2009 Equipment Reviews

Wedges Gloves Improvement Irons Players Irons Fairway woods Putters Carry Bags Waterproofs Waterproof Shoes

Ping Rapture V2 Tungsten sole plate positions the centre of gravity lower to optimise high, long-flying shots A shallow face and wide sole ensures stability through impact and serious forgiveness on off-centre hits SRP: £185 Left-hand option? Yes Lofts: 16, 17.5, 19 & 22° Standard shaft: PING TFC939F or Mitsubishi JavlnFX www.pinggolf.com 01427 615 405 Our verdict Our verdict THE Rapture V2 was almost impossible to fault and our testers were unanimous in their praise. Crucially, it impressed from both the tee and also off the deck – while almost every other club on test seemed better suited to one or the other. This probably isn’t the most obviously attractive or classical head shape but it is certainly not off-putting and therefore quickly forgotten once you start hitting shots. Everyone remarked how fast the ball seems to leave the face and how that gives you a feeling of effortless power. It’s forgiving, long and a club that quickly feels like it belongs in your bag.

Nike SQ Dymo Quad Keel sole for cleaner contact and longer shots A smaller, more traditional head sits behind the ball beautifully and suits the better player SRP: £165 Left-hand option? Yes Lofts: 13, 15, 17 & 19° Standard shaft: UST AXVIV core www.nikegolfeurope.com 0800 056 1640 Our verdict THE rounded head takes a little getting used to but there is no arguing with the performance. Our panel loved the way it sat squarely behind the ball and the alignment aid on the face works particularly well – helping you to get the ball in front of the meat of the face. It can appear a small head but it’s really not – there is a lot of muscle. And because you can see so much of the deep face at address it’s a good confidence booster. Everyone agreed that the ball flies off the face with a high flight that retains plenty of power. Get the right shaft for your game with Nike’s excellent custom-fitting programme and you will have a new friend for life.

Cleveland Launcher Huge resistance to twisting at impact and larger face than previous Launcher leads to a long, straight ball flight Traditional profile and head shape promotes a low-spin which leads to more distance SRP: £125 Left-hand option? Yes Lofts: 13, 15, 17, 19 & 22° Standard shaft: Fujikura Fit-On M Gold www.clevelandgolf.com 01252 761 300 Our verdict WE think this is a brilliant choice for the mid-handicap player, who will love the slightly larger than average head and benefit from the extra forgiveness it undoubtedly offers. Better players may find it a touch unwieldy, it’s true, but the majority will love the performance – it’s strong, powerful, easy to use and makes just the right kind of sound. It also sits well behind the ball, meaning you feel you are going to make solid contact before you have even started your backswing – and that has to be a positive.

Cobra S9-1 F Nine-points technology offers more power from all parts of the clubface and therefore gives great distance Large clubhead, low centre of gravity and high moment of inertia SRP: £249 Left-hand option? Yes Lofts: 15.5, 18 & 21° Standard shaft: Cobra Aldila DVS-HL www.cobragolf.co.uk 01480 301 114 Our verdict: THE head shape of the Cobra did not immediately fill our testers with excitement – it is on the large side and can look a tad shut. However, any misgivings were immediately banished by the results it produced. This is a seriously long and powerful fairway wood that is going to make a lot of sense if you are looking for an alternative driving club. Many will hit this almost as far as their driver and much, much straighter. And despite the size of the head it sits close enough to the turf to be similarly effective from the ground. Unlucky to miss out on a podium finish.

Our verdict THIS was undoubtedly the most impressive performer in its price bracket and, regardless of cost, outperformed most of the fairway woods in our test. It’s got a decent shaft and the head shape is very good, although the alignment aid is probably a little bit too dominant for some tastes.
The Superstrong Advanced is incredibly easy to use, and it just somehow sounds and feels alive off the face. As you would expect, the flight is extremely high, it is very light to swing and it would ideally suit any mid-handicapper, with the modest price tag coming as an additional bonus.

	MD Golf Superstrong Advanced Shallow clubface and compact head shape makes the Superstrong the ideal choice from the tee or a tight lie A classic pear shaped head and a black PVD finish ensures a stunning appearance at address SRP: £69.99 Left-hand option? Yes Lofts: 3 & 5 wood models Standard shaft: UST ProForce 65 www.mdgolf.co.uk 02894 460 333

Nike SQ Dymo2 Quad Keel sole creates four quadrants which minimise interaction with turf for cleaner contact and longer shots Square head promotes greater accuracy and confidence at address while still keeping its compact look SRP: £165 Left-hand option? Yes Lofts: 15, 17, 19 & 21° Standard shaft: UST AXVIV core www.nikegolfeurope.com 0800 056 1640 Our verdict ALTHOUGH we marginally preferred the round version of the Dymo, there’s no question that this square version is a winner too. Especially for those looking for a three wood to use off the tee on days when the driver is misfiring or on a difficult driving course. Looks-wise, although it is square, it is not an ugly head. Better players will get on well with this when custom-fit – if they don’t find it a touch bulky to use from tight fairway lies – while higher handicappers will relish how easy it makes it to get the ball into the air and flying away.

Mizuno F-60 Combines a classic profile with a deep centre of gravity for long, accurate shots and great looks at address Super-light titanium crown, along with an increased-size sweet spot, provides ultimate distance SRP: £119 Left-hand option? Yes Lofts: 13.5, 15, 16.5, 18 & 21° Standard shaft: Mizuno Exsar FS3 www.mizuno.com 0118 936 2100 Our verdict ALTHOUGH Mizuno are not necessarily renowned for their fairway woods, the F-60 would make the ideal companion for anyone carrying a set of the company’s MP legendary irons. A good-looking, compact club, it is undoubtedly one for better players. Despite the small head, it has a deep face, sits dead square, and gets right to the bottom of the ball at address. It’s a delightful head shape and, as you would expect, offers a fast, penetrating flight with none of the ballooning tendencies of a fairway wood designed with higher handicappers in mind. Very desirable, very Mizuno.

Titleist 909 F2 & F3 The F2 features weaker lofts and more spin – ideal for the higher handicapper who lacks driver confidence With a compact head, stronger loft, less spin and a forward centre of gravity, the F3 is one for the better player SRP: £159 Left-hand option? Yes F2 lofts: 13.5°, 15.5 & 18.5° F3 lofts: 13, 15 & 18° Standard shaft: Aldila VooDoo www.titleist.co.uk 01480 301 114 Our verdict TITLEIST class the 909F as one fairway wood – and it comes in two different heads depending on your personal performance characteristics. The F3 is aimed at the strongest players, with its smaller, deeper-faced head generating lower spin and a more penetrating trajectory. The F2 is shallower and gets the ball up that little bit quicker. We felt that the F3 was more of a driving club, while the F2 excels from off the deck. While both will undoubtedly find great favour among better players, we didn't think the performance was quite as impressive as it is with Titleist’s 909 drivers and hybrids.

Taylormade R9 Flight Control Technology (FCT) allows you remove the clubhead and re-set it in different positions. This offers up to 36 yards of side-to-side flight manipulation Classic clubhead shape and low centre of gravity give high moment of inertia (resistance to twisting) and promote a long ball flight SRP: £249 Left-hand option? Yes Lofts: 13, 15 & 17° Standard shaft: Fujikura Motore 70 www.taylormadegolf.eu 00800 8624 4653 Our verdict THE R9 was arguably the most technologically advanced fairway wood in our test but that didn't necessarily translate to exceptional performance in our testers' eyes. We were unsure as to the positioning of the alignment aid, which seems too close to the heel, and although this club undoubtedly looks the business at address, it didn't quite live up to our expectations. The ball didn't come off the face in as lively fashion as we had hoped and although it flew well and the distance was fine, there was just a certain something missing. At half the price, that would be acceptable but as the most expensive model on test we did expect a little more.

Callaway Big Bertha Diablo Full stainless steel construction gives extra power and allows engineers to shape the clubhead for optimum performance Varying face thickness technology (VFT) creates higher ball speed for ultimate distance and optional draw bias eliminates slices SRP: £159 Left-hand option? Yes Lofts: 13N, 15N, 16, 18N, 18.5, 21 & 23.5° Standard shaft: Aldila NVS www.callawaygolf.com 0208 391 0100 Our verdict THE Diablo is designed for higher handicappers and slicers and will certainly give significant assistance to anyone who falls into that category. We think that does mean it should be thought of as a specialist club – and anyone under a handicap of, say, 15 should probably look elsewhere. At address, it sits quite shut and the head shape and curves are designed to encourage you to swing from in-to-out (rather than the opposite) and combat at least the worst excess of a slice. In that it is certainly effective.

Snake Eyes Viper XT Adjustable weighting technology allows you to customise and manipulate ball flight to suit your swing or the hole Bullet-shaped head promotes low centre of gravity for long, high ball flight SRP: £119 Left-hand option? No Lofts: 15 & 19° Standard shaft: Pured Snake Eyes UltraLight www.snakeeyescustom.com 01480 308 800 Our verdict THE Viper XT has a 'pancake-style' head, which means it is large and flat. That helps lower the centre of gravity, which in turn makes it that much easier to get the ball in the air. It excels from off the deck, where this head shape comes into its own, but from the tee you must be careful. Our advice is to peg it down low, thus reducing the chance of a sky. Generally, this club is very simple to use, light to swing and one that helps build confidence very quickly and, as such, it should be given a try by anyone from around a 12 handicap or upwards.

Adams Speedline

Designed to combine the playability of a hybrid with the soaring distance of a fairway wood SRP: £199 Left-hand option? Yes Lofts: 13, 15 & 18 Standard shaft: Grafalloy ProLaunch Blue with Axis technology www.adamsgolf.co.uk 08000 139 139 Our verdict THIS is an interesting looking club, a cross between a fairway and a hybrid. We were not overly taken by the appearance but it did fly well. We felt it would be one for the higher-handicappers, who would be less likely to be put off by the unconventional looks.

Orka Kii FW

Two-piece plasma weld face construction alleviates excess weight and results in faster swing speeds and increased distance SRP: £149 (with Aldila VS proto shaft) Left-hand option? No Lofts: 15 & 19° Standard shaft: All custom fit www.orkagolf.com 0845 862 0061 Our verdict THE KII FW is not an eye-catchingly attractive club but it certainly performs well when equipped, as our sample was, with an Aldila VS Proto shaft. The joy of Orka clubs is they are custom fit to suit you and that guarantees you get the best performance.

Benross VTXtreme

Utilises a traditionally small clubhead which would appeal to the better player, but is still forgiving enough to be used from all lies SRP: £69.99 Left-hand option? Yes Lofts: 15, 18 (MAX), 19 & 21° (MAX) Standard shaft: Aldila DVS www.benrossgolf.com 01932 821 200 Our verdict ALL our panel liked the look of this Benross wood and admired the Aldila DVS shaft it is fitted with. There is nothing not to like about the performance and yet, somehow, it didn't quite do enough to catch the eye. Great value, though, at under £70.

Bobby Jones Players Series

Expanded 'triangle of stability' increases accuracy thanks to carefully-placed weight screws SRP: £129 Left-hand option? No Lofts: 13, 15, 17 & 19° Standard shaft: Graphite Design www.bobbyjoneseurope.net 0845 456 5120 Our verdict THE head on this delightful fairway wood was the smallest on test – so it will surely be best suited to single-figure players. It sits so well and snugly behind the ball that if you are looking for class and precision it has to be worth a look.

Wilson Staff FYbrid

The 19.5° model is specifically engineered to replace three clubs (2-iron, 2-hybrid and 7-wood) and provide the perfect mix of all three SRP: £109 Left-hand option? Yes Lofts: 15, 18, 19.5, 21, 24 & 27° Standard shaft: UST ProForce V2 www.wilsonstaff.com 01276 404 970 Our verdict THIS is a cross between a fairway wood and a hybrid but having put it alongside several other fairways in this test, we think it performs more like a hybrid. It's a nice idea and it's easy to hit and light to swing, making it a great choice for the mid-handicapper and upwards.

Taylormade Burner

SuperFast technology promotes faster swing speeds by removing weight from the shaft and grip. The result is greater distance and more ball speed SRP: £149 Left-hand option? Yes Lofts: 15, 18 & 21° Standard shaft: TaylorMade SuperFast Burner www.taylormadegolf.eu 00800 8624 4653 Our verdict THE Burner has a large head and tends to sit a little closed, so it's another that would work best for the higher handicapper. TaylorMade have made a great job in making this club easy to swing – so much so that it practically does it itself.

Callaway FT

Fusion technology combines stainless steel face and body with tungsten sole plate to create a centre of gravity which promotes a high, long ball flight SRP: £199 Left-hand option? Yes Lofts: 15, 17, 19, 21 & 23° Standard shaft: Fujikura Fit-On E160 www.callawaygolf.com 0208 391 0100 Our verdict THE FT has been around for a while now and that familiar small head and unique head shape certainly help to hit long and powerful shots. It is a touch dull off the face, which may put some off, but if you get past the sound and appearance and concentrate on the results it is up there with the best.

Mizuno MX-70

Increased size face crafted from strong yet lightweight materials promotes plenty of distance SRP: £199 Left-hand option? Yes Lofts: 15, 18 & 21° Standard shaft: Mizuno Exsar FS4 www.mizuno.com 0118 936 2100 Our verdict IN complete contrast to the F-60, the MX-700 has a large, flat head that is designed to make it as easy as possible to get the ball in the air. Mid-to-high-handicappers will relish its lively performance and excellent levels of forgiveness.