Tag: Acushnet

  • Titleist 712 AP1 & AP2 Irons – Sneak Peak

    Titleist 712 AP2 Iron

    Titleist has done it again. One of the most popular irons on the professional tours and amateur bags alike, the 710 AP1 and AP2 irons have been updated to the new look and performance of the 712 AP1 and 712 AP2 irons. They will be available in mid-November 2011. Titleist have made the new irons more forgiving and yet more playable. To get all the details, check out the following press release and pictures from Acushnet below.


    Advanced Performance Iron Technology Sets New Standard for Feel with Traditional Looks.


    Fairhaven, MA (September 13, 2011) – Dedicated to providing serious golfers with the highest performing equipment in golf, Titleist introduces the next generation of its groundbreaking Advanced Performance irons.  The new Titleist AP1 and AP2 irons (712 Series) stay true to the design mission of “Advanced Performance with Feel.”  Both models are multi-material, dual cavity irons that provide modern ball flight and forgiveness with the traditional looks, feel and sound that serious golfers have come to expect from Titleist irons.

    “The new 712 line of AP irons represents another step forward in iron design,” said Steve Pelisek, General Manager, Titleist Golf Clubs.  “With the development of the first AP irons in 2007, we knew we had created something special – irons that incorporated a true blend of classic golf club aesthetics with modern playability, forgiveness and consistency.  With the new 712 line we’ve taken this breakthrough technology to a new, game-changing level by increasing the stability and forgiveness without losing any workability or shot control.”

    HISTORY OF ADVANCED PERFORMANCE TECHNOLOGY:      Iron performance can best be measured, not only by the quality of shots produced by well-executed swings, but also by the quality of shots when less-than-ideal contact is made with the ball.  From an engineering standpoint, the key to maximizing shot quality on off-center hits is weight distribution.  Club designers learned that by placing more weight around the perimeter of the club they could reduce the amount that the club twists on off-center hits.  When the clubhead is more stable, off-center hits still fly relatively straight and far.  However, perimeter-weighted irons had an intrinsic drawback.  In order to redistribute enough weight to exact a measurable performance advantage, the clubhead shape had to change.  The typically larger heads of these irons with their wider soles and thicker toplines were visually unappealing to many serious golfers whose concept of an ideal iron is represented by the compact profile and sharper lines of a traditional forged blade iron.

    The rules changed when Titleist introduced Advance Performance technology.  By successfully integrating new materials in a new dual cavity, multi-component construction, Titleist not only launched an iron that delivered modern performance and playability, but one that would also satisfy the sensibilities of even the most ardent iron traditionalist.

    “The original AP irons changed the way golfers thought about irons,” said Dan Stone, Vice President, Research and Development, Titleist Golf Clubs.  “AP technology opened up a host of new possibilities in which design aesthetics and performance no longer had to be mutually exclusive propositions.   That original technology paved the way for the new advances that we’ve made with the new 712 line.”

    NEW ADVANCES IN THE 712 AP IRONS: The improvements incorporated into the new AP irons came about as the result of continued research that indicated that serious golfers were looking for improvements in three main areas.  First, most players wanted even greater refinements to the clubhead's profile.  Both the new AP1 and AP2 models feature sleeker contours that result in a better address position.  Players also expressed a desire for more forgiveness, to get more out of their miss-hits, or said another way, better distance control.  Both the new AP1 and AP2 have been improved with internal weighting that utilizes higher density tungsten in order to distribute mass more efficiently which increases the moment-of-inertia (MOI) without changing the CG location or the blade length.  The higher MOI provides more consistent ballspeed across the clubface and better distance control.  Better distance control leads to more scoring opportunities and is the key to good iron play. The third wish-list item that research uncovered was that players wanted more forgiveness without any loss of workability or shot control.  Traditionally it has been thought that forgiveness and workability were mutually exclusive.  The new AP irons prove that they are not. "When speaking about iron workability, it's important to dispel the myth that adding forgiveness to an iron decreases its workability," explained Stone.  "In the golf industry, when we talk about Moment of Inertia, we're referring to MOI-y, which is the heel/toe stability of the clubhead on off-center impacts.  The higher the MOI-y, the better the accuracy and distance on off-center hits.  But the most influential property affecting workability is the Moment of Inertia around the shaft axis, which is mainly driven by blade length and the location of the clubhead's center of gravity from the shaft axis.   When we redesigned the 712 AP irons, we redistributed weight in the clubhead so that we not only increased clubhead MOI or forgiveness, we kept blade lengths the same and maintained the same CG distance from the shaft axis.  This allows players to flight and shape shots." CONSTRUCTION:  The new 712 AP1 and 712 AP2 irons retain the dual cavity design and multi-material construction that is the key to their advanced performance.  However, the designs have been significantly upgraded for more forgiveness, higher ball speeds on miss-hits and improved distance control.  Additionally, the new AP1 features a new topline shape and progressively reduced blade lengths resulting in more traditional-looking short irons.  Notable changes to the new AP2 include a new, tour-inspired square toe profile and reduced sole width in the short irons for more precise turf performance. Both new AP models incorporate Titleist's Tuned Feel System, a co-molded insert of soft elastomer and aluminum plate.  This insert has been specifically designed to improve the sound and feel of each new iron. Extensive improvements to the new AP1 structure include a redesigned stainless steel soleplate and integrated tungsten nickel sole weight that redistributes discretionary mass from the topline, center bar and sole cradle to low in the head, resulting in increased stability and forgiveness.  The new AP2 structure also makes use of a new steel cradle that holds tungsten weights located heel and toe, providing greater forgiveness on miss-hits and more consistent distance control. Titleist 712 AP1 IronNEW 712 AP1 IRONS FEATURES AND BENEFITS Overview/Player Profile:  Titleist AP1 irons are advanced performance, multi-material, dual cavity irons providing more forgiveness with solid feel and improved looks for the aspiring to skilled golfer.   Increased Forgiveness  through an advanced technology, multi-material, high MOI design featuring a precise stainless steel body and high density tungsten sole weight Higher Ball Speed  on miss-hits for improved distance control More Forgiving Long Irons  with a 4% increase in moment-of-inertial (MOI) More Traditional Short Irons  through a progressively reduced blade length Improved Solid Feel  from the high MOI design and tuned feel cavity insert Improved Confidence Inspiring Appearance  with a beveled topline, traditional shape and more precise address profile Stock Shafts and Grip: True Temper Dynalite Gold XP is a high performance mid-weight steel shaft with a more stable tip designed to optimize initial launch angle and maximize distance.  Stock graphite shaft is Tour AD by Graphite Design, exclusively for Titleist, a slightly higher launching shaft that matches weight and performance of Titleist lightweight metals shafts.  Stock grip is the new Titleist Tour Velvet by Golf Pride, a truly round, one-piece, injection molded grip with industry standard sizing.  Other shaft, grip, length and lie options are available through Titleist Custom. Grooves: Modified U, conforming to 2010 U.S.G.A./R&A groove specifications. Price/Availability:  Available in both right and left hand beginning November 18, 2011, with a suggested retail price of $112 per club/steel, and $135 per club/graphite. Titleist 712 AP2 IronNEW 712 AP2 IRONS FEATURES AND BENEFITS Overview/Player Profile:  Titleist AP2 irons are advanced performance, multi-material, dual cavity forged irons providing more playability, solid feel and an improved classic profile for the serious and skilled golfer. Increased Playability  through an advanced technology, multi-material, forged carbon steel body and high density tungsten weight design Consistent Ball Speed  and improved distance control on miss-hits from a 7% increase in MOI with no loss of workability or shot control Improved Solid Feel from increased MOI and the tuned feel cavity insert Precise Short Irons  with reduced sole widths in the 8, 9, P for improved turf performance Improved Appearance  with a new squarer profile Superior Shot Control  from the small progressive offset and traditional constant blade length Stock Shaft and Grip:  High performance, tour-proven Dynamic Gold steel shaft provides tour preferred feel, weight feedback and performance.  Stock grip is the new Titleist Tour Velvet by Golf Pride, a truly round, one-piece, injection molded grip with industry standard sizing.  Other shaft, grip, length and lie options are available through Titleist Custom. Grooves:  Modified V, conforming to 2010 U.S.G.A./R&A groove specifications. Price/Availability:  Available in both right and left hand beginning November 18, 2011, with a suggested retail price of $154 per club/steel and $175 per club/graphite. Specifications: 712 AP1  Irons 3              4              5              6              7              8              9              P             W Loft                        20°          23°          26°          29°          33°          37°          41°          45°          50° Lie                          60°          61°          62°          62.5°      63°          63.5°      64°          64°          64° Offset                   0.245"   0.220"   0.195"   0.170"   0.145"   0.125"   0.110"   0.105"   0.100" Bounce                 1°            1°            2°            2°            3°            4°            5°            6°            7° Length                  39.00"   38.50"   38.00"   37.50"   37.00"   36.50"   36.00"   35.75"   35.50" 712 AP2  Irons 3              4              5              6              7              8              9              P             W Loft                        21°          24°          27°          31°          35°          39°          43°          47°          51° Lie                          60°          61°          62°          62.5°      63°          63.5°      64°          64°          64° Offset                   0.160"  0.145"   0.130"   0.120"   0.100"   0.100"   0.90"      0.85"      0.80” Bounce                 0°            1°            3°            4°            4°            5°            6°            7°            7° Length                  39.00"   38.50"   38.00"   37.50"   37.00"   36.50"   36.00"   35.75"   35.5” ON TOUR:  The new 712 AP irons received instant validation from players at the PGA TOUR's AT&T National event, where the prototype irons were first introduced. A total of 19 players (out of an event-leading 40 Titleist iron sets) put sets of 712 irons in play the first week they were available, including the winner of the event, Titleist Brand Ambassador Nick Watney.  Success followed three weeks later when Scott Stallings captured the Greenbrier Classic with the new AP2 irons for his first career win. Among those who have already put the new sets in play with success include Ben Curtis with the AP1 and the following relying upon AP2:  Ben Crane, Brendon DeJonge, Jason Dufner, Brad Faxon, Hunter Haas, Marc Leishman, Jarrod Lyle, Matteo Manassero, SY Noh, Tom Pernice, Jr., Brett Quigley, Michael Sim, Scott Stallings, Josh Teater, Nick Watney.  Titleist and FootJoy comprise the major golf brands of the Acushnet Company.  For additional information or photography of the new AP iron line, please visit us on-line at: www.titleist.com

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  • Cobra Golf Sold To Puma

    Cobra Golf Tour ProfessionalsThe Acushnet Company – Fortune Brands’ golf business – announced today that it has sold the Cobra Golf Company to Puma AG. The sale includes the Cobra brand, all related inventory, intellectual property and its endorsement contracts. Cobra’s list of professional staff includes Camilo Villegas, J.B. Holmes, Ian Poulter, Jason Gore and David Feherty. Cobra Golf has had a great year so far, with Ian Poulter winning the Accenture Match Play Championship, Camilo Villegas winning the Honda Classic and finishing third at the Match Play, and J.B. Holmes has started his year with 2 top three finishes so far.

    Acushnet plans to continue to provide services for an agreed upon period of time beyond the sale to facilitate the seamless transition as Puma breaks into the golf industry on the equipment side. Production, distribution, field sales and customer service will continue with the help of Acushnet for a time, until Puma has gotten up to speed.

    “With the sale of Cobra, we have the opportunity to devote all of our resources to the global growth of our industry-leading Titleist and FootJoy brands,” said Wally Uihlein, Chairman and CEO of Acushnet Company.  “At the same time, Cobra is a strong brand with a heritage of innovation, and we wish the quality associates guiding the brand future success.  Golfers and our valued partners will remain the key focus throughout the impending sale and we are confident that our customers will continue to be serviced to our high standards.”

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    p style=”text-align: center;”> Pending regulatory approval, the date of the sale is expected to be early in the second quarter of 2010, and all Cobra Golf business will be conducted by Acushnet Company until that time.  All Acushnet Company associates dedicated to the Cobra business are expected to become employees of PUMA.  Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

    "Through the acquisition of Cobra Golf, we reinforce PUMA’s commitment to our sportsperformance business by strengthening our growing and successful Golf category," said JochenZeitz, Chairman and Chief Executive of PUMA. “Cobra Golf has a history of innovativeperformance products fused with an edge and is therefore a perfect fit for PUMA, reinforcingour overall mission of becoming the most desirable Sportlifestyle company. With Cobra Golf,PUMA will capitalize on the many opportunities in the Golf category and upside potential aheadof us.”
    Based in Carlsbad, California and founded in 1973, Cobra Golf  produced one of the first utility clubs - the Baffler - long before use of such hybrid clubs became popular. Cobra's innovation continues today with recent releases such as the new ZL and S2 Drivers, as well as the Baffler Rail Hybrid. In 1996 Cobra Golf was acquired by Fortune Brands and has since then been managed together under the Acushnet Company umbrella with its other golf brands. Rickie Fowler wearing Puma Apparel“Titleist and FootJoy are powerful golf brands that are poised for long-term growth,” continued Uihlein.  “This laser focus and our longstanding commitment to deliver superior performance and quality will strengthen golfers’ trust in the Titleist and FootJoy brands in all global markets.” The most prominent Puma spokesman is Rickie Fowler, who has sported Puma's apparel on the PGA Tour for only a few tournaments but is already making a mark, not only with the flashy style (or lack thereof) but with his great play, earning several top 5 finishes in his young professional career. One has to wonder if Rickie will be encouraged to move from Titleist brand equipment (Owned by Acushnet) to the newly acquired Cobra Golf. It will also be interesting to see what happens with the Cobra Golf brand. Will Puma rebrand Cobra equipment as its own or retain the well known and respected Cobra brand clubs?

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  • Clay Long – The Best Putters You Haven’t Heard Of

    Clay Long with MacGregor Response PutterWho is Clay Long, and why haven’t you heard of his putters? For starters, Mr. Long doesn’t much advertise his putter designs. Designed for golf purists and enthusiasts that are serious about high-end putters that perform and feel great, only a select few dealers around the country get to sell his clubs. Fortunately for me, one of those shops is close-by in Orlando, and a number of years ago I stumbled on to his putters there and immediately had to have one. And then another, and then another. I now have three of his flat sticks and I love all of them.

    Clay Long is one of the most experienced and well respected golf club designers in golf. He has been designing clubs for over 25 years, serving as the Vice president of Research and Development of Macgregor Golf Co., chief designer to Progroup and The Arnold Palmer Co., Vice President of Research and Development of Cobra Golf Co., Vice President of Golf Club Development for the Acushnet Co. In 1992 he founded his own company – Plus 2 International – and today is responsible for Nicklaus Golf Equipment and Jack Nicklaus’s golf club designs.

    Clay Long with Jack NicklausAs chief designer for Arnold Palmer golf, Clay Long developed the PHD hosel weighted iron. This design was used by Arnold Palmer, Steve Stricker, and Tom Wargo. Wargo used the PHD to become the first player on the Champions Tour to win a million dollars in a single season. His hosel-weighed design was later licensed and used by Cobra Golf Co. in the King Cobra II irons and woods.

    In 1997 Clay Long joined Cobra Golf as Vice President of R&D. Clay helped design the Gravity Back series of woods and irons along with a number of other products. He later served as Vice president of Golf Club Development in the Acushnet organization, working on titanium wood designs  until leaving in 2000 to restart Plus 2 International as an independent design house. Mr. Long owns no less than 26 golf related patents and is also a charter member of Golf Digest’s Technical Advisory Panel.

    Clay Long Personal Edition Putters

    [caption id="attachment_1975" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Click photo to enlarge..."]Clay Long Personal Edition Putters[/caption] Clay Long's Personal Edition putters are some of the best looking and feeling putters I've ever rolled the ball with. Made in very small numbers and cherished by their owners, they are the pinnacle of putting tools. For years and years, Mr. Long has been the personal clubmaker for Jack Nicklaus. Many of his putter designs were created with Jack in mind, and have landed in the hands of a few lucky collectors like myself. Clay Long has recently released several new limited edition hand made putters. There are 13 models available in small numbers. [caption id="attachment_1980" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Click photo to enlarge..."]Clay Long Personal Edition Putters[/caption] All three of the models that I own (D202.5, E203.11, A201.4) were made in the early 2000s and have Clay Long's unique raised center sighting feature. Rather than engraving or milling a sight line on the flange of the putter and filling with paint, Mr. Long came up with a design in which a raised bar of metal is milled into the design, giving the cavity of the putter a raised sight line feature that is unique to Clay Long putters. These early models were made in small batches of 10 putters and individually numbered. Two models (D202.5, E203.11) are made of 303 stainless steel and the third (A201.4) of mild carbon steel. The other unique feature of Clay's putters is the long barrel slant neck. The elongated shaft socket allows the putter shaft to penetrate deeper and puts the shaft in greater contact with the head, resulting in greater feel and less vibration. There really is a very solid, stable feel to these putters. The best way to describe it is to compare driving a German car vs. a Korean car. They just feel more solid and well put together. The ball pops off the face with a slight clicking noise that you would expect from a metal putter, and the feel is soft without being mushy. Feedback is instant and vibration is non-existent. [caption id="attachment_1976" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Click photo to enlarge..."]Clay Long Personal Edition Putters[/caption] The curved top line of my D202.5 makes the putter look better at address, and the slight offset aids alignment. The E203.11 has less offset and the shaft goes over the hosel. The curved cavity gives the putter a clean look and thinner top line. The shaft connects to the head closer to the center of the putter than other models, reducing the toe hang of the putter. My A201.4 model putter is made of mild carbon steel and is heavier than the 303SS offerings. I was told the "I" marking below the hosel area denotes this putter as a heavier weight. The putter features a more traditional heel-toe cavity back design made famous by the Ping Anser. It has a longer slant neck and the unique long barrel hosel and raised sight line feature. The face area of these putters is outlined by an oval paint line and is milled flat. The classic "CL" cloverleaf logo is prominent on the heel of the club as well. [caption id="attachment_1984" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Click photo to enlarge..."]Clay Long Personal Edition Putters[/caption] Clay Long doesn't offer his putters in large quantities or sell them in all the big box golf retail stores. In fact, his putters are hard to find. His designs are innovative, without losing that classic look and feel, and they are sure to stand the test of time. He has designed putters and golf clubs for some of the game's all time greats, and his famous MacGregor response putter design will go down as one of the most popular putters of all time. Nicklaus won the Masters in 1986 with it and as a result, MacGregor sold 350,000 units by 1987. In a putter market dominated by over-hyped , over-priced, so-called "custom" putters, Clay Long continues to make very high-quality, high-performance putters that look and perform beautifully. If you are a putter enthusiast and haven't seen his putters or had the pleasure of putting with them, you owe it to yourself to get your hands on one. You won't be disappointed!

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