Titleist Velocity Balls
TITLE IST R&D has re-engineered the new Velocity golf ball to deliver even more explosive distance on all full swing shots while providing a more playable feel in the short game. New Velocity is designed with a larger, faster LSX core that produces higher ball speed for more distance. The low spin construction and 328 dimples in a spherically-tiled tetrahedral design deliver a soaring, penetrating ball flight that produces long carry distance with more rollout. A thinner NAZ2 cover combines with the larger core to deliver more playable greenside feel.
“The core is the engine of the golf ball. We’ve made the core of the new Velocity even larger – it’s now 1.575 inches in diameter,” says Matt Hogge. “A larger core means a thinner cover. That combination gives Velocity great ball speed. Add in Velocity’s aerodynamic package and you have an incredible formula for distance.”
Velocity is available in single (#1, 2, 3, 4) and double-digit (#00, 22, 77, 99) play numbers.
The double-digit play numbers were selected based on their popularity among members of Team Titleist
(titleist.com.au/teamtitleist). SRP: $42.95/dozen See Titleist.com.au for more
Titleist NXT Tour Balls
ENGINEERED for high performance and distance, the new Titleist NXT Tour is designed using advanced multi-component technology to provide even longer distance with excellent scoring performance and soft feel. NXT Tour’s dual core has been re-engineered with a larger centre that lowers driver and iron spin while delivering fast ball speed for more distance. A soft, thin Fusablend cover, pioneered by Titleist R&D, maintains NXT Tour’s excellent scoring performance with shot stopping control into and around the green. A spherically tiled 302 octahedral dimple design with shallower edge angles delivers a higher ball flight (than NXT Tour S) with a deep downrange peak trajectory.
“Performance can be measured with robots and instruments, but ultimately we measure our performance by the feedback we receive from golfers. And those golfers asked us to deliver an even longer NXT Tour,” says Matt Hogge, Titleist Golf Ball R&D’s Director of Product Implementation.
“When you look at the dual core technology of NXT Tour, one of the critical elements is the relationship of the softer inner core to the firmer outer core,” says Hogge. “We’ve increased the size of that softer centre so that, by volume, it’s about 66 per cent larger. That’s a significant change which allowed us to knock down spin on full shots for longer distance. When you combine that with our thin, soft Fusablend cover, you also get great performance on shots into and around the green, the shots that really matter the most for scoring.”
SRP: $54.95/dozen See Titleist.com.au for more
Titleist NXT Tour S Balls
SOFTER from core to cover, the new Titleist NXT Tour S golf ball is designed for players seeking the tee-to-green performance of NXT Tour – outstanding distance, consistent flight and excellent short-game control – with a significantly softer compression feel. New NXT Tour S has been re-engineered with an even softer compression core and softer Fusablend, resulting in the softest-feeling NXT Tour S ever. A spherically tiled 302 octahedral dimple design delivers a piercing and stable ball flight. “Golfers that play NXT Tour S value very soft feel, and they still want Titleist performance. They want to hit it long off the tee and have great control around the greens. For 2016, our design goal was to further differentiate NXT Tour S from NXT Tour in terms of feel, while still delivering on those performance expectations,” said Scott Cooper, Titleist R&D’s Product Development Manager. “With new NXT Tour S, we’ve reformulated the core to be lower in compression so it will feel softer.”
NXT Tour S is available in both White and High Optic Yellow. SRP: $54.95/dozen See Titleist.com.au for more
Cobra King Wedges
COBRA Golf has introduced the new King wedges designed to improve feel and performance on the shots that really count. In addition to a new muscle shape, the King wedge collection utilises progressive grooves, variable face roughness and three sole grind configurations, to provide golfers with superior feel, increased spin consistency and personalisation for different swing types.
“We’ve been working on these new wedges for nearly two years to create the best-performing specialty wedges for golfers,” said Jose Miraflor, Director of Product Marketing at Cobra Golf. “Our Cobra engineers collaborated with our tour players, including Rickie Fowler, Jonas Blixt and Lexi Thompson, and conducted extensive research and testing on the King wedges. Through that we’ve greatly improved wedge feel and versatility, giving golfers the confidence to hit a variety of shots around the green.” King wedges are designed and manufactured using new Progressive Milled Grooves, which feature wider grooves and gapping on higher lofted wedges, and traditional groove spacing on lower lofted wedges. The wider groove design allows higher lofted wedges (56-60) to grab the golf ball imparting increased spin, and making spin more consistent throughout the wedge set. The new grooves are combined with Variable Face Roughness (VFR), a face milling technology that maximises both RA (average roughness) and RY (max peak to peak depth) to the USGA limit. To provide the ultimate wedge customisation and performance, the King wedges feature Three Sole Grind configurations that have been combined with the iconic Cobra Notch, which provides golfers with the ability to choose the perfect wedge to match their game and turf conditions.
King wedges are available from April 15 ($199rrp) and feature a new, durable Satin Nickel Chrome plating finish that helps diffuse light and prevent glare along with True Temper Dynamic Golf S200 (Stiff) shafts and Lamkin UTX grip. For more information on the entire King family of products, visit cobragolf.com.au
GolfBuddy LD2 GPS Watch
THE LD2, GolfBuddy’s first foray into the ladies watch market, combines Swarovski crystals with a genuine leather strap, a stainless steel bezel and a mineral crystal lens for a crisp display. Each element has been designed to ensure a luxurious look and feel. The Swarovski crystals are produced with a light sapphire hue, while the interchangeable wristband is made with an alligator grain. The LD2 offers distances to the front, back and centre of the green, as well as distances to up to 11 hazards per hole. Like all Golfbuddy products, the LD2 features automatic course and hole recognition. This new GPS watch also comes equipped with a dual-shot distance measurement function, which will tell the golfer exactly how far they hit their shot.
RRP $349.95 Go to gpsgolfbuddy.com.au for more
TaylorMade M2 Irons
TAYLORMADE’S new M2 Tour irons are for golfers who seek distance, but also want their irons to have a smaller profile. With M2 Tour, TaylorMade has engineered an iron that is maximised for distance while retaining a clean, compact shape. Ultra-thin face design with Inverted Cone Technology offers fast and consistent ball speeds across the face. A 360-degree undercut allows for lower CG and stronger lofts for more distance, while TaylorMade’s Speed Pocket offers preserved ball speed and improved performance on off-centre hits. All of this technology is packed into a more compact shape featuring a thinner topline, narrower sole width, and less offset. See taylormadegolf.com.au for more
Nike Golf RZN Tour Balls
FEATURING a four-piece urethane cover design, the RZN Tour ball utilises four key components: RZN 4.0, Speedlock X Core, Speedlock Mantle and Flight Suit Cover. These combined technologies help propel the RZN Tour/Black and RZN Tour/Platinum balls to added distance and a softer feel, versus the previous RZN Black and RZN Platinum. “The ball feels much softer, yet I’ve maintained my ball speed and even picked up a few yards overall,” says Nike Golf athlete Rory McIlroy. “It’s easily the best combination of distance and feel I’ve ever played.” Made with the newest iteration of RZN material, RZN 4.0, the blue centre core is not only softer but also 10 per cent bigger than the previous generation. This gives the ball what amounts to a bigger engine, thus unlocking faster ball speeds. The core utilises Speedlock X technology. It features deeper grooves and a X-shaped surface pattern, which creates 26 per cent more surface area than the former generation to allow better energy transfer through the ball and ultimately provide more distance and faster ball speeds. Surrounding the core, the Speedlock Mantle and its Speedlock grooves help engage the cover of the golf ball for greater spin on shorter shots with high-lofted clubs.
The ball’s Flight Suit cover features visible technology: 344 dimples and 13,558 micro dimples. To achieve longer ball flight, engineers utilised advanced aerodynamics by adding the micro dimples, strategically spread across the cover of the ball, which help facilitate improved lift and drag properties, especially at the end of the ball flight. The RZN Tour ball is available now in two versions: Black for lower-spin distance and Platinum for mid-spin control. Go to nikegolf.com for more
Callaway XR OS Irons
THE new Callaway XR OS irons are easier to hit, more forgiving and boast industry-leading face cup technology for ball speed
To create the new XR OS Irons, Callaway club designers took the company’s industry-leading Face Cup technology and made it even faster, implemented a wider sole design, and placed the centre of gravity in a location that helps optimise launch conditions. The CG has been positioned lower and farther back, making these irons easier to hit and to achieve launch conditions that lead to more distance. The XR OS Irons’ multi-piece construction includes a new heat treatment of the face cup for even more ball speed, and a soft heat treatment on the body for better feel. The wide sole design provides more forgiveness, and progressive lengths and lofts through the set are designed to give you more distance from each club. Specifically designed hybrids have been integrated into the set to offer greater forgiveness and distance in your long game. In addition, the women’s XR OS Irons feature a wider sole, graphite shafts and light swing weights to help deliver more distance. RRP (per iron): Steel – $168.75; Graphite – $187.50 See Callawaygolf.com for more
Ping G Irons
THE new G iron from Ping utilises revolutionary COR-Eye Technology (introduced in the GMax irons), which activates the sole, face and top rail in flexing for consistently faster ball speeds across the hotter face. The entire G set is heat treated using a specialised process that creates Hyper 17-4 alloy, which is 40 per cent stronger than traditional 17-4 stainless steel. Metallurgical advancements combined with COR-Eye Technology provide four times the face flexing with improved stability. “The results are big distance gains and a higher peak trajectory for better stopping power so you can hit and hold the green,” says John A. Solheim, Ping chairman and chief executive officer. Connecting the Custom Tuning Port to the sole creates a deeper CG that helps elevate the launch angle while increasing MOI. An enlarged multi-material damping badge joined to the cavity works with COR-Eye Technology to provide exceptional sound and feel. Contributing to the improved performance of the G iron are PING’s proprietary Ascending Weight Technology shafts, an optimal combination of physics and feel. The shafts get lighter as they progress from the short irons and pitching wedge to the long irons. Lighter long-iron shafts help square the clubface to increase clubhead speed, while heavier short iron shafts improve trajectory control and feel. RRP: $180 per club w/steel shaft; $210 per club w/graphite shaft. For more information, including shaft specifications, go to ping.com
