Sticks N Stuff: Drivers
by Vic Williams
Budget Bashin’: The one thing that keeps most casual golfers from upgrading their arsenal is price. And, yeah, a lot of the top-line technology will set you back more than a few shekels. But you can still partake of space-age power without resorting to knock-offs. Tour Edge has been putting smiles on the faces of value-minded golfers for years, and now they’ve got worthy company in G.R.I.P. golf (Golf Research in Play), which hit the marketplace in 2006. Either club is worth a look, and your hard-earned bucks.
Round of Applause: With the GeoMax, Tour Edge achieves the kind of fairway-finding MOI usually reserved for those funny looking square drivers. Its engineers crammed as much mass per square centimeter as they could into the face, surpassing clubs like Nike’s Sumo for forgiveness. Then they put a 20-gram tungsten insert in the heel to further the effect. The hot-tipped Graffaloy shaft and lightweight titanium construction keep the ball soaring toward that magic 300-yard mark, even for distance-challenged FG testers. The feel and sound are somewhat klunky, but we’re willing to live with it to find the short grass more often.
Get a G.R.I.P.: This little internet-based company’s big stick (also 460 ccs) gets it done with Beta Titanium in the head, two rear-sole weights for a deeper center of gravity and big-time forgiveness. FG’s tester loved the higher ballflight and carry. Sure, he was playing at altitude, but the difference was noticable.
The Verdict: Straighter, longer drives without going broke or square? We’re there.
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