There’s a purpose Jason Hiland has an additional spring in his step this vacation season.
Hiland, you see, is the owner-operator of Sub 70 Golf in Sycamore, Sick., and his firm has simply launched a brand new household of drivers. That, in and of itself, isn’t what’s placing some slide into Hiland’s glide. It’s the actual fact the brand new Sub 70 859, 859 Professional and 859 JD drivers have one thing no Sub 70 driver has ever had earlier than.
A patent.
Nicely, a patent pending. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless a patent.
“I don’t false-promise stuff to folks,” Hiland tells MyGolfSpy. “However that is the largest leap ahead we’ve ever had from one era of product to the subsequent.”
There’s loads to know concerning the new Sub 70 859 drivers so let’s dive proper into the deep finish of the pool and talk about the eight issues that may matter most to you.
#1: The Sub 70 859 drivers are a Renegar-Hiland manufacturing
Hiland introduced in a ringer to assist design the brand new Sub 70 859 drivers: a ringer named Renegar.
Bob Renegar is probably not a family identify in golf at the moment, however he does have some critical avenue cred. Within the ’80s and ’90s, Renegar was director of R&D for the Arnold Palmer and Ben Hogan corporations and later based the Solus and Renegar wedge corporations. He developed and patented one thing we take as a right at the moment: a high-bounce wedge with a low forefront.
Hiland had already began engaged on the brand new Sub 70 859 drivers however quickly discovered himself caught. He beforehand collaborated with Renegar on the 699 V2 irons and reached out for assist.
“Jason is type of the king of outside-the-box considering,” says Renegar. “He mentioned he wanted one thing to exchange the 849 driver and requested if I had any concepts.”
They began work on the 859 sequence throughout the summer time of 2021. By the third iteration, each males realized they is perhaps on to one thing.
#2: That one thing is the patent-pending ART face
ART stands for Axis of Rotation Expertise and is the idea for Sub 70’s utility patent utility. In accordance with Renegar, it’s a brand new method of – and fixing – an outdated downside.
“Present design principle is the clubhead is a free physique at influence,” explains Renegar. “Drivers are designed across the perception that for those who hit it in direction of the toe, the clubhead rotates open. In the event you hit it in direction of the heel, it rotates closed.
“The very fact is the clubhead is rigidly hooked up to the shaft. It doesn’t rotate as a free physique; it solely activates one axis and that’s the shaft centerline.”
Renegar selected to maximise the second of inertia by distributing weight round this new thought of membership rotation – low heel and excessive toe – after which redesigned face curvature to match. That places a brand new spin, so to talk, on bulge and roll.
“Face curvature is low-heel to high-toe as a result of that’s perpendicular to the way in which the clubhead really turns. All you need to do is make the gear impact correction in that one path.”
In the event you look intently, the ART face on the brand new Sub 70 859 drivers does look completely different. It’s CNC milled from solid beta-titanium and options variable face thickness. It’s not, nevertheless, AI-designed.
“It’s good old school human intelligence,” says Hiland. “It’s Bob Renegar’s mind.”
#3: It’s about accuracy and a little bit ball pace
As any golfer is aware of, the USGA and R&A restrict driver ball pace and OEMs are at about that restrict.
“Whenever you hit our new driver within the center with a 105 mph swing pace, we’ll get another mile-per-hour ball pace over the 849,” explains Hiland. “We’re proud of that however it’s three yards.”
All OEMs know they’re maxed out within the center so the brand new Holy Grail is minimizing ball pace loss on off-center hits. That’s the entire level behind AI-designed variable-face thickness. Renegar and Hiland consider they’ve created a distinct method of reaching that very same factor.
“It’s completely different sufficient to use for the patent,” says Hiland. “We do know, from good gamers enjoying it, mediocre gamers enjoying it, unhealthy gamers enjoying it and robots testing it, that it really works.”
Particularly, for those who had been to hit a driver towards the heel, you may anticipate to lose loads of ball pace whereas imparting a ton of spin. In the event you’re fortunate, it’ll solely fade. If not, it’s a hellacious slice. Hit that driver towards the toe and also you’re trending towards a low-spinning snap hook. The brand new Sub 70 859 drivers decrease the best or left miss whereas additionally minimizing ball pace loss.
“A heel shot gained’t spin as a lot,” says Hiland. “It reduces spin and the quantity of curvature and ball pace could be very near a middle hit. It’s nonetheless going to go proper, simply not as a lot. Because it has extra ball pace, it’ll go a little bit farther.”
It’s the identical with a toe shot that snaps left (for the righty) with low spin and also you’re yelling at it to get down.
“The spin fee goes up so it stays within the air longer and it doesn’t snap as exhausting. It has a little bit softer draw.”
#4: Does it work? Thus far …
My thought course of off the tee is that since I paid for the complete clubface, by golly, I’m going to make use of the complete clubface. (It evens out put on over time.) My expertise with the usual Sub 70 859 driver (there are Professional and Professional-JD fashions which we’ll talk about later) lends some credence to Hiland’s and Renegar’s claims.
Launch monitor numbers present decrease spin and extra playable flight, particularly on hits towards the heel. Often, that’s a recipe for an “uncontrollable fade” for me. With the Sub 70 859 driver, I seen decrease spin total and decrease fade spin. On the course, I seen that on three separate holes the place, based mostly on how the influence felt, I simply knew I’d be within the bushes on the best. In every occasion, nevertheless, the ball landed on the best facet of the green or in the best tough. They weren’t bombs, thoughts you, however I did get a ways. Most significantly, I might discover them and hit them once more.
I had comparable outcomes on toe strikes. I can snap-hook something and I did a number of instances with the Sub 70 859. Nonetheless, slight toe hits that may have wound up in hassle on the left did stay in play. All in all, I didn’t discover huge distance features however less-than-ideal photographs had been in play and seemingly a little bit longer.
MyGolfSpy’s 2025 driver check will be capable of present a extra in-depth and #datacratic analysis. Primarily based on a launch monitor session and two late-season rounds, the outcomes, whereas not conclusive, are promising.
#5: Sub 70 659 drivers ain’t magic however the tech seems helpful
“You’ll be able to nonetheless mishit this factor with a extremely unhealthy swing, don’t get me mistaken,” says Hiland. “However for those who’re lacking the candy spot by three-quarters of an inch, that’s the place the mishit gained’t be almost as punishing. That’s what this tech does for you.”
As talked about, that is Sub 70’s first patent pending and the corporate absolutely expects the appliance to be authorized sooner or later. It’s essential to grasp, nevertheless, that Sub 70 hasn’t reinvented the driving force. It has merely developed its personal expertise to attain a sure objective. It’s Sub 70’s method of claiming, “We would like this to occur and that is our distinctive method of doing it.”
“This was three-plus years of labor,” says Hiland. “We didn’t rush it as a result of we knew it needed to look proper, sound correct and carry out proper and we didn’t need folks to set it down, have a look at it and go, ‘Oh, shit.’ We would like folks to go, ‘Oh, shiiit.’
“You need the correct of ‘Oh, shit.’”
There are additionally carbon fiber sole panels to assist efficiency. The usual 859 has a sole panel on the toe to make it simpler to shut the face. The 859 Professional and 859 JD have panels on the heel to maintain the face open for a fade bias. The usual 859 additionally has what Renegar calls “Aerodynamic Fences” on the crown, a Sub 70 tackle PING Turbulators.
“My diploma is in aerospace,” Reneger says. “It’s nibbling on the edges but when it gives one or two extra miles per hour swing pace, it’s well worth the hassle.”
The 859 Professional and JD fashions do not need Aerodynamic Fences. Presumably, gamers who match into these drivers don’t want the additional assist.
#6: It places Sub 70 within the driver expertise dialog
If I’ve realized something in my years of writing for MyGolfSpy, it’s that golfers are not looking for a $399 driver. What they really need is a $600 driver to value $399.
Direct-to-consumer corporations have historically been capable of compete with the large OEMs in irons and wedges. From a expertise perspective, drivers had been a bridge too far. Sub 70 believes ART and the brand new 859 driver sequence change that equation.
If this driver had a Massive 5 OEM identify on it, they’d be charging 600 bucks for it.
“That will merely be the retail value of the driving force,” explains Hiland. “The retailer has to make a pair hundred bucks themselves. If we had been within the conventional recreation, this must retail for $600 for each us and the retailer to make an inexpensive revenue.”
Therein lies the enchantment of direct-to-consumer. There’s no additional step concerned earlier than it will get to the top person.
“I’m unsure the place everybody else will probably be subsequent yr however we’ll be a minimum of $200 inexpensive,” Hiland says. “We make the identical margin however are you getting pretty much as good of a shaft? Would you like it 44-¾ inches, swing-weighted to a D3 with a midsize grip and two-and-a-half wraps below it? That’s what we do.”
Sub 70, like the opposite DTC corporations, has made good little drivers that you can play good golf with and weren’t that costly. What Sub 70 has now’s a driver expertise platform it might construct on for a number of generations. It’s costlier than previous Sub 70 drivers however Hiland says it’s what it’s.
“I needed to make an ideal driver, to hell with the price. We’re a direct-to-consumer firm however we’re making an attempt to make one of the best tools on the planet.”
#8: Excited? You higher consider it
I’ve spoken with Jason Hiland sufficient instances in my profession to note a distinction in his voice. He’s at all times enthusiastic about his new merchandise however this time it’s completely different. You’ll be able to hear it.
“Are you able to think about how cool it’s to get a name from Tommy Armour III, John Daly or Tag Ridings and listen to them say, ‘Jesus, Jason, this factor is unbelievable. I’m not sending it again.’”
Hiland says that what’s much more gratifying is the suggestions he’s been getting from common golfers.
“It’s that decision from a mid-handicapper making an attempt to manage his fade/slice telling you he’s reduce his fade in half; it’s staying within the fairway and it’s longer as a result of it’s not spinning as a lot. One man mentioned, ‘What the hell did you do to this factor?’
“That’s fairly cool, too.”
Greater than something, nevertheless, Sub 70 believes its new 859 drivers put it within the driver dialog with the massive OEMs for the primary time. It’s not in a price-locked DTC field anymore.
“There’s a couple of method to do that,” says Hiland. “Callaway, TaylorMade, Titleist, PING and the others, their drivers have by no means been higher. Golf tools on the whole has by no means been higher.
“We simply really feel at this level we are able to truthfully say that we’re within the dialog and will probably be from this level ahead.”
Sub 70 859 drivers: Specs, worth, availability
The brand new Sub 70 859 drivers are all accessible on the Sub 70 web site. As talked about, there are three fashions.
The usual Sub 70 859 is 460cc and is obtainable in 9-, 10.5 and 12.5-degree fashions for lefties and righties. The hosel is adjustable up or down two levels. It encompasses a 12-gram heel weight and a 6-gram toe weight, with additional weights accessible for buy. An actual deal Undertaking X Denali Blue 50 shaft is normal, together with the Lamkin Crossline 360 grip.
The Sub 70 859 Professional is 450cc and is extra fade-biased. It’s accessible in 9- and 10.5-degree lofts in right-handed solely. The Denali Blue 60 shaft and Lamkin Crossline 360 grip are normal.
There’s additionally a particular version Sub 70 859 JD driver accessible, made at the side of and particularly for John Daly.
“There’s going to be a cult following for this one,” says Hiland. “In the event you’re in search of a extremely low-spin driver and have some swing pace, the JD setup might be good for you.”
The 859 JD is available in one 8-degree loft (adjustable) and in right-handed solely. The Denali Blue 60 and Black 60 are inventory shafts with the Lamkin Crossline the inventory grip.
As at all times, Sub 70 provides a wide range of no-upcharge and upcharge shaft and grip choices. The usual and Professional Sub 70 848 drivers promote for $399. The JD mannequin sells for $449.
For extra info, go to www.golfsub70.com.
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