All posts in Drivers

The Bridgestone Golf J38 460 Driver

by James on April 18, 2011 in Golf Equipment, Bridgestone, Drivers with No comments

The Bridgestone J38 460 Driver

Used by PGA touring professionals Matt Kuchar and Kevin Chappell, the Bridgestone Golf J38 460 Driver is jam-packed full of technology… yet, it retains a classic look.

As you can see from the image to your right, the Bridgestone J38 460 driver has quite a classic shape. Reminiscent of Cleveland and Titleist drivers, the time-tested pear shape of this driver provides clean lines, and confidence at address.

The crown is extended back quite a bit, and this extended profile provides a low and deep center of gravity for high launch and low spin off the clubface. In the end, isn’t that what we all want? Optimal launch angle with low spin for maximum carry? Yes, I do believe so.

The J38 is made from 6-4 titanium, and has an ultra-thin crown… This allows for more weight to be distributed to the perimeter for added forgiveness.

In addition, Bridgestone has built ‘enhanced face thickness’ into the clubface. In the end, this provides yet another level of forgiveness on those off-center strikes.

The Bridgestone Golf J38 comes stock with your choice of Fujikura Motore F1 65 shaft (regular, stiff for x-stiff). I’ve played the Motore in a number of drivers, and it’s a solid performer. The only bummer here is it’s available in right-hand only, in lofts of 8.5, 9.5 and 10.5. Sorry lefties.

If you want to order one up, you best head down to a golf retailer or pro shop near you… Or better yet, pop on by the Bridgestone Golf website and drop them a line. They’ll be more than happy to help you.

Srixon Unveils FREE Golf WeatherFIT app

by Annie Latham on April 11, 2011 in Golf Equipment, Cleveland, Drivers, Srixon, Technology with No comments

Srixon has just unveiled an app for the iTunes Store that works on the iPhone and iPad. Called the Srixon Golf WeatherFIT app, it provides accurate 4-day weather forecasts for golf courses around the USA. In addition, the app uses the weather forecast to help you decide how to properly fit your Srixon Z-STAR driver and Srixon golf ball for maximum performance in the weather on those specific days of play.

Yes, you read that correctly. The Srixon Z-STAR driver features the STAR Fitting System which enables you to independently adjust face angle and the internal weighting of the clubhead. The face angle adjustment helps you produce more accurate shots. Fine tuning the internal weighting with the different weight options will optimize your desired ball trajectory and swing weight.

>> The STAR fitting system allows up to 84 possible configurations per loft offering for the ultimate in custom club fitting.

It is understandable why you’d need an app for that!

The Z-STAR driver also features Starburst(TM) variable face design, which enlarges the driver’s high COR area by 5 percent, providing added distance and forgiveness. This new driver features a Miyazaki(TM) Dromos(TM) shaft, which is the first premium custom shaft designed specifically for adjustable clubs.

The driver runs $399.99 (retail price).

The app itself is FREE.

The Cobra S3 Driver: A Closer Look

by James on March 17, 2011 in Golf Equipment, Cobra, Drivers, Manufacturers with No comments

As part of their 2011 lineup, Cobra recently released the brand-spanking new S3 Driver. Building upon the foundation laid by the S9, and then the S2, the S3 features a new ‘E9’ face technology… a technology that creates a 30% larger sweet spot. Plus, the Adjustable Flight Technology built into the club head and shaft allows you to make adjustments to fine tune your shot shape or compensate for shot tendencies.

So what is the Cobra E9 Face Technology all about? It’s pretty darn simple, really. The face of the S3 features a taller elliptical face with a beveled perimeter. The end result is a 30% larger sweet spot, allowing you to grip it and rip it down the middle more often. Distance, accuracy and forgiveness are all built-in.

Digging deeper into the E9 Face Technology, Cobra has tested and proven that 99% of shots hit by golfers miss the center of the face in a tilted, elliptical pattern from low heel to high toe. With that in mind, they created a taller and more elliptical face to mirror that miss-hit pattern.

The S3 offers a ‘hotter’ club face in comparison to the S2 driver… take a look at the comparison of the S2 and S3 clubface below.

The Adjustable Flight Technology (AFT) built into the shaft and head is exactly the same as previous models (the S2 and ZL). The club comes with three settings, open, neutral and closed. While these three settings aren’t as many as some of the other technologies available today, some might argue that anything more than 3 settings is overkill. I do enjoy the simplicity of the Cobra AFT… Open, neutral or closed… pick your poison and work with it. Easy as that.

The Cobra S3 is available in 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 11.5 lofts. All models are available in 45.5″ lengths with D5 swing weight (the 11.5 is available in a D4 as well) and multiple shaft flexes. The Fukijura Blur is the stock shaft of choice, available in the TX006 and TX005 models. The tX006 is available in regular, stiff and extra-stiff, all having a mid kick and 5.5 degrees of torque. The TX005 comes in lite flex only, with a low kick point and 5.6 degrees of torque.

Cobra S3 Photo Gallery

For more information, head on over to Cobra Golf.

Cleveland Golf Launcher TL310 Driver

by James on March 15, 2011 in Golf Equipment, Cleveland, Drivers, Manufacturers with No comments

Listed on the GolfDigest HOT LIST for 2011, Cleveland Golf’s Launcher TL310 Driver is the real deal. The ‘TL’ stands for Tour Lite, with the driver weighing in at 310 grams. Despite the lightness of the club, it is still said to offer stability and feel demanded by the scratch golfer… with room for error for higher handicaps as well. Yes, the club is a good fit for almost any golfer, no matter if they’re looking for shot-shaping or forgiveness off the tee.

For what it’s worth, the TL310 is just part of the ‘Right Weight’ fitting system. The Launcher Ultralite series consists of 3 weights (310g, 290g and 270g). Each of these models is tuned to help players of different swing types and speeds.

The Cleveland Golf Launcher TL310 Driver features a 202 gram head, a 59-series shaft from Miyazaki C. Kua, and a 46 gram Lamkin grip. These of course are stock options, so if you’re looking to tune something specifically for your game, your best bet is to hit up an authorized Cleveland Golf retailer to get started.

Image Gallery:

Specs:

The TL310 is available in lofts of 8.5, 9.5 and 10.5. The 9.5 and 10.5 lofts are available in left-handed models as well. All models pack a 440cc club head, feature a shaft length of 45.25, feature a D4 swingweight and tip the scales at 310 grams.

For more, head on over to Cleveland Golf.

TaylorMade R11 Driver Pictures

by James on March 14, 2011 in Golf Equipment, Drivers, Manufacturers, TaylorMade with No comments

With the TaylorMade R11 Driver dubbed as the ‘it’ club for the first half of 2011, golf fanatics are scrambling like mad to get their hands on one. From head-to-toe, this driver is a unique piece of work. From the white paint job to the almost endless customizations of lie and loft… the R11 has found its way into many a tour pro’s bag, with much success.

To help feed the addiction to all things TaylorMade, and more specifically the R11, we’ve put together a small photo gallery for your viewing pleasure. You can go ahead and check ’em out below.

Cobra Golf Launches Limited Edition ‘All-White’ ZL Driver

by James on November 5, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Cobra, Drivers, Manufacturers with 1 Comment

Ian Poulter and the Cobra All-White ZL Driver

When it comes to stylish and powerful golf clubs, one of the names that comes to mind (for me, anyways) is Cobra Golf. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that they’ve graciously sent me their Cobra S2 Driver and Cobra ZL Driver for review… Yeah, you know what, that’s what it is! 🙂 But seriously, the folks at Cobra-Puma Golf are on more of the ‘cutting edge’ when it comes to combining solid golf clubs and stylish apparel.

This story is perhaps a mesh of the two. A wonderful, wonderful mesh of the two.

Cobra Golf has announced a limited edition ‘all-white’ ZL driver. How awesome is that!? You thought the TaylorMade Rossa Corza Ghost putter looked slick, wait until you feast your eyes on this bad boy. To start, below are a few images of the all-white Cobra ZL driver in-use by Ian Poulter:

Only 500 of these drivers have been made, and each is marked with a production serial number. Also of note, Cobra staffer Ian Poulter is using the all-white ZL Driver at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai, China. Gotta love that Ian Poulter. So stylish.

I’ve included the official press release after the jump for your reference. All of the club specs and features are there, so you may want to give it a read if you’re interested in this one. It’s certainly a one-of-a-kind, er… well, perhaps a 500-of-a-kind item… and speaking from experience, the Cobra ZL is a very solid, workable and explosive driver off the tee.

Let it be known… I want one of these.

Continue reading →

TaylorMade Burner SuperFast TP Driver

by James on September 28, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Drivers, Manufacturers, TaylorMade with No comments

Besides being one of the ‘sexiest’ looking drivers to come out of TaylorMade‘s workshop in recent memory, the Burner SuperFast TP Driver also features a lot of brawn to go along with its beauty.

First off is the aerodynamic head shape. TaylorMade promises that the shape will help you get the club through the air faster during your backswing and downswing, therefore increasing your clubhead speed… which translates to more distance. If you’ve seen the TV commercials, TaylorMade is all about pushing how ‘Fast’ the driver is. Guess that’s why they named it the ‘SuperFast’. Makes sense.

The clubhead itself is maxed out at 460cc’s, and features a dual crown to promote a higher flight. If you prefer to keep the ball low, or like to see a more boring trajectory, the R9 is probably a wiser choice. Not only will the R9 come off lower off the clubface, but if you don’t like the launch angle or trajectory, you can always tweak up the loft and face angle.

Finally, the Burner SuperFast TP Driver comes stock with a Matrix HD6 65 gram shaft for optimal trajectory and of course, ball speed off the clubface.

8.5, 9.5 and 10.5 degree options are available on all right-hand models… But sadly, only the 9.5 degree model of the SuperFast TP is available for lefties. That is, off the shelf anyway… 🙂

For more information on the Burner SuperFast TP Driver, or any other club in TaylorMade‘s lineup, you can check out their website at TaylorMadeGolf.com.

Cobra S2 Driver Photo Gallery

by James on September 28, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Cobra, Drivers, Manufacturers with 2 Comments

As you may have noticed, I recently posted my first impressions of the Cobra S2 Driver. So far so good with the S2, and for the moment I’m quite content to keep this bad boy in the bag.

You’ll want to stay tuned here at GolfCrunch for a more thorough review of the S2, but until then I’ve posted a few photos for your review below. I think you’ll find the Cobra S2 is not only a powerful and forgiving driver with great feel… but the darn thing looks mighty nice as well. Enjoy.

The Cobra S2 Driver: First Impressions

by James on September 27, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Cobra, Drivers, Manufacturers with 2 Comments

Out on the course with the Cobra S2 Driver

I had been wanting to get my hands on the Cobra S2 Driver for some time now. A few months back, the good folks at Cobra Golf were nice enough to send me the Cobra ZL Driver for review… and after putting that one through its paces, I loved it. Naturally, with the S2 as their other big driver option, I wanted to do the same. Without hesitation Cobra obliged my request, so… the other day I took the S2 to the range, and then out on the course for some testing. What I found was all good.

The club in my hands was a 10.5 with stiff Cobra Fit-On Max 65 gram shaft. On the range, my first few drives were straight and true. Much like the ZL, the feel at impact was solid as a rock, and I was able to work the ball either direction with ease. It’s important to note that the Cobra S2 Driver has Adjustable Flight Technology (AFT) built-in as well, so if you’d rather not make changes to your setup, simply adjust the clubhead to the open, neutral or closed position to help you work the ball (or straighten out that slice!).

Out on the course, my drive off the first tee made me smile. Straight down the pipe, right down the middle of the fairway leaving me a gap wedge into the green. Needless to say, I was loving the Cobra S2 already. Never mind the fact that I missed the green and 3-hacked it from there for a bogey… the purpose of my round was to get some initial impressions of the S2 🙂

The Cobra S2 Driver taking its place in my bag. You may also notice the Cobra Baffler Pro Hybrid in there too. Solid club.

As the round went on, one thing became quite apparent to me. The 9 Point Face Technology that Cobra touts was clearly in effect. If you have never heard of this, Cobra advertises that their drivers have 9 ‘hot’ points across the clubface, giving you consistently long and accurate drives no matter where you strike the ball. As long as you make contact in the area containing these 9 points, you’ll feel the difference. And, I’ve got to say… in comparison to the ZL I really felt this in the S2. Maybe it’s because my swing was a little bit off, but I was hitting quite a few drives off the toe-side of the driver, and all of them took off like a rocket. The feeling of these drives off the face was as if I had pured it off the sweet spot. It felt great, to say the least.

Much like the Cobra ZL Driver, the S2 sets up nicely to the ball, and inspires confidence. The overall look and feel of the club is sharp as well. In fact, I prefer the styling on the S2 over the ZL. Not by much, but I have to admit, the S2 wins in overall looks.

I’m going to stop here for now, but expect a more thorough review (with pictures) in the near future. I’ll probably put the S2 through some more testing, and form some takeaway conclusions for you to keep in mind.

At first blush though, the S2 is certainly getting my seal of approval. Solid distance, great accuracy, and a consistent feel off the face.

For more information on the Cobra S2 Driver, head on over to CobraGolf.com.

Stay tuned for more.

Note: As always, a special thanks goes out to Terra and the team at Cobra Puma Golf.

Cobra ZL Driver Photo Gallery

by James on June 15, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Cobra, Drivers with 2 Comments

The Cobra ZL Driver (Zero Limits) is a solid piece of equipment. I can say that with certainty now, after having tested it numerous times on the range, and on the course. The feel off the face is solid, and making adjustments to the club face is fast (and easy). One other thing I’d like to note today is the trajectory of the tee. It’s piercing, and the ball looks like it never wants to come down. It goes without saying, I’m loving it.

While I’d love to blab on and on about the Cobra ZL Driver, I’m going to save that for a later date. What I’d like to do now is share some photos with you. Go ahead and take a look-see below. I hope you enjoy!