Hot List 2009: Demand Category Leaders: Golf Digest

Hot List Category Leaders: Demand

Demand factor (10%): An assessment of the reputation, interest, intrigue and excitement about a particular product, considering market presence, tour use, relative value and consumer satisfaction through consulting research by Golf Datatech, other published resources and a panel of leading retailers.

Other Hot List Slideshows: Performance | Innovation | Look/Sound/Feel | Demand

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DRIVER: TAYLORMADE BURNER ('09)

STREET PRICE: $300
WEBSITE: taylormadegolf.com
LOFTS: 9.5, 10.5, HT

TECH TALK: The 49-gram, 46¼-inch shaft promotes speed, as does the deep face enhanced by the company's inverted-cone technology. The gently triangular dual crown positions the CG lower than the previous Burner.

PLAYER COMMENTS: (M) "Foolproof. A straight ball on every swing. The club feels good through the whole swing."... (M) "Great, consistent, solid feel and sound. It goes far, and the ball has a nice, boring trajectory." ... (M) "Long, forgiving, accurate." ... (L) "Longest club to date. Put a star next to this one."

HOT: Anybody can stick a 46¼-inch shaft on a driver and pretend it'll increase distance. Only the exceptional can figure out how to make a better, hotter driver and stick a genuinely faster 46¼-inch shaft on it to impressively feed our need for speed.

NOT: Average shaft length, PGA Tour 45 inches.