ULTIMATE REVIEW – Adams Speedline Tech

Adams Speedline Tech Driver

(Written By: @GolfSpy T) Adams Golf is a company in transition. Earlier this year CEO Chip Brewer departed to take control at Callaway, and the behemoth known as TaylorMade-Adidas Corp spent 70 million bucks to bring Adams into their family. The combination left a huge void at Adams, and left a bunch of you sitting around counting the minutes until TaylorMade obliterates the brand that you apparently love so much.

Well, it’s been almost 6 months since Adams should have been plunged into chaos, but as it turns out, things are pretty much business as usual. The XTD Hybrid has helped to maintain Adams’s status as the #1 hybrid in golf. The CMB Irons (review coming VERY soon) have basically cemented the notion that Adams’s irons are as good, if not better, than anyone’s, and yes, the company continues to release drivers at a rate that rivals just about anyone else in the game.

The latest of those drivers is the Speedline Tech. While I had expected that late summer would signal the release of what for me has been the long awaited 9064LS follow-up, Adams went in a different direction. The Tech, as we’ve come to call it during testing, represents the evolution of the Speedline driver. It’s lightweight, it’s adjustable, and according to Adams, it’s more accurate (54%), and longer (up to 11 yards).

Before we find out if those claims hold true, let’s take a quick look at some of the finer details.

The Marketing Angle

In the interest of including just a little something from Adams, here are the bullet points that cover the stuff Adams thinks you should know about the Speedline Tech Driver:

• Aerodynamics Adams led the way with aerodynamic drivers six generations ago, Speedline Tech features improved shaping and size that helps this clubhead cut through the air faster than ever for more distance.
• Fastfit Adjustability allows you to quickly tune the clubhead for your individual swing, preferred ball flight.
• 3DS Face Technology 3DS Face Technology is a change in the bulge and roll of the face for ideal launch conditions for on-center and off-center hits resulting in 50% improvement in accuracy and more distance.
• Multi-Material Construction A unique carbon-fiber wing attached to a titanium chassis allows for a large, confidence-inspiring clubhead, with superior sound and ideal launch conditions..

Head Material: Titanium with carbon-fiber wing

How We Tested

For our test of the Adams Speedline Tech Driver  we collected detailed performance data from 4 testers who were asked to hit a series of shots on our 3Track Equipped simulators from aboutGolf.  As usual, testing was done at Tark’s Indoor Golf, a state of the art indoor golf facility located in Saratoga Springs, NY.  Detailed data for each and every shot for which we collected data is viewable just below the performance section of this review. This data serves as the foundation for our final performance score.  Our testers were also asked to rate the Adams Speedline Tech Driver and provide feedback in our subjective categories (looks, sound & feel, perceived forgiveness, and LOP (likelihood of purchase).  This information is used as the foundation for our total subjective score.  Testing was done using 9.5°, 10.5°, drivers in Stiff and Regular Flex. Drivers were outfitted with stock Matrix RUL 54 shafts.

*This test was conducted with 5 testers. Our 6th tester was unavailable due to a pretty severe medical issue. The very good news is that he’s on the mend, and we expect he’ll be available for us again very soon.

With the new Adams Speedline Tech driver, our 5 testers averaged 250.63 yards of total distance, of which 237.80 yards was carry. When we remove the shortest hitter (who as usually is our senior tester), overall averages improve to 260.94 yards of total distance, and 249.73 carry.

Most notably, our longest hitter put up distance numbers below what I would normally expect to see from him. My suspicion is that he would benefit from less loft, and a stiffer, heavier shaft. Unfortunately, Adams wasn’t able to provide us with an 8.5 degree head, and the Speedline Tech is not available (at least not with the stock shaft) in an X-flex. We believe this fact alone is a pretty strong indicator of who the target market for Speedline Tech is.

With the exception of our biggest hitter, our testers as a group tend to launch the ball slightly on the low side of things. While as you’ll see that’s basically holds true where the averages for the Speedline Tech are concerned, the vertical launch numbers are slightly higher than we might expect. The one exception, as I’ve already noted, was with our highest swing speed tester. It’s not the least bit unusual for his averages to fall in the 17° to 18° range, however; with the Speeline Tech, his average dropped significantly to 13.25°. Quite frankly, I don’t have any explanation for the shift.

As a group, our testers average launch angle was 11.66, which again, is slightly higher almost across the board, but does reflect a much lower launch angle for a single tester.

Generally speaking, most of our testers put up distance numbers on the low end of their average range. My belief is that the lack of an X-stiff option hurt two of our testers, while at least one had issues because of a comparatively lighter feel (more on that below).

Our senior tester, however; put up the best distance numbers (and likely his best ever accuracy numbers as well) with the Adams Speedline Tech. Admitting that this is a relatively small sample size, the suggestion is that the driver might be more suitable to players with generally slower and less aggressive swings.

As a collective, our happy little group of club testers missed the center line by an average of 17.39 yards, putting the Speedline Tech squarely in the middle of our average range. Telling perhaps is that spread was slightly different than we normally see. While a couple players (fast transition testers) were noticeably less accurate, our senior tester, was noticeably more accurate than he has previously been.

This, to me anyway, further supports the notion that the Speedline Tech, in its stock configuration anyway, is more suitable for slower swing speed players, or at a minimum, guys with smooth, controlled transitions.

While the timing (two years removed almost to the day) could lead one to think that the Speedline Tech is the direct replacement for the beloved 9064LS, the team at Adams has been very clear from day 1 that the Speedline Tech is not designed to be a low spinning driver.

Looking at some of the raw numbers alone, you might be led believe otherwise. Our single digit handicap tester actually posted spin numbers well below his averages, however; those numbers reflect his propensity to snap the ball left with the Speedline Tech, and are not indicative of a low spin head in general.

Other notables around spin: my average was relatively high number (4230.70 RPM). I’ve been slowly working to bring my spin numbers down, but with the Speedline Tech, they jumped back up.  Our senior testers average was below his average (2818.33) which likely stems from the diminished fade (and occasional draw) he produced with the Speedline Tech.

Overall, the group average of 3023.13 is slightly misleading in that it suggests the club will produce less spin than I believe the average golfer will get from it.

While we have numbers to quantify the performance of the clubs we test, the Speeline Tech is a bit of an enigma. It’s clear from our testing that the off-the-rack configuration is simply not a good fit for arguably the majority of our testers. However, it borders on indisputable that the same club that simply doesn’t work for our more aggressive players produced the best results we’ve seen to date for our senior tester.

In our system, where most clubs are separated by tenths of points, he posted an individual score (94.09) that was nearly 3 points higher than anyone else’s. We rarely see a situation where a single tester so dramatically outperforms the field…especially with a driver.

Even with some clear fitting issues, the Speedline Tech performed admirably, and from my perspective as an observer, the numbers came back better than I would have guessed based on our tester’s reactions.

While nobody other than our senior tester posted stellar numbers, the reality is nobody (apart from our high swing speed player) hit it much worse than we’d expect based on their averages. 3 of 5 testers actually posted A-level scores, while another missed by those tenths of points I was talking about.

All of this suggests that the Adams Speedline Tech, while perhaps not Hall of Fame material, is a strong performer.

The Interactive Data

The charts below show the individual and group averages (black dotted line) for each shot our golfers took during our test of the Adams Speedline Tech Driver. If you click on the “Speedline Tech- Test Range tab, you can see where each shot came to rest on our virtual driving range. Hovering over any point will give you all the details of that particular shot. You can use the filters on the right-hand side to show and hide individual golfer based on handicap and clubhead speed. Clicking on the “Speedline Tech – Raw Data” tab will show you the individual numbers and group averages for our testers.

Granted it’s only been two, but no Adams Driver since the 9064LS has really resonated with our testers. Sometimes I feel a little guilty that we’ve basically decided the 9064 is the standard by which all Adams (and a hell of a lot of other drivers) will be judged. It’s admittedly not fair since this isn’t that…and it’s not designed to be (even if some of us are still desperately waiting for the next one of those). Fortunately, many of our testers weren’t around when we tested the legendary 9064, so their standards probably aren’t as impossibly high (where Adams is concerned anyway) as my own.

From my perspective, there’s a lot, perhaps too much going on with the head. Look…any time you throw a wing on anything other than a bird, you’re opening yourself up for some ridicule. In reality, the shape of the Adams Speedline Tech isn’t that bad. At address it appears more rounded than those drivers one might label as traditionally shaped.

From the same vantage point, the carbon fiber wing isn’t noticeable (except to say the head looks a bit on the bulky side).  When flipped over, however; the wing is boldly apparent, although comparatively, it doesn’t look much different than other recent Adams designs.

By Adams standard, the colors are relatively muted. Glossy black is blended with matte lack accents, silver paint fill, and a touch of visible carbon fiber to create a design that’s relatively inconspicuous, while still making some of the technology visible for the guys who like that sort of thing..

The biggest aesthetic ding is probably the Matrix shaft. I suppose one might call it gold, but I’m more inclined to describe it as electric honey mustard. Truthfully, if it produced the desired results, I’d probably love the color. Since it doesn’t, I’m got nothing tainting my judgment.

Generally speaking, while nobody really disliked the visual characteristics of the Adams Speedline Tech, nobody was really moved by it either.

MGS Looks Score: 83.31

This is one of the rare cases where our testers gave us a varied and abundant amount of feedback.

My perspective is that the Speedline Tech feels a bit more muted than some other Adams drivers, and really when I say that, I mean the 9064LS. But at the same time, it’s probably less muted (working off memory here) than the 9088UL. On tester described it as “dead“. So yeah…it’s ok. Not bad, not great. It’s just another driver where the feel at impact is concerned. At least that’s my opinion.

When our lower handicap tester (Nick) talks about the feel, he focuses his thoughts on the weight. He struggled a bit with the club, and attributed much of it to a club that felt a bit light for his tastes. Always curious about the distinctions between perceptions and reality, I put both Nick’s driver and the Speedline Tech on the swing weight scale.

As it turns out, even with a strip of Ghost Tape (AWESOME Stuff by the way) on the crown, the  Adams came back a two+ swing weight points lighter than the gamer (and with the tape off, the difference would be even more pronounced).

On the flip side, our senior tester actually loved the lighter feel. So while I’m hesitant to pigeon hole the Speedline Tech (or anything Adams does really), you can toss this little detail on to the pile that suggests that a certain segment of the golfing population is likely going to enjoy this particular club more than others.

From a sound perspective, I didn’t notice anything obtrusively loud about the Speedline Tech, however; a couple of our testers mentioned they found it to be a bit on the loud side of things, and considering that a guy in an adjacent simulator booth jumped every time we hit it, they might be right.

MGS Sound & Feel Score: 77.94

Our testers, I think…well…I hope anyway, have tested enough clubs that they’ve come to realize that the magic, always straight, never slice, 15 more yards club is probably a myth. That said, certain clubs do certain things better than others.

Way up there in the marketing section, I mentioned what Adams calls 3DS Technology. The premise behind it is very similar to Cobra’s E9 technology; insomuch as it’s based on the irrefutable reality that golfers…MOST golfer doesn’t always hit the ball in the center of the club face. As Adams and others have figured out, we tend to miss either high on the toe, or low on the heel (it’s really hard to miss low on the toe).

To account for this issue, Adams bakes a little something in the design that supposedly produces better, if not optimum results on mis-hits.

As it turns out, during testing, I don’t recall a single tester mentioning a toe miss, so I can’t really speak to how well 3DS works on the toe side of the equation. The heel, that’s another story.

During my test, I hit at least two solid heel shots. My senior tester hit a couple as well, and the other guys were good for at least one each. What every guy agreed on is that there was basically zero appreciable distance loss on those shots, and for the most part, spin numbers did not rise dramatically.

Now I suspect Adams is never going to market a club as having The Hottest Heel in Golf, but if you’re man enough to admit that you need a little help, then might I recommend you take a look at the Speedline Tech?

Like I said, Adams probably won’t say it, so I’ll say it for them. The Speedline Tech has the Hottest Heel in golf. For most of us, that’s a damn good thing.

Tester Perceived Forgiveness Score: 88.69

The guys who liked the Adams Speedline Tech almost certainly weren’t wowed by it. One tester told us that that he is going to replace his driver, and he’s definitely going to take a closer look at the new Adams driver.  The other testers, including our senior tester, were less convinced they’d put it in their bag.

While the performance is clearly on par with most anything else out there, none of our testers walked away from our tests lusting after the Speedline Tech.

Tester LOP Score: 80.63

Unlike other recent Adams Drivers the Speedline Tech does not offer shaft length adjustability. It’s probably just as well since reviews of the system have been mixed to say the least. What the FastFit system does allow you to do is adjust the face angle open or closed up to 1 °  (in ½° increments) in either direction. There is also an option for changing the lie angle 2°.

Functionally it’s very similar to other basic adjustability systems on the market right now. The biggest point of distinction is perhaps the triangular-shaped screw. Obviously it doesn’t impact functionality (beyond the fact that you must have an Adams wrench), but it’s a cool little ripple.

One major plus for the system is how clearly the settings are labeled. Most of us are familiar-enough with adjustable drivers now that we can work through the settings, but the Adams implementation is so properly simple that a complete novice could sort it out with minimal frustration.

I’m basically on record that I expect (or dream) that every Adams driver will be the next 9064LS. It hasn’t happened yet, and even if the Speedline Tech isn’t supposed to be, it doesn’t mean a guy can’t dream.

What I think is true is that the Adams Speedline Tech is a very good driver, hell…in the right (properly fit hands) it’s probably a great driver, and it’s with than in mind that I would suggest to you that if there is an issue with the driver, it stems from some restrictive thinking at Adams.

Here’s what I mean. For me, the stock Speedline Tech is clearly not the right setup (and the same is true for at least 2 of my testers). I can’t find any major fault with the head, and the forgiveness certainly appeals to me, but the stock shaft is an absolute non-starter, and for their part, Adams isn’t giving us much in the way of an alternative.

One of the things Adams does better than anyone in the industry is offer premium shafts (not watered down made-for variants) as their stock offering. Unfortunately sometimes it’s as if Adams gets a bit too hung up on the quality (or perhaps the aftermarket sticker price) of their stock shaft, and fails to consider that no shaft (whether it’s a Fubuki, or lightweight RUL) fits every golfer. We need options, not because we want them, but because they make all the difference in the world.

Yes, it certainly appears the Speedline Tech, based on available stock specs, is designed for a specific market segment, but the lack of a readily available secondary stock (zero upcharge, available off-the rack) shaft option is a huge issue.

If you’re a moderate swing speed player, or a guy with a smooth controllable tempo, then yeah, I believe the Adams Speedline Tech might very well be one of the best options on the market today. That said, if you’re a guy who needs a bit of help from the shaft, the Speedline Tech probably isn’t going to offer you everything you need.

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