Equipment
Latest patent filings: Cobra, Ping pursuing slots
A new year, a new batch of patent filings: It’s time to take a look at what the major OEMs are working on.
Last time, we saw TaylorMade experimenting with multi-layer driver face, Callaway toying with some very interesting adjustable irons, and Ping working on highly adjustable irons.
In this edition, we’ll take a look at some of the avenues TaylorMade, Titleist, Nike, Cobra, and Ping are exploring.
TaylorMade: Pursuing aerodynamic heads
In a filing for a patent “high volume aerodynamic golf club head” TaylorMade’s designers seem to be turning their eyes toward (you guessed it) aerodynamics in driver head design.
As the filing states:
“In the past the aerodynamics of golf club heads were studied and it was found that the aerodynamics of the club head had only minimal impact on the performance of the golf club.
Golf club designers pay little attention to the aerodynamics of these large golf clubs; often instead focusing solely on increasing the club head’s resistance to twisting during off-center shots.”
TaylorMade also filed a patent for the design below.
The company lays out the thinking behind the triangular design in an interesting couple of paragraphs:
“Often, golf club manufacturers are faced with the choice of increasing one performance characteristic at the expense of another. For example, the shape and size of some conventional golf club heads approach the maximum envelope dimensions in an attempt to increase the moments of inertia of the heads. Such designs, however, most likely require a decrease in the face size, or ball striking surface area, in order to comply with the USGA regulations. As another example, some conventional golf club heads have an increased face size in an attempt to optimize the ball striking surface of the golf club head. Such golf club head designs, however, typically have decreased moments of inertia.
Golf club designers and manufacturers have struggled to design golf club heads having increased moments of inertia while maintaining other desirable golf club head characteristics and abiding by the USGA regulations.”
Titleist: A progressive CG iron set
Fairhaven, Mass.-based Titleist is working on a set of progressive irons, per a recent filing. The irons feature “a progressive center of gravity allocation” in order improve launch angles.
Nike: A new golf ball
Nike is working on some new pellets. It’s always difficult to determine exactly what a company is shooting for in a golf ball patent filing, because of, well, language like this:
“A thermoplastic multi-layer golf ball has a core center having a diameter from about 21 mm to about 29 mm and including a first thermoplastic material having a first flexural modulus of less than about 15,000 psi, a core layer disposed radially outward from the core center with a thickness of at least about 4 mm and a second thermoplastic material having a second flexural modulus of up to about 15,000 psi that is greater than the first flexural modulus, and a cover disposed radially outward from the core layer. The cover comprises a third thermoplastic material having a third flexural modulus. The first thermoplastic material and the second thermoplastic material each includes an ionomer resin, and these ionomer resins may be the same as or different from each other.”
Anyway, here’s the ball:
See the full filing here.Cobra: Channeled woods
In a filing that includes actual photos, Cobra is putting forth woods with a recessed channel.
However, as Cobra points out, there is a potential problem with “channeled” clubs. The company lays out the perceived problem and their solution in the section clipped below.
“During a high speed drive, the ramped portion of the sole may distribute and neutralize torsional stresses, dampening unwanted and unpredictable twisting that can be introduced or amplified by prior art channel structures.
“One insight of the invention is that adding an elastically deformable channel to a driver head can destabilize the structure, allowing the club head to twist, shear, or compress non-uniformly and transfer momentum non-uniformly to the strike face during the down stroke of a high-speed drive or at impact.
“Thus a club head that includes a channel area with a groove that is buttressed by a shallow ramp will resist non-uniform deformation and non-uniform momentum transfer to the face with the result that shots will fly straight, and the club head will provide the full and intended benefit of a channel in the sole—a high coefficient of restitution and a large sweet spot in a club head that hits true. The channel area or groove preferably runs in a heel-to-toe direction substantially parallel to the face and close (e.g., within a few centimeters) to the face.”
Ping: Slitted (or slotted) woods
Ping looks to be getting into the slot/channel game with the design pictured below. And as the filing says “slit” or “slot” about 300 times, the technology seems to be the core of the next generation of the Phoenix-based manufacturers designs.
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
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Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
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John Seiter
Jan 10, 2015 at 1:43 pm
Did anyone recognize Adams was the first with “slots’?? That’s why Adidas was interested in acquiring Adams. I have Adams clubs that are about 8 yrs old with “Velocity Slots”. Look it up!!
Slat
Jan 10, 2015 at 4:04 am
Can Ping get that patent? I’m guessing that as long as it is slightly different to the ones already out there? Crazy
talljohn777
Jan 9, 2015 at 2:18 pm
If the first company that patented the slot did so, then how are any other companies using this same concept? And why would the patent office allow any other patents for the same concept?
Cash
Jan 12, 2015 at 3:53 am
MONEY
KP
Jan 9, 2015 at 1:50 pm
It looks like the turbulators are not on the slotted club diagrams. Although not being an IP atty the patent may only be showing the item being applied for and when actually produced may incorporate the turbulators.
labillyboy
Jan 9, 2015 at 1:50 pm
I play with someone who uses a TM slotted fairway… the slot picks up dirt on every practice swing, causing an annoying swing routine which involves cleaning the slot between the practice swing and the real one…
Maybe they can invent a slot that cleans itself?
My non-slotted TEE still works a lot better, BTW.
Regis
Jan 9, 2015 at 2:50 pm
That criticism of the original Rocketblade slots has long since been corrected by subsequent models. Try keeping current. Maybe its why Titleist and now Ping and Cobra are moving into slots. Sorry Titleist calls it the “Active Recoil Channel”.
JEFF
Jan 9, 2015 at 12:37 pm
Its all a scam to sell. Nothing is going to be easier to hit than it is right now.
Nigel
Jan 9, 2015 at 5:50 pm
Funny how there are factual, statistical gains in distance etc from all reviews on YouTube by professionals that use launch monitors. Also strange how the slot ‘gimmick’ is being used by all of the companies, even the honest and old school Titleist and Ping. Get with the new generation of golf grandad.
Pingbling23
Jan 11, 2015 at 8:05 pm
People said this 20 years ago too. Everything might not stick, but when every company is striving for something better, I think it will lead to better things.
Dpavs
Jan 8, 2015 at 2:21 pm
The industry knows we are nothing but a bunch of Ho’s, so it’s no surprise they are turning into a bunch of slots. 🙂
Kenner
Jan 9, 2015 at 2:47 am
Brilliant comment. 10/10
Rich
Jan 9, 2015 at 8:14 am
+1 LOL!
Bill
Jan 9, 2015 at 10:43 am
Well done@!
g patock
Jan 9, 2015 at 10:52 am
One thing for sure, the choices of quality products have never been greater… which is good for us.
The only downside is that pricing is getting a bit ridiculous.
Jim
Jan 9, 2015 at 6:26 pm
Well done Dpavs
Teaj
Jan 8, 2015 at 1:14 pm
hit the aeroburner last night… Brutal club. Feels really light, so much so that it feels like there is no mass behind the ball when hitting it which for me lead to shorter drives.
Ping Taking on the Slot or Slit im fine with that after seeing what it did for the Titleist this year.
Chuck
Jan 8, 2015 at 11:41 am
Here’s the thing that I like about slotted woods, based solely on my personal experience and preferences…
You can tee the ball lower, hit it lower on the face, and still get a high-quality strike.
When I tee the ball lower, I feel like I have more control of the spin and I have less margin for error. I well remember the days of the TaylorMade R510 TP, and a thousand other similar designs, when you had to hit the ball well up into the top half of the clubface.
The TaylorMade fairway woods beginning with the Rocketballs series of a few years ago really took off with players for a reason. Those fairway woods were hitting lower on the face.
That’s just my thinking. Now a real expert can weigh in.
I am REALLY looking forward to a new slotted Ping driver design.
TR1PTIK
Jan 8, 2015 at 12:41 pm
I certainly can’t argue with the performance of slots. I just don’t like them from a visual standpoint. Especially the way TM has done it with AeroBurner.
Regis
Jan 9, 2015 at 2:52 pm
You do know the bottom of the club points to the ground? Just kidding
TR1PTIK
Jan 8, 2015 at 10:35 am
Not sure how I feel about so many slotted clubs entering the market, but I do like the 915 line from Titleist and the Nike Vapor and VR lines so as long as it’s done “tastefully” I guess it will be alright. But, if club manufacturers start churning out clubs that mimic the TM AeroBurner then you will have to pry my 905r from my cold dead hands!