I know I would pony up! The report included this question and answer –. Copyright 2021. www.adidas.com, Are you someone who can’t get enough gear? Have you guys been in contact with them? So, I tend to purchase golf clubs and other equipment online or I have to wait until I can get to a larger town to schedule a fitting. Yeah, I’m a little disappointed the Cortex didn’t get any mentions in terms of where it scored positively or negatively. Completely agree with this! I can also tell you that the firmer the ball, the worse it sounds, and I do wonder if they do most of their testing with lower compression balls that may have helped mask the issue. Both club and head data are captured using Foresight GCQuad launch monitors. This year they’ve fallen back quite a bit. Mygolfspy is my first ? Must give it a spin when time comes to upgrade. TW-747v irons were also awesome. It seems like a number of people are clamoring for a best of the best Most Wanted test…. Let’s say that instead of 240 and 260, driver A produces shots of 243 and 263. But for your stated purpose “an off the rack buyer” for which the population is seismically greater than the fit population, they couldn’t have a better resource. Hi Tony. Is there reason why you don’t publish the all things considered list? We’re not saying (and have never said), This is the best driver for everyone. If you struggle with a slice, the PING G410 SFT needs to be on your short list. Still love the content on the site. Our testing provides unparalleled data which equals unparalleled insight for the golfer. Yes, I’m a bit of a data geek, and agree that many would not find “raw data” dumps at all digestible. We want to reemphasize that, while we do collect and share noteworthy portions of this subjective feedback, it does not factor in our rankings. Was kind of hoping the Wilson Cortex would have finished higher. Any question can be skipped once by clicking "Answer Later" and will appear at the end of the exam. Mygolfspy has never released deep player cohort data from their testing. A: To determine the Most Forgiving Driver, we focus on a narrower set of metrics that includes: Shot Area (dispersion), Accuracy, and the average standard deviation for ball speed and carry yards. Can you say BIASED! In that respect, Cortex would qualify as average (nothing stands out good or bad on a subjective level). As a group, they span a broad range of swing characteristics (head speed, attack angle, etc.). Maybe the message of “spin it as low as possible and bomb it (into the forest)” is finally starting to change? Generally my spin is 2400-2700 with it. And what a crop of drivers this year! Golf's biggest and best brands have unleashed their technologically advanced drivers for 2019, and … It just hit me that I could theoretically extrapolate this data, the best “high toe” driver based on the cg data from the 2018 driver cg report. Well stated. Callaway’s Fall Weather Series features waterproof clothing for men and women designed by Perry Ellis International. It wasn’t my favorite to look at but the numbers were simply incredible and considerably better than everything else I tried that particular day including Epic Flash, Ping 410 and Cobra. It remains true that we haven’t taken ad dollars from any company with significant market share. It doesn’t roll off the tongue, but that’s the objective. As far as the subjective stuff from our testers is concerned, the Cortex was largely unremarkable. But I doubt that – I don’t see Joe consumer putting 2 and 2 together and choosing a softer compression ball to fix his driver sound. All driving schools are responsible for determining when they can provide services in a safe manner. I tested several drivers recently, and I was getting some of the most consistent results and highest ball speeds of any driver I’ve ever hit. I’m very happy with it. It was suggested that many golfers may be going to a softer shaft, means? So, was the person testing the F9 in the bay next to me. You made it so easy for me…" Jackie Bower, California. That said, in most cases, the fitting versatility more than offsets those negatives. What is the age or handicap of testers on average. Matter of fact it kept me from buying the golf club even though it was the longest for me. A lot of people say that those two companies also lead the industry in hype, but based upon the data – they’re leading in performance too. I imagine I’m not looking in the right place. While most every manufacturer has its version of the fast AND forgiving story, most are trying to strike a right balance that fits within their brand’s identity. By leveraging the adjustability provided by club manufacturers, you can often turn a good driver into a great driver. What you study has proved is that all top quality drivers are maxed out in terms of performance and the fitting the correct head and shaft is the only way to maximize strokes gained for an individual golfer. Will you publish a breakdown of the results by swing speed like you have in the past? The spin numbers were not worryingly low (circa 2200). Drivers are fit to each tester using the stock, no up-charge options from each manufacturer. Ping doesn’t bring out another version, unless they can make it better. Learn how your comment data is processed. If we’re going to add more swings, I’d rather it come by way of more testers than more clubs. If so, you’ve probably heard your fair share of advice from parents, friends and driving instructors. Thanks again. At minimum add last years winner to current year test. Or are/were the testers vastly different to where we wouldn’t really be comparing apples-to-apples? www.callawayapparel.com, The “S” in Titleist’s TS drivers stands for speed, not surprising in that Titleist says its TS2 and TS3 models were the result of two years of building new drivers that would put “greater speed into every detail.” The drivers feature what Titleist calls the thinnest titanium clubface in the game and a refined shape to increase clubhead speed for more distance. Agreed. Another great informative driver test. Haha, “very low” carry… hmmm, so I play almost every day, with a variety of players. Went down the rabbit hole of comparing companies between years and it seems (at least imo) that there isn’t much of difference in the numbers that the average golfer would notice. Preview 2021 | Golf world anxiously waiting for Whistling Straits’ do-over, Preview 2021 | Ireland and Northern Ireland offer a magical, magnificent golf experience, Preview 2021 | Torrey Pines’ redesigned North Course now just as special as famed South Course, Don't miss the latest news and promotions from GolfTime Magazine. Tony, It is only the lower end of ballspeed. Also, really not sure how you can claim that the most wanted driver does not perform well on off center strikes, but somehow finds the fairway more than any other driver…seems very perplexing. With that, CGs are being pushed low and farther back, which means you’re getting higher launch with your low spin, which is also a big factor. A: Across our test pool as a whole, we found no significant ball speed advantage that can be attributed to face technology. Participate in a 45-minute Group Education Session (GES) 4. For example, the commentary mentions part of the reason Epic Flash was #1 is that it had the “Highest fairway % in the test”. The same is true for heel strikers and the draw position. Our mission is #ConsumerFirst. Nothing against the Tommy Armour or Wilson D7 but i think most people would like to see how (if any) much improvement between previous MyGolfSpy most wanted winners. If you really want to cut through the manufacturer BS and give valuable data to buyers, I think that’s the best way to achieve it. “I can’t make comparisons, therefore, you’re doing something wrong.”. First thing I would say is that LST, while low spin within the PING lineup, wasn’t really low spin compared to other so-called low spin offerings. When you narrow down to the individual golfer level, the result are more significant. Hard to go wrong with any of them. to the DMV test. Basically tight dispersion front to back. The Driver vs Driver is a brilliant marketing format, Hopefully they stay in the game and catch up to the major equipment manufacturers. Top golf drivers 2020 our biggest test ever, Mark Crossfield and Coach Lockey are doing a golf driver test. Driving schools. There’s always going to be an element of chance, or preference. Same is true with YFC averages. Quick example of two drivers. The statistics presented are an average of five drives for each club. Items include heathered fleece sweaters and vests with insulated thermal material for warmth and water repellant outer fabric, the full-zip puffer jacket and vest designed to offer warmth without interfering with range of motion through the swing, and a waterproof seam-sealed jacket that features splash proof zippers and adjustable storm cuffs to keep water out. It’s also important to note at similar distances (and with few exceptions the distances we see are at least similar), the lie condition (fairway vs. rough) will have a significant influence on the Strokes Gained equation. It’s not possible to make year over year comparisons and take anything meaningful (or accurate) away from it. We don’t have website subscriptions, we don’t take big ad dollars, and we don’t require anybody to donate to get ‘the good stuff’. I have no problem with alternative monetization strategies and wish them every success. The same is true for wedges and irons (esecially SGI). In addition to SG, we also factor in the selection of distance, accuracy, and consistency metrics, while also looking at the statistical reliability of those metrics. With a little luck we’ll have it in there before the end of the day. You do realize that all of these numbers are statistically so close that their differences are irrelevant. Free implies, actually it literally means something for nothing. To minimize variables, all testers hit Bridgestone B330 RX Golf balls. Sorry to ask yet again but will you publish a review of 2019 drivers specific to swing speed groups. With the selection of premium shafts offered standard, the PXG was actually $125 less than my best fit G400 MAX combo purchased last year. You all have made my life much easier. It would be great to get the data to filter specific swing speeds to compre to your own! When we look at the totality of our data, which includes not only the raw data, but also standard deviations for key metrics, as well as the statistical reliability of those metrics, we found the Flash SZ to be at or near the top across the board with the exception of one of our consistency metrics. www.nextbelt.com, Every golfer knows the dilemma: water, water everywhere and not a retriever in sight. Make a donation to support our independent and expert golf equipment research. What does that mean for you? This year’s crop of drivers, as a group, may be the lowest spinning we’ve tested to date. We are independent, unbiased and always put the #ConsumerFirst. When all is said and done, there isn’t as much overlap between the three as we’d hope – and that’s before we talk about center of gravity placement and dynamic loft. If you plan to leverage adjustability to its fullest potential, look for systems that allow you to move significant mass over a wider area of the clubhead while keeping the weight close to the perimeter of the golf club. I look forward to the ‘Most Wanted Driver’ every year. Clubs that are physically longer may produce a bit more distance on your best shots, but they’re also generally less accurate and less consistent. Again, thank you all at My Golf Spy for what you do for us. Bad performance on mis-hits completely negates the advertising story with the flash face technology. Ontario's senior driver programs aim to keep seniors driving for as long as they can safely do so.Once drivers reach 80 years of age, every two years they must: 1. Had a chance to test the Honma product again and went to a different facility that also had a Trackman. Eventually, yes. In this year's test, the draw biased version of PING's G410 family showed significant more left-side bias than any other club tested. Feel was much better to me (impact and sound), and value (cheaper for similar performance). Has your test method changed or are the 2017 driver’s faces that much faster? My assumptions is that they use adavanced statistics to further come up with conclusions as every driver is relatively close in terms of numbers. My dispersion over my gamer G400 MAX was improved enough to buy the Gen2 PXG. Our 2019 Most Wanted Runner-Up, by the slimmest of margins, the all-around performance of Cobra's F9 was better than exceptional; finishing in the top tier for the majority of the metrics we consider. They KNOW how to do sound. But with the fitting process and the M6, I went from 242 carry with M2 to 272 carry with the M6. I assume that forthcoming articles will have the breakdown by swing speed as in the past? From the article all I can seem to find is 1 = EPIC FLASH SUB ZERO and 2 = Cobra F9. Right on Mike, be right next to the huge supply of TRITON DVD…I think that one is getting $35 dollars in trade now…. Not surprisingly, Callaway and TaylorMade continue to be at the top of the heap. Fascinating the most accurate drivers in this list have 2800+ rpms of spin while only one had above 2600 in the 2018 list. I have been viewing these for years, but have found this to be your best so far. It was good to see the numbers (ball speed) near what I average, I figure the swing speed was around 90 mph. I bought a new EXS driver and with the Tensei shaft it comes with was “ho=hum”. As I said, I hope it grows as it will help us grow. It was most certainly not intended that way. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Sounds like they might as well be tied though if they’re as close as the article and comments suggest. Last year the swing speed group reports took a few weeks to issue after the main report whereas this year a gap of over 2 months must indicate we are not going to get swing group reports. The sh Your results mirror my own testing for what it’s worth. Great job as always! I do find it interesting that the difference between top and bottom “ranking” for a number of clubs is very small. It’s always challenging to strike the right balance between enough information/data and overload. I appreciate that your site is trying to rate equipment. It’s not usual for one brands 9.5 to have the same loft as another’s 10.5, so if you’re a 9.5 guy in one manufacturer’s lineup, don’t assume you’re a 9.5 in everyone else’s. Many Canadians want to improve their study habits for the written test, but they aren’t sure how. At MyGolfSpy our job is to provide independent, unbiased, and objective testing of products to help you make more confident purchasing decisions. Guess what they say is true… ‘haters gonna hate’. Our recommendation is to buy a new driver only when it appreciably outperforms what is already in your bag. Over the course of several sessions, each golfer is required to hit 10-12 "good" shots with each club. Any idea how it would have compared on dispersion or overall performance? Don’t worry about it. The Sandbox is a great place for golfers to test their short games after a day of crushing drivers on the Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes courses, but it was mostly designed with fun in mind. I think an average of a 240 carry is pretty generous…, I can’t wait for my fitting appointment in March. I ended up going with the Cobra F9 for two main reasons. By having the same amount of questions as the real test, the practice tests allow you not only to familiarize with the material but also to set your answering pace. So it’s a roll of the dice. etc.etc. For each driver, we recorded average ball speed, launch angle, back spin, and carry distance. If you're a relatively straight driver of the ball who favors the toe, moving weight to the fade position will better align the center of gravity with your point of impact, producing higher ball speed. Check our website for more sample tests, train as much as possible, and boost your grades! Likewise, if you struggle with pull hooks, consider a driver with a flatter lie angle. How did the cobra come 2nd when it finished 5th in the strokes gained metric? The best shot with the new model carried 3 yards further than the 2017 model, but other than that, it was amazing how close they were in every other category with the exception of one — the launch angle. When you use your wrench to add or remove loft, you’re also changing the face angle. I heard that depending on cg of driver the sweet spot is not always in the center of the face. Save time and money by using our booking service. Thanks again to the MyGolfSpy staff and the legion of testers that help all of us make more informed decisions. As part of our analysis, we consider the standard deviations of key metrics (consistency), as well as the statistical reliability of the data on a per tester and club basis. Got a similar shaft in it too. This includes leveraging, loft, lie, and face angle adjustability (hosel), movable weights, and available shafts. Whoa is all I can say! A strokes gained average from +0.3 to -0.3 is statistically insignificant. All the parameters and setting were identical as far as I could tell including golf ball so I don’t know what to say. How is the Tour Edge EXS better in almost every category than the Wilson D7 but has less strokes gained? I went through a fitting and tried all the 2019 driver released, and the M6 was by far the best for me. That was SUPER helpful. During each test, we look for trends that provide us insight into where the market as a whole is moving, as well as what noteworthy changes manufacturers have made to improve year-over-year performance. Along the way, if we can identify some strong performers that golfers might have overlooked, that’s great too. Tony, Thank you for all you do. I miss hearing people say “Kia ora”. Scratch hdcp player and I felt as though I was swinging well both days so not sure what to chalk it up to. I tend to hit the ball in the high toe area of the driver face. Regardless of the logical arguments we could all make, us gear heads and data freaks are the minority. Great information as usual. Shot Area (dispersion) was tighter. Draw and fade settings aren't just for shot shape correction. This year, we’re testing nearly 12 hours a day, 5 days a week to try and get all categories completed sooner (and we keep adding both club and soft good categories). Perfect timing. I used to live in NZ when I was younger. It can also serve to give golfers a starting point in their fittings and hopefully get them to consider strong performers they might have overlooked. By using the TrueGolf Fit platform, golfers are able to input parameters specific to their swings to find out which drivers can be expected to perform best for them. In my own personal testing (i got off work early on Friday and went to the golf shop), i checked the new Epic Flash subzero. Don’t spend a dollar unless it improves on what’s already in the bag. Hit 10 total with it, take out two complete wipes and the two longest (to make it fair) I was averaging 309. Ping G410 Plus Driver. Q: Will you publish a breakdown of the results by swing speed like you have in the past? We do this by employing consistent testing methodologies and advanced golf analytics inside our 100% independent test facility. I figured there was some change in a variable. My takeaway is that for a player of my mid-hdcp ability, there’s just not a lot of difference among the top drivers. You will be responsible for rescheduling and paying for a new road test. Every driver has 3 lofts: what’s stamped on the club, the actual loft a given manufacturer is trying to hit, and the actual measured loft. Just add last two years winners to pool …G400 and Srixon Z565. All models feature adidas’ BOOST midsole for more energy return and cushioning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7qdRhA3JN4. By GOLF Editors. Consistently carrying the same distance +/- a couple yards. Doubt you will see that. And while we hope to someday get to the point where we’re able to buy 100% of the gear we test, yours is an exceptionally myopic view of “free”. Just focusing on new equipment each year seems like a sales push, even though I know it’s all independent testing, no sponsorship etc. Carry Consistency is as it sounds. It would be nice if you can compare drivers from current and previous years. I just hit the F9 in the store for the first time a couple of days ago and I’m very intrigued. In some cases, we had guys that often fit into what gets labeled the low launch profile in a given lineup (stiffer tip), move into the mid-launch option. Now when you break out individual swing categories as is you intention I do believe the club being reviewed will have clear winners/losers. One think I can’t seem to understand is how you guys use this data to come up with your general recommendations that grab all the headlines. FWIW I have faith in integrity of MGS, never seen any signal to the contrary. Finding a driver head style I like, and getting fitted into the correct shaft will maximize my game. Blown away by the speed and spin of this club. As a suggestion, I would like more information regarding the shafts; what shafts were used in each of the winners? When we say “Carry Consistnecy” and/or “Ball Speed Consistency” what we’re talking about is the standard deviations for those metrics. You are then able to leverage the industry’s richest set of head-to-head data to help unlock your full potential. It seems crazy to me that I can’t,using your data, compare between an ’18 model year club and a ’19 model year club. Wish they would of priced it more realistic for what it is…Wilson must of known how they were going to stack up based on the 2018 driver testing…. Callaway’s Mack Daddy 4 wedge features two types of milled grooves depending on the loft and a new way of increasing surface friction between the grooves. When demoing, be sure to consider the actual length of the clubs you’re testing. As Dave says take the carry and landing angle into consideration. Right on Rick, I got taken by the 2018 Rouge….wish we could run that ad right next to the new ad for the Epic….sorry to say my Rouge feels as sold as any driver ever, but distance is no better then my old Taylormade R15 preiod…and don’t even toss that accuracy idea at me…. Are there drivers where the sweet spot is in the high toe area? Seems like everyone else’s product at least had some sort of mention but I guess we will have to wait until the full chart comes out. A couple yards longer or a couple of yards straighter isn’t going to get me to my goal of being a single digit some day. We’ve taken a much more extensive approach to what we look at this year. Club order is randomized on a per tester basis. Especially those with smaller R&D budgets. Virtually the same performance, but the sound/feel is so much better with the F9. I love what you do at MyGolfSpy but I *really* wish you guys would create a driver (and putter) test based not just on this years hottest drivers, but of all the top placing drivers that you’ve tested over the last 5+ years. The test method itself is the same, but in the last couple of years, we’ve grown our testing pool to 35 golfers while making it a priority to bring in more slower swing speed testers. In fact I look at the old numbers and compare them with the new numbers and when I find that the olf numbers “outperform” the new numbers I look for a good used head and shaft it up with my favorite shaft. What you see in the data is the average across all testers. I may be alone, but even if MGS had big manufactures advertising I wouldn’t expect any undue influence. Looking at the Forgiveness metric. Great from the word “go”. While changes to spin and launch and spin differences are rarely massive, shaft changes frequently lead to improved accuracy, tighter dispersion, and greater overall consistency.