About the Hot List

Published:

THE AWARDS

Gold Products earned a score of 93 to 100 on our weighted scale.

Silver Products earned a score of 88 to 92.99. For example, a product scoring 96 in Performance, 85 in Innovation, 96 in Look/Sound/Feel and 85 in Demand would earn a weighted score of 92.15, or Silver status. There is no minimum number of stars required to earn Gold or Silver status.

Category leader A product with the highest score in a Hot List criterion. Clubs that include an option for a women’s-specific shaft are designated with this symbol.

THE RATINGS

The star ratings are meant to reflect the various levels of judges’ scoring from Poor to Outstanding. Each star represents a scoring range, with a ½-star generally equal to the upper end of a particular range. For example, scores in the 93 to 96 range are represented by a star rating of 5.5.

97-100 ……5 stars
88-96………4 stars
70-87 ……..3 stars
51-69………2 stars
<50…………1 star

HANDICAPS

In our Player Comments section, we break down the observations by handicap: low (L) represents a handicap of 0-4, mid (M) a handicap of 5-14, and high (H) a handicap of 15 or higher.

THE CATEGORIES

Our judges evaluated candidates for the Hot List in four weighted criteria.

1. Performance (45%) Based on interviews with our player panellists, independent robot testing and other sources, the judges assessed the utility of each product. Simply put, this is a grade for what happens to the ball when it’s struck by the club.

2. Innovation (30%)  In consultation with our technical panel and based on company interviews and our review of company technical documents, this grade reflects how a specific technology advances the category and how it’s explained to the public and our editors. In addition, our judges assessed the commitment of each company to fitting the majority of golfers.

3. Look/Sound/Feel (20%) Using input from the panellists, our judges evaluated the excellence of the visual, auditory and tactile experience of using a particular club. The more the club reflects our understanding of what a golf club should be, the higher the grade it receives.

4. Demand (5%) An assessment of the reputation, interest, intrigue and excitement about a particular product, considering market presence, tour use, relative value and consumer satisfaction through consulting research by Golf Datatech, other published resources and a panel of leading retailers.

THE WRITERS

Drivers and Wedges – Mike Stachura

Woods and Hybrids – Stina Sternberg

Irons – E. Michael Johnson

Putters – Max Adler

Instruction – Ron Kaspriske

Additional reporting – Ashley Mayo

Clubfitter Research – Cliff Schrock

THE GLOSSARY

Bounce The angle between the leading edge and the groundline when the club is square at address. In general, more bounce is better for soft sand and lush turf; less bounce is better for firm sand and turf. BULGE The face curvature from heel to toe that corrects spin on mis-hits.

Camber The radius measurement of the sole from front to back or heel to toe.

Cast A way of manufacturing a clubhead by pouring molten metal into a wax mould.

Centre of gravity (CG) A theoretical point that defines the average location of weight in a clubhead, or the internal point about which the club rotates. A low CG helps to launch the ball higher. It isn’t always found at the geometric centre.

Coefficient of restitution (COR) The measurement of springlike effect of a flexing clubface. The R&A/USGA limit is .83, which means that if a ball is projected at a club at 100 miles per hour, it must bounce off at 83 mph or slower to conform.

Cubic centimetre (CC) The unit of measurement for clubhead volume.

Cupface In this construction, a club’s faceplate is part of the front of the crown, sole and skirt. This pushes the weld further from the face, allowing the face’s perimeter to be thinner.

Flange The part of a putter that projects back from the face.

Forged A way of making a clubhead by heating metal and then stamping it into shape.

Moment of Inertia (MOI) The measure of a club’s resistance to twisting on off-centre hits that’s sometimes equated to forgiveness. The R&A/USGA MOI limit for drivers is 5,900 grams/cm².

Polymer A synthetic material that is lightweight, resilient and can be engineered to meet a range of hardnesses.

Relief An area on the sole where material has been removed, often with a grinding wheel, to decrease turf drag.

Steel Types The name refers to the amount of trace elements present: 17-4 stainless has a high chromium content to resist rusting; 303 is malleable to permit custom bending. Carbon steels are better for forging.

Trailing edge The rear part of the sole opposite the face.

 

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