Sinister Golf Agent Orange Driver Review

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Sinister Golf Agent Orange Driver (1)

50 Word or Less

Orange.  Really solid performance.  Designed to launch low, spin low.  Comes custom fit and built with Fujikura shafts for less than $300.

Introduction

As an aspiring long driver, Shawn Allan realized that he didn’t have the physical tools he needed to win, so he went searching for more firepower in the form of a better driver.  He started sketching ideas for driver heads, as I’m sure many of us have, but then he did something unique: he put his money where his mouth is and actually built that driver.  That driver is known today as Agent Orange and the company is Sinister Golf.  Though its design was inspired by long drive contests, Shawn believes that Agent Orange also has a lot to offer the average weekend golfer as well.

Sinister Golf Agent Orange Driver (8)

Looks

The first thing that you notice is that Agent Orange is a really appropriate name for this club.  It is orange all over the place.  For some people, that’s a deal breaker, for others it’s just a bit of fun.  I have to believe that Sinister Golf knew the orange would be polarizing, but in this highly competitive golf marketplace, it’s go big or go home.  Standing out is a must for a small company.

Now onto the shape: it’s beautiful.  It’s compact and traditional with a moderately deep face.  If this was black with a TaylorMade logo on it, the TMAG fan boys would be blaring “The Ruler’s Back” from every available speaker.  Alas, it is orange and not TMAG, so no one (except me) will give it its due.  Such is the state of the golf industry.

Sinister Golf Agent Orange Driver (10)

Sound & Feel

Variable.  After much deliberation, that’s the best one-word description.  Anywhere on the middle or lower portion of the face, Agent Orange sounds great.  It’s a deep, low-pitched sound that isn’t too loud.  However, more often than not, I hit the ball high on the face.  The sound there is markedly higher pitched and louder.  While I prefer the lower sound, neither is bad, and it does give you a very clear indication of where you hit the ball on the face.

Agent Orange LM Data

Performance

When you order a driver from Sinister Golf, you have the option of getting a personal fitting over the phone with the company’s founder, Shawn Allan.  As with any driver, this fitting is critically important to getting the right combination of loft and shaft.  The Agent Orange is designed to promote a lower launching, lower spinning flight, so Shawn and I decided that we would stick to my typical loft (10.5°) and go with a higher launching shaft (Fujikura EXS 6.1) to get the launch and spin up.

As the launch monitor numbers show, this combination worked out pretty nicely for me.  As with any new club, there was an adjustment period, but once I got in sync with the shaft, I hit plenty of good shots.  The head and the shaft balanced each other nicely to produce a solid launch angle with reasonably low spin.

The thing that most stood out to me about the Agent Orange head is that it feels incredibly neutral.  By that I mean that it does not have any obvious draw or fade bias.  Every swing that I made produced the result that I felt it should have without any of those, “How did that happen?” shots.  For players that need help taking one side of the course out of the equation this may not be optimal, but for players who like to shape the ball both ways it’s a really good thing.

The takeaway from this is that the Agent Orange driver can absolutely hang with all of the well-hyped OEM stuff.  Do not think for a minute that it can’t perform because no one is paid to play this on tour.

Sinister Golf Agent Orange Driver (13)

Conclusion

If you’re not afraid to stand out from the crowd, Agent Orange is definitely worth a look.  You can get true aftermarket shafts and a personal fitting from the company’s founder for less than the price of an off-the-rack OEM driver.  I think it’s a particularly good choice for better players who want to shape their tee shots both ways.  And with a 30 day money-back guarantee, you have nothing to lose.

Price and Specs

The Sinister Golf Agent Orange driver retails for $289 with a Fujikura EXS shaft through the Sinister Golf website.  The head-only cost is $199.

The Agent Orange is available in lofts of 5°, 6°, 7.5°, 9°, 10.5°, and 12°.  Right hand only.

Sinister Golf offers a full range of Fujikura and Enzo shafts.

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Matt Saternus

Founder, Editor In Chief at PluggedInGolf.com
Matt is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Plugged In Golf. He's worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking. Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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