TaylorMade Golf, the No. 1 fairway wood brand on the European Tour (Sports Marketing Surveys brand count statistics), has unveiled two new fairway woods, the r7 Steel and r7 Ti, both of which incorporate TaylorMade’s renowned Movable Weight Technology (MWT). The r7 Steel, made of 455 steel, is more traditionally shaped while the r7 Ti, made of titanium, features greater clubhead volume for greater forgiveness.
Key features of the r7 Steel fairway woods include:
- Two TaylorMade Launch Control (TLC) ports
- 16 grams of movable weight consisting of a 2-gram TLC cartridge and 14-gram TLC cartridge
- High-strength steel composition
Same traditional shape as the tour-proven r7 TP and V Steel
Relatively shallow face helps make the r7 Steel exceptionally easy to launch - Perimeter-positioned TLC ports increase MOI, promoting greater stability on mis-hits
- Swing-weight plug permanently positioned in the back of the clubhead, which
moves weight from the front of the clubhead to the back to enhance CG position; and
allows TaylorMade engineers to quickly and easily adjust the club’s swing weight during production - Choice of TaylorMade RE*AX 70 graphite shaft with a slightly stiff tip to promote a medium-height trajectory that combines an optimal combination of control and distance (X, S, R, M, L flexes); or True Temper Dynamic Gold Lite steel shaft (X, S, and R flexes)
The r7 Steel was created for players who want MWT in a more compact and traditionally shaped fairway wood. TaylorMade’s MWT gives r7 Steel users the power to promote either a neutral ball flight or a right-to-left ball flight, depending upon how the TLC cartridges are configured. (Positioning the 2-gram TLC cartridge in the heel TLC port and the 14-gram TLC cartridge in the toe TLC ports promotes a neutral bias; switching the cartridge positions promotes a right-to-left bias.) TaylorMade testing indicates that the r7 Steel’s MWT promotes shot-shape movement of up to 15 yards.
The r7 Steel will be available in Tour Spoon 3-wood (13°), 3-wood (15°), 4-wood (16.5°), 5-wood (18°) and 7-wood (21°). Retail availability will begin in April 2006 at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of £169 per club with graphite shaft, £149 per club with steel shaft. (The TLC wrench, necessary for removing and installing TLC cartridges, is sold separately and can be purchased at a TaylorMade retailer.)
Key features of the r7 Ti fairway woods include:
- Two TLC ports
- 16 grams of movable weight consisting of a 2-gram TLC cartridge and 14-gram TLC cartridge
- Titanium composition
- Pull-Face construction in which the head and face are created separately
- Cold-rolled titanium clubface that’s exceptionally thin, flexible and fast to promote greater ball speed and distance
- 15% larger clubhead volume than the r7 Steel – the r7 Ti 3-wood measures 179 cc compared to the r7 Steel 3-wood at 155 cc
- Low and deep-back CG combines with a large clubface area to make the r7 Ti extremely easy to launch high and long
- Perimeter-positioned TLC ports increase MOI, promoting greater stability on mis-hits
- Swing-weight plug permanently positioned in the back of the clubhead, which 1) moves weight from the front of the clubhead to the back to enhance CG position; and 2) allows TaylorMade engineers to quickly and easily adjust the club’s swing weight during production.
- TaylorMade RE*AX 60 graphite shaft with a soft tip that encourages a higher launch angle for high flight and long carry to promote increased distance (X, S, R, M and L flexes). The r7 Ti is not offered in a steel shaft.
The r7 Ti was created for players who want MWT in a larger, more forgiving clubhead that’s exceptionally easy to launch. MWT gives r7 Ti users the power to promote either a neutral ball flight or a right-to-left ball flight, depending upon how the TLC cartridges are configured. (Positioning the 2-gram TLC cartridge in the heel TLC port and the 14-gram TLC cartridge in the toe TLC ports promotes a neutral bias; switching the cartridge positions promotes a right-to-left bias.) TaylorMade testing indicates that the r7 Ti’s MWT promotes shot-shape movement of up to 15 yards.
The r7 Ti will be available in 3-wood (15°), 5-wood (18°) and 7-wood (21°). Retail availability will begin in April 2006 at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of £229 per club. (The TLC wrench, necessary for removing and installing TLC cartridges, is sold separately and can be purchased at a TaylorMade retailer.)
“The r7 TP is engineered with a smaller head and a higher CG, features typically favoured by skilled players like tour pros,” said Todd Beach, TaylorMade’s director of metal wood development. “We wanted to make Movable Weight Technology available in fairway woods that are easier to hit, which is why we created the r7 Steel and r7 Ti. The r7 Steel is similar in size to the r7 TP but features a precision-positioned CG and shallower clubface that combine to make it easier to launch on a high, long-carrying ball flight. Likewise the r7 Ti also features a low and deep CG that makes it easy to launch high and long, plus its larger size adds forgiveness, making it even easier to hit than the r7 Steel. Now there’s a model of r7 fairway wood for every type of player that wants to take advantage of the distance and accuracy made possible by TaylorMade’s Movable Weight Technology.”
TaylorMade-adidas Golf at www.tmag.com