From the Great Big Bertha II from Callaway to the radically different MAC clubs from Burrows Golf, there's no shortage of ideas in drivers and fairway woods.
While technology continues to drive products, some companies are "dancing with what brought 'em" in a manner of speaking. In Callaway's case, it's back to a tried-and-true name with the Great Big Bertha II. TaylorMade still has a driver for every kind of golfer, but has taken it to new levels.
Nike has a bigger version of its successful and relatively new drivers and Cleveland continues to expand its popular Launcher line. And then there's Burrows Golf with a unique story to tell.
The newest Great Big Bertha has a hotter face, bigger clubhead (380cc) and better shaft than the old. Callaway Golf also used a cold-forming process to create the clubface of the Great Big Bertha II -- which, like the ERC, allows the clubface to be both extremely thin and strong without any impurities, the company says.
"We've taken a modern classic and revved it up," says Richard Helmstetter, senior executive vice president and chief of new products for Callaway Golf.
Callaway's Big Bertha II fairway woods have a weight chip located deep in the clubhead's sole to create a low center of gravity, officials say, which helps launch shots on a high trajectory with lower backspin for a hot ball flight.
TaylorMade officials say the R500 Series take the company's drivers to a whole new level. Each club, the 510, 540 and 580, is specifically engineered for a different type of player, not just skill level. The new drivers feature a larger COR Zone -- that is, the area where the COR exceeds .800 -- than in its previous models.
The clubs are designed with something called inverted cone technology, in which the face is progressively thinner from the center toward the perimeter. They also feature a Tunable Weight Cartridge that allows for custom weighting in assembly without using shaft plugs or epoxy to adjust swing weight.
TaylorMade has also introduced its new V-Series fairway, which have a V-shaped sole that the company says improves the dynamics of how the sole interacts with the turf at impact. Specifically, the sole design minimizes the area that comes into contact with the ground, diminishing turf-resistance. The V-Series' forgiveness is further enhanced by its high moment of inertia, making this fairway wood exceedingly easy to hit, says TaylorMade.
For a physics lesson, you might want to stop by Burrows Golf's booth, a new company founded by Bruce Burrows, the majority owner of the Oasis Corporation. The principle behind Burrows' new MAC (Magnitude Amplification Cavity) woods is Powersphere, a dome-like cavity found in the bottom of the club that reflects the energy back toward the clubface, says Burrows. The bottom line result is more distance and forgiveness.
The clubs are available in various lofts of driver all the way to the 9-wood. And there's also an innovative fitting system that uses a unique coupling device to attach various shafts to various heads, giving the clubfitter a myriad of options.
"The fitting system for the MAC clubs is very impressive," says Nick Fiorini, a teaching professional at The Landings in Fort Myers, Fla. "Nobody's even come close to that."
Nike Golf has only been in the club business a couple of more years than Burrows, but already the company is launching its fourth driver, the Nike Forged Titanium 450 to go along with its 400, 350 and 270cc models. At 450cc, Nike Golf's newest driver has the largest sweet spot and the most effective COR available, the company says, allowing golfers to maximize distance even on off-center hits.
Nike also has introduced its new T-40 Fairway Woods, available in Oversized and Tour styles. Created by noted club craftsman Tom Stites, the key element of the T-40 series is the 40-gram tungsten plug inserted into the sole. Nike has developed a design that allows for extra weight low in the clubhead, which contributes to optimal lift and shot trajectory, says Stites.
Cleveland has gone larger, as well, with the Launcher, which has been phenomenal for the company. The new Cleveland 400 (cc) is its largest yet, but it didn't deviate from the successful design of the 350. One of the reasons for the success, says Supreme Golf's Alan Gilcrest, is price, and other manufacturers are starting to follow Cleveland's lead.
"You can get a Cleveland or Cobra driver for $299," says Gilcrest, vice president of the Fort Worth, Texas-based chain. "That's the magic price point. Consumers have to have a real compelling reason to spend that extra $100."
Indeed, the Launcher is a driver that Cleveland would argue is as good as any on the market. In fact, there are a number of drivers out right now that bear watching, many of them by smaller companies.
Wilson Golf has unveiled its Deep Red II driver, an improved version of the original, with even more weight -- 40 percent more -- lower and deeper in the clubhead. Golfers will have two models to choose from, the Deep Red II Tour and the Deep Red II Distance. The company has also introduced the Deep Red II fairway woods to complement the drivers. As with the drivers, additional weight has been moved deeper and lower in the clubhead in both the Deep Red II Tour Fairway Woods and Deep Red II Distance Fairway Woods.
Feel Golf's Drivers by Dr. Feel feature a rocker-type sole design. The drivers, available in head sizes of 300, 330, 360 and 400cc, come with Harrison Titanium Striper or AccuFlex premium shafts. Hippo's Giant Plus driver and fairway woods (which are actually smaller than the original Hippo Giant), have enhanced design features, featuring 6-4 titanium in the driver and a new cobalt steel in the fairway woods.
La Jolla's custom program with its high-end shafts has been gaining a loyal following. The Tsunami from GolfGear has been gaining converts. GolfGear affixes a forged titanium face insert into the cavity of an investment-cast clubhead to create its Tsunami driver for what the company says is the most solid hitting surface in golf. Available in three different sizes -- 300cc, 340cc and the new 360cc model -- the special wave design in the dome top structurally strengthens the entire head.
KZG, which is becoming a favorite custom club line with many PGA Professionals and retailers as well as golfers, is offering its new RBT/325, a 325cc head with a "rolled Beta titanium" face insert. And if you still have a yearning for persimmon, Louisville Golf is still in that business and argues that its new Smart 2 G-Force driver, which features a graphite insert, and fairway woods are every bit as forgiving and long as its metalwood counterparts.
One company that's been particularly hot lately is Sonartec, which has benefited from an increased presence on the tours, especially in fairway woods. The design concept, revolves around the "C-shaped" driving cavity on the sole, which the company says allows for greater distance and control and a high, flat ball flight. This year, the company unveiled its SS-03, a deeper faced fairway wood as well as a new stainless steel driver.
If you're looking for more evidence of innovation, then you might want to check out Precept's Tour Premium 320LS "Moon Sole" driver and fairway woods. The Moon Sole driver features an elongated 320cc clubhead. The Moon Sole structure is a crescent, concave piece of titanium that has been used in the anterior portion of the sole. This design contributes to a deeper and optimally positioned center of gravity yet does not increase the overall size of the club, says the company.
MacGregor's VIP V-Foil drivers, with more mass behind the hitting area, are now available in a 410cc high launch model as well as the 350cc. Tommy Armour's new Stripe Driver has a 350cc 6-4 titanium body and forged titanium clubface with a very large sweet spot, says the company. Nicklaus Golf's AirMax drivers, which feature an "Ultra-thin Cryogenic Superbeta face for explosive distance," are now available in a 430cc version.
Mizuno says its T-Zoid Blue Rage drivers feature a COR area that is 500 percent larger than previous models. Available in 310cc and 350cc models, the drivers have a multi-thickness face design and four-piece forged titanium construction.
In the new Bazooka JMax driver, Tour Edge adjusted three key elements of its design for each loft -- face progression, sole weighting, and shaft technology. By slightly varying these key elements, all swing speeds can achieve an optimum launch angle and spin rate, the company says. JMax fairway woods feature the same head design and shaft technology as the driver.
Yonex's latest addition to the V-mass driver line is the 400cc version. Featuring the company's "High Power Wave" titanium face, the V-mass 400 has tungsten weighting in the heel of the sole for stability.
PowerBilt Golf has a new line of TPS (Tournament Player Series) woods featuring an all-new 400 cc, forged beta titanium driver. Zevo's Compressor driver, which is based on pre-loaded tension in the clubhead, also has a unique Compressor Coil Zylon/Graphite shaft, utilizing a "digital winding" process. And Infiniti says its CS 455 driver features a roll forged Carpenter Steel Face, which is 30 percent harder than titanium for explosive shots.
