# 2015 Drivers - Mini Test



## Piece (Feb 11, 2015)

*Disclaimer*: _Wall of text - enter at your own discretion! _ :blah:

*INTRO*

I'm strongly thinking about changing my driver for this season. I've had my Titleist 910 D3 for several years now and it was professionally fitted for me by Precision Golf in Egham. My swing has changed a bit since then I as now draw the ball and occasionally hit a higher ball off the tee than I would like. I also can hook it unexpectedly, as those at Hayling last year will testify.  I still like the driver but a newish era of low spin drivers is here and I'm keen to see what 2015 technology can do for me as I want to hit the ball lower.

My unofficial 'testing' was done over a few months to accommodate different swing days and, obviously, the release dates of the major manufacturers. These drivers were straight off the shelf from Silvermere, with no ounce of custom fitting, apart from me looking at the club in the shop and selecting what I think is the best stock shaft for me. You'll notice no Taylor-Made drivers (R15, AeroBurner) in my test; just haven't been enthusiastic enough to try them as all the TM drivers and 3Ws I've historical hit come with cr4p off-the-shelf shafts) - sorry!  I will endeavour to try out the TM offerings soon, plus the Srixon and new Cobras when available.

So here's what I think, using feel/address/observed flight/weight as my 'judging' criteria, ranked in reverse order:

*REVIEW*

*5. Ping G30 (not the LS version)*

I've had several Ping drivers over the years: G5, G10 and i15. All nice bats that perform well with a good low launching shaft. The G30 off the shelf looked reasonable at address, even if it looks a bit large and flat, with the matt finish a nice touch. I would say the G30, for me, is less classical looking from what I have owned before. The turbulators weren't too distracting either. Sitting behind the ball, I got the impression it could be easy to hit. After bashing several balls it was clear that I didn't like the sound much; not a crack, more like a plastic, cushioned 'tunk'. Performance was solid enough, probably too high launching for me and coupled with feeling very light in the hands, it didn't really float my boat. *OVERALL: 5/10*

Since the review, Ping have a released a LS Tec version for lower spinning. I think that would suit me better and will try once I see one in the shop.

*4. Titleist 915 D3*

I really wanted to like this club and I bought into the hype in the summer of 2014 that this was the next best thing since slice bread, with the low spin ARC face, etc. As the current user of the 910 D3, my hopes were high. I have tested this club on four separate occasions over the winter, selecting the D3 head as opposed to the 460cc D2 head, hitting both the Adila Black 70 and Diamana D+White 70 shafts. Address wise, the club look near identical to my 910 D3. It sits well behind the ball and feels nice in the hand and to swing. The first session I had hitting the driver, I literally had to take headache pills after as the noise was sooo sharp and loud!  Perhaps the range bay acoustics were to blame?! I also couldn't really feel where I was hitting the ball on the club face - the ARC face I guess is designed to do that? The flight was good and distance fair, but always in the back of the mind was the sharp impact noise. Believing it was the operator, I came back for more tests over the winter months, and sure enough, the same thing happened.  I even cheekily put the 915 D3 head on my own 910 D3 shaft, but that made no difference.  The end result is that I just couldn't, no matter how much I wanted to, get on with the driver. Sound is poor for me and the feel isn't great - imagine hitting a stone with thick enamel baking tray. :mmm: In the open air the sound would change but the feel wouldn't. *OVERALL: 6/10.*

_Footnote: the 3 wood on the other hand is superb_. :lol:

*3. Nike Vapor Pro*

It was either try the Speed, the Flex or the Pro. The Flex looked nice but felt head-heavy, maybe subconsciously as it's carrying that Flex capsule. The Speed and Pro look fairly similar and seeing as how I wanted to try and get lower spinny ones, I went for the Pro. Don't have a problem with the Volt lime green livery, in fact, I like it. Behind the ball, the Pro looks very nice with a good glossy glow and Nike Swoosh. The head is shaped nicely, more traditional looking. The grip is worth mentioning here - nice and sticky Winn grip giving plenty of confidence but I wonder how the grip would perform in the wet? The club length is very slightly longer than the Titleist and feel just as light. Performance off the tee, subject to custom fit confirmation , was average at best. :mmm: The shaft/head combo launched it a bit high, left and right, inconsistent; it just felt too light. Distance-wise, I'm sure its long and it looked it when the perfect ball was hit. This is a good club but one that would most definitely benefit from a custom fit. One other point - the quality of the paint...I've seen on vLog vids and also on Silvermere shelves that the paint-job on the underside of the club could be a bit questionable; tiny bits missing, etc. :mmm: *OVERALL: 6.5/10*

*2. Mizuno JPX850*

Waited a long time to hit this, after seeing all the publicity and selected forumers providing their feedback.  I've never hit a Mizuno driver, based on the probably illogical thinking that Mizzy only really make good irons and not woods.  The day after they appeared, I popped for trial in the Silvermere. There was only one shaft available to try, the Orochi stiff shaft, as the Speedster 6.3 was just there 'for show', staring disdainfully at me with its Â£499 price tag.  First impressions are great - love the colour, love the look and head shape, love the white shaft and sits very nicely behind the ball.  I was worried though that the performance and sound would be disappointing. Fear not! The sound is beautiful, giving a slightly muffled 'thump' that wasn't loud and rewarding. The feel was, and very happy to say as a Mizzy iron player, very Mizzy like - slightly buttery, could tell where on the face I hit and rewarding. :whoo: Performance too was excellent giving a good, strong flight and stable through impact. Before I end the Mizzy review, I will say one thing about the movable weights on the sole: they came loose twice during hitting, even after being tightened directly by the pro-shop.  In fact, when I returned the club, the pro took off the masking tape to find that one of the weight had shattered! . Thought for one horrible moment I would be stung for it but he saw it wasn't me . A bit worrying though, all the same, to have loose weights that won't stay fixed. I will definitely try this club again and would love to try the range of shafts when the Mizzy fitting cart gets delivered (noting the significant upcharge on shafts though with this model :mmm. *OVERALL: 8/10* (lost a point because of the weights issue).

*1. Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815 Double Black Diamond*

I've never contemplated hitting a Callaway wood as they've never suited my eye and just haven't been 'into' them. Having watched Rick Shiels and Mark Crossfield's video on this driver over Xmas, I thought it was worth a bash, but only if I could find one as they are scarce. There's not much demand for a very, very low spinning driver. Luckily I had seen one in Silvermere and thought I would try it after the others. Over the weeks I checked the shop and it was always there, unwrapped, untouched and maybe unloved...so I took it out . At address it is a beautiful traditional shape and unusually, no line up mark. :thup: Looked to have a slightly smaller head and a pleasing deep profile. It is a long club, probably 0.25" or more longer than anything else I've tried. The combination of a dark head and white shaft also worked for me too. Prior to the first strike, the club felt beautifully balanced. After 30 mins or so of testing, *I gladly declare this is the best driver I've ever hit.*  :clap: A noticeably lower, bulleting flight, with superb shape to it. Dispersion was low, obviously helped by the confidence factor. Looking at the marks on the masking tape, almost all came out of the middle.   This surprised me as this weapon is a good inch longer than my current stick, deliberately cut down to help me fine the middle of the bat. Can't wait to get this bad boy on the GC2 and get fitted, as I think this is what I'm looking for. :whoo: Another great and appealing thing about this club (so I've read) is that there's ~12 or so premium shaft options/upgrades at *no* extra cost. OK, so its not the cheapest at Â£349, but compared to others above, what you see is what you pay, no matter the shaft on offer - please note other manufacturers. :thup: *OVERALL: 9.5/10.* 


*SUMMARY*
If you've read this far, thanks & well done. :cheers: 

I can't see myself getting a Ping G30 or Titleist 915 based on above. It's unlikely to be a Nike Vapor Pro, unless the fitting cart options change the game for it. It's really down to the Mizuno and Callaway for me, with the Callaway ahead because of its performance and cost off-the-shelf. 

I will try to do other drivers so that I've got a fair spread across the market, but TM, Cobra, Srixon have got to come up with something amazing to compete. 

The end message is that there's good gear out there for all levels and desires, so try what you can, even stuff you wouldn't think twice of before... :thup: The get custom fitted to maximise the performance.


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## patricks148 (Feb 11, 2015)

Piece said:



*Disclaimer*: _Wall of text - enter at your own discretion! _ :blah:

*INTRO*

I'm strongly thinking about changing my driver for this season. I've had my Titleist 910 D3 for several years now and it was professionally fitted for me by Precision Golf in Egham. My swing has changed a bit since then I as now draw the ball and occasionally hit a higher ball off the tee than I would like. I also can hook it unexpectedly, as those at Hayling last year will testify.  I still like the driver but a newish era of low spin drivers is here and I'm keen to see what 2015 technology can do for me as I want to hit the ball lower.

My unofficial 'testing' was done over a few months to accommodate different swing days and, obviously, the release dates of the major manufacturers. These drivers were straight off the shelf from Silvermere, with no ounce of custom fitting, apart from me looking at the club in the shop and selecting what I think is the best stock shaft for me. You'll notice no Taylor-Made drivers (R15, AeroBurner) in my test; just haven't been enthusiastic enough to try them as all the TM drivers and 3Ws I've historical hit come with cr4p off-the-shelf shafts) - sorry!  I will endeavour to try out the TM offerings soon, plus the Srixon and new Cobras when available.


*1. Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815 Double Black Diamond*

I've never contemplated hitting a Callaway wood as they've never suited my eye and just haven't been 'into' them. Having watched Rick Shiels and Mark Crossfield's video on this driver over Xmas, I thought it was worth a bash, but only if I could find one as they are scarce. There's not much demand for a very, very low spinning driver. Luckily I had seen one in Silvermere and thought I would try it after the others. Over the weeks I checked the shop and it was always there, unwrapped, untouched and maybe unloved...so I took it out . At address it is a beautiful traditional shape and unusually, no line up mark. :thup: Looked to have a slightly smaller head and a pleasing deep profile. It is a long club, probably 0.25" or more longer than anything else I've tried. The combination of a dark head and white shaft also worked for me too. Prior to the first strike, the club felt beautifully balanced. After 30 mins or so of testing, *I gladly declare this is the best driver I've ever hit.*  :clap: A noticeably lower, bulleting flight, with superb shape to it. Dispersion was low, obviously helped by the confidence factor. Looking at the marks on the masking tape, almost all came out of the middle.   This surprised me as this weapon is a good inch longer than my current stick, deliberately cut down to help me fine the middle of the bat. Can't wait to get this bad boy on the GC2 and get fitted, as I think this is what I'm looking for. :whoo: Another great and appealing thing about this club (so I've read) is that there's ~12 or so premium shaft options/upgrades at *no* extra cost. OK, so its not the cheapest at Â£349, but compared to others above, what you see is what you pay, no matter the shaft on offer - please note other manufacturers. :thup: *OVERALL: 9.5/10.* 


*SUMMARY*
If you've read this far, thanks & well done. :cheers: 

I can't see myself getting a Ping G30 or Titleist 915 based on above. It's unlikely to be a Nike Vapor Pro, unless the fitting cart options change the game for it. It's really down to the Mizuno and Callaway for me, with the Callaway ahead because of its performance and cost off-the-shelf. 

I will try to do other drivers so that I've got a fair spread across the market, but TM, Cobra, Srixon have got to come up with something amazing to compete. 

The end message is that there's good gear out there for all levels and desires, so try what you can, even stuff you wouldn't think twice of before... :thup: The get custom fitted to maximise the performance. 

Click to expand...

The solution???


wait 3 weeks and Callaway would have brought out a new version the Big Bertha Alpha 915 Treble Black Diamond and you can get the 815 half price:rofl::rofl:


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## Pin-seeker (Feb 11, 2015)

Good write up that pal :thup:


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## tsped83 (Feb 11, 2015)

Nice write up mate. Wish I had the patience to thoroughly try the models as you've done, but alas, i'm too impatient.


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## D4RK1 (Feb 11, 2015)

I'm pretty happy with my razr driver. Played with a lad this week who was lucky enough to win an Alpha. Looked a lovely club. I noticed the deep face profile. He hit it like a dream. Sadly I don't have the funds for a new driver. If I did I'd definately be having a serious look at this club though.


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## Scotty Cameron (Feb 12, 2015)

I'm seriously tempted by the Mizzie, watched Rick Shiels with a 13 capper try a few drivers out on the tube and he said it was a great driver for him. If only the price would come down a bit as Â£300 is a lot for a club I would use probably 7-8 times a round.


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## matt71 (Feb 12, 2015)

awesome write up! and was surprised to see the Ping and the 915 so low down in your test considering everyone raves about them. However this proves the clubs are not for everyone


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## SugarPenguin (Feb 12, 2015)

Was a really good read. I just have got the Vapor Pro and I agree with the paint job. There are blemishes in but they are hardly noticeable and they do not effect the performance.

Strange that you disliked the new Titleleist so much !


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## Piece (Feb 12, 2015)

Thanks for the comments. :thup: 

There are definitely alot of good drivers out there for all players, more than there was 5 years ago. Certainly worth trying lots and refining with a fit


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## garyinderry (Feb 12, 2015)

From reading Paul O'Hagan's article in the march magazine, it seems that al drivers are pretty good these days.

He recommends a fitting with whichever you choose as its all about getting the launch and spin characteristics to marry up through loft and shaft combinations. This is part science, part art on the fitters behalf.  

Paul had had more fittings than hot dinners by the sounds of it. He says he could happily put 5 drivers into play.  That's pretty much one from each of the big hitters.


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## SugarPenguin (Feb 12, 2015)

I think these days when it come to pretty much all golf equipment. There isnt much advancement in technology to help yo hit longer more penetrating drives. Yes equipment is easier to use but at the top end I cannot see much difference between the big brands - apart from the adjustability options.

In my opinion since the technology is really on par, its all to do with feel and confidence inspiring when over the ball. if you like seeing turbulators on your G30 as this makes you swing steady as the technology makes your 'swing speed faster' then that good for you.

Head shape, size and club face width and depth are really the defining factors i think these days.
Rather than a company claiming their new 43% lighter hosel means the weight saved has been magically distributed into your biceps to help your carry distance increase by 26 yards. :thup:


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## garyinderry (Feb 12, 2015)

Tbh the moveable weight tech does do what it says.  Can't be long till ping and titleist implement it in their drivers.

So far Mizuno leading the way in this department. It is ridiculously adjustable in a good way.


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## CMAC (Feb 20, 2015)

garyinderry said:



			Tbh the moveable weight tech does do what it says.  *Can't be long till ping and titleist implement it in their drivers.*

So far Mizuno leading the way in this department. It is ridiculously adjustable in a good way.
		
Click to expand...

I believe they already do:smirk:


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## garyinderry (Feb 20, 2015)

CMAC said:



			I believe they already do:smirk:
		
Click to expand...

Ping take 3 drivers with the g30 to offer what Mizuno do with one.  Titleist have one in the 915 that completely misses the point of doing it.


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## Ontherange (Feb 20, 2015)

Interesting review.

I tried the Callaway BB 815 DD on Tuesday and found it didn't work for me anywhere near as well as the Titleist 915 D3, which I got to hit on my home course last Sunday. The problem was, and it might differ with a different shaft, was the Callaway felt 'head heavy', whereas the Titleist had a much more even weighting all through the club. Curiously, this came from a 65g shaft in the Callaway, as opposed to a 72g shaft in the Titleist.

The feel I got from the Titleist was 'livelier' almost a bit like the old > 0.830 COR faces of years gone by, whereas the Callaway felt, to me, exactly like my current Titleist 910 D3.

Good to see another point of view.


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## HomerJSimpson (Feb 22, 2015)

Tried the D3 and the D2 on Thursday. The D3 has a smaller head and I didn't get on with it but the D2 with the right set up and shaft is a might beast. By far the best driver I've tried (and I've hit a few) in a long time


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## garyinderry (Feb 25, 2015)

garyinderry said:



			Ping take 3 drivers with the g30 to offer what Mizuno do with one.  Titleist have one in the 915 that completely misses the point of doing it.
		
Click to expand...

Along comes titleist with their 3rd driver.   3 drivers to do the same thing that one Mizuno can do.

They will either put weights in the next model or continue to go area about face on this.


http://www.golfwrx.com/283781/spotted-titleist-915d4-driver/


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## Piece (Feb 25, 2015)

garyinderry said:



			Along comes titleist with their 3rd driver.   3 drivers to do the same thing that one Mizuno can do.

They will either put weights in the next model or continue to go area about face on this.


http://www.golfwrx.com/283781/spotted-titleist-915d4-driver/

Click to expand...

Interesting, good find.


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## SugarPenguin (Feb 25, 2015)

Interesting. Its like the G30 and the G30 LS and there release dates.
Would be pretty mad if I had already bought a new titleist.


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## moogie (Feb 25, 2015)

SugarPenguin said:



			Interesting. Its like the G30 and the G30 LS and there release dates.
Would be pretty mad if I had already bought a new titleist.
		
Click to expand...


Why......??

They're completely different drivers,  aimed at different golfers

Besides,  if what you've just bought works......what's the problem.....??


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## SugarPenguin (Feb 25, 2015)

moogie said:



			Why......??

They're completely different drivers,  aimed at different golfers

Besides,  if what you've just bought works......what's the problem.....??
		
Click to expand...


They aren't entirely different. Its just a different version. All I am saying is that I dislike how they have staggered the release dates. It would be nice to try all the versions at once to give you the best option. somebody who has bought a D3 last week may find that the new D4 is better for them. I would be frustrated if this was the case wouldnt you ?


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## garyinderry (Feb 25, 2015)

I would be a little miffed if I spend the best part of Â£400 on a d3 only for them to bring out the d4 6months later. 

It is their refusal to move to changeable weights, the same with ping, that is forcing their hand in releasing 3 different versions of the same driver.


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## SugarPenguin (Feb 25, 2015)

garyinderry said:



			I would be a little miffed if I spend the best part of Â£400 on a d3 only for them to bring out the d4 6months later. 

It is their refusal to move to changeable weights, the same with ping, that is forcing their hand in releasing 3 different versions of the same driver.
		
Click to expand...

Pretty much what I am getting at :thup:


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