5 drivers built to handle low heel misses, according to our robot | ClubTest 2023

Stealth2HD Taylormade

The draw-biased Stealth 2 HD had some success retaining carry distance on low heel misses.

Jonathan Wall/GOLF

To truly appreciate some of the carry deltas below, let’s look at the opposite end of the spectrum. The low heel has a tendency to impart significant spin on the golf ball, leading to a massive dropoff in distance in some cases. For a couple of drivers, the carry distance delta between the low heel and geometric center was 35-plus yards. One driver eclipsed 40 yards — as in 40 yards of distance loss.

The low heel is safe and generally allows you to keep the ball in play — due to the additional spin — but there’s a price to pay when you live in this area of the face. Or at least that’s the case for many of the drivers we tested on Gene Parente’s Golf Laboratories swing robot. Several drivers, however, stood out from the pack on low-heel misses during our recent round of testing for GOLF’s 2023 ClubTest.

On the heels (no pun intended) of our recent high-toe robotic insights, we take a look at 5 drivers that deserve your attention if your usual miss is in the heel area.

(How we calculate: Each driver is tested using a 9-point face mapping. We hit 6 balls from each location on the face — high, low and middle quadrants — and then compare the data to the geometric center.)

Callaway Paradym X (6.7 yards of carry distance loss, compared to geometric center)

Callaway Paradym X driver
Callaway Paradym driver address
Callaway Paradym driver face

Callaway Paradym X

$600
Click through to purchase a new Callaway Paradym X driver from Fairway Jockey.

Ping G430 SFT (10.3 yards)

Ping G430 SFT driver
Ping G430 SFT driver face
Ping G430 drivers at address

Ping G430 SFT

$600
Click through to purchase a new Ping G430 driver from Fairway Jockey.

TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD (16 yards)

TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD driver
TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver face
TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD driver technology
TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD driver toe

TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD

$600-630
Click through to purchase a new TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver from Fairway Jockey.

Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (16.7 yards)

Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond driver
Callaway Paradym driver face
Callaway Paradym driver address

Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond

$600
Click through to purchase a new Callaway Paradym driver from Fairway Jockey.

Ping G430 LST (19 yards)

Ping G430 LST driver crown
Ping G430 Max driver
Ping G430 Max driver face
Ping G430 LST driver
Ping G430 LST driver face
Ping G430 SFT driver
Ping G430 SFT driver face
Ping G430 drivers at address

Ping G430 LST

$600
Click through to purchase a new Ping G430 driver from Fairway Jockey.

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JWall

Jonathan Wall

Jonathan Wall is GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com’s Managing Editor for Equipment. Prior to joining the staff at the end of 2018, he spent 6 years covering equipment for the PGA Tour. He can be reached at jonathan.wall@golf.com.