Tested & Reviewed: Tommy Armour 845-MAX Driver & 3 Wood
The Tommy Armour 845-MAX driver is one of those pieces of golf equipment that makes you wonder if a $600 driver really performs better than one that costs $199, and if so, by how much. Is there enough of a performance gap to justify the $400 price gap between the Tommy Armour 845-MAX and it’s competitors from the brands you see on Tour?
We were curious too, so we took our curiosity to the lab – er, a Foresight GC Quad – to find out. Here’s our complete review of the Tommy Armour 845-MAX driver and 3-wood. We’ll reveal where these budget-friendly bombers hung with the top competition, and where they fell short.
Tommy Armour 845-MAX Driver: The Verdict
|
Price |
$199 | CHECK GOLF GALAXY |
|
Lofts |
9.0, 10.5 |
|
Adjustability |
Loft (up or down 2 degrees); Shot shape bias (draw, fade, neutral) |
|
Shaft |
Mitsubishi Tensei CK Red or Blue |
We tested the Tommy Armour 845-MAX driver on a Foresight GC Quad launch monitor, and the results were surprisingly good. Overall, the Tommy Armour 845-MAX driver proved to be just as good as drivers that cost three times as much in almost every category.
The 845-MAX produced distance, ball speed, spin, and launch numbers that were all nearly identical to those of today’s highest-end drivers. The only area that the 845-MAX lagged behind its top-end competition, in our testing, was accuracy.
The 845-MAX was impressive even before taking a single swing. Tommy Armour clearly put some thought into the stock headcover. The two-tone gray and black headcover with well-executed red accents lets you know that while the Tommy Armour driver may be a budget-friendly driver, it is not a cheap driver.
Setting up the 845-MAX at address is another satisfying experience. The subtle carbon crown gives the driver a high-end feel, and gives you some extra confidence over the ball.
The shaft pairing with the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue or Red shaft is further proof that the 845-MAX driver is built to compete with the highest-end drivers, not the bargain bin options that exchange quality components for cost.
Lastly, the 845-MAX is fully adjustable. You can dial in the loft up or down 2 degrees from the printed loft, and you also have the option of selecting a draw or fade bias.
Pros & Cons
After hitting tons of shots with the Tommy Armour 845-MAX driver, and analyzing the data, here are the top pros and cons to consider.
Pros:
- Ball speed, carry distance, and total distance are just as good as drivers that cost three times as much
- Carbon crown gives the 845-MAX a premium look and inspires confidence at address
- Premium shaft pairing with Mitsubishi Tensei CK shaft options
- Loft and shot shape bias are adjustable
- One of the best value drivers available this year
Cons:
- Accuracy lags behind the best drivers of today
- Shot shape adjustability is at the hosel, not adjustable weights, meaning you must choose between shot shape bias or loft adjustment, you can’t have both
Distance (5/5)
The 845-MAX is yard-for-yard as good as today’s premium drivers from the top brands. The compared the Tommy Armour 845-MAX to the PING G425 MAX – one of the best performing drivers of the last three years – to put the 845-MAX performance into context. The Tommy Armour 845-MAX came within one yard in total distance and within two yards in carry distance. Launch conditions were neck-and-neck as well, with the 845-MAX coming in within 0.5 MPH in ball speed while producing essentially an identical launch angle. Even total spin was within 75 RPMs between the two drivers.
These discrepancies could only be identified with the help of a $20,000 launch monitor. You’d never notice them on the golf course.
Forgiveness & Accuracy (3/5)
While we found the forgiveness with the 845-MAX – the performance discrepancy between the best-struck shots, and the worst – to be excellent. Distance and spin were consistent across all shots. That’s a credit to the driver’s Flex-11 face. The variable thickness face has 11 different thicknesses to optimize ball speeds wherever you strike it on the face.
The the 845-MAX gave us the most concern, however, was accuracy – the overall dispersion pattern and how far offline average shots landed. Despite maintaining commendable distance and spin all over the face, the 845-MAX produced almost double the sidespin and tilt as the G425, and flew significantly farther offline.
Shot shape bias can be tweaked at the hosel of the 845-MAX, but if you fight a directional miss, be sure to put the Tommy Armour driver through your own testing before you buy it to make sure you can keep it close to your target.
Look and Feel (5/5)
From an aesthetic standpoint, the biggest standout feature of the Tommy Armour 845-MAX is that subtle carbon finish under the glossy crown. It’s really a high-end touch that reinforces the quality of this driver.
The driver feels easy to control through the swing and gives confidence that good swings can be replicated time after time.
Value (5/5)
The baseline driver price for brand new models from the big five manufacturers – Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade, PING and Cobra – has ballooned to $500-$600. The Tommy Armour 845-MAX launched at $299 in 2021 and is down to just $199 today. From a value standpoint, it’s really tough to beat the 845-MAX.
Who is the 845-MAX Driver For?
Should you consider the Tommy Armour 845-MAX driver? It’s a fair question. Through our testing, we found that this driver really can be a gamer for a huge segment of golfers.
Because it’s just as long as today’s premium drivers, players seeking maximum distance can confidently stick the 845-MAX in their bag.
Because the 845-MAX proved to be forgiving across the face, combined with the attractive price tag, it’s a great option for higher-handicap players. Players who are looking to upgrade more than just their driver will appreciate the budget-friendly price, which will leave plenty of room for upgrades elsewhere in the bag.
The one subset of players who we’d advise to look elsewhere – or at the very least put the 845-MAX through their own first-hand testing before buying – are those players who need help directionally. If you already battle a severe hook, slice, push, or pull, don’t expect the 845-MAX to fix that for you. Of course, your shot shape ultimately comes down to how you deliver the club at impact, so until you get some mechanics straightened out, that’s a problem you’ll battle to some extent with whatever driver is in your hands.
Tommy Armour 845-MAX Irons: Tested & Reviewed
Tommy Armour 845-MAX Driver Specs
|
Price |
$199 | CHECK GOLF GALAXY |
|
Lie Angle |
59-degrees (adjustable) |
|
Club Head Size |
460cc |
|
Length |
45.25 inches |
|
Swing Weight |
D4 |
|
Grip |
Lamkin Crossline 360 |
Tommy Armour 845-MAX 3 Wood & 5 Wood Review
|
Price |
$149 | CHECK GOLF GALAXY |
|
Lofts |
15 degrees (3 wood); 18 degrees (5 wood) |
|
Head Size |
175cc (3 wood); 170cc (5 wood) |
|
Shaft |
Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue or Red |
Tommy Armour offers a line of fairway woods to compliment the 845-MAX driver, including a 3 wood, 5 wood, and a 7 wood. Like the 845-MAX driver, the fairway woods come with a Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue or Red shaft, an elegant-looking carbon crown, and the same high-quality head cover.
Checking in at $149, the Tommy Armour 845-MAX fairway woods are a nice compliment to the 845-MAX driver. If you’re already adding the driver and you want consistency at the top of your bag, the 845-MAX fairway woods are a natural pairing.
While the 845-MAX driver proved to keep pace with today’s premium drivers during our testing, the 3 wood did not quite keep up to the same extent. The 845-MAX fairway woods were consistently a tier behind top-end competitors in ball speed and distance.
Despite that fact, the 845-MAX fairway woods still provide a suitable distance gap when paired with the driver.
The biggest performance benefit of the 845-MAX fairway woods is that they make up for the driver’s lone weakness: accuracy. In our testing, the 845-MAX 3 wood was much straighter than the driver, making it a nice fairway-finding alternative for players who employ the 845-MAX lineup for their driver and fairway woods.
Tommy Armour 845-MAX Fairway Wood Pros & Cons
Whether you want to match your fairway wood with your 845-MAX driver, or you’re considering the 845-MAX fairway wood as a standalone purchase, here are the biggest pros and cons to consider.
Pros:
- High-end finishes including carbon crown and Mitsubishi Tensei CK shaft offerings
- Improved accuracy compared to the 845-MAX driver
- Quality headcover
- Excellent value
Cons:
- Distance from the 845-MAX fairway woods is not as competitive with top-end offerings as the driver
Tommy Armour Impact Putters: Tested & Reviewed
845-MAX Woods Bottom Line
It wasn’t long ago that budget-conscious golfers had very few prospects for affordable golf clubs, especially for those who prefer brand new clubs to used options.
Refreshingly, the times are changing. The Tommy Armour 845-MAX line of woods performs as well as the top-end competition, but at less than half the price.
If you’re upgrading the top of your bag – whether you’re searching for a deal or just the best performance you can find – we highly recommend testing this 845-MAX line to find out exactly what it can do for your game.