ONOFF has produced some very hot drivers over the years. Year in and year out they’ve always been known to produce drivers that are easy to hit and great for distance.  They recently announced their all new 2011 models so I asked that they send them over for me to check out.

Type D and Type S for 2011

In the past, ONOFF divided their models into a RED line and a PLUS line. The RED models were meant for the more average golfer and focused on an easy high launch and distance and forgiveness. The Plus line on the other hand had more of a focus on control and direction. Last year they began rebranding the models by also calling the Red the .XD model and the Plus the XP model. This year in their marketing they seem to have dropped the Red and Plus monikers at least in Japan. They now call the models the Type D which is the average golfer model and the Type S which is for the better player.

Sharing visual cues…

I had very limited time with both drivers as these loaners had to get back to ONOFF so I tried to spend a good day at the range with both.  As always, ONOFF drivers are very clean looking and and feature visual cues that have evolved across the models over the last few years. On first impressions, I noticed that even the Type S model (formerly Plus) seems to have gotten a shallower face than in the past (image at right), though the rest of its design is very “Plus” looking with clean looks, long hosel, and a 1 degree open face angle.

Wide Hyper Effect Face II

Like previous models, both the D and S use ONOFF’s Wide Hyper Effect face though its been redesigned and given a “II” as the second generation. In order to expand high initial velocity area, the club face is divided into 6 different areas. The thickness of the center of the face is thickest and it is getting thinner to perimeter of the face. The face is thicker on the Type S matching well with faster swingers who want a softer feel at impact and the strength to repel stronger impact for higher ball speeds. The Type D has a thinner center area than the S which helps increase smash factor for slower more average swing speeds. Also carried over to both models is ONOFF’s Power Sole Bridge, which adopts a power ribbed construction for the sole. This increases the rigidity of the body which lowers spin and optimizes energy transfer for distance.

ELF Titanium, Hmmmmm…

Now here is the interesting part. According to ONOFF, the Type S athlete model is made with a forged ELF Titanium face. Those who read the blog will know that this is a very common material used by Endo for Callaway and PRGR drivers made in Japan. ONOFF also notes that the Type S is made in Japan. The Type D on the other hand uses a pressed 6-4 Ti face. The body materials are also different with the Type S using more premium KS100 Ti for the ribbed body and Type D using 811Ti.  I’m pretty sure the Type S is made at Endo and the Type D most likely produced in China like past ONOFF drivers. Why they decided to do this, I still have to ask them but it sure makes the Type S far more attractive.

Type S > Average golfer?

Even though past ONOFF drivers were not made in Japan, they performed very well and were indeed some of the easiest drivers to hit and produced pretty awesome distance. Now that the Type S is made in Japan, the question is can an average golfer with an average low 90’s swing speed hit the Type S? The answer is yes.  Both drivers are relatively easy to hit and the Type S is certainly playable by the average golfer as long as your bad shot is not a slice. Feel is different between the two drivers as you can imagine with the different materials. The Type S is softer feeling at impact and sound is more subtle while the Type D is more high pitched and both metallic sounding and feeling at impact.

One of the reasons the Type S has become easier to hit compared to previous generations, is it’s shallower face and more shallow back head which has taken the CG further back and increased MOI. I actually preferred the Type S though specs would suggest I would be better off with the Type D. Does the manufacturing have something to do with it? Of course.  I won’t try and pull anyone’s leg by saying I don’t care where a driver is made cause I do.  This doesn’t mean that the Type D is not a good driver. It’s just that the Type S is a better driver. There are other reasons that I like the Type S besides where its made and that’s its softer feel,and that’s its trajectory as well. The Type S has a more penetrating straight ball with low spin for good run. I’ve gone from a player who needed all the carry I could get to a player who now prefers a more stable mid trajectory ball that will run as long as it can. The Type S is that driver for me. As I’ve improved as a player I’ve actually gone from a player who battled a slice to one whose bad shot is now a pull thanks to swing adjustments.  The bottom line is I like the Type S looks, it’s sound and feel and its trajectory and of course those are all very important factors in liking any club.

I’ve talked a lot about how I like the Type S but what about the Type D?  The Type D is very much like RED model drivers of the past. This D model tester I had also produces a higher ball with a draw bias. The driver itself is pretty good looking as well and features a closed face which becomes even more closed as the lofts get higher plus a weight more towards the heel giving that right to left bias. For the player who is not a fast swinger, battles a slice and needs a higher launch, the Type D is a great option and will certainly perform with a lot of ease of use and forgiveness. The Type D is still the driver for the majority of average golfers especially the higher handicapper ones who struggle with the driver.

Stable stock shaft…

ONOFF stock shafts are pretty good. They are afterall owned by Daiwa who also run premium shaft brand Roddio and are masters of carbon manufacturing thanks to their huge share of the fishing rod business in Japan. Some club makers here in Japan even go as far as saying ONOFF makes the best stock/oem shafts as they can rival aftermarket shafts. I don’t know if I’d go that far, but as far a stock shaft goes, it’s pretty good.  For me the ONOFF shafts have always had a good balance of feel, kick and control. Any hard hitter or super fast swinger should consider an upgrade shaft anyway and that goes for any brand but for those of us who are mortals and don’t swing like the pros, the ONOFF stock shaft is a good choice.

Customization…

As always, ONOFF drivers are pretty customizable by Labospec, ONOFF Tour division. They can not only adjust face angle but also lie angle to a certain degree because ONOFF drivers typically use a proprietary hosel/socket which allows for these adjustments internally during the shaft install. Shaft options also include all Roddio shafts.

The ONOFF will be available in the pro shop this week so look for them on Tourspecgolf.com or contact us to customize one.

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