In this video, gear experts Joe and Joel run through the 3 clubs that they believe are the most underrated golf clubs from last year!
Every year there are always some clubs that sneak under the radar but actually perform comparably well to the mainstream launches from the big four manufacturers in Ping, TaylorMade, Callaway and Titleist. Joe and Joel between them have tested almost everything and picked out three that provide excellent performance and the most bang for your buck.
Every year there are always some clubs that sneak under the radar but actually perform comparably well to the mainstream launches from the big four manufacturers in Ping, TaylorMade, Callaway and Titleist. Joe and Joel between them have tested almost everything and picked out three that provide excellent performance and the most bang for your buck.
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SportsTranscript
00:00Now when it comes to golf equipment, it's fair to say that the big four brands often
00:04steal the headlines when it comes to new drivers, irons, etc. But actually, there is an awful
00:09lot of other products out there that we feel doesn't get the recognition it deserves. And
00:14in this video, we're going to touch on the three most underrated golf clubs of 2024.
00:19Joe, how would you define underrated when it comes to golf clubs in particular?
00:23Tough one, isn't it? But I think for me, it would be clubs that I've tested and that
00:28I've used that I know are really, really good that maybe I don't see in as many bags
00:32as I might expect to. Would that make sense?
00:34Yeah, that's fair. I mean, you've tested a lot of clubs down the years and I think in this
00:38video we're going to highlight some absolute crackers that might more save you a few quid
00:41but also will give you a little bit more choice if you're looking to upgrade certain areas
00:45of your bag.
00:49Right, Joe, first club in the most underrated club video of 2024. We're all excited to see
00:55what you've gone for. What is it?
00:57Well, I've gone with the driver and yeah, this is comfortably my most underrated driver
01:02of 2024. It's the PXG 0311 Black Ops driver. And this is a standard model. There is a tour
01:08model which we might talk about in a minute as well. But I actually went down to be fitted
01:12for this at the PXG London South store, isn't it?
01:16And it was a great experience. So the main tech story here is about what they call their
01:21MF face technology, which they claim increases deflection, increases launch, and just gives
01:26you that little bit more ball speed and control, spin a bit better. And I have to say it performed
01:31really well. But the thing I noticed most about it in all of my testing is the sound and the
01:35feel. They did loads of work on this. They got in some real acoustic experts from other industries
01:40to work on things like pitch and frequency and they've absolutely nailed it. I wondered
01:44when I had the fitting whether it was just because I was indoor and the acoustics were
01:47great, but you get it outside and it actually sounds great as well. Should I show you?
01:51You've talked the talk. Let's hear one.
01:53Yeah. So I mean, when you put it in behind the ball, the head shape is great as well,
01:57which I'll talk about, but in terms of the audio there, just a really nice sort of, it's
02:05not too high pitch. It's not too dull and it's pretty quick. I mean, that's good for me.
02:09That's a clever speed of 118 and a bit, nearly 173 miles an hour of ball speed. That spin
02:15number is something I see a little bit. That's just a fraction on the high side for me at about
02:191800, which is why the Tour model works a little bit better for me. But for a lot of people,
02:23maybe don't swing it at 118, just that little bit of extra spin can be really, really useful.
02:27And that's why I love it. I think it's great.
02:29Yeah, it's got a real presence. I mean, hit another one for us.
02:31Sure.
02:32Yeah, because you turn that one over a little bit, you can definitely sense, you know,
02:35when you hit it, it's got a real powerful oomph to it, which I love. I love the look of it as well.
02:40Really clean. Bit of graphics on the top, but not too much.
02:43Yeah, just the head profile as well is great. I mean, it's quite busy. There's like a multi-material crown going on,
02:48so you can see scenes and lines and stuff. But in terms of just a pure head profile,
02:52it's lovely and rounded. It's not too deep, not too shallow.
02:56Let's see another one then.
02:57Yeah. Let's get one out there, shall we?
03:03A little bit more like it.
03:04Let's try. I mean, how does it compare with the major driver launches of 2024 in terms of numbers?
03:09Well, so we're getting around about sort of 173 ball speed here.
03:13Yeah, very comparable with anything. Like I say, you know, it's my job.
03:16I've tested all these drivers, your TaylorMage, your Callaway, your Ping, everything.
03:19And that's a really comparable ball speed number there for me, about 173 miles per hour.
03:25That's pretty much where I live. Like I said, again, very consistent on spin as well.
03:28It's always just a little bit above that 2500 number for me.
03:32That was a better one. I got more launch on that, so it's basically carried 300 yards.
03:36But like I said, with two models in this family, one that really brings that spin down,
03:40CG's a little bit more forward and really takes the spin off that Tour 1 model.
03:44I just think as a family of drivers, the looks, the feel and the performance,
03:48they're really, really underrated.
03:50There you go. So that's our first choice.
03:52I think it's hard to argue with Joe's argument there.
03:54If you're looking for a driver that sneaks under the radar, the PXG Black Ops could be the one.
03:58Joe, before we move on to the next underrated club, I just want to ask,
04:04have you subscribed to the Golf Month YouTube channel?
04:07Of course I have. The content is brilliant, it's free, and I'm on it.
04:10So am I. Have you?
04:12Right, so that's the driver polished off. Now, Joe, I can see we're talking about irons.
04:17You can try and hide it, but I have seen it.
04:19But I don't know exactly what iron you're going to talk about.
04:21So what is your most underrated iron of 2024, please?
04:24I've gone a little bit maybe family, actually.
04:27So it's the Wilson staff model family.
04:29That includes this blade, the staff model blade, and the staff model CB.
04:34And if you're looking for any justification, well, look no further.
04:37Just look at it. It is absolutely beautiful.
04:39Yeah, I love the look of it. It's awesome.
04:41I don't know if I've seen a better looking iron than that.
04:43It's got beautiful nods of old with these sort of extended ferrules
04:47and a bit of gnarling around the hosel.
04:50There's some real nods to the old history of Wilson,
04:52but there's also some more modern branding,
04:54and the high gloss chrome just looks fantastic.
04:57Down behind the ball, the head shakes are just absolutely beautiful.
05:02In blades, you don't often get much tech,
05:04and that's pretty much the case here as well.
05:06But there is a little bit inbuilt here.
05:08So Wilson has been quite clever and realized that the blade market
05:11is going to be sort of geared toward maybe the better player.
05:14And the predominant better player mixed with irons tends to be a little bit left.
05:17So they've actually put a little bit more weighting in the toe side of this club internally
05:23to stop that toe rotating over and take left out of play a little bit.
05:26So it's actually a blade this one with a little bit of assistance,
05:30which is absolutely great.
05:32Also, from a finance point of view, we're all thinking about money nowadays.
05:36They're actually a little bit cheaper than some of the major stuff.
05:39So for seven irons, just over a thousand pounds,
05:42and quite often you're pushing the 12, 13, 14 hundred quid mark with some of the other brands.
05:47So there is some real value to be had here as well as the quality.
05:51And in terms of feel and workability, it's just popped raw.
05:54Yeah, well let's hit one away so everyone can sort of experience what it feels like.
05:59Oh yeah, very nice.
06:01Let's just flush out the middle of the club.
06:04There's not many better feelings than a really pure forged blade like that.
06:08The numbers all stack up as well.
06:10That's pretty much bang on where I need to carry my seven iron.
06:12175, 176.
06:14Spin rate's good.
06:15I find them really workable.
06:17Knocking them down, moving it around.
06:19They're just beautiful irons.
06:21And if you're one of those people who want something that maybe not everyone's got in the bag
06:25and you want to stand out a bit, this is a real statement piece, I think.
06:27Yeah, it's great to have those two options for the better player.
06:30Obviously you've got this one, which is a pure blade,
06:32gives you that ultimate workability.
06:33But if you want that super soft feel with some playability, you've got that CB.
06:37I think that's going to give you a little bit more insurance for those low handicap golfers.
06:41You want to play an iron like this, it's a really good option, isn't it?
06:44It really is.
06:45And you're not compromising on looks at all.
06:46When you put the CB down in the playing position alongside the blade,
06:50you couldn't tell them apart.
06:51The same blade length, similar top line.
06:53So you're not compromising on the look at all.
06:55You're maybe just getting a bit more perimeter weight in.
06:57But I think I'm a little bit in love with this one.
06:59I'm going to put you under pressure now.
07:00Let's see a draw and a fade.
07:01You've talked about the creativity and the workability you can use with these irons.
07:05I think better players like to shake the ball into certain pins, certain shots.
07:08So let's hit a draw first of all.
07:12Yep.
07:13That's a beautiful ball fly curving right back over the pin.
07:16Yeah, that's pretty much what I would want.
07:18You've got the draw in the locker.
07:19So it's doing what you're saying it's going to do.
07:21Again, from a numbers point of view, that's what I'd expect.
07:24It's gone up a few yards in carry, so 179.
07:26And the spin has dropped off a little bit because I've hooded the face a little bit.
07:29So they just always do what they're supposed to do, these irons.
07:32So a little bit of a hold off fade now.
07:33Let's see it.
07:35Oh yeah.
07:37A little bit lower on the face, that actually.
07:39That was interesting.
07:40Yeah, but it had the shape to it that you were trying to hit, didn't it?
07:42So it's sort of done what you've asked it to do.
07:44It did.
07:45It dropped off a little bit and the spin went up with the fade.
07:47So yeah, that's pretty much what I wanted.
07:49It's workable.
07:50It looks beautiful.
07:51It's not that expensive.
07:52It's just really good and really underrated.
07:54There you have it.
07:55Wilson, really pack a punch in the iron market.
07:56And these two models, the staff models, the Seabee and the Blade,
07:59definitely worth considering.
08:04Right, Joel.
08:05That's my two choices, Dan, and I'm quite pleased with those.
08:08Now we've come to the putting green.
08:09We have.
08:10And we've got putter or family of putters.
08:12What is it?
08:13Yeah, it's a family of putters and it's by the brand Cleveland,
08:16which a lot of golfers associate with wedges.
08:18Obviously, they make some very good wedges.
08:20But I think these putters, in particular, this new range,
08:23the HB Soft 2 range, is really underrated.
08:26There's a few reasons why.
08:27The first is the price.
08:29So these come in at £139 retail.
08:31You can get them for cheaper than that, around about £120,
08:34which is, you know, a good half the price of the majority of the mainstream putter brands out there.
08:39You get a comprehensive choice, so nine different models.
08:42And what I like about these putters in particular is how they feel.
08:46So I think a lot of golfers, in the shopping in the sort of mid to high handicap bracket,
08:51tend to play a distance-orientated golf ball, quite a firm golf ball.
08:55And I think that would marry up really well with the soft feel you get from these putters.
08:58As the name suggests, HB Soft 2.
09:00These are probably one of the softer feeling putters you'll get on the market.
09:04Now, I'll demonstrate this number one model, which is a really nice...
09:08Can you hear one?
09:09Yes, please.
09:10So this is a really nice answer-shaped style putter.
09:13Love the grip on it.
09:14A really tacky texture to it.
09:16Nice long blade-length heel-to-tail on this putter.
09:19And you'll see, I just pushed it slightly, but a really crisp feel.
09:24And what I also like about what Cleveland have done with this putter is
09:27you've got some grooves on the face here which are progressive.
09:30So there's sort of more grooves in the centre of the face.
09:32It disperses wider to slightly less grooves.
09:34So essentially taking grooves or material out of the face, the centre of the face,
09:39and essentially slowing down the centre tits, speeding up the off-centre hits
09:43to make it more consistent wherever you hit the ball on the face.
09:46And from the testing I've done, long-range putting,
09:49I found the roll-out to be really consistent on those mid- and long-range putts.
09:52So I really enjoyed the feel and also the consistency of them as well.
09:56Sometimes with putters in this sort of price bracket, you lack choice.
09:59Are there any sort of customisation options with this?
10:01Yeah, so as I said, there's nine different shapes.
10:03Let me just swap over here for you now.
10:04Because this is a 35-inch option here in the Retrieve model,
10:08which is the mallet shape I also really like.
10:10And because it's all the models that are 35 inches or longer,
10:13you get a 20-gram counterbalance weight in the top.
10:16So that just gives you slightly more of a pendulum-style stroke.
10:20I think maybe if you struggle to release the putter,
10:22this is going to give you a bit more encouragement to do that.
10:24And from the testing I've done, that sort of feeling of the shaft and the way it's been balanced,
10:29just gives you a little bit more ability to square it up a bit more naturally.
10:32So this is a shape I really like.
10:34Hopefully I'll be able to demonstrate one that goes in the centre of the hole,
10:38because there is an added benefit of this particular model,
10:41which requires me to hole the putt.
10:43So there we go, stroke it in the middle.
10:47And then with this Retrieve model, you can even use it to retrieve,
10:53as the name suggests, the ball out of the hole.
10:55So a multifaceted putter, loads of benefits.
10:58If you don't like bending down to pick your ball out of your putter,
11:01if you've got a bad back, that's a really good option to have.
11:03But generally speaking, this particular model, really soft feeling, nice and forgiving,
11:08and it's not going to break the bank coming in under £140.
11:11So hopefully you enjoyed that video shining a spotlight on some of the clubs
11:14that have snuck under the radar this year.
11:16But that's all from us here at Centurion Golf Club.
11:19We'll see you next time.