First King

Have you ever played with fighting spiders as children in the good old days? What about fighting fish? They were very interesting and at that time, we never know that it could be cruel.

Most of us would start with one. One fighting spider which a friend gave you. You fought it with others and may be won twice and lost four times and you wanted a better and stronger one so perhaps you bought it from a friend or go search and catch one in the wild. Now you have three spiders and you use your spiders depending on whose spider you are fighting with and their reputation. You are like a strategist planning a badminton game who is to be your first, second and third singles.

You will do the same thing for your fighting fish but fighting spiders and fighting fishes are simpler as your best fighter is your champion so you call it your "First King" followed by second king and third king. If you are a rich man, you can have three or more cars and call them whatever you want but if you decide to have three wives and three mother-in-laws, good luck to you.

In golf, I have my first king, second king and third king too. It can be sets of golf bags or just the favourite driver, your friendliest fairway wood, your go-to hybrid, best performing irons, sharpest wedges or deadliest putter. I have three drivers. They are all excellent. Go to the most reputable golf magazines or read all the most important reviews and you will find them all there but you must remember that the best drivers in magazines and reviews could be the best but it must suit you. 

The best way to pick a right driver is to be put on a monitor to gauge your launch angle, spin rate and swing speed so as to get the right head and most importantly the correct shaft. Unfortunately, we do not have the culture here. That is why everybody is changing their drivers so frequently. The first thing you need to do is to at least like how your driver look so that you can feel comfortable and confident during the set up.

Some drivers allow you to make so many adjustments you end up confusing yourself. Today, almost all drivers can be adjusted in different or even limited ways. Get a driver with a reasonable length, the shorter the better. Anything more than 45.75 inches is not so reasonable today. Get or set the right loft. If your ball is not flying high enough you need more loft. Get your ego out of the way. Pick the right shaft and the right flex. Like the sound on impact and feel is important too.

Let me share with you my three kings. They are all in Golf Digest's Gold Category. You get there only after very thorough testing. Today's drivers are all touted to be long and forgiving. 

My latest driver is my latest, not the latest. It is the TaylorMade RBZ short for Rocketballz. This was coined during testing before being rolled out because they hit it and somebody commented that it was like strapping a rocket to the ball. That was how the shots were. This one us white and white can be easily dirtied but it is non-glare. The head is forgiving and can be adjusted for loft, therefore, a higher, standard or lower trajectory. 

TaylorMade RBZ

It is simple to adjust the sleeve and as you can see here, I have set mine lower from the original 10.5 degrees. 

I like the Mitsubishi Rayon shaft very much. It is fairly light so it will promote a good swing speed.

I had chosen the shaft flex to be SR (Stiff Regular). Stiff enough for me to come in with the right timing and yet with a bit of kick from the whip.

Set up is as easy as point and shoot. Tee it up high and just let rip.

The 460 cc club head gives confidence and makes a good sound loud enough to let your flight mates know your power.

Plus: Non-glare, very forgiving, easy, looks new age. Won't burn a hole in your pocket. Very good distance.
Minus: White crown can be easily soiled and black face gets scratches. 

Titleist 910 D2 

Titleist drivers are often in the good books of all top golf magazines. They seemed to attract the highest ratings in most categories. It has a traditional look and does not look too busy with graphics. Top marks for looks but the latest 913 D2 (913 means introduced in 2013) looks even better with its even darker shades. (910 D2 was first released in 2010).

The club head looks and feels powerful and comes with an adjustment sleeve to set your preferred shots with more fade, neutral or more draw. In fact, it is a very playable club meaning that you can actually draw or fade and shape your shots.

The Fujikura "Motore" shaft is a very good shaft. It is light and previously I had chosen a R -Regular shaft which I now find a wee bit too whippy for me.

This club is superb partly because the length is only 45 inches. Titleist is the only brand that made its driver 45 inches. A shorter club will ensure more consistent squaring on impact on the sweet spot. This alone can add distance. Impact sound and feel is a muted but powerful "thwack".

Plus: Shorter 45 inches is great for better sweet spot contact, therefore consistency. Traditional look lets you know it is a serious golfer's club. Can shape shots. Ticks all the boxes for a driver.
Minus: Expensive. Forgiving but not the most forgiving. 

Callaway RAZR Fit

Ely Callaway, the late founder of Callaway Golf once said that golf is about that occasional good shot. He went on to produce for fun the ERC and ERC II driver which was illegal for competition because it shot crazy long and straight. He made for golfers to have fun.

The Callway RAZR Fit is legit. As you can see from this angle, its face is tall and it looks like it can send you on a rapture or smack you into the orbit and into the planetary system. 




While the RBZ's white look smart, the 910 D2 looks dark and sinister, the RAZR Fit's red/black combo is delightful. The face even towards the toe and heel are rounded. This could be the friendliest face. 



Just tee up high and let rip!

The Aldila shaft is heavier and stiffer but this RIP model is excellent. This is an American Regular which is equivalent to the Japanese Stiff flex. This shaft can result in less twisting during your swing to impact meaning straighter shots.



Plus: Meaty, like a great chunk of Angus beef. Tall face explodes the ball with spring like effect. Inspires confidence. Forgiving. Nice colour scheme.
Minus: Expensive. Have not played it enough to realise its fullest potential.

Conclusion 

So for a golf driver, which is my first king? The first king is the one that lets you play a solid round on the day or every time you pull it out. All these three are top-rated, excellent and come with pedigree. However, fear only the hands that wield the weapon. It is the singer and not the song. 

For the better player, pick the Titleist. For a golfer who likes his equipment to be friendly so you won't have to fight with it, go for the TaylorMade. In between players or those who like a powerful feel, get the Callaway. 

I have played the Titleist D2 for the longest time. It was the best and still one highly rated driver even compared to the latest offerings in the market. I love it and it will stay in the bag. It is traditional, simple and of high performance and for purists.

The Callaway RAZR Fit is a composite driver. Some people may not like it but it hits really long and straight. It has loads of potential which I am still discovering. It is difficult not to like it. It can be the champion any time and more.

The Taylormade RBZ is sweet because it is so easy to use and almost like cheating. Almost effortless and is currently my favourite. Anything easier would be a club that swings on its own. So for now, this would be my first king followed by the Titleist D2 which is temporarily second king as it is like an old friend whom I can rely on any time. The Callaway is a prevailing third as it is still on honeymoon with me. 

If I still do not play well in such illustrious company, I think these clubs need a new golfer but golfers do not admit their flaws and they will punish their clubs by consigning them to the store room for cold storage until they behave or to be retrieved only when the rest are disobedient.

Happy golfing!

Golf as in life. Play as it lies.