DRIVER REVIEW from broadcaster and writer IVIE DAVIES

DRIVER REVIEW

Golfsmith Hi-Core Hot Face Titanium As always at the beginning of the year there are new clubs being introduced to stimulate your interest and empty your pocket. This year it has been no different with exotic square drivers being launched, like the Nike Sumo squared and Callaway Fusion FT3. Both these will bring question from your bank manager and she who has to be obeyed But never fear, if you want the best to impress your playing partners, gain an extra few yards, with questions being asked about spending then read on. I was fortunate to have one of the latest non overdraft scheduling club made up for me to test, the name of it is: Golfsmith Hi Cor. Well that is the name of the head and as it was specially made up it had a Grafalloy AttackLite regular flex shaft and an Avon Pro D2x grip. Starting at the bottom, which in a contradiction of terms, is the Head, this is a HI- COR Hot Face titanium driver heads utilize a forged 15-3-3-3 beta titanium face, which is 30% stronger than 6-4 titanium. The HI-COR Hot Face expands the original HI-COR Plus concept. Its unique shape and internal weighting sweeps mass toward the rear centre of the head. The .350" hosel bore provides maximum stability at impact. My club was 11.5 degrees which provided a forgivable launch angle and reduced the margin of error of a slice or hook, while the 450 cc of head size made any off centre hits still provided good distance. The face was nice and deep at 58mm which ensured confidence when addressing the ball. Unlike some of the new square clubs it did not look ugly despite have a squarish mass at the back of the club, this aided to the balance of the club and also provided a low centre of gravity necessary for getting the ball in the air and weight behind the ball. The engine of any good club is the shaft and the Grafalloy AttackLite was no exception it provided really good feel and despite being light in weight about 68 grams, it had a good solid feel with little whip, ensuring a consistent swing. It seems obvious to any golf that you have to have a grip, but like most things it is important to have a good quality grip and the Avon Pro D2x falls into this category. It is a dual-moulded compound boasting a firm rubber upper and softer rubber lower section in a dual-colour design. The Pro D2x grip supports the strong-left, weak-right philosophy of gripping a golf club. The firm rubber, all-weather lower section combined comfort, feedback and a good connection between me, the player, and the club.

Like any club its performance depends on the quality of player and swing in my case the combination of head, shaft and grip gave me confidence and when the club sits behind the ball you feel that you are going to strike the ball correctly. Although not the longest of the clubs I have used, which in case of the Golfsmith combination was mainly due to the loft of 11.5 degrees. The price of 245 Euro will not hurt you pocket too much, but it will be custom built and provide you with the thrill of hitting the ball down the middle and onto the short stuff a majority of the time, plus keeping the credit card bill down, your relationship with the wife and bank manager on the straight and narrow (just like I have been talking about). For those who like to have poser clubs in the bag to impress playing partners, this will fit that bill too and it works when it is put into action. David Krouse is the builder of this beauty and I would suggest that if you want a forgiving Driver then give him a call. Now I am looking for a 3 Wood I wonder if I he has one similar to this