As I mentioned in my introductory post, this year’s Golf Gear Guide will be a bit different from years past.  Instead of breaking the guide down by manufacturer, I’ve decided to do it by category.  I made the change for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, my hope is it will allow me to include products that might otherwise have been left out in a brand by brand approach. Secondly, it eliminates awkward gaps in those situations where a particular company might not have anything new and exciting in particular category (fairway woods spring to mind).  Thirdly, and most importantly, I’m hoping it will prevent me from having to repeat myself, over and over and over again.

Don’t get me wrong, I love golf gear.  I live for this time of year when new products are being announced.  I live for demo days and other hands on events.  I love to talk, write, and play golf.  The things is, as much as all of the clubs are different, there is a lot of similarity too.  What I mean by that is that all the important buzzwords (MOI, COR, COG/CG, stability, forgiveness, etc.) apply across the board.  While the actual manufacturer’s approaches may differ slightly, just about every club I’ll discuss in the guide is built to help the average golfer get the ball in the air and keep it straight.  Yes, there are exceptions, and I will point those out where they apply, but please, please don’t hold it against me if, in the interest of my own sanity, I keep the marketing mumbo jumbo to a minimum.

On to the drivers…

TaylorMade R9

It seems nearly unimaginable that it’s been 5 years since TaylorMade introduced Moveable Weight Technology (MWT) in their R7 Quad driver ($700+ at the time).  For 2009 the company has announced the R9 series driver, TaylorMade’s first to feature Flight Control Technology (FCT).  FCT is quite simply the evolution of MWT technology.  In addition to 3 precisely placed moveable weights, which TaylorMade claims work more efficiently than previous 4 weight models, FCT allows the golfer (with the help of a special wrench) to change the face angle, loft, and lie to 8 different configurations.  MWT and FCT combine to provide the golfer with what could be considered 24 drivers in one.

The design of the clubhead has been described by TaylorMade as “New Classic”.  Rather than argue over whether or not something can be both new and classic, I will simply tell you that the shape is best described as a combination of the R7 SuperQuad (which I still carry in my bag – and probably will until the face collapses, and last year’s R7 Limited; which from what I can tell from pictures, looks a bit like a very soft, rounded triangle.  The New Classic thing is starting to make a bit more sense now; although it might not be conventional enough for my tastes.

As is the case with just about every driver TaylorMade produces, the R9 will also be available in a TP model.  Unlike previous years where the Tour Preferred model was differentiated from the standard by slight variations in the clubhead, the only difference between the R9 and the R9 TP is the shaft.  Both feature the new Fujikura Motore 65-gram graphite shaft with High-Inertia Tip (H.I.T.) Technology (see what I mean about the marketing?).  The TP model (actually the Motore F1 – are we selling clubs or cars here?) is slightly stiffer with lower torque.

While it might sound gadgety or even gimmicky, I’m certainly willing to give the R9 a try.  Of course, this is coming from a guy who never met a TaylorMade he didn’t like.  Since the R9 shaft completely detaches from the clubhead during the whole adjusting thing, there’s no reason to believe there won’t be a bevy of aftermarket shaft options available for those who want even more configurability.

The R9, available on March 20th, will be available in lofts of 8.5º, 9.5º and 10.5º degrees.  MSRP is $500.  More information is available at www.taylormadegolf.com.

Titleist 909 Series

The 909 series is the latest offering from Titleist.  The latest offering includes 3 different options (each with a specific type of golfer in mind).  All feature Titleist’s timeless pear shaped head, and all feature a blind bore hosel design, which Titleist says promotes stability.  All 3 models also feature a “tuned sole” with pockets and an internal rib which help to reduce clubhead vibration.

While the 909 series is exactly what you might expect from Titleist, there are a few things that really stand out.  To the best of my recent recollection, the 909 COMP is Titleist’s first driver to feature a composite crown (not that you can tell without close inspection).  The lighter crown allows Titleist to free up some weight to help do the whole low COG thing.  Gone (or at least missing) is a Triangular-shaped D1 model.  While there is still room for a 909 D1, meaning Titleist could reintroduce the design at a later date, my hope is that they’ve completely abandoned the design in favor of the more conventional pear shape.  That leaves the 909 D2 as the best option for the average golfer who wants full titanium construction.

Finally, there’s the 909 D3.  While just about every other manufacturer has stopped producing anything under the 460cc limit, Titleist continues to make an undersized (at least by today’s standards) 440cc, D3 model.  The D3 is the most popular of the 909 series on tour, which tells me a couple of things.  Firstly, it’s designed to be the most workable of the 909 series; a true players club.  Secondly, I have no business putting one in my hands, but I still applaud Titleist for addressing the wants (if not the needs) of the best golfers among us.

All 3 members of the 909 family include a factory installed SureFit Swing Screw, which again, is all about placement of the COG.  While it’s not golfer configurable (nothing like TaylorMade’s MWT), it is a technological step forward for Titleist that allows them to compete for the affections of the gadgetry-obsessed golfer (like myself), while still remaining the driver of choice for purists.

While I love the sound and feel of Titleist drivers, it may be a while before I’m ready to go back to one (forgiveness is still my top priority).  I am curious to see how the sound of the COMP model compares to the perfect sound of other Titleist drivers.  These are questions for demo days, I suppose.

The 909 COMP has a MSRP of $550 and comes stock with the Titleist Matrix Ozik XCON (5 or 6) shaft.  The D2 and D3 retail for $450 and come stock with either the Diamana Blue 65 or Aldila VooDoo shafts.  While I can’t imagine one of those shafts wouldn’t work for you, Titleist continues to offer the most reasonable shaft upcharge pricing in the industry.  It’s available in lofts of 8.5º, 9.5º, 10.5º, and 11.5º (D3 excluded).  More information is available at www.titleist.com.

Callaway FT-IQ

The 2nd generation of Callaway’s foray into the square driver market hit store shelves last November.  The FT-IQ is reportedly the longest and straightest driver the company has manufactured to date.  An abundance of Callaway technology (Hyperbolic Face, Fusion Technology, Visible External Weighting) are built into the FT-IQ, which means it an excellent choice for golfers looking for more distance and a straighter ball flight.

While I haven’t had a chance to swing the new FT-IQ, it won’t stop me from mentioning a couple of caveats from the original FT-i.  Visually, the square shape takes some getting used to for sure.  Of course, having watched a 12 year old I got paired up with last summer hammer the ball up and down fairways all day long went a long way towards adjusting my eyes.  I’ve also never been fan of the sounds of composite drivers.  The original FT-I was an acoustical improvement over previous composite designs, so here’s hoping the trend continues.  You should also note that the IQ is a bit more rounded suggesting the days of a truly square head might be coming to an end nearly as quickly as they began.

The FT-IQ is available in lofts of 9º, 10º, 11º, and 13º in the standard model and 8.5º and 9.5º in the Tour model.  The stock shaft is a Mitsubishi Rayon Fubuki (say that 3 times fast and see if you don’t get in trouble). Retail price is $499 for the ladies and standard model. The FT-IQ Tour retails for just under $530.  For Golfer’s looking for composite construction with a more traditional shape should consider Callaway’s new FT-9.  More info is available from www.callawaygolf.com

Callaway Big Bertha Diablo

For many, the Big Bertha brand is synonymous with Callaway.  It was, for all intense and purposes, the driver that put the company on the industry map.  For 2009 Callaway will be offering up the newest member of the Big Bertha family of drivers; the Diablo.  The new Diablo features Callaway’s Edge Technology, which is what Callaway is using to describe the shape and performance aspects of the clubhead.  As you might expect, it’s all about Center of Gravity placement, and MOI.  Edge Technology helps the golfer square the face at impact which leads not only to more power, but to many, many fewer balls spun off into the woods.

The head of Diablo features 4 piece construction, which is unusual in an all-titanium head.  Callaway is essentially using the same building process they use for their composite heads for the Diablo.  The result is an extremely light crown, which, as we should all know by now, means more weight can be placed lower and to the far edges of the clubhead.  It’s all about forgiveness.

There’s definitely a lot to like (at least on paper) about the Diablo, but despite all its features, one thing really stands out above the rest; the price.  With a retail price of $299, the Diablo is one of the more affordable drivers available in 2009.  With all of us cutting things out of the budget, a $299 driver is a whole lot more palatable than a $500 one.  Although either way, I’d still catch hell at home.

The Big Bertha Diablo, available in both neutral (8º, 9º, 10º) and draw (9º, 10º, 11º, 13º) bias,  hits store shelves in March.  More information will is available on www.callawaygolf.com.

Nike Dymo Series

Following up on last year’s SUMO series, Nike has announced the new for 2009 Dymo driver.  Just like in years past, the Dymo will be available with a conventionally shaped head, as well as a square-shaped Dymo².  What’s exciting about this year’s offering from Nike is that they will be offering both Dymo heads with their new STR8-Fit configuration.  Without being privy to all of the engineering details, what I can tell you is that STR8-FIT reads like it’s very similar to TaylorMade’s Flight Control Technology.

STR8-FIT head and shaft combinations can be configured in 1 of 8 different settings, which allow you to alter things like lie, loft, and clubface orientation.  Presumably, STR8-FIT addresses what some have considered to be a hole in the Nike driver lineup; the lack of a Tour model head.  By allowing the golfer to configure the driver open, closed, or perfectly squared, STR8-FIT should provide an ideal configuration for every golfer.  According to the Nike guys, a 10.5º STR8-FIT driver could be adjusted such that the effective loft could be anywhere from 8.5º to 12.5º.  Golf.com has a great chart showing the effect of each of the 8 shaft positions.  I think my head just exploded.  The STR8-FIT shaft completely detaches from the head, which means Nike has essentially built interchangeable shaft design into the STR8-FIT system, you know…just in case.

For the last couple of years Nike has lauded its PowerBow Technology as one of the many reasons why their drivers are so forgiving.  PowerBow Technology is essentially Nike’s internal weighting system, and what they use to manipulate CG and improve MOI.   For 2009, Nike has introduced a progressive weighting approach to its PowerBow Technology.  Simply stated, the weight of the PowerBow (the silver-colored, U-shaped, visible weight at the rear of the head) itself varies depending on the loft of the clubhead.  The higher the loft, the heaver the weight.  It should almost go without saying that this design improvement allows Nike to optimize both MOI and CG based on each particular loft.

As you may recall, the Original SQ² is widely considered to be the worst sounding driver of the last decade (if not the history of time).  Last year’s model was an improvement, however; it still sounded more like a baseball bat than a driver.  The good news is, the guys over at thehackersparadise.com have been fortunate enough to try the new Dymo drivers, and overall they’re very happy with the acoustical improvements. They’re also big fans of the driver in a more general sort of way.  My local pro shop has the Dymo in stock so once I shake off a bit of the winter rust, I’m going to head over and check it out for myself.

All Dymo drivers come stock with the UST AVIX shaft, which is available in a variety of weights and flexes.  STR8-FIT drivers are expected to hit shelves in and April with a retail price of$540.  Non-adjustable Dymo models with hit stores in February at a cost of $360.  For more information, see www.nikegolf.com

Cleveland HiBore Monster XLS

While other companies were developing square heads, and triangular heads, and even pentagonal heads, the engineers at Cleveland were working on the HiBore design.  Now some 3+ years later I’m telling you about the 3rd generation of the HiBore, the Monster XLS.  With his big honkin’ face, and sloped crown design, the HiBore is unique to be sure.  And while there are some detractors, the HiBore design has plenty of fans, and although I’ve never owned I HiBore, I definitely count myself among them.

In true evolutionary fashion, there is nothing dramatically different about this year’s Monster.  The head has been modified such that the face is 16% larger than last year’s XLS, and the overall shape has been refined to a point that, to my eyes anyway, appears to creep a bit towards square.   Cleveland has placed 24 grams of weight at key points around the perimeter of the club, which along with its Distance Driven Geometry (low and deep), make the HiBore Monster XLS an extremely long and forgiving club.

The HiBore Monster XLS is available in standard (neutral), draw (closed), and tour (440cc/2º open) models with either the Fujikura Flight Fit-On gold or red shaft.  The Monster is available in lofts of  8.5º, 9.5º, 10.5º, and 11.5º.  One final note about the Monster; the toe graphics change color under UV light, which let you know that your club is authentic, which will matter to the eBay crowd.  Street price for the Monster XLS is around $300.

For those looking for a more conventionally shaped club, Cleveland recently updated their very popular Launcher model.  More information is available from www.clevelandgolf.com

Cobra Golf King Cobra L5V

Big brother Titleist has nothing on its little brother, Cobra Golf, when it comes to producing great drivers.  While the Titleist brand often caters to the low handicap golfer, Cobra frequently creates clubs targeted at the average to higher handicap player.  Such is the case with the L5V, which builds on the strengths of last year’s L4V.  And while there’s lots of cool technology built into the new L5V, what’s probably most important to us is this; it’s the longest and straightest driver Cobra has produced in the 35 year history of the brand.

The L5V, which Cobra features an extremely hot face (COR has been pushed to the USGA limit), which Cobra claims is the largest face in all of golf.  Like previous models, the L5V boasts multi-material construction (titanium face/carbon crown), which of course allows designers to place discretionary weight low, and to the edge of the clubhead (forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness).

New this year is Cobra’s Adjustable Flight Technology which, although not as robust as those built into the TaylorMade R9, or Nike STR8-FIT, does allow the golfer to easily switch between neutral and draw configurations.  It also opens up the door to interchangeable shafts; and should you want to go that route, Cobra offers 30 different shaft options for the L5V (the stock shaft is a Mitsubishi Diamana Red).

As I’ve said numerous times, I’m generally not a fan of composite drivers (it’s a sound thing), but I actually really liked last year’s L4V, and can’t wait to try out the L5V.  Cobra has been making composite crowned drivers for a while now, and they certainly do it as well or better than anyone.

As in past years, the L5V utilizes Cobra’s Speed Tuning system, which means there are 3 models available.  This guarantees there’s a L5V for every swing type.  The M series is for slower swing speeds, while the F series is designed with the average golfer in mind.  For those who can really crank it, an X model is available through special order.  The L5V is available in lofts of 8.5º, 9.5º, 10.5º, and 11.5º, although not all lofts are available on all heads.

Retail price for the L5V is $399.  Also check out the more traditionally shaped Cobra S9-1 Series due to hit stores later this month.  More information is available at www.cobragolf.com.

Adams Speedline

A couple of years ago I got a nasty email from an Adams fan who was pretty much out of his mind irate that I didn’t include Adams in my guide.  It’s a mistake I won’t make again, but anyway…

While the announcement of an A4 and A4OS (updates to last year’s hugely popular A3/A3OS) is certainly noteworthy, what really caught my eye was the brand new Speedline Driver.  While other companies are tinkering with moveable weights and adjustable shafts, the guys at Adams took a less conventional, yet strangely obvious approach to increasing distance; they stuck the clubhead in a wind tunnel.

The engineers at Adams actually used Wind Tunnel technology to improve the aerodynamics of the clubhead, and thus reduce clubhead drag, which as you can probably figure out, increases clubhead speed.  They incorporated something called computational fluid dynamics when designing the new Speedline head.  Quite honestly, I started to read all about it on the Speedline site, but it gave me a headache.  A man shouldn’t have to do that much thinking outside the office, you know? Bottom line; wind tunnels and fluid dynamics are coming to a pro shop near you.

Anyway, the people over at Adams claim the new design results in a 3-4 MPH increase in overall clubhead speed, which translates to an increase of up to 10 yards (actual results, as they often do, will vary).  Now I’m universally skeptical of any claims of absolute yardage increases, but at least there some science that I can understand at work here (at least until I ran into that fluid dynamics stuff).  Most importantly, however, is that the new Speedline promises, low drag, high speed, and…wait for it…high MOI, which as we all know (sing it with me) equals forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness.  Distance without sacrifice is really what the Speedline is all about.

While I’m still a couple of months away from golfing weather here in my frigid NY office, the Adams Speedline is high on my list of must try clubs for 2009.  The Speedline, which comes stock with a 60g Grafalloy ProLaunch Axis shaft is available in lofts of 8.5º, 9.5º, and 10.5º.  The draw version of the driver is available in 9.5º ,10.5º, 12.5º, and HL lofts.  Retail price is expected to be $399 when the Speedline hits shelves in February.

Adams is so convinced you’ll see a measurable increase in your swing speed, they’re offering an addition 20% on your trade in towards the purchase of a Speedline (through April at authorized Adams dealers and demo days events).  More information is available at www.adamsgolf.com.

TourEdge XCG-V

For a few years now I’ve held a quiet admiration for TourEdge.  I truly believe that, although their clubs don’t always get the attention of some of the others on this list, the company is one of the biggest innovators in the golf equipment business.  This year I’ve decided to be a little less quiet, and will be giving TourEdge some serious play as we work through the various posts in this year’s golf guide.

All other factors aside, TourEdge’s new XCG-V, offers the ultimate solution for golfers looking for the most different types of metal in their clubhead (this may be the most ridiculous sentence I write in the entire gear guide).  Now I’m willing to bet not one of you who reads this is thinking “I want a club with lots of different kinds of metal in it”, but I still think the Tri-metal construction of the XCG-V is worth pointing out.  As you might expect, the club features a titanium face (that’s just sort of how everyone does it these days).  The sole, however, is made from steel, while the crown is formed from magnesium.   According to Tour Edge, “This combination of advanced materials delivers an unprecedented ability to distribute weight within a driver head.”  Guess what?  It’s all about distributing weight (49% of it) below the ball and to the corners of the clubhead.  The idea itself is not unique, but the implementation is one of a kind.

When compared to the previous Exotics driver, the XCG-V offers and ridiculous 125% larger face with a 30% larger hot zone.  Unlike last year’s Exotics XLD, the head shape itself  is very much traditional, which will almost certainly appeal to a broader audience than the pentagonal design of its predecessor.

The TourEdge XCG-V is available in lofts of 9º, 10.5º, and 12º.  Your stock shaft options include the very popular Aldila VooDoo or the GraphiteDesigns Exotics.  Retail price for the XCG-V is $499.  Golfers looking for all titanium construction should consider the TourEdge GeoMax driver.  Visit www.exoticsgolf or www.touredge.com for more information.

Ping Rapture V2

I don’t like Ping, and here’s why.  Every year my local golf shop has a couple of big sales, and each and every year there is an unpleasant little disclaimer on the sales flyer that reads “excludes Ping merchandise”.  Now I get that the industry tightly controls prices.  I actually applaud all the manufacturers for doing so because it allows your hometown proshop to compete with the big box stores of the golf world, but…you can’t even see the price of a Ping club online, at least not without adding it to your cart.  It’s a small thing to be sure, but when I can see pricing, or even catch a sale on Titleist, TaylorMade, Callaway, and just about everyone else, well, it leaves the taste of bitter titanium in my mouth.

Pricing policy rant aside (it’s not like I’m calling for a boycott or anything), I love Ping clubs, their woods in particular.  Several years ago I almost bought a G2 driver.   A couple years after that I almost bought a G5.  It’s not as if the Pings weren’t great clubs, in fact, I perhaps would have been better off with the G5, I most definitely would have been better off with the G2.  All of this brings us to the Rapture V2; the second generation of Ping’s Rapture series; the green monster of golf if you will.

Apart from forgiveness, more distance on off-center hits, etc., the Rapture V2 is all about high launch with low spin.  The mostly-titanium construction is supplemented by a couple of Tungsten heel pads, which are designed to help square the face at impact.  It has an aggressively tapered crown (sort of a more traditional looking HiBore-esque design), which allows for huge face, while still placing the center of gravity low and to the rear of the clubhead.

Ping is billing the Rapture V2 as “Maximum Enjoyment”, which to me means more time spent on the fairways, and less time walking through the woods.  While I won’t tell you that you should absolutely buy a Rapture V2, my experience has taught me that those placing a premium on forgiveness, but who also demand a conventionally shaped head, should most certainly put Ping near the top of their list.  More information can be found at www.pinggolf.com.

PowerBilt Air Force One

It would be a mistake on my part not to include the new Air Force One from Powerbilt in the Gear Guide.  While Powerbilt can drop acronyms (CG, COR, and MOI) as well as anybody, they’re also doing something that is either revolutionary, or completely insane.  It might actually be both; but crazy or not, what I do know for sure is there is a huge amount of interest in the new Nitrogen powered clubs from same guys behind the popular Louisville Slugger and Bionic brands.

For those of you reading about the Air Force One for the first time, the quick story is that Powerbilt built a clubhead, and then pumped 150PSI worth of Nitrogen into it.  The more time I spend around golf clubs, and more specifically the marketing of those clubs, the more of a skeptic I become.  I’d be lying if, at first glance, I didn’t the whole Nitrogen thing was a huge gimmick, but hokey or not, the Nitrogen injection allowed the engineers at Powerbilt to create the thinnest fact in all of golf; a remarkable 30% thinner than the average face on the market today.  Conventional thinking (and probably science too) suggests that thinner faces lead to more distance.  In fact, according to the Powerbilt website, the company guarantees that you’ll improve your distance with the AFO driver by 10-20 yards, regardless of your swing speed.  That’s a very bold claim.

Of course, distance is only half the equation.  How does Powerbilt address the forgiveness concerns of the average golfer?  As it turns out, in addition to allowing for a hot face, Nitrogen also happens to be weightless.  Since the Nitrogen provides all of the support for clubface, it eliminates the need for the mechanical bracing found in other designs.  Removing mass (braces or otherwise) as you should all know by now, allows for additional weight to be placed lower, and to the edges of the clubhead; which of course makes for an easy to hit, forgiving club.

The Air Force One is available in two models; the squarish Geo, and the more traditionally shaped player’s model.  The Geo is available in lofts of 9.5, 10.5, and 12,5.  The Players model is available in lofts of 8.5º, 9.5º, and 10.5º.  More information is available at www.powerbilt.com.

One from 2008 – Bobby Jones Workshop Driver

My favorite driver from last season.  Granted, it lacks some of the high tech bells and whistles, like moveable weights, interchangeable or adjustable shafts, but Jesse Ortiz’s workshop design makes for an absolutely beautiful driver.  Esthetically, it’s my favorite driver of all time.  It also happens to offer great sound and feel, as well as its fair share of forgiveness.  The Bobby Jones Brand isn’t as well known as some of the others on this list, but you should definitely take some swings with the Workshop Driver if you have the chance.

While I don’t have any actual information, if you check out Tony from Hooked on Golf Blog’s interview with Jesse Ortiz, you might infer that something new for ’09 is in the works from Bobby Jones.

More information is available at www.bobbyjonesgolf.com.