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lower and offer a lifetime warranty and 30-day play guarantee which benefit the consumer more.” But for all the innova-


tions in club design, it all comes back to a simple concept according to one legend in the business. “I believe that we are in the business of improving ball flight not selling clubs,” said Adams Golf founder and Tight Lies designer Barney Adams. “But the new technology is nine levels beyond anything I could ever do.” Adams was speaking


of his company’s efforts to maximize the velocity of the swing, creating less drag and turbulence for more club


The Facts:


The white head dominates any discussion of the TaylorMade R11 driver, and the contrast certainly aides alignment and reduces glare. But 48 potential independent adjustments to the face angle (via a new rotating sole plate), loft and center of gravity speak to a club packed with flexibility. The technological potential is the next evolution in the company’s pioneering efforts in adjustability.


The Price:


$399 (R11) and $499 (R11 TP–lower center of gravity for the more experienced player)


speed and ultimately more distance. Innovations aside, it’s still important to many that the clubs’ visual appeal provide inspiration. “When you look down at a club, you have to like it,” said Adams tour player Brittany Lin- cicome regarding the new F11 Speedline driver and fairway wood.


Scottsdale-based Ping is


introducing the Anser irons this year, capitalizing on the name of a putter that’s perhaps the most copied club design in golf history. “That style has sustained for 45 years. All the major brands make an Anser-style putter,” said Ping’s Direc- tor of Communications Pete Samuels. “That says a


lot.” The simple and classic design and heel-toe weight- ing for stability provided an “answer” to a golfer’s putting problems when it debuted in 1966, and since “answer” wouldn’t fit on the back of the club, the “w” got dropped from the final name. The Anser irons are the company’s first commer- cially-available forged iron. On the fashion front,


Nike Golf is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Dri- Fit line, one of the better developments in golf fash- ion. The light and bright tech fabric pushed fashion away from the extra-large, droopy look in vogue in the early 90s. Golfers such as Fred Couples or Tiger Woods, in the early part of his career, made part of their swing routine the pull- ing up of the oversized right sleeve to get it out of the way of the backswing. Not


anymore. Dri-Fit, and other similar lines popularized by adidas and others, is easy to care for, dries quickly and presents a much more athletic look, reinforcing the notion of golf as sport. While indicators from the PGA Show point toward growing and healthy interest in the game, some unpredictability is par for the course. Roughly 25% of exhibitors were new to show, more than the usual number, and 88 countries were represented among the show’s nearly 42,000 attendees. But the passion for the


game’s gear, perhaps not emulated in any other sport, remains one of driving forc- es behind the golfer’s belief that a scratch handicap is only a new driver or putter away. The Orlando PGA Merchandise Show fosters that belief and passion.


In the next pages and in subsequent editions of NCGA Golf, the Sticks and Stones section will highlight the newest golf equipment.


SPRING 2011 / NCGA.ORG / 59


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