Like with the irons video, if you ignore the "looks" category (because it is completely subjective to each person) the rankings would be: 1st: Tour Edge E725 (19 points) 2nd: Kirkland Signature (17 points) 3rd: Mizuno ST-Z (16 points) 4th: Callaway AI Smoke (15 points) Joint 5th: Cobra Dark Speed & Taylormade Qi10 (14 points) 7th: Titleist GT2 (13 points) 8th: Ping G430 MAX 10K (11 points) It certainly makes a difference for each individual with how a driver looks behind the ball, but it is a very subjective score. So kudos to Rick for lowering the impact factor of 'looks' 👍 The only driver that seems to have gained significantly from removing it, is the Mizuno ST-Z Now, if you are lucky enough to no care about the price, the rankings really tighten up (understandable since we have removed half the scoring categories): 1st: Tour Edge E725 (12 points) Joint 2nd: Callaway AI Smoke & Titleist GT2 (11 points) Joint 4th: Kirkland Signature, Taylormade QI10 MAX & Mizuno ST-Z (9 points) Joint 7th: Cobra Dark Speed & Ping G430 MAX 10K (8 points) The conclusion of the video doesn't change with price or looks: the Tour Edge E725 wins. Btw. Love these ranking videos Rick, really helpful for me 👍
How are they helpful to you? He 1. Does not show spin/ ball speed. 2. Does not provide any data on hit location which heavily affects numbers. 3. Aren’t fit for any of the drivers but just whack em with the standard setup. You can not possibly gain anything from watching a ranking like this.
I just got the Tour Edge C723 driver. Great club, very adjustable to dial into what you need. Incredibly consistent and straight ball flight. Their irons are also good too.
Excellent result! I've gamed the Tour Edge Exotics C721 for three years, and gone from an 18 to 2 handicap using it. Tour Edge make top class equipment at an affordable price.
Big fan Rick and think you are a very good golfer! But I think this video reflects where your driving has been at this year - all off. I’d bet money if you used that Ping or Taylormade regularly, your driving would massively and naturally improve. Your last Ping driver you drove the ball much better.
I was thinking the same thing 10 yards of difference between some but over 40% more fairways hit I think I know which one I would take! But in the end play what you like and if you just don’t like the look of something you won’t enjoy it.
By the way stock Mizuno drivers have a half an inch shorter shaft then the other ones, which can explain the slight distance loss and better accuracy. Also.. Rick has enough bankroll where i would have liked to see an identical shaft used in each driver for a more a controlled test that takes out shaft variance.
Shouldn't the driver fairway test be on a fairway in a rectangular shape where the width is average fairway width all the way to the green? The longer drivers were reaching the part of the fairway where the rough jutted out from the left.
@arpus1995 You may need to reread my comment as I was saying the opposite. The fairway he is using in this video was irregular, and he should have used the default fairway and have the usual width limits to do a proper test.
Why did you use the Mizuno ST-Z? It came out in January of 2023, it was the ST-Max that came out in February of 2024. Seems a bit weird to me to use a nearly 2 year old driver in a best of this year video.
I was thinking the exact same thing, he picked a very strange choice of heads, picked the draw version of the cobra driver but then did the core version of the Callaway, 2023 version of Mizuno.
I think there's too much emphasis on 'Price', and probably should have been halved like 'Looks' was. The majority of golfers are not going to care what it costs, just what it does. As a result, the Kirkland gets a HUGE boost in points despite being mid-pack in every other category. Not saying it's still not a great value for that driver, and that there aren't golfers where budget is their No. 1 concern, but that the price carries as much weight accuracy or distance, the actual thing you want a driver to do, just doesn't seem right. If the Price category was halved, here's how the rankings would have been: Tour Edge E725 - 16.5 AI Smoke - 16 GT2 - 16 Kirkland - 15 Dark Speed - 14.5 Qi10 Max - 14 STZ - 13 10k Max - 11
I disagree about the price point, not everyone can afford those expensive drivers. If your a mid to high handicap weekend warrior who can’t afford it due to life situations and only get out twice a month, you want to know what inexpensive drivers you can still get that perform well. Some people still live on a budget
I can agree with that. I use the STZ 230 and it’s amazing. Might look into putting a different shaft in it soon but it performs well. I do notice a 5 yard difference in distance but I hit almost every fairway
Huge miss on this one, Rick. We've all seen how you play with each of these drivers, and these rankings are so far off. You're also missing plenty of other contenders that could arguably enter the top 10. The fact that you don't game your number one ranked driver should be proof enough that this is a flawed review.
Because the cost to performance value is a big factor when it comes to anyone who doesn’t have all the money in the world to spend on a hobby. Also, Golf is an extremely mental game and the look of a club can change your confidence in your ability to swing it. Anyone watching this video is not a PGA pro or a swing robot. Those people don’t watch videos like this.
I’m in that boat right now, was fit into the titleist gt3, but it’s $1000 in Canada, having a really hard time pulling the trigger when the tour edge c725 is $549 and arguably just as good, and has the exact same shaft.
I'm sorry but the fact the PING 10k MAX came last is just funny. Ignoring price and looks, it's the best driver to be released this year in terms of performance that it offers and the range of golfers that can use it. I love the review channel but there is so many things that could be done to improve it. I could bet that Rick didn't use the same shaft for every driver. How can this be a fair test in that case! Sorry for the negative comment. I just love the channel and seeing things like this frustrates me and even make me wince. The fact the cheapest two drivers came first just doesn't seem right, especially considering the amount of tech in some of the other drivers in this list...
Keep in mind Rick knows way more about the clubs than you do. And he knows how subjective his reviews are. But they’re what he brings to the table. mygolfspy does a good job in the more objective space. But Rick does an amazing job of showing the big brands are not always worth the money. Some of the cheaper ones can compete. And also does a good job of showing just bc the ping might be the best all around for most, doesn’t mean it’ll be the best for you
Yes. This video Doesn’t past the sniff test. No way Ping 10k max comes in dead last. From all the reviews I’ve watched it’s definitely one of the top 5 drivers in 2024. And besides this test is all the forgiving models but yet he doesn’t say it in the title been following him for nearly 7 years or so, surprised of his content here
Obviously he didn’t. Either he is absolutely clueless or he just puts this shit out for the clicks. His reviews are completely pointless. At this point.
You can’t have a driver comparison when you’re using completely different shafts with different kick points and drivers with different lie angles that do not suit your swing. The Ping 10k and the Callaway Max were by far the best for me in my fitting. These videos are basically TikTok level brain rot reviews.
@@Fightingscot82 I did not but I would not pick it regardless. I tested Ping, Callaway, Taylormade, Mizuno, and Titleist. Ping 10K was by far the most forgiving (FOR ME)
I use the Kirkland irons and driver. I can honestly say my game got better using the irons and driver. No idea why but the clubs fit my game. I am a huge fan of them and have nothing but positive things to say about them.
RICK & GUY I enjoy the videos and think the production is great. However, I think a lot could be done to improve club testing videos. You could go more into the technology and physics of clubs. For example, in this video you score forgiveness based on if you hit the fairway or not. Few things here. Firstly the fairway width changes with distance on the simulator, so it doesnt seem fair. Secondly, forgiveness also means off-centre hits travelling far. You need more detail in what you do. You cant just up the production quality and expect that to be enough. Another thing I find strange is that Rick doesn't use the clubs that test well. That itself is a poor advert for testing videos. Anyway, rant over.
If you throw out "Looks" - Tour Edge still wins, and the Mizuno moves from 7th to 3rd. If you throw out "Price" as well, Tour Edge still wins, and the Smoke and GT2 tie for 2nd. The E725 is looking pretty good here.
You can tell by all these influencers pushing Kirkland and tour edge products they're trying to move inventory. I couldn't stand the tour edge driver, I lost fairway hits and distance. I went from Callaway rogue os max, hitting the ball on average 273 yards but spin and accuracy suffered. With the tour edge my average distance was 257 yards, back spin was up and side axis spin up as well. Went to the ping 10k driver, average distance is back up near 270, backspin is down and side axis spin down as well. It's a completely workable driver both fade and draws, was also amazed how easy it is to get the ball flight down for a more punchy, running 240-250yard carry shot that rolls forever due to lack of backspin. Paired with my newton 5 dot for me it's the perfect driver. Accuracy, distance, workability, it has it all. Drivers and clubs in general are so individual preference it's so hard to take these rating videos seriously.
Rating system could’ve been better. Should’ve multiplied forgiveness and distance by 1.5x points wise that way we really see what’s the best. Since the top 2 were the cheapest drivers out therefore they got a massive boost.
The Best Driver of 2024 is the one you already have in your bag. So for me that's the Strata driver I picked up for £50 that I smoke 250 plus yards (mainly) down the middle.
Any chance you can do a best driver shaft? Hopefully including the Ventus Black Velo and Tour AD VF. There aren’t too many videos on RUclips featuring those 2.
I have the C version of the Tour Edge. It's a great driver. Everything seems to find the fairway no matter how bad i hit it. The C version also isn't "toed in" like the E.
@ollieluckman5009 I have the C725. The C723 is the previous year. It's shockingly forgiving for the "tour" version. My miss is a hook, so I'm usually stuck with the tour drivers. I have no complaints so far.
I'd love to see Rick re-upload these videos with not 'percentage of fairways hit' but instead replace it with 'average distance from centre line'. The metric he's used doesn't account for how good a good shot is, and how the bad ones are
i think something else forgotten about the Kirkland is that if you don’t have a membership to Costco you can’t just get any of their clubs. I know it’s like $65 a year but that should be accounted for
@chefdannydesteli it should definitely be accounted for. Certainly in the UK, there's an online only membership for cheaper, don't know if that US as well. The thing that baffles me is why people would buy one over a second hand driver from the last 1-5 years. 2nd hand drivers can be custom retro-fitted, whereas Kirkland is very much so one option and that's it
@ Agreed! second hand drivers are always a better option. I understand people wanting a new driver but there are so many more options for second hands and better options for custom fitting and customization
@chefdannydesteli I got fitted for my PXG driver earlier in the year and I don't think I'll go back to having non fitted clubs. I went back a couple of weeks ago for a re-tune, and just from the retune I got an extra 15 yards, and that's just from adjusting the loft, lie and weight of the head! Without custom fittings, the costco driver will NEVER be as good as the bigger brands doing their own fittings. The title is about best drivers, aside from being cheap, I can't see it being the best at anything
@ I got fitted for the Callaway AI smoke Max and it’s set with the shaft and grip that I like the feel of. I used to buy off the rack but when they gave me so many specs that actually helped fix bits of my game I had always questioned it really opened my eyes to customer fittings.
Looks are certainly objective but the Mizuno is a long way from last. Also, the Ai Smoke is by far the best looking. Missed fairways is not the clubs fault. Agree with the Ping as last, the price is just plain nuts and the 10K stuff is just a selling point and nothing else.
The Ping driver scored 4 points lower than the Titleist for distance, yet the actual difference was just 2 yards. It’s hard to see how this could be considered meaningful or objective analysis. As for forgiveness, the results clearly depend on the sample size. The Kirkland tied with the Ping in forgiveness but lacks any High MOI technology. My advice? Invest in a driver with High MOI-it’s comparable to cavity-back technology in irons. Unless you're a scratch golfer hitting the sweet spot consistently, you'll benefit from the scientifically proven tech that minimizes clubface twisting on off-center hits. If you want to spend $200-300 get an older Ping G400 Max, G410 Plus, or G425 Max which all have near 10k MOI.
To be honest, i dont really like when people rates club by points like that. The only thing that should matter is the performance of the club. And then the customer has to decide if the price and the looks of the club matches his requirement.
Maybe consider eliminating criteria one by one and posting on social media? If we're not as worried about price or looks that would change the outcome of the test. Both were weighted more heavily in your test than i would personally have weighted them.
Hey guys I play golf everyday it is my drug don't buy a new club it isn't worth it. There is a thing called diminishing returns, it happens with guitars and it happens with clubs. Don't spend money here. If you do want new clubs buy tommy armour they are amazing at the value
I think you overweighted price but fun video anyway. Cheers. Heard good things about the Tour Edge and the Kirkland all year. Cool to see them show up in performance in a head to head.
As much as I enjoy the reviews and club comparisons, we all know Rick will NEVER have a Kirkland or TourEdge driver in the bag. The looks points are completely subjective and irrelevant, and you would need hundreds of shots with each to get a real precise number for fwys hit. Multiple sessions over multiple days, hitting clubs in different orders so as to remove any variables such as fatigue/bad ball striking day/not being warmed up yet. Overall though great video. 👍🏻
@@JL-zn4mr ya I’m not that worried about it but I feel like price should have been worth half just like looks or sound whichever that was. Felt like price became the over riding factor here with it vaulting the cheaper drivers way up. If we are looking for the “best” driver then price shouldn’t factor in really at all imo. Should just be performance and sure looks and feel can factor in but price has nothing to do with the “best”
@@ianshepherd6476 Depends on how you define what best means to you, he made his criteria clear. He has been pretty vocal about the astronomical cost of new drivers these days so it doesn't surprise me that he's factored into his ranking.
Usually love these reviews, but how is Fairway hitting not the top consideration being in the Fairway is far more useful then being stuck in the rough 8 yards further ahead!
This seems like it’s just a contest of which driver off the rack fits best with Rick’s swing on this particular day. Very misleading without driver loft, shaft, shaft length, hosel setting….. Rick at the very least should have dialed in the hosel and shaft for each driver and attempted to make it an apples to apples comparison
Hey Rick, I’d love to see you do some new vs old driver videos again. I feel like drivers have gotten so expensive and I think people would be interested to see just how much benefit there is to going with a brand new setup. Another great video!
It's like listening to a newcomer in the game that doesn't know that short and more spin will keep it on the fairways a bit more than costly bombers ... is no news really...
How about the drivers 2 years ago that are good, how about the burners from years ago. These brands are playing on idiots with money, Gibson guitars are doing the same thing. You cant play guitar but you bought 2 new gibson les pauls? You cant play golf you cant play golf but you.buy new clubs???? Save your money
Like with the irons video, if you ignore the "looks" category (because it is completely subjective to each person) the rankings would be:
1st: Tour Edge E725 (19 points)
2nd: Kirkland Signature (17 points)
3rd: Mizuno ST-Z (16 points)
4th: Callaway AI Smoke (15 points)
Joint 5th: Cobra Dark Speed & Taylormade Qi10 (14 points)
7th: Titleist GT2 (13 points)
8th: Ping G430 MAX 10K (11 points)
It certainly makes a difference for each individual with how a driver looks behind the ball, but it is a very subjective score. So kudos to Rick for lowering the impact factor of 'looks' 👍 The only driver that seems to have gained significantly from removing it, is the Mizuno ST-Z
Now, if you are lucky enough to no care about the price, the rankings really tighten up (understandable since we have removed half the scoring categories):
1st: Tour Edge E725 (12 points)
Joint 2nd: Callaway AI Smoke & Titleist GT2 (11 points)
Joint 4th: Kirkland Signature, Taylormade QI10 MAX & Mizuno ST-Z (9 points)
Joint 7th: Cobra Dark Speed & Ping G430 MAX 10K (8 points)
The conclusion of the video doesn't change with price or looks: the Tour Edge E725 wins.
Btw. Love these ranking videos Rick, really helpful for me 👍
How are they helpful to you?
He
1. Does not show spin/ ball speed.
2. Does not provide any data on hit location which heavily affects numbers.
3. Aren’t fit for any of the drivers but just whack em with the standard setup.
You can not possibly gain anything from watching a ranking like this.
How many times is this video going to be uploaded today lol
Wondering the same thing
probably getting mad sponsor comments lol
Do I hear 4?!
Damn I thought I was tripping serious balls
I smell a P45 for the editor.
I just got the Tour Edge C723 driver. Great club, very adjustable to dial into what you need. Incredibly consistent and straight ball flight. Their irons are also good too.
Excellent result! I've gamed the Tour Edge Exotics C721 for three years, and gone from an 18 to 2 handicap using it. Tour Edge make top class equipment at an affordable price.
Big fan Rick and think you are a very good golfer! But I think this video reflects where your driving has been at this year - all off. I’d bet money if you used that Ping or Taylormade regularly, your driving would massively and naturally improve. Your last Ping driver you drove the ball much better.
its more skill than brand buddy
Rating system seems off. Rick couldn’t hit a fairway with 3rd & 4th place. 😅 how are they not rated worse.
I was thinking the same thing
10 yards of difference between some but over 40% more fairways hit I think I know which one I would take!
But in the end play what you like and if you just don’t like the look of something you won’t enjoy it.
The shortest driver was the most accurate. Who'd have thought...
By the way stock Mizuno drivers have a half an inch shorter shaft then the other ones, which can explain the slight distance loss and better accuracy. Also.. Rick has enough bankroll where i would have liked to see an identical shaft used in each driver for a more a controlled test that takes out shaft variance.
Shouldn't the driver fairway test be on a fairway in a rectangular shape where the width is average fairway width all the way to the green? The longer drivers were reaching the part of the fairway where the rough jutted out from the left.
I agree. He has a 30k pound simulator and uses the default driving range. Seriously frustrating. Glad he changed it up on this one
Yep
@arpus1995 You may need to reread my comment as I was saying the opposite. The fairway he is using in this video was irregular, and he should have used the default fairway and have the usual width limits to do a proper test.
Why did you use the Mizuno ST-Z? It came out in January of 2023, it was the ST-Max that came out in February of 2024. Seems a bit weird to me to use a nearly 2 year old driver in a best of this year video.
I was thinking the exact same thing, he picked a very strange choice of heads, picked the draw version of the cobra driver but then did the core version of the Callaway, 2023 version of Mizuno.
Tour edge has quietly been crushing it for a while now
I think the PXG 0211 killed the Kirkland if you concentrate on price, looks, forgiveness, performance, and value.
I think there's too much emphasis on 'Price', and probably should have been halved like 'Looks' was. The majority of golfers are not going to care what it costs, just what it does. As a result, the Kirkland gets a HUGE boost in points despite being mid-pack in every other category. Not saying it's still not a great value for that driver, and that there aren't golfers where budget is their No. 1 concern, but that the price carries as much weight accuracy or distance, the actual thing you want a driver to do, just doesn't seem right.
If the Price category was halved, here's how the rankings would have been:
Tour Edge E725 - 16.5
AI Smoke - 16
GT2 - 16
Kirkland - 15
Dark Speed - 14.5
Qi10 Max - 14
STZ - 13
10k Max - 11
I disagree about the price point, not everyone can afford those expensive drivers. If your a mid to high handicap weekend warrior who can’t afford it due to life situations and only get out twice a month, you want to know what inexpensive drivers you can still get that perform well. Some people still live on a budget
What i want to know why wilson isn't there
Have to say my dynapower is doing well..... 👍
Dynapower is a 2022 or 2023 release. They have a new one coming in 25
FYI folks Mizuno is 1/2 inch shorter than any other driver. Hence the lack of distance / accuracy gain. Also imo it looks great.
I can agree with that. I use the STZ 230 and it’s amazing. Might look into putting a different shaft in it soon but it performs well. I do notice a 5 yard difference in distance but I hit almost every fairway
A bit disappointed not to see the PXG Black Ops driver tested here , was one of my top considerations this year
Huge miss on this one, Rick. We've all seen how you play with each of these drivers, and these rankings are so far off. You're also missing plenty of other contenders that could arguably enter the top 10. The fact that you don't game your number one ranked driver should be proof enough that this is a flawed review.
The issue is Rick already had his scores before he tested them. Once he gets something in his head performance and stuff doesn’t matter.
The fact that anything OTHER THAN performance is being factored into this, is just baffling. Why? Literally nothing else matters.
Because the cost to performance value is a big factor when it comes to anyone who doesn’t have all the money in the world to spend on a hobby. Also, Golf is an extremely mental game and the look of a club can change your confidence in your ability to swing it. Anyone watching this video is not a PGA pro or a swing robot. Those people don’t watch videos like this.
I’m in that boat right now, was fit into the titleist gt3, but it’s $1000 in Canada, having a really hard time pulling the trigger when the tour edge c725 is $549 and arguably just as good, and has the exact same shaft.
@@rexgould might be worth giving the TSR3 a test with a similar shaft to your fitting, I really like the TSR2. See if you can find a deal.
I'm sorry but the fact the PING 10k MAX came last is just funny. Ignoring price and looks, it's the best driver to be released this year in terms of performance that it offers and the range of golfers that can use it. I love the review channel but there is so many things that could be done to improve it. I could bet that Rick didn't use the same shaft for every driver. How can this be a fair test in that case! Sorry for the negative comment. I just love the channel and seeing things like this frustrates me and even make me wince. The fact the cheapest two drivers came first just doesn't seem right, especially considering the amount of tech in some of the other drivers in this list...
Keep in mind Rick knows way more about the clubs than you do. And he knows how subjective his reviews are. But they’re what he brings to the table. mygolfspy does a good job in the more objective space. But Rick does an amazing job of showing the big brands are not always worth the money. Some of the cheaper ones can compete. And also does a good job of showing just bc the ping might be the best all around for most, doesn’t mean it’ll be the best for you
Yes. This video Doesn’t past the sniff test. No way Ping 10k max comes in dead last. From all the reviews I’ve watched it’s definitely one of the top 5 drivers in 2024. And besides this test is all the forgiving models but yet he doesn’t say it in the title been following him for nearly 7 years or so, surprised of his content here
Did you use the same fitted shaft in each club, or at least one you fitted into for each club? Not much of a performance comparison if you didn’t.
Obviously he didn’t. Either he is absolutely clueless or he just puts this shit out for the clicks.
His reviews are completely pointless. At this point.
You can’t have a driver comparison when you’re using completely different shafts with different kick points and drivers with different lie angles that do not suit your swing. The Ping 10k and the Callaway Max were by far the best for me in my fitting. These videos are basically TikTok level brain rot reviews.
your free to never watch this channel again then
Yeah but did you test the Tour Edge?
What you complained about in this video is exactly the same logic you are applying to yourself HAHA
@@Fightingscot82 I did not but I would not pick it regardless. I tested Ping, Callaway, Taylormade, Mizuno, and Titleist. Ping 10K was by far the most forgiving (FOR ME)
@@ForzaOwnz I tried all different shafts and settings. I found the combination that worked for me. Comparing stock shafts is absolutely useless.
Rick, do you have plans to review the KRANK drivers? I know they are "long drive" but brysons brought them to light
I love these videos Rick! The style of the video is what I like to see watch. I wish you had included the Wilson Dynapower! Great video Rick
where can the E725 driver be ordered in Europe???. I have searched but can only find it in the US and then suddenly there is 165 dollars in shipping
I'm with you on that! Can't seem to find it in the UK
American Golf will have the full 725 range early 2025
How many shots per driver did you hit
I agree with this top choice. You get all the distance and forgiveness in one package, at the price a driver should cost. Congrats to TE!
I use the Kirkland irons and driver. I can honestly say my game got better using the irons and driver. No idea why but the clubs fit my game. I am a huge fan of them and have nothing but positive things to say about them.
RICK & GUY
I enjoy the videos and think the production is great. However, I think a lot could be done to improve club testing videos. You could go more into the technology and physics of clubs. For example, in this video you score forgiveness based on if you hit the fairway or not. Few things here. Firstly the fairway width changes with distance on the simulator, so it doesnt seem fair. Secondly, forgiveness also means off-centre hits travelling far. You need more detail in what you do. You cant just up the production quality and expect that to be enough. Another thing I find strange is that Rick doesn't use the clubs that test well. That itself is a poor advert for testing videos. Anyway, rant over.
Should have been the Mizuno STG
If you throw out "Looks" - Tour Edge still wins, and the Mizuno moves from 7th to 3rd. If you throw out "Price" as well, Tour Edge still wins, and the Smoke and GT2 tie for 2nd. The E725 is looking pretty good here.
You can tell by all these influencers pushing Kirkland and tour edge products they're trying to move inventory. I couldn't stand the tour edge driver, I lost fairway hits and distance. I went from Callaway rogue os max, hitting the ball on average 273 yards but spin and accuracy suffered. With the tour edge my average distance was 257 yards, back spin was up and side axis spin up as well. Went to the ping 10k driver, average distance is back up near 270, backspin is down and side axis spin down as well. It's a completely workable driver both fade and draws, was also amazed how easy it is to get the ball flight down for a more punchy, running 240-250yard carry shot that rolls forever due to lack of backspin. Paired with my newton 5 dot for me it's the perfect driver. Accuracy, distance, workability, it has it all.
Drivers and clubs in general are so individual preference it's so hard to take these rating videos seriously.
I don't know if Wilson released a new driver this year or not, but if the Kirkland is going to be in these the Wilson should definitely be.
1:02 in and i'm shouting Tour Edge
Ping: "Am I a joke to you?"
Rick: "Yes"
I really like the looks of Tour Edge products, especially their golf bags. They have that kind of 90's styling going on sort of like Reebok.
Rating system could’ve been better.
Should’ve multiplied forgiveness and distance by 1.5x points wise that way we really see what’s the best.
Since the top 2 were the cheapest drivers out therefore they got a massive boost.
Rick what a great video and excellent editing!
How about I buy the last ones 3years ago at a yard sale
The only person that should buy new clubs is a pro player
The Best Driver of 2024 is the one you already have in your bag. So for me that's the Strata driver I picked up for £50 that I smoke 250 plus yards (mainly) down the middle.
Probably the first video from a youtuber who puts cheap drivers on top 2. 👏🏼 Driver pricing has gone mad without any true reason.
for me, the cobra dark speed and PXG black ops were the nicest looking drivers this year.
Any chance you can do a best driver shaft? Hopefully including the Ventus Black Velo and Tour AD VF. There aren’t too many videos on RUclips featuring those 2.
Rick is talking strictly😂pros and drs, and lawyers
I have the C version of the Tour Edge. It's a great driver. Everything seems to find the fairway no matter how bad i hit it. The C version also isn't "toed in" like the E.
Is that the C723? Been looking at this but struggling to find a good review!
@ollieluckman5009 I have the C725. The C723 is the previous year. It's shockingly forgiving for the "tour" version. My miss is a hook, so I'm usually stuck with the tour drivers. I have no complaints so far.
@curtbrown554 ah that's good to know, appreciate you getting back to me.
I'd love to see Rick re-upload these videos with not 'percentage of fairways hit' but instead replace it with 'average distance from centre line'. The metric he's used doesn't account for how good a good shot is, and how the bad ones are
How are you valuing distance over accuracy on max drivers?
Also, the Kirkland? It's cheap, but it underperforms. If you're wanting the best driver that isn't it, so why is it in the test yet PXG isn't?
i think something else forgotten about the Kirkland is that if you don’t have a membership to Costco you can’t just get any of their clubs. I know it’s like $65 a year but that should be accounted for
@chefdannydesteli it should definitely be accounted for. Certainly in the UK, there's an online only membership for cheaper, don't know if that US as well. The thing that baffles me is why people would buy one over a second hand driver from the last 1-5 years. 2nd hand drivers can be custom retro-fitted, whereas Kirkland is very much so one option and that's it
@ Agreed! second hand drivers are always a better option. I understand people wanting a new driver but there are so many more options for second hands and better options for custom fitting and customization
@chefdannydesteli I got fitted for my PXG driver earlier in the year and I don't think I'll go back to having non fitted clubs. I went back a couple of weeks ago for a re-tune, and just from the retune I got an extra 15 yards, and that's just from adjusting the loft, lie and weight of the head! Without custom fittings, the costco driver will NEVER be as good as the bigger brands doing their own fittings. The title is about best drivers, aside from being cheap, I can't see it being the best at anything
@ I got fitted for the Callaway AI smoke Max and it’s set with the shaft and grip that I like the feel of. I used to buy off the rack but when they gave me so many specs that actually helped fix bits of my game I had always questioned it really opened my eyes to customer fittings.
Looks are certainly objective but the Mizuno is a long way from last. Also, the Ai Smoke is by far the best looking. Missed fairways is not the clubs fault. Agree with the Ping as last, the price is just plain nuts and the 10K stuff is just a selling point and nothing else.
The Ping driver scored 4 points lower than the Titleist for distance, yet the actual difference was just 2 yards. It’s hard to see how this could be considered meaningful or objective analysis. As for forgiveness, the results clearly depend on the sample size. The Kirkland tied with the Ping in forgiveness but lacks any High MOI technology.
My advice? Invest in a driver with High MOI-it’s comparable to cavity-back technology in irons. Unless you're a scratch golfer hitting the sweet spot consistently, you'll benefit from the scientifically proven tech that minimizes clubface twisting on off-center hits. If you want to spend $200-300 get an older Ping G400 Max, G410 Plus, or G425 Max which all have near 10k MOI.
To be honest, i dont really like when people rates club by points like that. The only thing that should matter is the performance of the club. And then the customer has to decide if the price and the looks of the club matches his requirement.
You could ignore his points for looks and price and re-rank them based on your preferences. He was clear about his criteria.
Why has this video been taken down twice?
Just a small error in the edit, all fixed now 🙌
@ Thanks Rick :)
Maybe consider eliminating criteria one by one and posting on social media? If we're not as worried about price or looks that would change the outcome of the test. Both were weighted more heavily in your test than i would personally have weighted them.
Hey guys I play golf everyday it is my drug don't buy a new club it isn't worth it. There is a thing called diminishing returns, it happens with guitars and it happens with clubs. Don't spend money here. If you do want new clubs buy tommy armour they are amazing at the value
Can you do videos on utility irons next. Thanks Ricky.
No golfer on this channel minus the guy making this video should buy any of this
Unless the Callaway was OB the extra 15 yards or so are going to be more valuable than the few more fairways you hit with the Kirkland.
Depends on what is 15 yards up and in the rough.... I play where there are a lot of trees and it pays to be in the fairway.
Why do we never get reviews on Cleveland products?
The title should have been ‘The best forgiving driver of 2024’ there’s so many drivers like the Qi10 standard, GT3 etc that are better than all those
What shafts do you use for testing? Does Kirkland test with stock
It would have to be unless you buy a new shaft and get it installed with the Kirkland loft sleeve
The voice was super quiet so i turned it up so i could hear him them BOOM loud music in between every driver ranking; feel like it wasn't necessary.
No mention of swing weights here at all. But alas, this isn’t the channel for club reviews.
take price and looks out of the final equation. each are highly subjective that the individual buyer can factor into the more quantitative metrics.
I agree, but in fairness you could just do those sums yourself.
I think you overweighted price but fun video anyway. Cheers. Heard good things about the Tour Edge and the Kirkland all year. Cool to see them show up in performance in a head to head.
I’m a big fan of the Ai smoke mini driver too 👍🏻
As much as I enjoy the reviews and club comparisons, we all know Rick will NEVER have a Kirkland or TourEdge driver in the bag. The looks points are completely subjective and irrelevant, and you would need hundreds of shots with each to get a real precise number for fwys hit. Multiple sessions over multiple days, hitting clubs in different orders so as to remove any variables such as fatigue/bad ball striking day/not being warmed up yet. Overall though great video. 👍🏻
Please review the Mizuno ST Max driver.
I knew I was right when researching for the Ai Smoke Max for distance and still forgiving. No PXG, nor Srixon?
What was the best for distance and forgiveness?
Price shouldn’t be weighted so heavily and as you saw the cheap drivers had a massive point advantage.
You could ignore his rankings for price and re-rank them on your own.
@@JL-zn4mr ya I’m not that worried about it but I feel like price should have been worth half just like looks or sound whichever that was. Felt like price became the over riding factor here with it vaulting the cheaper drivers way up. If we are looking for the “best” driver then price shouldn’t factor in really at all imo. Should just be performance and sure looks and feel can factor in but price has nothing to do with the “best”
@@ianshepherd6476 Depends on how you define what best means to you, he made his criteria clear. He has been pretty vocal about the astronomical cost of new drivers these days so it doesn't surprise me that he's factored into his ranking.
Price carries too much weight. What you can’t judge is how well the cheaper drivers will hold up over time.
Yet again no Srixon. I love the content and I’m a big fan of Ricks, just don’t understand how there’s hardly any Srixon reviewed on the channel
It’s a crime to rate the mizuno last in looks when you have the g430 and ai smoke in this😂
Gave tour edge and Kirkland to much benefit of the doubt
When are you going to start using the same shaft for each brand so we don't have that as a variable?
Use the same shaft in all of the clubs. Its not a true comparison if you dont.
I'd like to get the scores on performance only. I dont care how it looks if it performs.
Getting to like the same RS video 3 times in 1 days wasn't on my bingo card
Usually love these reviews, but how is Fairway hitting not the top consideration being in the Fairway is far more useful then being stuck in the rough 8 yards further ahead!
awesome...thanks...what is Rick Shiels using in 2025, i knda think it wont be Cobra....
This seems like it’s just a contest of which driver off the rack fits best with Rick’s swing on this particular day. Very misleading without driver loft, shaft, shaft length, hosel setting….. Rick at the very least should have dialed in the hosel and shaft for each driver and attempted to make it an apples to apples comparison
Rick, is the Tour Edge E725 in your bag?
Hey Rick, I’d love to see you do some new vs old driver videos again. I feel like drivers have gotten so expensive and I think people would be interested to see just how much benefit there is to going with a brand new setup. Another great video!
I'm guessing the voices talking over the driver head vt's weren't supposed to be there 😂
Tour Edge going straight in your bag then, Rick?
Why don’t you ever test Srixon?
It's like listening to a newcomer in the game that doesn't know that short and more spin will keep it on the fairways a bit more than costly bombers ... is no news really...
How about the drivers 2 years ago that are good, how about the burners from years ago. These brands are playing on idiots with money, Gibson guitars are doing the same thing. You cant play guitar but you bought 2 new gibson les pauls? You cant play golf you cant play golf but you.buy new clubs???? Save your money
You said you loved the Wilson in previous vids?
You have not included the best Cobra driver of 2024 (DS adapt).
How come you haven’t reviewed the Srixon?
I'd like to know how PXG stacks up against these.
You left out the best of the year. Pxg black ops
Title should be related to “bang for your buck driver” I think that’s a better suited title!
Ok so he been looking for distance and accuracy but im pretty sure he doesnt have tour edge in his bag
Looks... is WILD man. Again, subjective but dayum! Take it out lol =) Just put it in the "Points Don't Count, but Looks Category".
It’s a stupid comparison. Having price makes it worthless
Seriously is this like the third or fourth time he's done this today😂 what the hell
I like the turbulators
No Srixon ?