High
Quality and High Performance Fuels these Upcoming Companies
In today’s golf arena,
well-capitalized companies are totally cognizant of the fact that
leading the driver count, the ball count and the fairway woods
count are essential ingredients to have a well branded company
and a successful company such as TaylorMade Golf, Callaway Golf,
Nike, Achushnet and PING. More importantly, the product itself
has to be good, as the professional Tour players, irrespective
of endorsements, will not sacrifice their tools of their trade
and their incomes, by playing inferior products.
There are however, literally
hundreds of other golf manufacturers that do not have the marketing
dollars for endorsement and advertising that are so essential
to a companies success as the aforementioned companies have, yet
have equally as good of a product, and in fact, many times, superior
products.
Two of these companies, KZG
and Srixon, their drivers, their irons and in Srixon’s case,
balls are the subject of this article.
KZG Introduces their State-Of-The
Art Fitting System, Gemini Driver, Evolution Forged Irons and
9500 Wedges.
KZG, one of the golf industry's
fastest-growing and technologically-advanced companies, has become
a leader in custom fitting since its inception five years ago.
Their new Fitting Lab will undoubtedly
take KZG to the next level of custom fitting. The KZG Fitting
Lab combines the efforts of three dynamic, forward-thinking companies:
Golf Laboratories, the industry's number one independent club
testing corporation; Swing Dynamics, the leading manufacturer
of ball flight monitors; and of course, KZG, the leading Custom
Pro Line golf club manufacturer. Golf Laboratories tested each
model of KZG's award-winning golf clubs, along with a variety
of the most popular shafts, and mapped the performance of each.
Results are then accumulated from nine points on the face of each
club, as well as results from different swing speeds with different
shafts.
The information is analyzed
thoroughly and incorporated into the software of the Fitting Lab.
The KZG Fitting Lab takes three high-speed photographs of the
golf ball between four and 10 inches after impact. The images
are digitized and precisely measured to provide launch angle,
spin rate and initial ball velocity. The data is formulated to
determine carry distance, deviation from center and trajectory.
After the KZG Fitting Lab evaluates the swing data with the club
and shaft information, it not only recommends the ideal club head,
shaft and specs for the completed club, but it also includes a
detailed explanation for each recommendation.
The
KZG Gemini driver with its recently USGA approved
patented dual face technology is possibly the most accurate club
on the market. The Gemini Drivers have virtually no loss of accuracy
or distance on toe and heel hits! If you are looking for a club
that keeps the ball in play, look no further.
 These
innovative drivers are designed with a patented second plate behind
the forged and heat-treated titanium face to add greater stability
and rigidity. The result: the entire face reacts like a giant
sweet spot.
The feel, sound and performance
of the Gemini Driver are exceptional. When custom built with the
shaft and specifications ideal for your swing, this innovative
driver is guaranteed to out-perform any driver on the market!
The four-piece titanium body
comes in two sizes: 355 cc and 395cc. All are finished in a beautiful
steel blue and soon black.
MSRP: $389.00
Steel $419.00 Graphite
KZG Evolution Irons.
KZG's Forged Irons are undoubtedly
the best quality forgings in the industry. They are all handcrafted
and double forged in Japan for the finest craftsmanship available
and the finest grades of carbon steel are utilized.
 The
new KZG Forged Evolution Irons are the ultimate in a blended forged
iron set. Each iron is unique in design from all other irons within
the set. The #2 iron starts as a full cavity and each iron thereafter
gradually evolves into a muscle-back. The perimeter- weighted
cavity back design of the long irons offer maximum distance and
accuracy. The mid irons are a hybrid between cavity and blade
to maximize the benefits of each. The short irons guarantee optimal
control and feel.
These irons are about as good
as it gets in the market place today. The feel and responsiveness
are superb. Nick Price, though not an official endorser, played
KZG forgings during the recent Presidents Cup in South Africa.
Asked why, he simply responded by stating that the forged heads
made by KZG’s manufacturer are simply the best money can
buy.
What is so great about the Evolution
irons is that a higher handicapper (10-18) is really going to
benefit from using these irons. The feeling of a perfectly executed
shot, its feel and the ball’s impeccable flight brought
many a smile to the face of our testers.
Each forged iron model is available
in either satin or chrome finishes so one can mix and match to
assemble the ultimate in custom iron sets. The Forged Evolution
Irons are available in right hand #3-PW, AW and SW.KZG offers
an additional five different models to suit the needs of every
player: Blades, ZO Blades, Cavity Back, Cavity Back II and Cavity
Back II-M. Best of all, each model is available in either satin
or chrome finishes so golfers can mix and match any of the models
to assemble the perfect blended set.
MSRP: $749.00
Steel $849 Graphite
The KZG 9500R Wedges. (The
9500 signifies the revolutions per minute – maximum spin
for maximum performance)
 These
are the perfect cast wedges: the feel of forging yet the accuracy
of investment casting. After testing these wedges with our testing
group, the majority of the 25 testers were so impressed with the
9500R’s performance that they placed orders for the wedges!
KZG’s team of metallurgists
and engineers spent four years perfecting KZG’s new proprietary
stainless steel alloy, which is used in the manufacture of the
9500R. This new alloy is ideal for wedges giving maximum control,
soft feel, and the bendability required for perfect custom fitting.
The 9500R Wedge is designed
with a slightly larger body and wider sole for stability and ease
of play. The soft leading edge assures a perfect contact diminishing
your chances for fat and thin shots. The “U” grooves
guarantee perfect spins every time.
KZG’s 9500R Wedges also
feature a variety of loft and bounce options that allow golfers
to select a wedge specific for their game. They are available
in RH lofts of 50º, 52º, 54º, 56º, 58º
and 60º and LH lofts of 52º, 56º and 60º.
The 56º and 60º lofts are offered in an optional lower
bounce engineered for those shots from hard turf or sand conditions
with a shallow attack angle.
MSRP: $79.00
Graphite $69.00 Steel
KZG continues to amass numerous
industry awards and in the past 12 months have garnered awards
from Pub Links Magazine – “Player’s Choice Award”
and the “Product Ingenuity – Emerging Companies”
award from ING, the International Network of Golf, presented at
the 2004 PGA Show Industry Honors presentation.
KZG’s network of dealers
further enhance the performance of the clubs by using their expertise
in fitting and club building to ideally suit the individual swing
and skill level of each player.
www.kzggolf.com
SRIXON
Sports USA, Inc., based in Norcross, Ga., has been distributing
premium golf balls and equipment in the U.S. since 1997. It is
a subsidiary of SRI Sports Limited (SRISP), which is the No. 1
ball patent holder in the USA, Japan and UK combined. SRISP manufactures
several models of golf balls and golf clubs played in the United
States. SRISP is the No. 1 ball patent holder in the world and
manufactures several golf balls and golf clubs played in the United
States. SRISP-made balls have won 73 PGA Tour events since 1989,
including seven majors. Over 75 tour professionals around the
world are part of the Srixon staff.
Srixon’s W-302 Driver
 This
380cc beauty is as awesome as it looks. Using the same trajectory
control and impact power face technology that made Srixon’s
XXIO driver the number one selling driver in Japan in 2002, the
Srixon W-302 incorporates an internal weighting scheme that is
optimized for the faster swinger - high MOI and better head stability
through impact.
Additionally the driver has
been designed to promote the optimal launch conditions off the
tee. The center of gravity of the Srixon W-302 is placed low in
the club head by using Digital Impact Simulation to promote high
launch angle and low spin
The W-302 boasts an extremely
thin, forged 6-4 titanium clubface (3.1 mm in the middle and 2.35
mm on the periphery) for the highest allowable COR by the USGA.
The forged titanium face and proprietary sound rib design provide
the golfer with tremendous feel and sound response for feedback
on every shot.
For maximum forgiveness, the
W-302 features an elliptical high COR area that extends from high
toe to low heel, which is where most golfers strike the ball.
Suggested retail price: $399.00
Srixon
I-302 irons are beautifully crafted, forged cavity backs
that are very traditional in shape and very modern in performance.
The I-302 features a “6x struck” forging process for
precise shape of club heads, progressive center of gravity placement
for great trajectory control and a large effective sweet spot,
and leading playability characteristics desired by skilled players.
 “The
I-302 is a beautiful piece of equipment designed through our proprietary
Digital Impact Technology that truly reveals impact dynamics between
the club and ball,” said Richard Stamper, Srixon’s
Chief Operating Officer. “With the I-302, the serious golfer
gets a classic looking blade profile at address with the playability
and forgiveness that have been the hallmarks of Srixon products
and Digital Impact Technology.”
The I-302 series features a
perimeter weighted “Tour Cavity” club head constructed
of soft 1025 forged carbon steel that is shaped by a “6x
struck” forging process instead of the customary “4x
struck”. This industry-leading process provides more consistency
to the grain and more precise shape of the club head.
Modifying the shape of the “tour
back cavity” from the long irons through the short irons
determines the distance from center of gravity to shaft line optimally
through the I-302 sets. This allows an easier squaring of the
clubface for the long irons and the optimal penetrating trajectory
on the short irons, providing golfers with superior control in
all playing situations.
The I-302 irons are very playable
from top to bottom because the thin top line will provide the
accomplished player the confidence to shape shots and attack all
pin placements. The “double round” radiused sole allows
the club to glide easily through all turf conditions.
The irons play as great as they
look; they feel consistent throughout the set
I-302 irons are available for right-handed players in 2 through
9, as well as pitching (46 degrees), approach (51 degrees) and
sand (57 degrees) wedges. Suggested retail price is $799 per steel
set (3-PW).
Srixon’s UR –X Ball
and new HR-X333 Ball
 These
two balls are simply “"supercalifragicexpealidocious"”
to the nth degree! With remarkable balls such as the Pro V1, the
Nike One and the Callaway HX Tour being extremely successful,
the Srixon UR-X is a combination of all of these three balls yet
they feel, respond and perform unbelievably.
The Srixon UR-X features the
thinnest thermoplastic urethane cover in the world surrounding
the largest core of any golf ball in the industry. The poly-amide
enhanced urethane cover provides the feel, spin and control today’s
top golfers demand. The solid rubber mid-layer and rubber core
combine to give the UR-X the highest rubber content of any golf
ball ever played on tour. In fact, 96% of the UR-X is composed
of rubber. And rubber is the material that gives a ball its velocity
and distance.
Think of it another way –
the core is the engine of the golf ball – it is the part
of the ball that is primarily responsible for distance. Rubber
is the material that allows this to happen. So in a sense, think
of rubber as horsepower. The more you have, the faster you go.
 Srixon’s
newest ball is the HR-X333, which is already
accountable for 6 wins. This revolutionary 3-piece golf ball features
the proprietary Rabalon®-HR cover which is highly resilient,
yet very soft. When combined with Srixon’s proprietary E.G.G.
core and highly elastic rubber mid-layer, the result is incredible
velocity and ball speed off the tee. The soft Rabalon®-HR
cover also provides outstanding approach iron distance control
with great feel around the greens.
The HR-X333 also features a
new, aerodynamically superior 333-dimple pattern. These unique
aerodynamics provide excellent low-speed lift, which keeps the
ball airborne longer increasing carry, and a shallow angle of
descent for more roll, delivering greater overall distance. Simply
put, the HR-X333 is built to take off fast, built to fly far,
and built to land softly.
“With the HR-X333, our
industry leading technology status is proven once again,”
said Richard Stamper, Srixon’s Chief Operating Officer.
“This amazing ball has several features that are proprietary
to Srixon. The new Rabalon®-HR material—exclusive to
Srixon—is a very fast material which provides excellent
resilience and ball speed, while delivering soft greenside feel
and control. The proprietary E.G.G. core, a hallmark of our golf
balls, gives the HR-X333 the optimal launch conditions to maximize
distance. And finally, the seamless 333 aerodynamics keep the
HR-X333 in the air longer for more carry,” said Stamper.
Miguel Angel Jiménez,
Thongchai Jaidee, Boonchu Ruangkit, and Laura Davies head the
list of Tour players worldwide that have already won playing with
the HR-X333. In addition, John Huston and Alex Cejka will put
the HR-X333 in play this season.
MSRP: $52
www.srixon.com
Barry Lotz, J.D., Ph.D. is the director of
the Professional Golf Teachers Association of America. He is also
a member of the Golf Writers Association of America and the California
Golf Writers Association and a Mediator for the golf industry.
He is a contributing writer to numerous national magazines. He
can be reached at drlotz@cbsgolf.net |
