10 Golf Clubs I Thought Would Have Performed Better in 2025 Testing

Marketing would have you believe every new release is destined to top the leaderboard. However, as the data shows, that’s rarely how it actually plays out.

This list isn’t about calling any of these clubs “bad.” In the right fit, every one of them can work. But based on hype, past performance or price, I expected these models to be fighting for the top spot in 2025 and they just didn’t quite get there.

If you’re shopping this year, it’s a nudge to look a little closer at the data (and at what’s best for your game) instead of assuming the “hero” product is automatically the best fit.

TaylorMade Qi35 Max driver

Given the hype around the Qi line and TaylorMade’s reputation for big-speed drivers, it was easy to pencil in Qi35 Max as a frontrunner. In our 2025 driver test, it earned a solid overall score (8.7) and was legitimately one of the most accurate drivers we tested but it didn’t challenge the very top tier the way Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond and others did. For a club with this much buzz, price and tech, we expected a little more “wow” in the distance and all-around dominance column.

Callaway Elyte hybrid

The Callaway Elyte hybrid has an adjustable OptiFit hosel, heel–toe weighting, modern AI face and a neutral, all-purpose profile. The surprise is that in our 2025 testing, it was the Elyte X and COBRA DS-Adapt that stole the hybrid show.

Elyte X finished near the top for accuracy and distance and DS-Adapt ended up as the best overall hybrid of 2025. Compared to those two, the standard Elyte hybrid didn’t separate its performance.

COBRA KING TEC hybrid

COBRA has built a serious track record in hybrids. DS-Adapt topped our 2025 test and was the most accurate hybrid of the year. KING TEC came in with big expectations. While it offers plenty of distance, it doesn’t have the same across-the-board accuracy and forgiveness that have made COBRA a hybrid staple.

Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond fairway wood

With how strongly the Elyte Triple Diamond driver performed in 2025 testing, it was easy to assume the matching fairway would be a top contender. Instead, the Elyte Triple Diamond fairway wood lived more in the “good but not untouchable” zone. It has plenty of ball speed and a workable profile but not the same standout category-leading performance as its driver sibling. For better ball strikers who like a compact shape, it can work. If you’re expecting the fairway version to mirror the driver’s dominance in our data, you’ll want to manage those expectations.

L.A.B. Golf DF3 (Zero-torque putter)

2025 was the first time we ran a dedicated zero-torque putter test and L.A.B. showed why they own that space. Two of their models landed in the top 10 and one took the overall win. The surprise was DF3. It’s the familiar, long-running Directed Force shape a lot of golfers recognize but in this lineup, it was the weakest performer of the L.A.B. entries and drifted toward the bottom of the results sheet.

Callaway Apex Pro (Player’s irons)

Apex Pro is marketed as a tour-proven, modern player’s iron. Given how strong Callaway’s iron lineup has been in recent years, it felt like a lock to be near the top of our 2025 player’s iron test. Instead, it had an overall score of 8.4, clearly behind leaders like Mizuno Pro and Srixon, mostly due to poor accuracy and forgiveness.

COBRA DS-Adapt super game-improvement irons

In the hybrid category, DS-Adapt was a star. In super game-improvement irons, the DS-Adapt name told a different story. The DS-Adapt super game-improvement iron is a club with excellent distance but noticeably weaker accuracy and forgiveness. In a category where COBRA has historically been very strong, especially on forgiveness, seeing DS-Adapt irons show up among the irons that struggled most in testing was a surprise.

PXG Sugar Daddy III wedge (BP grind)

Sugar Daddy III is one of the most premium wedges in the 2025 field. It’s triple-forged, heavily milled and priced at the very top of the category. In our “Most Expensive versus Least Expensive” wedge comparison, its performance looked a lot more down to earth. Accuracy and carry numbers were nearly identical to the much cheaper Takomo Sky Forger 002.

Odyssey Ai-One #1 blade putter

Odyssey’s Ai-One line launched with huge expectations and the #1 blade shape is about as classic as it gets. In our blade test, though, Ai-One #1 lived in the bottom half of the test. Its average PuttView handicap trailed the very best blades. For a high-tech, heavily promoted putter, I thought it might push closer to the top.

Evnroll V5.2 mallet putter

Evnroll has a strong reputation in the world of putters and their grooves have tested well for roll quality in the past. However, it finished at the very bottom of our mallet test. The PuttView handicap gap between the best (Wilson Infinite Buckingham) and the worst translates to multiple strokes over a round’s worth of putts. V5.2 still has the soft feel and premium build Evnroll is known for but if you’re choosing solely based on the name or past models, the 2025 numbers are a sign to get it head to head with some other mallets before you commit.

Final thoughts

Reputation, marketing hype and reality don’t always line up. None of these clubs is bad. In the right fit, several of them could still be the best option for your game. As you look for new clubs in 2026, before you assume the newest flagship or most talked-about release, let the data narrow your options, get fitted if possible and make sure the club you choose earns its spot in your bag.