Mizuno Blue v Wilson Red

We’ve been testing some of the latest drivers on the market and comparing their positive points.

First up are the Mizuno BlueFire and the Wilson Deep Red 365.

Mizuno BlueFIre –ideal in the wet.

Mizuno BlueFire Titanium(£229)

Real golfers, they say, aren’t fair-weather golfers, so Mizuno’s new BlueFire Titanium driver comes like a breath of fresh air on a frosty November morning.

At last a club that plays better in the wet!

That’s what Mizuno claims, anyway – by retaining the grooves in the face that so many manufacturers have discarded – to give a consistency at impact.

Unless conditions are perfect – and how many of those do we get a year? – grooves are essential, says Mizuno, and a driver with a bald spot on the face generates less control than one with grooves stretched from heel to toe.

We doubt whether even better golfers will feel or detect the difference but possession of the knowledge that it could, will do loads for your confidence.

The classic Exsar shaft helps to create a penetrating flight that gives you run on the ball, even on soft fairways but go for as much loft (10 or 11 degrees) as you can for the best results.

Golfmagic rating: 8.5/10

Deep Red 365 – great feel.

Deep Red 365 (£279)

Visually the Deep Red driver from Wilson is one of the star introductions of the year, with its distinctive crimson head and black graphite shaft.

One of our colleagues put it in his bag at the start of the year and now wouldn’t be without it. We’re convinced the blood red headcover makes a perfect pillow at night, too!

Not content with its success, Wilson has produced a bigger, younger brother, in a bid to capture a piece of the giant-head market.

However, while the regular shaft suits the original version, there's a little too much flex for the 365 – 60cc bigger – to cope with and a firmer shaft will almost certainly produce better results.

Neither is it so versatile off the deck. But it’s a handsome beast, with a soft-crunchy popcorn feel off the face that is bound to give hours of pleasure through your fingertips.

Golfmagic rating: 8/10