2020 Driver Market = "Meh"?

DataDude

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2019 was an amazing year for drivers. Every manufacturer came out with drivers that were pretty darn exciting. Cobra stepped up to the plate with a product that was every bit as good as the latest from TaylorMade and Callaway. Titleist finally gave up ball control for distance and put out their best and most comprehensive lineup of drivers ever. Ping contiuned to make a standout product. Callaway returned to the long low spin Epic and added Flash Face and TaylorMade produced maybe the best driver ever for high swing speed players in the M5. Is 2020 setting up to be a big letdown?

For starters based on traditional release schdeules we will probably get nothing new from Titleist or Ping for the 2020 golfing season. Callaway seems to cycle between a low spin and long release and a more forgiving release. If that holds form this year will be more like a Rogue or a Fusion and be a more forgiving option which is great for the golfer, but not nearly as exciting for a consumer. TaylorMade basically has said that they made the M5 and M6 illegal and then brought them right back to the edge of legal so they may not even be able to make anything better than what they have already made. I think Cobra improved on the F9 with the Speedzone because while it was a great driver there were several folks who felt like it lost performance on high face strikes and their new cup face design will certainly correct that. So outside of Cobra the releases have the potential to be substantially less exciting this year than they were for the 2019 golf season. Will this be a year that many of us wait and see what is coming next year? Does this open the door for a Mizuno, Clevland, Srixon, or someone else to step through the door and get everyone to try something new?
 
Nah.

We will continue to see very cool and high performing gear in the driver sector.

Mizuno’s new one Is already getting buzz. Cleveland’s new one is reviewing well, including here. Callaway has one coming. TM I believe is changing it up with what they have coming. Cobra is swinging for the fences. I’d be shocker if TEE doesn’t have something up their sleeves.

I think there will still be a lot of really good drivers released. REALLY really good.
 
I think you will see a few that may be just ok but you will find a few that really stand out
 
I’m sure the marketing departments will be coming out with new drivers that are different enough to create some hype and drive sales. I do think we are reaching a point of diminishing returns. I’m still playing the Epic SZ from a couple years ago. I tried the Flash SZ and it was only 2 yards longer and I didn’t like the sound as well as my original Epic. I could easily see playing my Epic SZ for another year.
 
I’m sure the marketing departments will be coming out with new drivers that are different enough to create some hype and drive sales. I do think we are reaching a point of diminishing returns. I’m still playing the Epic SZ from a couple years ago. I tried the Flash SZ and it was only 2 yards longer and I didn’t like the sound as well as my original Epic. I could easily see playing my Epic SZ for another year.
The epic SZ is my favorite driver. I really wish Callaway replaced it with another epic instead of a rogue sz when I caved the face in for the 2nd time.
 
Will the drivers make the noise of 2019? Probably not except a few (looking at cobra mainly but like jman said, the other oems will certainly be bringing or have brought some good stuff out).

I’ll be in the market for a new driver this year. I can’t wait to see what works well for me. Whether it’s a 2020 or 2019 head is no problem as it seems like last year and what’s coming are all thumbs up in my book.
 
The one that will leave me scratching my head is Taylor made. After claiming that they made the drivers illegal and then backed them up to the legal limit using foam this year, what possibly can they do in 2020?
 
Will anyone other than Callaway maybe use AI to make a driver?
 
I'm sure they'll all market them as being better than anything ever produced.

I highly doubt any of them really will be that much better than the 2019 models.

I'm sure it won't affect me at all anyway. I'm, likely, set with my M5 for another year or two.
 
I think you will see a few that may be just ok but you will find a few that really stand out

Isn’t this every year though?
 
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i don’t think 2020 will be meh at all!
 
I think the OEMs will keep pushing. Some will see gains with the right fit product and some won't, just like every year.

We know we aren't going to see any more speed on center strikes due to CT. Not sure how Taylormade can get any more speed out of their face since they've already had to "bring it back to the limit". Callaway's Flash face is young and has room to grow IMO, perhaps with new materials.
 
I feel like this statement has been made every year for the last decade and yet, here we all are lusting after new drivers.
 
I have been lucky enough to see and hit the callaway, cobra, and tm drivers for 2020. I can tell you people will be happy. I am not fond of the color of the callaway but that is a small thing. They will all perform well.
 
I’m sure the marketing departments will be coming out with new drivers that are different enough to create some hype and drive sales. I do think we are reaching a point of diminishing returns. I’m still playing the Epic SZ from a couple years ago. I tried the Flash SZ and it was only 2 yards longer and I didn’t like the sound as well as my original Epic. I could easily see playing my Epic SZ for another year.
I'm in the exact same boat as you, with the exact same club. The Epic SZ is an excellent driver. The Flash SZ did absolutely nothing for me, and it was impossible to justify the price. The TS3 was the only club in 2019 where I saw any gains, but still couldn't really bring myself to replace the Epic.
 
I have been lucky enough to see and hit the callaway, cobra, and tm drivers for 2020. I can tell you people will be happy. I am not fond of the color of the callaway but that is a small thing. They will all perform well.
I swear Callaway is making ugly colors to try to get their custom department going ?. The Flash is so ugly, but it works really well. That said the Rogue was meh to me and I think if they go back to that model and try to add flash face (what the did to the Epic) I will be meh again, but I put a lot of spin on my driver and I know not everyone does.
 
I have been lucky enough to see and hit the callaway, cobra, and tm drivers for 2020. I can tell you people will be happy. I am not fond of the color of the callaway but that is a small thing. They will all perform well.

I dug the X-Hot so looking forward to the new Cally over my Green Bay Flash ?
 
It is funny because I have not bought a new OEM driver since Callaway came out with a metal driver back in the 1990's. When the new drivers come out I like to look at the heads and read all the reasons why they are so much greater this year. In fact I doubt that many of the drivers are much different in distance and forgiveness to charge $5-600 for a new offering. If I buy a "new to me" driver it is usually 3-4 years old and I have all the info I need to know how it really plays. I just can't bring myself to pay that kind of money for something that might give me a few more yards. I rarely miss a fairway so I really don't need forgiveness and at my swing speed no driver is going to give me that extra 10-15 yards.
 
It's just the cycle. 2021 will be "the year of the driver" again and 2022 will be "meh" again and so on
 
The one that will leave me scratching my head is Taylor made. After claiming that they made the drivers illegal and then backed them up to the legal limit using foam this year, what possibly can they do in 2020?

Make drivers that crack even more?
 
I wouldnt say that its any more or any less meh than any other year.
 
The epic SZ is my favorite driver. I really wish Callaway replaced it with another epic instead of a rogue sz when I caved the face in for the 2nd time.

Manimal.
 
The driver market has been "Meh" in my opinion for a number of years.

Limits on size, shape, length, moi, COR are meaning advances have been so small the marketing teams have to go into overdrive to keep the sales wheel turning.

How many of us have found huge differences or gains during fitting when starting with a modern already fitted modern driver?

The tinkering keeps me going as I find changing clubs fun at times. The urge to buy something new excites me and it's great to find something that performs.
 
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