Callaway Golf
“Forgiveness meets fast” is the one-liner for the new XR16 driver’s ($350) head shape designed in conjunction with aerospace giant Boeing Co. with lots of forgiveness and a reengineered Speed Step Crown for lower drag in the downswing. Also new and part of the XR family are the XR OS irons ($800 steel) with Callaway’s Face Cup technology, a wider sole and lower center of gravity to help get the ball in the air. XR OS Hybrids ($220 each) are complementary to the irons and made with a cup face and a wider higher MOI clubhead. We also like the new Chrome Soft golf ball ($40 dozen) with 4-piece construction compared to last year’s 3-piece. It has the proprietary Dual SoftFast Core for greater ball speed from the driver and the Tour Urethane cover. Callaway’s putter division Odyssey has four new Tank Cruiser models: V-Line, #7, #1 (Wide) and 2-Ball Fang, each priced at $249.
Carbon Putters
Maybe they aren’t an overnight sensation, having been in business for more than five years, but Carbon attended their first PGA Merchandise Show in January and from the number of people crowding into the booth they achieved a lot of attention. Carbon putter heads, they are proud to point out, are 100 percent milled from forged steel billets by scratch golfers so all by itself this makes the company one-of-kind. Although it has nothing to do with the performance but rather good marketing, Carbon names putters with a Western gunslinger theme—The Kid, Ringo, Holliday—and all are price at $290. “Cassidy,” “Brocious” and the “Duke” are coming soon.
Cleveland Golf We think of wedges when we think of Cleveland and they haven’t disappointed us with the two new super game-improvement wedges the Smart Sole 2.0 C and Smart Sole 2.0 S. Both are meant to be short-game stress reducers with the C model designed, the company says, so it “helps eliminate the chunked wedge” while the S takes away “the embarrassment of being stuck in the sand.” As one golfer with both game faults exclaimed, “I can’t wait to get ‘em!” Pricing for either is $110 (steel shaft) and $120 (graphite shaft).
March 2016 | golfgearweeekly.com | 77