Driver fitting at American Golf!
The time had come. The realisation that my trusty King Cobra driver that I had owned over 15 years was no longer suitable and I needed to get myself a new driver.
This was a little strange for a couple of reasons. First, my earliest memory of playing golf was standing on the 1st tee at Fairhaven Golf Club with my trusty King Cobra, so it did feel a little uncomfortable taking the decision to remove this club from my bag. And secondly, I felt and still feel that I’m striking the ball well with that driver, despite the obscenely small head compared to the newer driver, so spending hundreds of pounds on a new club when the old one wasn’t too much of an issue is never a nice feeling.
But nevertheless, I knew it was time to get a new driver. I make no bones about it, I’m a distinctly average golfer. I play once a week and I’m lucky to beat 90, so I didn’t want to spend hundreds upon hundreds of pounds on a driver. I just wanted a club that could be customised to my swing, that wasn’t going to break the bank, and most importantly would give me the best chance of hitting a fairway!
Walking into American golf trafford, the big hitters of the TaylorMade Stealth, Titleist TSR3 and Callaway Paradym were off the table, I just could not stomach a £500+ driver when I’m lucky not to lose £500 of golf balls on an average round. So what did I try?
TaylorMade M4
First was the TaylorMade M4 golf driver...Now for context, my irons are all TaylorMade P770s so this was the driver that I thought was for me. Visually, it was excellent. I loved the titanium/carbon effect on the head of the driver and the subtle, yet distinctive, flashes of red amongst a grey and silver club. The sound as I sliced a ball into the side netting of the range is still ringing in my ears. However, the club just didn’t feel right. The weight of the club felt uneasy, incredibly light, and whilst TaylorMade this club has a “flexible face resulting in a larger sweet spot”, it must have been hiding from me that day, as a sweet spot I sought, disappointment was all I found. On to the next…
COBRA King Speedzone
Ah, the trusty COBRA King Speedzone.... Now this must be the driver for me, reminiscent of my youth when days were simpler and I didn’t have to buy my own golf balls. Of all the clubs tested, it’s by far the most distinctive. The ‘ting’ that only a COBRA driver can seem to make when connecting with the ball is certainly retained in this newest edition to the COBRA range. American Golf also currently has an offer on the driver, down from the RRP £329 to £199. But whilst it seemed a match made in heaven, there was no fairy-tale ending to this story. It may be personal preference, but the styling of the club just wasn’t to my liking; I felt the yellow on the bottom of the head was catching attention for all the wrong reasons and whilst reviews claimed it reduced the slice, this did not ring true for myself. Even the supposed ‘stiff’ shaft felt like it was flopping all over the place. It seems there was a reason for the discounted price…
Wilson Dynapower Titanium
And finally it was the Wilson Dynapower... Now before you continue reading, I said to myself before going for my driver fitting that I would not buy a Wilson. The only piece of Wilson sporting equipment I ever owned was a tennis racquet when I was 8 years old. I would not be buying a Wilson. This sentiment was re-enforced when I saw the club. Whilst there were dashes of red similar to the TaylorMade, the club is far more understated than the others, which for me wasn’t an advantage. I wanted my driver to make a statement when I stepped onto the tee box. But when I hit the club, I knew all my previous thoughts were wrong. This was the driver for me. It felt weighty, but effortless to swing at the same time. A weird sensation to swing and even weirder to try and explain in words, but I’d highly recommend you give it a go. At a RRP of £349, it seemed to keep up with the £500+ big boys at a smidge over half the price. So I left American Golf with my Wilson Dynapower on order, and I’m proud to say it.
Here at Zeon Golf, we want to represent the amateur golfer. We are four friends, dedicated to having a laugh and aspiring to crack the wonderful game of golf, despite knowing that cracking 90 is a champagne moment for ourselves.
We pride ourselves on delivering performance and value when it’s not expected. Maybe we have more in common with the Wilson Dynapower than I first expected, except Zeon apparel is certainly more stylish! Why not check out our range here. Also if there are any other aspects of golf you would wish us to review, please let us know your thoughts at hello@zeongolf.com.
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Zeon Golf