| by: Bob Lemon - 3/20/2004 7:26:14 AM |
Mother Nature might not be quite convinced yet, but the golf season is
fast approaching in the Chicago area. Based on the opinons of some of
the experts at the 2004 Chicago Golf Show, golfers of all abilities
would be well-served to customize the make up of their set of irons as
they get ready for the season to begin.
The Chicago Golf Show, held March 19-21 at the Donald E. Stephens
Convention Center in Rosemont, afforded golfers an opportunity to get a
first-hand look at some of the available options.
Although specialized tools like lofted fairway woods and hybrid clubs
have been around for more than 10 years, it is only recently that
golfers from a wide range of abilities have begun to warm up to the idea
of replacing some of their long irons.
"In the last two years, hybrids have really taken off," explained PGA
Master Professional John Green. "It used to be an ego thing, but now
everybody sees the (PGA) Tour players using them and they start to think
'Hey, this isn't so bad.'"
Professionals and low handicap amateurs weren't necessarily the original
target market for lofted fairway woods and hybrid clubs, but those
players eventually welcomed the higher launch conditions that come with
the technology behind these clubs.
Lofted fairway woods were the first to gain acceptance on the
professional tours. They are now the norm rather than the exception in
LPGA tournaments, and it's not uncommon to see them in use in both
Champions Tour and PGA Tour events on a given weekend.
Hybrid clubs have seen the same type of growth in popularity among top
level players from the professional and amateurs ranks.
"Ping developed its G2 irons for mid- and high-handicap players," said
Green. "But they were surprised to find out how many low handicap
players were using the club."
"Those players were hitting their long irons with a flat trajectory and
it was harder to make the ball stay on the green," he said. "With a
7-wood or a hybrid iron, when you hit the ball into the green, it stays
there."
In addtion to Ping, companies such as Adams, Nike, TaylorMade, Tour
Edge, Vulcan and Wilson have come out with combination sets of irons
made up of both hybrid clubs and traditional irons during the past year.
"The vast majority of people would benefit by going to that type of set
make up," explained Bob Okita, Managing Partner of the golf shop at Golf
Center Des Plaines. "The way balls are designed today and the way
courses are designed today, a higher ball flight is a huge advantage."
Tour Edge and Vulcan have gone one step further by offering entire sets
made up of hybrids.
"Before hybrids were known as clubs that would help get the ball up in
the air and take the place of long irons," said Ross Vehring,
Manufacturer's Representative for Tour Edge, which released its JMAX
Bazooka Iron-Wood set last November. "But now we're coming out with a
whole set. For example, the 5-iron will be the same length and have the
same loft as a regular 5-iron, but it will hit the ball 20 feet higher."
Whether an individual golfer's game is best suited for a complete set of
hybrid irons, a combination set that includes just a couple of hybrids
or a set where a lofted fairway wood or hybrid has replaced the longest
iron, the consensus is that almost every golfer would benefit from the
higher launch angle, especially when the game presents its toughest
tests.
"A lot of people don't want to pull a 3-iron out of their bag to hit a
220-yard shot over water," said Chris Groszek, Territory Manager for
Mizuno.
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