Callaway Big Bertha Diablo Driver

Posted under Clubs Reviewed, Drivers

When we first heard that Callaway were going to release a club called the Diablo there was a general chuckle and the thought was that it would be a butt ugly club with horns built into it in one way or another. Well as you will read in this golf club review below we were almost right.

The Callaway Big Bertha Diablo Driver is what we like to call a beast of a club. There are certain clubs that look mean, certain clubs that have a real technological look and feel and then there are clubs that were made to just (in the words of Tin Cup) Grip it and Rip it. The Big Bertha Diablo Driver in my opinion is one of the latter.

Callaway have managed to get the horns into the design but only in the form of a logo on the face and bottom of the club as you can see from the images below. When we arrived at the driving range with the Diablo Driver we were actually really pleased with it, before a ball was hit the general practice swings felt good and smooth along with a really nice ball address. Then we tried it with a ball…..

OK Sales bumph below before we go into all that…

CALLAWAY Big Bertha Diablo Neutral Driver Callaway Big Bertha Diablo Neutral Driver Finally, a driver that combines wicked power and distance with the generous sweet spot Callaway Golf s Big Bertha is famous for. Edge Technology provides a high MOI ) and an optimized center of gravity location for this Diablo Neutral Driver that produces long, penetrating ball flights with the desired shot shape. It also helps golfers release the club at impact with full power, especially when swinging aggressively. Hyperbolic Face Technology increases ball speed across the entire face of the club helping send balls further down the fairway, even on miss-hits. Features: Hyperbolic Face Technology: creates Callaway s highest ever ball speeds across the entire face Edge Technology: optimizes CG location and ball flights with a higher MOI and helps release the club at impact with max power Neutral head shape allows you to select a driver that will most benefit your typical shot shape S2H2 Design increases discretionary weight to add stability

Sounds complicated doesn’t it? Well basically it is far more complicated than it needs to be and lets face it you are here for a proper golf club review on what the club is actually like. So carrying on from where we left off….

The club strikes the ball with one of the most thumping sounds I have heard from a golf club in the last 3 years, ever since the Nike Square thingy that made that horrible thwack sound, this club is as predicted a beast. For the higher handicapped golfer this club would probably help reduce their score a little but it may take a little getting used to as do all new higher end clubs. However this club as a very large sweet spot on it and if you are a little erratic when it comes to your drives then this could be the club for you.

Slowing down your swing and building up a little at a time would benefit you greatly with this club as it would no doubt give a greater and more forgiving shot if you nurtured your swing to work with the Callaway Big Bertha Diablo Driver. For the lower handicapper then if you are looking for a big benefit from a new driver you would probably not get as much from it as a higher handicapper but the 9 degree face is a beauty if you catch it right.

Listen to this post

Finally got my hands on the TaylorMade Tour Burner TP

Posted under Clubs Reviewed, Drivers

I posted a few days back that I was trying very hard to get my hands on a TaylorMade Tour Burner in order to give it a bit of a test run and after a number of issues (protected nesting birds at the end of the driving range so no drivers, rain and the sheer fact that it was impossible to find somewhere with one in stock) I now have managed to spend a few hours at the range with it and am more than happy to be reporting back to you on if it is any good!

The first thing I noticed before I had even picked it up was the fact that it has this kind of go faster wing around the top of the head, it hard to describe it is supposed to be a groove and create less drag on the swing it does make the TaylorMade Tour Burner TP a little more distinctive. Next thing was the weight, it is according to the bumph 17% lighter than other drivers and it does actually feel much lighter in the initial pick up of the club. Then you swing it and the club is noticeably lighter through the whole motion of the swing.

Sales bumph below:

TaylorMade Tour Burner More legendary burner speed and power for the serious golfer. * Dual crown and weighted power-base promote increased carry and distance * Modern head shape promotes lower, deeper and precision-placed CG for higher launch angle and lower spin * SuperFast Technology promotes increased swing speed, faster ball speed and added distance * Inverted Cone Technology dramatically expands the portion of the clubface that delivers high COR for consistently longer drives on off-center hits * SuperFast 60-gram shaft is exceptionally lightweight and stable to promote greater distance and accuracy

Now where I would normally stick with clubs that are suitable for the average club player in my opinon this is for the more advanced golfer, basically anyone with a 15 or higher handicap is going to struggle to get to grips with this club quickly. It took me a while to get used to the lighter weight and the faster head speed that came with the lighter weigh. Also the Superfast 60 gram shaft is designed to give max distance and if you have a slower swing speed this will effect your ball control as it will twist less in the swing effecting your impact zone.

The club is priced by Austad’s at $399.95 and if you are an improving player looking for a club to increase distance I would advise going for a different club, either the Callaway FT-5 or the Nike Sumo2 5900 range which has a better accuracy for the higher handicapper and although the sound is wrong (oh so wrong) the clubs themselves offer a good range of improvement for the higher handicapper.

All in all the TaylorMade Tour Burner TP is a very good club that takes technology of the game to yet another level with reduction in weight and the increase in head speed. The unfortunate thing is that it will mean that courses need to increase their lengths in order to keep par 4 challenging.

Listen to this post

TaylorMade Tour Burner Driver

Posted under Clubs Reviewed, Drivers

Having spent that past 6 weeks looking in depth at a number of massive in roads to the golfing world including a brand new insight of a week with a caddy (which I can promise you is not all you think it is) I was somewhat surprised to discover that TaylorMade have released yet another driver to their burner range. The Taylormade Tour Burner Driver is released on the 14th of April and I have been trying for the past week to get my hands on one but unfortunately not been able to get anyone who has held one.

There is sales bumph as you can imagine:

TaylorMade Tour Burner Driver – New for 2008 ! Pre Book for Mid April Delivery ! Features Dual crown with small, thin top with large, weighted power-base has a low, precision-placed center of gravity for low, tour-caliber spin and longer distance at higher swing speeds Inverted Cone Technology promotes a fast ball speed from a larger portion of the face for longer distance on off-center hits 60-g SuperFast shafts are engineered for faster swing speeds and increased distance RE*AX SuperFast 60 shaft by Fujikura Shaft Torque: 3.1 except for Flex R (3.2) Tip Size: .350 in Butt Diameter: .600 in Grip: TV Lite 60 Grip Weight: 44 g

Now having seen that there is an offer to pre-order I am guessing that there is a big price tag attached to this new beast of a driver that offers low spin and higher trajectory but the TaylorMade Tour Burner Driver looks the part before I have even come close to getting to grips with it I have a feeling it is going to be a nice club, but I thought that about the Nike Sumo2 5900 as well so watch this space I will get hold of one this week and tell all.

But if you want to catch a glimpse of it (and lets face it that is all it will be to start with) see if you can see Mike Weir at the Masters today he is apparently carrying one in his bag at the moment.

QUICK UPDATE
I have managed to get hold of the TaylorMade Tour Burner Driver today so will drop an update to the site tomorrow.

Listen to this post

Golf Club Review Cleveland Hibore XLS Gold 2008 Driver

Posted under Clubs Reviewed, Drivers

Golf Club Review

Its been a busy week for me, as I mentioned on twitter to Golf Girl Patricia Hannigan earlier this week the weather has changed back to blue skies and fantastic sunshine and it has been a complete return to the course and getting in as much golf as possible. So it was time for me to take the Cleveland Hibore XLS out on the course for a proper outing.

Having already taken the Cleveland Hibore XL 2007 out to the range in the pooring rain I have to say I am a little impressed at the smooth look and feel of the club. It sits right in your hands and has a natural look to it even with its sunken back.

Sales bumph below:

Cleveland Hibore XLS Gold 2008 Driver – RH Graphite Higher inertia = more consistency across the face = more shots go longer and straighter = tighter shot dispersion down the range.Introducing the new XLS series from Cleveland Golf. With Distance Driven Geometry, Full Face Performance, and and Energy Transfer Core, this entire line of clubs is bound to have you playing and looking your best. Distance Driven Geometry: Moves weight lower and deeper in the club head. This optimized Center of Gravity location aligns the Center of Gravity Projection with the C.O.R. Hot Spot in the center of the face, resulting in optimal launch conditions and greater overall distance. Full Face Performance: Alignment of Sweet Spot and C.O.R. Hot Spot produces optimal launch conditions over a large area of the face, maximizing ball-speed for increased driving distance. Energy Transfer Core: An engineered system of thin, lightweight titanium spines directs impact energy to the ball to create more efficient energy transfer and high ball speeds from impact locations. HiBORE XLS Draw Driver: This club is designed for players who tend to fade or slice. A forward hosel design, internal heel weighting, and a draw biased face combine to eliminate slices and maximize distance. A 3o closed face promotes a draw flight. At 17% larger than the HiBORE XL, the face is Cleveland’s largest ever and among the biggest on the market. Full Face Performance (FFP) extends the “Hot Zone” of maximum .830 COR across a larger portion of the face creating more distance from both solid shots and mishits alike. Features maximum USGA club head dimensions to push the MOI limit. 5300 MOI represents a 13% increase from the HiBORE XL for control off the tee leading to straighter drives. Heel and toe “stability foils” signify where weight has been added to the perimeter of the clubhead to maximize stability. Gold Standard Trajectory Shaft: Low-Mid kickpoint and active tip section for increased launch angle. Higher ball speed and optimal trajectory results in maximum distance with smooth feel at impact.

Now the first thing I noticed about this club is the club head it is massive compared to the 2007 version. The Cleveland Hibore XLS 2008 has a club face that is around (according to the bumph) 17% larger than the previous version. This means it has a larger sweet spot and is a lot more forgiving for those golfers looking to take their club head speed up a level and still get the control.

The technology the club uses means that the weight from the back of the club is channeled directly into the sweet spot giving a greater control of the club face at point of impact.

At the moment there are so many new drivers hitting the market it is impossible to say that any of them don’t meet up to being a good club to have in your bag because of the fact that technology is making clubs better and easier to use. The Cleveland Hibore XLS Gold is no exception its not as long as the Nike Sumo2 SQ 5900 Driver but because of the size of the club face the control is in my opinion as good. One special thing that Cleveland have added is a little hologram that turns yellow to show that the club is genuine see if the fakers can crack that one. Cost of the club is around $299 and I personally feel it is a good driver.

Listen to this post

The Cleveland HiBore XL 460 Ti Gold Driver

Posted under Clubs Reviewed, Drivers

Golf Club Review

I am a fairly big fan of the Cleveland lob wedges but have always steered clear of their other clubs, so seeing the Cleveland HiBore CL 460 Ti with the Gold shaft in the pro shop today it was time to break the norm and take it for a test. Its out on the covered range for the test as the weather is still bad and the course is alas closed.

Now I am used to a driver being a large club head and I am slowly coming around to the new HiBore designs that have the dipped back, which gives in my opinion better ball control. The Cleveland Hibore XL 460 Ti has this very design and as in my previous experience with the clubs of this design it has that control but it also has a few differences that surprised me a little.

First off some sales bumph below:

Cleveland HiBore XL 460 Ti Gold Driver – RH Graphite The Cleveland HiBORE XL driver features a special geometry that moves weight lower and deeper into the clubhead, optimizing the center of gravity (CG) location for ideal launch conditions. For maximum ball speed, the XL has a larger sweet spot compared to traditional large-volume drivers and, paired with the deep CG, its high moment of inertia (MOI) increases stability on off-center hits. The result is greater overall distance and tighter shot dispersion over the entire face. Distance Driven Geometry: Moves weight lower and deeper in the clubhead to optimize CG location with the C.O.R. Hot Spot for optimal launch conditions. Full Face Performance: Alignment of the Sweet Spot with the C.O.R. Hot Spot produces optimal launch conditions for efficient energy transfer High Moment of Inertia: High MOI and deeper CG provide increased stability on off-center hits, leading to greater distance and a tighter shot dispersion over the entire face. Gold Shaft Low/Mid Kick Point 60g Shaft 3.5 Torque

The club gives good control of each shot and when hitting slightly off centre it is forgiving as with most clubs these days, but the Cleveland HiBore XL Driver also has a good control of trajectory. What I mean by this is with different tee heights still produced a solid trajectory of the ball, this isn’t always the case but I found this club very consistent.

The one thing I did find with the Cleveland HiBore XL Ti was that when I tee’d up for a lower trajectory and a slightly topped ball missed the sweet spot completely and resulted in what can only be described as ugly sound and an even uglier shot, this wasn’t forgiving.

Overall though a nice club and more affordable than some of the other clubs as it currently has $100 off due to the release of the new driver Cleveland have released, which I will be taking a look at next week, when I hope the weather is a little better than when I tested the Cleveland HiBore XL 460 Ti Driver cause to say I got wet was an understatement even under the covers of the range!

Listen to this post