By Mike Stachura
Photos by Stuart Tyson and Cathy Crawford

Here is the original article on Golf Digest… http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-equipment/2012-02/hot-list-drivers#slide=1

Callaway RAZR Fit

STREET PRICE: $400
LOFTS: 8.5, 9.5, 10.5, 11.5

TECH TALK: This is the first Callaway driver to offer adjustable weights and a rotating hosel. Users can change the center of gravity (CG) with the sole weights and adjust the face angle using three hosel settings. The face has been redesigned to save weight (four grams) and improve off-center ball speed.
PLAYER COMMENTS:
L: “My longest shot came on a toe hit.” … “The best sound I’ve ever heard on a Callaway driver — it has a nice crack instead of a thud.”
M: “My initial impression was that it didn’t seem that different. But then I hit it. Wow.” … “It gives you feedback, and it’s forgiving.”

HOT: Callaway is late to introduce serious adjustability in a driver, but this one might justify the wait.
NOT: A version made for tour players has even more adjustable options. Why not offer this to the rest of us?
INFO: callawaygolf.com

Cleveland Classic

STREET PRICE: $300
LOFTS: 9, 10.5, 12

TECH TALK: Despite the retro look, Cleveland’s emphasis on less weight in drivers continues, including two models that are 30 to 50 grams lighter than many competing drivers. All three feature a Miyazaki shaft that weighs less than 55 grams and an all-rubber Golf Pride grip that’s just 25 grams.
PLAYER COMMENTS:
L: “You feel at one with this golf club, just like the old days. The ball feels like a pillow but still travels.”
M: “I like the really deep face. It keeps the ball down with a nice penetrating ball flight.”

HOT: The shape might be irresistible, but this is no museum piece. The lightweight shaft increases swing speed, and the weight options give you choices no one else has.
NOT: The silver, gold and chestnut clubhead is at least one color too many. Plus, the gold scuffed a little.
INFO: clevelandgolf.com

Click here to see silver and read all the discussion in teh forums… http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/563921-2012-hot-list-drivers-gold-winners/

Cobra AMP

STREET PRICE: $300
LOFTS: 8.5, 9.5, 10.5, 11.5

TECH TALK: The AMP has three face-angle settings, but the real trick is how the swingweight, face curvature and shaft length change depending on the loft. Swingweights get lighter and shafts get longer as lofts increase to give slow swingers more speed and fast swingers more control.
PLAYER COMMENTS:
L: “I love the look. The face is softer but plenty hearty.”
M: “Very easy to swing–almost self-correcting, like it had a gyroscope in it.” … “Unlike previous Cobra drivers, it has a nice pop at impact.”

HOT: Although the face technology shouldn’t be overlooked, this Rickie Fowler-looking driver moves in bold new directions. Increasing the shaft length as the lofts get higher is the driver-engineering equivalent of the straight-bill hat.
NOT: Three adjustable settings seem insufficient.
INFO: cobragolf.com

Nike VR_S

STREET PRICE: $300
LOFTS: 8.5, 9.5, 10.5, 11.5, 13

TECH TALK: The variable-thickness face is designed to increase forgiveness on off-center hits. The adjustable head has eight face-angle settings across a 4-degree range. The sole contours are intended to reduce drag and improve speed in conjunction with a sub-60-gram shaft.
PLAYER COMMENTS:
L: “Hardly any vibration.” … “I actually thought the performance was better on off-center hits than on-center hits.”
M: “A small change with the wrench was really effective” … “Good head shape and face depth.”

HOT: The face shows earnest improvement we can document. We also like the more manageable adjustable features and the widest array of lofts in the game.
NOT: Understated crown graphics seem more black light than guiding light when it comes to alignment assistance.
INFO: nikegolf.com

Click here to see silver and read all the discussion in teh forums… http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/563921-2012-hot-list-drivers-gold-winners/

Ping G20

STREET PRICE: $300
LOFTS: 8.5, 9.5, 10.5, 12

TECH TALK: Designed with a low-density titanium, the G20 saves weight that is repositioned for stability and a lower CG. A lightweight, high-balance-point shaft shifts seven grams into the clubhead to enable the golfer to deliver more mass at impact at the same swing speed.
PLAYER COMMENTS:
L: “It excels in forgiveness. You know you’re going to hit a fast part of the face.” … “The head seems overly big.”
M: “All shots flew within a 10-yard window. Even when I hit it all over the face.”

HOT: The G20’s moment of inertia (MOI) was among the highest we measured. It exudes compassion like a St. Bernard on patrol. In a word, they’ve designed confidence.
NOT: For a company that invented modern fitting, it’s time the G-series went adjustable.
INFO: ping.com

Click here to see silver and read all the discussion in teh forums… http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/563921-2012-hot-list-drivers-gold-winners/

TaylorMade R11s

STREET PRICE: $400
LOFTS: 9, 10.5

TECH TALK: The three areas of adjustability include a rotating hosel with eight settings, two movable weights and a soleplate with five positions. The 80 combinations (32 more than last year’s R11) cover a range of 3 degrees of loft, 6 degrees of face angle and four millimeters of CG movement.
PLAYER COMMENTS:
L: “A one-stop shop. Whatever issues you have you can fix them with this.”
M: “Just the right shape; a good equilateral footprint. This is toward the maximum side of loudness without going over it.”

HOT: No one executes adjustability with TaylorMade’s sophistication. Making the head 460 cubic centimeters (thanks to an ultra-thin crown) is a bonus.
NOT:With 80 options, more players might give up well before they find the proper setting.
INFO: taylormadegolf.com

Click here to see silver and read all the discussion in teh forums… http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/563921-2012-hot-list-drivers-gold-winners/
———————-

Titleist 910D2/D3

STREET PRICE: $400
LOFTS: 8.5, 9.5, 10.5, 12 (D2 only)

TECH TALK: There are 16 settings on the two-way adjustable hosel that’s designed to manipulate loft and lie angle independently to better isolate launch characteristics for individual players. The line now includes a sub-55-gram shaft option and the highest loft on a Titleist driver in 15 years.
PLAYER COMMENTS:
L: “I changed the shaft and the loft and saw a better ball flight. That speaks well to having those options.”
M: “Titleist just knows how to make a club feel good. The club is long without being loud.” … “Just delicious. All that work of getting the right setup was worth it. Great feedback on your shots, and surprisingly forgiving.”

HOT: Elegant, powerful, smart; the driver Q would have designed for James Bond.
NOT: Alphanumeric-adjustable settings are not intuitive.
INFO: titleist.com

———————————

TaylorMade RocketBallz

STREET PRICE: $300
LOFTS: 9.5, 10.5, HL on standard model; 9, 10.5 on RocketBallz Tour

TECH TALK: With an emphasis on speed through lightweight shafts and a thin crown, both versions feature the company’s trademark adjustable hosel with eight loft/lie angle settings. The standard model has a draw bias and weighs 299 grams. The deep-face Tour version sits neutral.
PLAYER COMMENTS:
L: “Once the ball gets up in the air it won’t come down. The adjustability is easy to fine-tune. The only things I’d criticize are the whack shaft graphics and the name. But neither of those contact the ball, so I’m OK with it.”
M: “You can’t mis-hit it if you try, and it feels awesome.”

HOT: Here’s a driver that plays bigger than its total weight feels. We like the shorter shaft, too.
NOT: Why mess up pure white with Snooki-like tattoos?
INFO: taylormadegolf.com

Click here to see silver and read all the discussion in teh forums… http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/563921-2012-hot-list-drivers-gold-winners/