Golf Club Square Drivers

You've probably heard about the new square drivers. Everyone's talking about them. But will they be talking about them in 6 months? Time will tell. But here's the facts on the technology behind them and what it could mean to your game.

It's All About MOI
The idea behind the technology is that when you move the weight in the club head away from the club face you create a more stable golf club head that won't twist on mishits. This is called greater Moment of Inertia (MOI). Greater MOI should lead to more stability and theoretically make the ball go further and straighter. I guess you could say manufacturers have gone to extremes with the theory and this new square design.

One reason manufactures have gone this direction is because the USGA has put a limit on head size and the rebound effect of the club face. The head has been limited to 5" by 5". That means the last place manufacturers have to move weight to are the corners of the club. The face is already relatively square so the back corners are what's left. Thus the square headed drivers.

NIKE SasQuatch Sumo Squared Driver with Graphite Shaft

Both Callaway and Nike have already come out with clubs using this concept. Nike has the SasQuatch Sumo² and Callaway has the FT-i. Not many pros are using them although K.J. Choi won with the Sumo last fall. That doesn't mean they may not be right for you.

We haven't heard if Tiger, a Nike endorsee, will be using one yet. Although he was quoted in the Honolulu Advertiser as saying, "The neat thing about it," Woods says of the Sumo², "is that you do hit the ball a lot straighter. I was surprised that something that looks (so odd) could perform the way it does." Should be interesting to see what happens at the professional level. Many pros are not using them because they say they go too straight. Thankfully many of us "normal" golfers don't have that problem.

Let's Hear from the Experts
Component clubmaker Tom Wishon, who wrote the book, "The Search For The Perfect Golf Club," wonders if square technology and the chase for high MOI is really another type of chase...to win the consumer's dollar.

Wishon said since golf companies have hit the rules limits for face speed and size, now the race will be on to figure out who can get the MOI to the specified limit. But he wonders if golfers who already have drivers that have a reasonable high MOI currently will notice much of a difference with the new geometrically challenged breed of clubs.

"While I have not measured the MOI of all drivers on the market today," Wishon said in the Charlotte Observer, "I can estimate based on the many we've measured that all of the 460cc drivers with a conventional head shape have an MOI of 4100-4900.

"Thus if a golfer has one that is in the low 4000s and moves to one of the new square drivers (that rate from 5000-5,300 MOI), yes they will likely notice an improvement in distance for an off-center hit. But if the golfer has one that is currently in the upper 4000s, no, it is not likely they'll experience any change."

Frank Thomas, the Golf Channel equipment guru added, "When the MOI moved from 2,000 to 4,000, the difference for a golfer who missed the sweet spot by half an inch [with a square clubface at impact] could be as much as 12 yards," Thomas said. "The difference in going from 4,000 to 6,000 may only be two yards. It's a classic case of diminishing returns."

Thomas' point was that nothing will improve a golfer's slice or hook. "If your clubface is five degrees open, and you hit the ball on the centre of the face, it will go to the right irrespective of the MOI." he said.

On the Other Hand
Golf Digest in its recent club test gave the new square drivers high marks though. One Golf Digest tester said "It has a nice high ball flight...Better players would rate it a 6 out of 10, but high-handicappers might like it." What that says to me is it's straight and long but might have too high of a ball flight for a good golfer.

The Sumo² has been reviewed on some golf forums. On GolfMagic.com. Bob Warters and his buddies took the Sumo and a clone version out for a test ride. They said all the clubs were long and straight and might actually live up to the hype. In particular he mentioned..."It's not perhaps what a leading manufacturer like Nike Golf would want to hear, but first impressions comparing the company's latest SasQuatch Sumo (traditional shaped) and Sumo² (square-headed) drivers and a cheaper copy - the Turbo Power XQ MUTO 460Ti - detected little difference in performance." With the new brand drivers selling for between $400 and $500 dollars and the clone selling for under $100 it makes you wonder if all those endorsement dollars are getting a little out of hand. I guess that's a discussion for another time.

Anyway, it does suggest that perhaps buying a clone to test the technology would be a good idea before plunking down the big bucks. GigaGolf offers the above Ozzy MOTO for $99. It's technology is based on the Nike Sumo. GigaGolf offers the MOTO with a top-of-the-line shaft and grip. Might be worth a try.

Pinemeadow, another good clone supplier, offers a club based on the Callaway FT-i. It looks good too. It's called the Tour Series BLOC 455cc Driver. Good prices available there too.

Well get ready golfers. The square headed drivers are here and you'll get to see if they are worth the money and the hype. Come back here and we'll keep you up to date on how they work out and also other new clubs on the golfing scene. Meantime why not check out the new 2007 drivers from Callaway and Nike at Golfsmith.

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