Back in June of 2014 I reviewed the Bombtech Golf Grenade Driver. It became my gamer driver until my dad confiscated it from me and refused to give it back after trying it. At 82, he’s still killing that driver and it even has a stiff shaft. Four years later I’ve now gotten my hands on the 2nd iteration of the Grenade, the Grenade2. I’ve got the Grenade2 Driver as part of a current combo on the Bombtech website which includes a free 3-wood. Let’s take a look at the Grenade2 Driver. Pull the pin.
Grenade2 Driver
While the first version of the driver is an excellent driver, version 2 improves in the area of weighting and aerodynamics.
The Grenade2 driver features a dual cavity design in the club head. This design shifts the weighting to the center and perimeter, and helps with aerodynamics, reducing drag. The more deeper and lower the center of gravity is, the better the driver can launch the ball with lower spin.
The hitting area of the club face is very large, which helps on those “off” center shots. Let’s face it. Every club out there will produce a great result if the impact point is in the sweet spot. It’s how good the club performs on non-sweet spot shots is more important for most golfers, myself included.
Specs
The face material is Ti-1188 hardened titanium. The head weighs in at 199 grams. The head is 450cc’s, 10cc’s lower than the maximum allowed by golf’s governing bodies.
The lie is 59* while the face of the club is closed 1 degree. One degree closed is typical of most drivers for amateurs. Length: 45.75 inches.
No, the head is not adjustable.
The shaft is a custom Grenade branded model with a mid kick point and a mid-high launch. My shaft of choice is stiff.
The grip is a custom grip with a grenade on the end of the handle.
Head Cover
The zippered head cover is nice, with some great graphics. Here is the head cover combo:
3-wood and Grenade2 driver with covers
3-Wood
This review is primarily the Grenade2 driver, but I will mention the 3-wood here since I got it as part of the special combo. The 3-wood matches the driver with the dual cavity. The look and style are also right in line with the driver. It’s a solid 3-wood!
Grenade 3-wood
On The Course
I’ve been testing the Grenade2 Driver for about six weeks now at 3+ rounds and 2-3 range sessions per week. I was surprised at how easily I could hit the Grenade2, from the first ball I hit. The club sets up nice visually and despite the fact that I had a 9 degree, it didn’t look too steep or unforgiving.
I was worried about not hitting the Grenade2 high enough, but that concern ended with the first couple of shots. It did take me a while to figure out ball position, probably due to the shaft more than the club head. Because of the kick and launch angle, I found that I had to tee the ball up fairly low. I thought with a 9 I’d have to tee it higher. Even with the 9 teed lower, I still launch it as high or higher than my previous 10.5 degree driver.
The sound and feel off the face is terrific, and it produces a very lively and hot feel with high ball speed. The ball explodes off the face while the feedback through feel and sound is rewarding.
Off-center shots still go very far and are not too far off line.
Final Thoughts
The performance of the Grenade2 driver equals or betters big brand name drivers and does it at 50%-60% of the cost. Did I mention that includes a free 3-wood? Pull the pin. BOOM!
In for review is the new Bombtech Golf Grenade2 Driver and 3-wood combo package (photos below). The Grenade2 driver normally sells for $297.00 and the 3-wood $147.00, but right now Bombtech has this combo package for $297.00. Based on the hundreds of reviews of the package, it looks like a hot seller.
I’m anxious to see how well the Grenade2 driver performs. I posted a Bombtech Grenade driver review back in 2014, the first model. I really liked it. My dad tried it and refused to give it back, and he still plays it today. He’s 82 and it is a stiff shaft. He kills it.
I haven’t hit the Grenade2 driver 3-wood combo yet, so my full review will be a few weeks. I don’t just hit a club three times on the range and post a “detailed” review. I actually game the clubs I review, on real golf courses, with real golf balls. Stay tuned.
How many decades have I been sniveling and whining about my short game here on this golf blog? 2? 3? I seriously have a better chance of getting a 4-iron close to the pin from 210 yards with a tree in my backswing, than I do chipping. That happened this past weekend. Thanks to Bombtech Golf I will be dropping a bomb on my short game and starting over with three new wedges.
Bombtech is famous for their Grenade driver which I reviewed a while back. It’s a great driver. Now they’re offering wedges which are very sharp looking. What’s crazy is that these wedges are priced at $99 for ALL THREE right now, instead of $99 each.
If these wedges can help improve my short game even a tiny bit, I’ll win that $99 in bets and the clubs will pay for themselves! Haha.
Can you buy a game? Most golfers seem to think so. For $99 it could be worth a shot, pun intended. Stay tuned for my (hopefully positive) review soon.
For the last couple of months I’ve been testing out the Grenade Driver by Bombtech Golf. I really enjoy working with some of the smaller golf companies who have a great entrepreneurial spirit, love of the game, and a passion for the gear. Sometimes those basic qualities can be lost lost in the mega-marketing campaigns and big-corporate worlds of the large players in golf equipment.
Below we will look at an overview of the Grenade and how it is built, the specs, aesthetics, and how it performs on a real golf course in real conditions. I base my reviews off of real on-course results, unlike lame golf blogs or review sites who simply regurgitate press releases and PR speak and if you are lucky, base their reviews off of hitting 10 balls on the driving range.
Grenade Overview/Construction
The Bombtech Grenade driver is a 460cc driver, the max cubic centimeters allowed by the governing bodies of golf. The unit was codesigned with the University of Vermont’s Engineering Department.
Bombtech Golf Grenade Driver
Two cavities in the back of the head provide a couple of benefits. First, air flow interaction with the cavities promotes square and straight club head path. Second, more weighting is distributed to the center of gravity as well as the outside edges of the head.
The driver face is plasma welded to the head, a process common in modern driver construction.
The max allowable COR (coefficient of restitution) in legal drivers is .83, exactly what the Grenade has. This is essentially a measurement of how much spring there is in the face.
The drivers are assembled in Vermont, not China.
Specs
Face Material: Ti-1188 hardened titanium
Hosel Depth: 38mm
Weight: 199 grams
Face Angle: 0*
Size: 460cc
Lie: 59*
Shaft lengths available: 44.5 to 47 inches.
Loft: 10.5 degrees
Shaft flexes: senior, regular, ladies, stiff, extra-stiff
Available grips: Pure Pro Standard, Pure Pro Midsize
Classy Top Line
Aesthetics
The Grenade features a very cool matte black finish. It reminds me of some great looking Harley Davidsons with badass flat black paint. The head is not decorated with busy and distracting artwork, lines, or designs. Its black, mean, and classy.
The green/black color scheme of the shaft and head is clean and sharp looking.
Feedback
Feedback from the club to the player comes in a few forms, most commonly audibly and through the feel. Through this feedback players will know if they’re hitting the sweet spot, or if there are adjustments needed due to toe or heel contact.
The sound this driver makes is very “sweet.” One knows that sweet pinging sound when a well struck shot is executed. The sound is slightly less pingy for off-center hits.
The feel of the club is great. Sweet spot shots feel buttery and solid, while toe and hosel shots are easy to detect.
Another small visible feedback is due to the black face of the driver. Golf balls will leave visible fingerprints on the face, allowing the player to see precisely where the contact is occurring.
Critiques
I’d have to say the one thing missing from the Grenade as compared to many offerings from the bigger companies is adjustability. The Grenade is not adjustable. That being said, most players, including myself, adjust the driver once and leave it set for their swing. For example, once I adjusted a driver I acquired in 2012, I’ve never changed the setting since.
One other critique is the lack of multiple lofts, especially in lieu of not being adjustable. The unit is only available in 10.5 degrees, which works great for me. But for those who need more or less launch angle, they’re out of luck for now. Perhaps more lofts will be available down the road.
Head Cover
The head cover for the Grenade is as solid as the driver itself. The cover is easy to put on and take off, and not too bulky.
Bombtech Golf Grenade Driver and Head Cover
On The Course
Over the last couple of months I’ve played the Grenade, and compared to popular drivers from bigger name companies. In my opinion this driver is equally as long as any driver I’ve recently played, yet as easy or easier to hit than most.
The feedback, especially the sound, is tremendous. I can tell immediately if I’m off-center, and make corrections quickly during a round.
The 10.5 degree model I tested launched at a solid and pleasing angle for my normally low ball flight. I had plenty of carry and roll and the ball did not baloon in the wind. One highlight drive includes being inside the 150 marker on the 470 yard par-4 18th at my home course.
Yesterday on the range a stranger inquired about the driver when he saw me hitting it. I told him about it and asked if he wanted to try it. He only hit one ball, perhaps not wanting to inconvenience me. His one ball hit the fence at the end of the driving range, ¾ of the way up! Wow. Not to be outdone, I teed one up and flew it OVER the fence.
Conclusion
The Grenade is a solid driver which competes with or exceeds the performance, aesthetics, distance, and feel of the big name drivers on the market. And if one is not sure about spending the $299, Bombtech offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Related Links
HOG Grenade Driver photos
Bombtech Golf website
I just unboxed the new BombTech Golf Grenade driver and shot a few photos which I’ve added to the new HOG BombTech Golf photo library. I dig the black and green color scheme and this thing looks very nice from the topline.
BombTech Golf Grenade Driver – click to see more photos
The unit came in at an opportune time, as I’m playing in a (gasp) scramble this afternoon. Scrambles are perfect for driver testing! It will take me far more than one round of testing to do my complete review. Unlike other lame blogs and golf websites, I actually put the club in play for about a month, 15-20 rounds, to be sure I’ve got the feel and full background on the club’s performance.
BombTech Golf Grenade Driver Topline
I hope to beat my opponents senseless with this monster. Not physically, but with big drives. Well, maybe.
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