Hot List
2013 Hot List: Category Leaders
Where the search for your new favorite club begins
March 2013
Photo by Adam Levey
• CATEGORY LEADER
(L) LOW-HANDICAPPER
(M) MIDDLE-HANDICAPPER
(H) HIGH-HANDICAPPER
(L) LOW-HANDICAPPER
(M) MIDDLE-HANDICAPPER
(H) HIGH-HANDICAPPER
THE PROCESS
Our judges evaluated Hot List candidates in four areas.
PERFORMANCE (45%) What happens to the ball when it's hit by the club.
INNOVATION (30%) How the club's technology advances the category.
LOOK/SOUND/FEEL (20%) What the golfer experiences before, during and after impact.
DEMAND (5%) The relative interest in a product and its reputation.
All judging is based on a 100-point scale. GOLD products earned a score of 93 to 100. SILVER products earned a score of 88 to 92.99. In each club section, the product voted as a CATEGORY LEADER (RED) in each of the four areas of evaluation (Performance, Innovation, Look/Sound/Feel, Demand) is assigned 100 points.
DRIVER
taylormade R1
STREET PRICE: $400
LOFTS: one adjustable head (8-12 degrees)
TECH TALK: There are three ways to adjust this driver: The hosel has 12 settings for altering loft, the rotating soleplate features seven face-angle positions, and the movable sole weights allow you to change ball flight by 20 yards side to side. The crown's graphics are designed to aid alignment.
PLAYER COMMENTS:
L: "The sound is toward the loud end, but if you can't get dialed in with this club, you're not trying."
M: "It's very forgiving; even shots high on the face go a long way, and my slices stayed in play."
HOT: A force of substance and subtlety, the equipment industry's innovation leader has outdone itself again. With 168 possible settings, there's probably one that fits even your dog.
NOT: Franz Klammer called. He wants his 1976 Winter Olympics sweater back.
INFO: taylormadegolf.com
TECH TALK: There are three ways to adjust this driver: The hosel has 12 settings for altering loft, the rotating soleplate features seven face-angle positions, and the movable sole weights allow you to change ball flight by 20 yards side to side. The crown's graphics are designed to aid alignment.
PLAYER COMMENTS:
L: "The sound is toward the loud end, but if you can't get dialed in with this club, you're not trying."
M: "It's very forgiving; even shots high on the face go a long way, and my slices stayed in play."
HOT: A force of substance and subtlety, the equipment industry's innovation leader has outdone itself again. With 168 possible settings, there's probably one that fits even your dog.
NOT: Franz Klammer called. He wants his 1976 Winter Olympics sweater back.
INFO: taylormadegolf.com
The latest on golf digest
Photos
Who's That Girl?
Exclusive outtakes from our photo shoot with the Golf Channel's Holly Sonders.
Features
The Most Annoying Golfers
The only thing worse than playing with one of these golfers is being one of them.
#mygolfpose Tweet your reenactment of one of these classic images.
What's In My Bag
Michael Thompson
Michael Thompson
Rankings
Nine-Hole-Friendly Courses
Nine-Hole-Friendly Courses
Swing Sequences
Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson
