Stix Compete Driver Review: Is it as Good as the Big Name Brands?

It didn’t take long for me to get on board with Stix Clubs.

Despite a heavy amount of skepticism as to whether these Direct-to-Consumer clubs would actually be any good, they’ve proven to be excellent. 

With their flagship Perform series, I holed out a chip my second shot ever.

Went to the first hole, piped my drive, poured an 8 iron to 5 feet, sank the putt for birdie.

Stix Clubs are legitimately one of the best sets for the mid-to-high handicappers. And with the release of their Play Series, and an option for steel shafts – they’re continuing to provide options for a variety of golfers.

However, while the driver included with those sets is perfectly fine – I’ve never loved it.

To be fair, distance is solid, and it helps straighten out my slice, but I don’t love the feel. and it doesn’t give me a great sense of confidence on the tee.

Now, all of that has changed with the release of the new Stix Compete Driver.

This is the most advanced club Stix has ever made. The goal? Just like with clubs before it, to provide a top-tier experience at a fraction of the price of similar models from big name brands.

But at a retail price of $379? Is it good enough to get golfers to take a chance on a club from an upstart company? 

Let’s find out.

First Impressions of the Stix Compete Driver

I’ve always loved the aesthetic of Stix Clubs as a whole. The black and grey motif, with little hints of red just looks cool.

The original Stix Driver nails this look. But the club itself doesn’t feel quite as refined or high-end as more expensive drivers – and it didn’t feel like them either.

Out of the box, the Stix Compete Driver continues that trend is and is a really good looking club.

Tthis time, it’s enhanced by a carbon-fiber club head that definitely makes the driver look and feel more expensive.

Unlike the original Stix driver, this one is adjustable. So you can adjust from 8-10 degrees, while also accounting for a draw or fade bias depending on your preferences.

One thing I will note is that you can’t easily see what those adjustments are when looking at the club. You have to unscrew it to see what those changes are. This adds to a more streamlined look, but I would have appreciated the ability to check at a glance to make sure everything is where it should be.

The one part of the club that doesn’t quite match the high-end nature is the sole of the driver. It’s a perfectly acceptable reflective grey, but there isn’t much in the way of additional features or weights to add to the look of it. Not a huge deal, but just something I noticed when first looking at it.

How Does the Compete Club Compare to The Competition?

Out of the box without making any adjustments, the Stix Compete has a nice draw bias – just like all of the other Stix Clubs I’ve used. Considering a slice is the biggest miss for most amateur golfers, Stix Clubs do a great job of helping compensate for this.

From the first drive I hit, I could tell the this model was a big step up from the previous driver. The clubface has significantly more pop, which has manifested in the form of higher carry numbers for me.

And while the distance is nice, after 8 rounds playing with the Compete, it’s the dispersion and reduced spin that have me most excited about the club.

I got fit for a Callaway Mavrik with a Ventus shaft about 5 years ago – and I continue to primarily use that driver today. The problem is I my swing has evolved, and it’s not longer the best club for me anymore

Spin rates are too high, and misses sail way right.

In using the Compete Driver, my spin rates are down significantly. This has allowed me to see more roll, but more importantly, when I do hit a slice, the results haven’t been nearly as painful.

Shots that previously would have been deep OB have been staying in bounds. 

Also because the clubhead is significantly more forgiving, my slice has more often manifested as a “baby fade” – which I’m more than ok with.

Even My Friends Noticed a Change…

During my most recent round with the Compete, it didn’t take long before my friends who I’ve played countless rounds with, commented.

“Who are you?!”

“What driver is this?”

“I think you found your new gamer!”

The change was evident very quickly.

And I felt it too.

Standing on the 6th tee of the Witch Hollow Course at Pumpkin Ridge, for once, I had confidence.

Usually, I’d slice it out of bounds, or be so far right that I’d need to layup on the second shot of the par 4.

There’s a pretty narrow window to hit it over some trees and get it to land left of the fairway bunker that’s straightaway.

Oddly enough I had full confidence I’d be able to hit the shot. And I did.

240 to the center of the fairway.

Final Thoughts on the Stix Compete

Looking down at address of the Stix, there’s still something that doesn’t quite feel the same as looking at a Qi10, AI Smoke, or some of the other best drivers on the market.

It doesn’t look quite as high-end end, and isn’t quite as refined as those.

But these days the best drivers out there cost $500 and in many cases $600 retail. Get a custom shaft and you’re easily getting up close to $1k.

When all was said and done my current setup was around $900.

But this $379 Stix Driver is currently outperforming it. 

To the point that, since I initially drafted review – I’ve kept it in the bag. I’ve now played 8 rounds with it, taken it on golf trips, and consider it my primary driver. It’s that much better, for me, than my old Mavrik and Ventus setup.

Every golfer is different. Everyone needs different adjustments or is going to respond better to different clubs.

And honestly? $380 is a lot of money to spend on a driver that you haven’t tried out, from a brand that isn’t one of the stalwarts of the game.

You can find deals at places like Golf Galaxy where you may find last year’s Taylormade, TItleist etc. for prices close to, or less than this Stix model.

So for a lot of people, it’ll be a tough sell! Honestly, it would be for me too.

But all I can do is share my experience.

And my experience after 8 full rounds has been wonderful. I’ve been hitting it about 5-7 yards further than I have been with my Callaway.

But more importantly, it’s reduced my dispersion, reduced spin, and given me more confidence on the tee.

I can’t ask for much more than that. And at least for me, this one is staying in the bag for the rest of the Summer.

I’ll do a Trackman session soon and compare between my two clubs to give more definitive numbers, and will update this when I do.

Stix is doing some exciting things, and it’s been fun to see the brand evolve over the past few years.

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Stix is upping their game once again.

9.0 Great

The more I've used the Stix Compete Driver, the more impressed I've become. It's both added a little bit of length and straightened out my slice, in a way that my traditional gamer hasn't been able to do.

The Good

1. Carbon fiber head a huge upgrade from other Stix drivers
2. Shaft feels really nice at impact
3. 30% less than comparable drivers from big name brands

The Bad

1. No outwardly visible info for adjustments
2. Still a lot of money to spend on a club you can't test before using

• Presentation 9
• Performance 9
• Price 9
• Personal Affinity 9