August 2018

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When Srixon Golf released the Z65 product range during the latter part of 2016 golf consumers witnessed something special. The metalwood line-up met rave reviews. Meanwhile, the irons were without a doubt the prettiest, sexiest and performance packed irons that I had the pleasure to make swings with at the 2017 PGA Merchandise Show. In my opinion, the iron range felt as great as any of the ultra-premium JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) brands available (Miura, Vega etc). So how does a company like Srixon Golf follow up a line-up like that?

Please allow me to introduce the new Z Series for 2018. With the latest iteration of the “Z” product range the Z85 line-up boasts more distance. Through innovations like stronger titanium and a cup face construction. Srixon Golf staffers like Keegan Bradley have stated that this driver is longer, faster and better. The metalwoods are designed with more forgiveness in mind. To achieve this Srixon Golf R&D moved the weight out towards the perimeter more.

Meanwhile, when looking at the irons Srixon Golf designed the new Z 85 irons (Z 585 and Z 785 respectively) off of the heralded success of the Z 65 iron range. Srixon Golf touts the Z 785 as their best feeling forged iron ever. Furthermore, Srixon Golf improved their “V.T Sole” for better turf interaction. The Z 585 are formed in a similar way however Srixon has added a speed groove for improved distance control.

For more information please refer to the press release below as shared by Noelle Zavaleta. Ms. Zavaleta is the Marketing Communications Specialist for Srixon Golf. Stay tuned!!!

 

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — Aug. 27, 2018 — Srixon®, a global leader in golf equipment and innovation, announces the launch of the new Z Series, tour-proven woods and irons crafted for the best players in the world. Srixon’s 2018 Z Series officially launches in North America on September 14, 2018.

2018 Z Series Woods & Irons[3661]

Z Series Woods

The new Z Series Woods present a revolution in woods performance, delivering the most powerful suite of offerings from Srixon. The full line of Z Series Woods feature advanced materials to help amplify your long game.

 

“The new Z Series Woods are pretty easy to explain: they’re long,” said Marketing Director Brian Schielke. “Longer than our past woods, and longer than the competition. Our stronger, faster titanium, combined with cup face construction is totally unique, totally different from everything out there, and it really shows up both on a launch monitor and on the course.”

The Z Series Drivers will boost your speed and distance off the tee with the Ti51AF Cup Face. This cup face is the thinnest, lightest, strongest, and hottest driver face Srixon has ever produced.

“This driver’s faster. This driver’s longer. This driver’s better,” said Keegan Bradley. “It’s really coming off hot and straight. It’s very forgiving and the sweet spot is really big.”

Featuring a lightweight carbon crown, Z Series Woods shift the weight to the perimeter, offering more forgiveness and less offline dispersion.

2018 Z Series Drivers[3663]

The Z 785 Driver promotes a low-spin, penetrating trajectory in a tour preferred look and profile; meanwhile, the Z 585 Driver promotes higher, straighter drives with additional forgiveness on off-center strikes.

 

The same powerful technologies that deliver more speed, distance and forgiveness are present in the Z F85 Fairway Woods and Z H85 Hybrids.

 

Key Innovations Inside Z Series Woods:

 

  • Ti51AF Cup Face – Stronger, lighter and faster. The new Ti51AF Cup Face produces exceptional ball speed for greater distance.
  • Lightweight Carbon Crown – The lightweight carbon crown moves mass to the perimeter for more forgiving and accurate drives.
  • Quick Tune System – Effortlessly adjust swing weights in both drivers, while the Z 785 Driver allows for additional adjustments to loft, lie and face angle with the Quick Tune System.
  • Premium Shafts – The Handcrafted Project X HZRDUS shaft is a top-performing tour shaft and is the stock offering in the Z 785 Driver.

“A big key for me is accuracy,” said Graeme McDowell. “I love the bulge and roll look to this head, and I really feel like I can hit a lot of fairways with it. It’s just a beautiful looking driver that’s got a nice high launch and looks like the ball wants to topple over and get max distance.”

 

The Z Series Woods officially launch in North America on September 14, 2018, at a MAP of $499.99 for the Z 785 Driver, $399.99 for the Z 585 Driver, $249.99 for the Z F85 Fairway Woods and $229.99 for the Z H85 Hybrids.

 

Z Series Irons

2018 Z Series Irons[3662]

 

Building upon the success of our previous generation, the new Z Series Irons offer tour-validated designs with a soft forged feel. Cutting-edge technologies that help enhance distance, workability and feel, the new Z Series Irons are built to perform.

 

“The Z 785 and Z 585 Irons are yet another step forward for Srixon as we continue to produce some of the highest-performing irons designed for better players,” said Jeff Brunski, Vice President of Research and Development.

 

The Z 785 Irons feature a tour cavity, providing additional mass behind the impact location for increased shot-shaping ability and versatility. The Z 585 Irons feature an added speed groove, which allows for more face-flex, enhancing ball speed and distance.

 

Both irons offer an updated Tour V.T. Sole for smoother turf interaction and more consistent ball striking, while the forged construction from the soft 1020 carbon steel provides a better feel through impact.

 

“The forged carbon steel Z 785 muscle-backs are the best feeling irons we’ve ever made, featuring best-in-class turf interaction from the Tour V.T. Sole, and enhanced control from deeper, sharper grooves,” said Brunski.

 

“Meanwhile, the Z 585s are similarly forged; though feature a high-strength steel face for more ball speed – now with an added speed groove for even more consistent distance control. Outstanding feel, control and distance from two lines which can be seamlessly blended together into a mixed set.”

 

Building on the most recent success of the Z U65 Utility Iron, the new Z U85 Utility Iron features a hollow, forged construction for a high-launch trajectory, soft feel, and unmatched distance. The utility irons offer an iron-like address profile making them perfect to create the ideal combo set with the Z 785 or Z 585 Irons depending on player preference.

 

“We already know that Srixon has one of the best forged irons on the market,” McDowell said. “The stats say that. Tour players choose it, even when they don’t have to. It sits great behind the ball and has that nice, soft buttery feel off the face.”

 

Key Innovations Inside Z Series Irons:

  • Forged Construction – Forged from soft 1020 carbon steel, Srixon’s Z Series Irons offer a better feel and less vibration through impact.
  • Tour V.T. Sole – Provides more consistent ball striking with smoother turf interaction.
  • Speed Groove – A new internal channel on the SUP10 face insert within the Z 585 Irons allows for more face-flex, enhancing ball speed and distance.
  • Tour Cavity – Available solely in the Z 785 Irons, extra mass behind your impact location allows for powerful shot shaping with increased versatility.

“When I’m putting the club behind the ball I have to be full of confidence and this club looks unbelievable,” said Russell Knox. “The new Srixon Z 785 Iron is exactly how I want an iron to look. It’s very easy to hit, and I know I’m going to hit a very good shot even before I hit it. The sweet spot’s massive.”

 

The Srixon Z Series Irons officially launch in North America on September 14, 2018, at a MAP of $999.99 for 7-piece steel ($1,199.99 for 7-piece graphite) for the Z 585 and Z 785 Irons, while the U85 Utility Iron MAP at a price of $199.99.

Until The Next Tee!!

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Before I get rolling with this review I need to give special thanks at this time. Thanks go out to SVP of Marketing and Communications for Callaway Golf Harry Arnett. Without Mr. Arnett’s assistance and generous offer to send out a Rogue Sub Zero driver for me to try this review would never have happened. Harry… from the bottom of my heart thank-you for this opportunity.

The following review is a little different from others in the past. While there will be the usual information regarding specifications and technical data my reasoning for really wanting to do this particular testing was to do a straight up comparison. Not a comparison of Callaway Golf’s latest state-of-the-art driver (Rogue) vs one of their competitors. This head-to-head comparison was against one of their own. As some of you may recollect I simply stated in 2017 that the Callaway Golf GBB Epic Sub Zero was as close to perfection in a driver as any that I’ve come across. Also, the Epic Sub Zero was the “Top Driver” (for me) at the 2017 PGA Merchandise Show (Epic Review).

When Callaway Golf released the Rogue the first thing that came to my mind was “How do they improve on what the Epic brought to the table?”. In case you weren’t aware in 2017 Callaway Golf introduced Jailbreak Technology”. What is it? To improve the integrity of the clubface, Callaway Golf R&D implemented the use of two titanium rods to connect the sole and the crown. The result of this technology allowed the face to take on “more impact load” thus improving on ball speeds equating to more length. Technology that seemingly worked based on the results that I observed first hand in 2017. Combining this technology with a carbon composite crown and premium shaft offerings like the Project X HZRDUS T800 made the GBB Epic Sub Zero a very formidable driver.

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Rogue comes in three models (Standard, Sub Zero and Draw) and each offers the same Jailbreak Technology seen initially in 2017. The Callaway Golf R&D team didn’t stop there however. The Rogue is offered in a “larger, more forgiving head shape”. How did the team at Callaway achieve this? The new chassis of the Rogue was built with higher MOI characteristics in mind meaning that forgiveness would not be sacrificed for distance. Rogue features Callaway Golf’s largest ever crown surface area ever which is constructed out of a Triaxial Carbon Fiber. In case you weren’t aware, the use of triaxial reinforcement fabrics optimizes a high strength-to-weight ratio.

Who remembers when Callaway Golf partnered with aerospace giant Boeing? When Callaway Golf released their XR 16 driver the company merged with Boeing to work on a aerodynamics package that would offer golfers more speed. The partnership has re-emerged in 2018 with the Rogue line-up. The purpose? To re-engineer and improve Callaway’s patented “Speed Step Technology”. The leading edge of the Rogue was redefined to improve airflow with the intentions of further aiding golfers to fly their golf balls faster and longer through added clubhead speed. Now that I’ve given a little bit of background information on the Rogue driver line-up as a whole the time has come to talk a little bit more about the subject of this review. The Rogue Sub Zero.

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The Rogue Sub Zero is offered in both left and right-handed models. Two standard loft options are available with the standard loft being either a 9* or 10.5* head. While there are plenty of custom shafts to choose from the stock options are premium and by no means slouches in any way shape or form. Project X is featured here with both a 65 gram and 75 gram Even Flow shaft being offered. Also offered is the impressive Project X HZRDUS Yellow 75 shaft. The shaft is paired with a Golf Pride New Decade grip. If you like or need adjustability there are plenty of ways for golfers to optimize their performance. If needed, golfers can adjust their face angle (Draw or Fade) or loft (- 1* or +2*). Furthermore, with the Rogue Sub Zero golfers have the option of changing the two interchangeable weights found in the sole of the driver. The weights (14-grams and 2-grams respectively) allows golfers to either achieve less spin (place the 14-gram weight in the front) or to gain added forgiveness by having the heavier weight in the rear whilst also aiding in achieving optimal launch conditions.

For the purposes of this review and testing I opted to match the Rogue Sub Zero as close as possible to the GBB Epic Sub Zero which blew my socks off in 2017. How did I do this? I went with a head that was identical in loft and with a shaft that was as close to possible as what  used at Demo Day. So the Rogue Sub Zero that I had built was one that featured a 9* head and the Project X HZRDUS Yellow 75 shaft in a stiff flex. My testing process would involve several range sessions and plenty of on-course time. Could the Rogue Sub Zero live up to the role of filling the shoes left behind by the GBB Epic Sub Zero. The testing process has involved a bevy of conditions from wet, soggy fairways to fairways that offered plenty of roll. From seasonal air temps lacking humidity to days that were quite honestly oppressive (well over 100*F).

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When it came time for the unboxing I was like a kid on his or her birthday. I was out walking the dog and saw a UPS truck pull up in the vicinity of what looked to be my house. Ignoring the truck I finished my walk and as I approached the house there it was… a box with a nice big Callaway Golf logo emblazoned on it. I wasn’t feeling the greatest that day and had no intentions of making swings but the arrival of the Rogue Sub Zero changed that. So I opened the box.

Aesthetics don’t really matter a whole lot to me but I will say that as much as I liked the green colour story of the GBB Epic product range I definitely prefer the “electric” blue of the Rogue Sub Zero. The blue “pops” and is very eye-catching. My eyes lit up when I saw it for the very first time.

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At any rate, I would take the Rogue Sub Zero right to the range and it was right there on the range that I unwrapped it from its plastic cocoon. I would become even more enamored with the looks of the Rogue Sub Zero. Placing the club down in the address position the footprint inspires confidence making you forget that this is a “Tour level” driver. The crown looks like it’s ready for business and it’s sleek and sexy. Towards the leading edge it has a more solid look and as your eyes shift towards the trailing edge the carbon fiber of the crown just radiates and looks sharp.  The headcover itself is “snazzy” to say the least and the cover is a snug fit but not so snug that it makes it tough to remove or replace. It’s a small piece of the puzzle but the headcover is very well done and receives top marks. The stitching is great and as I write this review it’s as snug as the day that the driver arrived.

So I got to making swings at the range and this particular range supplies Srixon range balls. While these balls are very much functional quite obviously they aren’t real golf balls. As I progressed through my session the time came to put my first swings on with the Rogue Sub Zero. I admit that my first swing was a horrible pass and all of the forgiveness in the world wouldn’t have helped that swing. However, the second swing was rewarded with a golf ball that traveled well down the range. As the session wore on a couple of thoughts came to mind. The results were very good but I walked away like something was lacking. As I left the range and was driving home it came to me. The feel and results didn’t match the acoustics. I was sort of bewildered because the Rogue Sub Zero almost felt “dead” in comparison to the GBB Epic Sub Zero. In fact, my initial impression was that the GBB Epic Sub Zero was superior to the Rogue Sub Zero in the acoustics/sound/feel department. With the possibility of the Rogue Sub Zero coming up short all the way across the board.

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As the testing period wore on and as I switched between different driving ranges and golf balls I started to observe something interesting. In a way similar to my softball days and breaking in composite baseball bats it was like the Sub Zero “opened up”. As good as the results were during my first session with the Rogue Sub Zero this driver really awakened from a seemingly deep slumber. Perhaps it’s a matter of this writer adjusting to a new driver but the sound, feel and “pop” really seemed to dramatically improve. Perhaps it was the change from range balls to balls like the Chrome Soft etc. While the feel of the GBB Epic Sub Zero was more “light” and seemingly more responsive the Rogue Sub Zero has a feel that I’d describe as being “authoritative”. When you make a solid swing you’re rewarded with a feeling that you’ve punished the golf ball.

I’m not going to mince words. The Rogue Sub Zero is a driver that is quite simply… LONG. To be totally truthful, it wasn’t until I put the Rogue Sub Zero into play that I started to see drives routinely going 295+ yards. This doesn’t include one drive of 354 yards as per my ShotScope V2 device that I’m currently testing at the moment. However, as addictive as length is it’s the accuracy that can really make a huge difference.

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Generally speaking, accuracy has never really been a huge issue. That said, my accuracy throughout the testing process with the Rogue Sub Zero actually improved. Perhaps it’s the 75 gram HZRDUS Yellow shaft that’s a real difference maker. With my gamer (2016 M2) my Fairways Hit stats are 73.1%. With the Rogue Sub Zero in my hands my numbers increased to 84.3%. While these improved stats could be because of shaft keeping up to me better I think I’d be foolhardy to think that it had nothing to do with the engineering and improved MOI. For a driver that’s touted as being “Tour level” this is a driver that is plenty forgiving. If you’re a 15-20 handicap don’t exclude yourself as a candidate to play the Sub Zero. You’ll be fine. Toe and heel strikes aren’t severely punished from a distance standpoint but what’s real surprising was how well those “less than optimum strikes” maintained their line. Tremendous forgiveness!!

Conclusion:

While the GBB Epic Sub Zero definitely had a lighter, crisper feel and better acoustics I will say this. The Rogue Sub Zero is a driver that feels like there’s plenty of punch behind the clubface at impact. A “powerful bruiser”. I’d suggest that the length is similar but that’s just based on me trying to compare swings on a range vs actual on-course use. I had no problem controlling the GBB Epic Sub Zero but the dispersion/accuracy of the Rogue Sub Zero was amazing. Only made better by the fact that this is a very forgiving driver. The Rogue Sub Zero inspires confidence and exudes power at address. It’s so easy to understand why Callaway Golf staffers put the Sub Zero into their bags so quickly. If you have the opportunity… please give the Rogue Sub Zero a swing you won’t be disappointed.

Until The Next Tee!!

 

 

 

 

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PGA Tour Players Finish in Top 10 using Zero Friction golf tees;
plus Commemorative tees supplied for the 100th PGA Championship

 

OAK BROOK TERRACE, IL (August 9, 2018) – It’s been a highly successful couple of weeks on the professional golf tours for Zero Friction, maker of high-quality, technologically advanced products for golfers worldwide.  Several PGA Tour Champions players are using the Zero Friction tees, and the growing company is supplying commemorative tees for this week’s 100th PGA Championship.

Zero Friction had 2 top 10 finishes last week at the 3M Championship at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, MN. For the past several weeks, more than a dozen PGA Tour Champions players are using Zero Friction ZFT Maxx 3 Prong Tees and Zero Friction ZFT Hybrid 1 ¾” Tees.

The ZFT Maxx Tees are extra-large and extra durable to make it easier and faster to set the ball on, and the short Hybrid tees set up at the perfect height for irons, hybrids, and driving irons.

Zero Friction also supplied commemorative ZFT Maxx 3 Prong Tees for the 100th PGA Championship this week. The tees include the official 100th PGA Championship logo, and will be made available to the tour players playing in this historic championship.

ZFT Maxx 3 prong tees offer the same great design, distance and performance as the original 3 and 4-prong tees, with 66% reduced contact area for less resistance and more distance.

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“Our multi-prong performance tees are what the company was founded on, and it is exciting to see tour players benefit from the performance of our tees in competition again,” said John Iacono, founder and President of Zero Friction.

Two years ago Zero Friction launched a true breakthrough product, the GPS DistancePro™ glove, which comes with a lightweight GPS device on the flap, providing accurate distances for over 35,000 golf courses worldwide.

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This year the company introduced two new products that received rave reviews at the PGA Merchandise Show. The Cabretta Elite golf glove is an upgrade to the original Cabretta glove released three years ago. The Cabretta leather provides a solid grip in any weather. The reinforced Lycra throughout fingers, back of hand and palm allow for maximum strength, durability, and enhanced breathability.

Also new are the Spectra™ matte finish golf balls. Matte finish golf balls are the hottest product in golf right now, as they are easier to see in the air and on the ground, so they speed up play and prevent lost balls. Plus, the bright colors make the game more fun.

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Spectra matte finish golf balls are also available in blister packs with performance tees, and Supertubes™ that include 10 performance tees, a Performance compression glove, and 3 Spectra matte finish golf balls – everything you need to play golf today for $24.99.

Until The Next Tee!!