We've launched the new forums! Read more here

2020 Driver Market = "Meh"?

SuperStroke
I agree that 2019 was a banner year for many OEM’s (Callaway Flash), TaylorMade (M5), Ping (410), Srixon (ZX85), Titleist (TS3) etc, etc. Just so many great drivers and the shaft possibilities are endless depending how deep your pockets are.

I feel there is still a bit more speed out there particularly across the entire face (expanding the sweet spot) such as the new Cobra Speedzone so manufactures’ gains may be small year to year in distance. My gut feel though if you upgrade from a a 3+ Year old driver to a 2020 version, you will notice a hugh uptick vs.older technology.

Always get excited each year with new releases.
 
Jimmy3864 said:
I agree that 2019 was a banner year for many OEM’s (Callaway Flash), TaylorMade (M5), Ping (410), Srixon (ZX85), Titleist (TS3) etc, etc. Just so many great drivers and the shaft possibilities are endless depending how deep your pockets are.

I feel there is still a bit more speed out there particularly across the entire face (expanding the sweet spot) such as the new Cobra Speedzone so manufactures’ gains may be small year to year in distance. My gut feel though if you upgrade from a a 3+ Year old driver to a 2020 version, you will notice a hugh uptick vs.older technology.

Always get excited each year with new releases.
Click to expand...
That depends on what you were using. I don't think there has been much improvement on a Ping G30, Callaway Epic, or TaylorMade M line at all. Those drivers center face are as good as any driver today. Those manufacturers have been fine tuning forgiveness and the ability to fit better. The other manufacturers have just caught up to the distance those drivers reached already. That's kind of my take on the driver market of the last several years.
 
tahoebum said:
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.
Click to expand...
Totally agree. I tried a few different drivers and really didn't find anything to be substantially better than what I have now, That said, there might be some better sounding or feeling coming up, but distance wise, for me at least, I doubt there will be any thing dramatic.
 
Snickerdog said:
Will anyone other than Callaway maybe use AI to make a driver?
Click to expand...

AI is a pretty big buzz word these days without knowing exactly what they are using it is hard to tell how much real AI is in there. Anyone who uses some sort of analytics as part of their design process is likely using AI techniques as part of it.
 
I'm ALWAYS excited for the next releases when it comes to drivers, the bigger the splash the better. It enables me to buy this years model at a huge discount. :)
 
Canadan said:
I am pretty confident that Cobra's product is going to blow minds.

The rest? We'll see.
Click to expand...
They definitely made a great driver last year and the only complaint was how it performed on certain misses. They addressed that with a milled cup face so I don't doubt they have basically made the best driver they can make at this point.
 
Happy with the G400 Max but also looking to add to the quiver. With the recent price drop I came very close to buying a G410 LST. And yet, I am surprisingly intrigued by Cobra's new driver and would like to see what else drops over the next couple of months. Whether or not the year's releases are "meh" or "awesome" or somewhere in-between, I would like to find my best fit. I will attempt patience.
 
I can't wait for a head to head between the Cobra Xtreme and Launcher Turbo! Now if I could only unload the F9 to justify the purchase...
 
I feel like drivers are so good right now that at the end of every year we think the next year will be meh, but it never really is. Sure there are some that miss the mark, but for the most part, they are the most exciting club category to talk about because technology gets pushed their the most.
 
tahoebum said:
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.
Click to expand...

I agree. I can't see any of the 2020 crop making THAT much of a difference over something 1, 2, maybe even three years old...unless the golfer was improperly fit.
 
I think 2020 wil be year of the wedge. Between Jaws and SM8 Already, I think we are heading for a jump in Wedge performance. ( i know they came out in 2019, but they are 2020 clubs to me)
 
millsan1 said:
I think 2020 wil be year of the wedge. Between Jaws and SM8 Already, I think we are heading for a jump in Wedge performance. ( i know they came out in 2019, but they are 2020 clubs to me)
Click to expand...

This is an interesting opinion. I tend to agree; wedge grooves, face roughness and moisture management are all now part of the conversation when looking at wedges. And they may have a more meaningful impact on a player’s game than a new driver.
 
I wonder if the guys at the grand daddy will disagree.
 
Seems like drivers are small incremental game segment. Where it takes few years to see a big difference. So the guy with a 4-5 year old drivers looking for something new will get the most out of the new stuff (obviously) that being said there are companies that still have room to catch up to the rest of the heard and those are the ones I’m excited about. Also looks plays a roll and nothing wrong with new and shinny!
 
LSMO said:
Seems like drivers are small incremental game segment. Where it takes few years to see a big difference. So the guy with a 4-5 year old drivers looking for something new will get the most out of the new stuff (obviously) that being said there are companies that still have room to catch up to the rest of the heard and those are the ones I’m excited about. Also looks plays a roll and nothing wrong with new and shinny!
Click to expand...

I put my 2003 Ping G2 driver on a Trackman two years ago and it was 3.5 yards shorter than my Epic SZ(20 swings with each). The variability fitness/flexibility level can easily add or subtract 10-12 yards to my driving distance. New drivers, not so much.
 
tahoebum said:
I put my 2003 Ping G2 driver on a Trackman two years ago and it was 3.5 yards shorter than my Epic SZ(20 swings with each). The variability fitness/flexibility level can easily add or subtract 10-12 yards to my driving distance. New drivers, not so much.
Click to expand...

You are an above average ball striker based on your handicap. The forgiveness In the new drivers is far superior. The sweet spot has gotten a little bit bigger over the years which helps out the average golfer tremendously. I have seen it quite a bit in my league. For me they all seem to be about the same so it comes down to looks and sound more then anything.
 
After it became “speed, speed, faster, faster” for just about everyone, distance will still be selling point. But they will move to “accuracy”.
And sneaking in longer shafts will get a few extra yards, BUT- the big players will have different length shafts as well as flexes as a stock offering off the shelf.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I mean the OEMs did a really good job telling stories on their products in 2019. Also there were more things announced in the summer and fall of '18 for the '19 season. Srixon and Titleist had their drivers pretty much out at the tail end of 2018.

I think once the stories start getting put into the cycle in January there will be similar buzz. We just dont have those trail end of the season drivers this year.
 
Bumping this as we have seen everyone's product. How do you feel now? Is everyone more likely to buy a new driver in 2020 than they were in 2019? Personally I have hit the MAVRIK and SIM and neither blew me away. I have a TS3 and nothing has got me thinking it's a must buy. I think the Cobra Speedzone is the most exciting and I am interested in the Mizuno driver but Callaway and TaylorMade did not impress me. Their releases seem more like we made a new driver, hope you like it, rather than we made something that you have to try because it's so cool.
 
I’ve hit the Mavrik, Mavrik Max, SZ Xtreme, SIM, SIM Max. So far just looking at ball flight and distance on the range my Flash seems to still lead the crop.

I will say, based on looks alone, if I could dial in the SZ Xtreme it would go in the bag. But it’s been very inconsistent between my demo sessions with it.

At this point it’s all about the proper fit. Find something that works for your swing + something you like to look at + sounds and feels nice and game it.
 
Not knowing your game at all, if you decide to try any of them a second time, I'd highly recommend the Max version. It's not just a "max forgiveness" only club, and many people have been surprised at the fact that it fit them better than the standard or sz.
 
I’ll buy something this year just to have shiny and new after gaming the same driver for three years but I don’t expect any performance difference. I just watched the Rick Shiels comparisons of the new SZ vs. the F9 that he gamed last year and there was no improvement. We really are at a point of diminishing returns but I’m sure the marketing departments will continue to make new models that people will buy. Fitting is key and IMO most golfers have not been fit into a driver that is optimal for them.

For me to lower my scores it will have to come through instruction, fitness, and more practice with my short game/putting. New equipment is not going to help me get better.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top