TaylorMade Golf, today introduced RocketBallz irons, a progressive and dynamic set engineered to deliver effortless distance and a higher and straighter ball flight. This winning combination of distance and accuracy makes the new RBZ iron a game-changer and positions to be one of the greatest iron sets in company history.

Key to the distance performance of RocketBallz irons is a large, thin clubface that’s strong and stiff at the perimeter and thin at the inner edge, allowing the face to flex freely like a trampoline. No part of the clubhead structure inhibits or restricts the flexion of the face. RocketBallz also incorporate TaylorMade’s Inverted Cone clubface technology, which expands the portion of the face that delivers high ball speed, promoting more distance on off-center hits.

Every RBZ iron head, from the 3- to the lob wedge, is uniquely constructed and features a progressive length and spec package, which has been carefully coordinated to ensure proper trajectory and distance gaps throughout the set.

RocketBallz 3- through 5-irons feature a new, hollow clubhead construction akin to that of the company’s industry leading line of metalwoods. This hollow head construction allows the company’s engineers to create the clubface (455 carpenter’s steel in the 3- through 5), and allows for a lower and centered CG location which ensures pure contact on the face when hitting off turf, promoting maximum energy transfer at impact.

Lowering the CG also allowed TaylorMade engineers to strengthen the loft to promote a more penetrating flight. This improved CG location is made possible in the 3- to 6-irons by thinning areas of the sole, top-line and back wall, then repositioning the saved weight strategically to the back wall and heel to shift the CG lower and more toward the center.

New Technology Promotes Accuracy
Key to the improved accuracy of RocketBallz irons is the new “Toe-Bar” feature, positioned in the upper toe, and the new design of the Inverted Cone. Fast-faced irons suffer in terms of accuracy because the asymmetrical shape of an iron face naturally causes the flex-point of the face to direct the ball off-line. The Toe-Bar and redesigned Inverted Cone together stiffen the toe-area of the clubface so that when the face flexes it directs the ball straight forward.

“We’ve worked extensively to advance fast-faced iron performance, and feel like we’re well ahead of our competitors in this category,” said Bret Wahl, TaylorMade senior director of iron, wedge and putter research and development. “We’ve learned that high COR is most useful when on top of high speed you can also control the face-flexion to send the ball on an accurate flight-line. With that in mind, we’re very pleased with what we’ve achieved with the RocketBallz iron.”

Progressive Clubhead Shapes
RocketBallz clubheads are progressively shaped, with smaller, compact short-irons, deep undercut-cavity middle-irons and large, hollow long-irons. All feature TaylorMade’s Multi-functional Sole (see Multi-Functional Sole tech brief), while the sand wedge, attack wedge and lob wedge all incorporate our new ATV sole.

Advanced Engineering for Better Feel
A new vibration and sound control system in the 3-iron to pitching wedge dampens unwanted vibration without slowing the face down. We’re using a new Japanese urethane layer for the first time that’s exceptionally soft and pliable; it works in conjunction with the badge system to absorb unwanted vibration and sound without slowing the face.

Also, every RocketBallz iron is engineered with an added cavity chamber in the heel at the point of the hosel-to-face transition that makes the heads easier to bend, allowing us to offer RocketBallz in 4 degrees upright, 4 degrees flat, and plus-or-minus 2 degrees in loft. The necessity for this was discovered during prototyping as the hard 455 steel used for the clubheads makes bending difficult.

Club Specs, Pricing and Availability
RocketBallz irons are available in 3-iron through LW, right-handed and left-handed (no left-handed LW).

Sets of eight clubs are being sold at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $699 with steel shafts, $899 with graphite shafts. Steel shafts weigh 85 grams, steel wedge shafts are heavier at 105 grams to promote increased rhythm and feel. Graphite shafts weight 65 grams.

Ladies’ RocketBallz irons are available in 5-iron through SW, equipped with a lightweight 55-gram graphite shaft, and carrying an MSRP of $899. The grip is a new design created especially for RocketBallz irons.

Availability at retail starts on February 3, 2012.

www.taylormadegolf.com

Today TaylorMade is proud to announce the expansion of the R11 franchise with the introduction of the R11 irons, which are engineered for the player who appreciates the shape and refinement of a tour-grade iron but needs the help of advanced technology to launch the ball high, straight and long with less effort, regardless of handicap.

Historically, irons engineered with multiple game-improvement technologies tend to be oversized, inelegant and clunky, with thick toplines, broad soles and over-bearing cavities. They typically feel harsh and sound high-pitched and “clicky.” The R11 iron breaks that mold and rewrites the book about what a high-technology iron can look like, feel like and sound like.

R11 irons are engineered with multiple technologies that make them stunningly easy to launch high and long. Technologies that we developed while building the best metalwoods in the world, like ways to make thin, fast faces, and methods to expand the COR zone, and techniques for precisely locating the CG.

“The R11 iron is truly a masterwork of beauty, technology and performance,” said Sean Toulon, TaylorMade’s executive vice president. “We’ve never created an iron that combines this kind of distance, this kind of forgiveness, is this easy to launch, and feels and sounds this soft and solid. And its appearance is extraordinarily beautiful, a gorgeous blend of smooth, classic lines and high-tech flourishes.”

“The R11 employs all our best iron technologies,” said Bret Wahl, TaylorMade’s senior director of iron development. “It’s a great testament to how far we’ve come in our ability to bring modern, sophisticated iron designs to life. We couldn’t have made this iron a few years ago, but the fact that we can now helps explain why it performs better than irons we’ve made in the past. It’s a superior design, and that’s clearly evident when you try it.”

TaylorMade R11 Irons Key Features:

Look and Feel: Convergence of Technology and Beauty
The R11 iron is unquestionably the most beautiful cavityback ever introduced by TaylorMade. The appearance at address is simple and traditional, with the topline melting seamlessly into the hosel. From behind, the sweeping lines that form the shape of the head, the cavity and what lies within the cavity work in absolute harmony to create a beautifully balanced composition that’s guaranteed to please the eye of any golfer.

“There has never been a game-improvement iron that looks this classically beautiful, that incorporates this kind of serious performance technology, and which will fit so many players,” said Toulon. “The R11 iron is destined to assume a position among the pantheon of the best of the best TaylorMade products.”

Precision Weighting Port and Progressive CG location
The first thing about the R11 iron that will grab the golfer’s attention is its red precision-weighting port, a technology initially introduced in TaylorMade’s forged iron lineup, including the Tour Preferred MB. The precision-weighting port allows TaylorMade engineers to 1) guarantee precise swingweight and 2) ensure center-face Center of Gravity (CG) location in every iron. The result is optimal consistency in feel and performance from one club to the next.

Ultra-Thin Face and Inverted Cone Technology
The ultra-thin face construction of the R11 irons promotes faster ball speed and distance in long- and middle-irons. Each R11 iron also features TaylorMade’s renowned Inverted Cone clubface technology, which expands the area of the face that delivers fast ball speed, which promotes improved distance on off-center hits.

Multi Functional Sole and Advanced Groove Design
Progressive shaping makes the longer irons more forgiving, and the shorter irons more compact and workable. TaylorMade Tour Staff professional Nick Faldo, an aficionado of finely designed irons, worked extensively with the TaylorMade design team to ensure that the topline of each iron blends into the hosel in just the right way to preserve the iron’s beauty at address.

The soles of the R11 irons are moderately thin (with the exception of the long-irons) and the leading edge is moderately sharp, helping it to enter and exit the turf quickly and smoothly. The long-irons are engineered with wider soles to pull the CG lower for easier, higher launch while also increasing MOI to make them more stable and forgiving. R11 irons also incorporate an advanced, USGA-conforming groove design to promote increased spin and control from the rough.

Sound and Vibration Management System
TaylorMade’s R&D department worked diligently to perfect an advanced sound and vibration management system to ensure the feel in the R11 irons would appeal to better players. The R11 irons’ extraordinary feel comes from the club’s combination of shape, construction and the incorporation of an aluminum sound badge in the cavity. Sandwiched between the stiff badge and the clubhead is a soft adhesive that absorbs sound and vibration, promoting a superbly soft feel. Golfers will appreciate how the feel of the R11 irons will make the rock-hard balls sold by the bucket at the average driving range feel and sound more like a soft tour ball.

“It isn’t easy to predict how an iron will sound and feel,” said Wahl. “In the case of the R11 we hit a grand slam, thanks to our advanced design capabilities.”

Set Makeup, Pricing and Availability
The R11 irons are offered in four shaft flexes – S, R, M, L. Ladies’ flex shafts will be offered in the 5-iron through pitching wedge, attack wedge and sand wedge.

The standard R11 set includes eight irons offered at a street price of $799 with steel shafts in the irons and $999 with graphite shafts in the irons. The steel offering will be the KBS 90, while the graphite offering will be the Motore 75 S, 65 R, 55 M, 50 L. Men’s irons are equipped with Tour Velvet grips, ladies with Winn grips). Availability begins at retail Thursday, September 1.

www.taylormadegolf.com

Miura Golf, the Japanese company known for its excellence in forging fine clubs, also has a reputation for the beauty of its creations. The tradition continues with the company’s latest forged iron.

Miura’s new LIMITED FORGED BLACK BLADE iron is a stunning version of the popular muscle back Miura Tournament Blade — but with the distinctive Miura Black finish. Company founder and club making expert Katsuhiro Miura and his sons, Yoshitaka and Shinei, and their staff took special care to create a no-glare, flat-black finish with a surface texture that’s pleasing to the touch. When golf club fans see these beauties, the effect is like coming around the corner and seeing your dream car parked at the curb. They can’t get that look out of their minds.

The LFBB finish is the same as on Miura’s Black Wedges. Like the wedges, these irons will show gradual, desirable wear with repeated use. But “wear” doesn’t mean “wear out.” Instead, it’s more like a breaking in, a personalization no different than the one that occurs with your favorite baseball glove or the skates you want in the games that matter.

This personalized settling-in of the finish will differ slightly for every player. But in general, the black finish will mature over time to a silvery gray, mostly on the center of the clubface and on the sole, starting at the leading edge. Time in the sun enters into it, as well as the turf the golfer usually encounters. In the end, the Limited Forged Black Blades will be distinctively Miura, and distinctively each golfer’s own – and always a joy to look at as well as play.

“This is one of the great things about being the kind of company we are — small and focused on careful, handcrafted work. So we can satisfy golfers’ appetites for clubs that are beautiful as well as functional,” said Adam Barr, president of Miura. “When Miura-san has ideas like this for something special and exciting, we can do it, and to a very high standard. Of course, by definition, there can’t be many of these sets available. But that just adds to the allure.”

The suggested retail price for the Limited Forged Black Blades will be US$275 per club. Available at your local Miura Golf Dealer.

Find out what golf clubs you favorite Nike Golf Athletes: Stephen Ames, Joseph Bramlett, Anthony Kim, Kevin Kisner, Carl Pettersson, and Jhonattan Vegas will have in the bag at the FedEx St. Jude Classic.

Stephen Ames

• Driver: Nike VR Pro 10.5-degrees (Apache Matrix Ozik)
• Fairway Wood: Nike VR Pro Prototype 3-wood/15-degree; Nike VR STR8-FIT 5-wood/19-degree
• Irons: Nike VR Pro Blades (3-PW)
• Wedges: Nike VR Pro 54-degree and Nike VR Pro 60-degree
• Putter: Nike Method Prototype
• Ball: Nike 20XI S

Joseph Bramlett

• Driver: Nike VR Tour 11.5-degree (UST Axivcore Green 75x)
• Fairway Woods: Nike SQ 3-wood/15-degree
• Hybrid: Nike VR Pro 18-degree
• Irons: Nike VR Pro Combo (3-PW)
• Wedges: Nike VR 54-degree and Nike VR 59-degree
• Ball: Nike ONE Tour D

Anthony Kim

• Driver: Nike VR Tour 8.5-degree (Matrix Proto)
• Fairway Wood: Nike VR Pro Prototype 3-wood/15-degree
• Hybrid: Nike VR Pro 18-degree
• Irons: Nike VR Pro Blade (4-PW); Nike VR Pro Combo (3)
• Wedges: Nike VR 54 and Nike VR Pro 60-degree
• Putter: Nike Method 001
• Ball: Nike 20XI S

Kevin Kisner

• Driver: Nike VR Pro 8.5-degree (Graphite Design DI 6x)
• Fairway Wood: Nike VR Pro Prototype 3-wood/15-degree
• Hybrid: Nike VR 18-degree
• Irons: Nike VR Pro Combo (3-PW)
• Wedges: Nike VR Pro 54-degree
• Ball: Nike 20XI X

Carl Pettersson

• Driver: Nike VR Pro 11.5-degree (Fubuki 50 X)
• Fairway Wood: Nike SQ Machspeed 5-wood/19-degree
• Hybrid: Nike VR Pro 24-degree
• Irons: Nike VR Pro Combo (5-PW)
• Wedges: Nike VR Pro 49-degree, 55-degree and 60-degree
• Ball: Nike 20XI X

Jhonattan Vegas

• Driver: Nike VR Tour 8.5-degree (Nunchuck GH2660 X)
• Fairway Wood: Nike VR Pro Prototype 3-wood/15-degree
• Irons: Nike VR Pro Blade (3-PW), VR Pro Combo (2)
• Wedges: Nike VR 53-degree and VR 59-degree
• Ball: Nike 20XI X

www.nikegolf.com

Are you a player? In honor of the PGA Tour’s unofficial fifth Major happening this week at TPC Sawgrass, COBRA is giving away a free set of custom S3 Pro irons. The S3 Pro irons represent tour-proven designs combined into one set for the true player out there.

All you have to do is visit www.cobragolf.com/2011-players-irons-giveaway and you’ll be entered to win a set of Cobra S3 Pro irons. Hurry! You only have until May15th, 2011 to win these irons.

www.cobragolf.com

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Hitting store shelves Febraury 18, 2011 are the new Callaway RAZR X line of irons, which includes the RAZR X, RAZR X Tour and RAZR X Forged irons. Callaway’s new RAZR platform of products represents the Company’s most premium technology offerings, and the RAZR X line has been designed to provide consistent distance and accuracy through the set for tighter shots, shorter putts and lower scores.

Watch this video of Callaway Golf’s Director of Product Design, Luke Williams talk about the each of the features of the RAZR X line of  irons from the 2011 PGA Merchandise Show.

www.callawaygolf.com

Last year TaylorMade introduced three new sets of Tour Preferred Forged Irons (CB, MC, and MB). Each set is designed for the varying levels of player ability: the Cavity Back (CB) for the mid-handicap golfer, the Muscle Cavity (MC) for the better player, and the Muscle Back (MB) for the scratch golfer.

Last month at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii, Dustin Johnson was spotted with Tour Preferred Forged MB irons in his bag. Watch this video of Mike Ferris, Global Vice President of Product Marketing talk about the technical features of the TaylorMade TP MB irons and the backstory on how they ended up in Dustin Johnson’s bag.

Special thanks to Mike Ferris and TaylorMade Golf!

www.taylormadegolf.com

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Padraig Harrington and Ricky Barnes both bag the Wilson FG Tour irons, because they offer great  trajectory control and powerful ball flight. The thin topline and square toe design of the head was influenced by Padraig’s feedback.

Watch this video of Wilson Staff’s Mary Nguyen talk about the features of the Wilson FG Tour and new FG 62 irons from the 2011 PGA Merchandise Show Outdoor Demo Day.

www.wilson.com

The new Wilson Staff Di11 iron is the fifth generation in a Di Iron franchise that has fueled Wilson’s market share growth in the super game-improvement iron category. As the tagline reads, “in a world of 1 to 10, this goes to 11.”  Once you hit it, you get it.

Watch this video of Mary Nguyen from Wilson Staff talk about all the technology used in the Wilson Di11 irons from the 2011 PGA Merchandise Show.

The Di11 irons feature technology borrowed from bridges for dampening on mishits and Half-&-Half shafts – half graphite and half steel, for the feel of graphite and precision of steel. Way cool!

Special Thanks to Wilson Staff and Mary Nguyen!

www.wilson.com

The Ping Anser Irons are the first forged design from Ping in over 40 years, which carry the same name of the earlier models Karsten Solheim developed.

In this video watch Ping’s Marty Jertson, Senior Design Engineer talk about the features of the new Anser Forged irons have and how they can benefit today’s golfer.

Special Thanks to Marty Jertson and Ping!

www.ping.com