Most driver reviews are done at sea level, on a launch monitor, indoors. That tells you little about how a club behaves on a mountain course, where the ball flies farther, curves less and drops out of the air sooner.
Over three weeks this summer, eight testers with handicaps from 2 to 24 hit every driver on the range and the course at Cedar Hollow. Here are the four we would buy.
At 3,000 feet, the same swing carries about six percent farther and spins noticeably less.
Harlow HX-9
- 460 cc
- Head
- 9–12°
- Lofts
- 2,310 rpm
- Avg. spin
- +Consistent carry across swing speeds
- +Easy to adjust spin
- –Loud at impact
The HX-9 was the only driver that kept launch high without ballooning for every tester. Adjustable weights in the sole let slower swingers add spin back, which most drivers lose in thin air.
Kestrel Carbon LS
- 450 cc
- Head
- 8–10.5°
- Lofts
- 1,980 rpm
- Avg. spin
- +Longest carry in the test
- +Tight dispersion for fast swings
- –Too little spin for most players
Low spin to begin with, so it only suits swing speeds above 105 mph at altitude. For those players it produced the longest carries of the test, averaging 291 yards.
Ridgeback 4 Max
- 460 cc
- Head
- 9–12°
- Lofts
- 2,640 rpm
- Avg. spin
- +Least distance lost on mishits
- +Priced below the leaders
- –Heavy head feel
The largest face and deepest center of gravity in the group. Off-center hits lost the least distance, and the extra spin that hurts it at sea level suits thin air well.
Tanager Draw
- 460 cc
- Head
- 10.5–12°
- Lofts
- 2,720 rpm
- Avg. spin
- +Straightens a slice
- +Lowest price tested
- –No adjustable hosel
A draw-biased head that reduced the average slice by 14 yards. It is not adjustable, but at this price it was the easiest recommendation for higher handicaps.
How we tested
Each tester hit 30 shots with every driver on a portable launch monitor, then played nine holes with their top two. We averaged carry, spin and dispersion across all players and weighted results toward handicaps 8 to 18, where most golfers sit.