- 3 years ago
In this video, Neil Tappin and Joel Tadman look at the most underrated drivers of 2023. They turn the microscope onto some of the brands and models that might not receive the most attention this year but are well worth considering if you are in the market. In our testing, these drivers are all worthy contenders both in terms of control and distance.
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00:00 Now when it comes to choosing a new driver in 2023, naturally your attention will be
00:03 drawn to the big four brands, so Ping, Titleist, Callaway and TaylorMade.
00:08 But there are some excellent options outside of that you should definitely consider.
00:12 That's what we're going to talk about in this video Neil, because I think it's fair to say
00:15 outside those big four brands, performance has become really competitive and they've
00:19 really challenged those big four brands.
00:21 So that's what we're going to cover in this video.
00:23 Definitely and I would just throw Cobra into the mix there.
00:25 Cobra have produced some brilliant drivers over the last couple of years.
00:28 They've really impressed me, slightly lower price point and that's what we've got actually
00:32 from some of the models down here.
00:34 The three that we've selected though, stood out for me for quite different reasons and
00:38 I think they're worth throwing in the mix as a contender to consider.
00:41 Definitely, so these are three of the most underrated drivers that we think are really
00:44 going to blow your socks off in 2023.
00:46 I'm going to hand you your first one.
00:48 Go for it.
00:49 This is a Strixon driver.
00:50 Tell us a bit about why you've chosen this one first.
00:52 Well I've chosen this Strixon ZX7 and a lot of people will be watching and thinking, well
00:56 yeah of course it's a great driver but it probably isn't going to get the limelight
01:00 that some of those other models that I've talked about.
01:02 Well certainly the Callaway Paradigm, the TaylorMade Stealth 2, the P&G 430 drivers
01:06 are going to get but it's played on tour, looks fantastic, feels great and in my testing
01:11 it was the ZX7 so the slightly smaller of the two heads that perform the best.
01:16 We'll put on the screen the data from my testing session but I'll hit a couple of shots now
01:20 so hopefully you can get a feel for what I'm talking about.
01:23 Yeah I remember when you finished testing this you told me how much you liked hitting
01:27 this driver, how well it feels and sounds I think and also how well it looks as well.
01:30 So let's see one.
01:32 Look at that, soft draw.
01:38 If you want a matte black finish this year, this is a great one to try.
01:43 It's really slim lined down behind the ball, it's got this nice silver bit of detailing
01:47 around the periphery of the head.
01:48 It's a lovely shape, it's a beautiful driver and what I liked most about it was the consistency
01:53 so I felt like when I was testing it there were certain drivers that I sort of clicked
01:56 with and I felt in control of.
01:58 I hit the ZX5, I struggled a little bit with the ZX5, as soon as I put the 7 in suddenly
02:03 I was hitting the ball kind of how I was hoping to.
02:05 I think at your swing speed the lowest spin this driver head offers is going to be right
02:10 for you.
02:14 Another straight one, a little bit higher.
02:16 What's great about the ZX7 is you've got moveable weight as well which not all drivers offer
02:20 even from the big brands.
02:21 The moveable weight, really like the ZX7 from Strixen, it comes in with a recommended retail
02:25 price in the UK of £499 so well worth considering.
02:29 Let's move on to your next one.
02:31 Now this is a bit left field this one.
02:33 This is left field, yes.
02:34 Talk to me about what it is and why you've chosen it.
02:37 Well I have not tested a Yoniqs driver for a couple of years and this one came across
02:42 my radar and I hit it.
02:43 I was immediately reminded why I used to like Yoniqs drivers and that's because of the stability
02:49 that you get with their shafts.
02:50 You obviously know what they're doing when it comes to delivering good shaft head combinations
02:55 and as soon as I hit it, it's surprising.
02:57 I was like, oh yeah, that's controllable, it's stable.
03:00 Yeah, it's got that carbon effect on the crown but it's a matte finish as well.
03:04 Not dissimilar to what you get with Strixen.
03:06 A simple alignment aid on it.
03:07 It does sit slightly closed at address so if you're worried about hitting it left, that
03:11 might not necessarily work for you.
03:12 I quite liked how it looked.
03:14 It's a bit more stretched back than the Strixen.
03:16 It was the performance that impressed me.
03:20 I've pushed that but it's coming back a little bit.
03:24 It wants to come back doesn't it.
03:25 I hit that right out the toe, high on the face but that's a playable driver.
03:30 It's going to be in the rough probably but it's not going to be awful and it launches
03:34 high and performs well.
03:36 I think the sound is going to turn a few heads on the range.
03:38 It's got that sound like the Ping G425 driver, quite loud and tinny but quite powerful as
03:43 well.
03:44 There's a difference actually Joel from what you get with most of the drivers on the market
03:47 this year.
03:48 Most of them have been tuned down a bit.
03:50 It feels like for the most part they're a little bit more muted, they're a little bit
03:54 more powerful sounding.
03:56 This one sits at the other end of the spectrum in terms of sound and fit.
04:00 Even with that carbon crown as well it still has a lot of feedback off the face.
04:08 Another straight ball there.
04:09 That's a better one.
04:10 And it's adjustable as well so you can tweak it, get custom fitted for it, get it really
04:13 dialled in and how does it compare with the leading drivers, the best drivers?
04:17 Well, have a look at the data, it's there to see.
04:20 It performed well, it stacks up well in terms of distance.
04:24 For a driver that does come in significantly less than some of the ones that are right
04:27 at the top, it's a contender.
04:29 If you're looking for a good driver from a premium brand that isn't going to cost you
04:33 quite as much then this Yoniq's E-Zone GS i-TEC is well worth testing for you.
04:39 Definitely and it's a bit of a sleeper.
04:40 It was the same with the irons as well.
04:41 Check out the irons, they're also really good.
04:44 So your last choice Neil for your underrated drivers is a Mizuno.
04:47 They've made good drivers for the last few years.
04:50 I feel like I've been saying this for a few years.
04:52 I just don't see very many on the golf course.
04:54 It always surprises me because I think if you just have one look at the driver head,
04:58 it's the same with the Fairy Woods.
04:59 They've sort of managed to figure out a way of making sure that the drivers compete with
05:03 their irons in terms of how good they look.
05:05 But they also have the shelf appeal with the blue.
05:07 It's called a Cortech chamber that sits on the sole.
05:09 It's a design feature that should help with speed and spin and consistency.
05:13 All of those things from the driver.
05:15 I think it looks superb.
05:16 So is there a couple of models to choose from?
05:18 What have you gone for?
05:19 There is.
05:20 There's two to go for.
05:21 There's an X version and it's a bit unusual with the Mizuno range.
05:25 So with the Mizuno range there's an X version which has a draw bias to it but that's a slightly
05:29 more compact head.
05:30 Usually the draw bias versions are slightly bigger.
05:33 Some of them are slightly offset.
05:34 This one sits beautifully square down behind the ball and is more compact but it has that
05:38 draw bias.
05:39 I feel like of all the drivers I tested this year, all the brands, this is the one that
05:43 I would most recommend.
05:44 I would recommend getting fitted for all of them but this one in particular.
05:47 I think it just depends on the way you deliver the club to the ball which one might be right
05:50 for you.
05:51 The good thing is they both look superb.
05:52 Sure.
05:53 Well let's see one.
05:54 You are right though.
05:55 We're seeing a lot of tour players wanting a bit more draw bias in their drivers which
05:58 is probably why Mizuno have gone down this route.
06:03 But that has a really nice thud to it.
06:06 Really nice sound.
06:07 That feels really nice.
06:08 It sounds really nice.
06:09 How does it feel?
06:10 Yeah it feels superb.
06:11 It's a classic titanium sound and feel.
06:13 Wherever you hit it on the face that's what you get.
06:15 As you'll see from the data it wasn't necessarily the longest driver that I hit but as I said
06:20 it's that consistency that I really liked and I think I could probably also make a few
06:24 tweaks to the setup to get the distance up a bit if I wanted to but I found it very playable
06:28 on the launch monitor so I wouldn't be making my driver choice this year based on distance.
06:33 I think they all go a long way.
06:35 Just the consistency where that makes the big difference and I think this Mizuno driver
06:39 does stand up in that front.
06:40 Yeah you're right.
06:41 Mizuno are known for being a brand or island company but their woods have made really big
06:45 strides in the last few years.
06:47 And that is demonstrating it right there.
06:52 It sounds really good.
06:53 Yeah great.
06:54 This drum is a bit higher pitched than you'll get from the likes of I think the TaylorMade
06:59 Stealth 2, perhaps the Callaway Paradigm as well but it sounds really solid and as
07:04 I said it's that consistency of feel that I really love about this driver.
07:07 So there you have it.
07:08 If you're looking for a new driver in 2023 and you're looking to save a few dollars we
07:10 think these are three of the standout choices this year but Neil I'm going to push you for
07:15 your overall favourite because you've got three strong contenders here all similar price
07:18 points if you had to pick one for the most underrated driver of 2023 what would you go
07:24 for?
07:25 If I was going to put one of these in the bag it would be the Strixon ZX7.
07:27 I just think it ticks every box in terms of that slightly more compact shape.
07:31 I feel like it's a bit more workable which when I'm on the golf course I'm not the best
07:34 player in the world but I do tend to try to every now and again shape the ball in different
07:38 ways so that slightly more workable head would probably be the way I'd go.
07:42 Do you know one quick thing I'm going to shout out is the head cover for the Mazzino driver
07:45 which I think is the best on the market this year.
07:48 Whether or not you want to pick your driver based on the head cover that's up to you but
07:50 if I had to pick one of these three I think it would be the Strixon ZX7.
07:54 Excellent insights there Neil especially into the head cover but that's all from us.
07:57 I hope you enjoyed this video.
07:58 Do click the like button if you liked it.
08:00 In the excellent driving range here at Black Bear Golf Club in Florida we'll see you next
08:04 time.
08:04 Bye.
08:09 (upbeat music)
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