GOLFBUSTERS: THE HAMMER X

It is arguably one of the most popular golf infomercials ever. From one of the most recognized faces in the history of golf gear.

That's right; Jack Hamm was screaming "POWWWW!!!" all the way to the bank when he released the famous Hammer X driver.

Jack Hamm supposedly has hit a golf ball a 1/4 mile, has a club head speed of 162 mph, holds 6-World Records and is the father of the big headed driver. Quite a resume. We should add genius marketer to the list. His commercials which boasted "revolutionary" technology like a sword-shaped shaft, a "Zero CC" design and many others promised golfers what they all were so desperate to hear.  Distance and lots of it. The Hammer X driver promised to add a whopping 50 yards on all your tee shots. Damn. Could it be true?  I have to buy it to see.

What sounds like a joke now, actually sold a lot of drivers.  So many that Jack launched product after product in the dark hours between 1AM-4AM on a golf channel near you.  Hell, I am willing to bet many of you reading this right now still have one sitting in the garage as a reminder what not to do at 4 AM with a gallon of Rocky Road and a cold chilly one between your lap.

So, of course we did everything in our power to track this guy down.  The only intel we could get is that he has apparently gone full covert recluse status, but is still in Denver.

That didn't stop us though, we decided to put the club to the test once and for all.

INFOMERCIAL:

If you need a refresher on just what the Hammer X can do for your game, have a look below:

ZERO CC's?

We've all seen the gimmicky infomercials - some catchy music, an aggressively upbeat guy with a visor and haircut straight from the 70's making a TON of unrealistic claims.

It's about time someone took this driver and put it to the test.  If I can add 50 yards to my tee shot for only $100, that new Callaway Epic I just got fit for is going straight back to the store.

HOW WE TESTED

• Two drivers were tested head to head to head (2016 Taylormade M1 and The Hammer X).
• Both were tested at 10.5° (M1 weights in the neutral position).
• Seven golfers with handicaps ranging from 0-15 and driver swing speeds between 90 and 115 mph participated in this test.
• Each tester hit 12-14 shots for each club from every set (frequently rotating between clubs).
• Gross mishits were eliminated and are not included in the shot counts.
• Remaining outliers were identified using Median Absolute Deviation (both distance and offline), and dropped before calculation of the final averages.
• All testers hit Bridgestone B330-RX Golf Balls.
• Ball Data was recorded using a Foresight GC2 Launch Monitor.

THE DATA

TaylorMade M1 2016

Distance	246.3 yds
Accuracy	19.54 yds
Spin	2768 rpm
Launch	16.38 deg
Ball Speed	141.48 mph

Hammer X

Distance	221.02 yds
Accuracy	23.78 yds
Spin	2219 rpm
Launch	16.97 deg
Ball Speed	130.13 mph

CRACKING THE CLAIM

I'm going to be brutally honest - I'm surprised the Hammer X traveled on average over 220 yards.  With a E8.6 SwingWeight measured on the Auditor Digital Swing Weight Scale, it feels like you're swinging a 46-inch pitching wedge.

While it does make a cool "whoosh" sound through the hitting area, the 2016 Taylormade M1 bested the Hammer in almost every category:

• The2016 Taylormade M1 launched over 10 MPH Faster than the Hammer. So much for the Power Core.
• The increased ball speed from the M1 led to an average carry advantage of over 25 Yards Longer over The Hammer.
• Spin rates on the Hammer X were marginally lower than the M1, and the data suggests roll distances do not vary dramatically.
• It is interesting the note the average clubhead speed for the Hammer X was a full 5 MPH slower on average. The sword-shaped shaft fails to cut through the air with greater efficiency.

 

Hammer X vs M1 2016

Club	Ball Speed	Launch	Spin	Peak Height	Offline	Carry	Total Yards
TaylorMade M1 2016	141.48	16.38	2768	37.3	19.54	233.00	246.30
Hammer X	130.13	16.97	2219	29.7	23.78	207.35	221.02

FOR REAL OR PHONY?

The data speaks for itself.

Not only did the Hammer X fail to live up to a single claim made in the infomercial, it actually performed significantly worse than a mainstream competitor.

With clubhead speed, ball speed, carry...hell, every launch parameter being measurably worse than the M1, it goes without saying that you $100 is at least $95 more than you should spend on the Hammer X.