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Final Reviews: Sub70 849 Pro Driver

Ratings Distribution

25%
75%
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Detailed Ratings

Basic Features
Looks
Miscellaneous
On the Course
Play it Or Trade it
Sound & Feel
Testers
Equipment Type: Driver
Vendor: Sub70

Testers Wanted! 4 Testers, open to international applicants (RH only).
CONGRATS TO THE SELECTED TESTERS!
@Shapotomous
@twyatt700
@Bohnson
@Peaksy68

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Sub 70 is the #1 Direct to Consumer golf company according to MyGolfSpy readers. This is due, in part, to the high-quality/low-cost nature of its equipment portfolio. And with the addition of the better-player-focused, 849 Pro driver, the company continues to update its resume with golf gear designed for lower handicap players.

The Sub 70 849 Pro driver is 450cc (10 cc less than the legal maximum) and fade-biased. In addition, the849 Pro comes with a weight kit and is adjustable seven ways to Sunday. Each head can be adjusted two degrees up or down in 0.5- to 0.75-degree increments. At its lowest loft setting, the face angle sits 4.5 degrees open and, as you loft up, it reaches 3.5 degrees closed. It has three sole weights: a 12-gram weight in the rear and two three-gram weights in the heel and toe. The weight kit includes a six-, eight- and 10-gram weight, allowing you to adjust further for shot shape and launch.

With all of that said, we'd like to get feedback from MyGolfSpy readers.

Looks
Sound & Feel
Basic Features
On the Course
Miscellaneous
Play it Or Trade it

Sub70 845 Pro – Official MGS Forum Review by Shapotomous

Intro

I am thankful to be chosen for testing and looking forward to see how this driver compares to my custom weighted G410+ with an Accra shaft upgrade (especially in the spin #’s and its impact on distance & accuracy).  I’ve been playing over 50 years (still waiting for my first HIO by the way) and currently around a 5 handicap.  I’ve been getting out about twice per week – a 9 hole league and as many as I can get in on a weekend evening.  I moved to the G410 from a G10 in late 2019.  I liked the G10 so much I stuck with Ping & experimented with a couple shafts, loft / lie adjustments and head weights to settle on the current version of the gamer. 

With a warm weather comfortable swing speed about 105, usually carrying about 240 and pretty straight, the driver doesn’t get me in much trouble and I consider it a strength of my game on the courses & tees I usually play.  A small draw or fade will be prevalent for the round depending how my back feels and I play it rather than trying to fight it.  Keeping it in play at about 250 yds is my #1 priority, I don’t swing at 100% to gain an extra 15 yards at the expense of accuracy.  I am stubbornly ignoring the oft quoted length statistics so that I stay out of the trees at 275!  I don’t mind aiming over a hazard or a few trees if I know the carry number is below my normal 240.  A few years ago some disk issues in my lower back had robbed me of some distance and playing time.  Thankfully through stretching and light workouts and equipment advances I’ve been able to turn the clock back about 10 years in how it feels and got back that distance.

 My miss is an infrequent over the top pull.  I think it generally shows up if my top half gets ahead of my bottom half.  It doesn’t play favorites and can happen on occasion with woods, hybrids or irons (maybe even the putter  😱 ).

If a par 5 is about 500 I can usually get on in two if my drive gets a little friendly roll to it.  Usually a 7i thru pw will get me onto the par 4’s on the courses & tees I play.  At times some young punk will drag me to the back tees and the 5 & 6 irons &  hybrids get used quite a bit more on the par 4’s.

I have a small synthetic putting green in the backyard but ironically putting can be a weakness if I don’t play a lot.  For me green reading breaks and speed have to be ‘played’ rather than ‘practiced’ in the backyard.  The practice green is fast and flat so it’s good for dialing in a consistent stroke but not developing touch so I get too mechanical.  This backyard green has turned 45 – 65 yard wedges shots into a strength as thousands of balls have been hit to it so those distances are in my DNA now.

 I couldn't find an assistant but after a few times with bad camera aim, I have this one from tonights testing...

 

First Impressions

Some of the marketing for this head indicates it is on the lower spin side of the spectrum.  This intrigued me as I have been considering a LST version of the G410 that has been my gamer for the past two seasons and I noticed in some launch monitor sessions my spin numbers can get up to 3000 and I believe rob me of some distance.  The various weights that are provided with the driver allow the flexibility to tweak the performance and really appealed to the ‘experimenter’ side of my golf personality.  The adjustable loft / lie settings the adapter provides seem to be standard with the industry now.

The first look at the club when opening up the box I believe shows care & quality.  Foam spacers that hold the shaft keep the club in place in the box.  The sticker on the head with the weight (201.6g) tells me each head gets specific attention in this detail.  The selections I made when choosing the set up were delivered accurately.  I used the Get Fit button on the website and went with the recommendations after filling out the info, standard length & grip and stiff shaft.  I picked the Hazrdous Smoke 60g, 6.0 shaft to go with a 9* driver head.  A few Sub70 stickers, tees, the CEO business card and a thank you card completed the package and are a nice touch.  It comes with extra varied sole weights which for a tinkerer like me is fantastic!  I had to buy a weight kit off the bay for the G410+.  Between the weights and the loft adjustments I believe I can tune this club pretty well to feel good to me.

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The reference point for me testing this driver will be how it performs compared to the G410+ I am gaming.  I hit my driver as accurately as any other club in the bag so the 849 Pro will need to match its accuracy and provide some added distance maybe through a little lower spin rate.  The feel is also important.  I don’t have to ‘work’ to swing the current driver it matches my natural swing very well with the weight and loft set up tweaks I made.  I would like to see how much adjustment would be needed to my swing to get the same or better performance from the 849 Pro.  There are various head weights to try out and three different spots to put them so there are many options to dial it in.

Head Comparison Pic’s…

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 Extra Weights!! 

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Testing will consist of sessions hitting balls on the ‘range’ which in this case will actually be on the course at the best driving hole using Snell MTB-X balls.  I will hit a couple shots then alternate drivers to make sure I don’t have a warm up or getting tired bias to the results.  I will also take it out to a couple holes that require a fade or draw and see if I can work the ball with the same success rate as the gamer.  Of course I will then use the 849 Pro during rounds to see how it performs under scoring pressure.  I will use my mevo during these sessions to check ballspeed and height and maybe spin.  I can measure yardage with a range finder at the location of the balls.  Finally I will also book a trackman session to get some spin numbers since there are claims is this has been engineered for lower spin.

Final Review

 

Looks 8 out of 10 points)

The look of the club is understated with its all black coloring.  Being a traditionalist, I prefer this to the various colors you can get on other manufacturers.  The only alternate to black that I would consider is if someone came up with a design that mimics the persimmon grain pattern of my youth!   The shape and size are comparable to some other drivers and I like the rounded look from the face to back of the club.  It doesn’t look too oval shaped or elongated in either he toe to heel or face to back directions.  The standard 9* loft setting has to my eye a slightly closed look to it when sitting on the sole, however the spec data says its 0.5* open.  I experimented while testing and settled on two clicks lower in loft which seemed to move the face away from the slightly closed look.  The Hazrdous Smoke shaft also has a darker plain, color to it which matches the all black head to complete the understated look.

Standard setting pic...slightly closed look to my eye?  

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Real Nice Look - Nothing Flashy - Weighting settled at toe & center ports used, heel port empty.

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Sound & Feel 9 out of 10 points)

Sweet spot hits have a nice solid feel and are similar to a flushed shot with a blade iron where you don’t feel the ball pushing back on the clubhead at all.  Those sweet spot hits have a nice muted click, not a loud thwack or any kind of a ringing sound.  It has the better sound of a wooden spoon on a metal pot rather than a metal spoon if that makes sense.  In comparison it is quieter than the G410.  While trying out different weight combinations and finally leaving the heel spot empty did not change the sound at all.

The ball jumps off the clubface and the ball flight on those hits gets out there quickly and laser-like rather than a high rounded ball flight.  Mis-hits can certainly be felt in comparison to a sweet spot hit for immediate feedback.  My miss tends to be a toe hit or thin hit and I could tell by the slight twist feel where on the face impact occurred before confirming it with the ball mark.  The overall club weight and the swingweight feel to the club are right in my wheelhouse.  Out of the box it was within 1g of my gamer and within ½ a swingweight so it has a very familiar feel.  I had nothing new to get used to in the weight department. 

Basic Characteristics 18 out of 20 points)

I spent some ‘range’ and Mevo time dialing in the adjustability with loft and head weights before using it on the course.  I had gone through the same process with the gamer but in that case had to buy the extra varied weights off eBay.  It is a great feature Sub70 supplies them with the club.  It came with the 12g in the center and a 3g in the toe and heel along with extra 6g, 8g & 10g weights.  I settled on a 12g in the toe and 6g in the center slot with nothing in the heel.  I went with 2 clicks lower in loft mostly to get away from the slightly closed face look at the standard setting. 

Actual range time was used just to get a feel for swinging the club since range balls where I go  are not good indicators of ball flight performance.  So I went to the course a few evenings with some real balls (Snell MTB-X) and used the best driving hole on the course for testing.  Wide open and a slight uphill landing area so overall distance isn’t skewed by a long roll out from hitting something hard on the ground. 

 

On-Course / LM Performance 27 out of 30 points

In the overall performance category it did not disappoint.  My reference point of comparison is the G410+ driver and the tee ball is a strength of my game.  I consistently get comments from new playing partners about the distance (I’m no Bryson but relative to my age & size I seem to exceed first impressions!) and fairways hit with the driver.  The 849 Pro ball flight, distance and dispersion numbers on the course and on the launch monitors I used were very comparable to the G410.  In addition to the numbers game, I can say I have the same workable feel for this club as I do the G410.  If I need to favor a fade or draw I am able to get that ball flight with as much success with either driver.   

I had about the same success rate hitting it on the screws and squaring up the face.  I wondered if the shaft difference between the clubs (Hazrdous S in the Sub70 vs the Accra M5 in the Ping) would result in a performance impact but I did not notice anything in either distance or dispersion.  The Sub70 felt a little whippier but the clubhead did not lag and stay open. 

Mishits had about the same effect to them between the clubs I was comparing.  The mishit with the biggest impact for me is a ball hit low on the face, it ends up with higher spin rate and shorter carry by about 20 yards.  This effect is the same for both the 849 Pro and the G410 low mishits.  The slight toe mishit also performed about the same between clubs, a more pronounced draw with only a slight impact to overall distance.  I have a habit of checking the face impact spot after each shot and could consistently tell by feel what the ball mark would then confirm. 

Trackman Session Data

                 Club Spd    Ball Spd    Face Ang.   Launch Ang.    Carry    Dyn. Loft    Spin Rate    Height
                 Mph           Mph           Deg           Deg                 Yds       Deg              Rpm          Ft
                                    
849 Pro    15 shots                                
Average        101.1        150            6.4             12.9               247.8       14.6            2617           92
Consistency    1           1.4              1.7              0.8                 3.8          0.8             260            9
                                    
G410    13 shots                                
Average        100.6       148.2         4.7             12.3               240.5      14.2            2877           89
Consistency    1.3         2.2            2.3              1.5                 7.9           1.5             287            13 

The Spin Factor:

I was especially interested in spin numbers since the promotional material indicates this is on the low spin end of the spectrum.  I used a trackman session to compare to the G410+ and the 849 Pro did come in about 260 rpm’s lower on average for sweet spot hits and slight toe hits.  Low on the face hits ended up with about the same spin rate between the two clubs.  It would be interesting to test if spin data changed based on using different weights in the three different ports.  Maybe that will be a winter time trackman session experiment.  It would be a good excuse for a couple Jan & Feb indoor sessions to help keep the swing loose through the winter!

 Miscellaneous 8 out of 10 points

The careful packing, extra items pictured above and the individual head weight data label on the club indicate attention to detail  to me.  I also love the varied weights that come with it to help customize the performance of the club.  I always asked for opinions on the looks of the club and the only negative comment was from a TM fanboy saying it was missing some blue color to it…but he is admittedly biased.  Maybe to appeal to a larger audience some color could be in the next iteration.  I had a few people hit it through the round and all liked the sound & feel of a good hit.  These were players from a wide range of ability from 5 handicap through about 25.

 One issue I noticed is the headcover is not easily put on the club.  The opening is too tight vs. the size of the driver head.  Especially if the club is damp from dew.  A little wider opening with a gather at the midpoint like other headcover designs would help.  I put the headcover on after each use and it was very frustrating so my 1970’s Eastern European Olympic judge mentality came out and I deducted 2 points. I will HAVE to get an aftermarket cover.

 Play it or Trade it? 19 out of 20 points

To score this category I am simply looking at the features / performance / price point in comparison to the current driver market mfg's which get most of the attention….the Ping’s, TM’s, Callaway’s, Cobra’s & Titleist’s.  Having a Ping G410+ I was able to do a direct comparison to the Sub70 849 Pro and found there is no real difference in performance between to the two for me.  The Sub70 price point being at $300 for the version I tested is below the other brands giving it the advantage.  There are quite a few upcharge shaft selections available if someone has a favorite model they are trying to get and again even with the price adder it is still a bargain compared to the other manufacturers. 

I will be PLAYING the 849 Pro going forward and waiting for the MGS aftermarket head cover to get back in stock!! 

Conclusion

To summarize, I found the Sub70 849 Pro driver to be a quality product equal in performance to my G410+.  I used launch monitor data, course performance, feel, looks and sound parameters for the comparison.  When looking at the price of the Sub70 compared to other manufacturers that is where the real advantage is realized.  At $300 for the version I tested it is a bargain compared to the other major manufacturers with no drop off in performance for my game.  There was no drop off in distance or dispersion and I may even get a little more out of it with some more adjustable weight experimentation over the winter.  I don’t swap clubs very often so I can see myself playing this one for the next 5 years or so.

Final Score: 91 out of 100 points

 

Modern Bag:  :ping-small: G410 LST 10.5*, Hzrdus Smoke RDX 6.5 Flex;   :titelist-small:  915F 3w, Diamana S+ 70 S flex;  Snake Eyes 18* 2h, 23* 4h & 27* 5h; :mizuno-small: JPX 900 Forged 6 - PW, PX LZ 6.0;  Edison 2.0 49*, 53*, 57* KBS Tour 120 S;   :ping-small:  Heppler Fetch;  Ball - :Snell: MTB-X; Bag - Jones MyGolfSpy Edition! 

Shot Scope H4, MG600 Rangefinder

Classic Bag:  Driver - :wilson_staff_small: Persimmon; 3w - :Hogan: Speed Slot; 5w - :wilson_staff_small: Tour Block; 3 - pw - :wilson_staff_small: Dynapower; sw - Ram Tom Watson;  putter - bullseye standard or flange.

Link to review
Looks
Sound & Feel
Basic Features
On the Course
Miscellaneous
Play it Or Trade it

INTRO

I’m incredibly excited to be a part of testing this driver, so thank you MGS and Sub70. I believe this test has been mine to be selected for since I spoke it into existence all those months ago 😝

My name is Taylor Wyatt, I reside in a suburb of Portland, OR and have a beautiful wife and two kids (6&3). I have become golf obsessed over the last few years and have almost fully converted my baseball swing to a decent golf swing. I played baseball at a DII level and started golfing to scratch that “I need to hit something” itch about 5 years ago. I am a recreational golfer who just likes to have fun and love the ability to compete against myself on the course. I float at an 8-9 Hcp but am improving, last year I was at a 12-15 with some generous scoring 😉. I got lessons this year for the first time ever and I think the lower scores are coming. I prefer to play with buddies abs just have a good time, not take anything too serious on the course, and be thankful for the few hours we get to escape the realities of daily life.  I haven’t delved into the competitive world yet as I really don’t have the time to commit with my current life. I would like to but also need my game to get a little more consistent too. 

I plan to test this driver against my current gamer with my Rapsodo MLM and will able to get several rounds in with it for the important on course testing. I may be able to test it against some other stock drivers at my local DSG with their recently remodeled hitting bay complete with a Trackman.  

My current driver is my attempt at a longer driver, it’s a 47” cobra speedzone extreme, with evenflow black shaft in a 6.0. I really have been in a groove with the driver this summer and the longer shaft has really helped straighten out my ball, plus the added speed helps with the distance 😜

My swing speed on my little radar is 105-113 but much lower with the MLM, I honestly don’t care as long as I hit the middle of the face and the ball goes where I’m pointed I’m happy. On the course my average drive is in the 240-275 range. With recently being a bit longer due to more confidence in my mechanics to swing “harder.”

My swing feel is a slower take away with a smooth transition, with the focus on making sure impact is solid and in the middle. This has led to better results from my early days of grip it and rip it mentality that lead to a huge slice.

My miss now is a blocked out cut where as I play a 5 yard fade on almost all my shots. I learned to hit the low draw on demand though but it’s with a 3/4 swing. 

I like to play aggressive but I’m learning to play smarter, lay up to the right spots, and only take on risk with needed. This has helped me lower my scores significantly and usually leaves the driver in the bag more often, which I actually don’t mind. 
For me I don’t play tournaments and so distance to me isn’t as important as position. I’m looking for the driver to be long enough with a smooth swing, but also stable when I want to go after one. My current driver is good with the former, but I have mastered to latter quite yet.  
Let’s see if Sub 70 can find yet another spot in my bag!

 

 

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First Impressions

First off the club came 2 weeks sooner than expected! Good on Sub 70 for that! Considering the wait for many other tests, this was a pleasant surprise and it came the week of my end of summer golf weekend!

The club didn’t come in the classic sub 70 black box, but still it was well protected. 

If you’ve ever bought a Sub 70 club before you know it’s all class! This was the same, hand written note, bag of tees, stickers, business card, nice bag with the wrench and weights. Nice premium head cover, lined and padded. 

The club looks premium as well. Per usual their pictures don’t do the club any justice. The black out look is a favorite of mine. The carbon crown reminds me of a Callaway style, although with no alignment aid. The sole has the look of the PXG 0811 X with the 3 weight ports. There are plenty of different weights available to allow for flight optimization. The adjustable sleeve also has a significant amount of adjustment available with up to 2* in each direction and 12 adjustment settings total. I chose a 9* head with the Evenflow Riptide shaft in a 6.5, I had the club built at the longest available length at 46”. It’s still an inch short than mine current gamer but I’m excited to try the stiffer shaft as I believe it will allow me to be more aggressive with my swing than I currently can with the softer flex in my current gamer. 

Overall I’m super impressed with the aesthetic of the club, but I’m not surprised. I’ve learned with Sub 70 not to expect anything less than premium despite their prices.

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Final Review
 

Looks (9 out of 10 points) 

Describe the following:

General Shape- Pear shape, looks like a classic shape more so than the more elongated heads that are becoming more commonplace in today’s driver market.  Sub 70 says this is a 450cc head designed for the better player.  I’m not sure I qualify, but I like the smaller head. 

Graphics-In a word, minimal.  There is nothing on the crown, although I would prefer an alignment aid.  On the sole there is a black on black Sub 7o logo stamped in the middle and the 849 pro graphic script barely visible. It's all very subtle and very nondescript.

Overall it seems a little underwhelming and simple.  Nothing flashy here, but also it would be nice to have some boldness to the club.  Overall it’s consistent with the Sub 70 brand, no frills just quality clubs. If you’re looking for the splash a sizzle you’re not going to find it here. I feel like this is similar to the Titelist driver’s of old or even Srixon and PXG more recently, but when you compare this to a Cobra, Callaway, or Taylormade, the lack of details/visible tech, it leaves you second guessing if it's as good as those other driver’s.  

Sound & Feel (8 out of 10 points)

The sound is a nice muted pops.  No high pitch or loud pop, it's more of a dull muted sound that reminds me of the Taylormade drivers.  Compared to my current Cobra Speedzone it’s a much more pleasant sound. Feel wise, it's absolutely pure when you get it out of the middle.  I doc’d some points here due to the poor feel when you miss the center strike.  In the center it feels like the ball jumps off the face.  The heel and toe misses, not so much.  The advantage is you know when you have a miss hit. 


 

Basic Characteristics (16 out of 20 points)

Before hitting the course, get some range time in so you’ve got a feel for what’s to come.  This section should be used to identify the basic characteristics that most players will notice.   If you are able to get time on a launch monitor, this would be the section to include numbers from it.

Range testing was shaky at first but after getting a feel for it I was happy with the performance.  I was gaming a Cobra Speed Zone extreme at a 9* loft with the Evenflow black shaft.  The Sub 70 is at a 9* head with the Evenflow Riptide shaft.  Compared to my cobra I saw a much lower lunch, but with an increase in ball speed on the centered strikes. My misses were not as forgiving as with the Cobra, but I felt I was gaining in distance without having to swing as hard.  Once I got in a good groove I could really see the performance show through.  The drawback is that my current gamer I feel I can consistently drive it straight with very limited deviatied, the Sub 70 the misses are greater, but the gains are also greater. 

 

Describe the following compared to your current gamer:

Trajectory – lower than my gamer, but I like that lower flight

Workability – Easy to work both ways, more draw biased than I thought.  I had to play with the sleeve setting to get the face to look more opened at address and take away the left bias. 

Accuracy – Like I said at first the ball was going more left than I was expecting, but a little tinkering and adjustment to the swing straightened it right out!

Distance – Great when you pure it.  

Forgiveness – Not great, if you’re need forgiveness, look elsewhere

Adjustability – Yes, with the three sole weight and the loft sleeve it's a fitters/tinkers dream!

Pressure – I think so, but I would say that’s more on the player than the club

What factors were you pleased with? I loved the ball speed, the deeper face and immediate feedback off the face

What factors did you find lacking? I really do miss the alignment mare on the crown.

Here are the finally numbers of comparing my current gamer to the Sub 70. These are averages over several range sessions over a one month period. 


 

Cobra Speedzone Xtreme (Pars & Stripes)

Distance (Carry) 253.3

Swing Speed 105.3

Ball speed 145.4

Launch angle 17.58

Ball flight/shot shape: predominantly a high fade 

Sub 70 849 Pro

Distance (Carry) 259.1

Swing Speed 106.1

Ball speed 150

Launch angle 14.35

Ball flight/shot shape: lower and straighter/less curve

All testing was done using Srixon range balls and in wet/damp 50’s average temp. I was using a Rapsodo MLM for data capture.
 

On-Course / LM Performance (25 out of 30 points)

 

I was able to play four rounds with this club on a recent trip.  It ended up replacing my Cobra after the first 9.  I was very happy with the distance I was getting with it and the misses weren’t as bad as on the range session’s leading up to the trip.  I felt I could really attack the ball and the club was super stable and fast!  I was able to shape shots for each hole and feel confident that the club could pull it off.  I was driving it about 10 yards longer than the Cobra on holes where I would hit two drives to compare.  I was a little skeptical that Sub 70 could compete in the woods space… I play their irons and putter so I know they con compete in that space but with the on course testing I feel you could play all their clubs and be on the same level as any other brand. 

Final Performance Comments:

Overall, how did it perform? As well, of not better than I could have asked. 

How, if at all, did this product change your overall impression of Sub 70? Just keeps furthering my high opinion of them

What feature would you change or eliminate from the next generation of this model? More details and slightly more forgiveness across the face

What feature do you really like, and would most like to see continued or evolved in future models? The weights in the sole, feels like there could be more there. 

Did it help improve your scores? I shot about the same, but that was more a result of my putting and approach than my driving. 

 

Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points)

Nice head cover, simple and high quality leather with soft inner lining.  The Taylormade sleeve is nice to be able to grab a different shaft built with a common adapter. And as always the personalized card, branded tees and  ball marker that is standard with anything from Sub 70.  They do the little things well. 

Play it or Trade it? (15 out of 20 points)

For now it’s play it! I have picked up some different shafts to play with to see if I can get better performance over the Riptide. I also have sold the Cobra as I am sold on the lower trajectory and most likely lower spinning head.  I have picked up a Sim 2 head to test out with the Sub 70 so it’s not completely cemented in the bag, but that’s more because I got a deal and I am a club ho.  For now it will be the gamer unless I see something big for the Sim this winter. 

 

Conclusion

Don’t sleep on the DTC brands here.  This generic looking club packs a punch to keep up with the heavy hitters.  With more adjustability than most other OEM’s current offerings and the ball speed off the face to match, the Sub 70 849 pro shouldn’t be overlooked, especially for those on a budget. 

Final Score: (83 out of 100 points)

 

 

Ping G430 Max 9* turned up to 10* in draw setting X-Stiff Ping Tour Chrome 2.0 60

Srixon ZX 3w Ventus Velocore Blue 7s

Ping G425 5w X-Stiff Ping Tour 70 

Srixon ZX5 4-6 Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

Srixon ZX& 7-PW  Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

:cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore 50* 54* 58* TrueTemper Dynamic Gold Spinner

 See the source image Phantom X5 Putter

Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond <>

 

Link to review
Looks
Sound & Feel
Basic Features
On the Course
Miscellaneous
Play it Or Trade it

The Review 15th November 2021

 

Sub 70 849 Pro Driver – Official MGS Forum Review by Peaksy68

Intro

I’m testing a 10.5˚ Sub70 849 Pro with a Project X Evenflow Riptide 65gm 6.0 shaft, chosen from the list of stock options available.

Thanks to MyGolfSpy and Sub70.  I’m really excited to have been one of the first (if not the first) to play a Sub70 849 Pro in Australia

 

I've been playing for nearly 30 years, 20 of those seriously. The vast majority of my golf is in formal competitions, which is normal for golf in Australia. Only competition rounds are allowed for handicapping, and every competition round is entered into the Golf Australia handicap site.

On course, (and off) I love a bit of banter, and try to enjoy myself, while still trying to score the best I can. I spent the first half of my golf “career” just turning up and playing, never practicing at all.

My oldest daughter started playing when she was about 6, and started attending weekly junior clinics with the club pro when she was about 10. While these were on, I filled in time with some practice, and my handicap dropped from 10-12 down to 6 in 4 months. Amazing to see what a bit of practice can do.

I love the constant challenge that golf offers, and both the competitive and social aspect of the game.  While I enjoy the occasional scramble or 4BBB, I love the fact that what I score on the course is usually entirely up to me, be it good or bad.

 

My Game

My handicap is currently 6.8, based mainly around a solid game off the tee, solid fairway woods and a competent chipping and putting game.  Covid has had an impact on both my ability to play and practice. Taken with major works at my club closing the practice green and severely limiting other short game practice I’m reasonably happy with where my game is at.  To be realistic the last year I’ve been more focussed on golf as an escape from the daily grind of being a healthcare worker during a pandemic.

My current driver is a Ping G400 SFT, which I was fitted into. I was fitted into an Aldila Xtorsion shaft, and is longer than any driver I have previously played. Perhaps the Xtorsion being counterbalanced has allowed this.  I have been implementing some changes to my swing over the few months preceding this test, mainly to do with set up and alignment. This has resulted in significantly more misses left, and a more pronounced left to right ball flight.

 

My swing is reasonably short, with limited hand/wrist action after a series of injuries to my left wrist. I can incorporate more wrist cock, but it becomes too painful so I just avoid looking at my abbreviated swing as much as possible.  After surgery for a frozen right shoulder, I’ve had to rely on a full shoulder turn and staying attached to get club head speed.  Any over swing causes a significant chicken wing of my right arm, resulting in my bad miss, a very ugly block cut.

I’m in no way long off the tee, but not short either.

The biggest strength of my game is attitude. I never quit, and I'm more interested in the score I write down than how I did it.  I hit around 2/3 of fairways, with most misses slight and on the good side.

 

 

 

 

First Impressions

 

Having never seen a Sub70 club in the flesh, I was a little unsure what to expect.  On removing it from the packaging, I was immediately impressed.  The Sub70 849 Pro is a very good-looking driver.  Nothing too fancy or flashy, but in no way boring.  The finish is blemish free.

 

Head.JPG.50378a89d844e2c038e077f6df45e54a.JPG

 

At address it looks great, the carbon fibre crown looks classy and modern, but still understated.

 

Address2.JPG.8d2e9316452e4cd7171ce7df586a893f.JPG

 

The number of loft/face angle and weight combinations available is perhaps a little overwhelming. I would love to see some information included that details what different weights would usually do to ball flight in different positions. 

 1792613449_WeightKitRS.jpg.30dfb83c20bfd9bf0a705674849c218a.jpg

 

My aim at the onset of test the Sub70 849 Pro is to determine whether it’s performance for me is good enough to warrant replacing my current driver.  I’ll be using data from Shotscope to make the comparison as accurate as possible.  Overall driving stats are probably most important for me, definitely not just distance.  My course has extreme rough not far off most fairways so keeping the ball in play is imperative.

 

I decided to give MyGolfSpy forum readers an inside look at the Sub70 849 Pro in more ways than one.

 

404273748_Sub70849X-rayRS.png.a4fcf72983b9b76e96135c98d9c378f1.png

 

My initial plan to get the driver settings optimized was to utilize my club’s range using their Toptracer setup, but a combination of worn range balls, technical issues with Toptracer and lack of appropriate tee heights moved my setting up on course.

 

After really struggling initially, I gripped down about an inch and got much better contact and results. I subsequently cut the shaft down about ½ an inch.

 

Final Review

Looks (10 out of 10 points)

 

I really like the look of this driver. I’d probably describe it as sleek and modern, but with classic lines.  The head pairs well with the Project X Evenflow Riptide Shaft. As a disclaimer, unless the looks were so distracting to influence my swing, I’m not too fussed with appearances.  Happily, the Sub70 849 Pro actually looks good, and I like the clean lines at address.

 

Sound & Feel (10 out of 10 points)

 

The sound is great, and very well suited to my ear. Solid clank, pretty much Goldilocks. Not too loud, not too metallic and definitely not high pitched.

 

The feedback I get from the head is perhaps better than any other driver I have played. I can tell almost exactly where the ball has come off the face, even before seeing the ball flight.

 

Basic Characteristics (16 out of 20 points)

 

As discussed earlier, I was planning to dial in my settings using Toptracer at my club’s range, but unfortunately this wasn’t possible.

I played a couple of rounds playing with a couple of loft settings and putting a 6 gram weight in the heel, replacing the 3 gram weight.  After shortening the shaft I settled on one notch higher loft and standard weight configuration.

 

I started the testing hitting with a low to medium ball flight. I’ve increased my tee height, and ball flight is now more in the mid range.  The different shaft took a bit of adjusting to, but I’m starting to feel comfortable with it.

 

The ball flight is very penetrating, and seems to bore through the wind very well. Given that I play most of my golf in 10-25mph wind, that’s a real bonus.

Good swings result in an extremely straight ball flight, with solid distance. Heel or toe contact does see a drop in distance, but nothing too significant and the ball has stayed in play. All of my very poor drives have been the result of very poor swings!

As I get more comfortable with the driver I’m taking slightly more aggressive lines, and have been taking driver on holes I often take 3 or 5 wood to avoid trouble at driver distance.

 

On-Course Performance (24 out of 30 points)

 

The more I’ve played the 849 Pro, the more it’s growing on me.

 FaceRS.jpg.ba11d693682c88da81f152336d3fdd86.jpg

 

This was a well struck drive, 240 yards into the wind, dead centre.

 

 

 

The penetrating ball flight really impresses me, as does the feedback it gives. The Shotscope Data shows a performance average drop of 4 yards from my Ping G400 SFT. This includes most of my set-up period, and most of my play has been of unseasonably wet fairways.  I’m looking forward to playing it when the fairways are in their usual very firm and fast condition. I fully expect the stats to improve as I get more used to the club .and conditions improve. The Sub70 849 Pro is listed as a 2 wood on my Shotscope.

 

1902826062_SSData.png.92734908319592b6a1de7f5fa46ce24b.png

 

 

A couple of highlights of the testing have been driving the green on par 4’s. The first was with an audience of old guys who let me play through. I think they thought I was better than I really am.

 

Bright15th.png.c7292f138720e0f7c43fe3c3a5b21ec4.png

 

During my last round of testing I drove the shortened par 4 10th at my club.  Slightly uphill and into the wind. The slopes short of the green mean the window for hitting the green is only about 5 yards wide, and I thought I was a real chance of a hole in 1, finished 8 feet past the hole after missing the pin by a few inches.

 

CGC10th.png.ccf05ebdf614d2edad55357a4ce181ec.png

 

 

 

Miscellaneous (4 out of 10 points)

Probably the biggest negative (and only significant one) is the headcover.  It looks great, but is very difficult to get on

 

 

 

 It is even tougher to get on when its warm, the rolled in outer material really sticks to the club head.

 

1855847071_Headcover2RS.jpg.cfcf8c61c45a441071983cd991cd837d.jpg

 

As someone who is a little visually challenged, I’d love to see the weights more clearly marked. It’s almost impossible to see the labelling with the naked eye.

 Some more information regarding what different weight will do to spin and launch would be very useful in helping to dial in the settings.

 

Play it or Trade it? (16 out of 20 points) 

I’m planning on keeping the Sub70 849 Pro in the bag. The penetrating ball flight is very well suited to the windy conditions I usually play in, and the feedback is great. I'm looking forward to a long relationship, I think we can be good friends.

523242135_HeadcoverBagRS.jpg.f23c80c013887e2d7a11f4a7c895c962.jpg

 

Conclusion

I’d encourage anyone who is a reasonable ball striker to strongly consider the Sub70 849 Pro.  Even without taking price into consideration, this is a very good driver. When price is factored in it becomes an extremely attractive proposition, particularly if you are able to get fitted or demo it.  The outstanding feedback, adjustability and shaft options really make it really worth a look.  Give one of the little guys a chance.

 

Final Score: (80 out of 100 points)

 

 

WeightRS.jpg

Address2.JPG

:Sub70:  849 Pro Evenflow Riptide 6.0
:cobra-small: F8 3 & 5 Woods Project X Evenflow Blue 6.0

:titelist-small: TS2 7 Wood Project X Evenflow Blue 6.0
:mizuno-small:  MP18 MMC - Project X LZ 5.5
:cleveland-small: Zipcore Wedges 50,54,58 - Project X LZ 5.5
MLA Tour Mallet 33"
:srixon-small:  Z Star
:ping-small: Pioneer bag
:Clicgear: buggy

Link to review
Bohnson

Looks
Sound & Feel
Basic Features
On the Course
Miscellaneous
Play it Or Trade it

INTRO

It is an honor to be a part of testing this driver, thank you MGS and Sub70. I plan to test this driver against three other drivers I have. I will be testing the driver on the course, at Golftec (GCQuad/Foresight), and on the range with my Rapsodo MLM so I will have some good data and video. I will try to be as consistent as possible with balls and shafts. About me, I am married with two 10 month old puppies and an avid golfer. Also, "Hi. I am a hockey player, but I am here to play golf" Happy Gilmore...I played D-1 college hockey and did not take golf seriously until about 6 years ago. I have had some success since I started playing tournaments (qualified for the USGA Mid-Am in 2017 and 2021). Photos of me and the family below! 

intro.jpg.428a4ec97f400d1bda5a5b8e39f39b0a.jpg

Here is my golf info intro with some bolded items to get the short and sweet: 

  • I am a tournament golfer so I practice/play during the season most days. Even if it’s just rolling a few putts on the Perfect Practice Mat or swinging the Orange Whip. I am kind of a golf geek and enjoy the process. My forte is hitting it far and putting well. Handicap is +2.5. Swing tempo is 3.4:1 (data from Zepp) and Driver swing speed is 115+ MPH. My natural ball flight is right to left, but I can play shots both directions. Typical miss that would cause problems is left. My current gamer is the original Taylormade M1 with a Mitsubishi Tensie Pro Orange 70TX. I went back to this club this year after going through a plethora of Taylormade drivers (3 Sims, 2 M5s) that kept breaking. The M1 also performed very well in the MGS winner's test, which made me go back! I love the looks of the M1 driver. I was not fit for this driver. With driver in hand ball flight is the priority, but the look of the clubface is really important to me as well. Some drivers set up looking like they closed and I do not like that! I do not like taking chances with aggressive lines, unless I know I can hit it past all of the trouble. I mostly “play conservative, but cocky” (Dr. Bob Rotella quote). I am going for par 5’s in 2 as much as possible and not many that I can't reach. The statistics show that the closer you are the better and I rarely lay up to a specific yardage. Into par 4s a wedge is my typical club.

First Impressions

Coming out of the box it was fun: Business card, tees, hand written note, and stickers along with the wrench and weights. Club looks really clean. Headcover is not the best, needs to be broken in or a little bigger. The OEM States and I AGREE "849 Pro Driver continues Sub 70's aesthetic of clean, classic lines, dark colors, and performance driven shapes". The 450cc 849 Pro provides the higher level ball striker a good soft sound: "sound of the driver has been optimized as well, so as not to draw looks at impact, but only after people have seen where the ball has landed." I chose the lowest launch/spin shaft available without an upcharge, Project X HAZRDUS Smoke 6.5 with the stock Lamkin Crossline 360 to fit a profile close to my Gamer. Sub 70 fits my notions that it is a better players direct to consumer priced option. The lower price point with a touch of good business (card and extras) was nice! This club will earn a spot in my bag if it performs better (distance and dispersion are important to me off of the tee). I will be testing with Rapsodo MLM, Golftec (foresight/GCQuad), driving range, and on course. It will be fun to test the most extreme settings for fade and draw bias! 

1155371227_Originaltoeclosed.jpg.bd08bfe836d38f5423cf1ceae88b915a.jpg

83299480_sidebyside.JPG.33b3cbf7c12dd34a224893835c9e65ec.JPG

Info on the driver: 

https://www.golfsub70.com/sub-70-849-pro-driver.html

Video of my initial impressions: 

https://youtu.be/8V6PoH1hAOY

 

Final Review

Looks (8 out of 10 points) 

I subtracted 1 point here because of the head cover (it is not the best) and the stock settings of the club face look a little closed as shown above. I think Sub70 hit the mark on looks and the "less is more” moto that they live by. The general shape is your classic pear head with a little bit of an extended back. The graphics are perfect and very clean and neat much like a Titleist driver. The look comes together perfectly and I love the appearance compared to some drivers that have too much going on with coloring/alignment aids/etc. The 849 Pro Driver continues Sub 70's aesthetic of clean, classic lines, dark colors, and performance driven shapes. 

Sound & Feel (10 out of 10 points)

I would say the sound/feel is perfect (check the MLM videos attached). The sound and feel are my favorite parts of this driver. The sound is a comfortable sound that sounds like a nice low frequency dull thwack. The feel is consistent across the face on pronounced miss-hits without any noticeable dings/dongs/thwacks. Compared to my M1 Gamer the sound and feel are better. This driver is along the lines of the Sim2 sound which is great. The sound of the driver is optimal, so mentally I know it will not draw looks from other players at impact. 

Basic Characteristics (17 out of 20 points)

 -1 because the driver spun more than my gamer. -1 because the stock setting looks a little closed to my eye. -1 because it is finicky to change out the small weights. Of note the driver’s stock swing weight was D5.8 and when I added the 10G weight to the toe the driver swing weight went to E0.1

228364070_CaptureMLM.PNG.a768ded690e459b2af6007938f492193.PNG795058887_CaptureGCQuad.PNG.c62756b77cc0e2c6ee2bbb689e112e95.PNG

 The trajectory is higher than my gamer, but still good (in the recommended range based on trackman recommendations). The club is very workable and has numerous settings to fine tune with the different weights. There was not a noticeable difference in accuracy from the two clubs. I did move more weight to the toe and was hitting the Sub70 Pro, “like a pro”. Total distance was good, but a little shorter than my gamer because it spun more. Hard to tell if that is more of a shaft thing, but that is my guess. Forgiveness was as expected and I was pleasantly surprised by the feel still being solid on low hits. This driver is adjustable. Changing out the weights on the club is not as easy as your standard weights that slide because you will have to carry the other weights in a pouch.  No problem with keeping the driver in play when I lofted down. With the stock settings, the club sat a little closed for my eye. I was pleased with the accuracy, the mishit’s feel, and the distance was good. The extra weights to find a good combo for swing weight and mishits is awesome. The one factor that is lacking is the club at its stock settings looks a little closed.

On-Course / LM Performance (27 out of 30 points)

I subtracted 3 points because the club was shorter, spun more, and it did not have a noticeable improvement.

The club performs well in all circumstances. I hit it well in the Monthly Rapsodo long drive contest where there are no mulligans. Three straight shots and they all count. (ignore the Launch direction on the Sub70, lining up the MLM is tough) 239780602_Sub70Rapsodo.jpeg.2998e0fc763e9fcb8329ec488933a59e.jpeg

 

I would rank this club right up there with the best of the best. I would rank it ahead of these clubs I have hit: TMade Sim2 (not a fan of the thing on the back of the club and it spins more than my current gamer), Ping G425 (do not like the grooves on top of the club), the PXG 0211 (not adjustable enough). My gamer, the TMade M1 works for me (shaft probably plays in to this too). I rank the clubs that I have hit this past year in the following order Gamer, Callaway Epic, Sub70, PXG 0211, Sim2, and Ping G425.

 This product changed my impression in a good way. As I eluded to in my intro, they did a couple extra things when the club was delivered like tees, stickers, notes so that was nice. The price point for the driver is great. Golfers can get the upgraded shaft and pay a similar price to the other guy’s stock driver shafts. I had an issue with the driver and their customer service is great!

 The features I would change are the head cover (it is a little snug) and the look of the club at address (looked closed compared to the M1). The feature I really like about the driver is the adjustability. I think you could really get dialed in without having to put lead tape on the driver. There are numerous combos to get the correct swing weight, loft, and feel with the removable weights. I did not notice a noticeable improvement in scores with the driver

golftec.jpg.216759547040115b0137865dbffc924f.jpg

Miscellaneous (8 out of 10 points)

I subtracted a couple points here because I had an issue with the driver epoxy. In the video attached. I think the issue is probably a 1 in 20,000. They did add couple extra things when the club was delivered like tees, stickers, notes so that was nice. The price point for the driver is great. Golfers can get the upgraded shaft and pay a similar price to the other guy’s stock driver shafts. I had an issue with the driver and their customer service is great!  

Play it or Trade it? (17 out of 20 points)

I am going to trade it. My Gamer, the M1, gave me my best year of golf in 2021. The Sub70 Pro has a great asking price, great customer service, and is a beautiful looking/sounding club. I would like to get some data with my Gamer Shaft (Tensie pro orange) in order to compare apples to apples. The 70 gram 6.5 low launch HZRDUS Smoke is a close shaft but it is not the same. This club is for a serious golfer looking to fine tune their feel.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the 849 Pro Driver has clean, classic lines, dark colors, and a nice pear shapes. The 450cc driver is smaller and allows a higher level ball striker maximum adjustability…The driver’s carbon head has up to 20 grams of weight adjustability in the heel, toe, and rear section of the head. I liked the look of the club better when I lofted down which opened the club face. I think you have an affordable, great looking/sounding driver that is workable in both directions. If they offer a shaft you love, I think this club can find a spot in your bag, just find a better head cover.

Final Score: (87 out of 100 points)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sub70 address.JPG

 

 

Brandon Johnson, MBA
COO / Co-founder North American Golf Tour 

www.northamericangolftour.com

e: bjohnson@northamericangolftour.com

WITB: 

  • D - Taylormade M1 w/ tensie pro orange 
  • 3w- Taylormade M1 w/ tensie pro orange 
  • 2i - Srixon 
  • 4- 5 Srixon 785 
  • 6- 9 Srixon z blades 
  • PW, GW, SW, LW Cleveland rtx 
  • true temper shafts in all of my irons 
  • putter - Odyssey #9
Link to review

120 Comments




Nice! Congrats everyone. 👏🏼 Actually looking fwd to the reviews on this driver … and as a bonus, seems like Sub70 haven’t been affected too much by supply chain issues.

Hopefully y’all get the driver soon. 

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Congrats guys! Very interested to see how this review goes. Driver has quickly become a strength in my bag, and this club and this company have me intrigued. Have some fun fellas!!

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Congrats to the testers.  Actually, happy that I didn't get chosen.  Things have changed since I submitted my request and, had I been chosen, I would have had to decline.   Headed off on a 3-4 week trip with a possible move to new location following, so I wouldn't have had the time to adequately review a product!  Again, congrats to the chosen testers and look forward to your reviews!

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229 Comments




Unless I'm missing something on their website, they want us to let them choose our specs

based on certain criteria that we fill in 

rather than let us choose our own specs  directly.

 

That would be a non-starter.

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2 hours ago, russtopherb said:

"Better player focused" is definitely not me but I'm sure this is going to be an amazing test for some spies. All of the Sub70 gear seems to get great reviews and I'm sure this will continue that trend. Good luck to everyone entering!

I wavered on whether to sign up given those words, but figured an 18 handicapper might actually be valuable for consistency, forgiveness, and standard deviation testing. And since I use two different drivers depending on how my back is feeling, this is one where I'd have comps for it against my "forgiving" and "long" drivers. 

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Good luck fellow spies. Just finished testing (Voice Caddie SL2), so time for others to get in on this one.  Just moved to the TSi2 (from the G400 Max I gamed for years) so need to give that some time in the bag.  Looking forward to the feedback from "the chosen" !

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41 minutes ago, CarlH said:

I'm in for this one.   Looking for a new driver, as it is.

So you're not getting along with the TSi any longer?

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6 minutes ago, Tom D. said:

So you're not getting along with the TSi any longer?

Must have me mixed up with someone else.  I'm hitting a Ping G400 Max.  Getting along with it fine.  But, I'm considering others.

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Would love to test this one. I am considering a new driver soon to replace an old Diablo Edge, and this one is on the short list. My plan is to get get a fitting to help the shaft and spec selection,

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18 minutes ago, CarlH said:

Must have me mixed up with someone else.  I'm hitting a Ping G400 Max.  Getting along with it fine.  But, I'm considering others.

Yep, obviously have you mixed up with someone else, and shouldn't have relied on my aging brain, but taken a few extra moments to actually look up the test to confirm.  I just moved from G400 Max that I gamed for a few years, to a TSi2 with the Tensei blue 55 reg flex shaft and found a few extra yards with the same level of forgiveness.  Good luck in your quest !

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