Equipment Forum O > The Fly-Z XL irons from Cobra


have a unique design that features a hollow lower-half section. According to the design team, this half-hollow construction allows them take even more weight away from the top of the club, using it to position the center of gravity lower and deeper than ever before, while allowing for face flex, promoting “easy up, easy distance.” The Fly-Z XL is also available as a combo set, with an undercut design in the scoring clubs for more precision and control (as well offering hybrids to replace the 4- through 6-iron). The irons are available at a terrific price point, too.


Minimum Advertised Price (MAP): $499 (steel); $599 (combo set, steel); $699 (combo set, graphite) cobragolf.com


70 / NCGA.ORG / SPRING 2015


ne of the more interesting design trends we’ve seen in recent years is the hollow-body iron. With a void behind


a thin, unsupported face, the iron is able to flex slightly at impact, resulting in increased ball speed and distance. In addition, the hol- low area gives designers some discretionary weight savings to reposition strategically to lower and deepen the irons’ center of gravity, which makes the clubs more stable on off-center hits. It also promotes a higher, easier launch. Early designs seemingly validated the technology. Golfers enjoyed distance gains


and the irons—especially the longer irons— were extremely forgiving and easy to hit in the air. However, there were criticisms. Some found the clubheads to be bulky and un- wieldy, and others found the sound and feel to leave quite a bit to be desired. So, heading into 2015, it was unclear whether the hollow-body iron category would continue to grow and evolve, or quietly go the way of the oversized golf ball, the all-titanium iron, the aluminum shaft and the multitude of other ill-fated design trends. The answer was immediately clear at this


year’s PGA Merchandise Show. The hollow-body iron isn’t going anywhere. Here are a few examples that show why this design category is generating so much excitement:


> Callaway’s Big Bertha Irons,


introduced last fall, have probably generated the most attention of the hollow-body irons, with the company’s claims of up to two clubs’ additional distance perking the ears of weekend players worldwide. This year’s XR Irons are not techni- cally hollow-bodied—there’s a cavity in the back of the two-piece construction—but they do utilize the same key technology as the Big Bertha Irons: a 360-degree face cup. The face cup allows Callaway designers to control the thinness of the face closer to the toe, topline and, most importantly, the sole. This extends the ball-speed benefits to mis-hits as well as well-struck shots.


Minimum Advertised Price (MAP): $999 (Big Bertha); $799 (XR) callawaygolf.com


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