C9 or Cloud 9 titanium driver

The clone retailers are busy ramping up their collections for the new golf season. So there are plenty of new products to talk about. But today my eye was drawn to the Cloud 9 that just went up at GigaGolf’s retail site.

Sometimes you just have to accept that it’s the color that makes the difference. It’s a 460cc driver with no fancy movable weights or similar. But it has a striking appearance, with a mirrored black crown contrasting with the metal face, the two separated by a diagonal green line. The green C9 logo also dominates the rear of the club.

That color distinction masks a piece of hot technology in the club. The crown is beta titanium but filled with carbon fibre. Composite materials are a relatively new technology in drivers, but you might be familiar with the concept from clubs like the Cobra HS9, Mizuno MX500 or Callaway’s Fusion models.

Carbon composites are strong, but light. Combined with the titanium structure, you get the required frame strength without using up all your clubhead weight. The less weight you need to structure the actual club, the more you have to use in adjusting balance, stability and other important playing characteristics.

In the case of the C9, the extra weight is shifted into the sole, making it easier to launch the ball. The face also varies in thickness, which together with the big volume gives you a pretty huge sweetspot to work with. In summary, a solid, powerful club with a distinctive look. Nice.

The C9 driver is a touch more expensive than your average clone driver, retailing for about $120 dependent on your shaft choice. But it’s all relative. The brand clubs cited above will cost you three times that.