Tag: equipment-brands-taylormade

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Equipment

WITB: Nelly Korda Wins First Major and Fifth Consecutive Tournament

Nelly Korda and her caddie at the Chevron Championship 2024. The WITB with TaylorMade. (Image: Getty)
Nelly Korda and her caddie at the Chevron Championship 2024. The WITB with TaylorMade. (Image: Getty)

Once again, Nelly Korda came out on top, winning her first major title of the season and the fifth tournament in a row. At the LPGA Tour’s Chevron Championship 2024 Korda captured the win with two shots ahead of Swedens Maja Stark. A strong driver and 13 out of 18 greens in regulation secured her final round score of 69. This is her set of club choices by TaylorMade, helping her with this insane winning-streak.

WITB: Nelly Korda 2024

(Image: TaylorMade)

Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 Max (10.5°)

Nelly Korda on why she plays the Qi10 Max Driver: “The reason why I picked the Qi10 Max driver is the look of it compared to the other models. When I put it down and look at it I feel like I can hit any shot I want with the subtle blue face and silver topline. When I look down at it I feel like I can aim it really well and I know where the center of the clubface too. For a golfer, if you don’t like the look of the club, you’re never going to be able to it hit. Once I put the Qi10 Max down and teed it up, I feel like I could hit any shot I wanted to.”

(Image: TaylorMade)

Woods: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15°, 21°)

(Image: TaylorMade)

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (5)

(Image: TaylorMade)

Irons: TaylorMade P7MC (6-PW)

(Image: TaylorMade)

Wedges: TaylorMade Milled Grind 4 (50°,54°,60°)

Putter: Scotty Cameron Special Select Squareback 2 Proto

(Image: TaylorMade)

Ball: TaylorMade TP5x

“Nelly was looking to bring the spin down, especially on her driver, so we did some testing in September,” said TaylorMade Senior Tour Manager Ressa. “We saw the benefits of TP5x in her driver and irons bringing the spin down a couple hundred RPMs. Then, around the greens, her launch on chips was a little bit lower and she generated more spin around the greens with TP5x than TP5. She produced a lot more check in a preferred trajectory coming off of the TP5x versus the TP5. She’s been happy with the ball ever since.” 

Text created with Quotes from TaylorMade Golf.

Categories
Equipment Highlights Tours

WITB Rory McIlroy: The Equipment for the Masters Tournament 2024

Rory McIlroys WITB for the Masters Tournament 2024. (Image: Getty)
Rory McIlroys WITB for the Masters Tournament 2024. (Image: Getty)

Rory McIlroy attempts his 16th run for a Masters Tournament victory and the completion of his career Grand Slam. Take a look at the equipment of the Northern Irishman for the first major of the 2024 season. As always McIlroy trusts his longterm sponsor TaylorMade from driver to golf ball.

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WITB Rory McIlroy at the Masters Tournament 2024

(Image: TaylorMade)

Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (9°)

(Image: TaylorMade)

3 wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15°, 18°)

(Image: TaylorMade)

Driving Irons: TaylorMade Stealth UDI (16°)

(Image: TaylorMade)

Irons: TaylorMade P760 (4)

Irons: TaylorMade P730 Rors Proto (5-9)

(Image: TaylorMade)

Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (46, 50, 54, 60)

(Image: TaylorMade)

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X

(Image: TaylorMade)

Ball: TaylorMade TP5x

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Categories
Equipment Professionals

McIlroy, Tiger And Co.: Golf Stars Compete In New TaylorMade Challenge

Rory McIlroy, Nelly Korda and Tiger Woods compete against each other in an Accuracy Challenge by TaylorMade. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy, Nelly Korda and Tiger Woods compete against each other in an Accuracy Challenge by TaylorMade. (Photo: Getty)

In this challenge organised by TaylorMade, the staff players of the well-known brand compete against each other. The accuracy of the professionals’ drives on the range is put to the test. Naturally, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Nelly Korda and co. will be using the latest driver from TaylorMade, the Qi10.

TaylorMade Challenge: Who hits the perfect centre?

TaylorMade wanted to answer this question and set its high-calibre staff players a demanding challenge. Using the Qi10 driver, the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour stars have to hit a narrow corridor on a slightly sloping fairway. Ten points are awarded for hitting the centre of the fairway, five points are awarded for hitting the slightly wider second area to the left and right of the centre and two points are awarded for hitting the fairway completely outside the markings.
It was by no means a one-on-one competition, with TaylorMade putting “Team USA” with Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda against “Team International” with Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Charlie Hull and Brooke Henderson.

Who can claim victory in TaylorMades “Accuracy Alley”?

Categories
Equipment

WITB: Nelly Korda secures third consecutive win with TaylorMade

WITB: A look inside third-time-consecutive LPGA Tour winner Nelly Korda's bag. (Image: Getty)
WITB: A look inside third-time-consecutive LPGA Tour winner Nelly Korda's bag. (Image: Getty)

Once again, Nelly Korda came out on top at last week’s Arizona Championship. Through her final round 65, Korda won by a margin of two strokes, marking her third consecutive win on the LPGA Tour. This is her set of club choices by TaylorMade, helping her become the first player in eight years on the LPGA Tour to do so.

WITB: Nelly Korda 2024

(Image: TaylorMade)

Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 Max (10.5°)

(Image: TaylorMade)

Fairway wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15°/21°)

(Image: TaylorMade)

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (5)

(Image: TaylorMade)

Irons: TaylorMade P7MC (6-PW)

(Image: TaylorMade)

Wedges: TaylorMade Milled Grind 4 (50°,54°,60°)

(Image: TaylorMade)

Ball: TaylorMade TP5x

Categories
Products

Titleist Vokey Wedges: “We have a lot of ideas for the coming generations”

The new Titleist Vokey SM 10 Wedges 2024. (Photo: Titleist)
The new Titleist Vokey SM 10 Wedges 2024. (Photo: Titleist)

Titleist is launching the tenth generation of its iconic wedges this season. In an interview with Golf Post, Aaron Luttrell, wedge expert at Titleist, talks about the development process of the new Titleist Vokey SM 10 wedges and Bob Vokey’s influence on the development of the new models.

“Bob Vokey is still our wedge guru” – Titleist with the tenth generation of the iconic wedges

Golf Post: Titleist Vokey released the new SM10 wedges. What’s making them better than previous generations?

Aaron Luttrell: A lot of times people ask, what do you do to make a better wedge? So at Vokey, what Bob’s kind of narrowed it down to is if you think about what makes a better wedge player, it’s usually being able to generate spin, being versatile around the greens and having good distance and trajectory control.

That’s really what we design our wedges around. How do we make each of those segments better for all players, not just the better player? What we typically do is we’re looking at improving each one of those areas every time we come out with a wedge. One of the big areas that we worked on for SM 10 was CG placement, which relates to distance and trajectory control.

All of them were kind of interconnected. You can’t really have one without the other. If you’re not striking the club in the right part of the face, you’re probably not going to take advantage of the CG or the grooves. So grind fitting is very important. That’s very related to versatility and shots around the green.

You’re obviously not going to get the spin that you want unless you have like the best grooves in the industry. So really if you look at what we did with trajectory and distance control, it’s a CG movement. So in the higher lofted wedges, in years past, we were able to push CG actually forward in front of the face, which allows the face to square up a bit easier or return to where the players set the club in.

I shouldn’t say square up because some people worry like, Oh, if I open the face, is it going to want to shut? No, it’s just going to want to return to where it started. It’s kind of a dynamic shift. Moving it forward allows that to happen. Moving it high or up keeps that flight down and it allows the player to manage the trajectory.

It also prevents some of those shots that want to roll up the face and take off high and weak. So really what we’re trying to do is push consistency, allow the player to, you know, deliver the club the way they want to deliver it and they get the results that they expect. So that was one thing in the higher lofted wedges and now in the lower lofted wedges, we kind of looked at where CG placement was relative to face center.

Looking at modern iron sets, a lot of those CG placements have started to migrate more toward face center or more toward the toe, not outside face center, but just moving that direction. We realized we were a little more heel-ward than where a lot of our irons are. Again, having the player be able to deliver it in the most consistent way possible.

You want the flow from your irons into your wedges to be very consistent. So we were able to move CG a little more from the heel, more towards the center and saw improvements in accuracy. The players that said that sometimes if they went after it a little bit, the ball, maybe would jump left there on them.

The progressive CG of the new Titleist Vokey SM 10 wedges. (Photo: Titleist)
The progressive CG of the new Titleist Vokey SM 10 wedges. (Photo: Titleist)

Once in a while, that kind of has gone away now. So we had a lot of really excited players last few weeks about their gap and pitching wedge, which normally, you know, people get really excited about high lofted wedges because they hit all the tricky shots with it. But it’s nice to hear people saying, I’m really excited about my SM 10 pitching wedge as well.

So those are the things that we’ve kind of worked on as improvements technically. And then as far as profiles go, We worked really hard to make sure that they’re as consistent as possible. Really good look that we’ve gotten feedback on over the many generations, but looking at where the highest peak of the toe is and making it consistent throughout the set, making sure the blade length is very consistent throughout the set.

And then we went through a different process of designing the shapes. Before it was the whole wedge at once. What we did was, we looked at it a different way and designed the profile and then you put the sole on afterward and then manipulate it to get the CG positioning that you want.

So what that allows us to do is when you look down at a wedge and you’re getting fit and you say have four different 56 degrees, the only difference is going to be how the club goes through the turf. You’re not going to see a difference on the ground or in an open or closed position. They’re going to look identical, the only difference in performance is going to be the performance through the turf because of the, the solid ground.

Golf Post: How many different versions of the SM10 are there in total?

Aaron Luttrell: 25 in right hand, 25 in left hand. So, 25 different loft and grind optinons, the lowest lofted being 46, highest lofted being 62.

Golf Post: Obviously they’re called Vokey Wedges and Bob Vokey has been around forever, and he’s still known as the Wedge guru. But there’s probably a huge team behind him and I wonder, how much of Bob Vokey himself is still in these wedges.

Aaron Luttrell: Every step is vetted for, you know, but in truth Bob is in every R and D meeting. What he does is he allows his team or our R and D team to really be free with their ideas. And then he helps us reign everything back in because really he’s the one that really pays attention to what the players want as far as looks and feel and sound and performance through the turf.

So if he feels like anything may jeopardize, you know, the clean, classic look of a Vokey wedge or the feel or the performance, it gets tossed out. So really he’s a part of it, but at the same time he understands he’s not hand shaping the masters anymore. We have CAD design. We have all these things that can continue to push wedge play forward, but it’s in the vein of very classic workman style type. We have 3D printers, and we will 3D print a part and he will hand measure every single one of them and go back to the CAD designer that he worked with and say we need to make slight adjustments to this toe area or the width of the sole here. So he’s still a hundred percent involved. He is at work every day, He is one of the most dedicated people I’ve ever met to the craft.

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Golf Post: What about the future of Vokey wedges. Which aspects of wedges will be decisive in the future?

Aaron Luttrell: We’re continually looking at every way that we can improve accuracy and control. There’s a lot in the works. Not much we can talk about yet… We do have a lot of ideas for the next generation, the generation after. The nice part about how we go about a design though, is like we launched on tour a week ago.

That’s when we actually get the most feedback on what we did this last time. So we start for the next one. So literally every time we launch a wedge, we’re learning something to make the next one better.

Golf Post: What was the first feedback from the tour players like?

Aaron Luttrell: It was great. We had 160 wedges in play, which was the most in play for any brand. And Vokey was far and away the most played. So, the number one model was SM 10, the number two model was SM 9. So, we’re our own best competitors and the transition so far has been very seamless. All the things that we worked on for SM 10 was feedback from SM 9.

So, we, all the players were very happy because they just said, well the little tweaks we asked for, you delivered on.

Golf Post: The SM10 come in three different finishes, right?

Aaron Luttrell: We actually added a new finish, yeah. This is the nickel finish. We had a finish called brush steel. It was a bit brighter. Nickel is a little bit more matte. It’s perfect in between finish between jet black and tour chrome. We think the durability is going to be pretty good.

And the look of it at address looks fantastic. So for the player that thinks, you know, Tour Chrome might be a little on the bright side and Jet Black may be a little too dark, Nickel will be that nice in between finish.

Categories
Equipment Satellite Tours

TaylorMade: Look to the Next Generation with New Team TaylorMade Athletes

The new TaylorMade Golf Team-Members. (Photo: TaylorMade)

TaylorMade Golf Company, an industry leader in product innovation and technology, announced today the signings of some of the youngest and hottest prospects on the Challenge Tour to play TaylorMade equipment from 2024. With an average age of 22 they join an already incredibly talented stable of athletes plying their trade on both the DP World Tour and Challenge Tour as part of Team TaylorMade.

Four new players for Team TaylorMade Golf in the 2024 season

Angel Ayora

Angel, who won the first stage of Qualifying School at Donnington Grove Golf Club at the end of September, 2023, joins Team TaylorMade after he secured his Challenge Tour card for 2024. At just 19-years-old from Spain, Angel played both the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open and ISPS Handa Australian Open at the beginning of the 2023/2024 DP World Tour season, making the cut on both occasions, finishing 33rd and tied-21st, respectively.

Angel Ayora sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)
Angel Ayora sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)

Angel is one the quicker players so getting him dialled in was very important. Tour Representative Sam Day started with a heavier driver shaft which offered him more control with little to no trade-off in club speed. Because of the better strikes and more connected feel with the driver, he was able to gain ball speed and play something that is designed to be more stable. His miss is to the right, so going down in head loft and using the FCT sleeve to change loft and face angle helped fix this problem (9.0 head set two clicks higher playing at 10.5 – the more loft added to a driver will close the face angle and therefore less likely to miss right).
During golf ball testing, the soon-to-be-released 2024 TP5x was testing 3mph quicker with the driver, and when it came to irons, Sam actually moved his iron lofts a full 1 degree weaker to help him get better spin rates and land angles into the greens. Angel constantly works with his coach to increase his peak height, and with the new ball and iron lofts he gained 20 feet with his longer irons helping that stopping distance coming into greens.

Angel Ayora Expected WITB

  • Qi10 LS 9.0 driver
  • Qi10 16.5 3HL fairway
  • P770 3 iron
  • P7MC 4-9 iron
  • MG4 46.SB, 52.SB, 56.TW and 60.TW wedges
  • TP Reserve B13 putter
  • 2024 TP5x golf ball

Martin Couvra

Former French Number One Amateur, Martin Couvra, joins Team TaylorMade after becoming only the seventh player in history to win on the Challenge Tour as an amateur. Following his victory at the Challenge de España in September, 2023, Martin made the decision to turn professional. Martin finished the 2023 season ranked 46th on the Road to Mallorca rankings, solidifying a full Challenge Tour card for 2024 for the 21-year-old.

Martin Couvra sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)
Martin Couvra sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)

Martin likes to see a fade with the driver so he likes to see the ball starting left and falling to the right. Tour Representative Mark Thistleton worked with Martin a lot around face angle, and they found that the more Mark opened the face, the more fade Martin produced, reacting to what he saw at address. Couvra settled on a 10.5 head set a little lower playing at 10 degrees with a little open face angle that gives him the look of a fade club at address.
Mark then worked on wedge options to better fill his distances after spotting that Martin previously carried a 52 & 58 degree Hi Toe wedge and left himself a 20-metre gap between PW & 52. Martin ended up in the new MG4 50 & 54 wedges to have his approach play dialled in ahead of the season. They both spent a lot of the session working with the new TP5 ball, which Martin loved right away. Martin is not one of the longer hitters out there and found speed especially in the top end of the bag with the new ball which he was sold on right away.

Martin Couvra Expected WITB

Mark Power

Two-time Walker Cup star and Wake Forest University graduate, Mark Power (23), has put his trust in TaylorMade equipment as he starts the next phase of his career. Prior to heading to the US College system in 2019, Mark was a three-time winner of the Irish Boys Order of Merit (2016, 2017,2018) and two-time winner of the Irish Open Boys Championship (2016, 2017). Mark graduated in 2023 before making his professional debut on the DP World Tour at the Horizon Irish Open last year, finishing tied-33rd. He also made the cut at the ISPS Handa Australian Open this season on the DP World Tour and will ply his main trade on the Challenge Tour this year.

Mark Power sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)
Mark Power sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)

Mark likes to play with a draw, and with the new Qi10 LS driver he was able to match the correct amount of launch and spin to make his go-to shot a lot easier and perform better. His drop-off in spin with his previous gamer was penalising his miss shot and therefore performance off the tee.
Again, during ball testing, Mark gained 2mph ball speed switching into the 2024 TP5x golf ball from the 2021 TP5, and this was a massive step forward for him. Tour Representative Sam Day looked at the wedge and putter performance with the new ball to make sure the feel and sound married up with performance, which it did. The soft feel and low spin numbers he gained at the top end of the bag made this a clear winner.

Mark Power Expected WITB

  • Qi10 LS 9.0 driver
  • Qi10 Tour 15.0 fairway
  • P7MC 4-PW
  • MG4 50.SB, 54.SB and 58.LB wedges
  • TP Reserve M47 putter
  • 2024 TP5x golf ball

Maximilian Steinlechner

North Carolina State University scholar, Max Steinlechner (24), from Austria, completes the roster for 2024. Max, a former Austrian Number One Amateur, had a stellar amateur career before heading off to play for the Wolfpack. He won the Austrian International Amateur Championship as a 17-year-old with a score of 11-under par, and won the Austrian Boys Strokeplay Championship for three consecutive years between 2015-2017. Max played the majority of his golf on the Challenge Tour in 2023, where he will look to build on a strong foundation moving into 2024.

Max Steinlechner sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)
Max Steinlechner sings with TaylorMade. (Photo: TaylorMade Golf)

Max is very much a feel player and likes to focus on feel when testing clubs almost as much as performance. He does not change equipment easily or without validation, but he very quickly fell in love with the Qi10 driver. Tour Representative Mark Thistleton tested a couple of new shaft options, settling on the new Graphite Design VF in a 60 TX, tipped 1.25”, which is a little more than standard. Max has lots of speed and an extremely good ball striker, he offers precise feedback and any small changes Mark made to his equipment were seen instantly in the resulting ball flight.
During pre-season was Max’s first testing session with a TaylorMade Golf Ball. This made up a huge part of the testing procedure, testing the range of TaylorMade golf balls, diligently looking at the numbers and giving his precise feedback on sound and feel. Mark and Max soon concluded that the soon-to-be-released 2024 TP5x ball was the perfect fit for his game. It controlled his spin in the long game and offered great feedback and feel through the rest of the bag.

Maximilian Steinlechner Expected WITB

  • Qi10 LS 9.0 driver
  • Qi10 Tour 15.0 fairway
  • P7MC 4-6 iron
  • P7MB 7-9 iron
  • MG4 46.SB, 50.SB, 54.SB and 58.SB wedges
  • TP Reserve M47 putter
  • 2024 TP5x golf ball

“The golfing world all sees the success stories at the top with the likes of Rory, Tommy and Nelly when they win golf tournaments. But what they don’t see is how much work goes on behind the scenes in Team TaylorMade to find and develop the next generation of top class players. We believe this crop of talented young players from across Europe all have what it takes to compete and succeed on a world stage in the very near future. Each has their own successes as an amateur to be proud of, but more than that, we see a maturity and an attitude in these guys that stands them apart from their peers and because of this they are a great fit for the TaylorMade family. We are excited to continue this journey with them and look forward to seeing the individual success stories from each of them over the coming months and years.”

-Mark Thistleton, Tour Representative, TaylorMade Golf

Text: TaylorMade Golf

Categories
Equipment

New TaylorMade Qi10 series: New drivers, woods and irons for the 2024 golf season

TaylorMade releases the Qi10 series including new drivers, woods and irons. (Credit: TaylorMade)
TaylorMade releases the Qi10 series including new drivers, woods and irons. (Credit: TaylorMade)

TaylorMade presents its new golf clubs for the 2024 season. Qi10 is the name of the series, which includes everything from short irons to drivers in various designs for different types of players. Behind the cryptic name lies an achievement that TaylorMade is particularly proud of. With the “Quest for Inertia” (Qi), the industry giant claims to have entered a new dimension. A moment of inertia in the driver of 10,000 g/cm² is said to offer more forgiveness than any other club before. The other new products (fairway woods and irons) are also designed with playability in mind. For the better players, there are variants that promise low spin despite high forgiveness.

TaylorMade Qi10: New golf clubs for the 2024 season

TaylorMade Qi10 Max Driver: The Qi10 Max is the flagship of TaylorMade’s new driver series and aims to offer exceptional forgiveness. The Moment of Inertia (MOI) is specified at 10,000 g/cm², which according to the manufacturer is significantly higher than all previous in-house productions as well as those of the competition. A higher MOI potentially offers more forgiveness for shots that are not optimally hit. TaylorMade highlights that the driver enhances overall performance through the integration of four key technologies – including advanced construction methods, an optimised head shape, carbon face technology and a specially developed shaft. Stated benefits include a low and low centre of gravity for optimal launch and spin conditions, as well as improved ball speed and energy transfer at contact. The retail price of the TaylorMade Qi10 Max is €649.

TaylorMade Qi10 LS Driver: According to the manufacturer, the TaylorMade Qi10 LS Driver is designed for advanced golfers with higher swing speeds and is intended to offer a lower spin rate (LS = Low Spin) and a lower launch angle. The design includes a deeper clubface and a more compact overall head shape. TaylorMade promises that this model offers improved aerodynamics and an advanced adjustable weight system, resulting in a lower centre of gravity and optimised inertia for a forgiving but low-spin experience. The TaylorMade Qi10 LS is available at a price of €669.

TaylorMade Qi10 Driver: The standard Qi10 driver is described as an all-rounder that offers distance and forgiveness in a balanced form. The club head has a visually larger shape at address which, together with the Infinity Carbon Crown and a high contrast top rim, is designed to promote confidence at alignment. The Carbon Twist Face technology used aims to maximise and maintain ball speed across the entire clubface. Priced at €649, the TaylorMade Qi10 positions itself as a versatile option in the range.

The new TaylorMade Qi10 fairway woods and hybrids for the 2024 golf season

TaylorMade Qi10 Fairway and Rescue family: The TaylorMade Qi10 series of fairway woods and hybrids includes the Qi10, Qi10 Max and Qi10 Tour models, each designed for different types of players. All models emphasise an optimised clubface design that aims to maximise ball speed across the entire clubface. The Qi10 and Qi10 Max models are said to offer improved forgiveness and an increased launch angle thanks to the Infinity Carbon Crown and precisely positioned mass pads. The Qi10 Tour version, on the other hand, offers a more compact, titanium-based design with an adjustable weight system for customised flight curve options. Prices vary by model, with a starting price of €379 for the Qi10 and Qi10 Max Fairways and €329 for the corresponding Rescue models.

The new TaylorMade Qi10 irons for the 2024 golf season

TaylorMade Qi10 irons: The TaylorMade Qi irons are designed to deliver straight-line distance and precision in the game-improvement iron category. TaylorMade highlights the integrated system design, which is intended to provide optimised performance for each individual iron. Features such as cap-back design technology and customised HYBRAR echo dampeners are said to offer improved sound and feel. With prices starting at £183 per iron for the steel version, the Qi irons are aimed at a wide range of players looking to improve their accuracy and distance.
The HL irons are designed for golfers looking for a higher launch speed and faster club head speed. The lighter and loftier irons (HL = High Launch) are designed to provide increased trajectory and improved overall performance. With a similar price point to the standard Qi irons, these are designed for players who are specifically interested in optimising their long shots.

Both the TaylorMade Qi10 irons and the HL version are also available in a ladies version. The lofts are the same as in the men’s clubs. Only the shafts are designed for slightly slower swing speeds. Many female golfers will be particularly pleased that the clubs do not differ visually from the other models. No pink, no pastel – TaylorMade is now focussing on a sporty look here too.

TaylorMade expands its range with the Qi10 series

With the Qi10 series, TaylorMade is continuing its strategy of broadening its range of golf clubs. Golfers of all levels are catered for, without having to sacrifice individuality and personal requirements. While beginners will find a variant designed for support in the Max variants (woods) and the HL iron series, better players can make their own adjustments with the Qi10 Tour (fairway woods) and the Qi10 LS driver using a movable weight and thus adjust the new TaylorMade golf clubs according to their own wishes.

Categories
Equipment

TaylorMade Golf unveils new Spider Tour Series

TaylorMade revitalises the essence of this iconic franchise with the release of the Spider Tour Series (Image: TaylorMade)
TaylorMade revitalises the essence of this iconic franchise with the release of the Spider Tour Series (Image: TaylorMade)

With unmatched stability and an unmistakable shape, for nearly two decades Spider putters have been claiming major championships and stacking victories across professional tours globally.

Introducing the Spider Tour Series: A New Era of Putter Excellence

Today, TaylorMade revitalises the essence of this iconic franchise with the release of the Spider Tour Series – a family of high MOI putters with five unique models featuring renowned technologies such as True Path™ Alignment, Pure Roll™ and TSS weighting.

Within a design that will always be synonymouswith stability, each Spider Tour Series putter is crafted using multi-material construction to push weight low and back in the head for high levels of inertia. Engineers created superstructuresthat maintain the shape of a classic Spider Tour, then utilised thin wall undercuts to remove excess weight.

Enhancing Stability and Performance: Spider Tour Series Innovations

With the Spider Tour Series, TaylorMade is utilising the same Pure Roll insert that rose to prominence with the original Spider X putter. Moulded from a Surlyn material, it delivers a soft yet responsive feel with grooves that are angled 45° downward to help impart better topspin and anend-over-end roll.

“Spider putters have long been synonymous with stability, which directly translates to high-MOI performance. The unconventional shape creates a more stable platform that protects ball speed on mishits and delivers a more consistent roll across the face. Our new Spider Tour Series maintains our iconic technological features, including True Path and Pure Roll, while also delivering a range of shapes and CG locations to match a variety of putting styles”, says Brian Bazzel, VP of Product Creation.

In this new series we have different weight options with different centreof gravity placements to help different golfers’ putt better.

Models and Prices

Spider Tour

Spider Tour is one of the most recognisable shapes in the putting world, accounting for dozens of victories on professional tours across the globe. TaylorMade is breathing new life into the company’s most popular creations with enhanced materials, a new colour and refined weight distribution. The Spider Tour model has a CG location of 35mmfrom the face, 5,700 MOI and 29° of toe hangon a small slant hosel. Spider Tour has over 700 MOI more than the previous model.

Spider Tour X

Made popular as the putter of choice for Rory McIlroy, the Spider X shape has been one of the most sought-after in the franchise. It was originally designed to convert players who loved blade putters into mallets, using acompact shape and modern look to deliver a more blade-like feel with the added benefits of alignment and forgiveness that are incumbent to Spider putters. TSS weights in Spider Tour X are placed farther forward, generating more face rotation and a CG placement that is 33mm from the face compared to 35mm of Spider Tour. This model has MOI of 5,000 and 30° of toe hang on the small slant hosel.

Spider Tour Z

Spider Tour Z is one of two new shapes in this line-up, paying homage to the Spider Tour with a wing shaped back. The perimeter of this putter sits low in the ground to provide a comfortable feeling at address and help frame the golf ball for easy alignment. TSS weights on this model are placed very far forward to encourage more face rotation and a blade-like feel. It has a CG location of 29mm from the face, 5,050 MOI and 29° of toe hang with a small slant hosel.

Spider Tour V

Spider Tour V eliminates the wing structure and creates a more modern streamlined look. It is the smallest putter in shape and size in the line-up, providing the most rotation of the bunch. Spider Tour V has a CG location of 27mm from the face, MOI of 4,900 and 32° of toe hang with a small slant hosel.

Spider Tour S

The Spider Tour S is a larger version of the original Spider. The putter head is 3 mm longer and 8 mm wider in comparison. Spider Tour S is constructed at a heavier head weight and only offered at 35” and 38” lengths, with both featuring counterbalance grips for maximum stability. Spider Tour S has a CG location of 38 mm from the face, 6,063 MOI and is face balanced. It will be available in Spring of 2024.

Prices, Availability & Specifications

Spider Tour series putters are available at retail on October 27with an RRP of £299/€399/4,299SEK/4,299NOK/2,999DKK/399CHF. All models come equipped with a white/yellow Super Stroke GT 1.0 Pistol grip and gloss black PVD KBS shaft.

Text: TaylorMade

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Equipment Products

TaylorMade Stealth 2 Fairways: Versatile Designs and Breakthrough Technologies to Fit Golfers of All Abilities

TaylorMade Announces New Family of Stealth 2 Fairways and Hybrids. (Source: TaylorMade)
TaylorMade Announces New Family of Stealth 2 Fairways and Hybrids. (Source: TaylorMade)

TaylorMade Golf Company continues its technological innovation in the fairway wood and RescueTM categories with the announcement of the Stealth 2 fairway and Stealth 2 Rescue family. The latest line of Stealth 2 fairway woods and RescueTM clubs continues to feature with breakthrough movable weight technologies and versatile designs.

TaylorMade presents new Stealth 2 Plus fairway

The flagship model of the line is Stealth 2 Plus fairway, which features a heavy 50g sliding weight on the sole. This weight allows for three main settings, each with its own performance characteristics – creating three different fairway woods in one. The middle setting is the most versatile for optimal playability off the deck or off the tee. This standard setting will fit a wide range of golfers and has mid launch, mid-spin and consistently powerful distance.

Players can manipulate the weight to fit their swing or desired launch conditions. Shifting it to the front reduces spin and creates a piercing trajectory for added distance off the tee. This setting is also ideal for high-spin golfers who want to knock off spin for increased roll out and distance.

“We anticipate the forward setting being popular on Tour, particularly among players like Collin Morikawa who have historically used our 13.5° Rocket 3-wood for increased distance and a low spin/low launch. The versatility of Stealth 2 Plus will allow for this type of “rocket” setting but ultimately its versatility is its greatest appeal. Adjusting the movable weight creates noticeable performance differences in terms of launch, spin and distance, allowing golfers to dial in the preferred flight characteristics that their game, course and conditions require.”

–Tomo Bystedt, Senior Director of Product Creation

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Positioning the weight all the way back is the most forgiving setting. It adds spin and increases MOI for enhanced performance on off-centre strikes. This setting also encourages a steeper descent angle with more spin, creating a performance option for players who possess the power and speed to attack par 5s with their second shots – helping them to hold the green more easily.

The combination of the sliding weight along with an FCT Loft Sleeve gives Stealth 2 Plus a massive spin and loft range, checking in at +/- 2° of loft and approximately +/- 550 RPMs of spin. These two functions allow players to customise the club to fit their specific needs and playing style.

The Stealth 2 fairway builds on the success of the original Stealth fairway, which was among the most played fairway woods on the PGA Tour in 2022. It features a slightly lower profile 3D carbon crown that pushes CG down and pulls mass away from the high toe area, allowing more weight to be positioned rearward for optimal forgiveness and maximum playability.

The V SteelTM sole continues to play a pivotal role with the Stealth 2 fairway. This iconic TaylorMade technology is dual-purpose:

  1. 1)  Helping to drive weight low for deeper CG.
  2. 2)  Improving turf interaction and providing the versatility to take on a variety of lies.

Joining the TaylorMade Family: Stealth 2 HD

Another unique addition to the TaylorMade fairway family is the all-new Stealth 2 HD, engineered to maximise forgiveness and deliver easy playability for golfers at every level. A radical departure from traditional TaylorMade designs, it features an ultra-high MOI construction with an oversized 200cc head.

A larger, low-profile sole helps the club hug the ground at address and makes it easier to achieve a high launch, while internal weighting encourages a draw-bias ball flight. Stealth HD has the highest MOI of any TaylorMade fairway wood and expands the limits of forgiveness in terms of off-the-deck playability. For golfers who have historically struggled to produce successful shots with their fairway woods, this ground-breaking design will be an exciting and easy-to-hit alternative.

Every Stealth 2 fairway and Rescue features a new Advanced Inverted Cone Technology, an intelligent design that optimises the face thickness profile of each individual club type to ensure peak performance regardless of face size, shape or material. Engineered to maximise speed and enhance durability, the design is thinnest at true centre and around the edges, with a thicker mantle surrounding centre face.

“Advanced ICT takes a proven TaylorMade concept and pushes it to the next level. We’ve now optimised variable face thickness for each individual club, so that every face on a Stealth 2 fairway or Rescue has been specifically engineered for that club. This design feat is a testament to our team’s relentless drive to improve on every aspect of our products year after year.”

-Matt Johnson, Principal Engineer, Advanced Design

SPECIFICATIONS, AVAILABILITY & PRICING

Stealth 2 Plus, Stealth 2 and Stealth 2 HD fairways will be available for preorder on January 10 and at retail on February 17, 2023. Stealth 2 Plus has an RRP of £379 / €479 / SEK 5,299 / NOK 4,999 / DKK 3,699 / CHF 489 and will be offered in 3/15° and 5/18° lofts. It will be offered in the Mitsubishi Kai’li Red FW (75X, 75S, 65R), with a variety of custom shaft options available. Stealth 2 Plus fairways come stock with the Golf Pride’s Z-Grip (52g).

Stealth 2 and Stealth 2 HD have an RRP of £299 / €379 / SEK 4,199 / NOK 3,999 / DKK 2,999 / CHF 389. Stealth 2 will be offered in lofts of 3/15°, 3HL/16.5°, 5/18°, 7/21° and 9/24°. Shaft offerings include Fujikura Ventus TR Red FW (6-S, 5-R, 5-A), with a variety of custom shaft options available. Stealth 2 HD will be offered in lofts of 16°, 19° and 22°. Fujikura Speeder NX

Red is the stock shaft offering with a variety of custom shaft options available. Both models come stock with Golf Pride’s Z-Grip (52g).

Stealth 2 HD Women’s Fairway is offered in lofts of 16°, 19° and 22°, and comes stock with the Aldila Ascent Ladies 45 shaft and Lamkin Ladies Sonar grip.

STEALTH 2 PLUS, STEALTH 2 AND STEALTH 2 HD RESCUE CLUBS

For the first time, TaylorMade is releasing a trio of Rescue clubs within the same family: Stealth 2 Plus, Stealth 2 and Stealth 2 HD, each designed with a specific golfer and performance goal in mind.

Stealth 2 Plus Rescue features a compact tour-inspired shape that lends itself to enhanced shot making. It combines the control and workability of a long iron with the added forgiveness of a Rescue.

Compared to the original Stealth Rescue, CG is positioned lower in the Stealth 2 head for a more centred CG projection that leads to optimal launch and spin. A mass pad positioned at the back of the club further increases MOI for forgiveness and playability.

Stealth 2 HD is new to the family and utilises a larger but lower overall profile along with internal draw-bias weighting to deliver high launch and easy-to-hit performance. Higher lofts than traditional Rescue clubs promote better launch and help golfers get the ball airborne faster at moderate swing speeds.

With versatile designs and breakthrough technologies, the Stealth 2 family of fairway woods and Rescue clubs has the potential to change the trajectory of fairway and hybrid design for years to come. Golfers of all abilities will be able to find a club that fits their needs and helps them improve their game.

SPECIFICATIONS, AVAILABILITY & PRICING

Stealth 2 Plus, Stealth 2 and Stealth 2 HD Rescues clubs will be available for preorder on January 10 and at retail on February 17, 2023. Stealth 2 Plus has an RRP of £249 / €329 / SEK 3,499 / NOK 3,299 / DKK 2,499 / CHF 329 and will be offered in lofts of 2/17°, 3/19.5° and 4/22°. It will be offered in the Mitsubishi Kai’li Red HY (95X, 85S, 75R) shaft, with numerous custom shaft options available. It comes stock with the Golf Pride’s Z-Grip (52g).

Stealth 2 Rescue has an RRP of £239/ €299 / SEK 3,299 / NOK 3,099 / DKK 2,299 / CHF 299 and will be offered in lofts of 3/19°, 4/22°, 5/25°, 6/28° and 7/31°. It will be offered in the Fujikura Ventus Red TR HB (7-S, 6-R, 5-A) shaft, with numerous custom shaft options, as well as Lamkin’s Crossline 360 grip (47g).

Stealth 2 HD Rescue has an RRP of £239/ €299 / SEK 3,299 / NOK 3,099 / DKK 2,299 / CHF 299 will be offered in lofts of 3/20°, 4/23°, 5/27° and 6/31°. It will be offered in the Fujikura Speeder

NX Red (60-S, 50-R, 50-A) shaft, with numerous custom shaft options available. Stealth 2 HD Rescue comes stock with the Lamkin Crossline 360 grip (47g).

Stealth 2 HD Women’s Rescue offerings include the Aldila Ascent Ladies shaft and the Lamkin Ladies Sonar grip (38g). Loft offerings include 4/23°, 5/27° and 6/31°.

(Text: TaylorMade)

Categories
Equipment Products

TaylorMade Golf Unveils Stealth HD Irons

New TaylorMade Stealth HD irons. (Source: TaylorMade)
New TaylorMade Stealth HD irons. (Source: TaylorMade)

TaylorMade Golf, the industry leader in innovation and technology, today announces the all-new Stealth HD irons – an unconventional approach to helping developing golfers find success in the game.

TaylorMade presents all-new Stealth HD irons

The original Stealth iron featuring Cap BackTM design for more forgiveness excelled at bringing golfers everywhere better shots more often and will continue as the brand’s marquee game improvement iron. With the addition of Stealth HD, the company welcomes a wider breadth of golfers to Team TaylorMade with a more forgiving, easy-to-launch max game improvement option.

Development of this iron started from the ground up, as TaylorMade embarked on a journey to create an iron unlike any other in the brand’s history. Product creationists and engineers surveyed golfers in the max game improvement demographic to understand what they need, how they play golf and gather data on their performance. Research included extensive product testing as well as in-depth interviews with the target golfers for Stealth HD.

Taking design inspiration from the data, Stealth HD was engineered to deliver performance where this player needs it most. An ultra-low-profile head shape in the long irons drives CG lower to help get the ball airborne with ease – a critical component for defining success among this player set. Progressive head sizes, meaning that each club is uniquely shaped and gets incrementally larger from 5-iron through pitching wedge, help independently optimise the performance of each iron.

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An increased sole radius and innovative step-down design along the bottom of the club round out the all-new shape. Testing confirmed that increasing the sole arc from heel to toe led to more shots high on the face, which translates to higher launch and further helps this golfer get the ball airborne. The step-down sole is designed to boost playability by reducing the amount of surface area that contacts the turf.

An asymmetric draw-bias face was incorporated in direct response to golfer interviews, as players within this demographic associated “successful shots” with any result that flew straight or had a draw shape. High COR and fast ball speeds are an added benefit of the new face construction.

In addition, TaylorMade increased loft throughout the Stealth HD iron set to correspond with findings from a proprietary simulation tool – which factors in relevant design variables to optimise carry distance, launch angle and spin at slow to moderate swing speeds.

“A high launching, easy-to-hit iron with surprisingly exceptional feel.“

“In working with players in this category, we exhausted all optimisation tools to determine the ideal loft for each iron in the set. Incorporating higher lofts was done purposefully and with intent. Our goal was to provide as much launch and spin as possible without sacrificing distance, and what we found was this design strategy often led to increased carry distance for the

developing golfer when compared to traditional super game improvement irons with stronger lofts. By combining this totally unique construction with our existing technologies, we created a high launching, easy-to-hit iron with surprisingly exceptional feel.”

– Matt Bovee, Director, Product Creation Irons

While the head was made for slow to moderate swing speeds, performance effects are seen at every level of skill and speed. The Stealth HD iron is a great option for fitters and any player who struggles to launch the ball consistently. The full package of design elements provides forgiveness and distance for developing golfers, all while maintaining a premium aesthetic.

In addition, Stealth HD irons incorporate proven TaylorMade technologies such as Cap BackTM Design, a Thru Slot Speed PocketTM and the ECHO® Damping System, a trio that creates a flexible and responsive face with exceptional feel.

SPECIFICATIONS, AVAILABILITY & PRICING

Stealth HD irons will be available for preorder on January 10 and at retail on February 17, 2023. Stealth HD irons have an RRP per iron of £129/ €170 / SEK 1,815 / NOK 1,715 / DKK 1,286 / CHF 170 for steel and £143/ €190 / SEK 2,029 / NOK 1,929 / DKK 1,429 / CHF 190 for graphite and will be available from 5-PW with AW, SW and LW (RH Only) available. Stock shaft offerings include KBS Max 85 MT (steel) and Fujikura NX Red/Silver (graphite), with a variety of custom shaft options. Stealth HD irons come stock with the Lamkin Crossline Black/Red grip (47g).

Stealth HD Women’s Irons offering includes the Aldila Ascent Ladies shaft and the Lamkin Ladies Sonar grip (38g).

(Text: TaylorMade)