonex.co.uk