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Equipment

The hottest drivers of 2019

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More than likely, it’s the most expensive club in your bag, and the one you spend the most time researching before purchasing. OEMs direct rivers of cash into developing new driver technologies, and no shortage of resources into telling the stories of the latest and greatest in the world of the big dogs.

With respect to the new technologies and the associated stories, we present, in no particular order (OK, it’s alphabetical order), these are the most buzzworthy, hottest drivers of 2019 (so far).

Callaway Epic Flash

Callaway-Epic-Flash-Sole

The lowdown: The Carlsbad-based company follows up the Epic-complementing Rogue with a driver whose story isn’t immediately visible upon a first glance at the club. Flash Face technology is the centerpiece of Callaway’s 2019 driver offering, and with it, beyond the usual distance-boosting claims, the company has done something truly interesting: leveraged artificial intelligence to create a golf club.

Cobra King F9 Speedback

cobra-king-f9-speedback-

The lowdown: Every driver company boasts a couple of technological advances with its new driver launches; maybe a new crown to save weight, an aerodynamic crown for more club head speed, a different sole design, a way to shift CG to dial in trajectory, higher MOI, or a different face technology. Cobra has thrown the kitchen sink at its new King F9 Speedback drivers, checking off all of those boxes.

Mizuno ST190G

The lowdown: Mizuno Golf is about more than just irons; that’s the message the company is keen to drive home with its launch of the Mizuno ST190 and ST190G drivers. In announcing its lowest spinning, most technology-packed driver in company history, with the 2019 Mizuno driver, the company seeks to position itself as one that has quietly innovated in the driver space for years. With respect to the specifics of the Japanese company’s most recent weaponry, the ST190 and 190G feature a forged Sp700Ti face (10 percent stronger than 6-4 titanium) with the company’s ultra-light Cortech structure, as well as a carbon composite crown.

Ping G410 Plus

ping-g410-plus-driver

The lowdown: To put into perspective what Ping is bringing to the table with its new driver, we have to think about how a driver is modified through custom fitting. The challenge presented to the design team was: how can the company bring moveable CG fitting to every golfer while also improving MOI and add ball speed? This is where all of the previous technology advances, along with the 16g of moveable mass positioned to the furtherest reaches of the perimeter to allow for a tour level fitting experience.

TaylorMade M5

taylormade-m5-driver

The lowdown: TaylorMade’s M5 driver features a Speed Injected Twist Face, building on the Twist Face technology the company debuted with the M3 and M4 drivers last year. The M5 clubface is designed to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit. In simple terms, TaylorMade takes all of the heads they produce, pushes them past the USGA limit in regards to COR, and works backwards to ensure they fall within the parameters — the algorithm-driven process of resin injection into the clubs via the two ports on the face brings the figure just inside the acceptable range.

Titleist TS2

titleist-ts2-driver

The lowdown: TS2 and TS3 drivers have a 20 percent thinner titanium crown than the 917 drivers, allowing weight to be placed lower and deeper for lower CG (center of gravity) and higher MOI (moment of inertia, a measure of forgiveness). The faces also use variable thickness for faster ball speeds across the face, and this year, the faces have been made 6 grams lighter. With the combination of weight savings from the face and crown, these drivers have the lowest CG ever for a Titleist driver, and MOI is 12 percent higher than the 917 drivers.

 

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38 Comments

38 Comments

  1. Coy Mordaunt

    Jan 29, 2021 at 2:28 am

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  2. Steve

    Apr 3, 2019 at 1:28 pm

    Being a over 70 golfer and still getting 250 yards with a Rouge Callaway I am going to support the distance claims of all the major OEM’s. Yea, close to $500 or more is high but they are longest clubs ever….I have several older drivers in the barrel at home that will never see the tee box again to prove that.

  3. Central Oregon Golf

    Apr 1, 2019 at 5:31 am

    Is this headline considered clickbait -or- just a poor attempt to grab headlines from the same buzzwords used on other websites in the golf world? Asking for a friend…

  4. Wtf

    Mar 22, 2019 at 9:49 pm

    This website is going downhill fast. Really unfortunate. Articles are useless drivel.

    Elimination of witb from tournament sites each week.

    And an utter meltdown off the mobile app. How do you release something to the public that is full of bugs??? It’s 2019!!!

    Hopefully someone buys this site out and fixes the mess that has been made since Tursky left.

    What a shame.

  5. Scott

    Mar 18, 2019 at 6:39 pm

    I was surprised to see the PXG Gen 2 driver not on the list. I really like it. I bought mine in January this year. The price point is not much more than the Taylormade M5 and I think it is a better driver. Better feeling and better performing in my opinion.

  6. john

    Mar 18, 2019 at 4:58 pm

    What people forget is the claims made about distance are based on tests done by machines where every single swing is identical to the last. In the real world, none us make the exact same swing two shots running so any potential gains are unrealised. With drivers pushing the £500 mark on a regular basis, it’s delusional to expect the club to do what the swing isn’t capable of. In my opinion, what we should be looking for from any new equipment is greater forgiveness. Better to be hitting 240 from the fairway than 250 from the rough.

  7. Michel Van Dam

    Mar 13, 2019 at 12:41 pm

    i just bay M4 driver, about 2055 i wil bay a new driver, if i still live hi hi!

  8. Morten Buckhoj

    Mar 9, 2019 at 5:50 am

    This is just the top6 brands….where is Tour Edge Exotics, Wilson, XXIO, Srixon…..??? My best guess is that they are equally good with as much tech….

  9. Birdiemachine650

    Mar 8, 2019 at 11:03 pm

    Where’s th PXG love???

    • Joe

      Mar 12, 2019 at 9:04 pm

      Most folks ain’t gonna drop $800-1,000 on a driver… just sayin’

      • DLB

        Mar 13, 2019 at 8:51 pm

        Price point for PXG Gen2 drivers is less than what you stated.

      • JB

        Mar 15, 2019 at 8:24 am

        PXG Gen 2 driver retails at $575. The Taylormade M5 retails at $549. Just sayin’

        • Kyle

          Apr 5, 2019 at 4:29 pm

          PXG offers handcrafted Project X shafts as stock offerings. Those would be an up charge with other OEMs.

  10. Anthony

    Mar 8, 2019 at 5:57 pm

    Does anyone have any first hand experience with the Mizuno?

    • Funkaholic

      Mar 18, 2019 at 2:23 pm

      I haven’t hit this one yet but, I have bagged the JPX900 for a while now and I would put it up against any of the bigger names any day of the week.

    • Warren R

      Mar 24, 2019 at 6:27 am

      Hit ST190 during a demo day on a whim. First off, it’s a beautiful club, it instills a lot of confidence. Contact was excellent. Three things stood out 1. You know exactly where the ball struck the face 2. Flight is lower than expected (hosel is adjustable) but very consistent 3. The distance numbers far exceeded the M5 I was trying and my gamer/backup (carry distance 310 w/ gamer/backup, 305 with M5, 335 with ST190, farthest was 355). Needless to say, had to get one (currently in the mail).

      I would highly encourage you give it a try, if you can!

  11. Jacopo Ferrero

    Mar 8, 2019 at 12:36 pm

    I own a Cortex Wilson and a Cobra F9 , same performances , same shaft , how can you leave the Wilson out of this article ?

    • N D Boondocks

      Mar 8, 2019 at 2:22 pm

      As long as there’s even a smell of subjectivity to ‘hottest’, I think you can be sure that there will always be excellent products that are dissed.

  12. Mike McDonald

    Mar 8, 2019 at 12:31 pm

    I lead a sheltered life. Just curious if High Heat or GX clubs have ever had reviews. I have 2 daughters and looking to put them into a driver-woods that are easy to hit with good results They do not NEED 400-600 dollar golf clubs

  13. Russell Ziskey

    Mar 7, 2019 at 11:14 pm

    I miss the official GolfWRX Gear Trials methodology of 2016 –

    http://www.golfwrx.com/352108/2016-gear-trials-best-drivers-club-test/

    I understand that the testing and evaluations done in 2016 probably were funded from revenue streams which may not exist now for GolfWRX but I echo other comments that this article just a catalogue of all the major OEMs driver offering for 2019 – having an objective and comparative ranking of the drivers is much more helpful.

  14. Ace

    Mar 7, 2019 at 8:17 pm

    Im a Callaway guy (Rogue Draw currently) but boy does that Cobra F9 look sweet…On the other end of the spectrum how the mighty have fallen over at Titleist. IMO its the weakest entry on the list by far and even their long standing hold on balls is under assault by Big dogs like Callaway, small vendors
    like Snell (My fav) & Sams club of all places.

    • HDTVMAN

      Mar 8, 2019 at 12:22 pm

      I fit clubs and commented on how Titleist has been no where in sight in drivers for many years. However, I was just recently invited to Titleist in Oceanside to learn about the TS Drivers. All I can say is that these drivers are FOR REAL! We were asked to bring our current driver, and virtually every fitter in our group out-drove our driver with the TS. This included speed, distance, and dispersion. The TS is not your dad’s Titleist, anymore.

  15. JCGolf

    Mar 7, 2019 at 10:41 am

    How is this an article. “The hottest drivers of 2019” i.e. every single driver from the major companies.

  16. Dormie

    Mar 7, 2019 at 7:14 am

    So it’s just happens to be that the hottest drivers of 2019 are just the newest drivers from the leading manufacturers. They’re all the hottest drivers.

    Just title the article “newest drivers for 2019” if your concerned about pissing off advertisers.

  17. Danny Bentley

    Mar 6, 2019 at 8:23 pm

    How could you leave off the PXG Gen2 drivers ?

  18. Tom

    Mar 6, 2019 at 6:03 pm

    All sizzle, no steak. USGA equipment standards INSURE these clubs cannot perform better than previous models! Sellers be sellin! Save your money!!!

    • Alex

      Mar 6, 2019 at 7:08 pm

      Ball speeds and distance would indicate otherwise…is it worth 500 bucks every year? That’s for a consumer to decide. However making bold claims like that isn’t even close.

    • Brandon

      Mar 6, 2019 at 11:41 pm

      Enjoy your R7…

      • KK

        Mar 7, 2019 at 2:23 pm

        Love this comment! I was thinking 975D with the red Graffaloy shaft

    • Doug

      Mar 7, 2019 at 3:02 am

      Someone is not an engineer I hear.

    • Addison King

      Mar 7, 2019 at 11:55 pm

      Dumb, drivers are getting more aerodynamic and more forgiving every year. The COR limit is measured from a perfect hit out of the middle of the face

      • Dan

        Mar 26, 2019 at 1:00 am

        They don’t use COR anymore. They use CT, and it’s tested on 9 parts of the head. Heal, center, toe by top middle, bottom. Gotta pass all 9 to conform. Wilson Triton of driver v driver 1 fame was nonconforming on the high toe.

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Equipment

Spotted: Tony Finau’s driver shaft change at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

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Tony Finau has always been known as one of the longest players on the PGA Tour, but he has recently been working on adding a little more distance. Last year, Finau averaged 118.3 mph club head speed and 178.08 mph ball speed, all while playing a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX driver shaft. This year, he has increased his club head speed to 123.93 mph and his ball speed to 183.32 mph.

However, Finau’s overall distance has decreased by two yards in that time. From a fitting perspective, something was amiss. We asked Tony about the shaft change at the Texas Children’s Hospital Open.

“[I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin. My driver’s been a little high spin for me over the last month or so, and so I just figured it was time to probably check out the equipment,” Finau said. “And it definitely showed me that I was using a shaft that’s maybe a little too tip-stiff for me, the way I load the club now. [I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin.”

Finau switched from the Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX into the Diamana GT 70 TX. The newer Diamana GT has a slightly different profile than the D+ Limited with the stiffest handle section in the Diamana lineup. The mid sections between the two are similar stiffness but the tip is just slightly stiffer in the Diamana GT. Both shafts are within one gram of each other in the 70 TX. The torque rating on the GT is 0.1 higher than the D+Limited’s 2.7 measurement.

Mitsubishi lists the Diamana GT as a shaft between the mid-launching Diamana TB and the new low-launch Diamana WB shafts. For most players, it would be considered a mid/low launch and low-spin shaft option. Mitsubishi’s Xlink Tech Resin System makes sure the maximum carbon fiber content is there for smooth feel without reducing the strength of the shaft. MR70 carbon fiber is used for reinforcing the shaft and boron is used in the tip for its high strength and compression properties.

Finau is still using his trusty Ping G430 LST driver in 9 degrees and has the adjustable hosel set to -1 degree of loft (standard lie angle). Finau’s long-time favorite Lamkin UTX Green grip is installed. He definitely has a few extra wraps of tape under that grip as you can see the bulge down where the grip meets the shaft.

One final note: Per Ping’s PGA Tour rep Kenton Oates, Finau’s driver is also adjusted to play with an additional degree of loft to help dial in his desired launch.

We’ll see how he fares with the new setup this week in Houston!

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Whats in the Bag

Zac Blair WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: Titleist TSR2 (10 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Red 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade M5 Rocket 3 (14 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Speeder 757 Evolution V1 X

Utility: Titleist U510 (3)
Shaft: Aldila Tour Blue 85 X

Irons: Ping i210 (4-6), Miura MB-001 (7-9)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F, 58-08M @57, 60 @61), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (52-M)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 105 X

Putter: Scotty Cameron prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

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Whats in the Bag

Martin Trainer WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: Wilson Staff Staff Model (6.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Kai’li Blue 70 TX

3-wood: Wilson Staff WLabs Prototype (13 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Orange 80 TX

Irons: Wilson Staff Staff Model (2, 4-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Wilson Staff Staff Model (52, 56, 60)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Putter: Bobby Grace Greg Chalmers Prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

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