So, it’s time for a new driver

I’m always amazed at how many women are currently using drivers that are more than 5 years old, or worse still using their partners/mates hand me down. With the huge advances in technology you can be 100% confident that a new driver will be an absolute game changer.

Using the wrong club can have a totally negative influence on your swing and create bad habits that are hard to change down the track. I cannot over emphasise the importance of being correctly fitted for a new driver. Getting the RIGHT driver as opposed to the WRONG driver will help you improve your scores, make the game more enjoyable and allow you to create good habits with your golf swing. It will also make it easier for you to swing, since you won’t have to compensate for a club being too long or too heavy.

Choosing the right driver involves multiple things; an experienced fitter will begin by asking you questions about your current club and game, what is working and what you are not happy with. The thing with technology nowadays is that there is such a vast range of head and shaft options available. The end goal is to optimise performance based on each persons’ swing characteristics.

There are multiple factors that your fitter will take into consideration such as club head type, loft and weight. They will get you hitting a few options and then based on the numbers, they will select different optimisations with the correct head, loft and shaft to get you the best solution.

For the record, just because you are a lady, does not automatically mean you will need ladies flex shafts. Lots of ladies have faster swing speeds and there is a range of different flex shafts available. Once again another reason why it’s imperative that you get expertly fitted for your new driver.

In addition to new driver technology, fitting technology has completely changed as well. The days of ‘this will be right for you’ have been replaced with ‘let’s take a few drivers to the fitting simulators for you to try and we'll show you which one suits you the best’.

The technology shows a number of different things such as Launch Angle, Spin Rate, Face Angle, Club Path to name just a few. It’s important to get all of these ducks in a row to determine the best outcome.

One really awesome thing with this technology is that you can actually see your shots on a screen. Different clubs can be hit and you can clearly see on the screen the distance, dispersion area, trajectory, carry and distance. An experienced fitter will use this information to determine which driver will be the most forgiving and consistent.

Now let’s checkout some of the latest equipment.

I’ve selected a range of best-selling drivers to showcase. The information detailed below may be a touch on the tech side, but it’s really helpful to know detailed information about the club you are buying.

At the end of each driver description we have included a brief performance review based on our in store PGA Member Jade Fisher’s feedback.

Here’s a quick overall summary though.

Jades comments: Feels good off the face, all shots came out of the middle of the club face. Sounds good when hit and sits well at address. I launched this club higher than any of the other drivers tested and I was really happy with the distance and accuracy. Definitely hits straight and I was super consistent with this club.

Wilson Staff D9

Hundreds of face geometries were simulated in order to create a driver that could deliver higher ball speeds, maximum distance, and incredible forgiveness. With a huge sweet spot that extends out towards the toe and heel, the D9 driver is always on, even when you’re a little off.

Features &  Benefits:

Maximum Distance Off More of The Face     
Every millimetre of the D9 driver has been honed for performance. By dividing the face into a series of fractal zones, each tuned for explosive distance, our Peak Kinetic Response Face optimizes both forgiveness and ball speed.

Sound, Feel and Performance
The three-layer [K]COMPOSITE CROWN is made from Kevlar® and carbon fibre to neutralize vibration for a solid feel and satisfying acoustics. It’s also incredibly lightweight, which means a lower centre of gravity and faster clubhead speeds for better ball flight and more distance.

Jades comments: My club head speed increased by 10KPH with this club and my spin rate was higher and with better control which gave me really good consistency.  This driver represents excellent value and is the cheapest option out of the ones selected. Its performance definitely stacks up and I recommend giving it a try.

XXIO ELEVEN

XXIO ELEVEN is the latest bold new evolution of premium woods and irons from XXIO. With new innovative technologies designed to enhance COR performance and forgiveness, hitting longer and straighter will be made easier with every shot. The XXIO ELEVEN Series is perfect for the moderate swing speed golfer who is searching for more speed, accuracy and consistency out of their clubs.

 XXIO ELEVEN Driver is packed with innovation to give you confidence off the tee. It all begins with the Star Frame Rib Structure, which redistributes weight in the club head to improve launch and COR performance. A powerful Cup Face maintains speed on centre strikes and mis-hits alike, ensuring distance and forgiveness in maintained consistently. All XXIO ELEVEN clubs feature Weight Plus Technology, which redistributes weight from the shaft to the grip of the club. This creates a consistent position at the top of your swing for a square head at impact and improved accuracy.

XXIO engineers stop at nothing in the pursuit of excellence. The result is a family of products that helps moderate swing speed golfers increase enjoyment of the game with lower scores and better performance.
XXIO has been the #1 golf club brand in Japan for 17 straight years. It’s also currently the #1 brand in Korea and New Zealand, and one of the fastest growing golf brands in Australia and the United States.

Jades comments: I really like the look of this club and it sounds good when hit, not tinny! The consistency was not quite as good as some of the other options and I felt the shaft was too light for me. Having said that this club is purposely designed with lights shafts to suit golfers with a moderate swing speed.

TaylorMade SIM2 Max Driver

New Forged Ring Construction
Forged Ring Construction is the key that unlocks a new dimension in distance and forgiveness. Forged from a lightweight and high strength aluminum that is milled to an exacting shape, it unites a massive rear weight, a full carbon sole, crown and a new milled back cup face. Creating a driver designed for increased stability and forgiveness, giving golfers the confidence to take on any tee shot

SIM Inertia Generator
The asymmetric Inertia Generator is designed to provide faster club head speed through advanced geometry and aerodynamic analytics. A full lightweight carbon sole enables the redistribution of mass fora deeper CG and enhanced forgiveness

Speed Injected™ Twist Face™
Improves ball speed by calibrating each head to the threshold of the legal speed limit with corrective face curvature also protecting against heel and toe miss-hits

Thru-Slot Speed Pocket
Our most flexible Speed Pocket™ design engineered to maximize ball speeds and produce additional forgiveness on low face strikes

Spilt Mass Weighting
Designed to enhance forgiveness while allowing for pinpoint target swing weights during custom assembly

Jades comments: This club launched the lowest and so my distance was impacted by that and I was a bit inconsistent with the shots. When I did hit out of the middle though it did feel good off the face.

Callaway Epic MAX Driver

Framing The Future Of Speed In Our Most Forgiving Epic Driver
We used Artificial Intelligence to engineer a NEW formula for speed, and we put it into our most forgiving Epic driver ever. The new Epic MAX is a remarkable engineering feat for golfers who want to hit the ball longer and straighter than they ever have before. It’s built on a simple equation: max ball speed (with the new Jailbreak A.I Speed Frame) + maximum forgiveness (with high MOI and adjustable weighting) = the ultimate max driver

Features & Benefits:

Extraordinary Ball Speed: Jailbreak A.I. Speed Frame + A.I. Designed Flash Face SS21
Epic ball speeds start with our new A.I.-designed Jailbreak Speed Frame. Previous Jailbreak architectures stiffened the body in the vertical direction. By applying Artificial Intelligence, this new structure improves stability in the horizontal and torsional direction as well. The result is exceptional ball speeds across the entire face.

Our A.I.-designed Flash Face is specifically engineered to work with the Jailbreak Speed Frame, promoting fast speeds across a more expansive area. Each face and each head geometry are uniquely enhanced in Epic MAX, while the super strength titanium promotes maximum speed, forgiveness and spin robustness

Our Most Forgiving Epic Ever
Epic MAX creates exceptionally high forgiveness, starting with a lighter, stronger Triaxial Carbon material that saves over 19 grams of weight vs. titanium. Our engineers have redistributed that saved weight to promote high launch and more forgiveness. This driver delivers an exceptional combination of a deep CG, draw bias and higher MOI to promote a tighter downrange dispersion that leads to straighter drives.

More Control From Adjustable Perimeter Weighting
With a 17g sliding rear weight, golfers have extensive adjustability to promote the ball flight that they want to play. Combined with the OptiFit hosel, the Epic MAX provides up to 20 yards of shot shape correction.

Jades comments: This club sits well at address and I like the look of the head. The impact zone on the face was very consistent. It’s a very forgiving driver and has heaps of adjustability so easy to set up perfectly for most golfers.

Article supplied by Naomi Harrop // Franchisee Drummond Golf Underwood