TaylorMade Golf is calling it a “white out” to promote its two new drivers for 2011 with white heads, but it has been more like a blizzard within the golf community as the buzz about the “white driver” seems to be evident not only among golf retailers but among players everywhere.
The latest in the “R” series of adjustable drivers—the R11—and the new addition to the tried and true “Burner” line—the SuperFast 2.0—just became available in February and are setting records with not only sales but with players putting it into their bags on the professional tours.
The white crown color and black PVD face provides optimum contrast against the ground to make the R11 and new Burner 2.0 drivers easier to aim. This advantage is even more pronounced in lower light, such as when the tee box is in shade or shadow, on overcast days or when the sun is low in the morning and in the evening. The matte white crown also eliminates high-intensity "hot spots" caused by reflected sunlight that afflicts gloss-finish metalwoods.
But it is under the hood that the R11 shines with some further technological advances to TaylorMade’s already popular adjustable mechanisms that allow players to make adjustments to their driving club as if they had a Tour Van in their bag.
The R11 utilizes the company's "Three Dimensions of Distance" and 3D tuning technologies that allows players to independently tune loft, face angle and flight path in order to maximize distance off the tee. The clubhead's new aerodynamic shape promotes faster clubhead speed for more distance, while allowing up to 100 yards of side-to-side trajectory change.
The Introduction of Adjustable Sole Plate (ASP) Technology allows you to change the face angle of the club at setup to compensate for changing the club’s loft using the Flight Control Technology (FCT) that became popular on the previous R9 series by unscrewing the shaft from the head and dialing in changes in the loft and lie. When these changes were made it created changes to the face angle – increase loft and the face angle closes; decrease loft and the face angle opens. Adjustable Sole Plate solves that problem by allowing you to adjust the face angle independently of the loft, which is controlled by FCT.
The Moveable Weight Technology (MWT) that TaylorMade introduced seven years ago is the third dimension of adjustability and allows you to move the weights as necessary to achieve the desired trajectory bias with the provided adjustment wrench. The ball directional tendency goes towards the side that the heavy weight is placed. For example, move the 10-gram to the heel side to create more draw bias.
The R11 driver is designed with a new, modern-classical clubhead shape intended to suit the eye of better players, while still providing forgiveness and confidence for average players. The shape is more contemporary in appearance than traditional drivers, and slightly triangular to create a modern yet classical address silhouette. The triangular shape creates more inertia and a deeper back center of gravity position for greater stability and forgiveness. At 440cc, the R11 appears slightly larger due to its white crown color. Most golfers recognize address size relative to the size of the ball as a key confidence builder.
The R11 is equipped standard with a Fujikura Blur 60-gram shaft, which features a medium-firm tip profile in a 45.75-inch length. The Tour Preferred version (TP) offers 19 shaft options, including the Aldila Rip shaft that has been popular on tour. The driver comes in two lofts--9° and 10.5°.
The TaylorMade Burner SuperFast 2.0 is TaylorMade's lightest driver at only 279 grams. Its large cone face and new clubhead shape provide the largest sweetspot on a TaylorMade driver, and its light weight combined with longer (46.5-inch) shaft combine for added distance off the tee—as much as five yards more than the previous generation of Burner. The Burner has been TaylorMade’s most popular driver over the past four years, and the latest version features a Matrix Ozik XCon 4.8 shaft, which is both ultra-light and tip-soft, helping the golfer generate more ball speed, a higher launch angle and more spin to promote more distance.
More information is available at: www.taylormadegolf.com
The other big story during the early part of this year in the golf equipment category is the release of the new versions of the Titleist ProV1 golf ball line to highlight the 10th anniversary of the probably the most popular golf ball franchise ever.
The original version of the ProV1 revolutionized golf ball construction and took the industry out of the wound, balata-ball era into the solid-core, technologically-advanced cover period that we have today that delivers both softness, feel and distance in one package.
Titleist pioneered this revolution and its latest version of its flagship ProV1 features both increased spin control along with a softer feel for the all-important short game shots around the green.
“By implementing design improvements in the core, casing layer and aerodynamics, we have produced the highest performing and most consistent performing Pro V1 we’ve ever made,” said Bill Morgan, Senior Vice President, Golf Ball Research and Design for Titleist. “Players’ feedback has focused on the new Pro V1’s tight penetrating flight, particularly in holding its line in the wind, as well as the increased spin control and consistent reaction into the green.”
The new Pro V1 now features increased spin control and a more consistent flight due to results from a new innovative ZG process core technology, responsive ionomeric casing layer, urethane elastomer cover and spherically tiled 352 tetrahedral dimple design. This new 352 dimple pattern with five different dimple sizes (the previous generation had 392 dimples) has more surface coverage and three axes of symmetry.
Titleist has also made improvements to its other version of this ball—the lower-spinning ProV1x—that has resulted in a higher ball flight—especially off the irons--extra carry and a softer feel on the greens than the previous editions.
Designed for players with a faster swing speed who will pick up distance with less spin, the new ProV1x has a four-piece multi-component design featuring a large, high velocity dual core with a soft center, responsive ionomeric casing layer, urethane elastomer cover and a new spherically tiled 328 tetrahedral dimple design (previous generation had 332 dimples). This high coverage dimple pattern with seven different dimple sizes has three axes of symmetry and produces a higher trajectory for Pro V1x's longer distance and a consistent flight that cuts through windy conditions. The Pro V1x retains its urethane elastomer cover for soft feel and durability.
“The new Pro V1x has a new 328 tetrahedral dimple design which is exceptionally efficient aerodynamically,” added Morgan. “The combination of the Pro V1x’s higher trajectory and very low spin results in longer distance. While any distance gains are certainly player dependent, most Pro V1x players have noticed that it peaks further downrange and carries farther than their prior generation Pro V1x. They have also experienced excellent performance in windy conditions.”
Both versions of the ProV1 have their advantages, depending on a player’s strengths and tendencies. Titleist also offers a very good fitting guide to choosing which ball is most suitable on its web site.
For more information: www.titleist.com.
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. The Perfect Plane by SKLZ is a putting training device that helps groove a consistent, even putting stroke utilizing an expertly constructed putting board that teaches the correct path and distance with some unique refinements that make it a great practice tool in the home, office or on a practice green.
Perfect Plane is a putting training tool that teaches players to putt on the correct plane, square the club face and achieve correct stroke path and acceleration. The Perfect Plane helps players find out for sure whether they have the proper arc for flush putts. The Perfect Plane's unique shape sets the club on the proper plane throughout the putting stroke.
It is lightweight and easy to carry while being extremely effective in building a reliable putting stroke. With this device, the golfer putts on an arc despite the fact that the product has a straight panel. The golfer still opens and closes the putter face naturally as it moves back and through, as it moves off the ground. This creates a natural arc and keeps the putter face very square through impact. They can also force a straight back, straight through path by manipulating the putter face.
Tees can be inserted into the face of the putting board to show the proper backswing and forward swing lengths. This is a great little device to include in your golf bag to practice with before the round.
SKLZ, the company that distributes this training aid, was founded by successful entrepreneurs John Sarkisian and Rick LaPointe in 2002. With the assistance of top golf instructor Rick Smith, the company has enjoyed success in the the golf market with a large collection of training aids that are currently being used by a wide range of players.
More information is available at www.SKLZ.com
