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What’s new? How much does it cost? And how does it perform? Jack Backhouse brings you the low down on Wilson’s Launch Pad driver
How does Wilson’s most forgiving anti-slice driver perform? Find out in our Wilson Launch Pad driver review.
This driver will help cure or even totally eradicate your slice. This is a big call but the technology and results don’t lie.
This is perfect for experienced and new players alike who want something lightweight, easy to swing and want to stop the ball from going out to the right.
PROS
Slice correcting
High launching
Very forgiving on off-centre strikes
CONS
Hosel offset won’t suit the eye of all players
Wilson Launch Pad driver review: First Impressions
Wilson have done a great job with their 2022 lineup in simplifying the looks of the drivers, and the Launch Pad is no different. It does have offset which is polarising for some, but behind the ball, it sits well and its lightweight properties make you feel like you can really give it a rip.
Wilson Launch Pad driver review: NCG Verdict
This is definitely a driver aimed towards new golfers, and/or people with a big slice so I am not the target market for this club. However, having been recently struck with a rib injury I was swinging much closer to the speed of the golfer this club is aimed at, so I was excited to give it a go.
What blows me away is that despite the Wilson Launch Pad driver being relatively cheap and quite obviously anti-slice, it still maintains the premium feel that has been lost on models built this way in the past.
The story of the Launch Pad driver is it’s all about slice correction, which is definitely my experience of hitting it. Wilson have: made the lie angle more upright, shut the face at address by adding offset, and moved the weight around in the head more towards the heel.
The result of all this is the ball is going to start much further left than a more neutral driver which is either going to turn your slice into a shot that flies straighter or curves a lot less. I haven’t hit a driver this year that goes as far left as this one, so I’m quite happy saying The Launch Pad has the best slice-reducing qualities of any driver I have hit.
On average I carried this 241 yards with a run out to 255 yards total. This isn’t as far as I would normally see (remember the rib injury) but is a really solid distance and ball speed for the swing speed.
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The key data point from the Flightscope is the spin axis tilt is 14 degrees left. This is huge and means for me every ball was curving quite a lot to the left, which is thanks to all the draw bias features the Launch Pad has.
Another point to note about my test with the Wilson Launch Pad driver is how easy it is to launch and get in the air. The Launch Pad has a super lightweight head and shaft which means you are able to swing it a bit quicker, and therefore launch it up a bit more. I hit some poor strike shots that went just as well as the better strikes which is a great quality for high handicappers or new players.
My only criticism of the Wilson Launch Pad driver is that the good strikes just don’t feel like they have been really well hit. The off-centre strikes feel good, and I have no complaints about its performance, but when I nail one I like to feel it through my hands and I just didn’t get that satisfying feeling on middle hits from the Launch Pad.
This driver is a really good option for golfers, new or old. Most golfers slice the ball and need help correcting it to lower their scores, and this driver will do that for you. Don’t let the offset or the fact it doesn’t cost as much as other premium drivers put you off, this is a quality bit of kit.
Jack Backhouse NCG Review Team Specialism: Golf clubs
Jack is a PGA Golf Professional who specialises in coaching. He also loves his golf equipment and getting into the data of the latest clubs on the market. Jack has quickly become a go-to for expertise on a wide range of golf products but specialises in reviewing hardware. If you are looking for some new golf clubs make sure you have checked out his latest driver, fairway wood or iron reviews. He previously worked in wealth management, all of this means that number crunching and launch monitors are his favourite thing in the world. Jack is a member at Sandmoor Golf Club and regularly gets out on the golf course to maintain his scratch handicap.
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