An amazing year in the equipment world of golf, we take a look at our favourite clubs of 2018.
Best Golf Clubs 2018
2018 has been an innovative year in the world of golf equipment with every brand creating new designs and new technology all in the hope of helping golfers play better.
As a result, we have taken a look at some of our favourites clubs of the year from drivers to utilities to irons, wedges and putters.
Below we have looked at clubs that moved the needle in their categories, or clubs that really performed at a high level:
WATCH: Best Golf Clubs 2018 –
With some of the products below you’ll see a ‘Buy Now’ link. If you click on this then we may receive a small amount of money from the retailer when you purchase the item, but this doesn’t affect the amount you pay.
PING i500 Forged
GM Says: The best looking iron in Ping’s range, the i500 has a classic muscle back look to it and yet it is in fact completely hollow which allows for greater speed and forgiveness. It has a forged face made from the same C300 maraging steel as the G400 woods which is extremely strong but also very flexible. As a result, it flexes at impact by two thirds of its own thickness, for increased ball speed and controlled distance.
Titleist Vokey SM7
Titleist Vokey SM7 Wedge Review
GM Says: SM7 builds on the progressive Centre of Gravity (CG) design of SM6 to provide more consistent spin, distance control and versatility as well as improved feel. A new D Grind has also been added to join the F, S, M, K, and L Grinds, allowing golfers of all skill levels to be precisely fit for their swing type, shot-making style and course conditions. There are now 23 loft, bounce and grind combinations in total and we strongly recommend a wedge fitting. An additional Spin Milled cutting process for plated wedges has resulted in a more precise cut by finish and 100rpm more spin. They come in Tour Chrome, Brushed Steel and Jet Black finishes.
TaylorMade GAPR Range
GM Says: The new GAPR range from TaylorMade is a unique alternative in the top end of the bag and are aimed at golfers seeking either an iron-like alternative to their hybrid or most lofted fairway wood, or a hybrid-like alternative to their long irons. There are three clubs within the range – the GAPR Lo, Mid and Hi. The Lo is much more iron like, with a thinner top line and limited offset, while the Mid is longer from front to back and has a white arrow behind the face, and finally the HI is more like your traditional hybrid style.
- BUY NOW: TaylorMade GAPR HI Utility from American Golf for £229
- BUY NOW: TaylorMade GAPR MID Utility from American Golf for £229
- BUY NOW: TaylorMade GAPR LO Utility from American Golf for £229
Mizuno JPX919 Forged Irons
GM Says: Mizuno has made some subtle changes from the previous JPX 900 irons, but the 919’s are a more appealing prospect. The first change is a stability frame, which comprises an open heel section to provide more perimeter weighting elsewhere, whilst another is a new Pearl Brush finish, said to reduce sun glare and enhance durability.
Callaway Rogue Sub Zero Driver
Editors Choice 2018 – Callaway Rogue Sub Zero Driver
GM Says: The crux of the Rogue Sub Zero driver is made up of the shell of the hugely popular Callaway Great Big Bertha Epic, but it’s what Callaway has done with that shell that sets it apart. We’re most excited by the significant weight savings, which have allowed Callaway to make the club lighter and faster to swing, as well as more stable off-centre to aide distance and direction across the board.
Some of this weight saving comes from Jailbreak Technology tweaks. In the Callaway Epic, two titanium bars stiffened the crown and sole so the face could absorb more impact-load to create faster ball speeds. In Rogue these two bars are hourglass-shaped to save 25 per cent of their weight. The majority of weight savings, however, come from the removal of the Epic’s adjustable weight track.
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PING G400 Max Driver
GM Says: Ping has created a 460cc version of its G400 driver to provide the most fairway-finding forgiveness. The added volume increases stability, helped by a heavier tungsten weight in the rear of the clubhead. A lighter face and added cosmetics should make alignment a little easier too. It sits alongside the standard G400, LST and SFT versions, which are smaller at 440cc to help increase clubhead speed, but still have higher MOI than the previous G driver.
Scotty Cameron Concept X
Scotty Cameron Concept X Putters Revealed
The new Scotty Cameron Concept X models, CX-01 and CX-02, blend the visual characteristics of a Newport 2 with the playability of a mallet through high-MOI “wings” that increase stability and forgiveness.
The mid-milled aluminium face is connected via internal screws that compress the vibration dampening material for a soft, solid sound and feel. The sole zone’s anodised and engraved plate contains additional vibration dampening material to help improve feel, as well as increasing MOI and overall balance.
Customisable, removable heel and toe weights enhance stability while increasing the face’s sweet spot.
TaylorMade M3
TaylorMade’s Twist Face is a new take on drivers’ bulge and roll properties, using human data to provide straighter drives on miss-hits with an additional reduction in distance loss. Greater adjustability comes from the Y Track system on the sole, which houses two 11g weights that can be moved independently to alter launch, spin and shot shape. A new Hammerhead Slot is supported by beams at the edges to increase the size of the sweetspot.
Titleist TS3
One of the newest drivers on our list, the Titleist TS3 has a glossy black crown which maintains a traditional look at address. The titanium crown means that the sound at impact is metallic – quite loud and high-pitched compared to carbon composite drivers, but it still feels very solid, stable and firm. When tested, the TS3 delivered excellent ball speed and high launch, carrying seven yards further than the 917 models. A low-lofted version gave us a more penetrating flight, plus more scope to fine-tune the weight to maximise performance. The new Speed Chassis comprises a thinner face and more streamlined crown that saves weight and improves ball speed aerodynamics by 20%. It also features the SureFit CG on the sole to vary ball flight via different weight cartridges.
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