2020 Best Driver: Members Choice Winners. Results are in (please add your comments here)...

[BeerPerHole]

I'm in the same boat. If something goes wrong swinging this club it means I did something really dumb.

[puttnforthe8]

The exact thing I experienced - low weak fades!! This was complete opposite to the fitting. I changed all the settings around to see if it mattered and nothing helped. Swung my Ping same round and back to my normal drives. Really disappointed...took a huge loss on the club. Oh well!

[DON SVO]

Question: did you take home the same head that you hit in the Simulator?

[puttnforthe8]

Yes...it was built exactly as fit....head, shaft, grip, etc. As a matter of fact, it was even spec'd precise. Every aspect was built exactly as fit....that's why it was so expensive!

[gripandrip]

I still prefer the original EPIC Sub Zero to the Flash.

[DON SVO]

That's wild... I've heard quite a few stories like yours where they do a custom fitting, are happy with the results, get shipped the custom club built exactly like the one they hit and hated it. I haven't seen someone leave the store with the built club and hate it on the course. Interesting.

[jons1]

Never got a chance to vote, but I think the results were fairly predictable. I wonder how many total people actually voted. % alone doesn't tell the whole story and I'm sure if enough people voted, the results could vary.

I still think Titleist TS3 is the best driver on that list for many reasons.

[fpyle3]

I’m not surprised the SIM won by a pretty large margin, as it was head and shoulders above everything else I tried during my fitting. It is VERY low spin, but once you figure it out it is fantastic on course. I’ve only had 3 rounds given the long Covid course shutdown, but drives struck well have gone summer distance on a wet course in low 60s temp.

[Mike_C]

I think the low spin was my friend's problem. He never hit the ball real high, but more mid height with mid spin, but still hit it pretty far. The SIM turned his low ball flight lower, and gave him no spin, hence a low knuckle-ball fade to the right that might carry 220 if he is lucky. He used to carry his Ping 260-275. I guess if you can launch the SIM high, you probably optimize the low spin, and maybe relaxing on the simulator you might launch it higher. But on the course you make and adjustment, maybe shut down the face, and it turns into a weak line drive over the 2nd baseman's head......

[jons1]

No club has magical physics. Low spin drivers are usually drivers with a lower MOI. So it might be a darling on the indoor launch monitor for golfers that are too steep and slicers (aka average golfer), and then they get on the course and the club produces jekyll and hyde results. Buyer beware... there's no free lunch.

 

[heavy_hitter]

Outdoor on a Flightscope the Sim didn't come close to the numbers the Mavrik Sub Zero were getting on the fitting. The Sim Driver is not as good as the Mavrik or the Ping and honestly is the ugliest looking driver I have ever seen.

[fpyle3]

Yes, I can definitely see this happening. First range session I was hitting it lower than expected, I had to add a click higher loft, which I also think helped close the face a touch since the driver seems a bit fade biased in neutral setting. This is why having such a broad range of good driver offerings from the oems is great for us golfers.

[easyyy]

I can find out.

[Berkowsk]

I took my SIM Max (10.5) out for the first time yesterday. Historically I am a pretty bad slicing weekend warrior and regularly mishit my driver off the heel. Despite all my efforts to correct this during quarantine (net + foot spray work), was still hitting terrible shots off the heel yesterday, but somehow the SIM Max was still sending these awful mishits 200+ yards which surprised me. I’m excited to see what the driver can do if and when I ever regularly strike the sweet spot.

[IvanDrago]

SIM couldn't beat 2016 M2 (goat) for me.

 

Ended up witht he ST200 as it looks the best, is good value and performs.

 

M2 is now my back up.

[easyyy]

the 16' has a cult following as does the G400 Max.

[PreppySlapCut]

I had a G410 plus. Flight and forgiveness were good, but it had a little more left in it than I like and it sounded like a garbage can (even with 5g of hotmelt in the face). I’ve heard other people’s that sound better (like Zac Blair for example, who’s head has no hotmelt). Hit my playing partners SIM which was not a good fit but the sound and feel were so good that I had to build one for myself. Got a 10.5* head with the stock smoke green in X because they had it in stock and I figured I could get a baseline. Moved the weight to the toe, set it one click to lower (flat and open), and took a stab with a Graphite Design VR-5 X tipped 1”. High launch, low spin, really forgiving on my toe miss and I can’t imagine a better all around driver.

[BearHammer]

I'm glad someone else is in the same boat. Had a similar experience with the M3. Great numbers and feel in the fitting and then out on the course it was HORRIBLE. Have a friend who just went through the same process at our club with the SIM. +1 handicap, amazing driver of the golf ball. Got great numbers during his fitting and I haven't seen him miss this many fairways in at least a couple years. Who knows, may just take time to get used to but overall I've been unimpressed with Taylormade driver performance the last few years.

[HenryBall]

No doubt about it, outside of the orange whip I can’t think of a hit with that color scheme.

[Wooderson]

I personally think we get into a groove hitting the same club and shot over and over in a sim. Get to the course and having to vary things will cause our results to be affected.

I want to love TM drivers. Especially the Sim. It's my favorite looking driver, but ultimately I don't like the light headweight.

[Warrick]

I don’t care for this new direction of light heads/shafts.

you may be able to swing it faster, but can you hit it straight?

[Rob McHugh]

I still can't go past my Ping G400Max either. I am a 60 year old hack off 13 but with a Hazardus smoke 6.0 at 45", I love this thing. :-)

[SwingBlues]

Bingo! I got the GBB Epic, skipped Rogue. Picked up the Epic Flash and I will skip Mavrick, seems like its every 2nd generation is the sweet spot to pick up a Callaway driver. I do admire they kept the same adapter through the whole Epic line to Mavrick.

[Josh R]

Outdoor on a Flightscope the Sim didn't come close to the numbers the Mavrik Sub Zero were getting on the fitting. The Sim Driver is not as good as the Mavrik or the Ping and honestly is the ugliest looking driver I have ever seen.

 

I have been hitting the SIM longer than any driver I have played since the SLDR. I paired it with a Ventus Black and its been unreal.

[OspreyCI]

Jekyll and Hyde?

[Svingit]

I got fitted for the TS3 with 45" Hzrdus Smoke 6.0 60g. I prefers the more classic look of a driver. Nothing going on top or bottom. The TS3 has the best feel and sound I have ever felt with a driver.

[dorm]

Just left a Taylor Made fitting at my club, keep in mind I have not been able to game a Taylor Made driver since the R7 TP, currently playing Titleist TS3(9*) with Hazardous Smoke 6.0 60g, was fit for Sim Max 9* set to 9.75(Hazardous Smoke Yellow 6.0 60g) Ball speed 149.4 avg vs 144.5-Titleist, 259.4 avg carry vs 236.7(TS3) 283.2(TM total) vs (259.2-TS3), straight as string ball flight. Ordered on the spot, shocked with the fitting just thought I was going to confirm my Titleist was the best but I was wrong. Wish I could have walked away with it! Also strongly considering the 3 wood.

[flynny19]

Its a never ending quest, love articles like this.

[Mclancy94]

Can anyone that his hit a lot of the 2020 releases tell me what they found the highest spinning and launching has been? I am looking to get into something adjustable and am think G410 or G419 plus just don’t want to lose spin coming from the F9

[DonCarnage]

It is not the arrow but the Indian .