Black Clubs and ZT Putters – yada yada yada

More of what you love

By Tony Dear

Okay, okay. We get it. Lately, this page seems to be focusing a lot on alternative versions of existing clubs and zero-torque putters. To be fair, that’s a lot more exciting than what gear posts at this time of year used to be, plus, of course, if that’s what is happening in the golf equipment world, it’s because that’s what golfers are interested in and want to read about.

So, this week, we bring you a new look for some of TaylorMade’s most successful clubs and Bettinardi’s new ZT putters.
The new-look TaylorMade clubs are the Qi4D Driver (standard, LS, and Max), Qi4D Fairways, and P·790 irons in all-black – what TaylorMade is calling its Shadowfall Collection.

The clubs perform identically to the originals; there is no new technology here. But TaylorMade is catering to a significant segment of the market that prefers its golf clubs dark, distinctive, sleek, and unique (it’s quite possible, given how popular black clubs have become, that someone else in your foursome has the same Shadowfall woods or irons, in which case they wouldn’t be unique to your group, but it’s likely the golfers who don’t have them will pause, covet, and possibly start drooling once they see somebody else’s).

The driver has an advanced aerodynamic shape that enables you to generate greater clubhead speed, a face with improved bulge and roll specifications to limit dispersion, moveable weights that allow you to create your optimum launch/trajectory, and a four-degree loft sleeve with which you can alter the club’s loft, lie, angle, and face angle. The Fairways utilize the same four-degree loft sleeve to allow golfers/fitters to dial in the preferred launch/trajectory conditions, while Speed Pocket Technology ensures low-face strikes retain sufficient ballspeed to get close to your target.
The Shadowfall P·790 irons, meanwhile, have the looks, the strong 4340M steel face, and the SpeedFoam Air that makes the original P·790 such a successful club.

T-shirts, hoodies, and hats are also part of the Shadowfall Collection, and if you’d really rather not show any color at all, you can put your Shadowfall clubs in a black Signature L4 or L5 Stand Bag, and add a black Spider ZT Three-Line putter (though be sure to cover the soleplate). Shadowfall headcovers for the Qi4D Driver and Fairways (available in 3, 5, and 7-wood) are, of course, black. MG5 Charcoal Wedges and a black Tour Towel will complete the look. No word, yet, on a black ball.

Standard Qi4D Driver
$700
Loft – 9˚, 10.5˚
Shafts – Mitsubishi REAX 50 Mid Rotation Blue, Mitsubishi REAX 60 Mid Rotation Blue
Right and left-hand

LS Qi4D Driver
$700
Loft – 9˚, 10.5˚
Shaft – Mitsubishi REAX 60 Mid Rotation Blue
Right and left-hand

Qi4D Max Driver
$700
Loft – 9˚, 10.5˚
Shafts – Mitsubishi REAX 50 Mid Rotation Blue
Right-hand
Fairways
$400
Lofts – 15˚, 18˚, 21˚
Shafts – Mitsubishi REAX 55 FW, Mitsubishi REAX 65 FW
Right-hand

P·790
$1,500 (4-PW)
Lofts – 4-20˚, 7-30˚, 44˚
Shafts – Nippon Modus Tour 105 Luxury Black, UST Recoil DART HDC Blackout (Custom Only)
Right and left-hand

taylormadegolf.com

We featured a Bettinardi club last week, and here they are again – it’s obviously a busy time for the Tinley Park, IL-based manufacturer that’s endorsed by Matt Fitzpatrick, Fred Couples, and others. The company released its first zero-torque putters – the Antidote SB1 (blade) and SB2 (Mallet) at the start of last year. They were center-shafted as most ZT putters need to be. A handful of the more prominent putter-makers, however, are now offering zero-torque models that, by virtue of their modified hosels and weighting, place the point where the shaft meets the clubhead much closer to the heel, giving the putter a more traditional look. Or the shaft axis aligns with the head’s center of gravity but ends before a single bend or plumber’s neck hosel attaches the shaft to the clubhead.

That’s what is happening in Bettinardi’s new Hexperimental #7 and #9 putters. The #7 is the mallet and has a cutout section towards the back to push weight to the perimeter of the putter, increasing its MOI. #9 is the blade. Both are milled from soft 303 stainless steel.  Feel Impact Technology (F.I.T.) Milling removes about a third of the face’s material, giving the putters a responsive feel at impact.

$550
Right-hand (9 is also available in left-hand)
bettinardi.com