50 Words or Less
The Sub 70 Golf 839D driver is a solid performer at an amazing price. Clean look. Unusual but satisfying sound and feel.
Introduction
After visiting Sub 70 Golf’s HQ in Sycamore, Illinois and talking to their founder on the PIG Podcast, I was all-in on their mission of bringing golfers high performance equipment at a much lower price. But I still had my doubts. Can you possibly buy a high performance driver in 2019 for $249? That’s the question I’m setting out to answer in this review.
Looks
The look of the 839D driver is as no-nonsense as any club you’re going to find. Outside of a little white and red branding on the sole, the club is entirely black. At address, there are no alignment aids, just a clean, gloss black crown. The face is a little taller than average, and the driver is slightly more compact from front to back.
Another big aesthetic plus is the headcover. It’s miles from your typical OEM cover, looking more like something from an aftermarket company like CRU Golf.
My one complaint is that the club does sit shut. Thankfully, the driver is adjustable, so I was able to get the square look that I prefer by dialing the loft down.
Sound & Feel
The Sub 70 839D produces a unique combination of sound and feel at impact. Contact feels extremely solid through your hands, but the sound is a little on the hollow side. The pitch is higher than average, but the sound is robust, not shrill. Ultimately, though the blend of sensory inputs was a little odd, I enjoyed hitting this club.
In another unusual turn, mishits sound deeper in pitch than pure strikes. This provides good audio feedback which is paired with precise feedback through the hands.
Performance
The Sub 70 839D looks good and feels good, and, if we’re being honest, that alone puts it miles ahead of many lower priced clubs. But spending any amount of money on a club that doesn’t perform is a waste. Thankfully, the 839D driver delivers on performance, too.
I gave the 839D the most stringent test I could, running it head to head with my gamer. Even without the advantage of a perfectly fit shaft, the 839D was within a few yards of my gamer on my better swings. The 839D was higher spinning, but part of that could be the shaft.
The one area where my gamer did trump the 839D is forgiveness. My driving needs all the help it can get, so I play what’s generally regarded as the most forgiving driver available, the PING G400 Max. When my contact got spotty, the 839D lost more ball speed than my gamer. In a wider context, I think the 839D offers good forgiveness, but it falls short of being elite in that regard.
Finally, the Sub 70 839D does offer significant adjustability. The hosel offers 12 positions for modifying loft and lie angle. Also, there are two weights which can be swapped to change the launch and spin characteristics.
Conclusion
If the Sub 70 839D came with a $400 or $500 price tag, it would be a perfectly good driver. If it came from a major OEM, it would probably get gold stars on the Hot List. Instead, this driver comes from an upstart company with a price that’s less than half what many OEMs are charging for drivers. Will you let brand status stop you from trying something new and possibly saving hundreds of dollars? I hope not.
Visit Sub 70 Golf HERE
Sub 70 839D Driver Price & Specs
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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I have been in contact with Jason H – the CEO – directly on fitting details.
Already have the driver 3 wood and two hybrids on order with the upgraded MCA Tensei CK series shafts in all for right around $1,000.
Can’t do that with any of the other quality brands.
Can’t wait to get them.
Thank you for spotlighting this smaller golf equipment manufacturer.
Sounds very similar to exotics exs driver even the shaft
Like the simple look of the driver. Should be attractive to golf purists.
You did good – great review.!
This is how Tour Edge got started, a small quiet company with few followers.. and now today, it’s a BIG quiet company with many followers, same with Super Stroke.
In todays world, if you have the right combination with the right shaft and the right grip with the right driver head you can pick up 15/25+yards without spending $400+++ dollars.. it’s good to see a small company growing with quality without the big name.
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It sounds like a good quality club, especially considering how much titanium clubheads go for nowadays, as well as top end shafts.
I looked them up online, and they do list several good quality alternative shafts to choose from, though it did not say if there was an upcharge or not, or how much if there was.
It could be tough for a company like this, even if the quality is great. So many golfers nowadays just wait for a model to become a year old, then buy it on sale… or buy a slightly used one via eBay or whatever. They may want the “brand name”, even if the lesser known brand is just as good.
I’m really intrigued by this company. Any chance you will be reviewing any or their iron sets or wedges in the near future?
Seth,
We will have a review of their wedge fairly soon.
Best,
Matt
I just received a set of Sub70 739 irons & hybrids today 5/28/20. The company has a demo program where you can try the clubs out before you place a order. I got a 6 & 9 iron to try, The craftsmanship on the clubs are very nice, so I called Jason Hiland the CEO & Founder left a message and he called me back with 30 minutes. He is extremely knowledgeable on fitting and the shaft selection. So all in all Sub 70 Golf has a great product, but to top it off the outstanding customer service they provide that is worth the investment.