Tag: Clubs

First Look: Wilson Launch Pad Irons
When I think about Wilson Golf, I think about tradition and history. Wilson clubs have been in the bags of major champions, hall of famers, tour players, elite amateurs and recreational players since 1914! One of my first iron sets were Wilson Staff blade irons, and that’s what I picture when I hear the name Wilson.

But forged blades aren’t all Wilson Golf is about these days. They have a wide selection of clubs for every golfer and taste. Perhaps Wilson’s most unique irons for 2020 are the Launch Pad irons. Designed for players with slower swings that want help getting the ball in the air, they combine modern technology and materials with elements of a clean, classic look that inspires confidence for the player that wields them.
Wilson describes the Launch Pad irons this way: “The Launch Pad collection is designed to inspire confidence in the mind of the high handicap golfer, whether new to the game or looking to improve. Incorporating ground-breaking technological advancements that are visually subtle, the Launch Pad family is designed to elevate shots, while providing greater distance and ensuring more consistent contact. These features deliver the best possible performance and shot-making for the super game-improvement player.”

My Take

I may be out of line with many of the traditionalists out there and even with Wilson’s marketing department, but I don’t think these irons are limited to use by high handicap golfers. The features that most “super game improvement” irons have are certainly present here also, with the fat sole, low center of gravity and light weight shafts. However, if properly fitted I think these irons would be great for older players with swings that are slowing down, or even a mid handicap golfer that wants a higher ball flight and more carry.

Don’t get me wrong, you aren’t going to have much success trying to shape shots both ways or vary the trajectory of your shots with these irons. They are designed to hit the ball high and straight. But not every player wants to shape shots, they just want to hit it straight, or straighter. As fun as it was hitting the PW 150 yards or the 7 iron 190 yards, these irons aren’t for me. Not because I didn’t like the high, straight ball flight, but because I actually prefer shaping shots and changing trajectories with my irons.

While nobody will be confusing the Launch Pad irons with those sweet Wilson Staff forged blades that I gravitate towards, the engineers at Wilson did an admirable job at designing these clubs with some elements of that classic design. While the sole is wide and top line is chunky, the face still has a clean look with no extra bells and whistles to distract the player. They are easy to align and you won’t want to bury them beneath neoprene iron covers. As far as game improvement irons go, you can’t get a much better looking club.

From the Wilson Golf press release: “The magic behind these irons lies within the Launch Pad Sole featured throughout the set. This advanced technology is designed to eliminate the “chunk” shot, while simultaneously improving launch. The short irons feature traditional game-improvement sole widths while longer irons feature wider, more forgiving soles, for more consistent ball-striking and greater distance. This progression in sole width allows players to put the long irons back in their bags.

Wilson Launch Pad irons feature a hollow construction with thin face for maximum ball speed and more distance.

In addition, the smooth bounce angle keeps the leading edge up and decreases turf interaction by floating above the ground. The Launch Pad Irons feature a hollow-body construction, supporting an extremely thin face for explosive ball speed and increased distance.”

Technical Details

The Launch Pad Irons will be offered in 4-PW sets (with GW and SW also available) with a KBS Tour 80 steel shaft or UST-Mamiya Recoil 460 graphite shaft, with both options featuring the traditional Wilson Staff 2 Crossline Mid grip. For more info, go to wilson.com

The steel shaft options will be sold at $699.99 while the graphite set will start at $799.99. This price point puts them solidly in the mid-range considering most forged cavity back sets sell for closer to $999 these days.

The Bottom Line

Wilson’s Launch Pad irons are marketed as super game improvement clubs that help players get the ball airborne while preventing the dreaded fat shots from the fairway, but I think if these are custom ordered with heavier shafts that they could be a nice option for mid handicap players that are looking for more distance, height and/or forgiveness. They look good, perform well and won’t break the bank. If you get a chance to demo these irons, you won’t regret it.
October 21, 2020
The Search for the Perfect 3-Wood

My golf buddies are well aware of my struggle. I’ve had a love-hate relationship with my three wood for a long time. For whatever reason – and there have been many – I have had a terrible time trying to find the right combination of loft, club head and shaft to make a three wood that is good enough for me to count on. For me, a three wood has to be versatile. I need to hit it well off the tee and off the fairway. It has to be forgiving but workable, and the ball flight cannot be too high or too low. Because of my very specific needs for this club, (bordering on obsessive compulsive) it has taken me the better part of a decade to find the perfect three wood, but I think the search is finally over.

My first three wood was a Spalding Executive with a ladies flex steel shaft. I actually hit it further than my driver, as many beginners often do. Soon after titanium drivers took the market by storm, my old Taylor Made Original One 12 degree driver became my (strong) three wood. For the last decade I have relied on an Adams Golf RPM LP Tour Prototype three wood with 13 degrees of loft and a Fujikura Rombax shaft. I got the club from a player that was on the Senior PGA Tour back in 2005 (Now called PGA Tour Champions) and it has stayed in the bag for over 10 years. When the rest of my golf game went to crap, I could always count on my three wood to produce good shots for me.

I’ve tested and played with countless fairway woods in the ten years since I got my Adams RPM, and until this summer I wasn’t able to find a three wood that performed well enough to replace the “gamer” Adams. A few came very close, but ultimately were rejected. The first was the Ping Rapture. With 13 degrees of loft, a larger club head and 43.5 inch shaft, the Rapture is more of a “2-wood” or “fairway driver,” and while I hit it a mile, it wasn’t versatile enough. The next candidate was the new Tour Edge Exotics CB Pro F2. After testing various Exotics clubs in the past like the CB3 & CB4 Tour, XCG7, EX9 and E8, I was excited to try the flagship model CB Pro F2. This club has an amazing blend of technology packed into a compact but classic looking club head, but the stock Mitsubishi Rayon KURO KAGE Silver Tini Series shaft wasn’t quite right for me. Keeping that in mind, a search for the right shaft to pair with the CB Pro F2 was underway.

When I arrived at the 2016 PGA Demo Day in Orlando, I wandered by the Aerotech Golf booth and stopped in to see owner Chris Hilleary and catch up. I have been playing the amazing Aerotech Steelfiber graphite shafts in my irons for over 5 years and discovered that he had now developed a new Steelfiber fairway wood shaft. After hitting his demo club fitted with the new Steelfiber SS85 shaft, I knew I had found the perfect match for the Exotics CB Pro.

I immediately ordered an Aerotech Steelfiber SS85 shaft and when the CB Pro F2 three wood arrived. I dropped everything off with my club maker. When I got the finished club back, I went out to test it. The results were as expected, and very exciting. The face of the CB Pro F2 is very hot and the Steelfiber SS85 shaft produces a mid launch without ballooning. The shaft is amazingly consistent as usual for the Steelfiber line, and it never feels boardy or unplayable. Going from a three wood with 13 degrees of loft to one with 14.5 degrees will obviously affect the ball flight. One would expect that increasing loft would result in a corresponding drop-off in distance, but so far in early testing with Game Golf the CB Pro F2 is actually averaging 4 yards more from all lies (255 yards vs. 251 yards) than my old Adams RPM. This very likely has to do with the advance in technology and materials since 2005 when the Adams was released to market. The Adams is made of steel, while the Exotics has a steel body and a beta titanium cup face with a much higher “spring” effect, or coefficient of restitution.

It is still early as I’ve only had it in the bag for a month or so, but so far the Exotics CB Pro F2 (14.5 loft) fitted with an Aerotech Steelfiber SS85 shaft is a big winner. This three wood can hit all the shots and has just the right amount of forgiveness, power and control. It looks awesome, sounds solid and produces consistent shots from the tee or the fairway. I’ve finally found a fairway wood worthy of replacing my old gamer for good. The CB Pro F2 is so good in fact, that I’ll be looking into getting the 17.5 degree five wood to match it!

While the Exotics CB Pro F2 may not be for everyone, Tour Edge’s Exotics line has something for everyone and I consider them some of the best performing fairways on the market. Even if you prefer another company’s fairway woods, if you are looking for the consistency of steel and the power of graphite in moderately weighted fairway wood shafts, I highly suggest looking at Aerotech’s Steelfiber SS offerings in 65, 75, and 85 gram weights. They are an amazing compliment to their game-changing iron and hybrid shafts.

Thanks to Tour Edge and Aerotech, after almost a decade of searching for and trying hundreds of fairway woods, I think I have finally found the closest thing possible to the perfect three wood.

November 2, 2016
High Heat Driver – Game Changing Technology For Amateurs

Knuth Golf may be a new player in the golf equipment market, but the company’s namesake is anything but. Dean Knuth spent many years working with the USGA to develop and evolve the current course and slope rating system that is used to establish, maintain and adjust player handicaps different courses.

With degrees in mathematics and computer science and decades of service to golf, Dean was the obvious choice to design the first driver that is specifically made with the amateur golfer in mind, not the pros on tour. So what does it take to design a club for amateur golfers, and how does it differ from other drivers on the market?

The Technology

Amateur golfers don’t swing like the pros, so why play the same driver the pros play? Knuth’s High Heat driver is designed to help slower swing speeds of amateur golfers, and it does that by offering a driver with a center of gravity (CG) that is 25% deeper and 18% lower than any on the market.

What does a low and deep CG do? Simple. It makes the club easy to hit! The deep and low CG of the High Heat driver allows golfers with slower swing speeds to launch the ball higher with less spin than other drivers. Another benefit of the deep, low CG is forgiveness. Since most mid-to-high handicap golfers tend to hit the ball lower on the face, the low CG is a great benefit to help get the ball airborne.

“High MOI” is technical term that golf companies are tossing around these days. MOI, or Moment of Inertia is simply a measure of resistance to twisting. What high MOI means for a golf club is more distance and better accuracy on off-center hits. The High Heat has a higher MOI than just about every driver on the market. Terms like moment of inertia and low CG sound cool for a testing lab, but in the real world what it means is you get a club that is very easy to hit solid, and very forgiving when you miss it a bit.

Visually Stunning

The first thing you’ll notice about the High Heat driver is the sleek cobalt blue paint job and the shiny mirror face. The cobalt blue is striking and sharp, and gives the High Heat an identity that is unmistakable. The blue color scheme was also favored because it mimics the color of a flame when it burns the hottest. The polished mirror face is functional as well as being aesthetic. When hit, the ball leaves dimple marks on the face telling you where you made contact, and simply wipe away with a soft towel. Plus you can use it to deflect sunshine into your opponent’s eyes while he’s hitting! (wink)

Specifications

The High Heat driver comes in right and left handed models in three lofts – 9.5, 10.5 & 12 degrees. Standard length is 45 inches. There are also four premium shaft options to choose from: Fujikura Pro Sakura, Fujikura Pro 53, 63 and 73 and the Aldila Magnum 44. My testers had the Fujikura Pro 73 in X-Flex and the Fujikura Pro 63 in Stiff flex.

Play Testing

I spent quite a bit of time playing and testing the High Heat, and put it in as many players’ hands as I could to get as much feedback as possible. After half a dozen rounds with it I can conclude that the High Heat is one of the most playable and forgiving drivers I’ve ever seen.

Someone like me who swings over 110 MPH and hits the sweet spot with regularity won’t see as much benefit from the High Heat as the average golfer, but even for me it was very accurate and forgiving on mishits. For the other 95% of golfers out there, this driver is a game changer. The low & deep CG really helps players with slower swing speeds launch the ball higher with less spin while still being very forgiving and playable.

Many of the play testers that tried the High Heat said that it had a huge sweet spot and the ball seemed to shoot off the face with a springy feel. The noise was also distinctive. It sounds a bit like hitting the ball with an aluminum baseball bat. Most testers I gave it to gained distance with the High Heat, and not surprisingly the golfers with the slowest swings seemed to get the most out of it.

In my personal testing I got great results from the High Heat, even with my tour-level swing speeds. While it is designed primarily for average golfers, any golfer can benefit from it. In my case I saw better forgiveness and excellent accuracy. The look and sound are unique, but not off-putting by any means. Personally I think the driver is gorgeous.

Machine Testing

Knuth Golf saved me the trouble of inventing a golf swing robot to test their club against the other leading drivers on the market. Instead, they contracted with Golf Labs, the most reputable independent golf testing company in the world. Below is an excerpt of the results of that testing provided by Knuth Golf:

On October 29, 2014 on a clear and relatively calm day in the San Diego area, Golf Labs tested the High Heat driver and Major Brands on its range using their precision robotic tester set at 95 mph.

High Heat’s submission, identified as D-12 on the hosel, was marked 10.5 loft on the sole and was shafted with a Fujikura Pro 853 Stiff flex 53 gram shaft. It was tested against the Major Brands’ 10.5 lofts with their standard Stiff flex shafts. The testing was conducted against TaylorMade SLDR, Ping G30, Titleist 915 D2, Callaway Big Bertha Alpha, and Nike Covert 2.0.

Golf Labs’ test used its standard 5 point test which provides total distance and dispersion from the center line on center and four off-center hits based on hitting six balls at each of those 5 points. The four off-center hit locations are located 1⁄2” above and below the center of each driver’s face; and 3⁄4” to the right and to left of center. Golf Labs also used new Titleist NXT golf balls.

Golf Labs’ test results showed that High Heat’s total distance on center and off-center hits toward the center line was the longest, its total dispersion was the lowest and it had the most forgiveness than any of the Major Brands with one partial exception. The only exception was Callaway’s Big Bertha Alpha total distance toward the center line on center hits was the longest but High Heat’s total distance toward the center line for off-center hits was longer than Callaway’s Big Bertha Alpha and High Heat’s total dispersion on center and off-center hits was lower than Big Bertha Alpha.

Final Thoughts

The High Heat driver from Knuth Golf is a game changer. It has the lowest and deepest CG in the industry and is one of the most forgiving, easy to hit clubs I’ve ever hit. If you believe high performance can only come from a name-brand driver, you’ll be shocked when you hit this one. As soon as you hit it, I’ll bet you will want to put it in the bag. Many of Knuth’s happy customers have been prodding him for the past year or so with the inevitable question – When will you make fairway woods and hybrids? The answer is – Very soon!

Knuth Golf introduced their new fairway woods and hybrids at the 2016 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida, and they will be available in time for the 2016 golf season. The High Heat driver sells for $399 direct, but you don’t have to pay that much. In fact, to save $70 check out the special offer below! For more information on all the clubs available from Knuth Golf, visit their website at www.knuthgolf.com

Special Offer

We have arranged for a special price of $329 for the High Heat driver, which also has a 30 day full money back guarantee. Just go to www.knuthgolf.com, add the driver to your shopping cart, and at checkout simply select Intothegrain.com when asked how you heard about High Heat. Happy shopping!

February 1, 2016
Feel Golf 73 Degree Lob Wedge

A few years ago I posted this article on our sister site which will be taken offline in a few weeks, so I decided to share it with everyone once again. Since this article was written it appears that Feel Golf has also been taken offline, so to speak. I can’t find much evidence of any online presence at least. If they are indeed shuttered, it’s a shame because they made some great clubs. If I find out more about what happened to them I’ll post an update. In the meantime, enjoy the 73 Wedge!

Feel 73 Degree Wedge

3/6/2012 – Feel Golf has been around since 2000, but they actually began making wedges for tour players back in 1985. In fact, Feel Golf can claim several major championships and many tournament victories by players using their irons and wedges. The company recently moved to Sanford, FL and I took some time to meet with Dr. Lee Miller, the company’s CEO. He showed me their entire line of clubs and we spoke at length about the small technological advantages the company has over most of the big OEMs.

Feel Golf is one of the few companies out there that has the guts to reject the USGA’s new groove rule, and I applaud them for it. They are selling irons and wedges with both conforming and non-conforming square grooves. With the vast majority of golfers not playing in high-level USGA or professional tour events, why not allow people to choose which grooves they would rather have? Feel’s square groove wedges are worth a look for anyone who wants more spin around the greens.

Eventually our discussion came to the most popular club that Feel Golf makes – the 73° wedge. And you thought 62° or 64° was a lot of loft! I’ve seen gimmicky wedges in the past with tons of loft, but they didn’t work well because the design wasn’t really thought through. With this much loft, you need time to design a sole grind that works properly. This wedge has that. Obviously when you have 73 degrees of loft, your shot-making options will be limited. This wedge was designed to help players hit a very high, soft landing shot with ease, and it does that.

I was instructed to play the ball back in my stance for most shots and simply let the loft do the work. Moving the ball up in your stance too much makes distance and trajectory control with the 73 very difficult. In my testing over the course of several rounds and at the short game practice area, I found that the best results came when I stood a bit closer to the ball. This club makes flop shots look easy. You can really get the ball in the air with this thing, but some practice is needed to get the distance control down. As with any high lofted wedge, the most important thing to know is when to use it, not how to use it.

This post was originally published on 3/6/2012 at ITGexpress.com and written by John Duval

November 20, 2015
WITB – September 2015

As a golf blogger, I get to handle many different golf clubs and try many products over the course of a year. As a result, I always get asked about what’s in my bag. Most amateur golfers like me aren’t sponsored by club companies, so our bags tend to be a mix of clubs from different manufacturers.

While I have had opportunities to officially endorse products in the past, doing so might violate the rules of amateur status as outlined by the USGA in rule 6.2, and that would be a no-no since I sometimes compete in FSGA and USGA events. Therefore, I must disclose that none of the companies shown here paid me to represent their brands.

After years of testing hundreds of drivers, fairways, hybrids, irons, wedges, putters and assorted golf gadgets, these are the ones that have found a place in my bag as “gamers.” I’m always tinkering with and testing new clubs, but my gamers remain pretty consistent. The only part of my bag that changes constantly is the putter, because I’m a mess on the putting green and always looking for the BBD – bigger better deal.

What’s In The Bag?

Driver: Ping G30 (9° w/ Ping Tour 80x)
Fairway: Tour Edge Exotics E8 Tour (14° w/ Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana S+ 70x)
Hybrid: Cleveland Launcher DST (18° w/ Miyazaki C.Kua 83x)
Irons: Cleveland CG16 Tour Concept 3-PW (w/ Aerotech Steelfiber i95cw x-flex)
Wedges: SCOR Golf 50° & 54° (w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100)
Lob Wedge: Hopkins Golf CJ-1 60° (Custom channel grind w/ Dynamic Gold X-100)
Putter: Cure RX3F Putter
Ball: Srixon Z-Star XV

My current setup has been in place for over a year, except the 3-wood and putter. I recently started testing the Cure RX3F putter and after some work on the putting green and one round of golf, I decided to bring it to the WAGT National Championship at Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort. The Cure putter will be featured in a review article soon. The Exotics E8 Tour replaced my trusty old Adams RPM LP back in May. After years of searching, I finally found a fairway wood that out performed the Adams. You may notice I listed 15 clubs. That’s because I usually swap the 3-iron for the 50° gap wedge depending on the course setup where I am playing.

Coming Soon…

I’m long overdue for a new set of irons. The CG16 Tour Concept irons that came from Cleveland’s Tour Van have been awesome, but they are almost five years old and ready to be demoted to a backup role. The Aerotech Steelfiber i95cw shafts are amazing. I’ve said it for years – I think they are the best iron shafts you can get, and their popularity on the professional tours all around the world backs up that claim.

I’m currently testing the Srixon Z745 irons, Z U45 3 & 4 Utilities and a Z H45 2 Hybrid. The Z745 irons are a forged cavity back club that looks sharp and performs similar to my CG16s. The clubs I’m really excited about are the Z U45 3-iron and 4-iron. They are called utilities because they have the looks and workability of an iron with the forgiveness of a hybrid. I love hitting long irons, and these things make it even easier to hit them. The Z H45 16° hybrid will fill the distance gap nicely between the 3-iron and 3-wood. I was looking for 5-10 more yards out of my hybrid and this guy will do the trick nicely. I have a strong feeling that this fantastic 2-PW set will soon be my gamers.

Ping’s awesome G30 driver has been in my bag since last fall, but I’ve started experimenting with the G30 LS-TEC driver which is the same as the regular G30 but spins slightly less. According to Ping, 400 rpm less. Combining the LS-TEC with my switch from the softer, higher-spin Srixon Z-Star back to the lower spin and firmer feeling Z-Star XV, I should see a measurable decrease in spin off the tee which means more distance.

The SCOR wedges I got a few years ago have been stalwarts in my bag ever since I first hit them. I started with SCOR’s complete short game system: 42°, 46°, 50°, 54° & 58°. Going from the 42 and up, they replace your traditional 9, PW, GW, SW & LW. SCOR wedges are forged and their unique v-sole design works amazingly well in all conditions. However, they have taken a real beating from heavy use and need to be replaced. Enter Ben Hogan Golf. SCOR’s founder Terry Koehler acquired the rights to Ben Hogan golf equipment and re-launched the brand with his already proven TK15 Wedges and the new Fort Worth 15 irons. The result is a gorgeous set of forged blades and wedges that perform on par with any of the best irons in golf. They are also much more forgiving and easy to hit than you might think for a blade. The TK15 wedges will soon be replacing the aging SCOR wedges in my bag.

I love my Hopkins 60° custom grind wedge. The Channel Grind basically gives me two wedges. With the face square it has very low bounce, making it perfect for fairway shots and tight lies. With the face open it has high bounce for deep rough and sand. This wedge has made me look like a much better bunker player than I am, so it’ll be very hard to replace it. The new Callaway Mac Daddy PM Grind wedge might just do that, however. Designed with heavy input from Phil Mickelson, this wedge has grooves all the way to the edges of the face and a very high toe to help with shots from the deep rough, along with a similar channel-type grind on the sole. My early testing so far has been very promising.

I’ll try to post another WITB early next year so we can see what’s changed and if my predictions for new gamers comes true. Until then, keep it in the short grass!

October 1, 2015
Gimmeclubs.com – Club Sharing For Traveling Golfers

In recent years we’ve seen a huge boom in ride-sharing companies like Uber, Lyft and a few others that let regular folks like you and me use your car in your spare time to offer people rides for money. It’s like a taxi company with a diverse fleet and direct to consumer payment system. The idea has spawned similar business models for home sharing vacationers with services like Airbnb where people can turn their extra bedrooms into a hotel or rent their entire home to travelers, and spinlister.com for bicycle sharing.

GimmeClubs.com

Now that peer-to-peer sharing concept is coming to golf with www.gimmeclubs.com. Gimmeclubs.com is an online marketplace for golfers to rent out their golf clubs to others that don’t have any or may not want to travel with their clubs. Unless you play golf seven days a week, chances are your clubs sit in the house or garage collecting dust for most of the week. Why not let them make money for you by renting them out?

How many times have you played golf with rental clubs? At most courses the rental club offerings are underwhelming, beat up and poorly fit to most golfers. What if you had an option to pick your rental set from a wide variety of local golfers that take care of their sticks? That’s the allure of a system like gimmeclubs.com. The concept is still in the concept stage, but the founder plans to go live in the coming months (late 2014)

So How Does It Work?

Gimmeclubs.com will be the hub that connects golfers with each other to rent clubs or make their clubs available for rent. The lister will set up a page for their clubs with pictures and descriptions, and they name their own price for rental, with gimmeclubs.com taking a percentage as the middle man. The lister can even set up a calendar of days that their clubs are available and unavailable.

Renters can search for clubs using parameters like location, brand, shaft flex and shaft type and can send messages to the renters to make arrangements. Rentals can be daily or weekly and the renter accepts responsibility for the clubs while they have them. Damages to the set will be paid for by the credit card on file, and gimmeclubs.com will also provide insurance to cover damage up to $2500.

Using a review system to rate your experience from both sides of the transaction helps to keep things honest and ensure the best possible results for future transactions. As a bonus, you can earn a free sleeve of Titleist golf balls for every five referrals.

Who Is This For?

GimmeClubs.com can be a great way for casual golfers to make a few extra bucks while their clubs sit idle, and if you are like me and have several extra sets laying around, why not have them making money for you instead of collecting dust in the garage?

For travelers, you can save time and money by leaving your clubs at home on your next trip. Baggage fees are going up and golf travel cases are a pain to drag around the airport. If you could find a good quality, properly fit set of clubs to rent at your destination, wouldn’t that be the better option? The money you spend to rent clubs will be offset by the savings in baggage fees and less hassle when traveling.

Log on to www.gimmeclubs.com and sign up! The next time you travel to central Florida, I’ll be happy to rent you my clubs!

October 21, 2014
Titleist Launches 915 Driver, Fairways & Hybrids
Titleist fans, the long awaited day has finally arrived. The new 915 driver, fairways and hybrids have been launched, and they are sure to bring a smile to your face. It is well known that Titleist only introduces new clubs about every two years, focusing on measured improvements and quality rather than marketing and sales volume. Titleist is also one of the few companies that has a very strong green-grass presence, meaning they can be found in most golf course pro shops. The new clubs should be available in pro shops starting on November 14, 2014.

Offerings
- 915D2 Driver – 460cc full pear shaped head designed for maximum forgiveness and a slight draw bias.
- 915D3 Driver – 440cc pear shape for workability and 250 rpm less spin than the 915D2 for a flatter peak trajectory.
- 915F Fairways & 915H Hybrids – larger profile for all-around performance and maximum forgiveness
- 915Fd Fairways and 915 Hd Hybrids – Smaller head shapes for workability and forgiveness with a slightly lower launch and spin.
In other words, the 915D2 driver, 915F & 915H are for everyone, and the 915D3, 915Fd & 915 Hd are for the better players.

Technology
- The 915 drivers feature the new Active Recoil Channel (ARC), which is a long and deep sole channel that flexes at impact to launch the ball off the face with higher speed and less spin. It is similar in design and concept to the slots found on Nike, Taylor Made and Adams woods.
- The Radial Speed Face is a forged face insert with thinner perimeter in the heel and toe which works with the ARC to increase ball speeds on off-center hits.
- All the woods have a high-MOI design with a low, deep center of gravity that gives you forgiveness and stability for more consistent distance, even on off-center hits.
- The new woods also retain the SUREFIT hosel that allows the loft and lie to be adjusted independently of each other for a more precise fit.
Specs
- The 915D2 Driver is available in 7.5, 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 12 degree lofts. 915D3 is available in 7.5, 8.5, 9.5 and 10.5 lofts.
- 915D2 and 915D3 Driver stock shafts are Aldila Rogue Black 70 (mid-launch), Aldila Rogue Silver 60 (lower mid-launch), Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White 70 (low launch), Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Blue 60 (mid launch) and Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Red 50 (high launch)
- 915F features a full pear profile (175cc) for maximum forgiveness. The large profile provides confidence and produces a slightly higher flight versus the 915Fd. It is offered in five lofts (13.5º, 15º, 16.5º, 18º and 21º), including a new high-lofted 16.5º 3-metal and new 18º 5-metal.
- 915Fd, with its traditional pear profile (160cc), is workable and forgiving. The compact profile delivers slightly lower launch and spin versus 915F. 915Fd is available in 13.5º and 15º lofts.
- The stock fairway shaft lineup includes the Aldila Rogue Black 80 (mid-launch) and Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White 80 (low launch), Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Blue 70 (mid launch), Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Red 60 (high launch).
- 915H has a subtle pear profile (118cc) that provides confidence at address. The fuller, rounder profile delivers maximum forgiveness and slightly higher launch and spin versus Hd. 915H is available in 18º, 21º, 24º and 27º lofts.
- 915Hd is a slightly offset, small pear (107cc) that delivers distance with shot control through a flatter trajectory and less spin (about 120 rpm) versus the H. 915Hd is offered in 17.5º, 20.5º and 23.5º lofts.
- The stock hybrid shaft lineup includes the Aldila Rogue Black 85 (mid-launch) and Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White 90 (low launch), Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Blue 70 (mid launch), Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Red 60 (high launch).
Photos

Enough tech-talk, let’s see some more pictures. Lots of pictures!

915 Drivers

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915 Fairways

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915 Hybrids

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October 2, 2014
Cleveland Wedge Fitting App & Fitting System

As long as I’ve been playing golf seriously I have known the importance of custom fitting. Yet to this day, the vast majority of golfers buy their clubs off the rack, especially the most important clubs in the bag – wedges. If you are playing with wedges that aren’t properly fit you are throwing away strokes. Golfers tend to hang on to wedges too long also. Drivers are flashy and sexy and people tend to buy drivers more often than any other club, which is why most of the big companies introduce new models every year or sooner. What you should be doing is buying new wedges every few seasons instead of that driver that promises 20 more yards. You can only hit a driver about fourteen times in a typical round of golf, so unless you are holing out most of your iron shots, your score will still be largely determined by your play inside 125 yards. To help people get set up with wedges that will most help their game, Cleveland Golf has come up with their new wedge fitting system and a cool wedge fitting application. Here’s the scoop:

CLEVELAND® GOLF INTRODUCES REVOLUTIONARY WEDGE FITTING APPLICATION AND FITTING SYSTEM

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA – March 5, 2013 – Cleveland® Golf has been proud to set the standard for wedges over the last 25 years. In that time, no other manufacturer has devoted as much passion and effort to wedge design, technology and performance.

This year, Cleveland® Golf has already introduced the groundbreaking RotexTM Face. Featured on new 588® RTXTM and 588® RTXTM CB wedges, RotexTM is an unprecedented combination of three technologies that promote maximum spin and control from all lies.

Today, Cleveland® Golf is excited to announce two innovations that revolutionize wedge fitting.

First is the online Wedge Fitting Application. Part of the redesigned Cleveland® Golf website, this Application allows anyone – especially club fitters and golf shop employees – to quickly select a proper wedge set with more confidence than ever before. Once the correct models, lofts, and bounces have been determined, wedges can be customized for lie angle, shaft and grip. Ordering a full wedge set from the Application is easy and safe.

The second innovation is the Cleveland® Golf Fitting System, which features interchangeable wedges – an industry-first. Available on new Fitting Carts and Fitting Displays, these interchangeable wedge heads are available in a multitude of loft, bounce, lie angle and model options, and are accompanied by a variety of interchangeable wedge shafts.

Changing wedge heads and shafts is done in a matter of seconds. Plus, interchangeable wedges feature identical specifications to the wedges a player will use on the course.

Wedge fitting has never been more accessible and comprehensive. Any laptop, smartphone or tablet can be used to conduct a quick and accurate fit. Plus, the most sophisticated wedge fit on the market is available at authorized Cleveland® Golf Fitting System dealers.

“It’s no secret that a player’s wedge game is critical to scoring and performance,” said Todd Harman, President of Cleveland® Golf/Srixon – U.S.A. “We’ve raised the bar with wedge innovations over the years such as multiple bounce options, ZipTM Grooves, cool finishes and now RotexTM technology. With the introduction of our new Fitting System and Fitting Application, we’ve made it easier than ever for any player to use the right set of wedges and get the correct loft gapping throughout their entire set. This is a game-changer for us and the equipment industry. The way that golf professionals and retailers are now able to comprehensively fit a golfer for a wedge set is truly a breakthrough.”

To use the Cleveland® Golf Wedge Fitting Application, please visit wedgefitting.clevelandgolf.com. To locate an authorized Cleveland® Golf Fitting System dealer, please visit clevelandgolf.com.

For more information on Cleveland® Golf/Srixon® and Never Compromise® products or staff players, please visit www.clevelandgolf.com, www.srixon.com and www.nevercompromise.com.

March 6, 2013
How To Regrip A Golf Club In Under 4 Minutes

Re-gripping your own clubs is one of the easiest do-it-yourself tasks as a golfer, and it saves you money and time over having someone else do it. Plus, when you do it yourself you are guaranteed that the job gets done the way you want. In this video, I’ll show you how to re-grip a club fast and provide a few tips that I’ve picked up along the way. I’ve re-gripped over 1000 golf clubs in my golf career, and there are many ways to do it and many tools for the job, but I like to keep things simple and cheap.

What you need: Work bench, Vice with Rubber Vise Clamp, New Grips, Double-Sided Grip Tape, Grip Solvent (I use mineral spirits), Knife (I prefer a hook blade to straight blades), Catch Pan for solvent (Optional), Towel or Rag and a few minutes of time!

Editors Note: Of course it would normally take a little longer to re-grip a club if I took time to remove the old grip tape, but in this case I used the existing tape to build it up the grip a bit. Normally, removing the old tape adds a few minutes to the job.

A few tips and tricks I didn't mention in the video: 1. I use my finger to plug the hole in the grip, and then allow the solvent to drain through that hole to coat the grip. It's the fastest way to do it in my opinion. 2. When sliding on the new grip, be careful not to get squirted by the extra solvent coming out of the hole at the end of the grip! Stand slightly to the side as I do, or wear an apron. 3. Beginner tip: While securing the club in the vice, align the clubface square, and when sliding on the grip you can align it while it's still in the vice. Once you get more proficient, you'll be able to line the grip up pretty well as you slip it on as I do. 4. I get most of my re-gripping supplies from Golfsmith. I'm not paid to say that or promoting them specifically, but it's just easier to get everything from the same place. They sell grip solvent, but I prefer to use mineral spirits, because it also serves as a cleaner for other tasks. Golfsmith even sells complete re-gripping kits with pre-measured, water-activated tape and grips, but I prefer to do it the old fashioned way. Enjoy the video!

It's not a very complicated task and doesn't take years of practice to master, but regripping your own clubs is fun and rewarding. It allows you to experiment without costing too much and you don't have to drop of your whole set at the local shop and wait a week to get them back. I'll follow this with more DIY videos on golf related topics in the future. If there is anything in particular you would like to see - DIY videos, golf swing tips and drills or whatever, send me some suggestions and we'll film it!

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February 22, 2010