If you’re using equipment from four or five years ago, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Every year, club makers spend millions of dollars trying to develop more advanced technology that can make the game of golf easier (and more enjoyable) to the average player.
Over the past few years some of the biggest advances have been made in the technology of the driver. But before you go out and spend $400 on one, do some research and be sure you’re making the right decision.
Taylor Made Slidr – Price: $400 – $500 – The TaylorMade Slidr is the only driver in history to receive 5 stars in all four of Golf Digest’s review categories (Performance, Innovation, Look/Sound/Feel, Demand). Its center-of-gravity is farther forward and allows for better energy transfer into the ball for less spin and added distance. The hosel features 12 settings that can alter the loft by plus or minus 1.5 degrees and the sliding weight allows for 21 separate draw-fade configurations. The Slidr could very well end up being the most popular driver on tour in 2014.
Cobra Bio Cell+ – Price: $399 – Quite possibly the most unique driver on the market today, the Cobra Bio Cell+ is made of Venollum (not Titanium). As a result, it’s lighter and possesses a lower center of gravity for added ball speed. It also has 8 separate loft-face angle settings (2 more than its predecessor the Amp Cell Pro). The driver is also available in 5 different colors: silver, orange, red, blue and black.
Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 – Price: $399 – If you liked the first Covert driver, you’ll like the VR_S Covert 2.0. It’s 30 cc bigger than the 2013 version and provides added forgiveness on mishits. In tests, it also produced a ball speed of nearly 2 mph higher than the original Covert, which means more distance. Loft can be adjusted anywhere from 8.5 degrees to 12.5 degrees and the face can be adjusted from 1.5 degrees open to 1.5 degrees closed, allowing for more flexibility when it comes to shaping shots off the tee.
Ping i25 – Price: $399 – The Ping i25 is largely regarded as a replacement to the i20. With a titanium face and body along with the two tungsten weights on the perimeter of the sole, the i25 offers a great deal of forgiveness. The lightweight hosel accommodates a loft change of plus or minus half a degree. It also features a crown stripe which is meant to help users line up to their target at address. Great for players of moderate skill.
Cleveland 588 Custom – Price: $349 – Designed for improved accuracy, the Cleveland 588 Custom has 12 different loft-face angle configurations. It also features variable face thickness for added distance and in company testing averaged 1.6 yards farther than its predecessor the SL290. Great for low and high-handicappers alike.
Callaway X2 Hot – The Callaway X2 Hot features a redesigned variable-thickness face which makes it lighter than the original X Hot driver from last year. It features a larger face for increased ball-speed consistency and comes equipped with an eight-way adjustable hosel that allows for loft and lie to be set independently.
Titleist 913 D2/D3 – Price: $399 – The Titleist 913 models are designed for improved ball-speed consistency across the entire area of the club face. They’re also lighter and thinner than the 910 models to prevent distance from being lost on mishits. Both clubs have a dual-ring adjustable hosel so loft and lie angle can be altered. The more forgiving D2 is more appropriate for players that draw the ball where as the D3 allows for improved workability.