2024 New Drivers - What Is Your Favorite?

[max31man]

The Ping G430Max 10K has me the most excited! Maximum forgiveness that possibly doesn’t have crazy spin? Sign me up. I’m excited to do a true driver fitting this year as I’m due for an upgrade.

[StrokerAce]

TaylorMade Qi10 Series

-- why does the head shape look odd? like it's been stretched out or something...

Callaway Ai Smoke Series

-- did they have to stamp "AI Smoke" on the crown?

COBRA DARKSPEED Series

-- what's the fascination with blacked out/all black clubs?

PXG BLACK OPS Series

-- cannot stand that white "X"

XXIO 13 Series

-- those stripes on the crown are really distracting

PING G430 MAX 10K

-- looks just like the regular g430 but this would be the one I'd buy

Cleveland Launcher XL 2 Series

-- I like the simplicity of this and it's a close second

Kirkland Signature Driver

-- I just can't buy a club from a food warehouse

[OdinSnipes414]

25 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Sounds like you can save yourself a bunch of money and just buy the Aerojet!

I already saved more money by going SUB70  

[CudaKota66]

On 1/12/2024 at 11:09 AM, cnosil said:

Elaborating a little more.   I have been one of the MGS most wanted testers since 2017 and seldom is the most wanted club the ideal club for me and my swing.  
 

find what works for you!

Last year's MW Driver list had Stealth 2 at the top (yet many reviewers now say it wasn't forgiving; thus the Qi10) & had Paradym barely making the Top 20 (yet was the biggest selling driver of the year) 

I was solely a Cobra driver player until I hit the Epic on a whim....and my fitter switched the stock shaft to one better-fit to my swing.

As @cnosil stated, get fit! And don't just accept stock shaft offerings

[chisag]

10 minutes ago, CudaKota66 said:

Last year's MW Driver list had Stealth 2 at the top (yet many reviewers now say it wasn't forgiving; thus the Qi10) & had Paradym barely making the Top 20 (yet was the biggest selling driver of the year) 

 

... The Stealth2 was forgiving, just not uber forgiving. This year "forgiving" seems to be the buzz and 10k is just crazy forgiving. But it always comes at a trade off, larger longer front to back head to get the weight as far away from the face as possible and too much spin for some. 

[Nick_D]

I'm curious if the carbon face on the Qi10 is improved over stealth. I have pretty much ruled out all taylormade drivers since I've seen so many of the carbon faces breaking. I also can't stand a colored face, but thats just me.

[Wheelieb]

1 hour ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

We want your feedback for an upcoming article. Please take a few minute to fill out the following for as it would help us a bunch!

What Driver Are  You Most Excited For?

Just did

[Rob Person]

Survey completed 

[chisag]

1 hour ago, StrokerAce said:

TaylorMade Qi10 Series

-- why does the head shape look odd? like it's been stretched out or something...

Callaway Ai Smoke Series

-- did they have to stamp "AI Smoke" on the crown?

COBRA DARKSPEED Series

-- what's the fascination with blacked out/all black clubs?

PXG BLACK OPS Series

-- cannot stand that white "X"

XXIO 13 Series

-- those stripes on the crown are really distracting

PING G430 MAX 10K

-- looks just like the regular g430 but this would be the one I'd buy

Cleveland Launcher XL 2 Series

-- I like the simplicity of this and it's a close second

Kirkland Signature Driver

-- I just can't buy a club from a food warehouse

 

... So let me get this straight. Qi10 looks odd, AI Smoke on the crown isn't acceptable, blacked out and all black is for kids, white X is a big no no, stripes on the crown are distracting Sooooo you combined all the things you don't like into one head and this is what you would buy?  






 

[Javs]

Completed my survey

[KC Golf]

I may be contrarian but not a fan of that marbled look of the Callaway wood. Totally. Esthetic. 

[billybogey]

Stole Princess's PING425 in 2023. Think I'll keep it as do hit it Straighter. & another reason is to totally "Tick" her off!! A Good Thought?? Yep!!

[Wheelieb]

1 hour ago, chisag said:

 

... So let me get this straight. Qi10 looks odd, AI Smoke on the crown isn't acceptable, blacked out and all black is for kids, white X is a big no no, stripes on the crown are distracting Sooooo you combined all the things you don't like into one head and this is what you would buy?  






 

All it is is science…at least that’s my guess

[cnosil]

1 hour ago, chisag said:

 

... So let me get this straight. Qi10 looks odd, AI Smoke on the crown isn't acceptable, blacked out and all black is for kids, white X is a big no no, stripes on the crown are distracting Sooooo you combined all the things you don't like into one head and this is what you would buy?  

I am just glad I have no artistic things floating around in my head.....this is where mechanical is good     I do have preferences, but can easily get past them when I hit the club well!

[billpierce]

6 minutes ago, cnosil said:

I am just glad I have no artistic things floating around in my head.....this is where mechanical is good     I do have preferences, but can easily get past them when I hit the club well!

I am learning to not have this... funny I am old and I like all blacked out.

[StrokerAce]

2 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... So let me get this straight. Qi10 looks odd, AI Smoke on the crown isn't acceptable, blacked out and all black is for kids, white X is a big no no, stripes on the crown are distracting Sooooo you combined all the things you don't like into one head and this is what you would buy?  






 

Yep. That’s *exactly* what I said

[rkj427]

Completed the survey and based on the selections mentioned there are 3 that would at least garner some interest from me.

Cobra Darkspeed

Taylormade Q10

Ping G430 Max

Would need to compare them all against current driver to see if there are massive improvements or gains that would justify the costs.

Edited January 16 by rkj427

[Dweed]

Lots of great input and "IMO"'s. Always good to hear what folks think and point out misinformation if some happens to be discovered. If you're looking for a new driver this is some good stuff. Frankly I can't get too excited about these as the cost involved is just way over the top. I'll wait for a couple of years to watch for a deal that falls into my budget. 

[Randylahey]

On 1/12/2024 at 2:07 PM, Rob Person said:

Makes me wonder, if you put the MAX (or any club designed for a slower swing speed) into a pros hands,  if it would act in a different fashion than intended for that range of golfer. Ie, if it's designed to perform optimally at say 80- 90mph, how can someone at 110+ mph actually judge its performance. 

Morikawa is playing the new QI10 max is he not?

[cnosil]

19 minutes ago, Randylahey said:

Morikawa is playing the new QI10 max is he not?

Yep with a Diamana GT 50 TX shaft. 

[Wheelieb]

I think we need a true head to head of all the low spinning driver models. Just to see which one is the most forgiving of the “Tour players” head. 

[cnosil]

1 minute ago, Wheelieb said:

I think we need a true head to head of all the low spinning driver models. Just to see which one is the most forgiving of the “Tour players” head. 

Why does it have to be a low spinning head to be a "Tour players" head?   There are  numerous players that play the higher spinning and even the max versions of the drivers.   It all comes down to player needs.

MGS is about 60% done with most wanted driver testing so you will get your head to head comparison when they release the data. 

[Wheelieb]

7 minutes ago, cnosil said:

Why does it have to be a low spinning head to be a "Tour players" head?   There are  numerous players that play the higher spinning and even the max versions of the drivers.   It all comes down to player needs.

MGS is about 60% done with most wanted driver testing so you will get your head to head comparison when they release the data. 

The companies themselves say which head is their “tour” head or preferred “tour” head. Most of the tour players don’t need more spin and is why those low spinning heads are aimed towards them. Hence why I said stated what I did. 

[cnosil]

43 minutes ago, Wheelieb said:

The companies themselves say which head is their “tour” head or preferred “tour” head. Most of the tour players don’t need more spin and is why those low spinning heads are aimed towards them. Hence why I said stated what I did. 

We will just have do disagree on this.  Tour players play what is best for their game and not because of an OEM label.  For example Callaway say the AI Smoke Max is for high handicap to tour players.

[d0m41n]

I am just glad I have no artistic things floating around in my head.....this is where mechanical is good     I do have preferences, but can easily get past them when I hit the club well!

I’m in both worlds but the mechanical far outweighs any sort of artistic. If you get both great but performance is key.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Beachnut1134]

I've got fitting set for February 3 so I'm gonna try to go into it unbiased.  I was always a Cobra guy and have since gotten a Titleist and currently hitting TM Stealth. By far the most forgiving driver I've had but not the longest. Going to really look at the numbers and I'll let the group know what I went with and why. Driver is by far my weakest part of my game currently so hoping between new stretching program I just started and new stick we can fix that. 

[GaDawg]

12 hours ago, bbanksp1 said:

QI is definitely far and straighter from me than stealth. alot straighter. 

Which QI are you hitting? Max, LS or Standard

[bbanksp1]

3 minutes ago, GaDawg said:

Which QI are you hitting? Max, LS or Standard

Max

[Wheelieb]

1 hour ago, cnosil said:

We will just have do disagree on this.  Tour players play what is best for their game and not because of an OEM label.  For example Callaway say the AI Smoke Max is for high handicap to tour players.

We will disagree then. 

[sellemental]

Always so much hype when the new models come out, and as much as my brain says one thing, my desires say another !   Golf obsession is soooo much fun, but oh soooo dangerous!

I'm looking to upgrade this year and lower my spin, and just started testing out some models.  Told the fitter right away I wasn't interested in paying $600 for a new driver, and then the next day I see the Dark Speed model, and have to admit  I think I have a little crush on it !