Review of Golf Drivers

Golfers change their driver more often than any other club in their bag. Every year, manufacturers come up with newer and better models and golfers want to know which one is the best driver of them all. However; the best golf driver for one may not be the best golf driver for another person. We all have different swings and different strengths and weaknesses. That makes golf reviews that much more difficult. The best golf drivers for women are different than the best golf drivers for seniors. Most men want to know which one is the longest driver and do the lighter heads or the lighter shafts help them get faster clubhead speed. High handicappers want to know which ones are the most forgiving drivers and total newbies are looking for discount golf drivers.

Now golf magazines do a very good job of comparing big brands but the best values are in the minor brands. Why pay $300 for Callaway golf drivers or Titleist or Cleveland when an Acer Leggera can be just as good for 1/3rd the price. Magazines don't cover minor brands. We at InterloperGolf focus on minor brands but didn't have comparative driver reviews to help our customers make better decisions. So we decided to do it ourselves.

We based our review and comparison of golf drivers on how well they perform in various situations but shot dispersion and the ability to shape shots was the most important part. Most par 4's and 5's start with a driver shot off the tee and if you and your driver don't go together, you will struggle all day. If you hit your first shot in the woods, in the hazard or away from your target, you have an uphill battle just to make par. Equipping yourself with a driver that suits your game gives you a chance to hit the ball in the fairway and towards your target. A driver should help your game, not work against you.

We tested the drivers on the range and on the course to get a very good feel for them. For consistency, we used the same shaft in all and tested the same loft on all drivers. Do read the commentary following the ranking.

Make/Model		Head	Swing	Draw	Fade	Straight	Aesthetics	Playability	Total	Ranking
		volume	speed					& Feel	Score
				1-10	1-10	1-10	1-10	1-10
Score of 1 to 10. 10 being as best as it gets and 1 being very poor.
Acer XF Leggera
		460cc	104.5	9.2	8.3	8.2	9.2	9.1	44	1
Acer XK
		460cc	102	8.3	8.4	8.9	9	9	43.6	2
Dynacraft
Avatar Evolution		460cc	102.2	8.7	8.3	8.4	9	9.1	43.5	3
Power Play
Caiman		460cc	99.0	8.8	7.8	8.6	9	9.2	43.4	4
Power Play
System Q2		460cc	98.3	8.4	8.6	7.8	9	9.1	42.9	5
Acer XF
		460cc	101.3	8.2	8	7.2	9	9	41.4	6
Acer
Mantara XL		460cc	103.3	7.9	8.8	9	8	7.6	41.3	7
PowerPlay
System Q Adrenaline		460cc	99.5	7.8	7.3	6.8	8	8	37.9	8
Acer XDS
Insider		460cc	100.4	7.8	7	6.3	7	8	36.1	9

Notes:

1. Swing Speed:
   The average swing speed is for reference only. It is one of the factors that determines distance but not the only one. Your carry distance will vary with your swing speed. An increase of 1 MPH in clubhead speed for a driver results in an approximately 2.5 yard increase in distance. We don't use swing speed in ranking the drivers. We measure and list it to give you an idea of what the average swing speed was during testing.
    

2. Shaft:
   A lighter shaft will help you generate a faster swing speed. But it may also lessen control. You have to find your balance. We used the True Ace Blue Crush shaft which is just 62 grams yet has a low 2.9 torque to prevent twisting. Unless you have a swing speed over 100, go with regular flex. We have a nice little write up in our review section on shafts. That will give you some further food for thought.
    

3. Loft:
   Go with 12º loft. It will give you much better trajectory without moving the ball way too forward. This will also result in better control.
    

Commentary:

If you notice, most of the drivers ended up with very good scores and they are all very close. Why is that? Well good golfers can play with pretty much any clubhead as long as the shaft and flex suits their game. Since testing was done using the same shaft, the results ended up being pretty close. So how does that help you. Instead of giving you one answer, let's see which category best describes you and which drivers will suit your game.

1. High handicappers:
   You score well over 100 and are all over the place with your tee shots.
   Consider the Acer XDS insider. The visual cues on the clubhead help you get your backswing started on an inside path. If you get started on the right path, it improves the chances of your downswing also starting on the correct path. The draw versions of Acer XK and Acer XF would also be good choices. They help promote a draw and minimize slices an area where most high handicappers suffer.

   1. Avoid the temptation of going for stiff shafts. Regular flex works for most people.

   2. Go with a 12° loft. Most people go with 10.5 ° for no good reason and then suffer from poor trajectory.

   3. Use a 4" tee or at least a 3 1/4" tee. It helps to hit the ball on an upswing. Most high handicappers can't keep their head down and as a result hit the ball on the bottom of their clubhead. A taller tee gives you more margin for error.
       

2. Mid Handicappers:
   You score around 100 but are not consistent with your tee shots. Sometimes you hit a good draw but the very next tee shot ends up being a fade or push even though you were trying to draw. You have a fair  understanding of your swing but don't have the time to work out the kinks. You need a driver that will work with your swing and keep you out of trouble.
   The draw versions of Acer XK and Acer XF would be good choices. They help promote a draw and minimize slices. The Power Play Caiman and the Power Play System Q2 would be two other solid choices. The System Q2 lets you adjust the club to your swing tendencies and even to the golf course. If you tend to fade, you can change the weights to help you hit straight or a slight draw. If you can't seem to fade, you can tinker with the head to create a fade bias.
   Pay special attention to the shafts - avoid the temptation to go for stiff shafts. If not sure, email us and we will try to help.
    

3. Low Handicapper:
   You score between 75 and 90, are pretty good with your tee shots and prefer a driver that lets you be in total command plus gets you maximum distance. You want to fade, draw or hit straight at will.
   The best clubs for you are the Axer XF Leggera, Acer XK and the Dynacraft Avatar Evolution. Pay special attention to the shafts. Go with a shaft and flex that suits your game. The right clubhead matched with the right shaft and flex will give you the best bang for the buck. Do read our little write up on shafts.
    

Additional Notes:

1. The Acer XF Leggera is a remarkable club. In addition to the club head design, the acoustics are awesome. You hear a nice "crack" when you make solid contact. You get a boring ball flight like the pros. The lighter head allows us to use a longer shaft without any trepidation. It is the longest driver in our arsenal.
    

2. The Dynacraft Avatar Evolution also has the same "cracking" sound of the Acer XF Leggera. Very well balanced clubhead. Excellent aesthetics - you feel good holding it in your hands. It also is our highest moment of inertia driver (MOI) - translates to most forgiving on off center hits. The super-thin crown technology allows additional discretionary weight to be transferred from the crown to the perimeter for even greater forgiveness and at the same time ensures that the center of gravity is in the right place to create those high launching, tape measure drives. It ended up third in the ranking but just by a whisker.
    

3. The drivers we use for testing are available for sale generally at half price or less in our Returns/Demo section. In addition to the discounted price, their shafts are spine aligned which is an expensive option that you get at no cost.

Contact us: If you are not sure or have questions, email us or call us and we will be glad to help. Our office hours are Mon-Fri, 9 to 5 Central Time.