Wilson Staff Utility
Calloway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS
Appearance
Poor color combo, but looks good at address
Build Quality
Very well made. But cheap grip.
Price
Not cheap, but good price at this level
Playability
Great driver for low-mid handicappers
Summary
Had this driver sent to my office, so I stared at it all day, dreaming about 360 yard drives. I didn't get 360 yards, out of it...obviously. But it definitely added distance to my drives. I also gained some control and consistency. So, for me, its a winner.
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First Impressions
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Once I got the new driver home, I immediately went to the SIM and got into it. I had this driver built with the X-Stiff shaft, because my golf pro says that is what I need now. I went with the Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei AV White 65 X-Stiff. I also opted for the 9 degree head instead of the 10.5. Glad I did both.
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First impressions, not a huge fan of the black and gold colors, but at address it does look good. It feels good too. This driver feels very solid and well built, which should help with confidence off the tee.
Testing
I started my tests on the SIM, as usual. I only had time for about 20 shots, but I was really excited about the potential I was seeing. Here are the two best shots I had during that session.
Cheap Grip
The grip on this driver is terrible. This is a $400 driver, and it came with a $6 Golf Pride grip. This is my biggest complaint about this club. It just doesn't make any sense to me. I expected to see something a little more serious on this driver.
The first thing I noticed was the ball speed. The ball really jumps off of the face. Target smash factor for driver is 1.5. This is really close, and I am sure with a longer session, it will put up some great smash factor numbers. The spin off this driver is minimal also. I was getting around 2000 rpms, which is optimal. ​After those 20 shots, I was feeling pretty good about this driver. So, I took it for a round the next day. It did take me a few to get my timing right with the X-stiff shaft. But once I settled into my swing, this driver came out of its shell. Its not advertised as a particularly forgiving driver, but I found it to be surprisingly forgiving on off center shots. On the course I averaged about 310 yards off the tee, which is long for me. I was driving the ball about 285 with my previous driver. Not saying everyone will get a 25 yard boost with it. But that is what it did for me. I also noticed an improvement in accuracy. The driver does tend to favor a fade, but I typically draw the ball. So, this combination worked out well in my case.
​It was consistent, straight, and very long.
Verdict ​
This driver doesn't make an awesome noise when you hit it, it doesn't look particularly fantastic, and that grip....Jesus Calloway.
But, It delivers on the playability front. It really is a great driver. Highly recommend !
