I've had my Krank driver in my bag on and off since I got it last year. I went through a spell where I wasn't driving the ball very well and decided to keep my Callaway Epic Flash Subzero in my bag til I resolved my swing issues.
When the pandemic hit, my game, like everyone else's suffered from the inactivity and that kept the Krank out of my bag even longer.
But as most things, my game began to come around and with my swelling confidence, I felt it was time to give the Krank Formula X Extreme another shot at the top spot in my bag. With the results I got, I had to wonder why I waited so long.
For those unfamiliar with the brand, Krank is a brand that got its start on the professional long drive tour. It's basic architecture was intended to maintain the clubhead's integrity in spite of the 150+ mile per hour swing speeds and 225+ mile per hour ball speeds. A production driver wouldn't survive five hits under those conditions.
The Formula X Extreme is Krank's USGA conforming driver. It meets the USGA and R&A regulations for coefficient of restitution (COR) and is legal for handicap and tournament play. But it has loads of tech that make Krank drivers the choice of the longest drivers of the golf ball in the world.
In hand, you'll notice the clubhead is quite busy. There are stabilizers that manage airflow on the raised crown, there are louvers along the perimeter of the clubhead to reinforce the clubhead and create rigidity. The reinforcements are meant to keep the clubhead from expanding at impact and absorbing energy thus transferring as much force as physically possible into the golf ball. Krank says it’s the most rigid driver head in golf.
It's not a classic design. This is a military grade piece of hardware for smacking the daylights out of the golf ball.
To withstand the anticipated abuse, the head and face are made of forged Beta titanium. This is a costlier, stronger titanium alloy that doesn't see much use in golf clubs. The full cup face is forged from this alloy, then machined down and heat treated to make it as strong and resilient as possible. The result is a clubface that will not flatten and maintain peak performance longer than other drivers.
The Formula X Extreme is Krank's first adjustable driver. The adjustable hosel that allows +2/-1 degrees of loft adjustment and the capability to individually adjust lie angle and flight trajectory. Interestingly, the Krank adaptor is compatible with the one Callaway uses on its drivers. This made it easy to integrate the Formula X into my bag.
Krank competes in golf equipment's most competitive market segment with proprietary technology and manufacturing techniques. They excel because of their build quality, durability and outright performance. The lessons they’ve learned building the dominant brand in the long drive game have translated into a driver that is perfect for regular play.
It might look weird at address, but the Formula X is a weapon. True, it isn't the most forgiving driver on the market, but if you can find the center of the clubface, the results are truly awesome. CG is fairly close to the clubface which results in a flat, aggressive, piercing trajectory.
This year, the Krank Formula XI has made its debut, but that does nothing to diminish the Formula X's performance and effectivity. I'm keeping it in my bag while my swing can take full advantage of it.
