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Driver
Ratings December 2002
GolfTest
USA has just completed testing on the following drivers:
Sonartec Ti-01; Sonartec Super CV Pro; Giant Golf FT100;
Prince Titanium 5000 EX; Yonex V-mass 400; La Jolla 400
Titanium; La Jolla 350 Titanium; Ruger Titanium; Natural
Golf Tour Hammer 410cc; Cobra SS 427. We are still waiting
for TaylorMade to send us drivers so we can finish testing
on the TaylorMade 510, 540 and 580. After testing dozens
of drivers this year it is apparent that club makers are
making many drivers that offer quality, performance and
value to golfers of all skill levels. There is a wide price
range for golfers to choose from and while the top golf
manufacturers make great clubs they tend to be premium priced.
In 2003 GolfTest USA will be looking at how we can incorporate
"Value" into our ratings for golfers who are more
price conscious. We will soon be announcing our top picks
for Drivers of the Year.
The
testing of drivers was conducted using two evaluation-rating
formats. The first evaluation format was done by GolfTest
USA Test Administrators and in the second evaluation format
GolfTest USA asked each golfer to rate several criteria
on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best. GolfTest USA had
average golfers, with handicaps from 5 to 25, test each
of the drivers listed below. Each golfer hit shots off a
tee. GolfTest USA Test Administrators rated the distance
of each shot on a scale of 1 to 10 and the "Control"
and "Accuracy" they felt each golfer displayed
with each driver during the test. These ratings were then
combined with the golfers own ratings to come up with an
overall rating for each driver.
The
drivers that achieved the highest ratings have been awarded
GolfTest USA's "Seal Of Excellence". (For
more info click here) Those drivers have been designated
with three asterisks after them.
Let
us know if there are other drivers you would like us to
test and we will contact the manufacturers and see if they
will participate in our next testing cycle. requestatest@golftestusa.com.
Drivers with three asterisks have received the
GolfTest USA "Seal of Excellence"
Click on each column head to sort ratings by that criteria.
| Drivers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Cobra
SS 427*** |
9.3
|
9.2
|
9.1
|
9.2
|
9.1
|
9.2
|
|
KZG
RBT/325***
|
9.1
|
9.1
|
9.0
|
9.2
|
9.1
|
9.1
|
| Titleist
975L-FE*** |
9.2
|
9.1
|
9.2
|
9.1
|
9.1
|
9.2
|
| Natural
Golf 410 Tour Hammer*** |
9.2
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
9.1
|
9.0
|
9.1
|
| Nike
350*** |
9.2
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
9.1
|
8.9
|
9.1
|
| Nike
400*** |
9.1
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
9.1
|
9.1
|
9.1
|
| Yonex
V-mass 400*** |
9.2
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
9.1
|
9.1
|
9.1
|
|
Nicklaus
Air Max 360cc***
|
9.0
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
9.1
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
|
Yonex
V-mass 350 +***
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
8.9
|
9.1
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
| HOG
ATL *** |
9.0
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
9.1
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
| Yonex
350 V-mass*** |
8.9
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
9.1
|
9.0
|
8.9
|
| Butler
SSTi *** |
9.3
|
9.1
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
8.8
|
9.1
|
| Ruger
Titanium*** |
9.2
|
9.1
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
9.1
|
| Sonartec
Super CV Pro*** |
9.1
|
9.0
|
9.1
|
9.0
|
9.1
|
9.1
|
| TaylorMade
320*** |
9.2
|
9.0
|
9.1
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
9.1
|
|
Titleist
975J-VS***
|
9.1
|
9.2
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
9.1
|
|
Titleist
975J***
|
9.1
|
9.1
|
9.2
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
9.1
|
|
Zevo
Compressor***
|
9.3
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
8.9
|
9.1
|
| La
Jolla 400 Titanium*** |
9.1
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
|
PAX***
|
9.1
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
| Srixon
XXIO*** |
9.1
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
| La
Jolla 350 Titanium*** |
8.9
|
8.8
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
| Sun
Valley SVG Gold*** |
8.9
|
8.8
|
8.7
|
9.0
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
| Ping
TiSi TEC*** |
9.3
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
8.9
|
9.1
|
9.1
|
| Cleveland
Launcher*** |
9.2
|
9.1
|
9.1
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
| PowerBilt
Citation*** |
9.1
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
| Sonartec
Ti-01*** |
9.0
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
| Wilson
Deep Red 365*** |
9.1
|
9.0
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
| Arrow
Tech 365*** |
9.0
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
8.9
|
| Jazz
Ball Launcher 500*** |
8.9
|
9.0
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
8.9
|
| Kent
Alpha Reaction 400*** |
9.0
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
8.9
|
| MacGregor
Tourney 340*** |
8.9
|
9.0
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
8.9
|
| Natural
Golf Hammer *** |
8.8
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
8.7
|
8.9
|
| Feel
DRF 400 |
8.8
|
8.8
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
8.7
|
8.8
|
| Louisville
Smart 2 Persimmon |
8.6
|
8.8
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
8.5
|
8.5
|
|
Prince
ThunderStick Titanium 5000EX***
|
9.2
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
8.8
|
9.0
|
9.1
|
| KZG
PFT 300*** |
9.0
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
|
Trinity
Stiletto II Beta Ti
|
9.0
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
8.8
|
8.7
|
8.8
|
| Kent
Alpha Reaction 300 |
8.8
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
8.8
|
8.6
|
8.7
|
| McHenry |
8.8
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
8.8
|
8.6
|
8.7
|
| MG
300XL |
8.9
|
8.6
|
8.7
|
8.8
|
8.8
|
8.7
|
| PoleKat |
8.7
|
8.7
|
8.6
|
8.8
|
8.6
|
8.6
|
| Wilson
Deep Red *** |
9.2
|
9.1
|
9.0
|
8.7
|
8.9
|
9.0
|
| Giant
Golf FT 100*** |
8.8
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
8.7
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
| Kasco
K2K 01 |
8.9
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
8.7
|
8.7
|
8.8
|
| Kent
Alpha Reaction |
8.8
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
8.7
|
8.8
|
8.8
|
| Natural
Golf Ti Hammer |
8.8
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
8.7
|
8.8
|
8.8
|
| LiquidMetal |
8.5
|
8.5
|
8.7
|
8.7
|
8.6
|
8.5
|
| Fox
Uno |
8.8
|
8.7
|
8.8
|
8.6
|
8.7
|
8.7
|
| Katana
Sword |
8.9
|
8.9
|
8.9
|
8.6
|
8.8
|
8.8
|
| Cleveland
Quadpro |
8.7
|
8.6
|
8.7
|
8.4
|
8.6
|
8.6
|
| Purespin |
8.1
|
8.2
|
8.3
|
8.3
|
7.7
|
8.1
|
Over
several years of testing GolfTest USA has determined that
when subjective and objective ratings from our Test Administrators
and the golfers taking the test are combined the overall
rating is a very accurate indication of the actual performance
of any particular golf product. There is only a small difference
in the ratings yet even a couple of percentage points difference
from one club to another is significant enough to indicate
a club that performs at a superior level to other clubs.
Go to
our manufacturer's links
page to get more information about these drivers.
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