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EQUIPMENT
OB SPORTS GOLF & LEISURE
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SPRING 2018
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obsports.com
HEAVY
METALS
n the game'S tOp cluB makerS
unveil their gear fOr 2018
BY GreG Ball
N
early 40,000 golf industry pro-
fessionals strolled the aisles
uncovering the newest prod-
ucts, trends and technology from more
than 1,000 exhibiting companies and
brands at the 65th PGA Merchandise
Show, held in Florida January 23-25.
And if there's one thing we learned, it's
that equipment makers are indefatiga-
ble in their never-ending quest to push
the envelope with golf club technology.
With that, here's a look at some of lat-
est advancements from the biggest
names in the business, including Call-
away, TaylorMade, Cobra and Ping.
Scroll through the
slideshow to view >>
CALLAWAY GOES ROGUE
E
very golfer wants to hit the ball longer, and a signif-
icant factor in distance is how fast the ball comes
off the club face. Pete Avery, Director of Retail
Marketing for Callaway Golf, said everything the com-
pany has put into its newly launched product line is fo-
cused on improving ball speed.
"The new Rogue driver features what we call the 'Jail-
break' effect," Avery said. "We've enhanced our revolu-
tionary Jailbreak technology with new, hourglass-shaped
titanium bars, making them significantly lighter without
affecting their ability to minimize crown and sole deflec-
tion at impact. That allows for a thinner face and better
energy transfer to the ball, to promote faster ball speed.
Next, our enhanced X-Face architecture thickens and
thins strategic areas of the face to promote higher ball
speeds on off-center impacts and consistently high ball
speed and longer distance overall."
The Jailbreak technology is now available in Callaway's
fairway woods and hybrids for the first time.
Meanwhile, new Rogue irons' 360 Face Cup and VFT
technology with urethane microspheres minimize vibra-
tion while still allowing for a thin club face that maximizes
ball speed and distance.
