Can I admit something?
You probably should have been reading this personal review of the new Vice Golf metalwoods back in May or June. That’s when it was due but I put it off.
Then I put it off some more.
For a while, I forgot all about it but then I remembered.
And then I put it off some more.
Hey, if procrastination were an Olympic sport, I’d be its Mark Spitz. Or Michael Phelps, depending on your g-g-genertion.
Why procrastinate? Pretty simple, really. My knee-jerk first impression was that I didn’t like them.
Time, however, can be a great teacher. The past seven months have taught me that I’m not half as smart as I think I am.
Let me explain.
Vice Golf metalwoods: Why the negative knee-jerk?
There is a fine line between gut instinct and a rash, hasty snap judgment. When I tested the new Vice Golf VGDO1+ driver, VGF01 3-wood and VGH01 4-hybrid last May, I wasn’t overwhelmed. Then, again, I wasn’t underwhelmed, either.
I guess that means I was whelmed. I was also rash and hasty.
For some context, the spring was spent testing several iron sets and metalwoods. Frankly, they all started morphing into one another. That’s why MyGolfSpy’s official testing is done at HQ with a team of testers over several weeks. It removes “club fatigue” from the equation which guards against testers getting moody.
With winter approaching, I decided to revisit my testing notes on the Vice metalwoods. Comments ranged from “driver feels dead at impact” to “the hybrid is a hook machine.” However, the launch monitor data indicated better than expected ball speed, spin and distance.
That is where yours truly dropped the figurative ball. I relied on my initial impressions and did not give the Vice Golf metalwoods a fair shake, on the course or in subsequent testing.
What can I say other than what the Jesuits taught me at a young age: Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.
My fault, my fault, my most grievous fault
Back in September, I gave you my top five drivers for under $400. If you recall, the Vice VGD01+ was noticeably absent. Now, after retests, reevaluations and soul-searching, I still can’t put it on that list.
The reason, however, has nothing to do with performance. It has to do with price. And timing. At launch, the VGD01+ sold for $399. Sometime over the summer, that price jumped to $449. So, technically, I can’t put it on the list.
But if I could, I would because it’s a lot better than I gave it credit for.
I’m still not a fan of the sound but the numbers say it’s yet another club you can play good golf with. The VGD01+ is the lower-spinning, lower-launching model in Vice’s driver stable. It features a more forward center of gravity for a penetrating ball flight and greater ball speed than the more forgiving standard VGD01 model.
Vice says the VGD01+ is for low- to mid-handicappers who are willing to sacrifice a little forgiveness to get a little more distance. That comparison, of course, is with the standard VGD01 which sacrifices a little bit of distance for a little more forgiveness.
That analysis is, I’d say, spot on, especially compared to other drivers in the category. Vice’s design philosophy for its metalwoods and irons is all about lighter weighting. The designs, based on actual club fitting data Vice has gathered over the past 15 years, are on the lighter side. They’re not XXIO-level light but they’re very playable for those of us who just want to hit the ball a little straighter.
The Vice VGF01 fairway and VGH01 hybrid
In another September piece, I told you that, when it comes to fairway woods, you’d have to pry the Wilson Dynapower Carbon out of my cold, dead hands. Now that I’ve re-evaluated the Vice metalwoods, I’d say the Vice VGF01 fairway, at the very least, had a pry bar in its hands.
Given the luxury of time and perspective, I’m finding the VGF01 has the potential to be a true weapon. It’s light, which is great for this sexagenarian, and it’s draw-biased which has its pros and cons. As with the driver, I’m not overly thrilled with the sound but as is also the case with the driver, it’s not a deal-breaker kind of sound.
The fairway wood acid test for me is how many times out of 10 shots can I get an acceptable result. I’m pleased to say the Vice VGF01 is in the Dynapower neighborhood for this golfer. That’s roughly eight out of 10, if you’re scoring at home.
I haven’t gamed a hybrid consistently for three years now, preferring a utility iron. My problem with hybrids is a common one as I can hook virtually any one of them off the planet. Maybe the Vice VGH01 was casting some sort of Teutonic anti-left spell on me but my recent test session was one gorgeous high and tight baby draw after another.
Let’s see what the number say
Like many of you, my metalwood swing goes through many moods over the course of a season. There’s the Which-way-is-the-f*#%^*king-ball-going-this-time stretch, often followed by the Why-the-hell-can’t-I-stop-duck-hooking phase. For every four or five of those, there’s one magical Nuke-Laloosh-breathing-out-of-my-eye-lids-like-a-Galapagos-Island-Lava-Lizard 14-day period where I am, in fact, the chosen one.
I get two of those a year. Three if I’m lucky.
That said, golf season is over here in New Hampshire. Snow has fallen and range time is hard to come by. These recent launch monitor numbers aren’t mid-season but they are consistent and represent a good baseline for my game.
That said, the Vice VGD01+ wasn’t overly long (216 yards carry, 239 total, 92 mph swing) but the damn ball just wanted to go straight. Spin averaged just over 2,000 rpm with side-spin averaging 263 rpm, reflective of a consistent baby draw. Launch angle was consistently around 14 degrees and the penetrating ball flight led to plenty of simulated rollout.
The VGF01 fairway was a pleasant surprise, averaging 202 carry and 222 total. Spin was in the 3300 range while sidespin was only around 275 rpm with one piss-missile showing only 41 rpm of side spin. That one kicked up some simulator chalk on the target line.
Lastly, the Vice VGH01 22-degree 4-hybrid didn’t give me quite the distance of my Titleist U505 utility 4-iron (2023 model) but it did what hybrids are supposed to do: fly high and land soft. Carry averaged 182 yards, with total distance averaging 189. Spin rate was around 4,100 rpm, with 470 rpm worth of side spin.
Yep, I do love me some high draws.
Who are these Vice metalwoods for?
The Vice VGD01 and VGD01+ are the type of drivers that could fit most any “regular” golfer. By regular, I mean a golfer with a swing speed in the 85- to 100-mph range who craves that transcendent serenity known as “hitting the fairway.” There are longer drivers out there, but as the Germans say, it’s lang genug und gerade.
Look it up, kumpel.
Specifically, unless you can honestly say you can draw or fade your driver on command every time, the Vice drivers are worth looking at.
If you tend to use the entire face (hey, you paid for it, right?), you’ll find the standard VGD01 to be the more forgiving of the two. If you are a little more consistent in finding the center, the VGD01+ will give you a little more giddyup. A golfer with a little more swing speed than my 92 mph will likely get more out of its low-spin tendencies.
The Vice VGH01 hybrid is interesting. Everything about it screamed hook machine, until I started hitting it. Just like its driver brother, the VGH01 wants to go straight. I’m admittedly not a fan of hybrids but this one does what you’d want it to do, especially with its easy height and steep descent angle.
My favorite of the trio is the VGF01 fairway. As with the driver and hybrid, it’s not the longest you’ll find in the class but if you want consistency, repeatability and, well, straight, we can say it delivers on all three.
Vice metalwoods specs and pricing
If you want to demo any of the Vice metalwoods, you’re looking at going to a Club Champion facility. Vice is working on more retail availability but the reality is that for clubs, Vice is a direct-to-consumer brand.
As mentioned, the VGD01+ sells for $449 while the standard VGD01 is $349.00. The 01+ is available in 9.5- and 10.5-degree heads while the standard 01 is available in 10.5 and 12.5. Both feature adjustable hosels. Standard shafts are the Vice Whiz (made-for by Aldila) in varying weights and, because it’s Vice, it’s available in a standard Shadow Black or a spiffier Ocean Blue color. Shaft upgrades from KBS, UST and Mitsubishi are also available at an upcharge.
The VGF01 fairways are available in 3-, 5- and 7-wood models with the same shaft options. They run $249. The VGH01 hybrid comes in 19-, 22- and 25-degree models and features the same shaft options. They run $219.
The post Why I Was Wrong About The Vice Golf Metalwoods appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
