Driver Reviews!

**Gateway** · 01-31-2006 , 11:51 AM

The Driver

Golf Digest
February 2006

Power>> Intimidation. Exhilaration. Strip away all the titanium, graphite and robotic plasma-welded face inserts. These three ingredients must remain at the core of every great driving experience. You can build it any number of ways (at least 15, by our estimation), but the result will be a nice, big cup of "Eat my dust" to your playing partners. Today's best drivers are designed by engineers who struggle with more restraints on their craft than at any time in history. Yet despite the clamps of the game's rules-making bodies and the laws of physics, there are new drivers that will help you hit it farther. The first step is getting fit on a launch monitor. The next step will be cutting the corner of the dogleg on 13.

View the complete list of drivers considered for the Hot List.

Interactive Hot List gallery: View product specs, pricing info, etc.

Download this listing in PDF format.

Got a question or comment? E-mail our judges.

Also see specific drivers for:
• Slicers | Slow Swingers | Low-Handicappers | Women

Buying a driver without a fitting session is like scuba diving without an oxygen tank--it's not getting the job done. Drivers are not one size fits all, but investing about $100 in a fitting session ensures a return on a driver that's right for you.

Most golfers won't reach nirvana, but the following considerations will make your fitter's launch monitor data decipherable.

Players should choose a driver with enough loft (start at drivers marked 11.5, then go with more or less loft based on launch monitor data). The reason? The ball needs to leave the clubface at a high launch angle with low spin for maximum distance, says Mark Timms, owner of Hot Stix Golf. (Note: Loft is the angle of the face, launch angle is ball-flight trajectory.) Players with slower swing speeds need more spin to keep the ball airborne, and those who swing faster than 95 miles per hour can rely on ball speed. So, swing speeds of 80 mph need about a 16-degree launch angle (and 3,500 revolutions per minute of spin). A 15-degree launch angle and 3,000 rpms of spin is a good benchmark for a 90 mph swing, and at 100 mph, a 14-degree launch angle with 2,500 rpms of spin is ideal.

Don't forget shaft length. Clubfitters use static measurements (above) and, more important, dynamic measurements to determine length. "A one-inch longer driver shaft equals eight yards. But, mis-hit it a half-inch off-center and you'll lose 20," Timms says. "Our final length determination is based on how consistently you hit the sweet spot." If you buy a driver off the rack, it's more than likely 45 inches long. Yet the average shaft length on the PGA Tour is 44.5 inches. News flash: Shorter is better. -- Caroline Stetler

Illustration: Chris O'Riley

Still The Champ
TaylorMade remains dominant force
in drivers on PGA Tour

The No. 1 driver on the PGA Tour hasn't changed in 52 months. Not weeks. Months. Once again, it's TaylorMade. Citing Darrell Survey research, TaylorMade says it was No. 1 at every PGA Tour event in 2005. More use led to more wins, too. Twelve times TaylorMade's r7 quad driver was played by a PGA Tour winner. Other top drivers included Nike's Ignite (eight wins), Callaway's Fusion FT-3 (six wins) and Cleveland's Launcher Comp (six wins). On the Champions Tour, TaylorMade and Adams led the way (eight wins apiece), and on the LPGA Tour, Callaway (13 wins) was tops.

01-31-2006 , 11:51 AM	#1
Gateway Admin Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 65 Rep Power: 10	Driver Reviews! The Driver Golf Digest February 2006 Power>> Intimidation. Exhilaration. Strip away all the titanium, graphite and robotic plasma-welded face inserts. These three ingredients must remain at the core of every great driving experience. You can build it any number of ways (at least 15, by our estimation), but the result will be a nice, big cup of "Eat my dust" to your playing partners. Today's best drivers are designed by engineers who struggle with more restraints on their craft than at any time in history. Yet despite the clamps of the game's rules-making bodies and the laws of physics, there are new drivers that will help you hit it farther. The first step is getting fit on a launch monitor. The next step will be cutting the corner of the dogleg on 13. View the complete list of drivers considered for the Hot List. Interactive Hot List gallery: View product specs, pricing info, etc. Download this listing in PDF format. Got a question or comment? E-mail our judges. Also see specific drivers for: • Slicers \| Slow Swingers \| Low-Handicappers \| Women Buying a driver without a fitting session is like scuba diving without an oxygen tank--it's not getting the job done. Drivers are not one size fits all, but investing about $100 in a fitting session ensures a return on a driver that's right for you. Most golfers won't reach nirvana, but the following considerations will make your fitter's launch monitor data decipherable. Players should choose a driver with enough loft (start at drivers marked 11.5, then go with more or less loft based on launch monitor data). The reason? The ball needs to leave the clubface at a high launch angle with low spin for maximum distance, says Mark Timms, owner of Hot Stix Golf. (Note: Loft is the angle of the face, launch angle is ball-flight trajectory.) Players with slower swing speeds need more spin to keep the ball airborne, and those who swing faster than 95 miles per hour can rely on ball speed. So, swing speeds of 80 mph need about a 16-degree launch angle (and 3,500 revolutions per minute of spin). A 15-degree launch angle and 3,000 rpms of spin is a good benchmark for a 90 mph swing, and at 100 mph, a 14-degree launch angle with 2,500 rpms of spin is ideal. Don't forget shaft length. Clubfitters use static measurements (above) and, more important, dynamic measurements to determine length. "A one-inch longer driver shaft equals eight yards. But, mis-hit it a half-inch off-center and you'll lose 20," Timms says. "Our final length determination is based on how consistently you hit the sweet spot." If you buy a driver off the rack, it's more than likely 45 inches long. Yet the average shaft length on the PGA Tour is 44.5 inches. News flash: Shorter is better. -- Caroline Stetler Illustration: Chris O'Riley Still The Champ TaylorMade remains dominant force in drivers on PGA Tour The No. 1 driver on the PGA Tour hasn't changed in 52 months. Not weeks. Months. Once again, it's TaylorMade. Citing Darrell Survey research, TaylorMade says it was No. 1 at every PGA Tour event in 2005. More use led to more wins, too. Twelve times TaylorMade's r7 quad driver was played by a PGA Tour winner. Other top drivers included Nike's Ignite (eight wins), Callaway's Fusion FT-3 (six wins) and Cleveland's Launcher Comp (six wins). On the Champions Tour, TaylorMade and Adams led the way (eight wins apiece), and on the LPGA Tour, Callaway (13 wins) was tops. Last edited by Gateway : 01-31-2006 at 11:55 AM.