In this video, Neil Tappin and Joel Tadman look at the most underrated drivers. 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 Your attention will be drawn to the big four brands, so Ping, Titleist, Callaway and TaylorMade.
00:05 But there are some excellent options outside of that you should definitely consider.
00:09 That's what we're going to talk about in this video, Neil, because I think it's fair to say
00:12 outside those big four brands, performance has become really competitive and they've
00:17 really challenged those big four brands. So that's what we're going to cover in this video.
00:20 Definitely. And I would just throw Cobra into the mix there. Cobra have produced some brilliant
00:24 drivers over the last couple of years that have really impressed me. Slightly lower price point,
00:27 and that's what we've got actually from some of the models down here. The three that we've
00:31 selected, though, stood out for me for quite different reasons. And I think they're worth
00:35 throwing in the mix as a contender to consider. Definitely. So these are three of the most
00:39 underrated drivers that we think are really going to blow your socks off in 2023. I'm going to hand
00:44 you your first one. Go for it. This is a Strixon driver. Tell us a bit about why you've chosen
00:48 this one first. Well, I've chosen this Strixon ZX7 and a lot of people will be watching and
00:52 thinking, well, yeah, of course, it's a great driver, but it probably isn't going to get the
00:57 limelight that some of those other models that I've talked about. Well, certainly the Callaway
01:00 Paradigm, the TaylorMade Stealth 2, the PING G430 drivers are going to get, but it's played on tour.
01:05 Looks fantastic, feels great. And in my testing, it was the ZX7. So the slightly smaller of the
01:11 two heads that perform the best. We'll put on the screen the data from my testing session,
01:16 but I'll hit a couple of shots now so hopefully you can get a feel for what I'm talking about.
01:20 Yeah, I remember when you finished testing this, you told me how much you liked hitting this
01:24 driver, how well it feels and sounds, I think, and also how well it looks as well. So let's see one.
01:28 Look at that. Soft draw. And if you want a matte black finish this year, this is a great one to
01:39 try. It's really slimline down behind the ball. It's got this nice silver bit of detailing around
01:44 the periphery of the head. It's a lovely shape. It's a beautiful driver. And what I liked most
01:48 about it was the consistency. So I felt like when I was testing it, there were certain drivers that
01:53 I sort of clicked with and I felt control of. I hit the ZX5, I struggled a little bit with the
01:57 ZX5. As soon as I put the 7 in, suddenly I was hitting the ball kind of how I was hoping to.
02:02 I think at your swing speed, the lowest spin this driver head offers is going to be right for you.
02:07 Another straight one, a little bit higher. What's great about the ZX7 is you've got a
02:15 moveable weight as well, which not all drivers offer, even from the big brands.
02:18 No, moveable weight, really like the ZX7 from Strixen. It comes in with a recommended retail
02:23 price in the UK of £499. So well worth considering. Definitely. Right, let's move on to your next one.
02:28 Now this is a bit left field, this one. This is left field, yes. Talk to me about what it is and
02:33 why you've chosen it. Well, I have not tested a Yonix driver for a couple of years and this one
02:39 came across my radar and I hit it. I was immediately reminded why I used to like Yonix drivers and
02:44 that's because of the stability that you get with their shafts. They obviously know what they're
02:48 doing when it comes to delivering good shaft head combinations and as soon as I hit it, it's sort of,
02:54 it's surprising. It's like, oh yeah, that's controllable, it's stable. Yeah, it's got that
02:58 carbon effect on the crown but it's a matte finish as well, not dissimilar to what you get with
03:02 Strixen. A simple alignment aid on it. It does sit slightly closed to address, so if you're worried
03:06 about hitting it left, that might not necessarily work for you. I quite liked how it looked. It's
03:11 a bit more stretched back than the Strixen. As I say, it was the performance that impressed me.
03:16 I've pushed that but it's coming back a little bit. It wants to come back, doesn't it? I hit
03:23 that right out the toe, high on the face but that's a playable, that's not going to be,
03:28 it's going to be in the rough probably, but it's not going to be awful and it launches high as well.
03:33 I think the sound is going to turn a few heads on the range. It's got that sound like the Ping G425
03:38 driver, quite loud and tinny but quite powerful as well. It's a point of difference actually,
03:42 Joel, from what you get with most of the drivers on the market this year. Most of them
03:46 have been tuned down a bit. It feels like for the most part they're a little bit more muted,
03:50 they're a little bit more powerful sounding. This one sits at the other end of the spectrum in terms
03:56 of sound and fit. Even with that carbon crown as well, it still has a lot of feedback off the face.
04:04 Another straight ball there. And it's adjustable as well so you can tweak it,
04:08 you know, get custom fitted for it, get it really dialled in. I mean, how does it compare with the
04:12 leading drivers, you know, the best drivers? Well, have a look at the data. The data is there to see.
04:17 It performed well, it stacks up well in terms of distance. So yeah, for a driver that does come in
04:22 significantly less than some of the ones that are right at the top, it's a contender. If you're
04:26 looking for a good driver from a premium brand that isn't going to cost you quite as much, then
04:31 this Yoniq's E-Zone GS iTech is well worth testing. Definitely, and it's a bit of a sleeper.
04:37 And it was the same with the irons as well, so check out the irons, they're also really good.
04:41 Right, so your last choice, Neil, for your underrated drivers is a Mizuno. They've made
04:45 good drivers for the last few years. No, I feel like I've been saying this for a few years. I
04:49 just don't see very many on the golf course. It always surprises me because I think if you just
04:53 have one look at the driver head, it's the same with the Fairey Woods. They've sort of managed
04:57 to figure out a way of making sure that the drivers compete with their irons in terms of how
05:01 good they look. But they also have the shelf appeal with the blue, it's called a Cortech
05:05 chamber that sits on the sole. It's a design feature that should help with speed and spin
05:10 and consistency, all of those things from the driver. I think it looks superb. So,
05:14 is there a couple of models to choose from? What have you gone for? There is, there's two to go
05:17 for. There's an X version, and it's a bit unusual with the Mizuno range. So with the Mizuno range,
05:23 there's an X version, which has a draw bias to it, but that's a slightly more compact head.
05:27 Usually the draw bias versions are slightly bigger. Some of them are slightly offset.
05:31 This one sits beautifully square down behind the ball and is more compact, but it has that draw
05:35 bias. I feel like of all the drivers I tested this year, all the brands, this is the one that I would
05:40 most recommend. I'd recommend getting fitted for all of them, but this one in particular.
05:44 Right. I think that it just depends the way that you deliver the club to the ball,
05:46 which one might be right for you. The good thing is they both look superb. Sure. Well,
05:50 let's see one. You are right though. We're seeing some, a lot of tall players wanting
05:53 a bit more draw bias in their drivers, which is probably why Mizuno have gone down this route.
05:57 But that has a really nice thud to it. A really nice sound. That feels really nice. I mean,
06:05 it sounds really nice. How does it feel? Yeah, it feels superb. It's a classic titanium sound
06:09 and feel. Wherever you hit it on the face, that's what you get. As you'll see from the data,
06:13 it wasn't necessarily the longest driver that I hit, but I said, it's that consistency that
06:18 I really liked. And I think I could probably also make a few tweaks to the setup to get
06:22 the distance up a bit if I wanted to, but I found it very playable on the launch monitor. So
06:26 I wouldn't be making my driver choice this year based on distance. I think they all go a long way.
06:32 It's the consistency where that makes the big difference. And I think this Mizuno driver
06:36 does stand up in that front. Yeah, you're right. You know, Mizuno known for being a
06:39 brand or island company, but their woods have made really big strides in the last few years.
06:45 And that is demonstrating it right there. It sounds really good. Yeah, great. It's a bit
06:52 higher pitch than you'll get from the likes of, I think the tailor-made stealth to perhaps the
06:57 Callaway Paradigm as well, but it sounds really solid. And as I say, it's that consistency of
07:02 feel that I really love about this driver. So there you have it. If you're looking for a new
07:05 driver in 2023 and you're looking to save a few dollars, we think these are three of the standout
07:10 choices this year. But now I'm going to push you for your overall favorite because you've got three
07:13 strong contenders here, all similar price points. If you had to pick one for the most underrated
07:18 driver of 2023, what would you go for? If I was going to put one of these in the bag, it would be
07:23 the Strixen ZX7. I just think it ticks every box in terms of that slightly more compact shape. I
07:28 feel like it's a bit more workable, which when I'm on the golf course, I'm not the best player in the
07:32 world, but I do tend to try to every now and again, shape the ball in a different way. So that
07:36 slightly more workable head would probably be the way I'd go. Do you know one quick thing I'm going
07:40 to shout out is the head cover for the Mizzino driver, which I think is the best on the market
07:44 this year. Whether or not you want to pick your driver based on the head cover, that's up to you.
07:47 But if I had to pick one of these three, I think it would be the Strixen ZX7. Excellent insights
07:51 there, especially into the head cover. But that's all from us. I hope you enjoyed this video. Do
07:55 click the like button if you liked it. From the excellent driving range here at Black Bear Golf
07:59 Club in Florida, we'll see you next time.
08:01 [Music]