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The 2002 PGA Merchandise Show

By: Dr. Barry Lotz

51,473 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.

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.