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golf addicts attended this year's show at the Orange County Convention
Center in Orlando. This year was probably the most expensive and
extravagant affair to date though ruminations about major manufacturers
not attending next year's show were the talk of the Show. PING
Golf has already announced their non-participation.
So, who and what were the" stars" of
this year's show? There were actually three major stars:
TaylorMade Golf, the hottest golf manufacturing
company in 2001, followed their outstanding success with the 200
and 300 Series of clubs with their new line of Rossa putters.
To date, the putter has had 4 wins on Tour and approximately 40
Tour players have a Rossa in their bags. The putters are stunningly
well designed and come in 20 different models.
The two models, the Tour and the Sport both feature
a two-piece red Titallium insert: one in the face and one in the
back, separated from each other by a 1mm steel membrane. According
to Sean Toulon, vice president of new business development and
head of Rossa's product development team, the proprietary Titallium
insert is a lightweight alloy mix of seven exotic metals that
has a strength-to-weight ratio three times that of steel. This
alloy allows for improved putter launch conditions, a higher moment
of inertia, superior distance control, and unparalleled sound
and feel. The Titallium insert adds 12-to-15 grams to the putter's
overall mass, giving it the advantage of a lightweight polymer
insert, but by it's being metallic, the feel at contact is superb.
Replacing what would weigh 50 grams in a metal putter, it then
allows for more than 35g of discretionary weight to be moved to
the perimeter of the clubhead, creating a lower, deeper center
of gravity. There are eight Tour models that are forged and milled
from 1020 carbon steel. They are expected to retail at $275.00.
The 12 Sport models are cast and milled from 304 stainless steel
and are expected to sell for $165.00. Retailers will have the
Rossa by April 15.
TaylorMade's new 200 Series Irons also received
many compliments both from retailers and the media present at
the show. TaylorMade is seeking a new market with its 200 series
of irons, a lower-priced iron to complement the company's 300
series. The idea was to build an attractive set of irons that
were easy to hit and easy to buy. The clubs feature a longer blade,
perimeter weighting and a lower center of gravity deep behind
the clubface. The result, says the company, is a higher ball flight
and more spin.
 The
clubs, which feature moderate offset, also come with an impact
pad placed in the cavity back, which helps promote a more solid
feel and sound.
Wilson Golf introduced their new Wilson Staff
"True" balls, which caused a major uproar amongst other
ball manufacturers who sent their legal teams to visit Wilson.
Their "perfectly balanced" golf ball is a brilliant
marketing concept as it messes with a golfer's mind! In taking
the wraps off the Staff True ball, which comes in two models,
Wilson at the same time launched an attack on every other golf
ball in the world, including some of its own.
Wilson claims that the Staff True is the first
perfectly balanced golf ball ever made. Its patent-pending True
Technology moves the weight from the core materials to the cover
so that both weigh the same, eliminating a heavy side/light side
problem that exists with many other golf balls out there. Supposedly
the Staff True's perfect balance is designed to hold a trajectory
line better, either in the air or in putting, while at the same
time providing considerable distance off the tee.
Wilson itself has a
web site that accurately covers any and all claims and testing
data regarding the True Series: www.wilsontrue.com
The new Wilson ball, according to the company,
never missed a 10-foot putt on a flat surface while its competitors'
balls missed one-third or more of the same amount of putts. Other
brands tested included balls from Callaway, Precept, Titleist,
Nike, Maxfli and Strata.
Packaged in boxes with bright fluorescent logos,
the two models of Wilson's new ball are the Staff True-Tour and
Staff True-Distance. The True-Tour is a multi-layer product with
a solid core. It has a soft urethane blend outer cover and an
ionomer inner layer designed to yield enhanced feel and control
along with distance. The True-Distance is a two-piece ball, with
a solid core and soft ionomer cover.
Both True balls will
be available in golf shops after March 1, with a suggested retail
price of $39.99 per dozen.
 The
third star was the much anticipated, highly publicized introduction
by NIKE Golf of their driver, irons and wedges. In a high-tech
booth purportedly costing $1.8 million, with show cased displays
of the four major tournament trophies, the booth was jammed throughout
the show. Yes, the clubs are well designed and aesthetically pleasing.
There are three forged drivers in various sizes: 275cc, 350cc,
and 400cc. Anticipated retail price of $399.00. The 400cc version
also has a proprietary shaft with visible titanium mesh in the
lower 10 inches and a .350" tip (slightly larger than the
.335" tip in the 275cc and 350cc models. The shaft, called
Nike Torsional Ti-Weave, allows the club to retain the soft, enhanced
feel of the smaller models without feeling stiff, yet provides
maximum support for the larger head. The face is forged from thin-and-rigid
Beta Titanium. High-handicappers will benefit from the increased
hitting area on the face, which translates into more forgiveness
on off-center hits. The 400cc Nike Forged Driver will be available
in lofts of 8, 9 and 10 degrees.
As for the Nike irons, Nike is attempting to
appeal to the better player first before introducing additional
models. Nike's new forged irons have a classic muscle-back design.
The heads feature a unique combination of U- and V-grooves and
are finished with a Tri-Plex nickel and chrome plating. Nike expects
to introduce its next set of irons and fairway woods, designed
for the mid-handicap player, in summer or early fall. The irons
will be forged and will feature a cavity. Also, the company is
expected to introduce irons for higher-handicap players in about
a year.
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The 2002 PGA Merchandise Show
