By Steve Pike
TaylorMade R11 Driver
For: Low- and medium-handicap players.
Suggested Retail Price: $499
Details: TaylorMade-Adidas Golf takes moveable weight technology a step farther with what it calls “adjustable sole plate’’ technology in the R11 driver. Combined with TMaG’s flight control technology and moveable weight technology, the R11 gives a golfer 48 ways to set up the club head. The R11 includes two weight cartridges weighing 10 grams and one gram. To create a neutral bias, a player must install the heavy (10-gram) weight in the toe; for a draw bias, put the heavy weight in the heel. If a more neutral setting is desired, 4- and 6-gram weights are available separately.
Comments: Despite all of its technology, the R11 likely will appeal to most golfers for one reason: the white color of its crown. That’s what’s going to initially attract them to the driver on the shelf and it’s what they will see when they put the club on the ground. Most won’t know that the R11 is 440cc as opposed to their current 460c driver, which is OK because that’s a bit of the eye trickery of the white crown.
Callaway Diablo
Octane Driver
For: Medium- to high-handicap players
Suggested Retail Price: $299
Details: The 46-inch driver’s club head is made of forged composite, a material Callaway developed in conjunction with research and development partner Automobili Lamborghini. Callaway says that technology has allowed it to design a club head with a greater transfer of power at impact and more accurate trajectories vs. its all-titanium counterparts.
Comments: Taking more weight out of the crown and moving it deeper in the club head helps a player (at least in theory) create more swing speed and better accuracy. The latter is particularly import given the 46-inch shaft.
Titleist 910 D2 Driver
For: Low- and medium-handicap players
Suggested Retail Price: $499
Details: The Titleist 910 D2 (460cc) features a “SureFit Tour’’ dual angle hosel that allows the loft and lie of each driver to be independently adjusted and set. SFT technology features a sleeve and a ring, each with four settings. The sleeve settings are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 and the ring settings are lettered A, B, C, D. The result is a matrix of 16 loft/lie combinations that allows the club fitter or golfer to make left or right flight improvements (mostly via lie adjustment), and launch and spin improvements (mostly via loft adjustments).
Comments: The technology sounds more complicated than it really is, but it’s best to consult an experienced club fitter when fitting the loft and lie to individual specifications. Once most players have their specs locked in, there is no need to change.
Bridgestone Tour
B330-RX Golf Ball
For: Medium- to high-handicap players
Suggested Retail Price: $45 per dozen
Details: Bridgestone’s version of its popular Tour B330 ball, the Tour B330-RX is for a player with moderate swing speeds between 85 and 105 mph. The multilayer urethane ball features a large and soft and a 330-dimple design. The softer core allows the ball to fully compress, especially for players with slower swing speeds.
Comments: Egos aside, most players have a swing speed on the lower end of the 85 to 105 mph scale, making the Tour B330-RX a better performing ball for them than the premium Bridgestone B330 or Titleist Pro V1, each of which is designed for players with swing speeds in excess of 105 mph.
Bushnell Hybrid Rangefinder
For: All players
Suggested Retail Price: $499
Details: A combination of Bushnell’s popular laser rangefinder with GPS. The company says the Hybrid provides golfers with precise distances within one yard to virtually any point on any course in the world. The Hybrid’s GPS function allows users to access more than 16,000 North American golf courses that have been loaded onto the device, making it ready to use right out of the box without ever having to pay membership fees.
Comments: Obviously a player must check to see if his or her course is among those loaded in the Hybrid. Rangefinders are becoming more popular, but it should be noted that rangefinders of any kind are not allowed in tournaments played under U.S. Golf Association rules.
FootJoy DryJoy Tour
Golf Shoes
For: All players
Suggested Retail Price: $170 per pair
Details: The DryJoy Tours feature what FootJoy calls “the next generation’’ Tri-Density TPU Stability PODS outsole. The new shoe has four cleats vs. two in prior models. A fiberglass composite support bridge is enlisted to provide mid-foot stability and support. The shoes incorporate a new Cyclone cleat by Softspikes to create maximum ground contact.
Comments: Stability is vital for a good golf game and the technology in the DryJoy Tours help achieve that goal. The DryJoy Tour’s improved stability and connection with the ground is something most players, especially big swingers, will notice right away.
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