Since the weather has been gorgeous the last few days, I decided to go hit some golf balls. And since I was going, I might was well take a few new clubs with me and review them for the readers. Since this is my first review, I feel that I should give you a few details about my skill level.

I am not a pro. I’m not even on the same planet as Tiger, Phil and the gang. I’m not even a super-low handicapper. I’m just your every -day average Joe Golfer. More than likely, my skill level matches yours. As such, that’s how I will approach my review. I’m not going to use a lot of technical jargon or golf specific terms. I’ll just give an honest review that the average golfer can use to help in deciding which equipment to buy.

With that said, the two clubs I decided to review are the Taylor Made R9 (with FCT technology) and the Nike SQ Dymo (with Str8-Fit technology). The advantage that these two clubs offer over other clubs is the ability to change the weighting of the club and club face and angle to alter your shot. I’ll get into each specific technology in a moment.

The Numbers

First, I needed to set up a point of reference for how the two clubs changed my shot, so I hit a few balls with my current driver to determine how I strike the ball. Currently, I hit a Callaway X460 driver with an 11 degree loft. Here’s the breakdown of my shots with the Callaway, as a reference:

• 10% – Straight
• 60% – Slight fade
• 30% – Ugly slice
• Average Distance – 225 yards
   

After making the necessary adjustments to the R9 and the Dymo, here’s the breakdown for those clubs:

Taylor Made

• 15% – Straight
• 65% – Slight fade
• 20% – Ugly slice
• Average Distance – 235 yards
   

Nike

• 30% – Straight
• 60% – Slight fade
• 10% – Ugly slice
• Average Distance – 245 yards
   

While neither club totally eradicated my slice, the Nike club did a better job of turning the slice and the fade into very playable balls. It also increased my yardage by a good bit, probably because I hit more balls straighter. The Taylor Made, while helping with the slice, didn’t do enough to make the balls I hit playable. If I still can’t land in the fairway, what good is the club to me?
Advantage: Nike

The Technology

The Taylor Made R9 comes with Flight Control Technology. What is that you ask? Basically, it’s a technology that allows you to adjust the loft, lie and face angle of the club. The club comes with a small tool that can be used to adjust the club head and weights in the back of the head. All of this is done so that you can keep your swing ugly (like mine) but get better results. The tool that came with the R9 was small and pretty easy to use. I was able to adjust the club pretty easily between swings. And as the results above show, I was able to improve my accuracy.

The Nike SQ Dymo comes with Str8-Fit technology. Str8 Fit allows you to move the club head around to open or close the club face. Similar to the R9, the Nike technology gives the golfer the ability to improve accuracy by tweaking the club to compensate for your natural swing. The club comes with a wrench to loosen and tighten the club head for adjustment. The wrench is a little bulky, but it comes with an audio and visual alarm to let you know when the club head is sufficiently tight, so that you don’t damage the shaft or club head by applying too much torque.

After using and adjusting both, I’d have to say that the Nike made life a little easier. The head was easy to remove and adjust. The Taylor Made, while easy to use, required that I adjust the club-head and tinker with the weights to find the right set-up. The Nike club made the switch much simpler. And for me, simple is the key.
Advantage: Nike

The Aesthetics

You want your new driver to look really cool and intimidating in your bag, right? You want the person you are playing against the think that you are about to decimate them. And you need the look of your club to do that.
Both clubs look really nice. The Taylor Made has a classic look with very simple lines. The Nike club is also very streamlined, but unlike the Taylor Made (which has the screws visible in the back and bottom of the club head); it remains clean all the way throughout. The Nike club looks much sleeker without the bulky screws that show on the Taylor Made.
Advantage: Nike

The Miscellaneous

The Nike club has a pretty cool head cover, that I had never seen before. It’s not like normal head covers that have the long, sock-like, tube that you have to pull the club head through. The Nike cover has a small Velcro flap at the top to hold the club head in and a small pincher-like (I have no idea how to describe it) device at the bottom to secure the shaft. This makes it very easy to put the head cover on and off after each shot, which is very important for me, since I don’t like to get my club head dinged up rattling around in my bag.

The head cover also came with a storage compartment for the wrench. While this is convenient, I’d be a little concerned about how the extra weight of the wrench will affect the shaft as it sits in your bag. I’m a little worried about the shaft being warped over time.

The Taylor Made, for whatever reason, seemed a bit easier to swing. I felt like I didn’t have to put quite as much effort into it. The adjustment tool is also nice and compact and fits easily in your bag. The grip that came on the Taylor Made also was more comfortable than that of the Nike.
Advantage: Push

Overall

With the price of these clubs being the same, you can’t really go wrong with either one. You’ll more than likely hit the ball straighter with either club. But, if you want a good value for your money, then my choice is the Nike SQ Dymo with Str8—Fit. I had straighter shots and more distance than I got with my regular driver. It was easier to adjust and Nike takes care of the little things that are important to a golfer such as me. Plus, it just looks like a bad ass club.

For my money, the Nike SQ Dymo with Str8-Fit is the way to go. Now if I can only convince my wife that I need to buy one…

[Editor Note: Here is a promo video from Nike that shows a bit more about the technology behind the club]