I've Tried All The Latest Tech But Nothing Beats My 2009 Driver

The top golf brands release new drivers year after year and they hit the golf market with a promise of more clubhead speed, more distance and more forgiveness. So why have I been using a 2009 Mizuno MX700 for the last 17 years?

Mizuno has long been known for its forged iron ranges, carrying the iconic slogan ‘nothing feels like a Mizuno’, but when the MX700 driver was released almost two decades ago, it was considered one of the best golf drivers on the market.

The driver sports a plasma-welded face to increase ball speed and Mizuno’s ‘Ti9’ technology, which makes the metal grain run from sole to crown and expands the sweetspot. It also carries a loud thud at impact, similar to Ping’s G425, which divided opinion back in 2021.

Despite boasting many performance-boosting features, it still doesn’t explain why many drivers released since 2009 have, for me and my game, been unable to beat the MX700, which is fitted with a stiff Exsar DS4 shaft.

I have used other drivers over the years, the first being the TaylorMade R1 in 2015, which was the fastest to be replaced by the Mizuno.

The next came from of one of the most popular driver releases of all time, the 2017 M1 and M2 range, with the latter even having a PGA Tour win to its name in 2026 after Brandt Snedeker won the OneFlight Myrtle Beach Classic earlier this year.

The 460cc M1 head was the driver that I thought could finally move me away from the, at the time, eight-year-old club. It stayed in the bag for around a year, performing consistently. To this day is the best driver I’ve tried outside of the mainstay.

Despite gaining about 10 yards on the Mizuno, it just never felt as comfortable behind the ball and didn't achieve the same consistency with spin rates.

I couldn't resist putting the Mizuno back in and wasn’t able to part with it yet again. Despite this, it’s clear to see why the 2017 releases from TaylorMade were so popular and continue to be used on tour.

Having then worked in pro shops between 2020 and 2025, giving up my amateur status and starting my PGA Qualfication in 2023, I'd regularly test the new equipment out on the course, using trial and error to change shafts, settings and lofts.

While the newer models added between 10-20 yards, disparity between the shots and control of the ball flight was a little more out.

Being able to draw or fade the 2009 model on demand, as well as still getting it out to a 280-yard average carry, meant that ultimately nothing swayed me enough to ditch the somewhat now antique driver, still equipped with the original grip!

It's fair to say that it wont be going anywhere in the near future, and with it still on the second-hand market for under £100 from second hand websites like golfclubs4cash, it seems I'm not the only one still liking drivers like the MX700.

It's not just my driver that's a classic...

While the driver is the oldest club in my bag, it's not too far in front of the fairway wood, as I'm still sporting a battered TaylorMade R11s 3-wood I picked up from a second-hand bargain bin back in 2016, complete with half of the crown destroyed by sky marks.

Fairway woods tend to be the oldest club in many amateur or professional bags, so this may be a little bit less controversial than keeping an older model driver.

I haven't tried as many new fairway woods as I have drivers, and the R11s still works well enough for me that I haven't felt the need to.

I think it's fair to say that I'm not a tinkerer when it comes to equipment. It almost certainly comes down to so much of the game being how confident you are with both what's in your hand and what you are looking down at behind the ball.

That being said, having been fitted for my TaylorMade P730 irons back in 2017 and still adoring them to this day, every golfer should absolutely get custom fitted to ensure that they have the right club in their hand. But sometimes, if it isn't broken, it just doesn't need to be fixed.

PGA Tour Players Still Using Older Models

Matt Fitzpatrick, PING S55 Irons (2013)

The Englishman – currently second in the FedExCup standings – is expected to be a popular player of the year pick after the Tour Championship concludes

He has used Ping S55 irons from 5-iron to pitching wedge, a model that was released back in 2013. Despite experimenting with some others in recent years, he hasn’t been able to let them go long-term.

Brooks Koepka – Nike Vapor-Fly 3-Iron (2016)

Kopeka has had the Nike Vapor-Fly 3-iron in his bag for all five of his Major Championship wins. He has previously said “Once I get equipment that I like, I stick with it – I’m not a tinkerer.” The club is a popular one, as Tony Finau also still uses the decade-old model.

Aaron Rai – TaylorMade M6 Driver (2019)

The 2026 PGA Championship winner grabbed headlines for his choice of driver during his impressive win earlier this year at Aronimink Golf Club.

He still uses the TaylorMade M6 driver that was released in 2019 and although he may not be the longest hitter on the PGA Tour, ranking 156^th in driving distance this season, he sits 4^th in driving accuracy.