By Ed Travis
Distance sells, or more accurately, the Hope of More Distance SELLS.
Every club and ball manufacturer at the PGA Show was exhibiting a new product design that would help add yards to every golfer’s game. Sophisticated materials, scientific engineering and the newest computers aid club designers in this quest for a few more yards.
One continuing trend is lightweight clubs, especially drivers since lighter helps players with slow to moderate swing speed can swing faster to promote a higher trajectory and longer drives.
Missing from the Show floor last month, were PXG, Honma and TaylorMade. They have made the decision to direct their marketing dollars to other advertising avenues and avoid the big expense of exhibiting at the PGA Merchandise Show.
Tour Edge Continues to Impress 
The new Exotics EXS 220 family from Tour Edge Golf includes a newly designed easy to hit driver with high MOI and a unique Diamond Face pattern on the interior of the clubface. The family includes fairway woods and hybrids.
“We have taken a substantial leap forward in design innovation with the entire EXS 220 line,” said Tour Edge President and Master Club Designer David Glod. “We set an all-time record for Exotics metalwoods sold with the original EXS line and based on the initial reaction to the performance from our partners and tour professionals, we feel we will shatter that sales record with the EXS 220.”
Glod continued,
“Our goal is to make anyone who compares them to clubs that cost twice as much, question why they would ever think about spending the extra money. These clubs are that good. We will have a large amount of EXS 220 in play on the professional tours and we will penetrate bags of the better players across the globe due to the extreme performance benefits of these clubs. Truly, pound for pound, nothing comes close to the EXS 220 metalwoods.”
Tour Edge has had great success especially on the Champions Tour over the past couple of years. They continue to build a quality product at an affordable price point for the average golfer.
Callaway Introduces the NEW Mavrik
Callaway Golf’s latest line of clubs is called Mavrik and clearly builds on the success of last year’s models, especially the Epic Flash drivers. With the help of an even larger super-computer, they have now applied sophisticated technology across the entire Mavrik family—drivers, fairway woods, hybrids and irons.
Callaway’s Epic Flash was the bestselling driver last year, the first using Artificial Intelligence in its development. Callaway’s engineers have the ability to simulate tens of thousands of variables.
The Mavrik driver’s Flash Face SS20 architecture is the result of this process and compared to the Epic Flash has a thinner face over a larger area, which required a stronger titanium alloy to withstand the impact with the ball. Callaway chose FS2S titanium which both stronger and lighter gaining a weight savings of 6 grams that they relocated to improve forgiveness and trajectory.
Engineers also made use of their proven Jailbreak technology–two internal titanium rods tying the sole to the T2C Triaxial Carbon crown—that restricts flexing of the crown and directs additional energy to the face for more distance.
Artificial intelligence also came into play to tune the acoustics of the Mavrik by reconfiguring the support ribs of the internal structure. The company says this has created “an immensely satisfying sound and feel,” a big part of golfer confidence for any driver.
Three Mavrik driver models, $499 each, are available. Callaway is also introducing Mavrik fairway woods ($299) and hybrids ($249) offering many similar design features to compliment the driver.
TaylorMade’s NEW SIM 
TaylorMade’s entry in the ‘metalwood wars’ for 2020 is the SIM model which seems to be a logical progression from the previous M-series that introduced both the Twist Face and resin injection with increased emphasis on aerodynamics.
SIM is an abbreviation for ‘shape in motion’ and comes from a unique asymmetrical sole with a rail, or what TaylorMade calls an Inertia Generator. It doesn’t run down the center line, but starts in the center and points towards the toe at the trailing edge. This along with a higher crown of carbon fiber allows air flow around the head to generate less drag.
TaylorMade was able to keep the center of gravity, in the SIM driver lower on the face, by placing a steel weight at the very end of the sole and towards the trailing edge.
Tomo Bystedt, TaylorMade’s Senior Director of Product Creation said,
“The history of driver design has been about prioritizing tradeoffs. You could have great launch conditions, but poor forgiveness. You could have great forgiveness, but at the sacrifice of distance. You could have an aerodynamic shape, but with less than optimal launch conditions. But by using multi-material technology, we’ve developed a new shape that optimizes performance in all three areas. It’s forgiving, fast and promotes the ideal launch conditions.”
The SIM’s Twist Face technology is slightly closed at the heel to straighten slices and open at the toe to correct hooks. It has resin injection to individually adjust the amount of rebound. With a sliding sole weight, SIM drivers can be customized to almost any golfer’s swing.
The SIM Max provides added forgiveness and higher launch. The SIM Max D offers additional heel weighting to promote a draw for those, who fight a fade or slice.
The XXIO Difference
XXIO is pushing to increase their share of the equipment market in the U.S. with an aggressive sales campaign promoting their two new product lines, the Eleven, plus the X, which can be found in more retail outlets and pro shops.
“We’re different than any other brand in the market, just as our new tagline suggests, and in 2020, we’ll showcase our differences to more players than we ever have before,” said Chuck Thiry, Vice President of XXIO USA. “We encourage all players to come out and ‘Experience the Difference’ of XXIO. My guess is that if you give us a try, you’ll see a ball flight that you haven’t seen in a very long time.”
Both lines feature what the company has tagged, “Weight Plus” technology. They placed 13 grams of brass and rubber in the club’s butt end, which they feel is a breakthrough in design.
Testing has shown a reduced effort to swing the club, which leads to increased clubhead speed and distance.
The XXIO Eleven is available for both men and women and targeted for players with moderate swing speeds, typically ladies and senior men.
“We’ve been developing lightweight equipment for nearly two decades now,” Thiry said. “That kind of experience gives you a real understanding of, not only the benefits of lightweight, but also the benefits of accompanying technologies that you can pair with lightweight to make the products perform even better. With our new Weight Plus counterbalancing technology, we are further pushing the limits of high balance point. It’s the combination of lightweight and high balance point that makes XXIO Eleven a game changer for moderate swing speed players.”
XXIO X are premium category clubs for better golfers looking to take advantage of lower weight and high balance point design.
“X takes the same XXIO philosophy – lightweight and easy to swing – but is designed for better players” said Jeff Brunski, Vice President of Research and Development. “We’re targeting golfers who have typically played ‘players’ golf equipment but are starting to see distance declines in their game. X allows a wider audience to experience the difference of XXIO,” Brunski said. “It’s easy distance and easy forgiveness, built without sacrifices.”
Honma Continues to Grow in the United States 
Honma Golf is making a significant effort to capture a bigger portion of the golf equipment business in the United States and the newest line built for the better player is the TR20 family.
Two driver models, 440cc and 460cc, both have a titanium frame with extensive areas of the body constructed with a strong, but lightweight carbon fiber. The adjustable hosel is interesting. Rather than the entire head, or shaft turning as loft or face angles are changed, Honma uses an inner hosel ring so the head and shaft orientation remain constant.
The TR20V irons are forged from soft carbon steel in a cavity back design and the TR20P are forged from S35C steel with an L-cup face. Honma tells me they are similar enough in design to make a combination set helpful to players wanting a more forgiving long iron in the bag.
“TR20 drivers are a feat of engineering craftsmanship from our incredibly talented teams in Sakata and Carlsbad. Combining innovative carbon construction with the legendary shaping of our takumis in Japan is something we’re very excited for golfers to experience,” said Honma President John Kawaja.
Honma’s Vice President of Global Product Chris McGinley said about the two iron models, ““The combination of Honma hand-crafted looks with tour level performance, modern constructions and expert designs provide a blend of looks, sound and feel that golfers will love.”
On the PGA Tour the number nine player in the Official World Golf Rankings, Justin Rose, is playing a prototype TR20B that is expected to be available this summer.
