With 1,274 participants, American Golf’s Battle of the Brands has claim to be the UK’s biggest ever driver test, and with the data now collated giving a unique snapshot into the nation’s driving habits.
American Golf’s 2020 ‘Battle of the Brands’ driver test asked visitors to the store to hit three shots with each of the Benross Delta, Callaway Mavrik, Cobra SpeedZone, Ping G410, TaylorMade Sim, Titleist TS2 and Wilson Launch Pad. Each club was equipped with stock shafts and lofts. Data was captured for 1,274 participants, with the longest drive in men’s and ladies’ over 45 and under 45 categories winning one of four £500 American Golf vouchers.
For the prize-winning category – Longest Overall Drive – the honours were shared evenly between the TaylorMade SIM and the Callaway Mavrik. Leading distance overall was John McDonald, who smashed it 398 yards with TaylorMade’s SIM driver in the Men’s Open category, while in the Men’s Over 45 section, Kelvin Walters took top spot with 355 yards using Callaway’s Mavrik driver.
Holly Western was the longest woman overall, with an impressive 328 yards from the Callaway Mavrik, while Margaret Hoskins hit 275 yards with TaylorMade’s SIM driver in the women’s over 45’s. Second and third place finishes in each category were also hotly contested, with the Titleist TS2 and PING G410 featuring well in the chase.
Outside of the prizes, the large sample size gave a unique snapshot of each club, and the average distances for each category. Topping the table for longest club on average across the whole test was the TaylorMade SIM with an average distance of 268 yards. Hot on its heels was the Titleist TS2, which was only one yard behind with a 267-yard average. Third for standalone distance was the Callaway Mavrik, with an average of 262 yards.
Moving on to the participant categories average distance, the Men’s U45 category was 279 yards, with Men’s 45+ was 246. The average drive in the Womens’ U45 section was 212 yards, with the Over-45 Women’s group averaging 173 yards.
Will Sturgess, Brand Manager at American Golf, was delighted with the response from customers. He said: “It’s great to see so many people taking part and giving us a real insight into the ‘average’ golfer’s driving. It’s clear from the results that every one of the drivers on test would be a fantastic addition to any golfers’ bag. Every driver on test was the best choice for someone, which really does confirm that getting the right technology, right look and right feel for your game really can add yards to every drive.”