Joysticks

In the Hawaiian language, ‘Kalea’ means happiness. It is a fitting name for TaylorMade’s newly-updated women’s clubs which aim to make golf more enjoyable for female golfers.

By Tony Dear

It’s well-documented that approximately 25% of all golfers (about six million) are women who, according to a 2021 survey carried out by golf business analysis firm Golf Datatech, are now spending roughly $1.53 billion a year on golf equipment and apparel. So shouldn’t roughly a quarter of all equipment releases be targeted at women? And wouldn’t it make sense that roughly a quarter of a manufacturer’s inventory is made up of women’s clubs, and roughly a quarter of golf content, be it written, spoken or watched, is focused on females?

While golf media could certainly do a better job of following the women’s game (looking at you Colorado AvidGolfer equipment page) and equipment-makers could direct more attention toward the woman golfer, it’s not quite as simple as that. Not all but many woman golfers are every bit as interested in the men’s game and PGA Tour as they are the LPGA Tour (anecdotally) while a significant number of better-than-average female golfers prefer to play with modified men’s club – higher lofts, lighter shafts (again, anecdotally and according to numerous comments online).

TaylorMade last week announced an update to its women-specific Kalea line, first introduced seven years ago. The Carlsbad, CA company began making clubs for ladies just after the turn of the century and, in 2015, introduced the original and complete Kalea line – a 13-piece set with SlimTech shafts comprising driver, 3, 5 and 7 fairway woods, 4-5 Rescues, 6-9 irons, pitching wedge, sand wedge and putter. A Kalea cart bag and the two-piece Kalea ball with soft cover and low compression were also released though sold separately.

The new Kalea Premier set, available as individual clubs or as an 11 or seven-piece set, is a complete rebuild though the clubs are obviously still engineered to be light, forgiving and easy to launch. Thanks to the carbon crown and sole, the Stealth/SIM2-shaped Kalea driver is roughly 35 grams lighter than TaylorMade’s men’s drivers, enabling users to create greater clubhead speed. Not adding an adjustability component helped save the weight too, and the one loft available – 12.5˚ – gives an optimal combination of high launch and low spin for the women golfer with moderate swing speed that the Kalea is built for. A 22 gram backweight lowers the Center of Gravity (CG) to make the driver extremely forgiving, while a Twist-Face helps correct high-toe and low-heel contact.

The face of the fairway-woods is 37% larger than on the original Kalea and each club has the same size head which, says TaylorMade, makes them all as forgiving as each other and provides a ‘consistent visual’.
The irons have a new shape and a ‘Cap Back’ – a low-density polymer piece in place of steel in the back of the clubhead – to increase face flexion . The Cap Back was first found on the company’s SIM2 and Max OS irons and later modified for the Stealth iron. The Speed Slot, an integral part of most of TaylorMade irons, is present to help the face flex, and maintain ballspeed, when contact is made low on the face.

The Mini Spider putter is 15% smaller than the Spider Tour, but still features TaylorMade’s grooved-face technology which is designed to help the ball roll better. The shaft weighs 70 grams and was designed specifically for the Kalea putter.

The Kalea is ideal for new golfers and features a feminine and sophisticated color scheme.

$1,700 – 11-piece set (driver, 5-wood, 5-rescue, 6-rescue, 7I-PW, SW, putter and bag)
$1,000 – Seven-piece set (5-rescue, 6-rescue, 7I-PW, SW)
$600 – Five-piece iron set
Clubs individually priced – Driver – $450; Fairway-woods (3, 5, 7) – $250; Rescues – $200. Irons – $120/each; Putter – $280
Lofts – Driver – 12.5˚; Fairway-woods – 17˚, 20.5˚, 23˚; Rescues – 23˚, 25˚, 27˚; 7-iron – 32˚; PW – 45˚
Shaft – Kalea Premier 40 (47 grams)
Right-hand only
Available via pre-sale at company website now; available at retail on October 14^th
www.taylormadegolf.com

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Colorado AvidGolfer Magazine is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it, publishing eight issues annually and proudly delivering daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com.

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