Golf Equipment Reviews : Equipment Review

Rankmark's 2011 Driver Test

rankmark — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:47:00 GMT

A good turnout of over 150 golfers over four days of testing gave us a great sampling of handicaps, ages and swing styles. In the years we have been testing golf clubs, we have never had so many ties.

This year's drivers have a lot new technologies that include increased adjustably, more aerodynamic designs, new colors, different weight drivers, new materials, and new contenders into the market. I'm sure this contributed to of the many ties in each group.

For more information, news and views on this test, click here...

Titleist 910D3

Titleist makes clubs that are for low handicap players and the D3 is no exception. The D3 has extensive adjustability but all the test clubs were set as neutral as possible.

Scratch Finishing first in this class showed the continuing feeling that Titleist is a club for players with low handicaps.

Low Handicap Just missing the top spot, the Titleist D3 was virtually equal in rating with the D2 and placed second overall. The difference being looks.

Average Handicap The D3 had high marks for every category except for consistency which is why the D2 rated higher.

TaylorMade R11 TP

A scratch players club with the ability to seriously adjust the club to fit the specific needs of the player. We did notice the club preformed well for a lot of testers even with the adjustments set to neutral.

TaylorMade Burner Superfast TP

In an interesting outcome, the TaylorMade Burner TP also received high marks similar to the R11 TP and they both tied for first place. Several of the testers said they would take the Burner over the R11.

Titleist 910D2

A players club, the Titleist D2 differs from the D3 in that it has a 460cc, pear shaped head. It has the same extensive adjustability as the D3.

Scratch The larger club face and head shape had this club finishing tied for second in this category, leaving the more standard shaped D3 in first.

Low Handicap The Titleist D2 finished one tenth lower than the D3 and barely missing out in a tie for first place. In these tests the club's only mark that was not even with the others was looks.

Average Handicap The D2 was tied for first in this group in accuracy, distance but again suffered from a lower mark in looks.

Callaway Razr Hawk

The Razr Hawk, placed in all categories but strongest in the high handicap group. We noticed a distinct tendency to reduce the difference in off-center hits which would have an influence on the higher handicap golfers.

Low Handicap For the low handicap golfers, the Razr Hawk's characteristics were evenly divided though all scoring categories.

Average Handicap The average handicap golfers gave the club higher marks for feel, consistency and distance.

High Handicap The high handicap group put this club in first place with very high marks for sound and feel. The other categories were almost identical.

Nike SQ Machspeed

Scratch In a surprise outcome, the SQ Machspeed beat out the VR Pro in this class. It's strength was it's accuracy, feel and distance were next.

High The high handicap class liked pretty much across the board but they especially liked the looks.

Boccieri Heavy Driver

From the makers of the Heavy Putter, this newcomer to the market, the Heavy Driver made a respectable showing even though most testers had not heard of it. We noticed that the off-center hits were not as dramatic as other clubs.

Low Handicap These golfers gave the Heavy Driver good marks for feel, distance and consistency. It was one of the higher rated clubs for accuracy.

High Handicap An interesting note, the club did not place with the average handicap golfer but did in the high handicaps. Tied for third, it received high results for looks while getting lower marks for accuracy and the scores for feel, sound and distance were about the same.

Cleveland Launcher TL310

The trio of Cleveland drivers, distinguished by different weights, were strong contenders in this test making the cut in all but one division.

Scratch The average golfer liked the feel, consistency and distance of the TL310.

Ping G15

One of the things we have found over the years is the Ping people are Ping people. They are a very loyal to this brand.

High Handicap The Ping G15 is always a contender in driver testing and it placed high in this test also. The only thing that kept it from the top was looks according to our testers.

Average Handicap Oddly enough, it was the sound that kept the average handicap testers from ranking this club higher.

High Handicap The Ping G15 results were, for the most part, even. Feel and accuracy were slightly higher.

Mizuno JPX 800

Low Handicap The Mizuno JPX 800 tied for third place with a strong showing across the board. All the categories were within a tenth of each other.

High Handicap The Mizuno driver also made the cut with the high handicap golfers. They liked the look and sound of the club but gave it low marks for feel. Consistency and distance were tied in the middle of the driver's results.

TaylorMade R11

Low Handicap Tied for third place, the R11 made the place with looks, sound and feel. Consistency and distance fell off a little. It's adjustability did not seem to effect the outcome.

Average Handicap Tied for first with 3 other clubs, this club's results had similar result characteristics as the low handicap group.

TourEdge Exotics XCG4

Average Handicap The club had the distinction of being one of the clubs that surprised the members of this group - they said the club added 10 to 20 yards to their drives. This helped bring the club to the top of the list.

Srixon Z-STAR

Low Handicap One of the top clubs for sound, the Srixon ZSTAR, is one of the more interesting of the adjustable clubs. A new fitting program is on its way for smart phones so you can adjust the club for the conditions on the day you are playing.

Average Handicap Looks, feel and accuracy were the strong points of this club for average handicap golfers. They also liked the sound which was the highest mark for this club.

Nike VR Pro

Low Handicap The Nike VR Pro received high marks in sound and distance but looks and consistency kept the club in fourth place. On the other hand, the Nike Machspeed was considered one of the best looking clubs but did not place.

Callaway Diablo Octane

Average Handicap The Diablo Octane placed first in sound, feel and the golfers felt it is was the longest of the clubs tested by this group. The club's feel was its strongest feature.

High Handicap The Diablo did well in looks but fell short in consistency, something we did not expect in this class of golfers. The other categories were pretty equal.

TaylorMade Burner Superfast

Placing in all categories, the TaylorMade Burner Superfast show it versatility and show this club to be a solid contender.

Low Handicap The low handicap marks were pretty even, with 4 tenths separating all categories.

Average Handicap This class of golfers like the look and distance versus the other categories with look being the highest.

High Handicap Again the look carried the Burner to a higher position. The remaining categories were very close to each other.

Bobby Jones Workshop Superlite

High Handicap In observing testers using the Jesse Ortiz designed driver, we noticed that the club preformed very well for average and high handicap golfers, often adding significant consistency and distance. The Superlite worked better than the regular edition in making this club work for higher handicaps.

Nicklaus ML4

Having hit Nicklaus drivers over the years, we felt this was the best driver they have made to date. A strong showing in the average and high handicap groups seem to support that finding.

Average Handicap The category results for the ML4 were even with the exception of sound which lower the overall standing in the average handicap grouping.

High Handicap Again, for the this group was sound but it still placed well due to strong showing for feel and accuracy.

Bobby Jones Workshop Edition

High Handicap In observing testers using the Jesse Ortiz designed driver, we noticed that the club preformed very well for average and high handicap golfers, often adding significant consistency and distance. But look influenced the results greatly, they just did not like the look of the club.

Hybrids, Hybrids, Hybrids!

rankmark — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:45:00 GMT

This test was taken from rankmark's April 2008 newsletter.

We picked out 64 testers, 21 with 0-9 handicap and 43 with 10-30 handicap. All clubs were hit and ranked on distance, accuracy, and the golfer’s opinion and feel for the club. The point allowance was as follows:

5 points for 1st place
4 points for 2nd place
3 points for 3rd place
2 points for 4th place
1 point for 5th place

TEST RESULTS:

0-9 Handicap
Callaway FT	52
Bobby Jones	48
Hippo XXL	28
Nickent 4DX	24
Ping Rapture	21
Yonex Cyber	20
Cleveland XLS	19
Titlest 585H	19
Taylor Made Burner Rescue	18
Nicklaus Dual Point	18

10-30 Handicap
Callaway X	67
Ping Rapture	54
Cleveland XLS	49
Nickent 4DX	47
Taylor Made Burner Rescue	36
Mac Gregor NVG	36
Bobby Jones	30
Nicklaus Dual Point	23
Grip H2O45	24
Titlest 585H	20

Callaway X Series
The X Hybrids are stainless steel hybrids that borrow from our X Series drivers and fairway woods. They incorporate a Modified X-Sole design for versatility and superior turf interaction, as well as proven Callaway Golf technologies.

CALLAWAY X
Series

score: 88

Bobby Jones by Jesse Ortiz
Using the same technology as the fairway metals, Bobby Jones hybrids are designed to replace the hard-to-hit long irons. Rather than designing hybrids that look like irons, Jesse Ortiz' philosophy takes advantage of the fairway metal's low and deep center of gravity, its wide bodied triangle-of-stability (TOS), and its versatile contoured sole. Instead of using the homogenous shape of most hybrids long, flat leading edge Jesse Ortiz has created a more traditional shape hybrid. It is a throwback to the old Cleek or Mashee. These clubs were designed for maximum performance, with the ability to get the ball out of every type of lie, whether it be a divot of fairway bunker.

Bobby Jones

score: 78

Ping Rapture
The combination of a 17-4 stainless steel body, tungsten nickel sole plate and 475 super steel face in the Rapture Hybrids raise hybrid performance to new levels of distance, forgiveness and control. The thin, super steel face provides a hot, responsive hitting area and allows PING engineers to re-distribute weight in the form of tungsten nickel on the sole. The heavier sole plate positions the center of gravity low and away from the face for higher launch and low spin—resulting in high, penetrating trajectories for longer, softer landing approach shots.

Ping Rapture

score: 74

Nickent 4DX

Nickent spent over one year to develop the next generation of state-of-the-art hybrids. Three different multi-material combinations were tried to find the best possible performance. In the end, Nickent developed the first hybrid to utilize a patented brazing technology that fuses a titanium crown with a steel body; all while making the crown the thinnest it has ever been on a golf club head.

Nickent 4DX

score: 68

Cleveland XLS
The latest edition to the HiBORE family, this new hybrid has taken performance to another level. Like the Halo, its very successful predecessor, this club's most obvious feature is the inverted crown design, which moves weight lower in the head to make the ball easier to get airborne. Where the HiBORE differs from the Halo is in its face profile. Incorporating feedback from Cleveland's staff Tour players, the toe area has become more square in shape, creating a 10% larger face area. The leading edge has also been flattened to further promote a larger hitting area and make the HiBORE hybrid more playable from all types of playing conditions. Its perimeter weighting also expands the sweet spot for ultimate forgiveness.

Cleveland XLS

score: 61

TaylorMade Burner Rescue
» SuperFast Club Technology allows for an extremely light shaft and grip to promote faster swing speed for added power

» Large steel clubhead promotes the highest MOI of any fairway wood in golf for tremendous forgiveness for long, straight results

» Steel Pull-Face construction provides high COR to promote faster ball speed for increased distance

Taylor Made
Burner Rescue

score: 54

MacGregor MT
MT Hybrids feature the same technology forward features, construction and sole design as the MT Fairway Woods. The face progression and set-up is similar as well. But the MT hybrids have slightly deeper faces for more confidence at address than with long irons. Rest assured, the Cup Face 360° Technology has been employed to make the entire club face the sweet spot and provide confidence in knowing even off-center or miss won't negatively affect one's game.

Mac Gregor
MT

score: 47

Hippo XXL
The hot new XXL irons from Hippo are the easiest hitting and most forgiving irons ever! The XXLs are a hybrid set of irons with the 3 and 4 long irons being replaced with utility rescue-style clubs for greater playability and versatility The short and mid-irons feature an undercut cavity head design for greater forgiveness and consistency. A flow weight system is also utilized that progresses through the set that not only assists to download the center of gravity for a better ball flight and more distance, but also makes for greater precision and control in the short and mid-irons

Hippo XXL

score: 43

Nicklaus Dual Point

	C.G. “Center of Gravity” aligned with optimal face flex point for maximum trampoline effect.
	Visually enhanced top line to aid alignment.
	17-4 PH stainless steel head that features welded soleplate construction and added weight below the CG.
	Multi-layered face – Thinner around the perimeter and thicker in the center, expanding the clubhead’s “high trampoline zone”.
	Progressive offset.
	Rifle® Graphite shafts (also available in light weight Precision® Steel Crank Shaft® with ShockShield™).

Nicklaus Dual Point

score: 41

Titlest 585H
The 585•H utility metals blend the best playing characteristics of fairway metals and long irons to provide superior playability and control from the tee, fairway and rough.

Developed with input from touring professionals, the new 585•H offers fairway metal-type launch with a flatter ball flight for iron-like control.

Titlest 585H

score: 39

Grip H2O5
Over the last few years, a new trend has developed. Golfers have been replacing their harder to hit and inconsistent long irons and short fairway woods with easier to hit "hybrids" or "utility clubs." Developed by studying the golf games of recreational golfers - men and women with handicaps ranging from six to infinity - the G.R.I.P. Hyper Steel Hybrids offer you the distance of a fairway wood and the accuracy of an iron. Our hybrids are technologically advanced, easy to hit, fun to use, and save strokes.

Grip H2O5

score: 38

King Cobra DWS
We took the #1 selling utility metal* in golf and made it even better. First, we improved the weight distribution by enhancing our proven Dual Weighting System, which increases MOI for even more forgiveness. And then we incorporated Cobra’s fastback crown design, which shifts the CG lower and deeper, for higher launch and greater carry distance. It’s the kind of club that won’t just improve your game – it’ll change it completely.

King Cobra DWS

score: 32

Allowing each manufacturer one entry in each division
Rank mark’s testing system has a 5% margin of error, so some of these may be ahead of the one in front of them.

Here are some that were a part of the test and received many votes:

Adams Tight Lies	16
Alpha Version	25
Innovex RLS	21
Mizuno CLK	24
Sonartec H3	23
Wilson Fybrid	20

Reviewing the Adams Insight XTD a3 3 Hybrid-FW, Part 1 of 2

2puttbird — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:46:00 GMT

I was very fortunate to "get the shaft" recently ... but I had to decide which shaft I should get and what club I should put it in. I'm happy with all of my clubs, but my 3 wood is the oldest club – and therefore the oldest technology - in my bag so that is where I decided to focus. I don't have a local pro shop where I can test clubs, so I scoured the internet for reviews and information and selected the Adams Insight XTD a3 3 Hybrid-FW ... quite a mouthful, that.

Since I still consider this to be an experiment, I purchased a "slightly used" club from a guy on eBay, who in turn had purchased it from someone else on eBay just a few weeks earlier. I asked him why he was selling it so quickly and he responded: "I found a Callaway Fusion 3 Wood to match my driver for a great price. I hit the Adams super straight but a little lower than I wanted. Good luck!" The club arrived in superb condition just a few days later.

Before having the new shaft installed, I wanted to first take the new club for a spin in its stock configuration (with the Adila DVS 65-S shaft) to compare it head-to-head with my current 3 wood, a Taylor Made Series 300 with the stock 90-S Taylor Made fiberglass shaft.

Before I get into the review, here are the marketing bullet points from Adams, comparing the XTD a3 to a "traditional fairway wood"

Increased ball speed for a hotter, longer ball flight.
11 yards more distance compared to conventional oversized fairway woods.
Unique sole shaping and design results in 22% less turf drag that increases versatility and playability off the ground.
Increased inertial properties around the hosel achieves 41% more MOI for greater forgiveness.

And with that preamble out of the way, here are my thoughts after about 20-25 swings at the range:

At address, the club doesn't really look all that different from a regular 3 wood ... a bit squarer on the trailing edge, perhaps, but not nearly as radical as some of the new square drivers. The face of the club is not very deep, not even as deep as my old Taylor Made, but I didn't really have any trouble keeping my hits on the face, even when hitting off a tee.

The club is only 42" long, about an inch shorter than a typical graphite-shafted 3 wood ... a nod to the "Hybrid" Fairway Wood (or Hybrid-FW for short) marketing. But it seems to me that requires the clubhead to work extra hard to gain the claimed additional ball speed and distance because a shorter shaft would normally translate into slower clubhead speeds.

On my first address the clubhead wanted to stay closed a bit, so I experimented with clubhead alignment with fairly predicable results each time, and after about 6 or 8 swings I was able to comfortably address the ball with the club face in about any position I wanted. That can be considered both good news and bad, depending on the player, I suppose, but it's very easy to align the bright shiny face against the very dark top of the club so I personally don't consider it a problem.

Club performance was a bit erratic, which I blame mostly on the operator ... part of the problem was probably due to the short club length because I was still trying to swing the club like a regular 3 wood ... when I settled down and tried to swing it like my 2-iron hybrid I started getting better results. Lesson learned: don't overswing the club.

Consistent with the comments from the club's previous owner, the ball flight was lower than I had expected from a club marketed as a "Hybrid-FW". For this session, I hit all of the shots off a tee, about ½" to ¾" high, and I was skinning the grass a couple inches out in front of the tee (for better or worse, I hit down on everything except the driver). The sound at impact was fairly high pitched and solid, with only a little bit of a "ping" ... a bit more distinctive than the lower-pitched metallic "click" of my Taylor Made.

The local range is not a good place for checking club distances, especially for longer clubs ... there is a ridge about 150 yards out that makes it tough to see exactly where the balls land ... but in any case, I certainly was not getting 11 additional yards from the XTD, and it seemed that I was perhaps even getting a bit less distance, which I attributed mostly to the shorter shaft and the slightly lower ball flight.

The 65g stock shaft is very light and gives the impression of swinging a weight at the end of a string, as opposed to the 90g shaft on my Taylor Made, which feels more like swinging a stick (I've exaggerated for effect, but the difference was very noticeable). I felt more consistent swinging the Taylor Made, with less directional deviation on my shots ... but perhaps that had more to do with my familiarity with that club.

I've dropped the club and new shaft off at my local golfsmith dude and we have agreed on the settings, so check back soon for Part 2 of this review, where I will discuss my impressions of the club with my new UST shaft in it!

Reviewing the Callaway Big Bertha Irons '04 - Men's

Cathy Erickson — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:14:00 GMT

Okay, so after I reviewed my newly purchased fairway woods the other day I went out and hit them fantastic! I'm thinking maybe my whole game will come around if I write reviews of all of my clubs. So I will now write about the current irons in my bag - the Callaway Big Bertha Men's Irons 2004 model. I purchased these clubs in the winter of 2006 on the internet without trying them out first, so I have used them for 1 full MN season + one month in 2008. I chose to purchase men's clubs because that is what I had been using for the past 20 years.

Here are the specs:

Callaway Regular Flex Men's Graphite Shafts

Stock Callaway Grip

Set came with 4 - 10 irons, W - 50 degree, SW - 55 degree

Here's what I liked:

*These clubs reminded me a little of the Ping Eye-2's I had been playing. I was looking for a cavity back iron because visually and mentally they made me feel like I could get them up in the air better. I also wanted to go with a graphite shaft. Just seeing pictures of them made me think I could hit these clubs.

*I hit these clubs straight! I don't usually "work" the ball (not on purpose anyway), so hitting them and knowing where the ball was going to go was great.

*I LOVE the 10-iron - my favorite club in the bag...I don't know if it's just because it seems unusual to have a 10-iron, but I find I use it a lot on the course and have been finding ways to use it around the greens, too - it's 46 degrees.

*I feel like I hit them about the same distance as the steel shafted irons I had been using, so I didn't lose any yardage, but I also think they have a nice high ball flight when I hit them right, so I can hit closer to my targets now.

*These clubs cured my mental apprehension of being able to hit irons consistantly and straight - that makes them worth every penny!

*Speaking of pennies, the price was just too good to pass up - the 2006 models were out and these clubs were at least $300 less for brand new.

Here's what struck me as different:

*These clubs were at least a 1/2 inch longer than my other clubs and both were men's sets. At first I was worried that they might be too long for me, but after adjusting my grip and stance, the length was no longer an issue.

*It can sometimes be hard to know that I'm hitting 2 to 4 clubs more than some of the guys I play with, but the confidence I gained by knowing how far I would hit each club on a consistent basis was a great feeling. And even if I had a mis-hit, the miss was usually manageable.

*I should say that I only use the 7-SW - I currently carry 3 Nike CPR hybrids, and they are virtually the same loft as the 4-5-6 irons. I used the 6 iron a few times and did hit it well, but the CPR's are my "go to" clubs and something had to go. The 4 & 5 are still in plastic.

My over-all impression is:

I love these clubs! Now they might not be for low-handicapper guy (although they do come steel and firm flexes), or for ladies, but if you are looking for a club that looks great at the set up, feels weighted enough so you think you can hit through the ball, and you appreciate a nice big sweet spot on the face, then these clubs might just be what you're looking for! Now I don't know the difference between the 2006 and 2008 Big Bertha models that came out, but you can buy these 2004 model irons new for around $450.00 for Graphite - and probably even cheaper if you shop around! That alone is a great selling point. I rate these as a solid 4.5, and that's only because I haven't hit all of the clubs so it's not exactly a complete review. They seem ideal for the mid to high handicap golfer who is looking to improve the iron game.

PS - after reading some posts about finding the right clubs, I think club fitting has to be the way to go...I think I have just gotten lucky that the purchases I have made have worked well in my game. If you get the chance, see a pro to help you find the best clubs for your game.