Best Golf Driver

The C830.2 is the longest and best golf driver. Through optimizations of 4 design parameters: volume, moment of inertia, coefficient of restitution, and center of gravity, Alpha has created a driver that has won more ReMax World Long Drive titles than any other club. While many golf club companies make the claim of having the world's longest and best golf driver, only Alpha has the awards and titles to back it up.

Volume

The C830.2 has the maximum volume allowed by the USGA at 460 cubic centimeters. The large and deep club head provides plenty of hitting area, and a center of gravity deep inside the club (more on this later)

Moment of Inertia

The moment-of-inertia (MOI) is the measure of resistance to club twisting. The less a club twists before and during impact, the more stable it is. And, therefore, the straighter and farther the ball goes. So a high MOI driver promotes distance in off-center strikes.

There are 2 types of MOI - one affects twisting before impact and the other affects twisting during impact.

The MOI of the clubhead about its center of gravity is the first MOI metric which determines clubhead twisting during impact. Alpha maximizes this MOI by a variety of weight and geometry optimizations that separate mass from the COG axis of rotation. This is often called "perimeter weighting" in the golf industry.

The more mass that is positioned away from the central axis, the less twisting there will be. This lack of twisting promotes a very straight ball flight - especially when the center of the ball is hit off from the center of gravity axis. The Alpha C830.2’s strategic heel-to-toe weighting increases the rotational inertia to achieve this effect.

The MOI of the clubhead about the shaft axis is the second MOI metric which determines clubhead twisting before impact. On the golfer's downswing, the clubhead twists because of separation from the COG to the hosel. Golfers with fast swing speeds choose stiff shafts so the face angle can quickly recover to a square position right at the tee. But the twisting can be mitigated by moving the COG close to the hosel. In fact, the USGA regulates a minimum distance between COG and hosel, and the C830.2 hits this exact limit.

Coefficient of Restitution

The Coefficient of Restitution (COR) is the measurement of how "bouncy" an object is during impact. An object with a COR of 1 collides elastically, bouncing perfectly with no energy loss. While an object with a COR of 0 is said to collide inelastically, effectively "sticking" to the object it collides with.

Mathematically, it's measured as the ratio of velocities before and after an impact. When thinking in these terms, it’s easy to see that a higher COR means a faster ball speed after impact. And a faster ball speed means more distance. The USGA limits COR to 0.83, and the Alpha C830.2 hits this exact limit.

Alpha engineers reach the maximum COR limit through 2 methods:

1) Using the absolute highest grade titanium for the face - SP700 Titanium

2) A super-thin face. A thin face provides a "spring-like effect" where the face momentarily depresses at initial contact and then "springs" back into shape at launch. If the face is too thin, the driver can crack at high swing speeds. If the face is too thick, you lose the spring-like effect where the face won't depress. The right tradeoff of thickness for the particular type of titanium being used is what keeps Alpha engineers busy in the labs.

Center of Gravity

The Center of Gravity (COG) of a golf driver is the specific point at which the club behaves as if all the driver's mass were concentrated. The COG is located inside the head, and has 3 dimensions to it - X, Y, and Z. The X-axis is the horizontal COG location (how far, left or right, it is from the center of the club face). The Y-axis is the vertical COG (how high it is from the sole of the head). And the Z-axis is the COG depth (how far back it is from the face).

Golf clubs obviously aim to keep the horizontal COG axis right at the center of the club face. Aligning the horizontal COG with the sweet spot of the club face maximizes the Moment of Inertia - see MOI a few paragraphs above.

For the vertical COG, we want to keep this generally high to avoid topspin. If the ball is hit above the COG, it launches with topspin which results in a very poor ball flight. If the ball is hit below the COG, it induces desirable backspin since the ball rolls up as it leaves the face while the face twists downwards.

For the Z-axis COG, we want it far back from the face without going too deep. A deeper COG allows for more "dynamic loft" to get the ball airborne. But going too deep reduces the MOI if the COG gets close to the weight in the back of the head.

Positioning the center of gravity vertically high, horizontally center, and back away from the face is done by careful positioning of the weight. For example, we add more weight on the crown of the head to raise the position of the COG. We make the head shape deep so that more weight is positioned away from the clubface, thus moving the COG back. And having the largest volume allowed (460CC) also lets us maneuver the COG in the best possible position.

Variable Face Thickness

Alpha Golf’s patented Increased Target Design (ITD) varies the thickness across the face. By making the center of the face thinner and the outer radius thicker, Alpha Golf engineers have created a giant sweet spot. Now practically every drive is long and straight!

Construction

The 4 parameters to engineering a long distance driver are mostly scientific - the Volume, MOI, COR, and COG can be optimized through computer-aided design software. But there is also an art to club design. The construction and manufacturing of a club head specifically for long-distance drives requires some creative and unique solutions.

Most off-the-shelf drivers are made with a 4-piece construction, gluing together the face and body. They momentarily deform at high swing speeds, resulting in energy loss. Alpha Golf’s plasma welding forges the SP700 Titanium face and the body at extremely high heat. Effectively acting like a solid single piece on contact. Golf swings thus get virtually loss-less impacts on every drive. Energy loss (through deformation or sound or any other factor) is something the USGA does not measure or regulate. At least not yet!

The plasma welding does another thing - remember how we talked about moving weight away from the face and towards the back of the club for optimal center of gravity? Well the welding material that glues together a 4-piece construction contributes a few hundred milligrams to the overall weight of the head. It is enough weight that removing the glue from the face pushes the COG a few millimeters towards the back of the club. Plasma welding eliminates this extra weight.

Plasma welding is a much more expensive and time-consuming endeavor than traditional club head construction. But this innovative manufacturing process is one of the long-distance secrets behind the Alpha C830.2. It is an art, but has scientific backing (and Re/Max World Long Drive Titles) to justify the extra craftsmanship.

 

Headcover

A purchase of the C830.2 Plasma driver includes Alpha's easy-to-use Magnetic headcover. Not only is it a great compliment to your driver, this fast and simple design makes protecting your new Alpha driver a snap!

Build & Buy Your C830.2 Plasma Driver here