Hot, New Drivers: Take One Out for a Long Drive…

Sometimes you just need to go for a drive — a long, straight drive. If you’re in the market for a new driver, look no further than the 2006 class of clubs that are licensed to drive.

Truth be told, it’s hard to find a poor-performing driver any more. But there are differences in designs and performance, especially when design elements are tied to player swing characteristics. The new class of drivers are the most intricate the industry has ever seen from a design and technology perspective.

Golfers who look at the full line of driver offerings and learn how to match club specifications to swing characteristics will find a driver that increases distance, decreases dispersion and magnifies enjoyment. Here’s a look at some of this year’s most notable offerings.

The Cadillac of the class is a truly innovative design. Vulcan’s V14 Driver incorporates a completely new Variable Mass Technology design. The 430cc body is crafted using seamless vacuum-cast titanium and a two-piece, pull-face construction for strength and weight reduction. The face is forged SP700 beta titanium with a maximum COR (coefficient of restitution) rating. But it’s the weight system that sets this club apart. It features two channels around the perimeter of the head that hold weighted 2-gram stainless-steel ball bearings or black .2-gram nylon spacer pearls. The bearings and spacers can be configured in any combination to improve distance, accuracy, launch angle and spin rate. The pearls and bearings may be positioned anywhere (toe, heel, front and/or back) to best place weight and center the mass to tune your ball-flight pattern. The club kit also comes with two 2-gram titanium screws and two 4-gram stainless-steel screws.

Another driver of note is Nickent’s 3DX, which is offered in two distinct models — the D-Spec and T-Spec (Draw Spec and Tour Spec, respectively). These hot-hitting drivers offer directional control without the use of screws. The drivers feature 3DX weight ports strategically placed to give internal and exterior weighting that matches the player’s swing. They provide more than 20 grams of weight shift. The D-Spec driver’s loft, lie, center of gravity (CG), MOI (moment of inertia) and weight have all been configured to make the ball draw. The T-Spec is engineered for players who prefer a flatter trajectory and a more workable ball flight. The 3DX design falls right on the legal size, COR and effective hitting area limits allowed by the USGA. SP700, which is a super plastic version of titanium designed for NASA’s Space Shuttle to resist and reduce fatigue, is used in the production of the 3DX. Plasma welding is also used in the construction, saving more than 10 grams of weight for even greater redistribution of weight.

The King Cobra Speed Series drivers were designed to optimize a golfer’s average ball speed for enhanced distance and accuracy. From head to shaft to grip, each model is tuned to a specific player profile. The X/Speed driver fits players with an average swing speed of 104 mph or higher, while the F/Speed club is for golfers that possess a swing speed from 87 to 108 mph. The M/Speed helps golfers with a 76 to 97 mph swing.

A large clubface is combined with Cobra’s advanced face technology to maximize flex across the entire face. This results in a hotter clubface with greater forgiveness. The Speed Series advanced sole design takes the driver’s CG lower and farther back in the clubhead by pushing the Dual Weighting System inserts back and out toward the perimeter of the sole. This generates a higher moment of inertia for greater clubhead stability, improved accuracy and forgiveness.

The new Widebody Sole design also promotes high launch for optimal distance. The exclusive MRLC (Milled Rhombus L-Cup) laser-weld face insert, featuring an ultra-thin perimeter, delivers greater face flex for increased ball speed. The drivers’ unique Fast Back crown design slants back, moving the CG even lower and farther back in the head to create a higher launch angle and low-spin ball flight for optimal launch and carry.

The Yonex Cyberstar Nanospeed Driver features Dual Nanoscale Technology in the head and shaft to increase clubhead speed for longer, straighter drives. The driver head incorporates a strong, lightweight, ultra-thin Fullerene (nano-carbon) crown that allows for 20 percent more mass to be redistributed lower and deeper within the clubhead through a tungsten weight located in the perimeter of the driver’s sole plate. This redistribution of weight creates the ideal characteristics for today’s modern drivers — a higher launch angle, decreased spin rate, larger sweet spot and a higher MOI.

The Fullerene + Elastic Ti reinforced shaft in the driver increases clubhead speed due to greater resiliency and overall lighter weight. Elastic Ti is a lightweight, high-strength, extremely elastic nano-titanium alloy that is stronger and more resilient than conventional graphite, providing increased clubhead speed and superior shaft stability.

Nike’s Sasquatch (SQ) driver has generated a big buzz this year, and not just because of Tiger Woods’ interest in the driver. The club brought a whole new design element to the segment. In fact, so innovative is the geometric shape of the driver that it’s arguably the reason the USGA put the implementation of the new limit on driver head forgiveness (MOI) on the fast track.

Combining Powerbow and Max Back Center of Gravity technologies, the SQ boasts a lower, deeper CG without the use of weights. The shape of the clubhead was altered to achieve enhanced performance. The clubhead footprint, its outline backward from the face, was increased. This Powerbow, the visual cue to the geometry, adds a trailing volume of mass for added power and control without overstepping the USGA’s 460cc clubhead size limit.
The Powerbow moves the CG back, low and deep in the driver to promote a higher launch angle, lower spin and longer distance.

Additional advantages of the combination of geometry and physics range from added forgiveness, distance as a result of a larger sweet spot and accuracy via a CG positioned backward that makes squaring the clubface easier.

The driver also has a face of layered, yet tightly compressed titanium called NexTi, which is proprietary to Nike. It generates a hotter response and greater consistency.

The Amur 460 DMS driver was created to please the eye and excel in performance and all-around use. The driver’s outer shell was designed to reduce airflow resistance and straighten a golfer’s swing path. It is also one of the first 460cc drivers to incorporate adjustable weight technology. The adjustable weighting system enhances a golfer’s performance by customizing the perimeter weighting and allowing the golfer to adjust the driver head to a neutral weighting, draw or fade, using an Allen wrench.

The 460 DMS has a 15-3-3-3 milled beta-titanium face thatis plasma-welded for longer face life, more power, greater distance and feel. A strong bonding titanium also prevents mishit damage. It gives the club more elongation, elasticity and a better Rockwell strength rating.

The crown of the driver has a lowered front side to promote efficient air flow for increased swing speed and a corrected swing path. This also makes the club more forgiving and accurate. By combining a cut in and around the side of the clubhead with a rail design and plate on the bottom of the driver head, the club manipulates wind for a smooth, faster and more accurate swing path.

Similar to its 420cc predecessor, Bridgestone’s J33R 460cc driver boasts an oversized clubhead designed for a slightly higher launch with less spin. The 460cc version is crafted from 6-4 titanium for feel and forgiveness, and meets the USGA’s COR limit. The deep-face design retains an optimal CG location for a maximized high-launch, low-spin ball flight and a high MOI for added stability on mishits.

All of the Bridgestone J33 series drivers feature an elastomer compound insert within the clubhead for reducing vibration throughout the crown, sole and face of the club. The reduction in vibration accounts for a more efficient energy transfer, resulting in more distance, particularly on mishits. The J33R crown also flexes slightly at impact, adding loft to the clubhead, which enhances the vertical gear effect of the driver. The enhanced vertical gear effect then leads to an even higher launch and decreased backspin off the tee.

Building on its MX series, Mizuno improved on its graphite/titanium technology in its MX-500 driver. The addition of a lightweight graphite toe and a carbon-fiber composite crown augments power, sound and distance while delivering a high trajectory, optimum spin rate and maximum ball speed for long, straight drives. Twenty-three grams of weight from the crown were repositioned around the clubhead to create a low and deep CG that enables players to launch the ball with ease for maximum distance.

In addition, the toe insert allowed 7 grams of weight to be redistributed low and toward the heel to square the clubface at impact for straighter shots. A Perimeter Weight Slot further distributes weight deep and toward the perimeter for increased forgiveness and a high, easy launch.

The driver also features the next generation of Mizuno’s CORTECH multi-thickness face design that utilizes six multi-thickness areas to ensure uniform face deflection and a thin responsive face for increased distance and consistency.

TaylorMade continues to expand its lineup of interchangeable weight drivers. The r7 425 has 28 grams of moveable weight divided between two widely spaced Launch Control (TLC) ports, allowing for a lateral shift in CG position of up to 5 millimeters. Robot testing indicates that the 425 delivers a lateral trajectory change of up to 13 yards when the TLC cartridges are configured to promote the maximum amount of draw or fade. The TLC cartridges can also be configured to increase or decrease spin rate to promote changes in tee-shot height.

TaylorMade’s latest offering is the r7 460. The large head helps make the driver forgiving and easy to launch. However, the amount of weight that can be adjusted in this driver is significantly less than the 425 model. While the 460’s internal weighting characteristics give it a distinct draw bias, configuring the cartridges so that the 14-gram weight is in the toe port and the 2-gram cartridge is in the heel port shifts the CG toward the toe, counteracting the 460’s inherent draw tendencies to promote a straight, or neutral, trajectory. Conversely, installing the 2-gram cartridge in the toe port and the 14-gram weight in the heel port shifts the CG toward the heel, which supplements the 460’s internal draw tendencies, promoting a large draw.

Callaway’s new X460 driver is an all-titanium design that incorporates core Callaway technologies like the new CT/VFT face to take ball speed right up to the limit, as defined by the new USGA Characteristic Time test. This is Callaway’s most robust all-titanium face — more than 10 percent larger than the face of the Big Bertha Titanium 454 Driver. It increases ball speed on shots hit anywhere on the face. The uniquely designed sole provides consistent alignment while helping to create a larger, more stable clubhead.

The X460 Tour Driver features a slightly modified CG position to produce trajectories generally preferred by better players. The X460 is also forgiving horizontally from heel to toe and vertically from sole to crown. This design yields a more consistent trajectory off the tee.

Callaway’s FT-3 Driver combines the company’s patented internal weight-shifting technology with a precision-tuned face to deliver distance with accuracy, explosiveness and forgiveness. Fusion Technology is all about the marriage of two distinctly different materials in the clubhead — in this case, a hot titanium cup face and a super-light carbon composite body. The body frees up 44 grams of discretionary weight, which is distributed inside various parts of the head to benefit golfers’ unique swing types and ball flights.

Cleveland’s new Launcher Ti460 driver plays well for golfers of all skill levels. Thin Crown Technology is what sets this clubhead apart from its predecessor, the first generation Launcher 460. Fifteen percent of the weight has been removed from the top crown of the clubhead and redistributed lower and deeper around the perimeter. This produces a lower CG and higher launch angle for longer drives. This driver also has a plasma-welded SP700 beta-titanium face, which creates a large sweet spot for maximum forgiveness and distance on off-center hits. The Ti460 launches higher than the original Launcher 460 and produces less backspin for a piercing ball flight that results in additional carry.

Although metalwoods are the primary choice of players today, persimmon drivers are not obsolete. Louisville Golf has unveiled yet another persimmon innovation — the longest persimmon driver ever made. The SMART ti persimmon driver incorporates a full-face titanium insert to achieve a COR limit never before recorded on a wood driver. The COR on the SMART ti driver is 3 percent higher than a traditional wood driver, as tested by the USGA. The SMART ti persimmon driver also blends distance with accuracy. Persimmon maintains a deep CG that translates to greater gear effect than is realized in a modern metal driver. Gear effect is the self-correcting spin imparted to the ball when hit on the toe or heel, bringing mishits back on line.

PING’s G5 driver features a 460cc titanium head with new internal weighting distribution that repositions the CG for lower spin rates and greater distance. Eight grams of weight from low-stress areas in the crown were repositioned on the sole to lower the CG and reduce spin rates. The design of the weight removal area ensures the structural integrity of the clubhead. New face geometry also promotes high ball speed for maximum distance. Similar in shape to the popular G2 driver, the confidence-inspiring head provides forgiveness and includes a thinner moon-graphic alignment aid.

Infiniti’s Propulsion 460 Titanium Composite driver features a high-strength, lightweight, graphite composite crown that allows weight redistribution to the body and the sole area of the clubhead so golfers can easily get the ball airborne. The result is a high-power driver that produces consistent, long and straight shots with minimum effort. The driver boasts the largest effective hitting area of a USGA-imposed size limit design and delivers an ideal launch angle to maximize distance. The driver performs well for both low and high clubhead speeds.

Feel Golf’s Heater driver is a high-performance club with a high smash factor created by coupling carbon-boron into the driver head with a TiCn (copper-like) face that reduces backspin. Backspin reduction increases ball speed and distance. The driver offers a unique combination of grip, shaft and clubhead. Feel’s unique Full Release grip with TaperTip Technology is complemented by the Maximum Kinetic Release (MKR) shaft, a three-piece design with a double tip — a stiff tip in the hosel and a soft tip that is co-joined directly above that builds potential energy to release once the clubhead is in motion. The shaft increases the ball’s hang time and distance. The Hi-Lo TiCn Face, which is a combination of titanium, copper, nickel and other alloys, is named for its high trajectory and low ball backspin performance characteristics.

For a long, peaceful drive, the Nicklaus airMax DPT 460 can deliver. Dual Point Technology brings golfers unparalleled ball velocity by aligning the clubhead’s CG with the optimal face flex point for a maxed out trampoline effect. A co-developed Fujikura shaft powers the four-piece titanium head, while a multi-layered face that is thin around the perimeter and thicker in the center expands the so-called “trampoline.” The driver also incorporates MicroWelding, a process of constructing the head in a durable fashion that is half the weight of traditional welding. This process allows for a more strategic placement of weight in the clubhead.

There’s nothing wrong with a little Ayrtime. Tommy Armour’s Ayrtime driver is another in the class featuring moveable weight technology. This 430cc club, which is named for the Ayrshire winds that sweep across Scottish links, offers a 25-gram tungsten weight that can be moved to promote a neutral, fade or draw bias. When the mass is in the center position, expect the ball to fly high and straight. Instead of coming in lofts, the Ayrtime is offered in high, mid and tour launch angles. For best results, golfers should be custom fit to the driver that suits their swing.

The MacGregor MACTEC NVG driver was a success last year. Expect nothing less from the new NVG2 with Cup Face Technology. The club boasts a hitting area that is 30 percent bigger than standard face-insert technology. A proprietary plasma-welding process is performed off and away from the beta-titanium cup face, enabling the entire face to be the sweet spot. Shots off the edge of the face will likely still end up in the fairway or just off. Like last year’s model, the clubhead is attached to a Fujikura Quadra Action shaft that increases clubhead speed. The shaft generates, loads, stabilizes and releases increased energy at impact.