USA -- As summer and now fall continue to yield a variety of equipment introductions, Titleist and KZ Golf have must-consider iron sets to offer, Infiniti puts forth a well-regarded driver and TaylorMade augments its wedge lineup with a “groovy” tour-proven series.
For Titleist, the target for its new 735.CM irons, as with much of its equipment, is the more skilled player. For KZ Golf, its OC-1 game improvement irons are designed for the average to higher handicap player.
Infiniti, a Lombard, Ill.-based outfit that’s been in the golf business for 18 years, strikes an interesting chord with its Propulsion 460 Titanium Graphite Matrix driver. In testing among a range of golfers assembled by GolfWeb, it proved a genuine surprise. With few testers aware of the company and its equipment, reviews were highly positive about the club, which carries a suggested retail price of $279.
At TaylorMade, a new style of Y-cutter groove has been cut into five new rac Black TP wedges.
Here’s a closer look at these new products.
Titleist
The 735.CM irons represent the first “blended” set produced by Titleist, and they are being offered in two different alloys representing varied playing characteristics: forged 410 stainless steel and chrome-plated forged 1025 mild carbon steel.
The forged 410 stainless steel finish provides a soft, solid feel with a rich, non-glare satin finish, along with a wider range of custom options. Forged 1025 mild carbon steel, the top choice of Titleist’s large array of TOUR players, is solid and especially soft with a traditional bright chrome finish.
All the 735.CM irons feature a fluid transition from cavityback long irons to muscleback short irons. Progressive blade heights, lengths, offset, topline, center of gravity and moment of inertia (stability) are matched to each iron in the set.
“We’ve combined the best features from all our forged irons, from the cavitybacks through the musclebacks, and blended them together,” said Chris McGinley, Titleist vp of golf club marketing.
The Nos. 2, 3 and 4 long irons, with deeper cavities, are geared for a high, penetrating ball flight; the shallow cavity 5, 6, 7 midirons combine playability with launch and distance; the muscleback short irons 8-9-PW promise precise trajectory, spin and shot control.
GolfWeb testers enthusiastically endorsed the Titleist 735.CM irons for their solid feel, trajectory, length and control.
Verifying that the 735.CM irons are meant for skilled players, GolfWeb testers enthusiastically endorsed the clubs for their solid feel, trajectory, length and control.
The irons carry a suggested retail price of $112 each for the forged stainless finish with steel shafts and $129 with graphite. List price for the chrome model is $120 per iron with steel shaft and $137 with graphite.
TaylorMade
GolfWeb testers of all skill levels raved about TaylorMade’s new rac Black TP wedges. Five lofts are available, with various bounce angles: 52, 54, 56, 58 and 60 degrees.
The wedges feature the same distinctive dark finish as the original rac Black series, along with the same classic, teardrop shape. Improvements, however, focus on the grooves, sole and Feel Pockets.
The rac Black TP wedges are engineered with Y-cutter grooves, featuring sharper edges and a wider, deeper design. The sharper grooves are meant to grab and control the ball more effectively without damaging the cover.
The sole of the wedges are ground low on the trailing edge, especially at the toe and heel. The design allows players to open the clubface around the green for high, soft chip shots and pitches. Also, the leading edge is radiused, enhancing low, controlled shots without digging.
Feel Pockets in the rear are larger than previous rac offerings, geared to improve feel at impact.
In testing, GolfWeb players praised the racBlack TP wedges for a crisp, consistent feel, workable trajectories for a variety of distances and shot-stopping characteristics.
“As part of TaylorMade’s TP line, which stands for Tour Preferred, consumers can be confident that the rac Black TP they buy is the same wedge played on tour,” said Bret Wahl, director of irons and wedges.
Having just begun shipping a few weeks ago, suggested retail price is $150 each.
Infiniti
The Propulsion 460 Titanium Graphite Matrix driver marks Infiniti’s entry into the multimaterial clubhead category. Made with a thin beta titanium face and lightweight graphite crown, 25 grams have been strategically repositioned to enhance launch and distance. Further, an internal weight device helps square the 460cc club for impact.
“The lightweight, high-strength graphite composite on the crown, which allows more weight to be placed on the sole, helps get the ball airborne easier,” said Infiniti Golf president Eric Yeh.
Four lofts are offered for the standard driver: 9, 10.5, Power Launch 12.5 and High Launch 14 degrees. An Offset driver, for those with slicing problems, comes in a loft of 10.5 degrees with a four-degree closed face.
One of the surprises of the year for GolfWeb testers, reviewers praised Infiniti’s Propulsion 460 driver for its lightness, ease of swing, solid feel at impact, trajectory and distance achieved. It was also cited favorably for its value vs. performance, with a suggested retail price of $279.
KZ Golf
The new OC-1 irons, which stand for oversize cast, join KZ Golf’s existing OCx-1 model, bringing the company’s irons lineup to five cast and six forged sets.
The OC-1s are larger but lighter and, although various shafts are available, are especially well suited to steel shafts. The new game improvement line is targeted at average golfers seeking a cavityback set with a large sweet spot at impact, maximum perimeter weighting and a generous, progressive offset.
“We use our own proprietary stainless steel alloy in all our [head] castings,” said KZG president Jennifer King. “It’s heat-treated to make it softer so … unlike most castings, the clubs can be adjusted on a loft and lie machine with ease.”
The standard set of Nos. 3-PW also has matching approach and sand wedges. Suggested retail price per set is $479 with steel shafts, $579 with graphite.
