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 The upcoming year could be known for hybrid clubs, an alternative for players who have trouble hitting long irons. The industry is expecting a big interest in these clubs, which is why most manufacturers are unveiling some type of hybrid. Whatever happens this year, Southern California will be right in the thick of it. No area of the world is home to as many major manufacturers, such as TaylorMade, Cobra, Cleveland and Callaway. And even the area’s smaller manufacturers, such as Fisher Golf and Sonartec, will make a lot of noise this year. Callaway Carlsbad • (800) 588-9836 • www.callawaygolf.com For a titan of the industry, Callaway had a dismal year in 2004, miscalculating with the Great Big Bertha II, which reached a maximum head size of 380cc, far smaller than its competitors. Not this year. The Big Bertha Titanium Driver is the largest-headed driver the company has ever made, as well as the hottest driver in terms of conforming to USGA standards the company has produced. It’s a 454 cc behemoth and the speed at which the ball springs, or rebounds, from the face makes it “a really exciting club for us,” said Callaway spokesman Larry Dorman said. “We’re able to achieve great ball speed on a much larger area of the face and that means the opportunity for greater distance. It’s also very forgiving and stable because of how it’s weighted, and it performs really well for golfers who aren’t the lowest handicappers.” The suggested retail price for the club is $375. Later in the year, Callaway will stock stores with a larger-headed ERC Fusion Driver, a 460 cc model that Phil Mickelson is currently using. The ERC that Callaway launched last year had a 360 cc head. Callaway also is launching three sets of irons, including the Big Bertha Fusion Iron with a patented Tunnite alloy cradle. The dense material allows 77 percent of the clubhead’s mass to be repositioned to the perimeter, which provides stability and forgiveness. “It’s a maximum game improvement club,” Dorman said. “They’re exceptional irons. We’ve heard a lot of great things from players of all skill levels who just love the distance and feel of these things.” The latest in the company’s X series of irons is the X-18, which uses Callaway’s extreme notch weighting technology. The suggested retail price is $1,110 for steel shafts and $1,400 for graphite shafts. Callaway also plans to unveil X-tour irons, the first forged irons in the company’s history, and the ones Mickelson used recently when he shot a 59. No price has been set. Carbite Golf Carlsbad • (800) 272-4325 www.carbitegolf.com The Carlsbad-based company will offer five new putters and a line of wedges this year. The putters include the HCG Mallet, a stainless steel model that uses a high center of gravity and a polymer face insert; the Z Series, which includes the classic look and feel of the Blade Putter, and the more futuristic looking Z Mallet; the Lady Carbite, with a color scheme, weight distribution and grip designed for women; and The Big Otey, an aluminum and brass clubhead infused with computerized machining techniques and weight distribution technology. The company also is unveiling wedges with 56- and 60-degree lofts that use specialized face technology and scoring lines to optimize spin. Cleveland Huntington Beach • (800) 999-6263 www.clevelandgolf.com Cleveland had its best year in 2004 and the company sees no reason why 2005 shouldn’t be even better, especially with the Launcher Comp, its first foray into the composite driver market. “We’re really happy with the series,” said company spokesman Mark Vallely. “Vijay Singh is using it now and a lot of people are following. By removing weight from the crown and into more critical areas, we’ve figured out a way to give shots a higher launch and greater spin, which means more distance.” A few manufacturers unveiled composite clubs — which blend metal and carbon — last year, but none flew off the shelves. “We saw what they did, but they didn’t really catch on,” Vallely said. “We think we may have learned from their mistakes. This has the potential to be really big.” The company also is unveiling CompFairway woods ($390) and a new line of irons, the CG2 ($1,000), which are made of the same carbon-metal matrix as last year’s CG1, but designed for better players. “It has a blade-like appearance at address and a small cavity in the back that allows for forgiveness and playability, but it’s still extremely workable,” Vallely said. “It’s very forgiving for its skill category.” Cleveland also is introducing a hybrid club called the Halo ($183), which is seen as a substitute for a long iron. “It’s more forgiving, it has a lower center of gravity which helps get the ball into the air and the shot straight,” Vallely said. “If you replace your 3 iron with a Halo with identical loft, you’ll get 5 to 10 yards farther in your shot. It’s ideal for close tee shots or long approach shot on par-5s, and it’s easier to hit out of the rough and more versatile for varying lies.” Cobra Golf Carlsbad • (800) 225-8500 • www.cobragolf.com Cobra has made significant advances in drivers and irons the last couple of years and hopes to do the same with its King Cobra Baffler Utility Metal, the company’s first utility wood. The four models are designed to replace the four longest irons in your bag and feature technology that Cobra says will combine the launch trajectory and forgiveness of fairway woods with the control and playability of irons. Cobra also is introducing two new irons. The forged CB irons are a carbon and steel alloy with a cavity back, which the company claims will combine feel, accuracy and control. Suggested retail price is $999. The Inertia series of irons are designed to enhance off-center hits. Three models are available, with prices ranging from $620 to $875. Fisher Golf Garden Grove (714) 890-8118 www.fishergolf.com. Fisher Golf specializes in putters and is introducing one of its most groundbreaking series this year: the Talon 2 Speed Putter, which includes polymer inserts that allow the user to choose two speeds and feels to match preference and playing conditions. The Talon TS1 ($299) is made from aluminum, while the Talon TS2 ($179) and TS3 ($199) are stainless steel. Each contains an adjustable internal weighting system that can adjust the head weight from 340 to 400 grams. The putters also can be augmented with Fisher’s Smartlink, a stainless-steel device installed between the putter’s head and shaft. It is bendable enough to allow for quick putter customization, as in fine-tuning a putter’s lie angle. Fujikura Shafts Vista • (800) 728-6420 • www.fujikuragolf.com One of the leading manufacturers of high performance shafts, the Vista-based company’s new product emphasis this year is all about the hybrid. “Everybody is launching these clubs now and we have a couple of shafts that are designed specifically for them,” said marketing director John Castle. “Hybrids are kind of a unique animal because of the weight distribution, low center of gravity, high toe weight and other features, so these shaft designs are tailored just for those unique features.” Although Fujikura doesn’t work directly with customers, custom clubmakers can order the Speeder 904 shaft for $160 and the Banzai for $70. Sonartec Carlsbad • (760) 930-2454 • www.sonartecgolf.com This clubmaker’s most popular club last year was the MD Hybrid, which was used by Todd Hamilton in his British Open win. The company is expanding that product line with clubs that have lofts of 15 and 25, as well as a left-handed model. The 15-degree loft is a substitute for a 3 wood, while the 25-degree loft is a substitute for a 5 iron. The company also is tweaking its SS-02 and SS-03 fairway woods, which rank among the most popular on the PGA Tour. The SS-02 variant is designed for mid- to high-handicappers and will help minimize errant shots as well as allow balls to get airborne easier. The suggested retail price for both is $289. “I think Sonartec, of all the companies out there, is doing the best job of making clubs that fit golfers of all skill levels,” said marketing coordinator Jamie Hoyle. “We’ve earned an unjust reputation as a player’s-only club, but with our driving cavity technology, our fairway wood’s sweet spot is twice as large as any other comparable club and we feature a penetrating ball flight that cuts through the wind and adds distance without that ballooning effect you can get from fairway woods.” TaylorMade Carlsbad • (760) 918-6000 www.taylormadegolf.com TaylorMade believes the r7 quad will remain the hottest-selling driver in the world, and the company is adding a variant this year: the r7 quad ht. “This is for the players who really like the r7 but just can’t get the trajectory as high as they like,” said Gidge Moody, director of product marketing for TaylorMade-Adidas Golf Company. “That’s where the ht will come in.” The suggested retail price is $600. Three new sets of cavity-back irons will be launched this year, all of which incorporate the company’s rac technology. The rac LT is designed for better players, while the rac OS has a bigger head and is designed “more for players who like total control and less workability. It gives a very predictable shot pattern and protects you from slicing. It gets the ball into air really easily and straight,” Moody said. The suggested retail price for the rac LT is $900, and $736 for the rac OS. A third set of irons, the rac TP, is geared for premium players at a premium price. Winn Grips Huntington Beach • (714) 373-6271 • www.winngrips.com The company hopes to solidify its grip on the market with two new grips for drivers and irons. The deeply grooved G7 grip, targeted for better players, uses material that is tackier, firmer and more durable than previous Winn products. The ergonomic design, comfort and weather durability makes it one of the most versatile and dependable grips in the industry. The Winn G8 differs from the G7 in that it doesn’t include deeply cut vertical grooves on the underside. It has a smooth, uniform design that incorporates the intrinsic properties that provide for maximum slip resistance and all-weather playability. Winn also is expanding its line of putter grips with six new models, all featuring a unique grid pattern. Yonex Torrance • (800) 449-6639 • www.yonex.com Long known for technological innovation, the Torrance-based manufacturer has a new iron and driver that it believes will enhance that reputation. The Cyberstar VX Irons are designed with proprietary technology that results in higher launch angle, long ball carry and pin-point precision control. The suggested retail price is $1,280. |
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