MacGregor MACTEC NVG2 Tour Driver Review

One of the most impressive drivers I hit all of last year was the MacGregor MACTEC NVG. I played it for several weeks before writing a positive review of the driver. In short, I found it long, loud, and very straight.

A year later, you can add another adjective to my description of the MACTEC NVG: “discontinued.” That’s right. Thanks to the ever-decreasing length of the product cycle in the golf business, MacGregor launched two new versions of the driver this January. I’ve had the chance to play several rounds with the new MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver, giving me the chance to decide whether to add “improved” to the MACTEC adjective collection.

When MacGregor discontinued last year’s MACTEC NVG driver, it launched two versions to replace it. The MACTEC NVG2 driver is geared more toward the average player, with more weight in the heel area to fight a slice, a less-stout shaft, and a slightly simplified design that is more cost efficient.

The second driver, the MACTEC NVG2 Tour model, is aimed at the better player and has all of the technology of the original with some compelling new design elements.

Construction

The new MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver is a bit bigger than its older sibling, which was 435cc. But at 445cc, the MACTEC NVG2 Tour still has a few CCs to grow before butting up against the USGA’s limitation on clubhead size. The large, squarish head seems as large or larger than many 460cc models, so take the official measurement with a grain of salt.

The clubhead utilizes two kinds of titanium. As with last year’s model, a 6-4 titanium body is married to a very thin, 0.4mm beta titanium crown. This helps lower the center of gravity to lower the spin rate off the driver, which helps increase both distance and accuracy. New to the MACTEC NVG2 Tour is what MacGregor is billing as Cup Face 360° technology. The driver has a beta titanium face area that extends beyond the front of the club and wraps around the body of the club a bit.

This technology is reminiscent of the cup-face design Callaway used in the ERC drivers and still uses in the Fusion FT-3 driver. While the implementation of the technology is somewhat different, the goal is the same: to move the weld area away from the face of the driver. This reduces stress on the face and makes it possible for the face to be thinner and more lively over a larger area. MacGregor also claims that the Cup Face 360° technology improves forgiveness and feel.

Like last year’s MACTEC NVG driver, the MACTEC NVG2 Tour also features four fixed tungsten weights. A pair of 1.5-gram weights – one in the heel, one in the toe – are used to raise the moment of inertia, or resistance to twisting, at impact. Last year’s model had 2.5-gram weights in these locations, and the slightly lighter weights may be an attempt to make the club more workable. Meanwhile, another pair of weights is located in the rear heel area – one a 6-gram weight, the other 8 grams, for a total of 14 grams of weight in the area (same as last year’s model, and three grams less than the non-Tour version this year). This weight is meant to help square the clubhead at impact and give the driver a neutral bias to a slight draw bias, depending on the loft.

To keep that draw bias from becoming too prevalent, MacGregor opted to open the clubface angles on the MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver. The 8-degree model is 1.5° open, and the 9°, 10° and HL10 (High Launch) models are all 1° open. The MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver also has a fair amount of face progression, which is to say it is the opposite of offset. The hosel of the club sits a small distance back from the face of the driver, which helps keep the ball from going left. The hosel of the tour model is longer than last year’s, as well.

The driver’s face has a pattern of shallow score lines and punch dots. The range ball marks are my own.

An important upgrade for many equipment-conscious golfers is the shaft on the MACTEC NVG2 Tour. Last year’s model had MacGregor’s proprietary Quadra-Action shaft, which had three bend points to help create, store and release energy and increase clubhead speed. The shaft worked great, in my experience, but it might have been a marketing problem. In this age of exotic shafts, consumers want to see a big-name shaft in a driver, not a proprietary model.

Not a problem this year, as MacGregor worked with hot shaft manufacturer Fujikura to create a new version of the Quadra-Action shaft that includes Fujikura’s tour-tested Triax technology. As a result, the new Speeder Quadra-Action Shaft has all the energy transfer technology of the original shaft with the added benefit of lower torque (3° in the stiff shaft I tested) and a brand name attached. Standard shaft length is 44.75″, and weights are 60 grams for the R flex, 70 for the S, and 75 for the X flex.

The underside of the shaft has info on shaft flex, weight and torque.

Speaking of brand names, MacGregor also provided a nice upgrade to the grip on the MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver. A Golf Pride New Decade Multicompound grip – in a special black-grey color scheme instead of the usual black-red – is standard on the driver, which is a cut above any other standard grip on the market today.

Esthetics

The look of the MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver is very subdued and serious, befitting a product aimed at low-handicappers. Gone is last year’s brilliant blue paint job and matching shaft. The MACTEC NVG2 Tour head has a slick black paint job with a sharp mirror finish, accented by a satin finish on the exposed metal of the face and sole. There is no alignment mark on the crown, which I prefer (but I know many of you disagree on this issue).

On the flipside, the MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver still shows its Japanese roots with an angular, futuristic design (the original NVG driver came from MacGregor’s Japan subsidiary). Lots of bold scoops and angles on the tri-plane sole, and plenty of logos and lettering. A black-and-silver NVG medallion is also in the mix, affixed to the back of the clubhead.

The driver’s sole now includes two black polyurethane inserts to help tune the sound and feel at impact.

A new addition to the sole design on the MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver is a pair of polyurethane inserts toward the back of the clubhead. This is meant to address one of the biggest issues with last year’s model, which was the piercing sound at impact. I heard it compared to the sound of an aluminum baseball bat hitting a pool ball, only louder. The polyurethane inserts on the MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver work to make the impact sound much lower and less sharp. The resulting sound is muted and a bit hollow, not unlike the Callaway FT-3. It isn’t a sweet sound, but it is an improvement.

The Speeder Quadra-Action shaft has the familiar Speeder graphics near the grip, and the rest of the shaft tapers from dark black to a slightly lighter shade. The shaft graphics are all faced down for a sleeker look.

The headcover is a large, padded black affair with a zipper on the underside. It has Mylar piping around the edges that shimmers with a rainbow of colors in the sun. It’s an eye-catcher.

The driver has a pronounced toe area (with tungsten weight insert). Note the longer hosel than last year’s model.

Performance

The MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver I tested was a 10° model with an S-flex shaft. I definitely wanted to see how it stacked up to the NVG driver I tested last year. The short answer: it is an improvement.

Much of the performance was the same, which is to say the MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver is a very stable, long, forgiving driver. Anything hit anywhere near the center of the clubface rewards you with outstanding distance, and you have to work pretty hard to hit a big slice or hook. For a “tour” model, this is a very easy-to-hit driver.

The driver is improved in terms of workability. The original wanted to launch the ball high and straight, and any attempt to hit a low draw or a high cut resulted in inconsistent ball flight and lots of lost distance. Not so with the MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver. I was able to hit fades and draws without any problem, and I was even able to play the ball back in my stance and keep it down under the wind on one blustery day.

Conclusion

Like its predecessor, the MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver is an all-around solid driver. It is plenty long and plenty forgiving – and much more workable than its older sibling. It has a premium shaft and a great grip. What’s not to like?

MacGregor is one of several companies trying to steal market share from the likes of Callaway, Cleveland, Ping, TaylorMade, and Titleist at the top of the driver pecking order. It’s a tall assignment, and there aren’t any bad products on the market anymore. Despite its history, MacGregor doesn’t have the cachet of some other brands. But that doesn’t affect performance one bit. If you’re looking for a driver, the MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver is worth checking out.

The driver’s large headcover has silver Mylar piping that produces a rainbow effect in the sun.

The MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver is the top of MacGregor’s product lineup, and it carries a price tag worthy of the “tour” name (like TaylorMade’s Tour Preferred line). The Tour model of the NVG2 driver has a street price of $449, compared with $399 for last year’s version (and $299 for this year’s non-tour model). And lefties take note: the MACTEC NVG2 Tour driver is only available in right-handed models.