Top 5 Drivers to Kill a Slice
The slice is the bane of mid-to-high handicap golfers everywhere. Whether caused by face angle, swing path, strike location, or some combination of them, watching the ball sail off the intended targeted line off the tee is one of the more frustrating golf experiences.
While no piece of equipment can completely eliminate the slice, modern drivers are designed explicitly with intelligent features to help tame that shot and keep it in play more often. Let’s look at some of the best options available.
1. Ping G425 SFT
If you battle a slice, the PING G425 SFT can help. Once again, the PING’s SFT model took the right side out of play better than any club in the test, and, once again, it wasn’t particularly close. With the G425 SFT, drives finished 15.64 yards left of the centerline. Its closest competitor was only 8.01 off the centerline. Like previous SFT models, this is accomplished through heel-weighting and a subtly closed face to promote right-to-left shot bend.
2. Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo
The Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo seeks to fight slices off the tee by tripling down on one important concept; MOI. Moment of Inertia (MOI) is a measurement of the club’s resistance to twisting. Generally speaking, the higher the MOI, the more forgiving a driver is going to be on off-center hits. The Launcher HB Turbo features a new crown, hosel, and weight placement to maximize MOI in the clubhead itself. It is then paired with a unique counter-balance shaft designed by Miyazaki specifically for the club, enabling further MOI increases.
3. Titleist TSi1
High handicap golfers are the most likely to suffer from slices. For the most part, these golfers also tend to have slower swing speeds. With the TSi1, Titleist seeks to help these golfers not only by providing a forgiving, high-launch design, but also an ultra-light overall weight. These features will help moderate swing speed golfers maximize their potential distance. Combining this speed with tighter spin ranges all over the clubface will also help keep the ball in play.
4. Wilson Launch Pad
Of the drivers tested, the Wilson Launch Pad is one of the most clear “anti-slice” designs. While more adjustable models allow golfers to create a draw bias, the Launch Pad has it locked in. It features a strong visible hosel offset and 13-grams of weight in the heel. The driver also comes stock at a 60 degree lie angle, a degree more upright than most, as another subtle design choice to help tame the banana ball. At $299.99 MSRP, the 2021 Launch Pad also lands in the value end of new driver pricing, so these features don’t break the bank.
5. XXIO X
Despite XXIO marketing the X as their “skilled players” driver, testing showed the X to have the 5th most draw-bias of any of the contenders. That said, the XXIO has a lot of tech to help golfers of all levels hit longer, straighter drives. By utilizing a carbon fiber sole, the club designers could utilize weighting to optimize launch as well as forgiveness. Additionally, the factory shaft features XXIO’s “Weight Plus” system. This is a series of rubber and metal weights in the butt-end of each club to raise the balance point. XXIO claims this promotes easy, smooth swings ideal for fighting the slice.
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