Philly Mick using an RBZ 3 wood.

[TheNuclearOne]

You go boy!



About two weeks ago, Phil said that the HSBC at Mission Hills isn't a course where he can hit driver at all. He doubted he would hit driver on any of the holes. He wanted to play a high COR fairway wood there because he wanted a club that went farther than his current 3 wood but not as far as his driver. He knows we have one coming and he asked to play one of our prototypes. Unfortunately we are not ready to launch this product yet and didn't have the right lofts in left-handed for him. Our primary interest is supporting our players at all times so we told him to play whatever he wanted until he thinks we have the best possible product for him which we believe we will have imminently. This is pretty much standard operating procedure for us. Not well known to many is that Phil has one of the most flexible equipment contracts of any top player and has played other equipment from time to time during his relationship with us, and is well within his right to do so.

That, gentlemen, in Phil's hands, is a modified RBZ 13 degree, bent to 11.5, "driving 3-wood." Phil painted her up matte black because he thought that looked cool, put in a lighter shaft than normal so he could actually launch it in the air, and put a crap load of lead tape on the bottom of it to move the CG location so it could actually get up in the air. Result? He has a mini driver that's good for 290 off the tee, right between his current 280 3 wood gamer and his 305 driver.

[Captain Nemo]

Care factor....0

[Jarro]

Double popped collar cool :)

[TheNuclearOne]

Double popped collar cool :)

Hahaha!

[Johnny Canuck]

Pretty cool to see the options they have.

Too bad fit can't modify like that.

[sms316]

I am impress that someone gives a ****.

[TheNuclearOne]

Pretty cool to see the options they have.

Too bad fit can't modify like that.

The genuine tour issues have a little longer neck to help such a process too. It's unreal what they can do, and how swiftly they can do it in them vans. I wonder if TM modified or Cally, you'd think TM as they have the clamps and moulds.

[TheNuclearOne]

I am impress that someone gives a ****.

Would you rather me start a garlic prawn, or curried crab meat pie thread?

I imagine that would not be disappoint!

:D

[Dotty]

Thanks TNO, I found it interesting, esp. after looking into Cobra Long Tom 2 wood as a driver. (250cc titanium 12.5*)

[sms316]

Would you rather me start a garlic prawn, or curried crab meat pie thread?I imagine that would not be disappoint!:D Start a naked selfies thread. The mods have approved it.

[TheNuclearOne]

Start a naked selfies thread. The mods have approved it.

No worries, i'll start the thread and allow you the privelege of posting the very first pic, since it's your watershed idea.

[TheNuclearOne]

Thanks TNO, I found it interesting, esp. after looking into Cobra Long Tom 2 wood as a driver. (250cc titanium 12.5*)

Cheers Dotty. In my meanderings i've come across a bit of Cally info and will post in here tonight. Hopefully the disinterested will have moved on by then :D

[razaar]

So all that tape on the bottom of the head wasn't disguise or to hide the club model etc, but lead tape. Starts to make sense now.

[TheNuclearOne]

So all that tape on the bottom of the head wasn't disguise or to hide the club model etc, but lead tape. Starts to make sense now.

There's some (or should i say was) disguise going on too, but yes it was functional.

[Ferrins]

Just shows what you can be getting when you buy a tour issue throw away.

[TheNuclearOne]

So all that tape on the bottom of the head wasn't disguise or to hide the club model etc, but lead tape. Starts to make sense now.

http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/5576/philmickelsonhsbcchampi.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/585/philmickelsonhsbcchampi.jpg/)

[Jarro]

He's bombing it out there today as well ..... further than Westwoods driver !!!

[TheNuclearOne]

He's bombing it out there today as well ..... further than Westwoods driver !!!

Who's to say at this point he won't keep it in the bag for other courses.

[GSP]

I wish he never hit driver

[Jarro]

One drive with it today measured 327 yards.

20 yards past Westwoods driver.

[TheNuclearOne]

One drive with it today measured 327 yards.

20 yards past Westwoods driver.

Can't wait for the next incarnation at .830 COR :D

[RobNewy]

Seriously, that was the best final round of golf I have seen for ages

[Lajosiputters]

http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/5576/philmickelsonhsbcchampi.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/585/philmickelsonhsbcchampi.jpg/)
Awesome pic- watched him hit it 320 odd yrds today and remembered your thread- I didn't think Callaway would allow him to use it, but with one in the bag- I can understand how the temptation would be to hard to resist, especially with the distance he can get with a "real" swing.

[TheTrueReview]

Interesting TNO. :)

[TheNuclearOne]

Interesting TNO. :)

;)

The tour didn't let me down again the weekend, close to my favourite club in the bag now.

[TheNuclearOne]

Awesome pic- watched him hit it 320 odd yrds today and remembered your thread- I didn't think Callaway would allow him to use it, but with one in the bag- I can understand how the temptation would be to hard to resist, especially with the distance he can get with a "real" swing.

I was astounded Callaway came out and admitted he was using it, even giving out the exact specs.

They've given up some rather interesting tidbits regarding their own upcoming release too.

[TheTrueReview]

I was astounded Callaway came out and admitted he was using it, even giving out the exact specs.

Yep, agree. Also given that he seems to have special prototype clubs made for him by Callaway over the times. Callaway must've waived the white flag on this one.

[TheNuclearOne]

Yep, agree. Also given that he seems to have special prototype clubs made for him by Callaway over the times. Callaway must've waived the white flag on this one.

They were behind schedule/the times so couldn't provide him with a (potentially) viable alternative.

It's unbelievable, Tour Edge has been belting out super high COR fairway wood after fairway wood for more than 7 years but now a huge player (TM) has come out with one and is marketing it as such the race is on. Callaway won't be the only one lauding an upcoming max COR fairway in the near future i bet.

[razaar]

I don't understand how COR is achieve able in fairway clubs. The loft and the surface area of the clubface would be a major obstacle to face flex.

[Yossarian]

Cool thread TNO, much more interesting than Scotty Cameron jabber.

[TheNuclearOne]

I don't understand how COR is achieve able in fairway clubs. The loft and the surface area of the clubface would be a major obstacle to face flex.

It certainly makes them work harder Ray. TEE achieved it thru the use of cup face tech initially (as well as said face being titanium)

Wishon actually hit it way back in 2004 with the 515GRT "by combining a forged cup-face construction with a vertically flat zero roll face using a high strength steel alloy from Carpenter Steel called Tour Alloy 275 to forge the face." Not only did he hit it but "the 515 #3-wood had a measured COR of 0.843 with the 5-wood prototype being at 0.836 – both actually higher than the USGA limit! The faces of the 3- and 5-wood had to both be thickened slightly for the production of the heads to get their COR back down to the conforming limit."

He then one upped himself, hitting it in a shallow face "Wishon used a totally new even higher strength steel alloy than had been used to make the 515GRT woods to enable the 949MC faces to be made thinner but still be durable enough to withstand a clubhead speed up to 125mph without failing. With their 32mm face height"

I gamed a 949mc 16.5* for ages, it was awesome.

Adams knocked it up with the slots and titanium, and TM is very close in plain steel with the slot. Cally will likely use a cup face with their multi materials.

[TheNuclearOne]

Cool thread TNO, much more interesting than Scotty Cameron jabber.

Thanks Yoss, i could not agree more!

[timah!]

Not nearly as interesting as a WAnker Adams love in though.

[Puji]

Good read. Interesting thread.

These are definitely hot 3woods.

[razaar]

It certainly makes them work harder Ray. TEE achieved it thru the use of cup face tech initially (as well as said face being titanium)

Wishon actually hit it way back in 2004 with the 515GRT "by combining a forged cup-face construction with a vertically flat zero roll face using a high strength steel alloy from Carpenter Steel called Tour Alloy 275 to forge the face." Not only did he hit it but "the 515 #3-wood had a measured COR of 0.843 with the 5-wood prototype being at 0.836 – both actually higher than the USGA limit! The faces of the 3- and 5-wood had to both be thickened slightly for the production of the heads to get their COR back down to the conforming limit."

He then one upped himself, hitting it in a shallow face "Wishon used a totally new even higher strength steel alloy than had been used to make the 515GRT woods to enable the 949MC faces to be made thinner but still be durable enough to withstand a clubhead speed up to 125mph without failing. With their 32mm face height"

I gamed a 949mc 16.5* for ages, it was awesome.

Adams knocked it up with the slots and titanium, and TM is very close in plain steel with the slot. Cally will likely use a cup face with their multi materials.
Carpenter steel or maraging steel has been in golf heads since 2001 (that I know of). It was introduced in Golf clubs by KZG, a company that specialises in making special alloys for industry. KZG may have been the first to use it in golf heads. I read somewhere that they sold rights to other club makers. Michelson used KZG equipment between equipment contracts and prior to signing with Titleist. For those interested Wiki provides a description of maraging steel. Gail from KZG gave me a run down about the Company's history in 2002 when I contacted them about who their Australian distributor.

Orlimar and Sonartec were also using maraging steel in their wood heads very early in the piece.

[TheNuclearOne]

For sure, but Wishon was the first who used it to chase and achieve hit max COR. The steel he used had a higher yield strength than the previous 455 and 465 alloys.

KZG made some nice gear when i looked at them many years ago, some real goers.

[Goldy]

A little OT, but in regard to the KZG stuff in Melbourne...Rob Grant at Pro Tuned Golf in Ashwood is the distributor down here.

[TheNuclearOne]

A little OT, but in regard to the KZG stuff in Melbourne...Rob Grant at Pro Tuned Golf in Ashwood is the distributor down here.

Good stuff. I'm sure they'd still be making fine gear.