Dynacraft's Avatar XMOI woods are long, in more ways than one!”

Read the new review of the Dynacraft Avatar XMOI Woods
written by Senior Writer Kiel Christianson from Worldgolf.com:
Adapted for Australia and GCDU by Cliff

For players looking to upgrade older golf equipment – and older technology – Golf Clubs Down Under offers very solid equipment for surprisingly affordable prices. For example, the new Dynacraft Avatar XMOI 460cc driver costs less than $250 AUD , fully assembled. For around $100 AUD more, you can custom order a tricked out version that is almost certain to impress you with its length.    

How the Dynacraft Avatar XMOI plays

We took an Avatar XMOI driver (10.5 degrees) and matching 3-wood (15 degrees) out to the practice tee and course to compare them against some big-name competitors, specifically the Nike SQ Dymo driver and 3-wood.

The Avatar driver (base price, $249.00 AUD ) that we tested had been customized with an Aldila NV-65 shaft ($135 extra) and Golf Pride Tour Wrap grip ($6 extra), for a grand total of $390 AUD . The Avatar 3-wood (base price, $159 AUD ) was likewise upgraded, coming to $300 AUD . By comparison, the Nike clubs run approximately $699 AUD and $429 AUD , respectively.

We also tested the Avatar driver against the Nike SQ Str8- FIT driver, which originally listed at $779, but can usually be found for $600-$700.

At set-up, the Avatar has a quite traditional pear-like shape, but a less-than-traditional deep (i.e., high) face. The look will appeal to purists, as will both Nike drivers.

We found the sound of the Avatar to be significantly less “clangy” than the Nike Str8- FIT , but noticeably louder than the SQ Dymo. In essence, pretty standard for the current generation of lightweight, 460cc drivers.

What really struck me and the single-digit handicapper I asked to test the clubs was the extreme length of the Avatar XMOI, compared to the other two drivers. The single-digit player had just bought the Str8- FIT , but was in love with the other club’s length.

The Avatar was catapulting the ball a good 20-plus yards beyond his best drives with the Nike and beginning to make him question his purchase.

The same was true of the SQ Dymo I was testing. I was working on swing mechanics and trying (generally unsuccessfully) to take half-swings, yet my drives with the Avatar were landing at the 315-yard marker. Seriously.

The mystery of the added length was solved, though, when my guest-tester realized that the club looked exceptionally long. Indeed, when stood up against the Nike drivers, we found the Avatar’s green Aldila shaft to be a good three inches longer.

To put it simply: a longer shaft means longer drives. However, it also means less control. And, out on the golf course, the uber-long Avatar delivered some absolutely spectacular drives, about half of which were found somewhere near the fairway.

As for the Avatar XMOI 3-wood, well, the shaft wasn’t as disproportional as that of the driver. Accordingly, the length was not discernibly different from the Nike SQ Dymo 3-wood against which it was tested. Recall, though, that the Avatar costs $130 less.

The verdict on Dynacraft Avatar XMOI woods

The Avatar XMOI is a powerful driver, which – at least in the case of the club we tested – was fueled by an extra-long shaft. My single-digit playing partner, who tends to find the fairway on most holes, was duly impressed by the remarkable length that the solid, stable clubhead with its massive sweet spot delivered.

My performance was less accurate but equally long. It must be noted, though, that one can order shaft lengths both longer and shorter than “standard” on GCDU.  And there’s no extra charge for shorter or, importantly, longer shafts.

As for my test driver, which is so long in more than one way, I’m going to hang onto it for when I enter one of those long-drive competitions.