Making the cut: high-tech enhancements by these top manufacturers can deliver powerful results on the course.DRIVERS MacGregor MacTec ($200) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A lightweight beta titanium face insert and crown provide power, deepening the center of gravity in the clubhead for a high-launch, low-spin take-off and more roll upon landing. Four fixed tungsten weights fine-tune performance. macgregorgolf.com TaylorMade r7 Quad The R7 Quad is a golf club and is the most used driver on the PGA Tour, and is the best selling driver in the amateur market. The R7 Quad is manufactured and sold under the Taylormade-adidas name. HT ($600) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Four removable, shiftable weight cartridges enable finite ball flight presets. The 400cc titanium head sports a longer, shallower face for a lower, deeper center of gravity, while a higher launch angle adds carry distance. taylormadegolf.com FAIRWAY WOODS Orlimar VT830 ($249) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "830" is a reference to the U.S. Golf Association's .830 limit on the "coefficient of restitution The coefficient of restitution or COR of an object is a fractional value representing the ratio of velocities before and after an impact. An object with a COR of 1 collides elastically, while an object with a COR of 0 will collide inelastically, effectively "sticking" to "--essentially, a club's hotness. Thanks to a strong, low-density metal called Alpha Steel, the VT830 approaches that limit. orlimar.com Bobby Jones Players Series ($200) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This low profile, multimetal clubhead is shallower and longer than average to reduce mishits. A thin steel crown produces high-arcing shots, and a copper-tungsten sole weight shifts rearward rear·ward 1 adv. Toward, to, or at the rear. adj. At or in the rear. n. A rearward direction, point, or position. rear for added stability. bobbyjonesshop.com HYBRIDS Cobra Baffler baf·fle tr.v. baf·fled, baf·fling, baf·fles 1. To frustrate or check (a person) as by confusing or perplexing; stymie. 2. To impede the force or movement of. n. 1. ($160-$180) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A contoured soleplate sole·plate n. The underside of a clothes iron. helps players launch high shots even from tough lies; power comes from the thin, lively steel face welded into the 17-4 stainless steel stainless steel: see steel. stainless steel Any of a family of alloy steels usually containing 10–30% chromium. The presence of chromium, together with low carbon content, gives remarkable resistance to corrosion and heat. head. The weighting creates "forgiveness" (which every golfer needs). cobragolf.com Tour Edge Houdini ($89-$99) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This escape artist employs an offset head to simplify the task of squaring the face at impact and so reduces slicing. Like most hybrids, its shaft is an inch shorter than a comparable fairway wood for extra control. touredge.com IRONS Mizuno MX-17 ($699-$799) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Traditional-looking but heavy on game-improvement help (like a cavity-back in the 3- through 6-irons), the 7-iron through pitching wedge features a "Power Bar" that complements the cavity for more control. mizunousa.com Nike Golf Pro Combo OS ($899) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The OS (for "oversize o·ver·size n. 1. A size that is larger than usual. 2. An oversize article or object. adj. o·ver·size also o·ver·sized Larger in size than usual or necessary. Adj. 1. ") is three sets in one: "Deep Undercut" long irons for maximum forgiveness, "Muscle-Cavity" short irons for control, and "Full Cavity" mid-irons that balance forgiveness and control. nikegolf.com WEDGES Cleveland Golf CG10 Black Pearl ($149) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A thin chrome coating and double layer of nickel--said to be 17X the carbon than found in more commonly used carbon steel--makes for a less dense head with a soft feel. clevelandgolf.com Titleist Vokey Spin Milled ($125) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Designed to impart more spin for greater control, the face features more surface texture, while the grooves boast a steeper draft angle and a tighter edge radius for added friction in grassy or wet lies. titleist.com PUTTERS Ping Doc 12.5 ($200) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Doc's oversize profile and semicircular semicircular shaped like a half-circle. semicircular canals the passages in the inner ear, in the bony labyrinth concerned with the sense of balance, especially the detection of movement. shape help move weight back and to the perimeter, keeping the aluminum head stable throughout the stroke and minimizing post-impact skidding. pinggolf.com White Steel 2-Ball Odyssey ($215) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] These putters use a dual insert system: A soft, urethane urethane (yoor´ithān´), n ethyl carbamate used as an anesthetic agent for laboratory animals, formerly used as a hypnotic in humans. face insert helps distance control, while a milled stainless steel insert behind it provides responsiveness and delivers accuracy. An extended mallet mallet, n a hammering instrument. mallet, hard, n a small hammer with a leather-, rubber-, fiber-, or metal-faced head; used to supply force or to supplement hand force for the compaction of foil or amalgam and to seat cast design reduces back-spin upon impact. odysseygolf.com COMPILED BY EVAN EVAN Expandable Van ROTHMAN |
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