The dynamics of golf have gone through significant changes in the past few decades, with newer golf equipment being introduced tothe market. Golf equipment has also become more affordable, allowing both amateur and pro golfersto play at their full potential.
The rise in golf’s popularityplays a considerable role in contributing to advancements in the game. Theincreasing number of golf playershas helped robust golf clubs replace outdated ones. These drivers are specially made for golfers to hit long shots.
The modern technology incorporated in today’s golf equipment helps golfers achieve much more on the course than they did before. This golf equipment, including drivers, is much faster and more accurate than ever, with golfers turning to these drivers for their next golf game.
Let’s consider what you should look into before buying a modern driver and some of the best ones in the market.
Best Mizuno Drivers
Golfenthusiasts are well-familiar with Mizuno as a manufacturer ofsome of the best golfing equipment. This brand has had a strong reputation for blessing athletes with well-fitted sports equipment that helps them conquer their game. Let’sanalyze and review some of Mizuno’s best driversthat have proved quite worthwhile for golfers.
Mizuno ST-Z 220 and ST-X 220
The Japanese brand wanted to develop drivers that could help it reach the top of the list regarding the most efficient drivers. Mizuno wanted it tobe the best when it came to ball control, distance, and spin. Hence, Mizuno developed the ST-Z 220 and ST-X 220, proving highly successful. These drivers offer significant stability and consistency to the golfer from the off-center strikes.
This feature is derived from the additional carbon-sole area (40%) and thinning of the titanium. The back weight stabilizing these drivers is also doubled to 20g in ST-Z 220 and ST-X 220. Playing with either of these drivers results in a tight launch and spin range, with the ball speed drop-off being insignificant.
Mizuno ST-G 220
If you’re familiar with Mizuno’s ST series, you’d know all of its models are built to offer specific features to golfers with particular aims. Some models from the ST series are made to have substantial forgiveness, while others focus on drawing biased performance. A few models from this series also enable golfers to hit better shots and increase trajectory and spin.
The ST-G 220 is the best driver to have if you’re looking to reduce the sound typically made at impact. Mizuno engineers have worked significantly hard to ensure that the ST-G 220 is tuned finely and toned down the vibration levels. This helps the golfer experience a more satisfying and dense sound upon impact. The ST-G 220 also has a much deeper face than other models and includes a shorter back.
Mizuno ST200
Ifyou’relooking to increase forgiveness while having a lower spin, the Mizuno ST200 is idealfor you. This driver combines both aspects to helpgolfers improve their game. Increasedforgiveness and lower spin control are the ST200’shighlighting traits. The ST200 provides substantial stability for its golfers, allowing them to control the driver completely.
There’s a perfect balance between the improved forgiveness low spin levels. The balance comes from the 12g back weight that helps the ST200 offer more consistency to players. The acoustics of this driver is also pretty tuned to fit the golfer’s needs much better. This Mizuno driver works pretty well for golfers who prefer hitting hard shots, and since the ST200 offers increased forgiveness, golfers can achieve that effortlessly.
Mizuno ST190
The ST190 is a driver with the latest technologies incorporated to make the most of their golf game. This driver is another version of the ST series that offers substantially low spin control. Golfersget the least amount of spin control while playing with this driver. The robust technology in this driver contributes to enhancing the ball speed and driving distance.
The ST190 works specifically well for golfers who want consistent ball speeds. The enhanced ball speed results from this piece of equipment’sfast-paced technology. The driver offers additional stability to off-center strikes, making it one of the most worthwhile drivers out there. If these featureswork for you, we’llsuggest you get the Mizuno ST190 right away, as it won’tdisappoint you on the golf course.
Mizuno ST180
The Amplified Wave sole, initially designed in Mizuno’s fairway woods, agreements and grows to build the energy bestowed to the ball for raised ball speeds while likewise pushing weight forward to immensely lessen turn rate. The ST180 offers golfers a chance to enhance their ball speed significantly.
The ST180 is an upgraded version of its predecessors, with the spin rate and ball speed surprising everyone. Shots hit with this driver come off too fast than expected while offering the lowest spin rate. If you’re an avid golfer, you’d know how excellent these factors are. Hence, the Mizuno ST180 is undoubtedly a driver you should consider purchasing if you want to conquer the golf course like no other.
Mizuno JPX 900
What’s best about the Mizuno JPX 900 is that it’s highly adjustable. You can change the clubface angle to suit your spin rate. This driver gives golfers the chance to structure their driver according to their game, aligning it to match their skill level. You can even choose how the driver can look upon the address without impacting the loft. If you take adequate time to set up your JPX 900, you can achieve great things on the course.
Since this driver is relatively more adjustable than other models, understanding the degrees and angles might seem a little complicated. However, once you do so, you’ll know how impactful this driver can be as it determines your performance on the course. The JPX 900 is highly efficient at protecting ball speeds, making it a practical driver. To give it a shot, if its adjustability is something that interests you.
Buying a Driver: Factors to Consider
You might find many drivers at your local sports store. However, not all of them will make good purchases.Golf is a technical game that requires strategic play. Therefore, golfers must ensure the equipment they’re using help them improve their game and get them their desired results.
When buying a driver, you need to focus on factors that will tell youwhether itwould make a great companion on the course or not. Overlooking theseaspects can result in the golfer having a lousy game, which we’resure they wouldn’twant.
So, to ensure you’re on the right page, here are some factors you should considerbefore buying a driver.
Head Size
Golf drives come in different head sizes. The larger ones have a volume of around 460 cc, while the smaller ones measure around 440 ccto 420 cc. While shopping for a driver, we recommend buyingone with a large head size; that’salso what the USGA recommends.When the head size has more volume, it automatically creates more trajectory as the weight of the driver is structured to fall back on its lower part, allowing the golfer to hit the ball with maximum speed.
Drivers with large head sizes create more momentum and are more forgiving during the gameplay. So, if you’renew to golf and have just recently started playing, drivers with large heads would help you get a hold of the game since they carry larger sweet spots. However, if you’rea professional golfer, a driver with a small head size would suit you more on the course as it offers increased maneuverability.
Head Shape
Drivers’heads come in two different shapes: round and square. Both have unique characteristics that help golfers in different ways. The type of shape you should go for depends primarily on your skill level. If you’rea beginner at golf, wesuggest you get the round shape as they don’tget stuck in the ground when hit in full swing. Also, drivers with round head shapes allow you to have an increased swing that impacts your ball distance.
The higher the intensity of the swing, the farther the ball will go. Golfing professionals claim that the ball speed should be 1 ½ timesgreater than your swing speed. You can achieve this speed by hittingthe ball with a round head-shaped driver. Playing with a rounded head-shaped driver also improves your swing speed the more you play. It helps you get accustomed to hitting longer shots while fewer shots are left on the green.
Loft
Loft is a measureof how low or high the angle of a driver’sface is. Ideally, any driver’s loftshould be relative to the shaft. The higher the loft is, the easier it becomes for the golfer to hit longer shots. At the same time, a lower loft won’thave too large a sweet spot, eventually resulting in poor shots. For this reason,golfers prefer their golf clubs to have a suitable loft, as it helps them cover more distance on the golf course.
Drivers have a loft of about eight to twelve degrees, and some drivers also come with zero lofts. The zero loft means the face of the club is perpendicular to the ground. This factor alone makes the club get caught in the ground at impact. So, whenever you go to buy a driver, it’s best to purchase one that has a higher loft. You can also consult a golfing professional to get this claim backed up. However, whatever you do, just ensure your golf game doesn’t get compromised because of a poor driver.
Shaft Flexibility
The shaft’s flexibility depends on its ability to bend upon impact. The impact is the only chance golfers get to determine how far their shot will go. Hence, many golfers incline towards stiffer shafts since they’re made from steel. These golfers are those who know how to hit with a faster swing. Golfers with slower swings prefer playing with a driver with a more flexible shaft (made from graphite).
To know how much flexibility the shaft offers, you’ll have to explore different drivers with varying shaft flexibilities. The thing is, modern drivers that are more robust and upgraded than their predecessors are much lighter in weight, allowing golfers to swing it in the air relatively easily. These drivers are also longer, having more weight at the back of the face of the club. Hence, the driver’s shaft needs to be looked into for you to settle on a driver.
Adjustability
Did you know some drivers come with an adjustability aspect? It works significantly for golfers who want their drivers to fit their needs better. An adjustable driver can help you make tiny adjustments here and there, including the loft and the lie, and make them work together to enable you to control the game’s dynamics. Adjustable drivers are easier to work with since you can make them function the way you want.
Every golfer has a unique style of hitting swings, so adjustable drivers are beneficial. The minor tweaks you make in your driver change your entire gameplay significantly. Think of adjustable drivers as the equipment you can fine-tune to enhance your performance on the golf course. Hence, before buying a driver, please see how many adjustments you will make to it. The more, the better, but most importantly, the adjustments should suit your playing style.
Our Final Thoughts
Modern drivers have made substantial changes in the golf world. Their lightness and length make these drivers a lot stronger than how clubs were decades ago. When you go to a sports store to buy a driver, please ensure you look into all of the factors mentioned above to decide whether the driver is a perfect fit for you or not. If it lacks any aspects discussed earlier, it might not be the best driver to use on the course.
It’ll significantly help if you have a golf instructor or professional by your side, one who can guide you on buying the perfect drive. Another thing to consider is your skill level. How good you’vebecome at playing plays a considerable role when deciding the ideal driver for you. We’llsuggest you look into some of these Adams drivers if you want to perfect brilliantly on the golf course.
