THE TEST 2014 DRIVERS
Ping G25 £299 Lofts: 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5°, 12° adjustable Contact: www.ping.com Tech: Large, forgiving head, ‘Trajectory Tuning Technology’ and a speedgenerating shaft. Each loft can be tweaked by half-a-degree up or down. The clubface is larger and the crown is thinner than last year’s G20 and has the highest MOI and lowest centre of gravity of any current Ping driver. What we said... JR: “The head design is meaty with a classy finish. It looks more lofted than it is and sounds powerful. The peak height was high, but I was able to keep the spin down. Might be improved by having the i25 alignment aid. All the shaft offerings are strong performers.” JT: “The G25 goes to show that with the right loft and shaft, better players can get something out of a ‘mass market’ model. With the PWR X stiff tour shaft (no upcharge) I got a really strong,
SILVER award test team’s two key statistics
James Ridyard Distance: 270 yards Dispersion: 7 yards
Joel Tadman Distance: 252 yards Dispersion: 4 yards
rainbow flight, launching high with low spin. The clubhead is huge, which most club golfers will love.” SK: “I was surprised to get the longest carries with 11° of loft. It’s got a confidenceinspiring look and solid feel across the face; a great all-round package.” SM: “Not the nicest sound, but everything else is easy to like. High-launch head suited my downward attack angle.” Pros: Size boosts confidence. Premium finish. Forgiving. Cons: Look may put off good players.
Stephen Kidd Distance: 246 yards Dispersion: 10 yards
The numbers Looks: 8 Feel: 9 Sound: 8 Forgiveness: 9.5 Performance: 8 TG Rating:
HHHHHHHHHH Steve Milnes Distance: 214 yards Dispersion: 12 yards
gold award
Mizuno JPX EZ £249
Ping i25 £345
Lofts: 9.5°, 10.5°, 12° adjustable Contact: golf.mizunoeurope.com Tech: ‘QuickSwitch’ adjustability allows users to open or close the face up to 2° and adjust the loft 1.5° up or down. The driver also boasts a lowprofile aerodynamic head design and 0.6mm ‘Rebound Crown’, where the head expands at impact to produce more of a spring-like effect from a larger area on the clubface. What we said... JR: “Classic-looking head that seems to set up just a little closed in neutral. Very strong feel and sound. Distance and dispersion was excellent once I’d adjusted the face slightly open. Really impressive.” JT: “The surprise package of the test for me. After upping the loft one click I could hardly miss. The dispersion was tight and the distance was up there with the rest. I love the look, too; the white grooves in the heel and toe
test team’s two key statistics
frame the ball nicely. The only thing I disliked was the sound – it was a bit overpowering.” SK: “Looks great, impressive forgiveness and the shaft is a real plus. Flight was a little high, but balls still went long and straight.” SM: “A great feel off the face and one of my highest-launching drivers, which made distance easier to come by. One of my favourite drivers on test.” Pros: Classy, clean look with a hotfeeling face. Superb overall package. Cons: Not the most workable driver.
Lofts: 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5° adjustable Contact: www.ping.com Tech: Aimed at the better player with high swing speeds. A racing stripe on the crown helps align the face and take the club away on the correct path. Two tungsten weights in the rear of the sole raise MOI and move the CG low and back. The clubface has variable thicknesses to deliver high ball speeds from a larger area. Ping’s PWR shafts come in three different weights and stiffness profiles without changing swingweight. Each loft is adjustable by 0.5° up or down. What we said... JR: “The stripes on the top certainly make alignment easier. You get the
The numbers Looks: 9 Feel: 8.5 Sound: 8 Forgiveness: 8.5 Performance: 8.5 TG Rating:
James Ridyard Distance: 274 yards Dispersion: 5 yards
is sue 31 9 Todaysgolfer .co.uk
Adjustable, better-player model with forgiveness and an effective alignment aid
HHHHHHHHHH Joel Tadman Distance: 260 yards Dispersion: 5 yards
SILVER award Stephen Kidd Distance: 251 yards Dispersion: 12 yards
Steve Milnes Distance: 215 yards Dispersion: 8 yards
test team’s two key statistics
James Ridyard Distance: 279 yards Dispersion: 8 yards
same low-spin performance as the old Anser, but in a more forgiving head. This is an exceptional driver with very few weaknesses.” JT: “The sole looks similar to the i20 and it performs in a similar manner. With the i25, alignment is significantly easier thanks to the stripe. It’s subtle enough not to dominate your focus, but effectively helps aim the face. Having the adjustability we didn’t have in the i20 is an option everyone will enjoy – being able to add 0.5° to my 9.5° head helped get four more yards. Feels a touch harder than other top performers, but the head shape is flawless.” SK: “The stripe works for me, too. The head feels heavy, which I like, but powerful too and I got a penetrating flight
Joel Tadman Distance: 257 yards Dispersion: 5 yards
with lots of run.” SM: “Certainly not as forgiving as the G25 for me, but there’s still plenty on offer. Switching to the lighter 55g shaft didn’t alter the overall feel of the club.” Pros: Crown design has genuine performance benefit. Long, low-spinning driver with forgiveness too – a winning combination. Cons: Not best suited to slow swingers.
The numbers Looks: 9 Feel: 8.5 Sound: 8.5 Forgiveness: 9 Performance: 9 TG Rating:
HHHHHHHHHH
Stephen Kidd Distance: 251 yards Dispersion: 9 yards
Steve Milnes Distance: 214 yards Dispersion: 8 yards
➔
Todaysgolfer .co.uk is sue 31 9