PowerPlay Adrenaline Titanium Driver

Hireko golf recently sent me one of their new PowerPlay Adrenaline Titanium Drivers to test. Unfortunately, there’s still snow on the ground here in Michigan, so I’ll pass on a few highlights and save a full review for a few weeks from now.

The PowerPlay Adrenaline Titanium Driver has a wind-tunnel designed, aerodynamic clubhead that’s supposed to produce less drag, and thus more clubhead speed. The rounded edges and sculpted body allows the air to flow around the clubhead with the least resistance, and then converge and continue on its original path.

The club also stands out because the four pieces of forged titanium that comprise the head are forged together with a Plasma Arc Welding process that requires less solder and prevent uneven seams. The plasma welding also eliminated 7g of weight, which of course were redistributed elsewhere where it is more useful. The face is of the variable cup face construction variety to maintain ball speed even on off-center hits.

Hirekogolf.com – Custom fit golf clubs at value prices! Free online clubfitting!

If two hybrid clubs in your bag are good, nine must be better.

That’s the theory behind the Dynacraft XMOI hybrid irons.  But they didn’t simply repeat the same design with higher lofts and shorter shafts. As you can see in the photo above, the longer irons have wider soles, and as the clubs progress through the set, the soles get more narrow and the backs become scalloped. But they’re all hollow bodied for maximum forgiveness and ease of play.

These clubs would be a great choice for seniors, and the occasional and beginner player who tend to have more of a “sweeping” swing. The design will certainly help the high handicapper get the ball in the air.

Power Play Caiman Iron - Clubhead

Hireko Golf’s Power Play Caiman Irons follow the company’s successful launches of the Caiman Driver, Fairway Woods and Hybrids.  Hireko offers this original design with separate body and face plates. The outershell is cast from 431 stainless steel, and offers a deep, rear center of gravity. The face is formed from an ultra thin sheet of high strength 420 maraging steel. The result, Hireko says, is more velocity off the face of the club. The design also features an ultra-wide beveled sole.

Acer XK Draw Fairway Woods - Clubhead

Adding a draw bias to the design of the Acer XK Fairway woods, this club incorporates a number of technologies previously found only in big name clubs. The variable face thickness reduces the perimeter area of the impact area so the entire club face could be more active. This, Hireko says, acts to increase the area of forgiveness over a larger portion of the face. The clubs also have a VCT (variable crown technology) that moves unwanted weight normally reserved for the crown was repositioned deep within the head. Finally, Hireko says, the wide profile increases the Moment of Inertia. All these features provide for a high launching ball flight with incredible accuracy.

One thing I really like about these clubs is that they offer a 4-wood option. That something you dont’ see much of any more. But a 4 wood is a great option for players who want just one fairway wood in their bag—freeing up space for another wedge or a utility club, or even a second putter (something I’ve considered).

Power Play Caiman Rawpower Fairway Wood - Custom Assembled

With the Power Play Caiman Woods, Hireko Golf offers an original design with top technology at a value price.

The clubface is an ultra-thin maraging steel face insert that Hireko says increases the ball speed coming off of the face to approach the legal COR limit for spring-like effect. In addition to the “hot” face Hireko employs a “cup face” technology which moves the weld significantly behind the face to create a greater trampoline effect over the entire hitting surface. This results in greater distance no matter where the ball makes its impact on the face. 

To increase playability without sacrificing accuracy, the clubhead has been designed a little heavier to increase the contact relative to the increased club length. This, Hireko says, makes the club feel and play like a low lofted 5 wood, with the distance of a three wood.

Combined with the unique geometric shape Hireko moved as much weight deep in the rear of the club as possible to create a very highest moment of inertia possible with a clubhead this size.

You can get this club in a stock shaft for $59.95. Custom stock and grip options are available.

Dynacraft Avatar XMOI Fairway Wood - Custom Assembled

I’ve built and played with a large number of Dynacraft golf clubs over the years. The company originally was in Newark, Ohio, and I visited their tiny showroom (the front of a larger warehouse) on several occasions as I traveled from Michigan to visit family on the East Coast. Not a clone or knockoff company, they did original designs for custom clubmakers (like Golfsmith and Ralph Maltby’s Golfworks). Dynacraft was, in recent years, bought by a much larger company, Hireko Golf, which has continued the original designs.

The Dynacraft Avatar XMOI is a good example. Hireko writes:

Our design aim was to create a driver that possessed the highest moment of inertia (MOI) implemented to date. From the first detailed initial drawings begun at the end of last year, to CAD, to the first sample received back in the early part of summer ’08, we produced a head that had an MOI of over 5400g-cm2. We could have stretched the MOI close to the highest allowable limit, but we wanted to maintain the normal 200g head weight we use on our other driver models.

The extra large face area is augmented by a taller face height than most high MOI drivers on the market today and it will boost even more confidence off the tee. We exploited the full potential of the size as it looks larger than any other driver in our line to provide for the maximum stability on off-center shots. In addition, the Avatar XMOI driver produces both a pleasing sound at impact and brilliantly sculpted traditional shape which will be preferred by a wide range of golfers seeking maximum distance and accuracy.

The best part is the price. In these toughening economic times, the $180 fairway woods of some manufacturers don’t make sense. But the Dynacraft Avatar XMOI is right around $50.

Acer XK Fairway Woods - Custom Assembled

Here’s a good deal for these tough economic time: For right around $50, Hireko Golf offers the Acer XK Fairway Wood. Constructed of stainless steel (not an alloy, like so many other lower-cost clubs), it features a variable face thickness of the sort you’d normally only find on Callaway’s clubs. The crown also has Hireko’s exclsuive Variable Crown Technology, which lets the engineers move the weight to optimal locations. The result, Hireko says, is a club with high launch and high accuracy.

The matching Acer XK Irons were named a Best Value by Golf Digest. And I’ve had good luck with Hireko products. I’ve got an Acer hybrid in my “Up North” set, and in the past, I’ve owned both Dynacraft Drivers and Irons. The thing about these clubs is that Hireko is not a second tier knockoff company. Their clubs are steel and titanium, not aluminum and zinc alloy like so many imitations you see at discount stores and local golf shows. And while their designs often are not cutting edge, they’re solid originals.