It’s Time For Action, Says TaylorMade Chief

As I was about to write this blog, I had a big morning chuckle out of a posting from one of my Facebook friends.

“Dear Optimist, Pessimist and Realist. While you guys were busy arguing about the glass of water, I drank it! Sincerely, the Opportunist.”

It’s as if that message dropped into my lap considering the subject of this contribution, that being the state of the golf industry, the general consensus that something has to be done to draw new people to the game and the chatter about what should be done actually resulting in very little being done. Read more

TMaG Opens New Performance Lab

TaylorMade adidas has opened its latest Performance Lab with Motion Analysis Technology (MAT-T), which will serve as a hub for that company’s clubfitting in Woodbridge, Ont.

“Building on the momentum from the opening of our new lab at Glen Abbey last fall, having a new Performance Lab at our national headquarters open the week of the RBC Canadian Open is quite special and a testament to the strength of the TaylorMade adidas Golf brand,” said David Bradley, vice president of TMaG Canada.

Bradley added that the Glen Abbey Performance Lab was already having a challenge meeting demand despite operating seven days a week.

“Opening a second lab in our own headquarters made total sense to help meet that demand,” said Cameron Jacobs, manager of custom fitting who will be based at the new facility.

Clients of the new facility will be able to take advantage of company technology and enjoy personalized concierge services to book appointments, place orders and follow up with fitting-related inquiries.

The new lab has two separate hitting bays and a putter testing lab. The MAT-T system is designed to measure both the components and results of a swing and it quantifies and animates the swing in three dimensions.

Appointments for fitting sessions can be booked by club professionals and authorized TaylorMade retailers on behalf of their clients, or golfers can call directly at 1-800-668-9883, ext. 4.

The new lab is located at:

8100 Highway 27

Woodbridge, Ont.,

L4H 3N2

Golf Goes To Queen’s Park, Media Responsibility Vs. PR And More …

The Ontario Allied Golf Associations visited Queen’s Park recently to draw attention to the game’s impact on the provincial economy and what it calls responsible environmental practices.

It’s all a part of a Canada-wide movement by the golf industry to meet with provincial and federal governments on various issues affecting the industry. Representatives of the National Allied Golf Associations were to meet with the federal government, but that was postponed due to the federal election.

One of golf’s representatives at the Ontario meeting was Don Mackay, president of the National Golf Course Owners Association of Canada, who runs Muskoka Highlands in Bracebridge, Ont. Read more

Industry Notes: March 14, 2011

The Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences of the United States Patent and Trademark office has determined that the claims of four Callaway Golf patents are invalid in a long-running dispute that began in 2006 when Callaway claimed the Titleist Pro V1 golf ball infringed some of its patents. Appeal opportunities still exist … TaylorMade has launched its “Burner Brother of Speed” consumer campaign featuring staff player Camilo Villegas in a series of television, digital and print ads and online features inviting golfers to take part. Golfers can register online at www.taylormadegolf.com to become part of an interactive community that will receive swing tips from Villegas, product information and other benefits.

Industry Notes: Feb. 28, 2011

Adams Golf celebrating a triple crown of sorts a week ago when Aaron Baddeley won at the Northern Trust Open on the PGA Tour, Bernhard Langer took the Ace Group Classic on the Champions Tour and Yani Tseng won the Honda LPGA Thailand. All are Adams players … TaylorMade-adidas has extended its relationship with LPGA Tour star and 2010 U.S. Women’s Open winner Paula Creamer, who will wear the TaylorMade logo on the left side and back of her headwear, used a TaylorMade staff bag, wear adidas Golf apparel and her Paula footwear. Creamer has won nine times on the LPGA Tour and 11 times worldwide and qualified three times for Solheim Cup play. She recently switched to TaylorMade’s new R11 driver … Al Balding and Nick Weslock will be the focus of two Beyond the Fairway: The Legends of Canadian Golf speaker series at the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum on the grounds of Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ont. The Weslock portion of the series will take place March 13, while the Balding portion is schedule for April 9. Both take place from 1-3 p.m. Tickets are available for $25 each or $40 for both. Tickets can be obtained by e-mailing cghf@golfcanada.ca, or by calling 1-800-263-0009, ext. 411.

Everybody Wins If The Game Grows

We’ve had a number of strong opinions voiced in response to comments made by Mark King, president and CEO of TaylorMade-adidas, endorsing a second set of rules for recreational players. You can read that Golfweek story here.

One reader even suggested that King was trying to sell more golf clubs to which I would respond, `What’s wrong with that?’

Everybody in the industry has a stake in growing the game, whether it’s a golf club manufacturer looking to sell product or a golf course owner hoping to improve the number of rounds that go through. The point is that everybody in the golf industry wins if the game grows, so all ideas are on the table.

I think King’s suggestion is a good one. If you recall, Don MacKay, the new president of the National Golf Course Owners Association of Canada, touched on a similar topic in this contribution about a month ago. Read more

Your Thoughts Please …

Mark King, president and CEO of TaylorMade-adidas, has never been shy about voicing his opinion on the challenges that face golf.

His latest call to arms includes the United States Golf Association, PGA of America and some of the top names in the game to endorse a second set of rules for recreational players, an idea that has also been discussed here on GNN in the past.

King got into specifics with Gene Yasuda of Golfweek, who interviewed him at the recently PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando.

Have a read by clicking here. Then, come back and tell us your thoughts in the Comments box below.

TaylorMade Introduces Burner SuperFast 2.0

TaylorMade has introduced the next-generation Burner SuperFast 2.0 and Burner SuperFast 2.0 TP drivers that combine SuperFast technology with a larger face size and low-drag aerodynamics for faster swing speed a higher launch angle and lower spin rate for more distance.

The Burner SuperFast 2.0 is shaped to enhance the benefit of Dual Crown Technology, which is designed to create a lower centre of gravity to promote higher launch angle and lower spin rate. Other features include a longer shaft, lighter weight and more usable face area.

The face of the Burner SuperFast 2.0 is a large 4,550 square millimetres. The clubhead features Ultra-Thin Wall (UTW) construction combined with a more triangular address shape and profile for performance and playability, with the larger face providing more area with which to strike the ball.

The deep face provides more area for impact above the centre of the face for a higher launch angle and lower spin rate. Shaft and head mass properties have been calibrated for a moderate draw bias with a “measured square” face angle.

The high moment of inertia titanium clubhead features TaylorMade’s Inverted Cone Technology that is milled directly into the back of the clubface. The inverted cone expands the area of the clubface that delivers high ball speed, offering more forgiveness on mis-hits.

The Burner SuperFast 2.0’s distinct white crown is paired with its black PVD-finish clubface to provide contrast for easier and most accurate alignment and eliminate “hot spots” caused by reflected sunlight.

The new Winn Lite grip weighs just 25 grams, a key component in the Burner 2.0’s lightweight story. TaylorMade says, at 279 grams, it’s the lightest driver the company has ever produced.

Its Matrix Ozik XCon 4.8 shaft is light with a soft tip to help generate more ball speed and a higher launch angle.

The Burner SuperFast 2.0 TP has a neutral bias and differs from the standard model with a more compact address footprint, a single, non-movable weight port on the toe, a slightly open clubface angle and a standard 65-gram Matrix Ozik HD 6 shaft with a 43-gram Tour Velvet Light grip.

The Burner SuperFast 2.0 and Burner SuperFast 2.0 TP are available in men’s and women’s. The Burner SuperFast 2.0 is available in 9.5, 10.5 and 12.5-degree lofts and four flexes, while the Burner SuperFast 2.0 TP is available in 8.5, 9.5 and 10.5 degrees and three shaft flexes.

R11 Takes Adjustability To A New Level

TaylorMade has added a new level of adjustability with the introduction of its new R11 driver.

“By incorporating our new Adjustable Sole Plate Technology, along with our proven Flight Control Technology and Movable Weight Technology, into a single clubhead, the R11 gives golfers the ability to adjust their driver to fit their individual needs with even greater precision,” said Dr. Benoit Vincent, TaylorMade’s chief technology officer.

The Adjustable Sole Plate (ASP) in the R11 allows the user to adjust the face angle independently of the loft, which is control by Flight Control Technology (FCT).

ASP provides two degrees of face angle change (neutral/square, two degrees open, two degrees closed), while three lofts can be created with the same face angle, or you can further accentuate a face angle or counter a negative face angle.

The combination of ASP and FCT is designed to double the range of face angle from +2 degrees to +4 degrees.

The combination of ASP, FCT and Movable Weight Technology (MWT) offers 48 ways to set up the clubhead, offering 100 yards of side-to-side trajectory adjustment. Combining full FCT and MWT settings promotes a launch condition range of two degrees and 1,000 RPM.

The FCT has less mass and a lower clubhead centre of gravity location compared to drivers with hosel adjustability.

The R11 includes two weight cartridges weighing 10-grams and 1-gram. To create a neutral bias, install the heavy (10-gram) weight in the toe. For a draw bias, put the heavy weight in the heel. If a more neutral setting is desired, four and six-gram weights are available separately.

Players who prefer a specific face angle setting can bias the weights to adjust trajectory independent of the ASP setting.

Three steps are involved in fitting a R11 driver:

• (FCT) Select desired loft by setting the FCT, choosing either Neutral, 1º higher loft, or 1º lower loft (or one of the intermediate positions ±0.5º). When you change the loft, the face angle will be modified. A higher loft equates creates a closed face angle, while a lower loft creates an open face angle.

• (ASP) Rest the club in the address position and decide if you want to change the face angle. If the club looks too closed, adjust the ASP to square or open the face. If the club looks too open, adjust the ASP square or close the face. If the face angle look just right, no need to adjust the ASP.

• (MWT) Adjust the weights as necessary to achieve the desired trajectory bias. The ball directional tendency goes towards the side that the heavy weight is placed. For example, move the 10-gram to the heel side to create more draw bias.

The R11 has a modern-classic clubhead shape with a white crown, black PVD clubface for contrast in alignment.

At 440 c.c., the R11 appears slightly larger due to its white crown color. The R11 also has Inverted Cone Technology for higher ball speed on off-centre hits.

The R11 measures 45.75 inches and is equipped standard with a Fujikura Blur 60-gram shaft, which features a medium-firm tip profile. The Fujikura Blur features a large weave material in the outer diameters of the layup to provide more stability at impact.

Two versions are available, the R11 and R11 TP, with two right-handed lofts (nine and 10.5 degrees) and two left-handed lofts (9.5 and 10.5 degrees) available. The standard R11 comes in four shaft flexes with 19 additional shaft choices available.

The TaylorMade Trio Of Forged Irons

TaylorMade has introduced three new and different models of forged irons, including the TPMB (Tour Preferred Muscleback), TPMC (Tour Preferred Muscle Cavity) and TPCB (Tour Preferred Cavityback).

The three new models incorporate technologies with specific performance needs in mind. The TPMB and TPMC are created with a shaping process and six-step forging procedure with feel the objective, while the TPCB has a multi-material construction with a forged face and cast body.

“Forged irons are typically devoid of performance technologies,” said Bret Wahl, senior director of iron, wedge and putter development.

“Their compact and solid construction with thin sole, thin topline, high CG location and little to no offset forces a very specific type of impact parameters to hit a good shot, with virtually no margin for error,” he added.

“The reward for that sacrifice is unparalleled feel and workability. We took a long, close look into the makeup of forged irons to determine if we could advance the performance with the use of technology, and we found that we could.”

TPMB

With clear lines, a compact player’s shape and minimal offset, the TPMB is designed for pur feel, feedback and workability.

“This is the iron that many of our Tour Staff pros been waiting for,” said Keith Sbarbaro, TaylorMade’s vice president of tour operations. “The lines are clear and clean from every angle, and the pure feel of the ball on the forged face at impact is as good as it gets.”

The six-step forging process is used to produce a more precisely shaped and finished head. A thin topline, thin sole, straight leading edge, minimal offset and tapered hosel work in conjunction to promote pure face-to-ball connection.

The TPMB incorporates TaylorMade’s new precision-weighting port in the back of the clubhead. In the past, clubmakers have installed cartridges of varying weight in the hosel to ensure that each iron in the set is of uniform swingweight.

TPMB’s precision-weighting port is designed to offer precise swingweights, while ensuring maximum and consistent centre of gravity location in every clubhead.

“The precision-weighting port proves that it is, in fact, possible to innovate and improve the performance of a true, forged blade,” said Brian Bazzel, manager of iron and wedge creation.

The TPMB also incorporates a USGA-conforming groove design to promote more spin and control from the rough.

The standard shaft and grip properties were chosen with input from TaylorMade tour staff professionals, and include True Temper Dynamic Gold shaft and Tour Velvet grips.

TPMC

TPMC irons are designed with a clean, classic and maneuverable player’s shape that offers the blend of feel, workability, and forgiveness by incorporating a compact, shallow cavity.

“We worked obsessively with our tour staff to shape the TPMC irons into something that looks perfect to the better player’s eye, while at the same time incorporating feel, workability and stability,” said Bazzel.

The end result is a shape with a thin topline, straighter leading edge and less-cambered sole. Like the TPMB, the creation of the TPMC starts with the six-step forging process.

The sole is moderate to narrow in thickness and less cambered to prevent deep digging. The leading edge features minimal heel-to-toe radius with an amount of camber to cut cleanly and precisely into the turf with little resistance.

The groove design is in place to promote more spin and control from the rough.

TaylorMade’s precision-weighting port is incorporated into the TPMC for precise swingweights, while ensuring consistent centre of gravity location in every clubhead to promote better ball flight in the long, middle and short irons.

The TPMCs come with True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts and Tour Velvet grips.

TPCB

TPCB is a multi-material, forged cavityback that’s designed with a two-piece head. The TPCB’s advanced construction melds a forged face with a cast body that incorporates an undercut cavity to deliver the feel of a forged iron and the forgiveness of a deep cavityback.

“Uniting a forged face with a cast cavity allows us to deliver the best of both worlds – the soft feel of a forging with the stability and forgiveness of a deep undercut cavity,” said Wahl.

The TPCB boasts the highest moment of inertia of the three new irons. That, combined with its Inverted Cone Technology (the only iron of the three with ICT), which promotes faster ball speed on off-centre hits, is designed to offer forgiveness and consistent distance.

The TPCB also features a precision-weighting port and the same new, advanced groove design to promote more spin and control from the rough.

The TPCB iis the only model of the three being offered in both steel and graphite shafts.

The steel is a new, 110-gram, mid-flight True Temper Dynamic Golf XP. The graphite shaft options, developed by Fujikura, are offered in 90-gram stiff flex and 80-gram regular flex. Tour Velvet grips are also standard.

TaylorMade Sets Up Lab At Glen Abbey

The second Canadian TaylorMade Performance Lab featuring Motion Analysis Technology by TaylorMade (MAT-T) will be located at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

 “We knew we had something special when our first indoor MAT-T Performance Center opened near our Canadian Head Office in 2006,” says David Bradley, General Manager for TMaG Canada.

“The big question was what could we do to take this custom fitting platform to the next level – the resounding response was outdoor validation,” he added.

Establishing the new facility at Glen Abbey offered clients that opportunity, according to Cameron Jacobs, manager of customer fitting for TMaG Canada.

“We felt that to provide a complete fit, we needed access to world class facility like Glen Abbey. People want the tangible validation that they get when they experience a bunker shot with our new xFT Wedge, when they gouge a Rescue TP out of the rough, or notice how dramatic getting the correct lie angle in a Burner Iron can positively affect their game,” said Jacobs.

“All of the launch angles and spin rates in the world can’t replace the sensation that a player gets when they see the result of what new, properly fitted TaylorMade equipment can do,” he added.

Bradley adds that it also takes TaylorMade’s relationships with golf facilities to another level.

“It also speaks to our brand and our fantastic relationships with partners like ClubLink Corporation (the owner of Glen Abbey),” said Bradley.

Of the hundreds of facilities located in the (Greater Toronto Area) where we could have moved to, we were thrilled to secure Glen Abbey as host venue, a club which is far and away the most well-known golf property in Canada and home to 25 editions of the RBC Canadian Open.” he said.

Starting on October 30, Canadians will have the opportunity to have their swing analyzed and be custom fitted for TaylorMade equipment at the state-of-the-art facility.

Designed to measure both the components and the results of the swing, the MAT-T system captures, quantifies and animates the golfer’s swing in three-dimensions.

“The system provides golfers with the most accurate representation of their swing that is available today. Tour players have told us one hour of analysis on the MAT-T system is worth 10 hours on a driving range. The feedback from the system is that detailed and that specific.” said Nick Yuen master fitter and facility manager who will be heading up the daily operations of the Performance Lab at Glen Abbey.

Burners Built For Different Players

The next generation Burner and Burner Tour golf balls from TaylorMade Golf have been introduced to appeal to a broader range of players.

The Burner is designed to promote distance through high launch and longer carry, while the Burner Tour has a soft, thin cover to promote feel, spin and control.

“When we designed the Burner and Burner Tour, we developed core formulations that promote maximum velocity, which translates to maximum distance,” said Dean Snell, senior director of golf ball research and development.

“To achieve a significant improvement in greenside spin and performance in Burner Tour, we’ve employed the softest and thinnest two-piece cover of any TaylorMade ball,” he added.

“With the new Burner, the goal was to limit driver spin and promote maximum carry, which could only be accomplished by combining a soft core and slightly firmer cover,” added Snell.

Both the Burner and Burner Tour golf balls incorporate TaylorMade’s proprietary REACT Core design to promote fast ball speed, while maintaining soft feel. Both employ soft core compressions, the Burner at 35 and the Burner Tour at 45.

However, the Burner Tour’s thinner and softer cover reduces its overall compression below that of Burner to deliver soft feel and added spin around the green.

TaylorMade’s Low-Drag Performance (LDP) aerodynamics have been incorporated into the premium 342 LDP dimple pattern used in both the Burner and Burner Tour to promote improved lift for more distance.

Although the Burner and Burner Tour incorporate slightly different cover properties – the Burner employs an Iothane^TM 60D cover while the Burner Tour employs an even softer Iothane 57D cover – both are soft and resilient while also offering durability and shear-resistance.

The Ghost Takes On A New Form

TaylorMade Golf has introduced the Rossa Daytona Ghost, a blade with the same calming white colour and high-contrast alignment cures of the Corza Ghost mallet.

The Rossa Daytona Ghost uses Rossa’s AGSI+ (Anti-skid Groove System Insert) Technology, which features 14 polymer-filled grooves in the fact that hold the ball briefly at impact to negate backspin and promote forward spin for smoother roll and better accuracy.

The AGSI+ insert is also designed to deliver more consistency in forward roll on off-centre hits. The Rossa Dayton Ghost was scheduled for availability on Oct. 1.

TaylorMade Burner Irons X2

A year-and-a-half after introducing the Burner irons, TaylorMade Golf has unveiled the Burner 2.0, designed to combine distance with feel and playability.

“We’ve succeeded at creating a better-performing iron with the Burner 2.0, which is just as long, easier to play and more refined in its feel and sound,” said Bret Wahl, senior director of research and development for irons, wedges and putters.

“Every Burner 2.0 iron is better than its predecessor and, when compared against the longest, best-selling iron we’ve ever made, that says something truly significant,” added Wahl.

At first glance, the main difference is the Burner 2.0’s two-toned Burner Black PVD finish that’s in place for durability and glare resistance.

Multiple properties in the Burner 2.0s have been enhanced to promote distance, more uniform distance gaps, playability, feel and sound. Weight distribution varies in every clubheard to improve long, middle and short iron ball flight.

In the long irons, weight has been shifted toward the back of the head, to promote easy launch, and toward the toe and heel, to promote greater stability and forgiveness.

In the middle irons, weight is distributed more evenly and slightly higher to promote workability, while still providing forgiveness.

Individual Burner 2.0 irons boast a different face thickness with the thinnest and fastest faces in the long irons. The face in each successive iron grows thicker down through the middle and short irons.

Toplines in the Burner 2.0 irons are substantial and strong in the long irons and grow progressively thinner down through the middle and short irons.

The multi-functional sole, introduced in the original Burner iron, has been improved by recessing the heel and toe and beveling the rear, all to reduce drag and make it easier to make clean, solid contact.

On the rear side of the clubface, TaylorMade’s patented Inverted Cone Technology has been reconfigured, sized and positioned strategically in each individual iron to promote faster ball speed on off-centre hits for more consistent distance shot to shot.

Burner 2.0 long-irons combine a thin clubface for higher COR (1.8 mm in the four iron, for example) with higher MOI. Relief at the rear of the sole allows the sole to play narrower to promote more distance in long-irons, while making them significantly easier to hit and more playable.

“Golfers who play the current Burner iron will notice a difference in the sound and feel, which is significantly softer and more satisfying in the Burner 2.0,” said Brian Bazzel, TaylorMade’s manager of iron development..

“We put in a lot of effort to refine and improve the vibration management system in the cavity in order to reach our target for sound and feel,” he added.

Burner 2.0 irons are equipped with a new, flight-control shaft design in 85-gram steel or 65-gram graphite. The Women’s Burner 2.0s are equipped with a graphite RE*AX SuperFast 55-gram shaft.

Product Introductions Will Continue At Rapid Pace: TaylorMade-adidas Chief

The good folks at TaylorMade-adidas had a shindig at the company nerve centre in Carlsbad, Calif., on Wednesday evening to celebrate the anniversary of a rebirth as opposed to the birth of the company.

If you recall, the company had lost its way by September of 2000. Not only had it lost its reputation as an innovator in its cherished metalwood category, but sales were suffering and its financial future was in question.

“The morale of the people here at the company was not overly excited and we really didn’t have a lot of the things in the pipeline that would say that things were going to get better for us,” said chief executive officer and president Mark King.

It was time for a change and King realized the challenge ahead when he announced that the company was relaunching with a new logo, new product and a new attitude while at the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla, when 200 people were invited to a press conference.

Five showed up. Read more

The Doctor Retires And Other Notes

 As I mentioned in a previous blog in this little corner of GNN, I recently played in an annual event played in memory of the late Rick Fraser, a Toronto Star and Toronto Sun sportswriter who was admired as much for his bluster and personality as he was for his admirable prose.

It was the final playing of The Fraz, as the tournament was known, as Fraser’s colleagues would gather to shank shots, hoist a few cold ones and tell often-exaggerated stories.  One of the regulars was summoned for a few thoughts as the last Fraz wound down at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont.

Star columnist Dave Perkins has the appearance of Bluto of Popeye fame, but underneath that rough exterior and his no-holds-barred opinions beats the heart that is a prerequisite for a touching tribute to Fraser and the duties he performed in his long tenure at the Star. Read more

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