There are plenty of themes running through the new drivers and irons that hit the market in the second half of the fall, whether it is companies offering premium versions of its products aimed at an aspirational golfer, or reworking and improving previous generations of irons and drivers. And you’ll find speed—lighter and faster—to be a key for many companies.
The truth is with products from the likes of TaylorMade, Titleist, Callaway, Cobra and many others, there are numerous great opportunities to put a new set of irons in your bag, or to ask Santa whether he can hit Golf Town ahead of Christmas.
Here’s some key considerations from golf’s top brands to add to your holiday wish list:
TaylorMade Spider X Chalk, P790 Irons, Kalea 3
While TaylorMade’s Spider X Chalk putter puts a new look on a highly successful product, the company’s revamped P790 irons are a real game changer. The initial version of the irons surprised everyone with their popularity, and the latest incarnation, aimed at low handicap players who love the workability and distance they get from the irons. One of the alterations with the new version is a face that is 7% thinner—adding more distance to irons that were already red hot. Looking for a new set for mom, sister or friend? TaylorMade’s Kalea 3 set includes 11 clubs designed to utilize technology in a way that delivers significant performance benefits for female players.
Are they for your golfer? A new high MOI putter can only help any golfer—consider putting a Spider X under the tree and help them drain more putts.
Callaway Epic Forged
Fast and furious—that’s what Callaway is aiming at with its Epic Forged line. Designed for the premium market, these are irons that were hot overseas (primarily in the Asian market) and were so successful that Callaway elected to bring them to North America. Epic Forged is aimed at the super luxury market—a small audience that is willing to pay for great quality. There’s tons of Callaway technology jammed in the irons—think Cup Face—and the result is an iron that sounds great and offers a silky smooth feel.
Are they for your golfer? Who doesn’t want to turn heads on the practice tee? Epic Forged will do just that—and your golfer will love the feel.
Cobra Forged Tec & T-Rail
It was a busy fall for Cobra, which launched an ambitious line of products with the focus of providing more speed when you swing their clubs. Two major launches are designed for different golfers. The Forged Tec are a player’s iron aim at the golfer who can use the most tech they can get out of a traditional look while the T-Rail line is a hybrid-iron set that may be more suitable for beginners or experienced golfers that may have lost some distance and control and are looking to regain that to play better.
Honma XP-1
Lighter equals more speed—that’s something that’s been recognized in the Japanese golf market for some time. With that in mind, Asian golf maker Honma (Justin Rose plays its clubs) brought its XP-1 line to the market. Known for its incredible craftsmanship, this is Honma’s first foray into the game improvement market within North America. If the golfer in your life is looking for something a little bit different, Honma’s XP-1 line might be just the thing.
Titleist T-Series Irons
Titleist’s AP line of irons was iconic and replacing them was no easy feat. Titleist did just that in the late summer with the introduction of the T Series of irons, with three lines aimed at different golfers. The T100 is a player’s iron with a fully-forged cavity construction, while the T200 merges aesthetics and feel, and the T300 line is aimed at offering higher ball speeds. Max Impact is the key technology in the T200 and T300 lines—which are aimed at low-to-mid handicap golfers. All three sets in the iron series offer progressive blade lengths, sole widths and hosel lengths. That means you’ll get a different center of gravity depending on the club, making the longer irons more forgiving and easier to hit. If the golfer in your family loves the Pro V1 and the classic Titleist performance, they’ll undoubtedly love one of the three sets Titleist has brought to market.
Mizuno: MP-20
Mizuno has generated a lot of buzz for its recent irons launches and the driver and ball it introduced to the North American market in the spring. The MP-20 line—its latest irons—garnered some attention when Brooks Koepka elected to play them without being paid. They are just that good. Pure—that’s how MP-20s feel when you hit them. There are three versions of the Mizuno irons: the MP-20, a standard muscle back, a MP-20 Hot Metal Blade, and an MP-20 Multi Metal Construction. Are they for your golfer? While your golfer might not be able to hit balls like Koepka, there are other variations of the MP-20 line that will work. Consider the MP-20 Hot Metal Blade, which offers the great look and feel of a blade, but with all the tech to help your golfer hit it longer and straighter.
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