FIELDREPORT
premium products that deserve their place within the market. Our average selling price at retail is two-and-a-half times that of the industry.
“We also argue that people are ready to spend that kind of outlay on a driver they may use at best 14 times per round; a putter is used at least twice as often, so why should it cost half a much?”
flanges. At first it seems a logic answer to the problem of some golfers preferring down-the-line sightlines and others right- angled markings. But there’s more to it than that. “Most golfers like to use the face to line up, but the face is typically a little far forward and not really in the right position to suit your eyeline,” Temple explains. “By putting the cross a little further back from the face, on the flange
the alignment aid is better
The Dual Balance trio take their place in one of Scotty Cameron’s most complete putter line-ups. The ever-popular Select range of traditional yet modern blades has swapped mists, returning to its silver hue from the black. The range sees the addition of the higher toe-flow Newport 2.5, designed to wor with a slightly more arcing stroke, as an alternative to the best-selling 2. But now easing the transition into the four GoLo mallets are the mid-mallet Fastback and Squareback. The former is rounder, the second boxier, but both are weighted to suit straighter strokes and both sport a prominent red alignment cross on their
positioned for where the best putters like to position the ball, under their leſt eye if they play right-handed. This
position helps the golfer
square it up better.”
Wedge specialist Bob
Vokey has also been busy in Titleist’s cause. His new
creations – Spin Milled 5 wedges – were launched in March and add new, higher-spinning grooves to the characteristically clean head shapes.
“The groove rule change in 2010 took away those bigger volumes that gave wedges extra spin,” says Temple. “Vokey’s new X3 grooves recoup some of that.” X3 grooves are some 7% larger than for the SM4 wedge generation and targeted to the wedge loft – deeper an narrower for the 46-54- degree versions, while 54-62-degree models are simply deeper to allow the more oblique impact to make better use of the spin-milled face. Testing suggests the
grooves have added up to extra 500rpm of spin from rough. Retailing at £103, the SM5 wedge has been given three finishe of Tour Chrome, Gold Nickel and the unplated Raw Black. Spin difference between th three is negligible. In the meantime, Titleist are looking forward to monitoring their impact, as well as that made by Scotty Cameron’s Dual Balanced products. Temple anticipates a surge throughout 2015, as the anchoring ban approaches. And while that ban may have triggered the rush towards putter counterbalancing, we can only wonder if it will end there. In an industry hungry for new technologies, could research into the benefits of heavier grips usher in a new genre of counterbalanced long- game clubs? Aſter all, the testimony of Mr Nicklaus isn’t easily dismissed. “I’d imagine our R&D looks at this regularly,” Temple straight-bats. “When it comes to developing better product for consumers, no stone is left unturned But what will the upshot of that research be? Well, I really couldn’t tell you.”
www.titleist.co.uk SGBGOLF 11
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48