Pinemeadow's Doublewall Driver Offers Distance and Forgiveness

Pinemeadow's Doublewall Driver Offers Distance and Forgiveness

So let's face it: The USGA has limited legal driver size to 460cc and the COR restriction effectively limits distance for all of us average golfers who cannot continually tweak equipment specs to precisely fit our swings. So now that size-related technology has been reined in (somewhat), what's the next equipment craze going to be?
Control.
Face it. It doesn't matter how far you hit that driver if you're bouncing balls off of the McMansions lining the fairways.
Pinemeadow Golf (doublewall.com) has been working on a driver since 1998 that bucks the trend toward springy, thin-faced clubs. The Pinemeadow Doublewall (MSRP $299) incorporates a second inner face behind the clubface, which the company says provides a more rigid, more solid striking surface. The result, they say, is the biggest sweet spot in golf, i.e., more control.
Interestingly, another smaller yet well-respected equipment company, KZG, also has a two-faced driver on the market, the Gemini. The design of KZG's offering is also supposed to increase control. And if more companies are smart, they'll move from distance to control in the near future as well.
How it plays
I tested the 360cc Pinemeadow Doublewall with 9.5 degrees of loft and a regular-flex Aldila NV shaft. One thing that is immediately noticeable is the somewhat lower profile of the Doublewall compared to other larger headed drivers on the market. The face height of 51mm allows you to use standard-length tees and, in my opinion, makes it easier to get the ball height right every time you tee it up.
Another feature that you see right away is the slight draw-bias at set-up; the Doublewall sets up slightly closed. This is great for your average golfer, who tends to fight a slice.
The verdict
Can you still hit ugly slices and hooks with the Doublewall? Well, I don't know if you can, but I sure can.
Nevertheless, the Doublewall produced a straight, long (if a touch low) ball-flight, irrespective of where the ball was struck on the face. This control, of course, is the heart of the theory behind the two-wall technology.
Personally, I cannot wait to see what they come out with next that once and for all will keep me out of the yards (and windows!) of all those pretty houses lining the fairways.