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Dunlop LoCo: Looks crazy, plays smart
by Justin
Ramers
Rising out of the popularity of their low compression ball by the
same name, Dunlop Sports (Focus Golf Systems) has recently
released the LoCo Driver.
On looks, I really didn’t think much of this club.
Initially I was a little put off by the size of this thing, after
all the Cobra SS 427 had been in my hands recently only to be cast
aside for a driver with a smaller head. The crown has a
finish reminiscent of the Callaway C4 but the LoCo isn’t a
carbon composite, it’s actually a Aluminum alloy or Ti Xenium as
Dunlop calls it. A single yellow dot serves as an acceptable
sightline.
In keeping with the color scheme, Dunlop matched the
blue/yellow head with a Harrison Striper Titanium shaft in a
mid/firm flex. For the techies out there, the Striper has
3.9* of torque and weighs 75 grams. Dunlop hit a homerun by
using a high quality shaft in this driver, anything less would
have been a disappointment. They finished the driver off
nicely with a Winn Tour Series grip.
 I put my presuppositions aside and decided to give it a trial
on the course. The results impressed me so much I took it
out again, and again.
Through my very unscientific testing regimen, this thing is a
fairway finding machine. I don’t feel it lives up to the
“Crazy Long” tattoo it wears on the sole, but I can tell you
that is crazy straight. I have probably hit 20 drivers that
are longer than the LoCo, but never have I hit one that likes
finding the fairway as much as this one does.
Feel
It has a very solid and muted feel at impact. I didn’t get
the “rebound” feel that I felt with many of the other recently
released drivers. Overall it feels surprisingly solid.
Looks
Big. At 450CC’s, it’s not the biggest on the market, but
it sure isn’t “traditional”. The design on the head
threw me off at first, but after a round I actually started to
like the way it looks at address.  The shaft is bright yellow
and draws plenty of attention. The headcover could use some
work, but if you are looking to draw attention to your bag, it
will do the trick.
Who’s it for?
Definitely suited for the player that tends to fade or slice the
ball. I can’t explain it but this driver has an odd,
almost “gear effect” quality to it. It’s inexplicable,
but at times the ball would seem to change its flight path in
mid-air and start coming back to the middle of the fairway.
Value
At $149.99 retail and a street price of just $99.99, this is a
high quality stick. It doesn’t have the “curb appeal”
of the major OEM’s but this club can definitely fill a niche
market amongst certain golf enthusiasts.
Summary
Incredibly straight, respectable distance,
and a fantastic price point makes this driver definitely worth a
try for anyone who has trouble hitting fairways or just don’t
have the desire to plop down $300 for another OEM driver.
It’s certainly not for everyone but it is definitely a
quality product that will help a majority of mid to high handicap
golfers keep it in the fairway a little more often.
More information about the
LoCo driver can be
found at:
http://www.dunlopgolf.com
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