Clubmakers are playing with geometry to build clubs that are longer and more
accurate
Sometimes more is more. From drivers to putters, there has never been a
richer assortment of clubs on the market to help you get more—more distance,
more accuracy, more fun—out of your game. The only hard part is deciding
what to put in your bag, and that’s where our expanded testing of clubs comes
in. Whether you’re a low, mid or high handicap, you’re bound to find a club or
two here that will help you.When it comes to drivers, designers are really
thinking outside the tee box these days. There are some envelope-pushing shapes
out there. Cleveland’s scalloped Hi-Bore XL could double as a soup ladle, and it
looks like you could hide a sandwich inside Nike’s square-shaped Sumo2. What’s
with all the culinary craziness? Moment of inertia (MOI), a measurement of the
club’s ability to resist twisting on off-center hits. Higher MOI translates
into straighter and longer shots when you strike the ball on the heel or the
toe, making the clubs very tasty, indeed.
And from the fairway, hybrids are
more popular than ever. They’re easier to hit and more versatile than long
irons. But if you’re a low-handicap player who likes the look and workability of
long irons, you’re also in luck, since the multi-material technology that has
improved drivers has now trickled down to irons.
As the saying goes, you need
to strike while the iron, not to mention the driver and hybrid, is hot.