Golf technology has seen an upswing this year with companies introducing products that track your swing and identify weaknesses. These devices are generally non-intrusive and can help lower scores.
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Callaway Golf has unveiled an exciting line of drivers and metalwoods following an extended absence, featuring innovative carbon crown technology as well as weight distribution to increase forgiveness.
Drivers for Slicers
Golf drivers are an often neglected aspect of golfing and it can lead to slices. This happens because players swing their club too far away from the ball at impact, creating unwanted left-to-right sidespin. A good driver for slicers should limit this side spin for straighter ball flight and there are numerous choices on the market to help.
Drivers designed to combat slices have long featured heavily closed faces. But the new generation of models resemble more regular drivers in appearance and feature internal weighting to shift their center of gravity toward the heel and increase backspin by adjusting loft settings on many models.
TaylorMade recently unveiled the M6 D-Type driver, featuring an open face angle at address that helps reduce the tendency for slices. Furthermore, its large club head and perimeter weighting make this driver very forgiving and accommodating for new golfers.
Ping’s G410 SFT driver is another fantastic choice for slicers. Featuring a face that is slightly thinner than standard drivers and “dragonfly” technology to reduce air drag on its club head, making this driver less likely to slice while simultaneously increasing confidence at address. Plus it comes in at an excellent price point! This model stands out as being one of the top drivers available.
Fairway Woods with Artificial Intelligence
Callaway has taken notice, with their new fairway woods and hybrids using similar technology as those exhibited by drivers like their 2023 Epic Flash driver. Their Mavrik line features artificial intelligence-driven architecture and face design which optimizes for head size, shape, loft and other variables similar to how their super computer honed the 2023 Epic Flash model driver.
Callaway CEO Dick Gibbs refers to this result as a cupface that delivers what he refers to as “driver-level” springiness in a mid-sized and more compact fairway wood head; further, loft optimization in Mavrik family models such as Standard, Sub Zero and Max is possible by model and loft type.
Mavrik fairway woods feature Callaway’s Jailbreak Speed frame – an internal hourglass shape consisting of hourglass-shaped bars – to accelerate ball speeds at impact. They also come equipped with Callaway’s lighter OptiFit Hosel that saves weight while enabling users to move either 16g or 2g weights up or down within the club to easily tune launch, spin and trajectory settings.
Mavrik hybrids complement fairway woods by featuring similar Jailbreak and OptiFit architecture as well as urethane microspheres to absorb excess vibrations for improved feel. In 2023, these golf clubs also feature more conventional center of gravity locations and higher swingweights than last year’s Rogue ST models to make hitting high-flying shots from the fairway easier for most players.
Putters with a High MOI and Toe Hang
High MOI putters tend to resist twisting on off-center hits more effectively than their low MOI counterparts, since 97% of your putt’s start direction relies on the club head angle at impact. That additional resistance can make a substantial difference on 5-foot and 20-foot putts.
Manufacturers try to increase MOI by redistributing weight between the putter face and shaft in order to create a more stable clubhead, so mallet shapes typically provide enough space for extra weight distribution.
The Ping Heppler Tomcat 14 is one of the most forgiving high-MOI putters available today. Featuring a silver 304 stainless steel sole plate that sits below a black aluminum body, its sleek design echoes throughout the Heppler line. Offering 40 degrees of toe hang, it is geared to help players with severe lag strokes succeed on the greens.
This putter features a large clubhead with a brushed finish to reduce glare and improve sight lines during setup. An X-shaped flange adds visual interest during set up while its white TPU roll insert creates consistent forward spin for distance control.
Tungsten materials in this putter allow its clubhead to float higher and closer to the ground for increased stability and forgiveness, giving you greater stability on every stroke. It features a large sweet spot, low center of gravity and smooth roll on most strikes – plus its multi-material Stroke Lab shaft ensures more consistency on both short putts and lag putts!