Callaway FT-iQ

Ever since its 1991 debut of the Big Bertha, a spatula-shaped driver named after a World War I-era German howitzer, Callaway Golf has earned a reputation for creating clubs that are easy to hit. The latest weapon to emerge from the company's R&D lab in Carlsbad, California, is the Callaway FT-iQ, a sleekly tapered square-shaped driver. 

Composed of a titanium face, a carbon-fiber body and an aluminum back cradle fitted with internal weights, the club is designed to launch the ball higher and with less backspin than previous models. A high launch angle and a low spin rate combine to generate optimum carry given a player's swing speed. They also result in a boring trajectory that yields added distance to a drive by producing roll.

Another selling point of the FT-iQ is its promise of straighter shots thanks to an extremely high moment of inertia, the clubhead's resistance to closing at impact. The technology of the clubhead is augmented by a super premium Fubuki shaft from Mitsubishi Rayon, one of the finest shaft-makers in the game. Fans of Callaway's recent drivers will recognize the club's rather muted sound at impact, much softer than the thwack of many titanium models. But don't be fooled: The FT-iQ packs a powerful punch.