Story & photos by Mike Besa
The driver is the sexiest club in the bag.
On this there is no argument. What’s sexier than smashing a golf ball further into the distance than you ever have before? That brings on intense emotions which are incredibly intoxicating and euphoric; it’s why golfers put down big bucks for the big stick.
You won’t find the longest hitters on the PGA Tour. We might marvel at Rory, Brooks, DJ and the rest for their ability to fire a golf ball over 300 yards down the fairway with stunning regularity but that pales in comparison to the 400 yard plus drives that are achieved on the World Long Drive Tour.
What does it take to hit a golf ball that far?
Cameron Champ is the longest driver of the golf ball on the PGA Tour. The whole world is in awe of just how much longer champ is than the rest of the field with his 129-miles per hour clubhead speed and 194-mph ball speed. If you’re wondering, that’s in excess of 10 mph more ball speed than the next guy on the list.
Those numbers may not make it out of the first round of a Long Drive tournament. Kyle Berkshire, Long Drive’s latest wunderkind, has had his clubhead speed measured at a mind numbing 155 mph and routinely averages 145 mph in competition. That kind of velocity generates ball speeds of up to 228 mph! If you were wondering, Berkshire’s record in competition is a mind-numbing 492 yards.
No, that’s not a typo. Most club players would struggle to hit it that far with three shots.
Do you wonder what kind of driver can stand up to that kind of force? Some of the major manufacturers produce special versions of their production drivers for the long drive game. These heads are reinforced to withstand the fury of the longest men in golf but still break over time. We had the opportunity to speak with Sean “The Beast” Fister, three-time world long drive champion who told us he used to break four drivers a week when he was in training.
But there is one manufacturer that makes a driver that not only tolerate the abuse that it will suffer at the hands of these monsters but has become the weapon of champions in the long drive game. Krank Golf was founded by Lance Reader, a long drive competitor himself who, by his own admission, got tired of breaking drivers.
Their current magnum opus is the Krank Formula X Extreme driver, the 10th since Krank started making drivers. The clubhead is handmade from proprietary forged and heat-treated Beta Titanium to produce the strongest driver in golf. This is essentially the same driver that stands up to the most powerful men in golf but with the face thinned out to make it playable by mere mortals.
A cursory examination of the Formula X Extreme reveals a clubhead that’s quite busy. There are stabilizers that manage airflow on the raised crown, there are louvers in the perimeter of the clubhead to reinforce and create rigidity. Krank says it’s the most rigid driver head in golf. It’s hard to argue otherwise. It’s not what you’d call a classic design, but one borne of the fires of war. This is a military grade piece of hardware.
This is Maximum Energy Transfer (MET) Technology, which means the Formula X Extreme stores and releases energy back to the ball better than any other driver in the world.
Krank starts with the highest-grade titanium available on the market today. Then they harden it with a proprietary process before welding it into the clubhead. This makes the Formula X Extreme so durable; the drivers are 100 percent forged titanium. Rather than using casting as is the norm, Krank forges every component of the clubhead by hand before robotically welding it together.
The result is the highest coefficient of restitution from a clubhead that meets the regulations set by the USGA and R&A. The rigid structure and high elasticity of the forged cup face return as much energy as possible to the golf ball which result in the highest ball speeds possible.
Another benefit of their processes is the attendant durability of the Formula X Extreme. Berkshire put 5,000 hits on his and still hasn’t compromised the clubface. That sounds impossible, but there it is. This driver will probably last the average Juan a lifetime.
It’s a compelling technical concept and a great marketing story. The question is how it plays in the real world. Two shafts are available with the Krank Formula X; the Fujikura Speeder Tour Lite and its slightly heavier sibling the Fujikura Speeder Tour. These are made for Krank by Fujikura, so the specifications of these shafts are unique to Krank.
The Formula X Extreme features an adjustable hosel that allows +2/-1 degrees of loft adjustment and the capability to individually adjust lie angle and flight trajectory. Interestingly, the Krank adaptor is compatible with the one Callaway uses on its drivers. This creates a lot of possibilities for a great number of golfers and should help Krank considerably.
The Krank Formula X is a remarkable driver. The head structure is extremely rigid. You can feel the energy from the clubhead being transferred directly to the golf ball. The Formula X feels powerful at impact. The common perception among the golfers that tried it was that the ball exits the clubface explosively. The ball flight across the different skill levels was strong and piercing; a clear indication of the head’s low spin character.
It is extremely well made. The construction quality and techniques employed by Krank rival those of the higher end Japanese golf brands. The forged beta titanium head is incredibly durable. Get a shaft that fits, and the Krank Formula X is as good as, or better, than any other driver we’ve tried.
Today the big brands dominate the golf equipment landscape. It’s getting harder for small players to be competitive, especially in the driver market. The golf industry is cruel; it takes deep pockets and innovative thinking to stay in it and produce a product that’s competitive or superior to the competition.
Krank competes with proprietary technology and manufacturing techniques. They excel because of their build quality, durability and outright performance. The lessons they’ve learned building the most dominant brand in the long drive game have translated into a driver that is perfect for regular play. In our books, Krank Golf wins big with the Formula X Extreme.
Hurray for the little guy!
Image credits: Mike Besa