Having recently retired it seemed logical to dig the golf clubs out of the shed and get back on a course. The main problems were 9 years between last picking up a golf club, a recent hip replacement, and a non-conforming driver.

The first two were addressed by the pro at my local club, but the driver proved more problematical. After some research I descended on my local branch of Direct Golf armed with a list of half a dozen new drivers which looked like they might do the job. I left with the RAZR X Black and haven’t regretted the decision one bit.

It’s 460cc streamlined head feels relatively light in the hand compared to some others, but that certainly doesn’t detract from the results. I had a tendency to fade the ball, but that’s all but gone now and drives are on average 10 – 15 yards longer than with my old XR-03.

The Golf Pride grip has a nice tactile feel without any loss of feedback, and the head shape looks great at address. Being a squarer face than some of the more extreme “teardrop” shaped drivers on the market also promotes confidence in the ability to get a clean strike without the worry about the sole plate hitting the ground, and also means that the ball can be teed a little lower.

Even with a 10.5 degree loft there's no problem getting the ball airborne, and although the computer readouts gave quite a high spin rate this clearly hasn’t affected distance off the tee. I’d definitely feel much happier about trying to hit it off a fairway lie!

The Fujikura Motore F8 graphite shaft works well. I'd been used to a slightly heavier R80 shaft but find the R60 on the RAZR X Black just as good.

I must admit that the decision to buy the RAZR X Black was “heart over head” but with hindsight I’d make it again. Not being adjustable might put some people off, but it’s straight, forgiving, easy to hit and long. It may have been designed for mid to high handicap players but it would prove equally good for players of any standard.

Add the fact that if you shop around you can get one for up to £60 less than similar clubs from other manufacturers and you have an awesome, great value club.