New Club Releases, Galore!

It’s not quite a PGA Merchandise Show-type avalanche of equipment stories and new releases, but the last couple of weeks have seen a significant number of new launches. Here’s a rundown of notable new clubs.

By Tony Dear

Callaway Epic Forged Iron

The Carlsbad, Cal.-based manufacturer released its new Epic Forged irons along with the new Epic Flash Hybrids and Epic Flash Star line a couple of weeks ago. Callaway incorporated tungsten weighting into a forged iron for the first time, inserting the ‘Suspended Tungsten Core’ into the 1025 carbon-steel clubhead to strategically position the Center of Gravity (CG). The tungsten is surrounded by a Thermoplastic Urethane mold and then suspended within the clubhead inside urethane microspheres which help to dampen vibration at impact.

A 360 Face Cup is also part of the design, as is a new Variable Face Thickness clubface in the mid- and long-irons engineered to enhance spin control and promote consistent ball speeds. A little offset and thick top line lend the club a stable, forgiving look, while the striking platinum-chrome finish and black back give it a distinct style.

$300/club, $2,400/set
Shaft – Aerotech SteelFiber or Mitsubishi Tensei AV Silver
callawaygolf.com

Tour Edge HL4 Driver

Tour Edge’s HL (Hot Launch) Line offers quality components and cutting-edge, game-improvement technology at an affordable price. The HL4 Driver is forged from 6-4 titanium, has a cup face that is thicker in the center than the perimeter to increase the size of the sweetspot and promote consistent ball speeds no matter where on the face you make contact. The crown is shaped to improve the head’s aerodynamics and thus enable you to increase speed without extra effort. The deep (from front to back) clubhead and sole weight lower the CG helping the golfer to launch it high with less spin. This also increases the club’s MoI – Tour Edge says the HL4’s is 12% greater than that of the HL3 – making it more stable at impact.

$200
Lofts – 9.5°, 10.5° and 12° (standard); 10.5°, 12°, and 13.5° (offset version)
Shaft – UST Mamiya
Available – August 1
touredge.com

Titleist TS2 TS3 Hybrids

Built on the company’s now-familiar Speed Chassis, Titleist’s new TS2 and TS3 Hybrids are designed to “deliver high launch and easy distance.” More fairway metal in appearance than long iron, the TS2 is designed specifically for golfers with a sweeping motion, while the square-toe TS3 is for players who swing more steeply into the ball and prefer the look of a long-iron. Both models feature Titleist’s patented SureFit hosel with 16 independent loft and lie settings to create a more consistent and optimized ball flight through precision fitting.

Titleist has been the most played hybrid on the PGA Tour since 2014. Charley Hoffman, Robert Streb, Ian Poulter, Charles Howell III, and Patton Kizzire have already switched to the TS2 or TS3.

$280/club
Lofts – TS2 – 17° (RH Only), 19°, 21°, 23°, 25°, and 27º; TS3 – 19°, 21°, 23°, 25°
Shafts – KAGE Dual Core Black 60, TENSEI AV Series Blue 70, HZRDUS Smoke Black 80, Even Flow T1100 White 90
Available – August 30^th
Free trial and fitting events beginning August 8^th (visit titleist.com/fitting/appointments for Colorado locations)
titleist.com

Ping Glide 3.0 Wedge

Ping describes the approach to constructing the new Glide 3.0 wedge as “grip to grind,” adding it re-designed every component of the club to create a “higher-spinning, more forgiving, lighter overall design that offers multiple sole grind options to custom-fit golfers of all skill levels”.

A multi-material construction, the Glide 3.0  has a 431 stainless steel head with a large and softer elastomer Custom Tuning Port (CTP) insert than on the company’s previous wedges and which resembles that of the i210 iron. The newly-designed head and CTP combine to increase the clubhead’s MoI and push the CG higher producing lower-launching more controllable approach shots.

Ping says the softer face material and patented wheel-cut grooves ensure great feel and impressive control.

The Glide 3.0 is 15g lighter than previous clubs  thanks to a lighter grip and lighter shaft—the Nippon-made PING Z-Z115 Wedge shaft. Four grinds are available: Standard Sole, Wide Sole, Thin Sole, and Eye 2, and the Hydropearl finish gives the Glide 3.0 a sophisticated look.

$160/club (steel), $180/club (graphite)
Lofts/grinds

Standard Sole – 46°/12°, 50°/12°, 52°/12°, 54°/12°, 56°/12°, 58°/10°, 60/10°
Wide Sole – 54°/14°, 56°/14°, 58°/14°, 60/14°
Thin Sole – 58°/6°, 60°/6°
Eye2 – 54°/10°, 56°/10°, 58°/8°, 60°/8°

Shaft – Ping Z-Z115 (steel), Alta CB Red (graphite)
Aftermarket shaft options – True Temper Dynamic Gold 105, True Temper Dynamic Gold, True Temper Dynamic Gold 120, Project X LZ, True Temper XP95, Nippon Pro Modus Tour 105, KBS Tour
ping.com

Cleveland CBX2

The renowned wedge-builder has developed a hollow-cavity wedge with a hollow chamber near the heel and a heavy weight placed in the toe to maximize its Moment of Inertia (MoI) and stabilize impact for those mid-high handicappers that play cavity-back irons.

The CBX2 also features the latest iteration of Feel Balancing Technology with a toe-biased CG, and a Gelback TPU Insert reduces vibration. Together, says Cleveland, they create a “soft, satisfying feel and crisp feedback”.

Three different sole grinds arranged by loft give the CBX2 versatility while fourth-generation Rotex Face Technology give the faces exceptional spin capabilities.

$140 (steel), $150 (graphite)
Lofts/grinds – V-Shaped (46°-52°); S-Shaped (54°-56°); C-Shaped (58° and 60°)
Available – August 30^th
clevelandgolf.com

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