In the spirit of full disclosure, this is something of a biased review. My complaints with the new Adams Speedline 9032LS are negligible, so much that I recently purchased it for myself. I bought it. It’s in my bag and I’m devoted to it. If you’re on the fence about whether or not you should own this club, I am here to push you in the back and drag you over to the side that reads Yes in big bold letters, outlined in Speedline green and yellow. I think that about takes care of our disclaimer.

Where to begin? I guess it makes most sense to start with what Adams is saying about their newest driver offering. By now, you’ve probably seen the original Speedline and heard about it’s main features. Things like aerodynanic shaping, heel and toe scoops for increased swing speed and distance, gold medal technology that compelled Golf Digest to say in their 2009 Hot List “There is a sense that Adams has discovered something others have overlooked.” The 9032 has taken these features and utilized them to the next level.

The heel and toe scoops in the 9032 are 1.5x deeper than the original Speedline, resulting in more stable air movement throughout the clubhead as you swing and take advantage of 3-4 miles per hour more swing speed. As far as face area goes, the 9032 one-ups the original once again, clocking in at 17.3% deeper and longer. Taking inspiration from the mystical tour prototype 9015d, the 9032 has borrowed this hallowed high ball speed and low spin technology (note the LS in the drivers name), bringing a 10% reduction in spin off the clubface to the general public in a much more accessible fashion, and with Speedline technology. The lower spin the 9032 brings to the table can offer golfers more carry distance, a more penetrating ball flight and less side spin coaxing your ball off line. Add all this together with the increased swing speed and increased face area we’ve already talked about, and I suggest you start practicing your short irons more often, because this thing bombs.  Prepare to see the green more clearly from the fairway from now on.

Not to be overlooked is the Aldila Voodoo NV shaft that comes stock with the new Speedline. Don’t waste your time googling this one, because it’s only available in the 9032 through a special launch partnership between Adams and Aldila. This isn’t a mass produced “made-for” shaft. It’s the real deal, Tour spec, have to have a connection in the business or be a professional Ebay stalker to get your hands on one shaft. Nowhere on it will you see any mention of the Adams brand whatsoever, it’s a legit Voodoo from top to tip.  In the looks department, the shaft completely delivers on what my expectation is when regarding tour issue equipment: a whole lot cooler looking than what normal golfers are stuck with. Lucky for us, Aldila has stamped it with complementary Speedine colors and given 9032 users the first public crack at this badboy. As far as performance goes, the Voodoo is just as magically evil as its name suggests: Providing consistent, smooth, pure feeling tour caliber execution. When this thing finally does hit the shelf for mass golf-geek consumption, it’s price tag will flirt with that of the 9032 as a whole.

When it comes to golf equipment, I’m not a big numbers guy. I can’t offer you a whole bunch of launch monitor statistics or super in-depth technical specifications. I swing fast enough to warrant a stiff shaft, and that’s about the extent of my number crunching when it comes to considering a new driver. What I can tell you is I took into account quite a few options when making my selection. I hit a handful of promising prospects and the 9032 was the winner for a number of reasons. At first glance, the most striking feature of the club is simply its straight up good looks. An extemely refreshing and traditional  head shape from the top view, this beauty is good for what ails you if you suffer from square-back driver overload. For those of you who can’t handle the open face of the 9015d or Speedline Classic but are looking for very similar performance and technology, you have found your club. This sucker sits square at address, and can be easily rocked open for a fade whenever neccessary. Measuread at 460cc, it gives the impression of being more compact than that, providing a less bulky and more confidence inspiring profile with a traditionalist sensibility. Not that this is your grandpappies persimmon wood. The 9032 still brings a lot of modern swagger to the table underneath its traditional veneer, enhancing and improving on the scoops and graphics of the original Speedline. Mixing the black sole enhanced with green and yellow grid patters with the aforementioned matching Voodoo was almost enough to win me over on the spot. And thas was before I even hit the thing.

In hand, the 9032 may feel a gram or two heavier than its modern counterparts, but this concern flies quickly out the window after your first swing. Like I said, I don’t know numbers, but I could both feel and hear the increase in swing speed generated by this club. Not only does it cut through the air on your downswing with ease, you can hear the whoosh of the aerodynamic scoops and headshape technology as you unload. The sound made at impact is muffled and sounds sort of like the crack of a baseball bat connecting with a fastball. A sound I prefer a great deal to the high pitched ping of some drivers, or the making contact with an empty trash can crash of others. The contact off the face feels solid and responsive, you can actually feel the ball react to your swing. There’s not hollow disconnect with the 9032 like you may have experienced with other large-headed drivers. Did I mention that the 9032 crushes? It does. The ball flies off the face at a very penetrating mid-high trajectory and does not come down for quite a while. Even mishits managed to reach more than respectable distance. The low spin head of the 9032 carries the ball for ages, and with a lack of backspin upon landing, the ball releases and rolls quite a bit as well. Another benefit of the LS aspect of this club? Less side spin and more forgiveness. The 9032 maxes out on forgiveness according to Adam’s fancy little graph, and as an occasional slicer, I can attest that my bad swings started right and then held, landing somewhere playable as opposed to lost forever as I had come to expect with my previous driver.

To sum it up neatly: The 9032 excells in all categories. It delivers in looks, feel, sound and performance. Not to mention its tour caliber stock shaft and technologially perfected head-shape and design. If you’re somehow still clinging to that fence, hitting is believing. Climb on down from your perch and take this thing for a test drive. And if you do, I suggest preparing for the overwhelming possibily of seeing a Speedline headcover sticking out of your bag in the near future.

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