How many materials do you need to make an iron? It sounds like an old joke, but, of course, the answer is about as simple as, How many colors do you need to paint a sunset? Quite simply, you need the right ones.
"You're always looking to push the boundaries, trying to make incremental improvements," says Scott Rice, director of research and development at COBRA. "Using different materials allows you to pursue all the performance objectives. If you use just one material, you're going to give up something that you don't have to by using the additional materials."
Working with different materials, however, can be problematic. For example, maybe a designer wants to save weight by using a thinner metal in the face than typical 17-4 stainless steel. Then he has to figure out how to join those materials. Or maybe the thinner face negatively affects feel and sound, so then certain softer inserts are needed to improve overall performance.
"Theoretically you'd want a big, empty space in the cavity to maximize forgiveness," says Clay Long, whose latest NICKLAUS iron uses stainless steel and a large urethane insert in the cavity. "But it might not feel as good, so you use multiple materials to make it sound and look better."
Still, the use of new materials, particularly in the face, can show measurable benefits.
"There's certainly going to be a discretionary weight benefit," says Bret Wahl, TAYLORMADE's director of iron development. "But if you can increase the unsupported face area, you're increasing the diameter of your trampoline. That means you're going to see an increase in ball speed, and it's going to give you an increase in launch angle."
