Titleist 909D2/909D3 Driver Review

Titleist gets back in the driver’s seat with the 909 series. And yes, that pun was totally intended.

Titleist 909D2It seems to me that Titleist’s 909 drivers are the most eagerly awaited Titleist drivers since perhaps… well… in a long time. The retailers I’ve talked with are reporting good sales numbers, and PGA Tour adoption was awfully quick, with the majority of staff players switching before the first ball was struck in 2009. On a personal level, the number of emails, PMs, and IMs I’ve gotten from people anxious to read this review has been off the charts – and the 909H and 909F3 reviews only seemed to wet their whistles.

Titleist is the first to admit that the 907D1 and 907D2 – two drivers with near identical launch conditions but different looks and different MOI characteristics – were perhaps not the best pair of drivers for fitting a wide range of golfers. They’ve corrected that “one set of launch conditions” error with 909, offering three models: the composite-crowned (a first for Titleist!) 909D Comp, the “tweener” 909D2, and a low-launch, low-spin, 440cc 909D3.

Don’t get me wrong – the 907 was a great driver if you were the type of player that fit its launch conditions. I was able to, and switched to 907D2 after playing an r7 425 and an FT-3, and the 907 worked beautifully for me.

Now that I’ve had a chance to test both the 909D2 and 909D3, I’m ready to share my thoughts. Click through for the rest.

Nike Dymo and Dymo2 Driver Review

I think Nike is finally starting to get things right

Nike SQ Dymo HeroWhen I first saw that Nike had come out with another set of drivers I have to say I wasn’t all that excited. My experience with Nike’s golf gear has been favorable for the most part. I have carried their clubs in my bag from time to time, but I have always found myself going back to the manufacturers that have been around a little longer. I am a traditionalist at heart, and Nike’s drivers just always seemed a little “out there” for me. They had these goofy two tone crowns and the noise, the sound that emitted from them was ear shattering at best. There was always that one little thing about my Nike club that bothered me. Not bad equipment, but just not my cup of tea.

So when these two new Dymo series drivers arrived at my doorstep, I gave myself a little pep talk in the form of “Let’s give ’em a shot!” I am happy to report that I’m glad I did. Nike seems to have read my mind and improved on their drivers in virtually every way they could have (to me). It looks to me like a great deal of good traditional golf club design went in to the making of these. And out came what I believe to be the best product I have seen Nike put out to date.

Titleist 909F Fairway Metal Review

909F3: welcome to a slightly more forgiving fairway wood.

Titleist 909F3Without even looking at my Titleist 906F4 review, I almost began this review the same way: “Fairway woods rarely get the credit they deserve…” Of course, that’s as true then as it is today, and as my game evolves and improves, I find myself relying on my 3-wood more and more, particularly from the tees of holes on which I used to hit driver.

I carry only one fairway wood. It’s a 15° 3-wood sandwiched between a driver and a 17° hybrid that serves as my 5W/2I replacement. Except my putter, you could probably remove any club in my bag without affecting my final score by much, but remove my 3W and I might lose between half a shot and a full shot every time I would have needed it.

The 3W may not have the versatility of a hybrid, the sex appeal of a driver, or the scoring impact of any of my wedges, but when I need my 3W – when I pull it from the bag – it’s often for a situation that only a 3W can handle: from the tee on a tight par four, finding the putting surface on that incredibly long par three, or setting me up for an eagle on a par five.

I’m picky about my 3W, and you probably should be too.

Titleist 909H Hybrid Review

Titleist’s second generation “true hybrid” improves greatly on the first and challenges for the title “best.”

Titleist 909H HybridMy history with hybrids is a bit different than most. I still carry a 3-iron and can’t see giving it up any time soon. I generate enough swing speed and hit with the right amount of downward and sweeping action that I can hit a 3-iron just fine. This same swing tends to produce some poor results when I put a hybrid intended to replace the 3-iron in play.

As such, for years, I’ve relegated the hybrid to a spot between my 3-iron and my 3-wood. Hybrids from various makers, from about 16 to 18 degrees in loft, have occupied this slot at various times. The Titleist 503.H, more like a 2-iron than a hybrid, held the role until I moved onto the much-adored TaylorMade Rescue Dual TP. After realizing that I had a hard time keeping the ball down, I switched back to Titleist’s PT 585.H.

The 585.H was a great hybrid: it looked great, it felt great, and most importantly to me, I could adjust the trajectory to suit my needs. If it had a down-side, it’s that it was prone to the occasional snapper, as I often discovered on my home course’s long par-three seventh hole.

So when Titleist introduced the 909H, I was intrigued. As I stated in our widely read Sneak Peek, the 909H improves on the 585.H by offering progressive head sizes, shapes, offset, and CG to further optimize launch conditions across the range. A little birdie told me, too, that the tendency of the club to go left fast was reduced. I was pumped.

Mizuno MP-52 Irons Review

Mizuno’s “player” line just got a little more inclusive.

Playability in an MPWhen the MP-52 debuted this fall with its sibling the MP-62, there were two surprises. First, the company’s “Cut Muscle” design of the last several years is missing, replaced with a very different “Dual Muscle” technology. Second, with the MP-52, Mizuno set out to make a more forgiving MP iron. The MP line has always been the domain of low and lower-mid handicappers. They have a reputation as being workable while providing a lot of feedback. Keeping up to those standards with a forgiving club is a bit of a tall order.

Consider that mid- and low-handicappers can be pretty finicky about their clubs. Many won’t play muscle backs because they think (probably accurately) that they need more forgiveness. Others won’t consider anything that isn’t basically blade-like, because they refuse to sacrifice feel and workability (nothing wrong with that stance either). Forgiveness and workability are to a large extent at opposite ends of the same spectrum. Creating playable irons that meet the needs and preferences of better golfers is a gutsy undertaking for a company with a solid reputation among lower handicappers.

Adams Idea Pro Gold Irons and Hybrids

These are not your grandfather’s clubs (unless you happen to call Tom Watson “Gramps”).

Adams Idea Pro Forged Gold SetDon’t let the two hybrids fool you. The Adams Idea Pro Gold Irons are intended for better players of all ages. Adams has taken it upon themselves to do you a favor and remove the temptation of those 3- and 4-irons by replacing them with easy-to-hit hybrids. Chances are, after you play these clubs for a little while, you won’t even miss the long irons.

Adams Golf has been making some great equipment for years, though at times the general golfing public has seemed oblivious to their efforts. Adams is out to change that. While Champions Tour star and PGA Tour legend Tom Watson is probably the best known Adams staffer, the company is beginning to get some exposure with PGA Tour players.

Last year, Adams signed Aaron Baddeley and Rory Sabbatini to endorsement deals (not to mention Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey from Golf Channel’s Big Break). There are Adams staffers on the LPGA and Nationwide tours, as well as on the Long Drivers of America circuit. All of which should help convince more “Joe Golfers” to give Adams clubs a try, and they’d be well advised to at least take a look.

Cleveland VP Mills Putter Review

Cleveland’s first introduction into the milled putter market is an impressive one. It may not look as pretty, but it performs just as well as a Cameron for half the price.

Cleveland VP Milled PutterWhen you think of Cleveland Golf, you think of a few things. Vijay Singh, the HiBore driver and some classic wedges. One of the last things you might think of is putters.

Well, maybe you think of the Never Compromise line that Vijay Singh and David Toms used for years, but Cleveland Golf has now made an introduction into the milled putter market with its line of VP Milled putters. In a space that is dominated by Scotty Cameron, Cleveland Golf has their work cut out for them.

The biggest question for Cleveland Golf is this: Can they do enough to entice players of all skills to put a VP Mills putter in their bag instead of a Cameron? Read on to find out.

Pelz Wedge Collection by Bobby Jones Review

Jesse Ortiz and Dave Pelz have cooked up a new set of wedges featuring some pretty fancy technology.

Pelz/Bobby Jones Wedge HeroNext to one’s putter, your wedges are the most important club in your bag. Considering that the majority of your golf shots occur within 100 yards, having a wedge (or wedges) you can trust is vitally important to playing good golf.

To give you an alternative to the “big boys” of the golf equipment field, Bobby Jones Golf have combined the forces of clubmaker aficionado Jesse Ortiz and short-game guru Dave Pelz and have come out with a set of wedges that are one part classic and one part science-fiction technology.

I spent a month playing the Pelz/Bobby Jones wedges and though I had to adjust my wedge game a little bit, I was pretty impressed by what Ortiz and Pelz had come up with. Read on to find out what I thought of their creation.

Titleist’s Fall Products Now Online

Some of you have been waiting for it, so here you go: Titleist’s fall lineup is now available on their website.

Titleist LogoWe received enough reaction to our two articles on Titleist’s fall 2008 equipment releases (the 909 Drivers, Fairway Metals, and Hybrids and new Vokey Wedges and Cameron Putters that we thought we’d let everyone know that the Titleist website was updated earlier this morning with the new products.

The putters are still set to ship soon, and the wedges, drivers, fairway metals, and hybrids will be available in early- to mid-November.