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Adams Super S and LS Drivers: Editor Review

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Pros: Both drivers are very long and low-spinning, with good looks and a robust sound. The Super S is great for golfers looking for more forgiveness off the tee, while the Super LS will control launch and spin for high-speed bombers. Adams did a great job at hitting the mark for both types of players.

Cons: The sound might be too loud for some. Neither driver is as adjustable as other models on the market, such as the Nike Covert and TaylorMade R1.

The Bottom Line: The Super S and LS models will reach a wide spectrum of players who have liked the performance and looks of Adams drivers in the past. They’re great drivers, but might get lost in the competitive driver market of 2013 due to a lack of tour use.

Overview

Adams Golf introduced two drivers in 2013, the Speedline Super S and the Speedline Super LS. The S comes set as a 10.5-degree driver, but it is adjustable up or down 1 degree. A fourth setting, 10.5F, flattens the lie. Its head measures 460 cubic centimeters and the club is fitted with a 46-inch Matrix Radix shaft that weighs about 50 grams.

The LS head also measures 460 CCs, but its standard shaft (the Mitsubishi Kuro Kage) weighs about 10 grams more (this will matter later in the review). The shaft has a stock length of 45 inches, but it is able to be made 0.5 inches longer with an included spacer that fits into the head. To compensate the for added weight, the LS comes with two weight screws (one heavy, one light), which will allow golfers to make the swing weight a few points heavier or lighter.

The loft, face angle and lie of the LS are also adjustable, allowing for variances of up to 2 degrees in lie and 1 degree either way in loft. Unfortunately, unlike the Nike Covert and TaylorMade R1, there’s no way to adjust loft and face angle independently.

The LS is viewed as the flagship model, based on its $399 suggested price point. The S comes out as the more economical alternative, listed with a $299 price point. Adams is targeting its LS model to the more serious, probably lower-handicap golfer, equipping the club with a higher-end shaft and giving it greater adjustability. Sometimes more is too much, and it will likely behoove middle- and high-handicap golfers to purchase the less-adjustable S model.

Performance

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This tester’s swing speed with driver inhabits the 95 to 100 mph region. There was quite a noticeable difference between the two shafts, which is attributed to the weight difference. The Matrix Radix in the S weighs 18 percent less than the Kuro Kage in the LS. When shafts were swapped between driver heads, the Matrix Radix again proved easier to control.

Both driver heads are low spinning, but the construction of the LS head, along with its stouter shaft, makes it lower launching than the S.

Both driver’s feature Adams’ VST technology, which means that there is a slot cut in the sole of the driver that Adams says creates more spring-like effect for “consistently longer drives.” The technology obviously has merits, and has worked wonders in the company’s fairway woods and hybrids, but I didn’t notice that much of an impact with the LS. The S driver, on the other hand, seemed to provide quite a bit more speed off the face on mishits, particularly shots hit low on the face.

Looks and Feel

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Much ado was made about the first white driver heads a few years back. Evidently, plain white wasn’t enough, so manufacturers went forward with designs that mimicked NASCAR-style racing stripes. A bit of orange here, some yellow there. Many called this intrusion distracting, but Adams got it right. While the heads for the S and LS drivers are not pure white, their pipings and stripings are hazy gray, barely noteworthy as they blend into the dominant club head color.

You’re going to prefer one head over the other for its shape. The LS has a traditional pear shape, while the S pushes its toe out a bit in the modern, pseudo-triangular way. The sound the ball makes is loud, but not a cannon blast. If you like a softer concussion, you may be put off a bit by the resonating sound.

Ultimately, these two clubs offer as much confidence as you’ll find on the range or the tee. There is a reason that many women and senior professionals trust the Adams name. The swing characteristics of the women’s pro line up with those of the average male. The senior professionals have been around the block many times over and have little reason to play a club that offers no confidence nor performance.

The head covers that Adams fits to its drivers are pretty cool. With such a large head, it’s hard to imagine you could just slide the cover in, as you do your foot into a shoe, but you can!

The Takeaway

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The S driver is touted as a long driver’s war club. The insinuation is that it will give all golfers a few extra yards. The longer shaft is one reason for distance gains, and the more forgiving club face represents another. It reasons that a longer arc and more balanced face contact will translate into consistently longer flight and roll.

For me, the S was the right choice. I loved the look of the LS, but it proved to be a little too much driver for me to handle.

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Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

34 Comments

34 Comments

  1. Mateo

    Dec 28, 2014 at 3:00 pm

    Does anyone know how much a regular flex super s would weigh? I presume less than 300 grams, but I like lightweight drivers and am looking to compare it to the Cleveland classic XL which weighs 285 grams.

  2. Jameson

    Apr 12, 2014 at 12:20 pm

    I got a good deal on the Super LS, and figured I would give it a shot. After my first 18 with it yesterday, I could not be happier. The first nine were a little rough, but that could have been because I hadn’t golfed since last year. After teeing it up a bit higher and making some adjustments with my swing, I was just killing the ball on the back nine.

    In the past, I normally drove the ball around 240-250 yards. Now with this driver I am averaging 275 yards, with one drive even reaching 290.

    I used to also have a decent slice in my shot with my old driver, but with the super LS, I was hitting everything dead center down the fairway.

    I absolutely love this golf club!

  3. Cwayne

    Apr 5, 2014 at 10:34 pm

    Bought super s speed line 10.5 senior shaft (77 years old). I hit it 10 to 20 yds. Longer than my
    Titlest 910d, about 200 yds. Last time played hit 12 fairways with 2 drives long but I right rough.
    Like that driver does not have closed face.

  4. Benny

    Jan 28, 2014 at 5:11 am

    Great driver upgraded from the xp titanium 10.5 didn’t touch anything else till now I’m getting at least 300 yards on average every drive.

  5. Matt

    Nov 4, 2013 at 5:14 pm

    Going to buy just the Super S head and install a Excalibrr 6+ tour stiff shaft on it. I currently am hitting a Cobra Amp Cell and am able to crush the ball on average 290-310 using an x6+ shaft. Want an Adams driver to match my irons, hybrid and 5 wood. Nothing will take over the permanent spot in my bag though ad my Amp Cell is deafly accurate and long but I do love my other Adams gear and please do yourself a favor and get fitted like I did, most stock made for shafts are bad and they are most likely not as marked I.e. stiff, regular act.

  6. lookingforpar

    Sep 25, 2013 at 4:19 pm

    I recently purchased the Speedling S. I previously used the Callaway Diablo and I must say when I connect with the S it really goes! My playing partner swings the Nike Covert, and when I let him swing the Speedline S he was inpressed too the accuracy and distance he got with it.

    The sound does take a bit to get used to, but I also had the Adams speedlind and it to make a ping sound when correctly struck. That sound lets me know to look down range for my ball, I like that feature. One thing I noticed I do have to hit a few practice balls with it to get a groove before going to the links. When I dont it takes a swing or two to get started. So far so good, I hope to do a follow up in a month or so.

  7. Golfer X

    Sep 6, 2013 at 8:46 pm

    nice looking club, but is it worth the price of admission? Wife thinks paying the mortgage is more important…

    • paul

      Sep 30, 2013 at 5:26 am

      Same boat here dude. i liked the distance numbers but i like a softer feeling crushing sensation instead.

  8. Jarrett

    Sep 4, 2013 at 8:00 pm

    Has anyone else had problems with the super s cracking inside the velocity slot? I cracked the first one less than two weeks after I got it after only 3 rounds and a couple visits to the range, and just got back from the range where I cracked the replacement that they sent me.

    • Kevin

      Sep 4, 2013 at 11:00 pm

      Jarret,
      I used mine for about 6 rounds and it cracked in the slot. Adams sent me a replacement but I’m afraid to use it.

      • Jarrett

        Sep 9, 2013 at 10:59 pm

        I just had my second one sent in for a new one. Called Adams and the guy that helped me said he had never heard of this happening before, but luckily they would replace it anyway. I’m thinking I will just trade the replacement in for something else when it comes in so I won’t have to worry about this happening again.

      • Jarrett

        Sep 9, 2013 at 11:01 pm

        I’m wondering if my swing speed might be the cause of it. Do you mind me asking about how fast you swing your driver?

        • Kevin

          Sep 15, 2013 at 6:18 pm

          I average between 98 and 100
          Is that close to yours ?

          • Kevin

            Sep 15, 2013 at 6:19 pm

            How did you like it before it cracked ?

          • Jarrett

            Sep 17, 2013 at 12:04 am

            I’m actually around 120 on average…I’m pretty tall with long arms so I can get quite a bit of speed when I really crank it up

          • Jarrett

            Sep 17, 2013 at 12:06 am

            I really liked the feel and the large look at address was good for confidence…I also really liked the lightweight shaft but I’m starting to realize a little bit heavier might be better suited for me

    • Robert D Smith

      Jan 8, 2015 at 3:32 pm

      I have the new Adams XTD driver and it forms cracks on the top slot. Bubbles come from the crack when submerged in water. Got it replaced and the second driver has the same problem after about a month of use, is this common and does it cause performance issues? I have contacted Adams for their interpretation, no reply yet.

    • Hans, Vancouver Island

      Apr 7, 2015 at 1:22 pm

      I bought a new set of Adams Idea clubs in the spring of 2014. Yesterday, the just less than year old driver’s head split all along the round following edge of the Club head. I am going back to Adams to see if they will replace it. In the meantime I’ve reverted to using my older Tayormade R-5 which has stood the test of time.

  9. Daniel

    Aug 11, 2013 at 5:18 pm

    I agree to getting fit by a professional…i got fitting and after an hour of tesing 8+ clubs, I settled on the Super S 3 wood (I tried the driver as well to ensure i liked it). My carry with the 3 wood was as long as my Burner SuperFast driver (although the driver rolled more due to the 9.5 loft). I purchased the driver and hit it for the first time last weekend. I”m still getting used to the differences but when i strike it right, my carry (using 10.5 loft) is longer than my previous driver and overall straighter and longer. Feel more confident than I have in a long time.

    I haven’t figured out what the 10.5F (flat I presume) setting would be used for…thoughts?

  10. Jake

    Aug 8, 2013 at 4:31 pm

    Ronald:

    I have a Super S Speedline 15 degree 3 wood that I hit about as long as my Taylormade Superfast driver(180-200 yards average)and I hit it straight. I think that my 3 wood has a shaft weight about 60 grams and its length is 43 inches. My Adams Ao 12 hybrid iron shafts,I believe, are 55 grams. What is the weight of the senior shaft for the Super S Speedline driver? And second, will the 46 inch driver make it more difficult to keep this driver in play? Thanks for you feedback. concerning these questions.

  11. Ronald Montesano

    Aug 5, 2013 at 7:35 pm

    The black ring is a hosel extender, I believe. It allows you to add an extra 3/4 of an inch to your arc.

  12. Neal

    Aug 4, 2013 at 10:50 pm

    Ronald – thx for the analysis. I just bought the S (my first driver, I haven’t played very long) and I can’t seem to figure out what tool that is at the bottom right in picture 11. I know how to adjust the loft, and length, but I have no idea what that small piece is.

  13. Ronald Montesano

    Jul 29, 2013 at 7:36 pm

    Pieter,

    I would suggest that you speak with a club fitter in your area. If you have someone you trust, she/he will apply your fitting cost (or a portion of it) to the purchase. I am not a trained club fitter and would hate to give you bad information. Good luck. Let us know how it works out!

  14. Pieter

    Jul 20, 2013 at 12:15 pm

    I like to buy a S or LS. What club and What flex should i buy?
    My swingspeed with 6iron is 83 mph.

    Thx

  15. Ronald Montesano

    Jul 14, 2013 at 8:22 am

    I’m a fan of the mittens…easy on and off, but they don’t sloppily fall off. That LS driver comes with a longer stock shaft, which might partly explain the increase in distance.

  16. Lars hj

    Jul 5, 2013 at 4:10 am

    I just purchased the LS driver and 3wood based on my club professional’s recommendation. Still need to figure out both but when I hit the driver well, I hit it 30 yards past my my Titleist 910D. It is silly long even with a stock shaft in it. Once I adjust to a more open lie, these will be always in the bag. Head covers kinda suck though….I like more traditional design instead of mittens. Better option than the thr R-1 in my opinion

  17. Ronald Montesano

    Jun 30, 2013 at 1:13 am

    Samuel, that’s quite the in-depth profile of your journey to fit the perfect driver! Shaft and head must work together, so kudos to you for employing the “seasoned” shaft and the new Adams Super LS head. Thanks for sharing your story.

  18. samuel torian

    Jun 26, 2013 at 8:54 pm

    i love my super LS!!!!!! i bought the taylor R1 with a attas t-2 shaft and a diamia blueboard. i also purchased the adams super ls with the stock kuro kage and i bought 2 extra shaft end pieces and installed 2 older aj tech shafts that i had loved in the past in my taylor r7 super quad. the adams LS with the aj tech shafts ended up in my bag as it was not only longer but provided a higher launch angle and a tighter dispersion on my miss hits. my swing speed is 103mph and the super LS gives me the confidence to pull the driver when i used to hit 3 wood to find fairways.

  19. Ronald Montesano

    Jun 26, 2013 at 3:10 pm

    Rich,

    Which do you like less? Have you demoed the clubs? Thanks for your comment. I’ll pass on the spoon test.

  20. Rich

    Jun 26, 2013 at 3:06 pm

    Gag me with a spoon ! I don’t like the performance or the looks.

  21. Ronald Montesano

    Jun 25, 2013 at 5:04 pm

    I agree, James. Both drivers have much to offer to the layman golfer. With as much $$$ a folks sink into the purchase of a driver, it makes sense to consider all the equipment companies before making the investment. Thanks for your thoughts and thanks for reading!!

  22. James

    Jun 25, 2013 at 4:01 pm

    I own the S model and also the F11. I found the most noticeable difference was how well the S performed on off center hits. I found the S to be pretty impressive.

  23. Ronald Montesano

    Jun 25, 2013 at 12:22 pm

    Different strokes, brands, looks for different folks, Jack. As you indicate, you had a favorite before your Adams. Some folks have a favorite as well and might fear a switch/upgrade. Thanks for your comment…keep reading!

  24. Jack

    Jun 24, 2013 at 2:40 am

    I guess people aren’t that interested in these drivers? I actually like mine. Still debating whether I like it better than my old trusty Razr Hawk Tour though.

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Driver Reviews

GolfWRX Spotlight: Tour Edge Exotics C721 driver

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Tour Edge’s Exotics line of high-end golf clubs has been known for excellent fairway wood and hybrid performance over the years. The Chicago-based company has been consistently putting out high-quality products, and golfers are really taking notice. The new line of C721 drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids take yet another big leap forward from last year’s EXS line. 

The new C721 driver takes a lot of technology from the 2020 EXS line and further refines and expands on it. I know it is a little cliche when companies say every model is their best ever, but Tour Edge is 100 percent right this time.

When unboxing the C721 the first thing I noticed was the much-improved looks and shape over the previous Tour Edge drivers. The biggest change to my eye is the added bulge, giving a more rounded and softened topline.

The overall shape of the C721 is slightly stretched from front to back, giving it just a hint of a triangular look. The Ridgeback is a titanium spine flanked by two carbon fiber wings that add stability and forgiveness to the head, but they can also work together and an additional aiming device to ensure you are lined up down the center of the fairway. 

Getting the C721 out on the course is where you really start to appreciate all the technology that went into this driver. Well-struck shots are very long, very boring, and will hang with anything out on the market today. Center contact is rewarded with a long and very low spin shot that is just fun to hit.

The sound and feel are very solid, you can really feel the ball compress on the face as it leaves at high speed. The sound is more of a muted crack and much quieter than I anticipated. If you practice on an enclosed range your ears will thank you for your choice in drivers. Shots hit away from the center of the face retain a lot of ball speed and stay online really well.

My miss is low on the heel and those misses stayed in the air fairly well and went a good ways. Shots hit down on the heel or higher on the toe side still stay online really well due to the Ridgeback spine and rear weight. The C721 is just slightly higher than mid-launch for me, but the low spinning head never allowed my shots to balloon or rise even into the wind. I do wish the face was just a touch deeper as I had to play with my tee height in order to find the optimal setup. The better players will enjoy the neutral weighting and there seems to be very minimal draw built into the driver.

Overall, the Tour Edge Exotics C721 driver is a great club that will probably be overlooked by too many golfers. If you are looking for added distance, a lot of forgiveness and want to keep some money in your pocket, then you should seriously take a look at Tour Edge.

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Driver Reviews

Review: Ping’s G400 and G400 LST Drivers

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I still remember the first time I hit Ping’s G30 driver. It was July 2014, and I was at Ping’s HQ in Phoenix. Super low-spin drivers were all the rage at the time. With their forward center of gravity, they were helping golfers optimize their launch conditions beyond their wildest dreams: crazy high launch, ridiculously low spin. Many in the business, including myself, had one of these drivers and spent many launch monitor sessions trying to figure out how to get more distance from these high knuckleballs. The bad news was that forward-CG drivers, by nature, were really unforgiving. Bad shots were really short and crooked.

Before I knew the G30 was a big deal, Marty Jertson, Ping’s Director of Product Development, explained to me his vision for the perfect driver inside a conference room at Ping Headquarters. In his eyes, the perfect driver didn’t have the low, forward center of gravity (CG) that was being touted at the time. Its CG was located as low and as rearward in the driver head as possible, which he said would offer the best of both worlds: optimized launch conditions on good shots, as well as the best possible forgiveness on bad shots.

Building the perfect driver was a long way off (and still is), but Jertson was excited where Ping had landed with the G30. When it was released, the driver was a powerful testament to his vision. Its rear-CG design created great distance on good and bad shots, and it was also a very straight driver. The G30 sold incredibly well and, as a result, the industry mostly shifted away from forward-CG drivers.

It’s been nearly three years since the release of the G30, and Ping has just made another counterintuitive driver release. The company shrunk the size of its new G400 drivers in a climate where full-size drivers have become the norm. Granted, it’s only 15 cubic centimeters smaller, but it’s noticeable at address. Compared to the Ping G drivers they replace (which replaced the G30), the G400’s look like they cut carbs.

Despite their slimmer frames, however, the G400 drivers are actually more forgiving than the G drivers (which were even more forgiving than the G30). That’s why Ping representatives say smaller is actually better in the G400’s case. The drivers have the lowest, most rearward CG of any Ping drivers ever, and their smaller size is said to improve their aerodynamics so golfers can swing them fractionally faster. The other big change is a new face material made of T9S+ titanium, which is thinner and more flexible to help golfers generate more ball speed.

Ping_G400_LST_2

For this review, I wanted to put the G400 and G400 LST to the test against the G and the G LST drivers that they replace, so I took them to the Launch Pad at Carl’s Golfland in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. I hit five shots with each driver on Trackman IV, and to ensure as much of an apples-to-apples comparison as possible, I tested each driver head with the same shaft. Each driver head was adjusted to the same loft, or as close as possible.

Note: The G, G LST, and G400 drivers I tested were 10.5-degree heads adjusted to 9.5 degrees. The G400 LST had a loft of 10 degrees, and it was adjusted to 9.4 degrees.

The Test

PingG400_2017

In my personal driver tests, I don’t usually see a huge uptick in distance or accuracy when comparing the latest drivers to the most recent models from the same manufacturer. Improvements generally come in the form of improved head shaping, a better feel, or enhanced adjustability. That’s why I was surprised to see such a big change in my launch conditions and dispersion with the G400 drivers.

G400 Test Results: With the G400, I launched my drives an average of 1.6-degrees higher than I did with the G while dropping spin an average of 416 rpm. That led to a significant improvement in distance. With my swing speed and ball speed staying about the same, I added an average of 7.2 yards more carry distance and 8.7 yards more total distance.

G400 LST Test Results: First, a note about the G400 LST. It has a CG that’s slightly lower and more forward than the standard G400 driver to help golfers reduce spin. Like the G30 LST and G LST, it’s still very much a rear-CG driver, but its design helps high-speed golfers who can consistently find the center of the club face maximize distance without highjacking forgiveness. When I test Ping drivers, the LST is generally the model that creates the best performance, and the G400 LST was no exception. I saw an average of a 1.2-degree higher launch angle with all other things staying about the same when I compared it to the G LST. The result was an average of 6.6 yards more carry distance and 3.1 yards more total distance. It was the longest and straightest driver I hit in the test.

Note: Ping also sells a G400 SFT (Straight Flight Technology) driver, which has added draw bias. To learn more about it, click through to tech story on the G400, G400 LST and G400 SFT drivers. 

Dispersion

G400_Dispertion

One way to explain the improved launch conditions is that I hit the G400 drivers more consistently. As you can see in the Trackman dispersion chart, I hit the G400 and G400 LST drivers straighter on average than the G and G LST. Is that its slightly enhanced forgiveness shining through? Maybe, maybe not.

To me, the changes Ping made to the look and feel of the driver were just as important as the performance difference I saw on Trackman. I’ve always preferred smaller driver heads, or at least 460-cubic-centimeter drivers that appear smaller than their size. For that reason, I felt more confident with the G400 drivers in my hands. I didn’t mind that I didn’t see any added swing speed or ball speed from the smaller driver head. I was sold on the looks alone.

I also preferred the sound of the G400 drivers to the G drivers. There was definitely much more of a “thwack” than a “ping” at impact, which made the G400’s feel more powerful. Looks and feel are subjective, of course, but to me the improvement was night and day. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that my fondness for the looks and feel of the G400 was at least a contributing factor to my improved performance in the test, if not the most important factor. When I like the way a club look at address, I tend to hit it better, and I know I’m not alone.

I do want readers to keep in mind that this was a one-person test and I hit a limited amount of balls. Yes, it’s a great indication that the G400 driver can be measurably better than a G driver, but it’s not a guarantee.

I also want to address the weaknesses of the G400 drivers. While they’re few, they could push golfers into another driver model in a fitting. Unlike Callaway’s GBB EpicTaylorMade’s M1 or Titleist’s 917 drivers, the G400’s don’t have CG adjustability. That means there’s no way to fine tune ball flight outside of a shaft or loft adjustment. A bigger deal for some golfers might be the G400 crowns. Despite their smaller size, there’s still a lot to look at address, as was the case with the G drivers.

Ping_G400_LST_4

Aerodynamic features on the front of the crowns, “Turbulators,” have been thickened for the G400 release. There’s also Ping’s “DragonFly Technology,” a geometry on the back of the driver crowns that helps push CG lower and more rearward in the driver heads. I personally think the G400 crowns give the drivers an old-school, muscle car-like look, but there’s no question they won’t fly with all golfers.

Whatever your thoughts about what’s on top of the G400 drivers, there’s no question that what’s under the hood can offer something the G and G30 drivers did not. Maybe you’ll like the smaller head. Maybe you’ll prefer the quieter sound. Maybe the improved forgiveness will show up on a launch monitor or on the course. Or maybe you’ll just flat out rip a G400 farther and straighter down the middle like I did.

If that last bit happens, try not to second-guess it.

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Driver Reviews

Members Choice: The Best Driver of 2017

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What determines the best driver on the market; is it the opinion of professional club fitters, professional golfers or testing results from a group of amateurs?

At GolfWRX, we believe all three sources can lead golfers to an answer. Being a website founded by passionate golfers with a mission to serve passionate golfers, though, we place a special emphasis on the opinions of our GolfWRX Members — the most knowledgeable group of golfers on the planet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively as GolfWRX Members. So who better to poll to get an initial indication of the best performing drivers so far in 2017?

So we asked them, “What’s the best driver of 2017?” They voted for the three drivers they felt most worthy of the title and provided feedback about their selections in our special forum thread. You can see the results below (as of the first three weeks of voting), as well as quotes we pulled from GolfWRX Members about the drivers from our forum.

Remember that our polls will remain open for voting throughout the year, and we’re going to keep an eye on the percentages as more and more golfers have an opportunity to test these drivers. We’re also working on another Best Driver list, which will evaluate clubs in another important way. Stay tuned!

Keep in mind that there’s no single driver on the market that is the absolute best option for every golfer: that’s why nearly every manufacturer makes at least two different models. As this list indicates, however, some drivers are working better than others this year. Happy Testing!

Note: Forum posts were minimally edited for grammar, style, spelling and clarity.

Cobra King LTD Black (3.00 percent of votes)

3f7f45629f386b15ed7bbbaa529e0826

  • The General: All-black LTD is really clean looking. I’m about to cover up the orange on my LTD with lead tape. Orange is played out
  • mh7vwLove my LTD, but wish the black finish (or even this gray) didn’t have that subtle checkering you see in some like. Prefer plain black.
  • dbleagI am a fan of the black/orange combo. The performance and sound of the LTD is very appealing to me. I also like that the standard length is 45 inches. For me, that helps it be super-accurate. With the low-spin design, I hit it longest of the current offerings and can’t remember the last time I missed a fairway. Straight, solid, low spin and nice.
Further Reading

Mizuno JPX-900 (3.20 percent)

Mizuno_JPX_900_Driver

  • johnnythundersJPX goes straight. Best real-deal shaft and is long and very adjustable.
  • KT35That blue head looks awesome sitting on the ground. I hit balls off the toe and heel and didn’t see the big drop off in distance like the previous models.
  • nmortonThe JPX-900 is definitely more forgiving compared to the JPX-850, and sounds much better. Though they did sacrifice a bit by going with a little larger profile, but it’s easy to get used to. The graphics are so so, but this driver performs. I’m really digging the Evo II (shaft).
  • jay65I can see that Mizuno is really making a decent effort with its drivers/fairways in terms of tech and aesthetics, and they compliment the new JPX-900 line of irons really well, but if they’re going to make any inroads they really have to address this issue of their custom shafts options. It’s rubbish.
  • bok006The JPX-900, after being properly adjusted by the fitter, gave me an extra 20 yards just like that. My swing speed suggested I was borderline S to X (flex), but the fitter said unless I was fighting a hook I should stick with the S.
  • bubbagump: …the JPX-900, when properly fit, is just as long on a consistent basis than all the new models I tried in real life situations. It looks great, sounds solid and just knows the way to keep the ball in play.  
  • ChazbI’m 69 years old, have a swing speed of 91 mph and played nine with the JPX-900 this morning. It was in the 40s with a brisk wind hit it around 220 to 230 yards. It was a fairway finder, has great feel and is one of the easiest to control drivers I have ever hit. I can’t wait ’til it is warmer and can dial it in more. So far I have the two weights all the way forward for a lower flight and the other set with a draw bias with 10.5 degrees of loft. This driver is the real deal; it may not be the longest or the shortest, but it is a fairway finder which IMO makes it a winner.
Further Reading

Ping G (3.80 percent)

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  • Wesquire: Ping G is the most forgiving so it wins.
  • bopper53: Ping G hands down. Great distance and the most forgiving.
  • Dannydubbbs: The Ping G series is just too forgiving. The distance is comparable between most models, but Ping always seems to win out with forgiveness.
  • Bruin BearThe Ping G is going to be overlooked because it’s looked at as “game improvement,” but this driver is a beast. I liked the LS, but it requires a faster swing to get results and in the cold outdoors I just don’t have that all the time. I think the G is the perfect blend of performance and forgiveness.
  • cmrl1986Only reason I switched from the Ping G25 was that the G felt less harsh off the face. Same distance just about.
Further Reading

Cobra King F7+ (3.90 percent)

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  • EntourageLife: Ball really flies off face. Driver head controls spin well. Not one drive “ballooned” and trajectory was high and best of all… very easy to work ball right to left for a confident draw.
  • GollieThe F7+ is another great offering from Cobra… I didn’t get the “MAN, this is gonna take my LTD out of the bag” feeling, but it has very good sound, feel and performance.
  • J13F7+ is a great offering from Cobra and IMO is in the top-3 drivers this year. Epic is the standout for me numbers wise, then M series and F7+ are right behind it. Love the Agera (shaft) in there!!! Such a great shaft; I can’t seem to get mine out of the bag.
  • Golfer from MOHit both Cobras lefty and as a lefty the LTD is the shizzle. Last year it was the LTD and Big Bertha down to the absolute wire… the F7+ is more workable than the LTD, but not longer and a little worse on mishits.
  • BoognishI took a few swings with the F7+ at Golf Galaxy yesterday. 9.5 degrees with heaviest weight forward. The stock shaft is actually the same model I play in my GBB (albeit in smoked black instead of yellow). Ball flight and distance were similar to my GBB with good consistent sub-3000 backspin. Sound was OK, feel was harder than the GBB.
  • thechief16Just from the range (no LM), I didn’t see a noticeable performance improvement with the F7+ over the original King LTD. And I like the look and sound/feel of the LTD better.
Further Reading

Ping G LS Tec (4.90 percent)

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  • drvrwdgeI played the G LS with the Ping Tour 65X (shaft) tipped an inch for about a year. Just put the HZRDUS Yellow 75 6.5 tipped an inch and never thought it was possible, but it’s longer and straighter. Best driver shaft combo I’ve ever hit. You can feel that HZRDUS throughout the entire swing. Really gives you a solid connected feel.
  • Mtngolfer1: I am not sure that I would consider this a 2017 Driver, but my vote went to the Ping G LS Tec. The fact that my G is still holding its own against the latest 2017 releases has me very excited to see what Ping will release later this year.
  • 3woodvt: Fairway finder and plenty long.
  • pitchinwedgeI’ve found the LS to be nearly as fade biased as the M family. I get pretty good results with the LS by making a conscious effort to make more of an in-to-out swing. Any lapse in concentration and everything goes right. The M’s require even more effort, which is the reason I stayed with the LS instead.
  • 3 Jack ParAfter an up and down year with the G LS, I’ve actually recently gone back to my G30 LS head. I only have a couple of rounds as a sample so far, so I can’t really draw a conclusion about whether one or the other is better, but with the same shaft it seems like my G30 head might be a little longer. Honestly, the performance differences are pretty minimal if you really compare the two generations.
Further Reading

Titleist 917D3 (5.30 percent)

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  • GavaThe 917D3 is in my bag now, and I’ve found it incredibly long with a recently purchased Graphite Design Tour AD MJ 7TX shaft. Feel and accuracy has been a real improvement as well.
  • Togatown22I find my 917D3 to be just as forgiving as my 915D2 was, and man do I prefer looking down at the head shape and color versus the 915. Very confidence inspiring.
  • NIxhex524I would definitely give the D3 a whirl. I feel like Titleist has made great strides at making the smaller head way more hittable for us ams.
  • KPH808So in conclusion, I was hitting the ball about 9 yards further on average and 3-4 mph faster ball speeds with the 917D3 vs. the 915 D4. The biggest thing for me was the forgiveness between the two; the 917D3 was more forgiving on mishits.
  • brushieThe 917D3 head feels soft like the 910 and sounds great. I never had an issue with the 915 sound; it wasn’t great, but it didn’t bother me too much. This is much better, though. The 917D3 head shape is perfect to my eye as well. The area where the 917 shines is forgiveness. 

Further Reading

TaylorMade M1 440 (5.35 percent)

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  • Tigermatt31: The M1 440 is best driver I’ve had ever.
  • TollBros: The M1 440 is definitely lower spin than the M1 460 or M2 from last year. Launch angle isn’t really any lower, but spin is lower for sure.
  • specimania: This year’s 440 is more forgiving.
  • MCozYes, this 440 is more forgiving, and yet it also appears to be more workable than both of the previous M1 and M2s.
  • nitramTo save you a bunch of reading and crunching numbers, I quickly concluded there was a little more forgiveness and exactly +0.4 mph ball speed with the 440. By forgiveness I simply mean this: A 1.48 smash 440 will give you the same ball speed and distance as a 1.49/1.50 430. But if you get a 1.50 from both there is no measurable gain. Side-to-side dispersion was better by 4.7 feet with the 440. Workability was a wash between them, although the 430 seems a bit more fade biased whereas I’ll describe the 440 as a scosche more neutral.
  • tj24: I hit the M1 440 with my Aldila RIP at an 80-gram X-flex. For me, the spin numbers were around 1700 rpm which is probably to low for my swing. I did, however, like the shape of the head and I felt like I could easily work the ball both ways.
  • halfsumoI really think they nailed it with the shape of this 440 head. Nice pear shape, no weird bulges or ridges that you have to get used to.
Further Reading

Titleist 917D2 (6.65 percent)

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  • tsletten: Love the sound of the 917D2.
  • bladehunter: No doubt the 917D2 is an accurate, forgiving driver that doesn’t look as big as it is and sounds fantastic.
  • JStangMaybe it’s just me, but I find the face to be more shallow (top to bottom) with the 917D2 than other drivers that I’ve tried lately.
  • LuckyLowbrowI was actually spinning it too low with the D4. Going up to the D2 normalized my spin rate, but led to such an improvement in consistency across the face.

Further Reading

TaylorMade M1 460 2017 (11.81 percent)

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  • Ereim: I ended up going with the M1 460. It gave me a slightly tighter dispersion, and I liked looking down at it slightly more.
  • jdenham15: The 2017 TaylorMade M1 is a great driver, but I tend to miss wide right and struggled to turn it over.
  • ZBigStick: The M1 460 gave me the best results. Was able to increase launch without much added spin with the (T-Track) weight. Feel is good and felt forgiving; dispersion results backing that up.
  • BillMurrayGolfingThe face is hot, receptive, thin and makes a nice sound. I like that.
  • JStangSound and feel were both fantastic. I couldn’t ask for much more in the sound and feel department than what this club offers. Plenty of feedback was provided based on impact as I would expect. I could easily tell where I missed based on feel.
  • tnordJust as another tester found, moving the weight back and forward absolutely does impact how the club sounds. I’m much more a fan of the weight back.
  • chickenpotpieMoving the slider to the draw position made the feel of the driver a little harsher. Feel was much much smoother with that weight in the middle. I didn’t see any such changes with the front/rear slider.
Further Reading

TaylorMade M2 2017 (11.86 percent)

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  • ZBigStickI liked the feel of the new M2 but seemed to get better results and numbers with the new M1. Could be the extra 5 grams of head weight?
    It was dynamite with the GD TP-6 (shaft)!
  • erock9174On Trackman it didn’t put up the most ball speed, but counting all shots the M2 had the longest average distance.
  • gripandripThe M2 seems to have a little bit of a fade bias for me. And the head is HUGE. Maybe it’s a mental thing to be able to turnover a head that large.
  • Bomber_11M2 has very big shoes to fill, as the 2016 M2 was arguably one of the best drivers of the last 3-4 years.
  • LONG&STR8It’s hard to ignore the sound of the new M2. That may be TaylorMade’s biggest fail with that driver, as the sound and feel was one of the best things about the first version that I’ll have in the bag until something better comes along.
  • Z1ggy16The new M2 was terrible for me, not sure why. Unsure if it was the shaft I used but it spun up like a monster and ball speeds weren’t any better than previous M2.
  • Peanut191I don’t really think that the new M2 was much of a step backward, probably more that it doesn’t seem like a big step forward compared to last year’s model. I was hitting my 2016 M2 against a 2017 M2 indoors (which usually amplifies the louder, more obnoxious sound) and I didn’t notice that much of a difference in sound. It could have been that I might have just happened to get a hold of a head that was more muted than normal with the new one, but I just didn’t notice much difference. Performance wise, I could tell that the 2017 was slightly more forgiving than the 2016 model, but I was basically getting the same ball speed and spin numbers, so I didn’t see the need to upgrade.
  • gioguy21: Played 54 holes this weekend. The M2 was as reliable as it could get. I hit 11/12 fairways Friday, 10/12 Saturday and 5/9 or so yesterday (windy). Controllable, just wants to go straight. The sound no longer bothers me. I think it’s when hitting indoors or in range bays that it gets unbearably loud. Makes a different sound when hit on the screws I’ve found, similar to last years M2/M1 with less high-pitched ring. The forgiveness is very obvious, as I hit a couple that were close to center of the face but either high or little out toward the toe that flew similar trajectory and distance to how a well struck shot would react. I think where this driver really shines is the ability to either tee it high and hit it with higher trajectory or the ability to hit it lower with a low tee (3/4 of the ball under the crown) and hit laser beams that don’t move left or right.
  • G-BoneFrom what I’ve seen on Trackman, 2017 M1 was a big jump from 2016; however, 2016 M2 was so good, 2017 is a minor jump.
Further Reading

Callaway GBB Epic (14.91 percent)

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  • HDTVMAN: I hit both the Callaway Big Bertha Fusion and Epic with a 44.5-inch UST Recoil F3 shaft and the results were very close. From customer testing, it appears the Epic is longer for those with higher (95+) swing speeds. I have also seen that 44.25-44.5-inch lengths promote tighter dispersion with customers, no loss of distance and better over-all drives.
  • mbbrewer: Tried them all and for me Epic was the one. Fastest ball speed, lowest spin and tightest dispersion.
  • Ereim: Epic felt great, looked great and the numbers were basically 99.9 percent optimized for my swing.
  • johnnylongballz72There is Epic and there is the M series… then there is everyone else. The votes here show it, the PGA Tour use shows it and launch monitors everywhere show it.
  • misplacedtexan83: GBB Epic/Sub Zero pushed the envelop in design and materials to produce increased ball speed and gains. For once a driver did what a company said it would do.
Further Reading

Callaway GBB Epic Sub Zero (16.91 percent)

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  • jdenham15: I tested the Epic Sub Zero and Epic against my 2016 TaylorMade M1 and the ball speed was 5 mph higher on average, which gave me about 10 yards more carry disstance. That was great, but the part that sold me was the forgiveness. I love my Epic Sub Zero. I feel like it’s easier to turn over and I can work it both ways.
  • Z1ggy16Sub Zero was hands down the best, including my gaming M1 (yeah, not even top-3) due to the combination of lower spin, good forgiveness and feel and looks.
  • jimhaire: I had a 2016 M2 and went with the Epic Sub Zero. The look at address suited my eye and the feel off the face was better for me. And the club went straight.
  • Sef: I have tested a lot of these drivers and for me the Epic Sub Zero was so much better than everything else. I wish I could just apply all three votes to it.
Further Reading

Members Choice 2017

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