Ohio Golf Journal October 2017

smaller labels are competing for space in a normally small portion of the golf market and trying to take advantage of whatever high-end market is available. Of course, the bottom line to entice the deep-pocketed consumers is improved per-formance. Higher priced equipment must ultimately justify the cost to purchasers, who demand results for their largess. Superlight clubs for Slower Swing Speeds The second trend is the increase in the number of superlight clubs being manufactured for golfers with relatively slow swing speeds. These superlight clubs are made to answer the quest for added distance based on the idea if the club weighs less it can be swung faster and add club head speed to generate increased yardage. Two examples of these superlight clubs are, Cobra Golf’s F-Max series and Callaway’s Epic Star line. Cobra’s approach is to use an extremely light shaft with a head shaved of extra grams, while the center of gravity has been positioned both to fight a slice and hit the ball on a higher trajectory. Interestingly, at $300.00, the F-Max Driver, as well as, the F-Max irons are priced at the bottom of the spectrum. Callaway has taken the opposite tack, with the Great Big Bertha Epic Star driver. It weighs in at 286 grams versus last year’s popular, Epic driver, at 310 grams. The Epic Star is for players with slower clubhead speeds. A relatively modest swing speed increase of five mph can produce an additional 15 yards. The cardinal rule: More speed equals more distance. Lightweight clubs, especially drivers, have been around since titanium heads and graphite shafts first became the norm. When clubhead sizes reached 460cc, Cleveland produced a 260- gram driver. Overall performance will decide if these latest examples are cost effective. If a $300.00 driver can match the performance of a $700.00 model, golfers will be able to buy the drastically reduced more expensive model on eBay and the previously used barrels at your pro shop. It appears themarket for superlight clubs is much larger than the ultra-high-end priced clubs, but it will be interesting to watch these trends develop. Ohio Golf Journal Ohio Golf Journal