| It's a fact of life every
golfer must face sooner or later: that grassy lie you used to
hit with a wood so effortlessly now doesn't get there. The strength
and skill required to loft the tough lie onto the green diminishes,
and you're left with a choice of evils: to get out your long iron
and settle for a shorter approach, or to go on as before and hope
for the best.
Now two manufacturers have devised a clever solution
to this problem, and in the process may have created a revolution
in the making. The idea is simple: to build a club with a low
enough center of gravity that the ball is lofted from almost any
stroke. And it seems to be working.
The two companies are Orlimar Golf and Adams
Golf and their clubs are the Trimetal and the Tight Lies. We have
omitted knockoffs, and there are many. Suffice to say, you get
what you pay for, so be forewarned and stick with the major brands.
Orlimar is the most expensive, has the smallest
head, and claims the most technology in its design. This club
has a super hard face, thanks to the use of alpha maraging metal,
and uses copper tungsten weights in the sole plate to lower the
center of gravity. Although somewhat less forgiving than its rival,
the Trimetal is popular on the Senior Tour, and is used by such
pros as Hale Irwin, Lee Trevino, Brian Barnes and Tom Weiskopf.
Orlimar manufactures this club in nine different lofts, with shaft
lengths up to 44 inches, available in steel or graphite.
The Adams Tight Lies is a steel head club that
features a smooth, sculpted sole plate and simple design. Costing
about $100 less than the Orlimar, the Tight Lies has been the
most popular of the two, selling over 150,000 clubs in 1997 and
showing no signs of letting up. With the addition of Nick Faldo
and an IPO, expect Adams's sales to surge ahead. Head size makes
this a very forgiving club and particularly adept at difficult
lies.
The Tight Lies club comes in lofts of 13°,
16°, 19°, 24° and their new 28°. The 13° head,
however, plays more like an 11.
According to PGA teaching professional Dave Carollo
of the Glendora Country Club, the low profile clubs are a trend
away from matched clubs and toward ever more specialized gear.
"It's not for everyone, but these clubs
are excellent if you're in a grassy lie. Since the weight is at
the bottom, you don't have to hit the ball fat as you would with
traditional woods, where much of the mass is in the upper part
of the club head."
After testing all of these woods with approximately
100 pros and average golfers, the conclusion is that the Orlimar
is for the low handicapper and especially does well on fairways.
As for the Tight Lies, this was generally accepted as being the
best wood from out of the rough and difficult lies in particular,
but if you are a higher handicapper, the Tight Lies is the best
all-round club.
All clubs are available through pro shops or
direct from the manufacturer. Both have rated distance capabilities
of 184 to 224 yards. Customer service kudos go to Orlimar, followed
closely by Adams. Expect this to change as soon as Adams get a
grip of the rapid expansion. Customer service was Adams forte
and was a major reason for their success.
Be prepared for a blitz of infomercials from
Orlimar who have committed $6 million dollars for media. Adams
continues to run their infomercials and heavy magazine advertising
as well.
|
Small Miracles
