The Mother Of All Gear Tests

Our biggest ever gear trial will help you make a smarter buying decision

It seemed like a daunting task when we sat in a room last October and suggested we undertake the biggest equipment test we’ve ever done. It’s taken six months to finish, but here it is: Top Gear 2016.

The idea was simple – take all the clubs on sale this year, get three testers fitted for them, hit each one on a Foresight Sports GC2 launch monitor and then pick the top 10 performers in each of 12 categories. Easy!

How we did it

We invited all the major manufacturers to submit their entire 2016 ranges for testing. In order to ensure a level playing field, each of the three testers was fitted for the equipment tested. We conducted a test every week from the start of December, finishing in February when every new club was available.

We tested both indoors in a controlled environment with a premium ball and outside from a range bay using range balls, as that’s how many golfers will get fitted.

We collected a ton of data from every shot hit, using a Foresight GC2 launch monitor (right), and then spent a month poring over all this information.

Who did it

Chris Ryan, pro Chris is senior instructor at The Belfry’s PGA National Academy. He’s an expert in club fitting, too.

Simon Daddow, 10 handicap A former club designer, Simon is a slow-swinging player who is very consistent. Chris Jones, 11 handicap Today’s Golfer’s editor has been testing golf clubs since 2005. He’s a hard-hitting but inconsistent player.

Where we did it

We’ve been testing gear at the National Fitting Centre at The Belfry since 2005. It’s a fabulous facility in the heart of the country. They kept us stocked with balls, gloves, coffee and chocolate as we made more than 10 trips there to do each test.

Our launch monitor

We chose the Foresight Sports GC2 launch monitor with Head Measurement Technology. Thanks to its high-res camera and stereoscopic lens (which captures up to 10,000 frames per second) we were able to collect