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Looks: 7 (D2 and D3: 8)
Performance: 8
Ideal For: Anyone in the 0 - 36 handicap range looking to launch the ball a bit higher.
Briefly: These days, composite drivers don't sound unlike all-titanium drivers, so the dull thud from which the early composites suffered is no longer a problem.
The shape of the head is not my favorite, but there's no denying the performance. Launches the ball nice and high, provided you have the correct shaft (and ball), of course.
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Titleist 909DComp
In Theory:
With a full pear profile, and 460cc titanium and composite construction, the Titleist 909DComp is a high performance driver delivering high launch and low to mid spin.
The 909DComp features a tour proven, modern profile with a composite crown that creates a low and deep CG for reduced spin, higher launch and MOI, and longer, straighter drives.
The composite crown and tuned sole of the 909DComp, which includes optimized pockets and an internal rib for reduced vibration, deliver a tour validated sound and feel.
An integrated titanium blind bore hosel design saves weight, provides solid feel, and allows for more shaft options. The factory installed SureFit Swingweight Screw helps to position the CG deep while also providing a precise head to shaft match.
In Reality:
Titleist's reputation for making better players' clubs is not unfounded. I hit their irons years ago, but without a genuine game improvement model available (the AP1 is the closest Titleist gets), I now look elsewhere for forgiveness. The company's drivers are somewhat more accomodating however, and perfectly suitable for just about everyone it seems. There are three models in the 909 range - the DComp, D2 and D3. Though you need a Titleist R&D man to identify the differences between the D2 and D3, the DComp is fairly distinct from the others in that the head is longer from face to back and, being multi-material (titanium face and body with a composite crown), the sound it produces is very slightly different - although manufacturers have done a great job in recent years of eradicating the low-pitched thud sound that early composites like the Callaway C4 possessed and which many golfers found uninspiring.
I'm not terribly keen on the elongated head as it gives me the impression the driver is extremely low profile, so I always have the feeling the clubhead will sweep underneath the ball and the crown will contact it rather than the face. But that shape is becoming increasingly popular now and does apparently warrant 'Tour Proven' status. If, like me, you prefer the more traditional 'D' shape, you might consider the D2 or D3 which aren't old-fashioned by any means, but slightly more conventional.
Performance-wise, the DComp is just about everything you could possibly want or need, especially if you're looking to launch the ball a bit higher. It sounds great and when you make solid contact (I teed the ball quite low) the ball sets of high thanks to the multi-material construction which allows the manufacturer to position more weight in the sole which, in turn, effectively adds loft at impact. I tried both the stiff and regular shafts as I now think I kind of hover between the two and got slightly better results with the stiff - my swing speed is usually somewhere between 90 and 95mph depending on what I had for breakfast.
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Performance: 8
Ideal For: Serious golfers with less than perfect eyesight.
Briefly: Performance-wise, the Z-Star Yellow seems to stack up well against the Pro-V1 and other high-end balls. It flies plenty far and is comparable to its competitors on and around the green. As for the color, well, I'm convinced. It took me 59 holes to lose one.
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Srixon Z-Star X Yellow
In Theory:
Science has proven that yellow is the most visible color in the visual spectrum and psychology has correlated green with calming and stress relief; therefore Srixon has enhanced our tour line of golf balls based on these two findings with the introduction of Tour Yellow. Tour Yellow is a unique blend of yellow and green to formulate the next generation of tour golf balls.
the Z-STAR X will be, for most players, the longer of the two balls, and has a slightly firmer feel without sacrificing control and feel around the greens.
In Reality:
Don't worry; I'm not about to compare the distance, feel, spin and durability of the Z-Star with that of the Pro V1, Red TP, One Tour, HX Tour, B330S or any other high-end, multi-layer ball. The vast majority of golfers (and yes, I'm including you and me in that category), don't hit the ball consistently well enough to be able to say with any great certainty that the Z-Star performs better in the wind than the HX Tour, for instance, or carries two yards further than the B330S with a 5-iron.
What is different about this particular ball, however, is its color of course, and I'm here to tell you whether or not its being yellow, with a little green mixed in, is likely to make any difference to your game.
If, like me, you're prone to losing a ball or two, I suspect you'll discover quite a significant difference in fact. I just returned from three days' golf in Idaho and found it really rather difficult to lose the Z-Star Yellow. Eventually, after 59 holes, I duck-hooked it so violently it ended up in terrain so wild and so inhospitable Lewis and Clark would have given it up, so I dedicated it to the ground.
I would remember if I had ever gone three rounds and five holes without losing a ball before...but I can't.
The Z-Star performs very well; it goes plenty far enough and feels good on and around the greens. I don't know about the green evoking a calmer disposition, but I'm definitely buying the bit about the yellow being easier to see.
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Looks: 9
Performance: 9
Ideal For: Discerning golfers who recognize and appreciate quality and refinement.
Briefly: If you know a forged iron from an investment-cast model, can define the term 'swingweight', watch Golf Channel every day, play three times a week, and haven't been north of 80 since you played junior golf, then you will surely recognize the Miura CB-501 for the work of art it is.
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Miura CB-501
In Theory:
When the CB-501 was in development, our goal was to combine the best features from our favorite Miura irons, both past and present. Mr. Miura was striving for the ideal ball flight; enough offset to promote playability, the perfect head size, and a sole grind that would accommodate a broad range of players. With a sole grind that appeals to the Tour player, the 501 also possesses a design that will appeal to all levels of golfers. The “sweet spot” muscle back will deliver a ball flight with the trajectory of a blade. This style of iron also offers cavity-back forgiveness, as the contact point moves away from the center of the face.
In Reality:
The debate over the effectiveness of forged irons, and whether or not they really do deliver superior feel, has been , if not raging exactly, then certainly simmering for decades.
I think it unlikely that a beginner or casual golfer would be able to distinguish between the two, but having once been quite good at the game and having played forged irons during that period, I can say with some confidence that they do indeed 'feel' better. The difference is very small (how could it be anything else when the club is in contact with the ball for about one two-hundredth of a second?) but it is discernible. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy, of course - I tell my brain to expect it to feel slightly different, so it does feel slightly different. But even so, to many good golfers this small difference makes a big difference.
As for the Miura; if you love forged irons, I doubt you'll find any better than these. They are exquisitely-made and look as elegant as you'd expect of a manufacturer that crafts only 20,000 sets a year in order to maintain its reputation for quality. But on top of that they perform well too, the small-ish cavity giving the CB-501 a measure of forgiveness comparable with players' clubs made by bigger, better known manufacturers.
The Miura CB-501 is a club for golfers that appreciate the finer things in life.
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Looks: 7
Performance: 8
Ideal For: Anyone looking to fill the space between their 48 degree PW and 56 degree SW.
Briefly: Turns out the technology that works so well in the Heavy Putter transfers nicely to wedges. This particular model may not work so well for sand or flop shots, but for full pitches from say 80 to 120 yards, it's dynamite.
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Heavy Wedge
In Theory:
This 52 degree wedge is ideal for filling the gap between your pitching wedge and sand wedge. With a head mass just a few grams heavier than a conventional wedge, the Heavy Wedge gets its name from the addition of the tour proven back weighting system found in every club we produce. The 37 % higher balance point produced by the back weighting system is the key to improved body mechanics affecting the swing’s plane, tempo, transition, impact and balance. You will be hitting it closer with more control than ever before.
In Reality:
Well, I get it. The theory makes sense and it certainly works in practice. I wasn't convinced the concept that made the Heavy Putter so successful would work in wedges, (or indeed, irons and metal woods), but it seems to have made the transition seemlessly.
For me, this club works fantastically well for full shots between, say, 75 and 120 yards out. I tried opening the face and using it for flop shots and also out of the sand, but it didn't work nearly so well in those situations. That's not what this particular model was designed for, however, so I won't hold that against it. (For high lob shots I'd need a little more loft and from the sand some extra bounce would be necessary.)
Really, it's neither the best-looking nor most versatile club in the world, but for filling the gap between PW and SW it might be the most effective club I've ever tried.
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Looks: 9
Performance: 9
Ideal For: People who play golf.
Briefly: The ideal companion for the Launcher DST Driver and Fairway Woods. A handsome hybrid that performs in pretty much every situation you find yourself.
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Cleveland Launcher DST Hybrid
In Theory:
The center recess section of the Dual Rail Sole Design reduces turf drag, improves turf interaction, and allows better playability from the rough and poor lies. The Ultralite Diamana Red 74 Hybrid shaft increases launch angle which optimizes trajectory and angle of descent, and ensures more carry distance with a steeper landing for hop-n-stop control. The Parabolic Leading Edge improves turf interaction at impact and adds forgiveness by allowing clubhead to slide across the turf instead of digging into the ground.
In Reality:
In the last equipment review I was pretty gushing about the Launcher DST driver. One of the best-looking and best-performing drivers available I reckoned. The hybrid is no different. It looks great and hits the kind of shots you want a hybrid to hit from the sort of places you need it to hit them from.
Good contact feels fantastic, and a less than pure hit still ends up traveling a respectful distance down the course, in a desirable direction. Once or twice, I topped the ball along the ground, suggesting it isn't entirely fool-proof, but when I began swinging easy and letting the technology in the clubhead speak for itself, everything turned out rosy.
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