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HOT LIST 2007: WOODS
1
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Gold (Editor's Choice)
- CALLAWAY BIG BERTHA
- Street Price: $200.
- Specs: 3-, 5-, 7-, 9-wood lofts.
- Key Technology: The stainless-steel, larger-than-average head is designed for stability. A long, low-profile face is intended to give the user confidence. A white line is painted along the top of the face to help players line up the club to the target.
- Panelist Comments: "It has become the standard others are mea"I really hit this well off the turf, which is hard to do with such a large club. It feels great and hits the ball high. I like the way the white line helps you get lined up. I could even draw the ball."
- Judges' Verdict: As usual, Callaway finds a way to neutralize a nontraditional look with great performance. This club has all the things we look for in an average-Joe fairway wood: high launch, slight draw bias, forgiveness, and it's not too expensive.
- Hot: The 200 cubic-centimeter 3-wood makes an excellent driving club.
- Not: Faster swingers will balloon it.
- A fairway wood that gives any newbie hope.
- callaway.com
2
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Gold
- ADAMS INSIGHT
- Street Price: $230
- Specs: Two versions (smaller BTY, larger BUL) in four lofts each.
- Key Technology: The clubhead has a lightweight titanium cup face/crown piece brazed to a steel sole and a back piece. The goal of this design is to lower the center of gravity, produce a hotter face (meaning the coefficient of restitution is near the USGA limit) and increase the moment of inertia.
- Panelist Comments: "It has a terrific shape to the head and a good 'click' at impact. It sounds more solid than most."
- Judges' Verdict: This technology colossus has versions to suit all players.
- Hot: Grafalloy ProLaunch Red shaft rocks in player's version.
- Not: Tough choice between the two.
- One-piece titanium face/crown is an engineering feat.
- adamsgolf.com
3
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Gold
- BOBBY JONES PLAYERS SERIES
- Street Price: $200.
- Specs: Four lofts (13, 15, 17, 19 degrees).
- Key Technology: The low-profile clubhead features a 0.3-millimeter maraging crown and a thin, Carpenter 465 steel face. This design allows 30 grams of weight to be placed at the back of the sole for a low, deep
- Panelist Comments: "One of the few fairway woods I can hit all the shots with. . . . The sound is wonderful, and the looks are elegant. . . . Off the tee, the shallow face still works fine; no need to worry about pop-ups."
- Judge's Verdict: This throwback look packs plenty of modern pop. It's a museum piece with attitude.
- Hot: Tri-level sole works from all lies, not surprising given the Jesse Ortiz pedigree.
- Not: Few shaft options.
- Old-school knit headcovers seal the deal.
- bobbyjonesgolf.net
4
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Gold
- CALLAWAY X
- Street Price: $200.
- Specs: Seven lofts (13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25 degrees).
- Key Technology: The X-shape sole provides two resting pads to keep the club from moving at address. A three-piece stainless-steel head has a low leading edge to improve playability.
- Panelist Comments: "This should be the standard. The shape is perfect; it sits down perfectly behind the ball, and it hits the ball perfectly from the ground. . . .The sound is fantastic."
- Judge's Verdict: It's a worthy holdover from 2005 and an instant classic. It serves all types of players.
- Hot: The 13-degree makes a mean backup driver, and the smaller Tour models add options.
- Not: In the age of hybrids, do we really need the 11-wood?
- Smaller Tour version hits BBs.
- callawaygolf.com
5
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Gold
- CLEVELAND HiBORE
- Street Price: $220.
- Specs: Four lofts (13, 15, 19, 22 degrees).
- KEY TECHNOLOGY: The stainless-steel head is designed with an inverted crown for an ultra-low CG, which leads to higher shots and increased distance. The club's low profile aligns the center of the ball with the center of the face.
- PANELIST COMMNETS: "A very forgiving club—every hit felt dead center. . . . You can dig the ball out of tough lies with it, which is rare for a 3-wood.
- JUDGE'S VERDICT: Tried in the driver first, the inverted crown turned out to be ideal for a fairway wood.
- Hot: The matte finish makes the scalloped look easier to swallow.
- Not: Said scalloped look takes some getting used to.
- Aldila, Grafalloy and UST upgrades at no extra charge.
- clevelandgolf.com
6
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GOLD
- PING G5
- Street Price: $220.
- Specs: Six lofts (13, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27 degrees).
- KEY TECHNOLOGY: A large, stainless-steel head with a CG that moves progressively back as the woods get shorter to create the ideal trajectory for each club. The weight-saving 455 stainless-steel face is plasma-welded to the body.
- PANELIST COMMENTS: "This is my favorite so far. I hit it straight and far. . . . It has a more user-friendly head shape on the golf course than its bigger brother."
- JUDGE'S VERDICT: The simple yet confidence-inspiring shape combined with a hot face are what make it great.
- Hot: The half-moon alignment aid works.
- Not: Why call the 11-wood an "L-wood"? It's confusing.
- A fairway wood with 5-iron loft could be a lifesaver.
- pinggolf.com
7
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GOLD
- TAYLORMADE r7 STEEL
- STREET PRICE: $230.
- SPECS: Five lofts (13, 15, 16.5, 18, 21 degrees).
- KEY TECHNOLOGY: A traditionally shaped yet shallow-face club featuring two weight screws—one two grams, one 14 grams—in the toe and heel that can be interchanged to create right-to-left or neutral ball flights.
- PANELIST COMMENTS: "It looks nice and traditional, and there's no bad feedback at impact. The dispersion was tighter with this club as well."
- JUDGE'S VERDICT: The versatility of the movable-weight technology is cool, but you don't have to have movable weights to make this a fine club.
- Hot: RE*AX shaft's tip stability is an important asset for better players.
- Not: RE*AX shaft's tip stability is an important asset for better players.
- TP version comes with two extra eight-gram screws.
- taylormadegolf.com
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