Review: Adams Speedline Driver
There is no magic formula, no surprise answer, no revolutionary discovery, just simple old fashioned physics, more club head speed = more distance. With that simple premise in mind Adams set out to create a club that would generate more speed. The Speedline was born of aerodynamic engineers and golf club designers at Adams.
So how much speed would one gain? I had to admit I was a bit skeptical of the claims of being faster than other club heads on the market, the premise sounded simple enough, but would it translate to more distance on the course?
Before I give away the ending of the story, lets start with the beginning. The stock specs of the Adams Speedline were a 9.5* head with the new Prolaunch Blue Axis 60 stiff. It was topped with an Adams Tour Velvet Grip. It set up very square and loft was just about right on. Length was 45.75”. The shape is very tradition pear shaped and has a nice black crown. The underside has an interesting looking shinny blue finish with white webbing. It is a bit much, but not visible at address. It also has a very tall face, which is something I like. I find I have more up and down misses with the driver, so this one was just about perfect.
I had high hopes for this club, but knew I might run into issues, because I have never been able to hit the Prolaunch Blue in any driver I have ever tried, just too much spin. The new version was a little better, but still much the same as the past version. I kept hitting high right spinners, that felt great but just ballooned up with OK distance. If you like the Prolaunch Blue or need a little extra spin and/or launch angle, the stock option might be perfect for you. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great quality shaft, just doesn’t fit me.
I didn’t give up on this head, because the looks, sound and feel were awesome. I dropped a Mitsubishi Fubuki 73 S at 45” in the head and now this club came alive. High bombs, that had much, much lower spin. I didn’t have a wind tunnel or launch monitor to test the speed claims, but I did find it to be as long as my longest driver to date. I did a little shoot out on a long par 5 and this club was long. The Fubuki is a great shaft for feel, spin and trajectory, but has a unique profile that almost feels loose, but doesn’t act loose. The waggle test might fool you on this shaft. Once you find the right shaft it is extremely consistent. For me it just took a few attempts to get it dialed in, but once I did, this thing creates ball speed as you point and shoot.
For more information: www.adamsgolf.com