My earliest memories of Yonex in the golf industry were watching a young, swashbuckling, left-handed American by the name of Phil Mickelson in the mid-nineties. Back then, the brand stood as a symbol of innovation and high-tech components and was pitched very much at the premium end of the market.
I have been sent the new Yonex EZone GT driver for testing, and with an RRP of £529, this is in line with the premium end of the best driver market, so I am keen to see if it can hold its own.
From a tech point of view, the EZone GT comes fully loaded. Firstly Yonex has added what it refers to as StrikeSpeed carbon. Essentially this is a graphite composite channel that sits behind the face to assist with the compressing and rebounding of the face in order to maximize ball speed. It certainly provides a striking visual and reminds me a little of the old Nike VR Pro driver from the sole.
Yonex has also created a new head structure with a ‘wall’ at the back of the head, in order to optimize weight distribution and increase stability. Finally, there is a vertical laser milled face which is designed to reduce the tilt of the spin axis and offer tighter down range dispersion.
In terms of the looks, I think Yonex has done an excellent job. The matt carbon crown is nicely contoured and coupled with the excellently proportioned and shaped head, it looks great in the playing position. A single dot adorns the crown to assist with lining the ball up centrally and that suited my eye well.
As I mentioned above, from the sole view, it does bear a striking resemblance to an older model from another company, but that doesn’t diminish the visual experience at all. This is one of the better drivers I have seen in 2024 from a shelf appeal standpoint. Well branded without being too in your face, plus a nice blend of finishes and colors to keep it vibrant, I would give top marks to Yonex with the overall aesthetic. The premium-looking and feeling headcover also deserves a mention too.
I tested the Yonex EZone GT driver at Saunton Golf Club using my FullSwing KIT launch monitor and TaylorMade TP5 golf balls and overall found the performance to be pretty good.
I enjoyed the feel and pitch of impact, not too loud or tinny but with enough vibration to give a sense of power providing a really nice balance. Mishits were noticeable from a feel perspective but weren’t punished too harshly in terms of ball flight which was encouraging.
The data was solid without being spectacular, which was mildly disappointing to be honest. When you are looking to attack a well-established market at similar price points to drivers like the TaylorMade Qi10, Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke, and Ping G430 ranges, at the very least you need to match the numbers to pull consumers away from their normal purchases, and it just wasn’t quite there for me personally. Not far off, but not quite as close as I would have liked.
It must be said for context here that I was not fitted for the EZone GT (which I have been for most of the brands I mentioned above) and the shaft in my test model, although very good, was a little on the soft side for my speed which will certainly have impacted results.
I really like the concept of the vertical grooves for spin axis but couldn’t hand on heart say that I noticed any perceptible difference in dispersion from my usual gamer driver, although this could once again be a shaft issue.
There is plenty to enjoy from the Yonex EZone GT driver. The aesthetic is outstanding and the feel is up there with anything else I have tried this year. I would certainly like to have tried this driver in a more suitable shaft for me personally, but in the setup I was sent, the performance sat just below some of the current industry leaders.
