Club and Putter

Posts Tagged ‘TaylorMade Burner Driver’

This club’s unique selling point is its lightness and length. Compared to most clubs, it is longer (46 ¼ inches), but more importantly, at 49 grams it’s some ten per cent lighter than most of its contemporaries. And in golf, that can make a considerable difference, even if one has to get used to the slightly different length and weight. Indeed, players who have tried this club have commented on how light it feels to swing, along with its power and accuracy, even when the ball is not hit quite perfectly, or when hit excessively hard.

This is attributed to the design of the head, combined with inverted cone technology, which means that shots which are not hit correctly – and which would be potential disasters with other clubs – are said to be downgraded to merely imperfect shots with the burner. Many players report an increase in the length of their drives as well. Comments like “I added 50 yards to my drive” are common when reviewing this club, as well as numerous comments about how straight the ball flies,

Even players who do not claim to have increased the length of their drives have admitted to getting significantly more control and accuracy over them. Some have gone as far to say that the club almost gives an unfair advantage to the player, such is its quality.

Negative criticism of the TaylorMade burner is fairly uncommon, but a few users have referred to a slight problem with draw bias, as well as mentioning that it can be difficult to control the shape of your shot. The longer shaft, while lauded for its lightness and speed of swing, is on occasion described as a little difficult to get used to, although this is offset by the fact that the club is forgiving of mishit or imperfectly hit shots. Overall though, the Taylormade burner attracts the highest praise from users whatever their level of play may be.

Given the geographical unlikelihood of combining Bigfoot with a sumo wrestler,”Sasquatch Sumo” is certainly an interesting name for a club.  Sumo wrestlers are huge guys whose average match lasts about 20-30 seconds, and not even Tiger Woods can get round a course that quickly. Still, the name doesn’t matter as much as the performance, and this driver – the “sequel” to the Sasquatch – is designed for greater forgiveness and longer driving power.

User feedback would suggest that it generally succeeds in these aims, although not everyone likes the sound the club makes when the ball is hit with considerable force. The length and straightness of the shots produced are cited numerous times. The “460” in the name refers to the size of the club head and that Nike, like other manufacturers, have created the head to be as large as it can be under current golfing regulations. Also like other manufacturers, they have done this to maximize the “sweet spot” – the optimum place to hit the ball – and to punish off-center shots less.

In terms of less positive comments, there are suggestions that the sumo is not the best option for players who really want to shape their shots; however the extent to which a player needs this is something that depends on their level. When looking at a driver, many players are likely to be more interested in how far and how straight it hits than how well it can shape the shot. The club has also been accused of lacking firmness by some players. No club is for everyone and a minority of players have stated that they have had difficulty hitting straight with this driver. it has to be stressed that this is a minority, however and that most users seem happy with the club.

Overall, the Sasquatch Sumo has more fans than detractors and seems well suited to the objectives it sets for itself as a driver.