equipment
Callaway
Optiforce driver
Innovative
Introductions
New products feature improved
looks and upgraded technology
Callaway Optiforce
fairway wood
T
he fall golf season is getting into full swing
in the mid-Atlantic region, and there’s no
rest for the equipment companies these
days. There’s no shortage of compelling
new products, even during what is normally
considered the slowest time of the year.
Here are a handful of intriguing clubs that are new
on the market or will be available soon.
TaylorMade
SLDR driver
At this point, adjustability in drivers has become
commonplace. What’s new in the SLDR driver from
TaylorMade is the ease of making adjustments. And
as the name suggests, you choose your preferred ball
flight using a slider bar on the sole––the driver’s name is
pronounced “slider” even though it’s spelled like a text
abbreviation.
In order to adjust the SLDR, you move a 20-gram
weight along a 21-point track, which shifts the
clubhead’s center of gravity horizontally toward either
the heel or the toe. The slider bar provides twice as
much adjustability as the R1 driver, TaylorMade says,
promoting a shot-dispersion range of up to 30 yards.
The loft and face angle also can be altered. In addition,
the club features a 12-position rotating hosel.
And amazingly, according to the company, the
SLDR is the longest driver it’s ever produced––capable
of producing more distance than the recent R1 and
RocketBallz
models. Along
with the club’s light
weight, the gains
come from the
low and forward
position of the
center of gravity,
making it easier
for higher-lofted
drivers to launch
shots with reduced
spin. ($399.99;
taylormadegolf.com)
TaylorMade
SLDR driver
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Virginia golfer | September/OctOber 2013
Master_VSGA_Sept13_MASTER2.indd 36
Callaway FT
Optiforce drivers
The FT Optiforce is by far the most aerodynamically efficient driver
Callaway has ever brought to market.
The clubs are available in a full-sized 460cc head and a slightly
smaller 440cc version. They have more adjustability than any previous
Callaway driver. The lightweight heads include Callaway’s forged
composite material in the crown, along with what the company calls
Speed Frame Face technology, which spreads stress across the
titanium clubface for a larger, more consistent sweet spot.
The fairway woods (3, 4, 5, 7 and 9) all feature a high-strength
Carpenter 455 stainless steel face that produces significantly greater
ball speed, though they don’t have the same adjustability as the drivers.
The optimized center of gravity delivers a higher launch with slightly
more spin than previous models, says Callaway, resulting in consistent
distance from all turf conditions. (Optiforce FT driver: $399; Optiforce
fairway woods: $229; callawaygolf.com)
Titleist 714 AP1
and 714 AP2 irons
PHOTOS BY THE MANUFACTURERS (8); PAOLINI: DUKE UNIVERSITY; COUGHLIN: UNIVERSITY OF
VIRGINIA; WOODSON: SCOTT K. BROWN; YATES: VSGA PHOTO; SAVAGE: MICHAEL K. BOHN
by JoHn HolMeS
No company in golf is more reliable
in terms of updating its clubs on
schedule than Titleist. And, like
Titleist
clockwork, the 714 editions of the
714 AP1
popular AP1 and AP2 irons are
debuting in the late fall, two years after
the current 712 models came out.
The heads of the stainless steel
AP1s are slightly larger than the
compact carbon steel heads of the
AP2s. The AP1s are created for a
wide range of golfers, while the AP2s
are better suited for more advanced
players. Both sets have received
subtle but significant enhancements
Titleist
to improve their launch, trajectory and
714 AP2
distance characteristics.
In both models, advanced center
of gravity progression through the set creates higher-launching long
irons for more carry distance. Meanwhile, the design of the short irons
produces more consistent control. In addition, Titleist precisely placed
high-density tungsten weights in the long irons to increase their stability
through the swing and improve the performance of mis-hit shots.
The irons will be available in golf shops worldwide beginning Nov. 8.
(AP1 steel shaft: $100 per club; AP1 graphite shaft: $125 per club;
AP2 steel shaft: $137.50; AP2 graphite shaft: $161; titleist.com)
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