The year of 2013 has quickly become the year of the "new" club. With over 20 new drivers coming out in 2013, it is clear that this is one of the biggest years for new releases in golf history. With each company competing to put out the newest and best driver, it is a great time to be a golfer.
In a 4 part series, I will try to break down each driver to help you navigate through all the new technology so you can better decide which new driver is the best for your game.
It should be noted that there is no particular order or ranking to our series.
Titleist 913D3
One of the top releases for 2013 in our opinion, the Titleist 913D3 has a new forged titanium face that is thinner and more flexible than the 910D3 for faster ball speeds. The SureFit Tour adjustable hosel on the 913D3 is the same as the 910D3 of last year. The 913D3 will give you good distance with some forgiveness. Listed as being part of the "Tour" driver category, don't be fooled by that. Yes it probably suites a high swing speed player, but it also is quite forgiving for you mid handicap golfers as well. Again, one of our top picks for the 2013 releases.
Recommended for: Players who are looking for low spin rate off the driver and who have a higher swing speed. Not the most forgiving of the lot, but still a very good choice.
Wilson Staff D-100
The D-100 is a very forgiving, maximum game improvement driver that Wilson Staff has worked very hard on. Wilson Staff created a very thick club face to increase the spring like effect for faster ball speeds. This club has very high ball flight and the club is crazy light. I would say it might even be light than any other club being released for 2013. The D-100 isn't the longest hitting club, but is extremely forgiving. This club is our dark horse that no one is thinking about.
Recommended for: The player who wants a light club that is extremely forgiving and is not looking to rip one down the fairway 350 yards.
Cleveland Classic XL
The Cleveland Classic XL is one of my favorite looking clubs for 2013. I love the clean and classic look of this club and it is always nice to look down at your club at address and enjoy what you are seeing. When you hit the Classic on the sweet spot, this club is fantastic, however it is not as forgiving as some of the others. This 285 gram Cleveland Classic XL has an updated face design to increase ball speeds. The club feels a bit hard at impact and is hard to feel the forgiveness, but when you hit the sweet spot, look out.
Recommended for: Players with good ball striking ability, who want a solid classic looking club.
Nike VR_S Covert
One of the most popular releases for 2013 is the Covert driver by Nike Golf. With a sleek looking red clubface, you will either love or hate the look of this club. As far as performance, it is a high performing club that falls in the our top 5 for 2013. The Covert has a cavity back for stability and energy transfer to the ball, "Flexloft" technology on the hosel for adjustment and "NexCor" face to help with ball speeds. Overall, the Covert allows for distance, forgiveness and playability with it's new technology.
Recommended for: Players who are looking for a solid driver that has adjustability, distance and forgiveness.
TaylorMade RocketBallz Stage 2
With TaylorMade having two new releases for 2013, they definitely have caught a lot of buzz. With several campaigns spanning from television, to Facebook to Twitter, TaylorMade has grabbed a lot of attention for 2013. The RocketBallz Stage 2 has an adjustable hosel, has a lighter shaft then last year and a lower, more forward CG location to create faster ball speeds and a higher launch angle. TaylorMade put a yellow and grey design on the top of the clubhead, which I think actually looks pretty decent compared to the R1. This club is very forgiving and has good distance. At a price of $299 compared to the R1 at $399, our recommended choice would be the RocketBallz.
Recommended for: Players looking for a long, accurate and forgiving driver for a great price.
There is your first look at five of the new driver for 2013. We will continue our series and touch on all 21 of the new drivers for 2013 so stay tuned.
By Ken Lee
