WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Vice Golf, which launched its first batch of clubs with irons, wedges and putters last year, completes its lineup with two drivers, fairway woods and hybrids. The designs grew out of millions of data points from its partners at HIO, the largest club-fitting operation in Europe. From that input the primary characteristics of the new models, particularly the VGD01 and VGD01+ drivers, are lighter weight and more draw bias.
PRICE: VGD01 driver (10.5, 12.5 degrees), $300. VGD01+ driver (9, 10.5), $400. VGF01 fairway woods (15, 18, 21 degrees), $230. VGH01 hybrid (19, 22, 25 degrees), $190.
3 Cool Things
1. Dual driver approach. The Vice mantra has been to specifically find a way to match equipment “with every type of golfer out there.” That’s why offering one driver was never going to be the best solution. The two new driver models reflect the findings from HIO, the clubfitting giant in Europe that Vice has partnered with in its foray beyond golf balls to clubs. It’s a fundamental understanding of what specs and lofts produce success for average golfers, not tour players. That main takeaway means the higher lofts on the VGD01 feature lighter total weight, lighter shafts and a capacity for more draw bias. Meanwhile, the 9-degree model of the VGD01+ targets better players with its lower loft and a head weight that is some 10 grams heavier than what’s found on the VGD01’s 12.5-degree head.
VGD01 driver
The changing specs also incorporate more draw bias as the loft increases. HIO’s fittings generally see weaker golfers leaning toward higher lofts and more need for slice-fighting draw bias.
VGD01+ driver
“We want to give those higher lofts a slightly bigger chance to hit a draw compared to the lower ones,” said Vice’s Marco Burger, chief product officer. But Burger also believes the combination of loft, center of gravity location, face curvature will help to produce higher flight with less spin, the proven recipe for more distance.
VGD01 driver
“Spin is way lower compared to similar drivers in the market, more like what you would see on a low-spin driver,” he said. “We try to achieve the higher launch and slightly higher speeds through lower head weights, through high launching shafts, and slightly more flexible shafts.”
2. Material world. The VGD01 is an all-titanium construction with a smaller crown section of carbon composite, while the VGD01+ utilizes a larger, weight-saving carbon crown that lowers the center of gravity to reduce spin. Both models use 6-4 titanium in the face, while the VGD01+ uses a lightweight 0811 titanium alloy in the body. A changeable weight on the heel side of the sole on the VGD01+ lets players tweak the total head weight. Lightweight fins on the sole of the VGD01+ are made of aluminum to further provide more discretionary weight, while also allowing for future customization options.
VGF01 fairway wood
3. Continuing a theme. The Vice lineup also includes a selection of three fairway wood lofts and three hybrid lofts, all of which emphasize lighter weight and draw bias weighting to fight off misses to the right. The wider face shape on both provides better chance of effective impacts for average golfers, and both models incorporate a high-strength maraging steel alloy in the face to provide more potential face deflection for better ball speed. In each case, the higher lofts (7-wood and 5-hybrid) also feature a slightly closed face to help weaker players square the face at impact.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
