MyGolfSpy's 2013 ULTIMATE Driver Test

[mudfish]

It's been a while since I've participated on the board (hell I haven't seen a golf club in 3 months), but this thread has really got me back into a golf state of mind... I cant wait for the results... I really don't need a new driver, and can't afford one really, but I plan on going out and hitting some just so I know what my feeling are about each club when I'm reading the reviews...

 

This thread has pulled me back into the golfing world, and now I'm itching for the snow to melt... bring it on Spring...

[GolfSpy WD]

It's been a while since I've participated on the board (hell I haven't seen a golf club in 3 months), but this thread has really got me back into a golf state of mind... I cant wait for the results... I really don't need a new driver, and can't afford one really, but I plan on going out and hitting some just so I know what my feeling are about each club when I'm reading the reviews...

 

This thread has pulled me back into the golfing world, and now I'm itching for the snow to melt... bring it on Spring...

 

I called Rogue's Roost, asking when they were going to open and they laughed at me...

[Drahcir]

It's been a while since I've participated on the board (hell I haven't seen a golf club in 3 months), but this thread has really got me back into a golf state of mind... I cant wait for the results... I really don't need a new driver, and can't afford one really, but I plan on going out and hitting some just so I know what my feeling are about each club when I'm reading the reviews...

 

This thread has pulled me back into the golfing world, and now I'm itching for the snow to melt... bring it on Spring...

 

You haven't seen a club in three months??? I'm jealous!! HA!! I live in Western NY, and haven't swung a club since mid September. Not sure if global warming is real or not, but I wouldn't mind warmer winters, less snow and more golf.

[fozcycle]

You haven't seen a club in three months??? I'm jealous!! HA!! I live in Western NY, and haven't swung a club since mid September. Not sure if global warming is real or not, but I wouldn't mind warmer winters, less snow and more golf.

 

 

Sounds like you need a little golf vacation!.......come on down to Tampa bay....the golf & weather is fantastic!

[par rules]

The testing method seems genuinely brilliant. Thank you for the explanation.

I am so pumped to see the results!

[The Dansome]

Are we there yet?

[Blade]

Are we there yet?

[Tony Covey MGS]

After a 1 week hiatus due to a combination of vacation (3 of of my testers) and disease (me) testing resumes tomorrow. The goal is to have all testing completed by April 5th, and to begin publishing results the following week.

 

I spent most of the day Saturday cleaning up the scoring formulas, and building the tables that track our 3 scoring categories (distance, accuracy, and consistency) as well as the most important table...the one that puts it all together with the appropriate category weighting and spits out the overall winner.

 

Some things you might find interesting:

 

It's far too early to declare a winner. I could probably give you 4-5 clubs that I'm 95% certain aren't going to win...another 2-3 clubs I'm 95% certain are going to finish in the top handful, after that...it's too close to call. As you might expect, there's not a huge distinction between drivers. As much as all of us would love a runaway winner, it's not going to happen.

 

Looking at the overall scoring table (which includes a handful of clubs where we have insufficient data), based on our overall scoring methods (weighted averages of 3 categories, drop the lowest TOTAL SCORE for each club), there is a 2.64140686 point difference between 1st and last. While this supports the Golf Digest (everybody gets a medal...and then everybody pays Golf Digest to license all their medals) model; I prefer to look at individual points...even 10th of points as being significant in the big picture.

 

As testers have hit clubs a 2nd, and in some cases a 3rd time, we've seen very little movement from the results of the first 10 shots. This suggests that while individual swings may vary from day to day, on balance (meaning across all clubs), there is still a consistency of performance.

 

Clubs are excelling in different areas. For example, some clubs may be longer than average, but not as accurate. Some may be more accurate, but not as consistent, and of course, there are others that on distance alone come up short, but the results are more consistent from swing to swing.

 

We weight the categories a certain way, but because some will place a premium on accuracy over distance, for example, we do believe it's important to break it out by performance category, and theoretically give the reader the option to weight things as he sees fit.

[4luvofthegame]

After a 1 week hiatus due to a combination of vacation (3 of of my testers) and disease (me) testing resumes tomorrow. The goal is to have all testing completed by April 5th, and to begin publishing results the following week.

 

I spent most of the day Saturday cleaning up the scoring formulas, and building the tables that track our 3 scoring categories (distance, accuracy, and consistency) as well as the most important table...the one that puts it all together with the appropriate category weighting and spits out the overall winner.

 

Some things you might find interesting:

 

It's far too early to declare a winner. I could probably give you 4-5 clubs that I'm 95% certain aren't going to win...another 2-3 clubs I'm 95% certain are going to finish in the top handful, after that...it's too close to call. As you might expect, there's not a huge distinction between drivers. As much as all of us would love a runaway winner, it's not going to happen.

 

Looking at the overall scoring table (which includes a handful of clubs where we have insufficient data), based on our overall scoring methods (weighted averages of 3 categories, drop the lowest TOTAL SCORE for each club), there is a 2.64140686 point difference between 1st and last. While this supports the Golf Digest (everybody gets a medal...and then everybody pays Golf Digest to license all their medals) model; I prefer to look at individual points...even 10th of points as being significant in the big picture.

 

As testers have hit clubs a 2nd, and in some cases a 3rd time, we've seen very little movement from the results of the first 10 shots. This suggests that while individual swings may vary from day to day, on balance (meaning across all clubs), there is still a consistency of performance.

 

Clubs are excelling in different areas. For example, some clubs may be longer than average, but not as accurate. Some may be more accurate, but not as consistent, and of course, there are others that on distance alone come up short, but the results are more consistent from swing to swing.

 

We weight the categories a certain way, but because some will place a premium on accuracy over distance, for example, we do believe it's important to break it out by performance category, and theoretically give the reader the option to weight things as he sees fit.

 

Drooling......Drooling......we have to wait till like April 10th!!!! Depressing.........sounds like an outstanding review and well worth the wait......great job, know it is a TON of DATA and TESTING, and WORK!!!

[Tony Covey MGS]

3 More hours of testing are in the books. We have just over 600 shots to hit as a group before this test is complete.

 

I've made some changes to the scoring tables...instead of pure distance, we're keying off of Total Driving (distance - accuracy). This is the money stat on the PGA tour, and it make sense that we use it at the basis to trim the garbage shots and calculate our averages.

 

As original reported, we'll have 3 separate scoring categories (distance, accuracy, and consistency). The overall winner will be based on the highest score for total driving (best 5 of 6 for each club). All the underlying math remains unchanged. This puts us in better shape for building a comparative table of not only the clubs in this review, but in all the drivers we test moving forward, both as one-offs and as part of larger reviews like this one.

 

Notes from today's testing:

#1 and #2 distance leaders remain unchanged with the updated data, however, we do have one club coming out of nowhere making a very strong move up the charts so to speak.

I'd almost be comfortable picking an accuracy winner right now...but I won't. 8 clubs are basically in the mix for 2nd. With only 600 shots left to hit (it sounds like more than it actually is), it's unlikely #1 will be caught, and equally as unlikely any club outside the top 10 will sneak in.

There is a clear leader for consistency as well, however, given the number of shots still left for the leader, I expect the numbers will dip (they're ungodly high right now...I don't think they'll hold, but if they do, it will be the story of the test)

 

We had a handful of 300 yard drives today. Our biggest hitter, Brian, accounted for all but one of them.

[fozcycle]

This sounds like a barn burner!

[TwoSolitudes]

Can't wait for the results!

[4luvofthegame]

Not to ask a dumb question...........but to ask a dumb questin........What is the difference between accuracy and consistency?

[Tony Covey MGS]

Not to ask a dumb question...........but to ask a dumb questin........What is the difference between accuracy and consistency?

 

In simplest terms accuracy is how far off the target line a given shot finishes. We look at accuracy slightly differently than that...we actually look at how far offline a shot travels for each yard it travels up the fairway. And for the first time we're looking at % of fairways hit as well.

 

Consistency is what the industry generally calls "forgiveness". This is a bit harder to quantify with humans, and so the application of the term for scoring purposes is challenging. That said, what we look at when we consider consistency are:

 

Variations in distance (how does the longest shot compare to the shortest, to everything in between)

Variations in accuracy (yards offline)

Variations in ball speed (nobody who tests with us hits the center of the face every time, so we look at the differences in ball speed from shot to shot)

Finally...as I've mentioned before, we have formulas that trim the fat so to speak (they look for shots outside of what we define as the normal range, and drop them from the calculations for averages and scoring), so the last thing we look at is what percentage of shots did we have to drop for a given club, the smaller the number of tossed shots, the higher the consistency score.

 

One final thing to point out...the entire shot pool is equal for all clubs. What that means is we collected the same number of viable* shots for each club in our test on a per tester basis. If a tester hit 20 viable shots with the G25, he hit 25 viable shots with the PING G25, he hit that same 25 shots with every club in the test. The goal is to make things completely even across the board and let chips fall where they may.

 

*Viable is defined as reasonable or better contact. Balls off the crown, worm burners, that sort of thing...we toss before we even start crunching the numbers (they never happened), slices, hooks, as well as high or low shots where quality of contact is ok...those count.

[The Artful Duffer]

The suspense is killing me...and I'm not even in the market for a new driver.

 

Edit: Who am I kidding I'm always in the market for new clubs.

[Tony Covey MGS]

We have 4 hours of testing scheduled tomorrow during which 2 of our 6 testers will hit their final shots of the test. Another tester will finish next Wednesday, with everyone else finishing either just before or just after that.

 

It's been quite an adventure, and minus the small detail of having to write it all up, it's good to see the end in sight.

[revkev]

Come on T the write up is a can of corn for you.

[fozcycle]

Come on T the write up is a can of corn for you.

 

or will it be......a can of worms?

[The Artful Duffer]

or will it be......a can of worms?

 

Or a can of whoop ass...opened by the boutiques on the major OEM's

[4luvofthegame]

I think T's comments are telling. With something like only 2 points separating the top and bottom entry's, it is almost like "choose which driver fits your eye best and feels the best to you and go out and get it".

 

The only other factors that might be considered might be if one of the drivers covers over a swing fault of some kind.

 

Still can't wait to hear the results though. It is nice to know that the shinny new Ping G25 I just bought wont be a horrible choice, LOL. Next week can't get here soon enough for me.

[Tony Covey MGS]

You'll see bigger gaps in individual categories, as well as bigger gaps on a per tester basis. It's no big surprise that some of these drivers work better for certain drivers than others. Usually it's a handful that are really in the mix, a handful that aren't good fits (off-the-rack of course), and everything else in the middle.

 

The single biggest exception I've seen so far...with 1 of the clubs in the test, numbers for our senior tester absolutely popped. Basically it made him 15 years younger off the tee. Scary difference. We'll see if it happens again when we test today, but I'm talking nearly every shot 15+ yards longer than anything else he's hit (and he's hit everything in the test). Based on how we calculate distance, the end result is that his scores for every other driver dipped...some of them significantly. Again...totally UNREAL results, and so today, we'll find out if the un-reality of it all holds up to a 2nd round of testing.

 

For those interested in today's schedule (all times Eastern)

 

11:30-12:30 - Brian (he'll finish today)

2:30 - 3:30 - Lou

3:30 - 5:30 - Yours truly and Mark

 

I'm going to be tweeting (@golfspyt) and whatnot as the situation calls for. As for finishing up.

 

Lou - early next week (done)

Mark - Wednesday (done)

Me - Wednesday (done)

Blake - Wednesday & Friday (done)

Joe - Wednesday or Friday (done)

 

So that's it...we basically lost two days due to pneumonia, so we finish Friday instead of Wednesday, but that's not too bad.

[Tony Covey MGS]

Here's what Brian hit today:

 

[Walkerjames]

He must be sore!

[HillWilliam]

Thanks for the update and braving pestilence to keep on schedule for the driver review. It's supposed to hit 60 degrees Sunday in Chicago so both Jesus and our golf games will be celebrating their resurrection (no sacrilege intended). If your ball ends up in remaining snow, is it a free drop?

 

Anyway, curious as to your senior hitters second time around with this "elixir of youth" driver. Don't tell my brother. If it's legit and he starts hitting his approach shots from where I do he'll kick my sorry rear. Oh, and thanks for the driver eye candy...I already bought the Razr Fit Extreme but the Cleveland scores huge points on looks alone..

[4luvofthegame]

T,

 

Iam all ears when you start talking senior player and 15 extra yards per club. Not to senior yet but working intensely on it.

[Tony Covey MGS]

A quick update on our senior tester: His numbers weren't nearly as good with the fountain of youth driver today. I suspect he was trying to get even more out of it and well...as it usually goes when you try that trick, it failed.

 

Here's what he hit today:

[Tony Covey MGS]

Big Update:

 

I've just finished importing yesterday's testing data. Unfortunately I miscounted, and Brian still has 5 shots to hit...so nobody is done yet.

 

After analyzing the latest updates - and with 367 shots left to be hit, I can say this:

 

• I am 95% confident that the #1 and #2 spots for overall distance have been settled. There's an outside chance something could sneak in, but based on what's left to hit, and how the guys have hit those clubs in the first couple of rounds, I don't see much changing.
• If I'm 95% confident about the top finishers in Distance, I'm 97.5% certain of who is finishing #1 overall for accuracy. #2 and beyond are unsettled.
• Consistency is still a toss-up, but there has been some movement.
• I'm 99% certain which clubs are going to finish #16 and #17. The bottom is all but settled, and I don't expect any movement there.
• As for the overall (Total Driving) #1, Based on what's left to hit, and how the guys who have to do the hitting have performed with those clubs, I do expect the current order to change. I have passed along my predictions to GolfSpy X, and my gut tells me that while the order will change, 4 of the top 5 are settled.

One other teaser for you to chew on...

There's going to be an unexpected story-line that comes out of the bottom handful of clubs.

 

Anecdotal stuff:

Was just txting back and forth with Matt, and I thought I'd share with you as well. As we get deeper into this...and this is my experience...not sure about the other testers...clubs are basically breaking out into 3 categories for me. The first is a group which I feel gives me the opportunity to achieve maximum allowable distance (with my current launch conditions, it's about 300 Yards with roll). These are the clubs that even if I'm not especially consistent with them, I look forward to hitting most...and for the most part, the numbers suggest that I'm probably right to think of them that way....you know...except for that accuracy (and consistency) thing. I believe that even if we know better...it's more fun to hit the clubs you hit longest.

 

The other two groups are clubs that I don't feel give me any real opportunity to hit that 300 mark. The first is clubs I like for one reason or another...I hit them straight-enough (by my standards), and I really like the aesthetic qualities of them, but I'm positive they're not going to get me to 300. Of course, in nearly every case, I have to believe that a different shaft might get me there...especially if I otherwise really, really, like the club. These are basically clubs I wish I hit just a little better than I do.

 

The last group is clubs I simply don't love. For whatever reason they don't look right, or they simply don't perform, and I feel like no amount of tinkering can get me close to the performance I'd want. They are basically clubs I have zero interest in hitting again...and I know our testers feel the same way about certain clubs. As we get deeper into the test, I suspect that performance dips are happening in part due to a lack of enthusiasm. It becomes less of a "let's see what this can do", and more of a "let's get this over with" situation.

 

Very likely we're done testing until next Wednesday, however, it's going to be a huge testing day. All 6 club testers in action, and we'll finish the day with less than 60 shots left on the table. Current schedule has us wrapping this up next Friday.

[Tony Covey MGS]

Just a few more quick notes:

 

The best individual distance score (golfer): 96.48177

Current leader in the distance category (club): 94.727838

 

Best individual accuracy score: 96.79617

Current leader in the accuracy category: 92.105

 

Best individual consistency score is: 99.746 (I don't expect this to last)

Current leader in the category: 95.601

 

Best individual score Total Driving (overall): 94.704

Current leader for category (Best Overall Driver in Golf): 92.25887

 

 

[HillWilliam]

The Wilson Superlight makes sense for a senior whose SS is under 95...Sets up nice, light shaft probably increases club head speed. If the hitter can get good feedback from the club during the swing it's a great, relatively inexpensive alternative.

 

As for the standings, I agree with T's assertion that you swing what looks best to you at address or if a particular club addresses your personal swing flaw in a way that it separates it from the rest. Intriguing number is the variance between the leaders of accuracy and consistency. Will be interesting to see how the consistency results are influenced. Short hitters that are accurate? Long hitters that are wild? All good food for thought.

[Rosen]

I can hardly contain my excitement. I have been following this thread like it was my job for the past 57 days. Some days checking it 5 or 6 times for any information, that will reveal the answer to the ultimate question.

After what seemed like an eternity I was able to get back on the golf course this past weekend. To know ones surprise my present gamer still sucked. So i ask you, no i beg of you please reveal to me the answer. Which driver will best suit a guy who swings 105 mph, likes to push and pull shots, has a tendency to come out of the swing and likes to dip (a lot) in his back swing.... I'm just joking. I swing like Adam Scott and can hit any driver with any shaft on the market 300+ yards.

 

Still, I look forward to the results.

 

Thanks for all the hard work.

 

Eric