Black Magic

TaylorMade and Callaway release black versions of already-popular clubs.

by Tony Dear

TaylorMade announced its Stealth irons in January of last year, listing the technologies that made the game-improvement iron perform like a game-improvement iron without necessarily looking like one. The lightweight polymer of the Cap Back design, first seen in the SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max OS, was perhaps its most noteworthy feature, helping the face to flex more and, thus, generate greater ball-speed. The Toe Wrap was similarly effective, lowering the Center of Gravity (CG) by 0.8mm to help players launch the ball higher and achieve greater carry distances. The company’s familiar Echo damping system (soft polymer insert that sist behind the face to cushion the sound and feel of impact), Inverted Cone Technology, 360-degree undercut, and Thru-Slot Speed Pocket (4-8 irons) were, likewise, packed into a surprisingly compact head which, but for the thick top-line, almost looked like an addition to the company’s P-Series of irons.
Just as a black version of the hugely-popular P790 was made available, so now the Stealth gets the black treatment with a durable/no-glare PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) finish.

Price – $1,200 (5-PW, AW)
Lofts – 5-iron – 21°, 7-iron – 28°, PW – 43°
Shaft – KBS Max MT Black
taylormadegolf.com

Callaway staffers Jon Rahm, Sam Burns, SI Woo Kim and Chris Kirk have all used the Paradym which launched in January , to win on this year’s PGA Tour. And last weekend, Rose Zhang won in her LPGA Tour debut with a Paradym in the bag. Featuring a 360-degree carbon fiber chassis with deep Navy blue look, the original club has now been joined by an all-black model called Night Mode which sports a black crown, sole, anodized weights, shaft, and Golf Pride Blackout MCC grip. The Night Mode is available for the Paradym and Paradym Triple Diamond clubs, but not the Paradym X.

Price – $700
Lofts – 9˚, 10.5˚
Shaft – Project X HZRDUS Black GEN4 Night Mode
callawaygolf.com

Just because… PING Slam Putter – Zing 2

Just as the 88 Ping PLD Limited Pal putters that were made to honor Sandy Lyle’s win in the 1988 Masters, and the 88 PLD Limited Pal 2s built to celebrate Jeff Sluman’s victory at that year’s PGA Championship sold out within minutes of becoming available, so all 88 of the PLD Limited Zing 2s created to commemorate Curtis Strange’s first US Open win are very likely to be long gone by the time this week’s gear post appears. But we started, so we’ll finish (you might like to prepare for next month’s release of the PLD Limited Anser that remembers Seve Ballesteros’s win in the 1988 Open Championship. It will be available at 2pm EST on Tuesday July 18^th).
The PLD Limited Zing 2 is milled from a block of 303 Stainless Steel, and has a short slant-neck hosel. The original first appeared in 1984 and was cast rather than milled.

Price – $990
pingpld.com

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