The Timms Report

How was your overall experience at the
PGA Show?

It was really good. It’s really a time where we are able to check out new technologies and anything that would help us with fitting. Whether that be launch monitors, new shafts, clubs, what is new, hot or different.

What did you do at the show?

I got to spend a lot of time with people who are in R & D and people who are on the Tour to get some feedback about what is going on outside the basic retail industry. I saw quite a few new things that were pretty interesting.

What’s going to be hot off the tee in 2009?

Taylormade R9 Driver – Released on 3.6.09, the R9 is now a featured product at Cool Clubs and has already proven its prominence with a victory by PGA Tour player Pat Perez. The R9’s design is based upon Taylormade’s Flight Control Technology that permits golfers to alter the face angle and loft. Combined with Taylormade’s already established Movable Weight Technology, the R9’s adjustability swings 75 yards left to right and the head can be rotated around the shaft to appease an individual’s taste for an open or closed appearing design. All in all, the R9 allows 24 different variations of one club. “As your swing changes a little bit you can adjust the club,” Timms says. “You can work with it instead of getting a whole new driver.”

Cobra S9-1 Driver – Used by Geoff Ogilvy to secure the Mercedes Championship and Accenture Match Play Championship titles, the Cobra S9-1 boasts consumer familiarity by way of its traditional aesthetic form and spin variations. The S9-1 line includes three models: the Pro D (which offers high launch/low spin for accelerated club speeds), the Pro S (which affords workability for those with velocity on their side) and the Pro F (ideal for low-to-mid spin rates desiring a modest draw bias).

Adams Speed Line Driver – As the only driver in the 2009 line up to undergo aerodynamic testing in a wind tunnel, the Speed Line Driver from Adams entertains a speed-optimizing shape that promotes drag reduction. Its predecessor, the A4 is also enjoying stellar success at Cool Clubs.

Callaway FT-9 — “This driver has performed with consistently high ball speeds. Both the FT-9 and FT-iQ are available in Callaway’s I-Mix technology, which allows for quick interchangeability of heads and shafts.”

Taylormade Burner Irons - “They are super long distance wise, part of that is the technology in the face and part of it is that the lofts are strong,” Timms says. “The concept of building a set of irons based on different parameters for long, short and mid irons seems to make a lot of sense. It allows golfers to have short irons that are designed for more directional usage and as the clubs get longer, they get more forgiving and longer in distance.” The new Burner 09 Irons have been the most popular selling iron at Cool Clubs recently. According to Timms, every golfer that has hit the 6-iron in a fitting session was 10-20 yards longer.

Mizuno MX-700 Hybrids - “What really interested me was the hybrid that can be adjusted for loft and lie, which is really neat,” says Timms, who tested the club at the PGA Show. Although the hybrid series is not an ongoing product for Mizuno (it will be offered in limited quantities), the hybrid’s steel face and low center of gravity encourage a neutral bias versus a draw bias.

Fujikura New Motore F1 Line – This new line from Fujikura boasts availability of 55, 65 and 75 gram wood shafts and is sure to be a hit with its revolutionary H.I.T. (High Inertia Tip) Technology. The premise behind the F1’s ingenuity is a focus on harnessing pent up downswing energy and releasing it at just the right moment before impact. “They seem to be incredibly stable and probably ideal for players with a club head speed of 90 mph or more,” Timms says.

AD EV Shafts by Graphite Design - Presently the number one shaft in Japan, the Tour AD EV series (AD representing Accuracy and Distance) has been performing very well at Cool Clubs. Available in a variety of swing weights and flexes, the series operates on a mid-to-high launch scale with low spin characteristics in order to increase distance.

Accra – The Accra brand is no stranger to success on Tour and 2009 is expected to be no different. The DYMATCH system from Accra is the company’s aim at creating continuity and uniformity among shaft flexes for various clubs in the bag. The DYMATCH (Dynamically Matched) system eliminates the altering of a shaft’s integrity so that it yields the same results after being tipped and butt cut to the correct length. The system boasts three series of shafts that, from driver through hybrid, provide customized consistency across various lengths and weighting.

Aura by Graphite Design – These hybrid and iron shafts have been brought in to join the multitude of offerings at Cool Clubs. The price point is a step up from the stock manufacturers and allows golfers a custom selection at around $100 per shaft. The Aura series represents a price point not previously offered in the custom shaft arena.