In the recent past, every golf ball manufacturer has boasted that theirs was the longest ball. Golf balls that travelled prodigious distance were created to meet this challenge, such that some golf courses were almost being rendered obsolete. Advances in materials for golf clubs and golf balls, application of technology and research on the golf swing has led to the innovations in amazing golf products. By the turn of the century, the two golf’s governing bodies, the Royal and Ancient and the United States Golf Association, found it necessary to give restrictions on golf equipment. The length of golf clubs is now restricted to 47 inches, while club heads for woods are restricted to 470cc. In the same vein, the coefficient of restitution, the so-called spring like effect on the driver’s clubface, has been limited to 0.83. The distance that a golf ball can travel when hit at a certain test speed has also been capped. Amazingly, manufacturers have pushed the envelope and are creating new products that get within a hair’s breadth of these limits. The upshot of all this is that since the limits on distance and size have been met, millions of dollars are being spent on research to create better, more forgiving and more playable equipment and balls. One such product that is causing waves is TaylorMade’s 400cc r7 Quad driver. TaylorMade, who introduced metal woods to golf, have always been at the vanguard of golf research and manufacturing. Their new r7 clubhead is a bundle of technology aimed at simplifying draws and fades. Professional golfers have always known that one can change their shot pattern by sticking lead tape on the clubhead. In effect, what that does is enable a player to create a draw or fade of their regular swing without having to go into the intricate swing changes required. For the Weekend Warrior, application of lead may help you fight a slice or hook. The modestly-sized r7 literally allows a player to make the alterations necessary for the same effects at the turn of a button. This has been achieved by creation of four TaylorMade Launch Control ports along the periphery into which 24 grams of discretionary titanium weight is distributed. The ports are strategically positioned to keep the centre of gravity low and towards the clubhead’s perimeter as far as possible. Different golf ball trajectories are achieved by using two cartridges of 10 grams and two cartridges of two grams. By varying their location and configuration, you get six centre-of-gravity locations and hence six possible trajectories. To create a draw, the two 10-gram cartridges are screwed into the two ports at the toe end and the two-gram weights at the two ports at the heel. To create a fade, this configuration is reversed. The gadget for screwing the weight in is a six-pointed star and features a pressure ratchet that ensures that the ports are tightened to a uniform 30 inch-pound pressure. You may have seen such a gadget being used for tightening the nuts on vehicle wheels at the high-end motor garages or during the Safari Rally. The £275 - £375 r7 driver has a high-end version — the r7 Quad TP. While the basic r7 is available with one set of swing weights, and hence one swingweight, the r7 Quad TP comes with nine possible swingweights and a possible 883 centre-of-gravity locations! For that flexibility, tour players are forking out a cool £550 - £600. If there is need for proof on the supremacy of this driver, consider that by the middle of August 2004, the r7 driver had registered 12 wins worldwide, including three major championships and seven PGA Tour wins. Vijay Singh used the driver to win the last major of the 2004 season, the PGA Championship, two weeks ago. Other players on tour who have embraced the r7 drivers are 2004 Buick invitation winner Sergio Garcia, 2004 US Open winner Retief Goosen and the Volvo PGA winner Scott Drummond, 2003 Master winner Mike Weir and the longest driver on tour, Hank Kuehne. If the r7’s sticker price turns you off, you may have to stick to lead tape for another year or two before prices come down. The trick is in knowing where to place the lead tape. Applying it to the club toe leads to fades, while tape applied to the heel results in draws. Lead tape applied at the back of the clubhead results in a higher trajectory. Be careful when you are tinkering with lead tape, however: Lead is hazardous to health. The club is available from most pro shops but shopping for it on the net may save you a few pounds here and there.
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£275 -£600
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