Adams 9064LS: Not your father's driver

Available Specs:

Loft: 8.5, 9.5, 10.5

Shafts: Aldila RIP gamma (high launch) or alpha (low launch) in R,S,X flex

Length: 45.5”

Volume: 460cc

As tested: 9.5, RIP Alpha S-flex

PROS: Forgiving off the tee, great stock shaft, very long, no center marker

CONS: no center marker, black finish on face wears easily

OVERALL: A bargain of a package for the price, length, and satisfaction of a drive well hit

From the blog:

The latest model in a line of under-marketed and under-appreciated woods is, in a few words, an absolute joy to hit.  Paired with a tour-quality shaft and a deep (but forgiving) face, the 9064LS is a consistent, dependable workhorse that can be relied upon on every tee box.

Address:

At address, the 9064LS is about as plain as they come. The black grip, black shaft, black hosel and black head flow uninterruptedly into a black face that contrasts well with a white ball.  It should be noted that this driver does not have an aiming guide, but I (and everyone else I spoke to about it) had no trouble lining up to center.  Compared to drivers like the Titleist 907 or the Taylormade Supertri, the head appears compact due to its roundness over its peer’s more traditional pear shape.

Face/Sole:

I normally do not dedicate time to the face of a driver unless there is something that needs to be covered.  However, I wanted to take a little space to discuss the black face of the 9064LS.  If you live in an area where the range or teeboxes are grass on top of mostly a sand surface, you will likely hit some sandy balls.  That being said, the finish on the face and sole will begin to wear over time.  Personally, I don’t worry too much about it, because it does not distract at address, but be aware.  A plus for the black finish is that you can see instantly where you hit a ball on the face, as white balls will leave a fairly distinct mark.  When I hit a shank, I instantly turn the club over and 9 times out of 10, its got a nice ball print on the toe.

Shaft:

One of the key factors that sets the Adams apart from the competition is the fact that for the base price, you get a real Aldila RIP shaft.  Not a “made for” version like so many other manufacturers offer, but a real-deal, tour-proven Aldila RIP.  Considering that 10 months ago I paid almost $300 to get a tour issue version to use in my old Supertri, the availability of this shaft is a huge boon for the club.  The RIP does not disappoint in the 9064LS.  Early models I played with were about a half flex soft, even with tipping, so I was a little worried that this one would play the same.  It didn’t, it played to its advertised flex, and I was pleasantly surprised.  I am not sure if it was a lighter head or revised manufacturing, and I don’t really care.  All I know is that this shaft took everything I threw at it gracefully:  3/4 speed swings, 100% swings, and didn’t even bark when I went a little overboard.  The shaft comes in two configurations:  Gamma (yellow eyes) and Alpha (red eyes).  Gamma is a higher launch shaft, and Alpha is lower launch.  Most of us amateurs could get more yardage out of a higher launch, higher loft shaft, but in my model, the Alpha proved to be more of a mid-launch than low-launch model.  You really can’t go wrong either way.  And, thankfully, both models are available in Regular, Stiff and X-Flex, so your dad can get in on the fun as well.

Overall:

The Adams 9064LS is a subtle, high performance driver that offers outstanding forgiveness and silly-long distance.  It’s a bargain with the RIP shaft, and should be strongly considered when you’re building your bag for the next big buddies trip.