What do you get when you grab a bunch of strangers, some of the newest golf equipment and the Foresight GCQuad launch monitor? A day of fun and data capture and that is exactly what took place just a few days ago. Armed with some premium golf balls (in this case Snell MTB), THP Golf rounded up some strangers to pit two drivers against each other in the segment on THP known as Prize Fight!
The Prize Fighters
Ping G400 Driver
2017 TaylorMade M2
Meet the Participants
David: 8 handicap golfer with a big swing and, according to him, a putter holding him back. His club head speed comes in around 116 mph and he is full aggression with the driver in his hand. Currently plays a Callaway GBB Epic.
Jason: 19 handicap golfer with a slower club head speed, that as he calls it, uses the entire club face to get his money’s worth. Loves the game, loves the equipment and is on his 4th driver of the year. Currently plays a Ping G
Charley: 12 handicap golfer with a big swing as well. Club head speed hovered between 106 and 109 and he is such a good driver of the golf ball, the jokes went around that he must be the worlds worst putter to carry a 12 handicap. Currently plays a Ping G10.
Trevor: 14 handicap and a scrambler. Struggles off the tee a bit and carries a club head speed around 91-93. Currently plays a TaylorMade R11S
Charles: 8 handicap that is an older golfer that hits it straight and takes the game very seriously. Club head speed comes in at the low to mid 80s and recently got a full fitting for the first time ever. Currently plays Callaway GBB Epic.
Mike: Scratch golfer that is always on the hunt for a driver that gives him more yards. Swing is moderate, but very efficient with a club head speed hovering in that 100 mph area. A natural low ball hitter, his move does bring spin into play a bit, so he gravitates naturally towards low spin and more loft. Currently plays a Cobra KING LTD.
Corey: 13 handicap that is your weekend golfer. On his 3rd driver this year and is on the search for more distance. Club head speed right around 95 and has a self proclaimed over the top move where he embraces the fade he naturally has. Current driver is Callaway GBB Epic.
Pete: 11 handicap that has a quick swing but not always the best contact. Club head speed around 102 and his consistent miss is toe side. Working on a new swing with his instructor, he is always looking for a driver that will increase carry with no increase in spin. Current driver is Callaway XR.
Trust the Data
Trust the Data, it’s Powered By Foresight. Armed with the latest innovation from Foresight Sports, THP uses the GC Quad and you can hear more about this incredible device right here. Why do we choose this launch monitor? Watch below for all of the details.
The Testing
20 swings by each golfer, 10 of each club head, alternating between clubs and each golfer sufficiently warmed up. Will your results be the same? Who knows, that is why THP always recommends trying the clubs that are talked about and getting dialed in with your favorite and best performing. Before the results come with the data, we get asked all of the time, we we use carry distance rather than overall distance as a measuring stick. The reason is simple, because it takes terrain, course conditions and so much more out of the equation. Playing on a wet course or dry course would not skew the data, when speaking of carry distance. In this test, conducted in FL, the golfers are hitting very close to sea level.
Both drivers were lofted at 10.5 degrees [THP Verified]
Both drivers played at 45″
Both drivers used a Project X HZRDUS Red Shaft (THP recommends getting fit for the right shaft for your game)
The Data
Best Ball Speed Single Shot: TaylorMade M2 with 178
Longest Drive of the Day: TaylorMade M2 with 282 yards carry
Closest Drive to the Center Line: TaylorMade M2 with 1.24 yards from center
Averages
Vertical Launch: TaylorMade 11.8 and Ping 13.1
Spin: TaylorMade 2441 and Ping 3053
Carry Distance: TaylorMade 237.9 and Ping 229.4
Trends
7 of the 8 golfers had more carry distance with the TaylorMade M2 than that of the Ping G400
5 of the 8 golfers were closer to the center line with the Ping G400
8 of the 8 golfers preferred the looks of the TaylorMade M2
5 of the 8 golfers preferred the sound of the Ping G400
6 of the 8 golfers had a higher smash factor on average with the Ping G400
7 of the 8 of the golfers had their longest ball hit on the day with the TaylorMade M2
The Judges Scorecards
The prize fight lived up to the hype and when it went to the score cards, the TaylorMade M2 was named victorious. Both drivers were well liked, but the distance gained from the M2 was too much to overcome.
We will have more coming soon including breakdowns from the individual golfers on the THP Forum here.
Have you tested out the M2 and G400 drivers? Which one worked better for you?
Great snapshot analysis of how each driver performed!
This is fantastic. Great sample size for the testing. Since all golfers are different and based on the data provided, I wonder if the G was too much spin for the majority of golfers and they were losing distance. Really cool to see how the tech performed and from the sample, that the M2 was the winner.
Definitely does underscore the importance of getting fit.
Also 8 of 8 preferring the look of the M2 is interesting based on some of them gaming Ping drivers.
Really interesting data. 2/3 had higher smash factor with G400 but M2 won out in distance. Also surprised that all preferred the looks of the M2.
Great read, love tests like this.
Some interesting results. I like reading about this type of had to head testing. The information is eye opening in that smash factor didn’t really help out in the carry distance.
I love this and am looking forward to the next battle.
I’m looking for a new driver with better dispersion and more length (aren’t we all?). I haven’t tried the M2, but I will this week!
I am just about to be fitted for the new
400g your results have made me wonder if l am making the right decision currently
Use the M2 driver and irons 2017 model
My local Golf Galaxy just had a Ping event and I tried the G400 and didn’t like it at all. The feel wasn’t there and I wasn’t getting the distance of my current driver. With the above results I’m definitely going to try a M2. This sounds promising.
That was a fun and very informative read. I hope to see more prize fights in the future
What a great way to compare 2 clubs. I am looking forward to the next installment. So many possibilities here. Thanks for posting.