Wilson has always had an excellent reputation in the sporting world. They have been a mainstay in the golfing industry for some time. The FG Tour F5 driver is something to behold. Whether it will get the recognition it deserves remains to be seen. As we discussed in an earlier piece, Wilson classifies their product into three categories F-C-D; Feel, Crossover and Distance. The F5 driver falls in the Crossover category…the same as the F5 irons.

Optics

At first glance, this driver is so sleek that looks smaller than the 460cc that it is. The crown is a gloss black color and has no alignment aids at all. In addition, the face is deep and black, framing the golf ball at address.

Sound and Feel

When struck solidly the sharp metallic sound will be evidence enough to let you know just how well you hit it. Mishits give a slightly duller sound which contributes to the feel at the same time. The overall weight of the F5 seems to be balanced properly.

Performance

This might sound hard to believe, but this driver showed zero deviation off center when struck on the sweet spot. How is that possible?…Zero Deviation? Not one other driver tested this year achieved that rating. Even mishits were not that bad. Straight is one thing, but what about distance? Wilson claims that the F5 driver can add as much as 15 yards in overall distance to some golfers’ performance. There is a term used by Wilson called “Meaningful Adjustability”. What this means is that every adjustment performed on the F5 is done for a reason. No fluff here. Whether it’s the Fast Fit hosel adjustment, which enables the player to adjust loft and face bias without removing the club head from the shaft. The hosel has 6 settings to change both loft and face angle. In addition, the F5 has 3 different sole weights (3, 7 and 11 grams) that are interchangeable in the weight port near the face. These weights can alter the launch angle and spin imparted on the ball.

Specifications

Summary

I am truly surprised at the test results claimed by Wilson. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t doubt their claims. It is just that this driver is testing as good if not better than any other new driver this year. The only thing holding it back is the fact that it doesn’t have the same brand recognition of some of the other manufacturers. Do yourself a favor. Try this club…soon.