At the 2010 PGA Merchandise Show Outdoor Demo Day, I had the opportunity to checkout the latest models from the Speedline metal woods: Speedline FAST 10 drivers and Speedline FAST 10 fairway woods. The drivers are designed to increase club head speed, resulting in up to 15 more yards in carry distance.  The fairway woods feature customizable precision milled sole plates for greater distance out of a variety of lies.

Watch the video to see Henry Lange from Adams Golf explain the features of the Speedline FAST 10 Driver and FAST 10 Fairway Woods.

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Speedline FAST 10 Drivers
As with the entire Speedline brand, the patent-pending aerodynamic shaping of the third-generation FAST 10 driver refines the technology to create 10 percent less drag and airflow turbulence than previous models, resulting in up to 15 yards more yards of carry distance.  Design improvements include a 100 percent increase in toe curvature and a 300 percent decrease in the heel curvature for even more efficient and stable airflow attachment around the club head.  The new features reduce drag throughout the swing for a faster club head speed that generates more distance than previous models, all with 10 percent higher MOI.

“The success of the Speedline series clearly shows that the benefits of a driver head with aerodynamic shaping which delivers increased distance has resonated with golfers of all playing abilities,” said Chip Brewer, President and CEO of Adams Golf.  “Now, with the launch of Speedline FAST 10 as the third-generation of this technology, we have furthered our lead in this exciting new category of drivers.”

Speedline drivers have collected eight tour wins since their introduction in January 2009.

Speedline FAST 10 Fairway Woods
The easy-to-hit Speedline FAST 10 fairway woods were developed with precision milled sole plates and premium aesthetics to appeal to players of all levels. The patent-pending design of the Speedline FAST 10 woods feature strategically placed weight pads to match the swing characteristics of different golfers: the standard model weight pad is positioned back for a higher launch; the draw model weight pad is positioned in the heel.  The Speedline FAST 10 fairway woods also have a 57 percent increase in the sole camber for more consistent ball striking and enhanced playability from all types of lies. The unparalleled technology of the Speedline FAST 10 woods has already made it into the bags of Adams Golf staff members Tom Watson and Aaron Baddeley.

“We’ve consistently seen tour pros switching to our fairway woods because of their increased playability,” says Tim Reed, Vice President of Research and Development for Adams Golf.  “There was no disputing the consistent ball striking and increased distance they saw when they put it into play.  With the launch of the Speedline FAST 10, everyday golfers will now be able to experience the longest and easiest-to-hit fairway wood we have ever designed.”

Models and Pricing
Both of the men’s versions of the driver and the fairway wood will debut with a choice of high-performance shafts: the mid-high launch Aldila Wasabi or the mid-low launch Matrix HD.  The women’s versions are standard with lightweight Graffaloy graphite shafts.

The suggested retail price for the Speedline FAST 10 drivers is $399.99.  The suggested retail price for the Speedline FAST 10 fairway woods is $299.99.

For more information visit www.adamsgolf.com/speedlinefast10.

How would you like a driver that has nine sweet spots, instead of one?  And is also used by PGA Tour players Geoff Ogilvy, Camilo Villegas, and Ian Poulter? If so, you might want to check out the S9-1 series of drivers by Cobra Golf.

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Look and Feel
The new, more traditional 460cc head shape design of the S9-1 driver with rounded topline and leading edge instills confidence at address, with its stealth black finish and Cobra Golf logo alignment guide on the frequency tuned crown. The new profile on the S9-1 has less surface area compared to Speed LD M driver and has a much bigger hitting area, which also reduces the weight of the club. The result is a high MOI and hotter face.

The face shape of the S9-1 has a 1:1 length-to-width ratio allowing for a more efficient transfer of energy from the clubface to the ball. The S9-1 comes equipped with a stock 45.5 inch regular flex Cobra/Aldila DVS-HL 55g graphite shaft and Cobra/Golf Pride New Decade 50 D (Durometer) grip to round out this great looking driver.

Performance
According to Cobra Golf, the key to better drives is not the ultimate sweet spot, but with nine of them instead. This is accomplished with the reengineered Hotter 9 points technology that is integrated with the Milled Dual Rhombus Face Insert that maximizes Coefficient of Restitution (COR) for higher ball speeds and consistent ball flight across the clubface.

You might be wondering what is COR? COR is the spring-like effect that happens to driver face when it depresses when the ball is struck, then rebounds-providing a little more power to your drive. In the case of the Cobra S9-1 driver, this translates into longer drives, that any golfer would appreciate. During my testing was able to gain an additional 4-6 yards per drive while using the S9-1 driver, thanks to the more efficient transfer of energy and higher ball speed from the Hotter 9 Points and Dual Rhombus Face insert.

Each of the S9-1 drivers has a specific internal weighting and matching shaft to maximize ball speed for targeted players. The S9-1 F (125-155 mph ball speed) model I tested features a low the center of gravity deep in the back of the driver that produces optimal launch conditions and medium-high trajectory ball flight for maximum distance off the tee. Having a low center of gravity also helped with stabilizing the clubface and making it more resistant to twisting on off-center hits.

Another area that was improved upon in the S9-1 driver is sound and feel the driver produces, with that nice pitched ping sound. The S9-1 driver frequency tuned internal crown rib geometry, that produces drives that sound and feel very satisfying. You’ll notice the nice pitched ping sound that the S-91 driver produces as your drive flies down the middle of the fairway.

The only drawback, if you want to even call it one, is the S9-1 driver is comes in seven different models, which can be a little overwhelming when trying to select a driver. I’d highly recommend getting fitted for the right model of the S9-1 driver that best suits your swing.

If you want a driver with a traditional head shape that has a very large sweet spot and produces longer drives. Then you should look into the Cobra Golf S9-1 driver.

Cobra Golf S9-1 F Driver Retails for $299

TaylorMade-adidas Golf is a pioneer in golf club adjustability when it introduced its r7 quad driver in 2004. The r7 quad incorporated TaylorMade’s Movable Weight Technology(MWT), which gave golfers the ability to change the clubhead’s center of gravity to promote different ball flights.

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2009 marks a dawn of a new era in golf club design and adjustability with the introduction of the R9 driver, that not only allows you to adjust the center of gravity, but also the face angle, loft, and lie angle of the R9 through its Flight Control Technology (FCT). The combination of the of Flight Control Technology and Movable Weight Technology promote up to 75 yards of side-to-side trajectory adjustability.

Look and Feel
At first glance the R9 driver features a new clubhead shape that is a blend of modern and classic designs in 422cc clubhead, that looks a lot like last year’s r7 limited driver and r7 SuperQuad, with its triangular shape, contoured corners, and similar graphics on the sole. In fact, TaylorMade calls it “New Classic” because it is at once modern and traditional, and should prove the test of time.

The R9 clubhead is constructed with the aid of TaylorMade’s Ultra-Thin Wall (UTW) technology, which allows the clubhead walls measuring as thin as 0.6 millimeters, with the saved weight redistributed to make the MWT and CG low as possible.

The Movable Weight Technology on the R9, features three weight ports (Center, Heel, and Toe) and cartidges. One 16-gram weight, and two 1-gram weights that can be adjusted using included torque wrench.

When you setup to the ball, R9′s smaller triangular shape took a little getting used to, espeically in this era of oversized 460cc clubheads. The R9 is equipped with a brand new shaft by Fujikura Golf-the 65-gram Fujikura Motore graphite shaft that is 45.25″ Long. The Fujikura Motore graphite shaft with High Intertia Tip (HIT) technology, is engineered with a new advanced tip construction that promotes faster ball speed. The added kick through the impact zone to promote increased ball speed and distance.

The Fujikura Motore shaft features a white graphic print on the top portion of the shaft, that uses a special “rotating graphic” that looks the same no matter what position the shaft is locked into. You’ll also notice that the grip is also graphic free, as to prevent distraction when the shaft is rotated.

As the shaft tapers down towards the hosel it begins to turn into a deep red and connects to the special metallic sleeve over the tip of the shaft.

Overall, its a really sharp looking driver that has a great throwback look to it packed with a lot of modern technology.

How Does FCT Work?
Up until now, if you wanted to adjust the face, loft, and lie angle, you needed to have that done by a club technician at your local golf shop. Or in the case of the PGA Tour Pro, you had this done at the TaylorMade Tour Trailer. This process requires a technician to immobilize the  clubhead and bend the hosel by hand.  Flight Control Technology eliminates the need of a tour technician to make adjustments quickly and accurately to the face, loft, and lie angles (Neutral-1 Flat Lie, Neutral Upright-1 Upright Lie, 1.0 Closed-.5 Flat Lie, 1.0 Closed-.5 Upright Lie, 2.0 Closed-Standard Lie, 1.0 Open-Flat Lie,1.0 Open-.5 Upright Lie, 2.0 Open-Standard Lie).

To adjust the face, loft, and lie angles, is quite simple process with the supplied R9 torque wrench, which provides 40 inch-pounds of torque. Just loosen the FCT bolt, remove the shaft from the head, rotate the sleeve and shaft into one of the eight clubhead positions and then locking the clubhead into position with the FCT bolt. The clubhead position adjustments were simple to make, like described, but I did find it a little tricky at times to line up the desired position with the clubhead. You’ll know that you have tightend the FCT bolt on tighly when you hear a loud snap.

When using the provided torque wrench, I was little nervous about loosening the FCT bolt, because I might lose it. But that’s not possible, since the FCT bolt cannot be removed from the clubhead completely. Using the same torque wrench you can also adjust the Movable weights on the R9, but these can be misplaced, so be careful where you do this.

I would really like for the torque wrench to be able to be stored in the clubhead cover, because having to fish it out of my golf bag anytime I want to makea an adjustment can be a bit of a hassle and easily misplaced.

Performance
What makes the R9 a fully adjustable driver is the combination of the FCT and MWT. As mentioned before, the R9 features three weight ports that can be adjusted. Put the 16-gram weight in the heel port to promote a draw, in the toe port to promote a fade, and in the middle for a neutral ball flight. By combining both the MWT and FCT you actually give yourself a ton of influence over the flight trajectory of your shots. According to TaylorMade testing, the R9 driver can promote up to 75 yards of side-to-side trajectory change, depending upon how the clubhead has been adjusted. If you take the eight positions of the FCT and multiply that with the three MWT configurations, you end up with twenty-four possible combinations.

In my tests, I didn’t notice too much of a variance in my shot trajectory to validate the 75 yards claim by TaylorMade, you’ll need to take their word for it. But what I did notice, is that shaping my shots was much easier to do with the combo of FCT and MWT. The only downside of so many options is that it took a lot of experimentation to find the right combination that worked best for my swing (neutral upright). Once, you have it dialed in your not going to want to change it.

In terms of the trajectory of my shots, I found that ball would fly off the face of the R9 and have a nice medium to low trajectory, similar to that of Tour player. Part of this can be attributed to triangular shape of the R9 that lowers the center of gravity lower in the face of the club that makes it easy to launch the ball.

The Inverted Cone Technology which has been used in other TaylorMade drivers, expands the area of the clubface that delivers high ball speed. The cone is actually milled directly onto the inner side of the clubface, which gives the R9 forgiveness on mis-hits, high MOI, and low CG. Now in terms of distance, the ball flies off the face of the R9 and travels a good distance, but not as far as I would like. I think part of it has to do with the lower trajectory ball flight and Fujikura Motore shaft. I need a softer tip shaft then the stock offerring on the R9.

Bottom line, the TaylorMade R9 driver is a great golf club that provides unprecendented amount of adjustability and customization quickly, and without the support of a tour van. If your a low-mid handicap golfer, who likes to fine tune their golf club, and wants a tour claiber flight trajectory, than checkout the R9 driver.

The TaylorMade R9 driver is available in 8.5, 9.5, and 10.5 (tested) degree lofts (9.5 and 10.5 left-handed), and in X, S, and R shaft flexes. MSRP $500

Adams Golf is known for having the number one hybrid club, and deservedly earned that reputation. My first set of golf clubs I bought when took up golf again after a 4 year hiatus, were a set of Adams Idea A2 OS Hybrid irons. So when I heard that the new Adams Golf Speedline driver had been designed using wind tunnel technology for superior aerodynamics, I was automatically intrigued. 

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Look and Feel
The Adams Speedline driver looks like your typical 460cc pear shaped driver, but don’t let its traditional shape fool you. The Speedline driver is packed with three aerodynamic shaping features that reduce the amount of drag for more clubhead speed, and increased driving distance. When you look at the profile of the Speedline driver’s crown you’ll notice that it has dome like shape/appearance, which is what Adams Golf calls its Aero-shaped crown. The next feature is the optimized clubface with more radius that improves the transition from the face-to-body. And the final feature is the aerodynamic heel-to-toe scoops on the sole of the club, similar to those found on race cars and jet engines. I liked the blue color and and graphics used on the sole of the Speedline driver, which give the club a unique look. The Adams Speedline driver feature the high performance 46″ 60- gram  Grafalloy Prolaunch AXIS Blue shaft with SmartPly Technology and Lamkin Crossline Tour grip. 

The Benefits of Wind Tunnel Testing and Aerodynamic Design
I think its important to talk about the testing and design process Adams Golf conducted in order to develop the Speedline driver and how it benefits the average golfer. In a nutshell, the main benefit of utilizing wind tunnel technology and aerodynamics is to reduce the amount of drag on the golf club to create faster swing speeds and more distance off the tee. What golfer wouldn’t want those characteristics in a driver? I know I do.

But in order to achieve this Adams Golf engineers, worked with an expert in the field of aerodynamics, Michael Mendenhall of President and CEO of Neilsan Engineering & Research of Santa Clara, California. Through a series of wind tunnel tests, Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD) simulations, and player testing, Adams Golf was able to develop the patent pending design for the Speedline driver. That includes an aero-shaped crown, heel and toe scoops, and improved face-to-body transition, all of which reduces the amount of drag on the clubhead and makes it more aerodynamic. 

What is Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD)? CFD is the solution to mathematical equations of fluid flow around a body. In this case its the amount pressure that is placed on the body of the driver that create drag and lift. Adams Golf engineers discovered through this process that large geometry shaped driver designs with sloping crowns had increased amounts of drag and lift, resulting in slower clubhead speeds.

“We saw an opportunity when the extreme geometry drivers continually tested with higher drag and lower clubhead speed,” said Scott Burnett, Director of Advanced Product Development. “By changing the aerodynamic properties of the face and crown in order to keep the airflow attached, we were able to deliver a significant distance advantage for the average player and tour pro alike.”

Performance
The big question is can the Adams Speedline driver really add 3-4 MPH to your swing speed and increase your driving distance by 3-9 yards? The answer is yes and yes. From my playing several rounds of golf using the Adams Speedline driver, I did notice that my drives were 3-5 yards longer than they typically are. This can be attributed to a couple of factors, one the low drag in the clubhead did increase the amount of club speed and thereby increasing my overall drives and the other is the high launch of the Grafalloy Prolaunch Axis Blue shaft. The regular flex Grafalloy Prolaunch Axis Blue shaft seemed to whip the clubhead into the ball resulting in my drives launching very high into the air with a nice trajectory. The other nice feature about the Speedline is that Adams Golf engineers placed the MOI low in the heel of the driver, so the Speedline is very forgiving driver, as well as being aerodynamic. In terms of being able to work the ball with the Speedline driver, I found it very easy to shape your shots.

Overall, the Adams Speedline driver is a great golf club that features an aerodynamic body and wind tunneled tested design for increased clubhead speed and longer drives.  

Adams Golf Speedline Driver retails for $299 

Model Tested 10.5* Loft, Regular Flex

Nike SQ Dymo and Dymo2 STR8-Fit drivers unique is the fact you can adjust the head of the club in eight different positions, which result in eight different shot shapes-all in a single driver. Watch the video to see James Thomas from Nike Golf R&D talk to me about the features of the Nike SQ Dymo STR8-Fit Driver.

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The most innovative golf club I hit at the outdoor demo day at the 2009 PGA Merchandise was the Nike SQ Dymo an Dymo2 STR8-Fit drivers from Nike. The soon to be released drivers are hands down my top pick for best driver at the PGA Merchandise Show. What makes the Nike SQ Dymo and Dymo2 STR8-Fit drivers unique is the fact you can adjust the head of the club in eight different positions, which result in eight different shot shapes-all in a single driver. 

To adjust the head position, just attach the supplied torque wrench to the STR8-Fit shaft to the driver head and easily loosen the club head to adjust it to the position you desire. Then all you do is simply tighten the hosel with the torque wrench and a red LED light and sound indicator on the wrench will signal when the club head is locked and ready for use. The both models of the Nike SQ Dymo and Dymo2 STR8-Fit drivers feature, Dynamic Moment of Inertia (Dymo) which gives you optimized launch and spin. The SQ Dymo STR8-Fit has the new folded round geometry which repositions the square mass in a round format for workability and distance control. While the SQ Dymo2 has a larger square shaped geometry for straight and long drives, with optimal launch and great looks. UST PRoforce AXIV Core Shafts make the STR8-Fit drivers extremely stable and easy to swing very fast.

I initially tried the HT version of the Nike SQ Dymo STR8-Fit and hit my first drive perfectly straight with the face set at neutral. I then adjusted the clubface 2 degrees closed to try and produce a draw. The result, I hit a nice draw. For a second I thought I was channeling Trevor Immelman at Augusta.  Even when I switched to the SQ Dymo2 STR8-Fit I continued to hit the ball straight and easily shape my shots by adjusting the face. I couldn’t believe the results I was seeing. 

I’m so impressed by the Nike SQ Dymo STR8-Fit that I cannot wait to test them again soon. That’s why it’s my pick for best driver at the 2009 PGA Merchandise Show. 

Available April 1, 2009 MSRP $545

For more information visit http://www.nike.com/nikegolf/dymo/

Titleist Golf is known for making golf clubs targeted at the Tour level and low handicap golfer. This past Fall, Titleist introduced its latest series of 3 metal drivers, with the 909 Series. One of those drivers is the Titleist 909DComp driver, which is aimed at high performance golfers looking for high launch, low to mid spin, and straighter drives. 
 
Look and Feel
At first glance the Titleist 909 DComp (stands for composite) looks like your normal pear shaped 460cc driver, but underneath its modest appearance is a multi-material titanium and composite construction high performance driver. The Titleist 909DComp has the largest profile, deepest center of gravity, and highest MOI in the 909 family of drivers from Titleist. The Titleist 909DComp lightweight composite crown lowers the center of gravity and moves it deeper in the club to produce reduced spin, higher MOI, and straighter drives. The minute you pick this driver up you’ll notice how light it feels in your hands, its simply amazing. The tour profile design and large CNC milled face insert with thicker, centrally located trapezoidal rings surrounded by thinner areas maximize ball speed across the face.  The curve shaped sole design provides chassis strength, reduces vibration and tunes the impact acoustics for a solid feel and better sound. I Loved the way the 909DComp sounds when you hit the ball, with that pleasant ping sound that you expect in high performance driver. The integrated blind bore hosel design saves weight, provides solid feel, and allows more shaft options. The 10.5* regular flex model I tested came with Titleist Matrix Ozik XCON-5 graphite shaft (45″), which had a nice dark red burgundy color. The factory installed SureFit SwingWeight screw (available in 2g, 7g, 12g) helps position the center of gravity deep while also providing a precise head to shaft balance. Couple that with a Titleist Tour Velvet grip and you have a really nice equipped performance driver.

Performance
Since this was my first time ever playing Titleist equipment, I really didn’t know what to expect in terms of performance. All I knew was that Titleist has a reputation for making high performance Tour level golf clubs and I was pleasantly surprised, to discover that Titleist does live up to its reputation. The 909DComp as mentioned earlier is targeted at goflers looking for high launch, low to mid spin, and straighter drives. These are three things that I look for in a driver based on the type of swing I have and I know most golfers would gladly welcome those features too.  The composite crown of the 909DComp moves the center of gravity lower and deeper in the club to produce high launching shots that have very reduced spin and result in drives that are much straighter. The ball would just hang in the air at an optimal flight trajectory as my drives flew down the middle of the fairway.  I was literally blown away. What also contributed to the high launch was the Matrix Ozik XCON-5 regular flex graphite shaft, which really helped with keeping the amount of excess spin to a minimum.  On off center hits the 909DComp performed quite well, due to the high MOI and low center of gravity provided by the composite crown and SureFit SwingWeight screw on the rear of the club. The large variable thickness CNC milled face of the 909DComp, with its thicker trapezoidal rings surrounded by thinner areas, maximize the amount of ball speed across the face of the club.You’ll feel like Ben Crane when you hit this driver, even if you don’t quite have his golf skills.The sound that the 909DComp makes at impact is so pleasing to your ears, thanks to its nice curved sole design with optimized pockets (outlined in burgundy) for reduced vibration and better sound. 

Overall, I was quite impressed with the Titleist 909DComp driver, it lives up to reputation of a high performance driver. I look forward to reviewing the rest of the 2009 Titleist lineup golf clubs.

Titleist 909DComp Retails $499

I know when I’m setting up to hit my next shot, I’m focused on performing at my fullest potential and I’ve come to expect my equipment to do the same. Nickent Golf is company that is focused on building products that are built on 100 % commitment to performance. I’ve been testing out 4DX Driver for the past month, and now understand why the 4DX Driver is one of the fastest growing drivers on the Nationwide Tour.

Look and Feel
At first glance the 4DX is very unassuming looking with a typical 460cc driver shape, but don’t let its appearance fool you.  The The 4DX Driver is packed with lots of technology, that make it built for tour performance you would want from your driver. The crown of the club is made from super thin titanium, that is only .4mm thick, which greatly reduces the weight of the clubhead. That allowed Nickent to make a 460cc directional driver tour shape driver with cutting-edge weight technology. The raw clubhead weight is a mere 180 grams. The result is a driver that is going to give you a high swing speed. The underside of the club near the rear of the clubhead, you’ll notice the same XW insert technology used in Nickent’s irons and hybrids to increase the MOI. The XW tungsten-polymer inserts absorb vibration from impact, reducing a majority of the shock and hard tungsten plugs or screws create. 

Performance
The 4DX Driver is the first time that Nickent has utilized the XW inserts in their drivers and the results were what you would expect in a heel weighted driver, consistent draw and optimal flight path. The Sweet Spot, MOI, and CG are all affected by these advanced XW Inserts that are being used in a driver design .Weight is spread to the extreme heel and toe by the XW Insert by increasing the MOI and making the head more forgiving and stable at impact. I tested the Draw version of the 4DX so, the club delivers a very perfect draw ball flight most of the time and great feel. There is a Tour Spec version of this club that I did not test, is aimed at players who have faster swing speeds and want more workability from their driver. The thin Titanium face is as hot as legally allowed by the USGA, with one of the widest sweet spots of any driver available. The reason they could get the face so thin is because of the thin crown mentioned earlier. One thing you’ll notice is that when you hit the 4DX Driver is the high trajectory your shots take , even the draws. I was quite impressed how high my tee shots would travel. The XW inserts work as performed lowering the CG in the clubhead and shifting the weight to the rear of the club, so you have a club that is not going to twist as much and is equally forgiving on off-center hits. Overall, I was quite pleased with the Nickent 4DX Driver and really appreciated its blend of art and technology, to make good performing driver.

Model Tested:

4DX Draw Spec Driver 10.5 * Loft, UST SR3 Regular Flex 65 Gram Graphite Shaft

Nickent 4DX Driver retails for $259

A quick reminder, you have only a few more days left to win the TaylorMade r7 Limited Driver. Just head over to the post and answer four easy questions.

Callaway Golf revolutionized the golf industry when it introduced the Big Bertha driver, in the 1990′s. Now Callaway Golf is at it again, trying to raise the bar on driver performance with the Callaway FT-i Driver. Callway Golf engineers started from scratch when designing the FT-i Driver by asking the question, if they could make the perfect driver, what would it be? The result is the FT-i Driver that combines a radical shape, design, and technology. I set out over the past month to see if the FT-i driver really lives up to the hype and the results were quite amazing.

Look and Feel
The FT-i Driver takes a very big step in combining materials and technology to build a driver that has a very unique square shape. The large rectangular square shape of the crown with its tapered design will make any golfer confident that you’ll hit a nice shot, plus the alignment arrow makes it a breeze to aim. I was very surprised at how light the Callaway FT-i Driver felt in my hands. When you first look at it, you think because of the square shape, it would weigh a lot. What the Callaway engineers did is utilize a Carbon Composite Body for the clubhead, which took over 10 years to perfect. The Carbon Composite Individual carbon fibers are combined and impregnated with epoxy resin is significantly lighter than titanium and allowed the engineers to move the weight of the club from areas where its used less where its needed most. Pair it with 45.75″ 58 gram Fujikura Speeder 586 Graphite Shaft and you have the makings of really lightweight driver. The face of the club features a nice large oval shape, that utilizes CT/VFT (Variable Face Thickness) titanium cup face for improved performance. The CT/VFT technology has different thicknesses of material on different places of the face of the club, to maximize ball speed and perimeter weighting for more distance and forgiveness. The center of the face of the club has a thicker central region where the sweet spot is located, and thinner material in the outer region of the club face. 

Performance
The FT stands for Fusion Technology, and its not some cool sounding acronym that Callaway Marketing came up with to sell golf clubs. The Fusion Technology that is used in the FT-i Driver is aimed at making this the most accurate and forgiving driver on the market.  Fusion products use multi-material construction in order to optimize performance. The first component of the Fusion Technology that’s featured in the FT-i Driver in Complete Inertial Design (CID). CID is used to move the weight of the club to the outer perimeters, which increases the MOI and makes the driver extremely forgiving on off-center hits. This translates into an extremely stable clubhead that resists twisting and provides more accurate shots. In my tests, I noticed that my drives were much straighter, even on the off-center hits and my shots traveled a lot further than usual. My playing companions were blown away at how far I could hit my shots with the FT-i Driver. I also noticed that the ball flight on my drives were consistently higher than usual, even on the miss-hits.

Another crucial component of CID is Center of Gravity (CG) location. By placing the CG in an optimal location in the clubhead is done for several reasons: 1) to optimize trajectory, which leads to greater distance; 2) to optimize the clubhead for a draw, neutral, or fade bias; 3) to optimize the clubhead for shot shaping by elite players. I found it was quite easy to play a draw or fade when hitting the FT-i Driver.  As mentioned earlier the Callaway FT-i Driver has CT/VFT titanium cup face which help maximize  ball speed and distance on your shots. I did notice that my drives were much longer when I hit the club in the sweet spot, than on the perimeter of the club. The reason for this is the variable thickness of the material used in the center of the clubface is thicker (2.5mm vs .5mm), which allows for more energy to be transferred from the clubface to the ball at impact. You’ll definitely will know when you hit the ball in the sweet spot by the sound it makes at impact, which sounds like a loud ping.

The final feature of the Callaway FT-i Driver is the OptiFit Weighting System, which enables golfers to choose three CG locations in most lofts (Draw, Neutral, and Fade. For example, if you leave your clubface open at impact, you would want to select the Draw weighting configuration which will help create corrective spin to your fade/slice and promote a draw. I tested the Neutral version, which allows you to shape your shots easily and provide an optimal trajectory. Overall I was quite pleased with Callaway FT-i Driver and would recommend it as a solid driver to have in your bag. Once you get past its unique shape you’ll be pleased with the results and how far you can crush your tee shots, even on off-center hits. 

Callaway FT-i Driver retails for $399

I had a chance to hit the soon to be released TaylorMade r7 Limited Driver over the weekend and I was quite impressed by the look and feel of this new line of r7 drivers. Golf Views and TaylorMade have teamed up to give away the new r7 Limited Driver to one lucky reader.

The new TaylorMade r7 Limited Driver

TaylorMade®, the No. 1 driver brand in golf, introduced Movable Weight Technology™ four years ago in a seminal driver called the r7® quad, which gave golfers the ability to move weight in the driver head to promote changes in trajectory to gain greater distance and accuracy. It was followed by the r7 425, the r7 460 and r7® SuperQuad™, drivers whose groundbreaking performance fueled record popularity among tour professionals and recreational players alike. Now, TaylorMade is unveiling the next driver in the r7 lineage, which promises a similar leap in performance and is destined to be similarly embraced. Called the r7 Limited, it also uses Movable Weight Technology to fuel a remarkable boost in performance.The Newest Generation of r7 Driver Combines a New Head Shape with Movable Weight Technology to Promote 35 Yards of Side-to-Side Trajectory Change.

The r7 Limited is equipped with a new high-performance 60-gram graphite shaft, the Matrix XCon 5.5 MOI, which incorporates a stability-enhancing weave that extends from the butt to the middle of the shaft. The XCon 5.5 MOI is specifically designed to work in conjunction with today’s larger, high-MOI driver heads to reduce twisting when contact is made toward the toe or heel. The result is improved stability and energy transfer on toe- and heel-hits, equaling improved accuracy and distance.

The r7 Limited is completed with a radium ion-plated finish, giving it a highly polished look for an exceptionally striking appearance. Available shaft flexes include S, R and M; lofts include men’s and ladies’ 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5° and 11.5° and men’s left-handed 9.5° and 10.5°. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $500, and availability at retail begins on September 15, 2008.

How to Enter

Answer the following four questions correctly to be entered to win the new TaylorMade r7 Limited Driver:

1) What does MWT stand for?
2) Up to how many yards can the new r7 Limited Driver be adjusted?
3) What type of graphite shaft is used in the new r7 Limited Driver?
4) What is the shaft weight of the new r7 Limited Driver?

Once you have answered the above questions, send it (all in one email) to contests@sandbox8.com with the subject “TaylorMade r7 Limited Driver Contest.”

A TaylorMade r7 Limited Driver will be awarded to a randomly selected contestant with all four questions answered correctly. All entries must be received by Noon PST on October 8th, 2008.  Good luck!

Contest Rules

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE CHANCES OF WINNING.
All winners must be 18 years of age or older
Eligibility is limited to residents of the United States and Canada
Only one entry allowed per household.

To provide fair and equal chance of winning to all Golf Views Sandbox8.com readers, the following are the official rules for all contests on Golf Views Sandbox8.com.

1. Entering Contests and Choosing and Contacting Winners
Winners of random email contests will be chosen at random from emails received.

Entrants must send entries using the correct contest entry email address, subject line, and any other specific entry information requested in the contest announcement. Golf Views is not responsible for and will not consider incomplete or incorrect entries, or emails sent but not received by Golf Views for any reason, as potential contest winners.

Winners of all contests will be contacted at the “sender” email address used to enter the contest, and the person receiving and replying to the winner announcement email will be considered the winner unless they specify another person within the reply email as the winner.

Only one entry per email address used to send the email will be considered for contest entry, unless multiple entries are specifically allowed in the contest posting. Unless otherwise specified in an individual contest post, no person may enter any contest more than once using multiple email addresses.

Claiming of prizes requires an email response to Golf Views or Contest Sponsor from the winning sender email address within 30 days of being notified of winning at the email address used to enter. Failure to respond shall mean that the winner forfeits the prize. Golf Views is not required to award elsewhere any prizes forfeited by the chosen winner(s).

2. Awarding Prizes
Winners are solely responsible for all taxes and/or fees that may be incurred.

Each prizewinner must supply Golf Views or Contest Sponsor with his/her legal name, mailing address, birth date, daytime and nighttime telephone numbers.

Winners may not request substitutions of prize winnings. All winners are solely responsible for any and all taxes and/or fees, and all such additional costs that may be incurred.

Neither Golf Views, Golf Views sponsors, nor employees of Golf Views or sponsors may be held liable for any warranty, costs, damage, injury, or any other claims incurred as a result of usage of any winners of a prize once possession has been taken of the product by winner. Golf Views is not liable for any loss arising out of or in connection with or resulting from any contest promoted by Golf Views Sandbox8.com.

If the specified prize becomes unavailable due to unforeseen circumstances, Golf Views Contest Sponsor may substitute a prize of like or equal value.

Management, employees and families of Golf Views are prohibited from winning any prizes awarded by Golf Views Sandbox8.com

Golf Views reserves the right to alter any rules of any contest at anytime. If you have any questions or complaints about a Golf Views contest, please Contact Us.