Top brands in Japan have just recently announced their new winter releases and TourStage & Yamaha appear to take the cake as far as the quality of design goes. We will be highlighting new products from both brands as more information becomes available. Today we will go in depth and take a look at the new TourStage X-Drive 703 Driver.
Technology in Design
Most brands change esthetics, shape, and weigh adjustment very frequently but only the best continue to create new technologies moving golf performance forward. I always look at the big dog Japanese brands to gain insight as to what the U.S market may adopt in the future. Let’s face it when purchasing Japanese clubs you are paying a premium for top quality manufacturing, insane amounts of R&D as well as technology that arrives years before the mass market gets a hold of it.
The TourStage X-Drive 703 adopts a new 7 piece hybrid body providing the optimal amount of flex in the head and shifting weight to important areas as well as reducing weight where needed. It uses a combo of KS100 & lightweight Ti-15-3-3-3 that has undergone special heat treatment to improve the vibration and feel throughout the head.
The Face has new technology, it’s called Dual Arrow Face and features variable face thickness to improve forgiveness and feel not to mention ball rebound which aids in creating more power at impact. By creating a variable wall thickness and implementing specially shaped arrows on a unique gradient oval behind the impact zone you gain improved performance penetration, distance, feel, and forgiveness. As far as face technology goes this is cream of the crop, Only Yamaha comes close in regards to technology used behind the impact zone.
But wait theres more! Many say that the X-Drive series is geared toward too good of a player category, well this one is a bit different it sits between the 701 and GR drivers which in my opinion is pefect for the majority out. The gained extra forgiveness by increasing the height above and below the crown line. That means a good balance between having a deep face driver that has shallow face like heel to toe forgiveness.
For those interested the new 703 X-Drive comes in 8.5, 9.5, and 10.5 lofts, the stock length is 45.25 coming in at D2. Custom shafts are available as well as a unique black sole option. The standard shaft options are pretty sweet, you have a choice between the new Graphite Design Tour AD DI-6 or a Tour AD B10-01w shaft co enginered by Bridgestone/TourStage. Currently available in the TSG Proshop, the official release date is Dec 2009.
Looks like each manufacture is focusing in more than ever on the design of the face, It also seems that maybe the upright lie on the drivers are meant to take the high toe hit out of t he equation.
Fantastic technology and I have to admit I’m a big fan of this company products. Despite the limits on cor and driver size, Japanese companies continento push the envelope in refinement and new technologies that provide real performance advancements