Golfers mainly play cavity back irons because of their forgiveness. However, when it comes to wedges, those same golfers often don’t use a club that offers the same forgiveness. That’s where Cleveland stepped in with the CBX wedges, and now their sequel, CBX2 wedges.
Cleveland engineers took the features on the original CBX wedge and improved them for the new version, creating a more forgiving wedge that’s even easier to hit and produces tons of spin.
Here’s a closer look at the latest features of the CBX2 wedges.
The hollow cavity-back design on the CBX2 wedges gets a redesign. As a refresher, cavity back clubs push more weight to the perimeter, increasing the club’s forgiveness.
Cleveland engineers added forgiveness by taking weight out of the hosel and adding it to the wider toe area. They also moved weight by hollowing the cavity out more, moving it around the clubhead.
Cleveland took the guesswork out of choosing the right wedge grind on the CBX2 wedges by introducing dynamic sole grinds, 3 loft-specific grinds that maximize performance for any shot.
Low-lofted wedges, 46-52 degrees, have a V-shaped sole grind. This grind is ideal for full shots, allowing the club to enter and exit the turf with ease.
54 and 56-degree wedges, used mainly in the sand or deep rough, have an S-shaped sole grind.
The highest lofted wedges, 58 degrees and 60 degrees, have a C-shaped sole grind. This grind lets golfers hit a variety of shots around the green, like an open-face flop shot or delicate chip from the rough.
Feel Balancing Technology has been incorporated in Cleveland wedges for a few model generations. The technology moves the center of gravity (CG) towards the center of the face to improve feel.
On the CBX2 wedges, the CG position is moved slightly closer to the toe than the previous model by taking weight out of the hosel and tapering the top flange. The result is a buttery feel on more shots.
Cleveland designers took feel one step further, adding a Gelback TPU insert to the back cavity that reduces vibrations at impact.
Golfers know that wedge performance hinges on the spin produced by the grooves. A Fourth-Generation Rotex Face on CBX2 wedges has grooves, on grooves, on grooves, giving the wedges supreme stopping power.
The new Rotex Face starts with 2 different Rotex milling lines. Smaller, circular-shaped millings sit behind the main grooves, working with the other main grooves to produce more spin. Larger, wider milling is located on the toe, adding control on open-face shots.
The main grooves on the CBX2 wedges are sharp Tour Zip Grooves that grab the cover of the golf ball and impart incredible spin.
In between the main grooves are Laser Milled micro-grooves. These micro-grooves add even more friction for more spin.
The changes that Cleveland made to the CBX2 wedges make them hard to beat on the golf course. They offer forgiveness and a smooth transition from game improvement irons into the short game. Spin and feel are also enhanced with next-generation Feel Balance and Rotex Face Technologies.
In our opinion, the best part about this wedge is, despite all the built-in forgiveness, it still looks like a traditional wedge.
Shop HERE to put these wedges in your bag. Got more questions about them? Give our PGA Professionals a shout.
We are a golf company that caters to golfers interested in enhancing their enjoyment of the game. We cherish the moments when customers use our insight and selection to discover their product wishes, then hit that new driver a little farther, use that new putter to sink the clutch putt or arrive at the first tee looking just a little sharper wearing that latest golf fashion. We like to consider the resulting smiles a reflection of your satisfaction of the products and services that can be found at GlobalGolf.
Golfers often struggle with producing a consistent putting stroke. The folks at Odyssey wanted to help fix that so they created the Stroke Lab putters.
Accomplishing this meant rethinking the overall design of a modern putter. We discuss the changes Odyssey has made for the Stroke Lab putters and why they help you putt better.
Over time, putter heads have gotten heavier as green speeds have gotten faster. The heavier head can cause the putter to lag behind, leading to a decrease in putting stroke consistency.
As a solution, the company reimagined the putter from the grip down. Everything revolves around the new shaft Odyssey put in these clubs.
The secret to the success of Stroke Lab putters lies in the new shaft. Odyssey made the multi-material shaft lighter, redistributing the weight to the rest of the club.
The Stroke Lab shaft weighs a significant 40 grams less than a traditional putter shaft and is made out of both graphite and steel. The steel portion at the bottom is stiffer than normal to compensate for the shift in weight and keep the putter stable at impact. The rest of the shaft is made of graphite. In addition to saving weight, using graphite produces a pleasing feel under your hands at impact.
Designers took 30 grams of the weight savings and placed it in the grip. Odyssey did this by using a grip that’s 10 grams lighter and adding a 40-gram weight to the end of the shaft. This gives the putter a counter-balance-like effect, syncing the hands with the putter head during the putting stroke.
The other 10 grams of weight saved by the shaft was placed in 2 weights on the sole of the putter.
Odyssey did studies with the Stroke Lab putters, noting that golfers were more consistent with their backswing time, face-angle at impact, ball speed, and ball direction when using the putters.
Simply put, Stroke Lab putters help you repeat the same swing on the greens.
Each Stroke Lab putter model comes with the company’s White Hot Microhinge face insert. As a refresher, the insert combines the soft feel of the legendary White Hot technology with microhinge technology. The latter technology uses several tiny microhinges on the face to impart a true roll on the golf ball, helping it roll end over end faster. Doing so gets the ball online quicker and keeps it there, leading to more made putts.
The Stroke Lab putter lineup has 10 head-shape options for you to choose from, ranging from traditional blade putters to forgiving mallet putters. This selection has something for every golfer.
The secret to better putting with the Stroke Lab putters is its new design. The new shaft smooths out your putting stroke and makes it repeatable.
You’ve got 2 options for gaming one of these putters:
1. Head HERE to shop.
2. Give them a try with our Utry™ trial program for 2 weeks and experience how the putters can help your game before you buy one.
Reach out to one of our PGA Professionals if you have any questions about these putters
We are a golf company that caters to golfers interested in enhancing their enjoyment of the game. We cherish the moments when customers use our insight and selection to discover their product wishes, then hit that new driver a little farther, use that new putter to sink the clutch putt or arrive at the first tee looking just a little sharper wearing that latest golf fashion. We like to consider the resulting smiles a reflection of your satisfaction of the products and services that can be found at GlobalGolf.
Callaway Golf Company, the golf club manufacturer based in Carlsbad, California, comes from humble beginnings. Over its history, it has been at the forefront of innovation, employing some of the greatest industry minds to bring several iconic clubs to market.
In this brand spotlight, we take a look at a brief history of Callaway, some key technologies they are credited with, and notable names associated with them over the years.
Callaway was officially started in 1986 by Ely Callaway, who had success in the textile and wine industries. A few years prior to owning the company, Mr. Callaway took the money he made from his wine business and poured it into his love of golf, investing in Hickory Sticks, USA. The company made clubs that had a steel-core shaft wrapped in a wooden veneer.
Callaway started selling clubs out of his car, but he wasn’t stopping there. He knew he had to make new clubs to have any success in the business. He made a couple key hires, like Richard C. Helmstetter and Glenn Schmidt, to help design and manufacturer the clubs that would transform the company and the industry.
By the early 1990s, they were off like a cannon, and haven’t looked back since. Today, the company doesn’t just focus on golf clubs. Brands under their umbrella include Odyssey putters, Ogio bags, Travis Mathew apparel, and most recently Jack Wolfskin apparel.
“I’m not a good enough salesman to sell a mediocre product.”
Ely Callaway
There have been several key innovations credited to Callaway Golf as a whole that changed the game. These innovations were built on Callaway’s belief that the clubs need to be outstanding for their customers in order to be successful.
Here’s a shortlist of their innovations:
In order to achieve its success, Callaway has trusted some industry giants who need little introduction.
Through the years, Callaway has experienced the ups and downs you’d expect from any large corporation. They continue to keep the quote below as a core value, though and have reaped the rewards over the long haul as one of the top brands in the industry.
“What is good in life is good in Business:
Treat everybody right and tell the truth. No matter what you do, do your best and don’t give up. Just try, try, try. Then try again.”
Ely Callaway
We are a golf company that caters to golfers interested in enhancing their enjoyment of the game. We cherish the moments when customers use our insight and selection to discover their product wishes, then hit that new driver a little farther, use that new putter to sink the clutch putt or arrive at the first tee looking just a little sharper wearing that latest golf fashion. We like to consider the resulting smiles a reflection of your satisfaction of the products and services that can be found at GlobalGolf.
We’ve made it to Part 3 of our series giving explanations of common golf terms. This is the last part of the series so thanks for making it this far with us! Get caught up on the first 2 installments of the series below:
In this final part, we’re going over types of shots and technical terms.
A draw or hook is a shot shape where the golf ball moves from right to left in the air, for right-handed golfers. Note: a draw doesn’t have as much movement in the shot as a hook does.
These shots tend to go farther because there is less spin put on the golf ball. Expect more carry and rollout when hitting these shots.
Hitting a fade or slice moves the ball in the opposite direction as a draw. For right-handed golfers, the shot moves left to right. A slice will move much farther from left to right compared to a fade as well.
Fades put more spin on the ball so they generally won’t travel as far as a straight shot or draw. Fades will also stop much quicker due to the added spin.
Have you ever hit all golf ball with no divot or struck the ground before hitting the golf ball? Those shots are called “thin” and “fat” respectively.
Thin shots happen when a golfer hits only the golf ball and not any turf. The shots launch low and have very little spin. Lower spin also means the fly much farther than expected.
Fat shots aren’t any fun either. The swing bottoms out before the golf ball, causing the club to strike more ground than a golf ball. When that happens, shots don’t travel very far, dribbling down the fairway.
Every golf club has a certain lie angle. It’s the angle the shaft makes with the ground when the club is lying flat on the ground. This angle can be adjusted if the club is striking the ground more on the heel or the toe.
When the heel hits the ground first, the toe of the club moves faster, causing a draw shot. The toe hitting the ground first causes the heel to move faster, resulting in a fade shot.
Clubs with a lie angle higher than standard have an upright lie angle. Bending a club’s lie angle upright raises the toe of the club up. You want to bend a club upright if the toe is hitting the ground first, causing more fades.
A flat lie angle is when the lie angle is lower than the standard. If the heel of the club is hitting the ground first and you’re hitting more draws, you should adjust the lie angle flat. The adjustment lowers the toe of the club closer to the ground at impact, straightening out the golf shot.
You’ve likely heard a club’s loft described as “strong” or “weak” as it relates to standard on irons. The standard loft for a particular iron model tends to vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Know that these terms are used when compared to that manufacturers “standard” when making them.
Strong lofts mean the clubs have less loft than standard. Less loft produces lower ball flight and spin, generally resulting in longer shots.
Clubs with weak lofts will have more loft than standard, sending shots higher with more spin. These shots tend to travel less distance as well.
The center of gravity (CG) is the point on the clubhead that’s the center of the head’s weight. This point controls ball flight and spin. Having the CG low and back, as in longer length clubs, will launch the ball higher with more spin for stopping power. Moving the CG forward lowers launch and spin.
This video from Dr. Alan Hocknel at Callaway Golf does a great job of explaining CG further.
Moment of Inertia (MOI) is a common term when talking about forgiveness. Simply put, MOI is the measurement of the clubhead’s resistance to twisting at impact. The higher the MOI, the less twisting the head does when contacting the golf ball. The ball is more likely to travel in the direction of the clubface, making the club more forgiving.
We hope you learned more about these common golf terms throughout this series. Remember to check out Part 1 and Part 2 if you missed them.
Got a term you want to know more about we didn’t cover? Leave a comment below or reach out to our PGA Professionals. We’re happy to help out.
We are a golf company that caters to golfers interested in enhancing their enjoyment of the game. We cherish the moments when customers use our insight and selection to discover their product wishes, then hit that new driver a little farther, use that new putter to sink the clutch putt or arrive at the first tee looking just a little sharper wearing that latest golf fashion. We like to consider the resulting smiles a reflection of your satisfaction of the products and services that can be found at GlobalGolf.
At the 2019 Wyndham Championship, we were fortunate enough to get tours of 4 different Tour Trucks, Cobra, Wilson, Mizuno, and Titleist.
As the tech reps prepped clubs for their players in the field this week, they gave us brief tours around the truck, showed us whose clubs they were working and answered questions for us.
Come along as we take you through what the day was like; what we saw, talked about, and more.
Our first stop of the day was with Cobra Golf. Our host James was working on a set of clubs for Jason Dufner when we arrived, which gave us a few moments to take in all the decorations of the truck.
After finishing with Dufner’s clubs, James talked about working with Rickie Fowler, Bryson DeChambeau, and other staff members. We asked about how it was building one-length clubs for Bryson and James said it was easier than others because you only have to worry about 1 length…makes sense.
We moved on to the Wilson Staff truck next, where we met with Ron and Don. Don drives the truck and does most of the handy work, bringing his extensive knowledge to serve the Tour staff at over 30 Tour events each year.
When we arrived, the duo was working on a prototype wedge for Padraig Harrington, grinding more leading edge bounce into the sole. Ron said players will do that based on changes in course and turf conditions from week to week, especially coming from The Open Championship.
We had a lot of anticipation leading up to our visit with the Mizuno truck. Pictures of the company’s new irons and wedges, the MP20 and T20 respectively, had recently surfaced and we couldn’t wait to see them in person.
Jeff, who has been with Mizuno for years, walked us through the different MP20 models, explaining the features and benefits of each. He even showed us the set that they were building for Luke Donald, former World #1!
Last, but certainly not least, we toured the Titleist Tour truck. Inside, Pete walked us through all of the machines and tools the tech reps have at their disposable to serve their staff players. He also showcased the amount of stock they have of components they carry, including a plethora of grips. In fact, they have so many grips in stock that others often come to them if they are looking for a particular grip.
Pete also showed us the new irons that Titleist is releasing in the late-summer of 2019. They include the U-series driving irons, T-series irons, and 620 MB and CB irons. Most guys on Tour, he said, are leaning towards the T100 irons, which are the equivalent of the AP2 irons. The 620 MB irons did look amazing though.
Our time with Titleist ended with a real treat when Aaron Dill, the company’s other wedge guru, chatted with us in his personal wedge workshop at the back of the truck. This is where he builds, adjusts, grinds, and stamps the wedges you see in the hands of guys like Jordan Speith and Justin Thomas. His Instagram account (@vokeywedgerep) showcases some of his amazing work!
After a morning filled with tours, we walked some of the back 9 holes to see what test the players will be facing this week as they finish their rounds.
The highlight for us (and definitely the spot to sit and watch) is by holes 15, 16 and 17.
Hole 15 is a medium par 5 that players can reach in 2 with a quality shot after the tee shot finds the fairway. Hitting in the rough makes the task of finding the small green much more difficult. The front of the green is guarded by bunkers with water right of the bunkers.
Hole 16 is a downhill par-3 to a big horseshoe-shaped green. The difficulty here depends on where the pin is placed. Two big bunkers swallow up any shots hit short.
The 17th hole plays just over 400 yards. Players are tasked with hitting a narrow fairway that slopes left to right. An uphill approach to the smallest green on the course is what players will contend with as they make their way to the final hole.
The other reason we love that 3-hole stretch is because of Club Wyndham Beach. The beach area to the right of the 16th green (as you face it) has music, sand volleyball, beach chairs, and more, making it a truly unique way to watch a golf tournament.
That wraps up our tour of the 2019 Wyndham Championship Tour trucks. If you’re in the Greensboro, NC area this week, you’ll want to go check out this fantastic Donald Ross course for some great golf and a fun, relaxing atmosphere.
We are a golf company that caters to golfers interested in enhancing their enjoyment of the game. We cherish the moments when customers use our insight and selection to discover their product wishes, then hit that new driver a little farther, use that new putter to sink the clutch putt or arrive at the first tee looking just a little sharper wearing that latest golf fashion. We like to consider the resulting smiles a reflection of your satisfaction of the products and services that can be found at GlobalGolf.
Welcome to Part 2 of our series explaining common golf terms you hear. Be sure to get caught up on Part 1, if you missed it. We covered a lot of the basic terms describing a golf club.
Here in Part 2, we’re going to focus on terms for different types of clubs in the industry.
Muscleback irons are the small, thin irons with little forgiveness seen in the bags of the best ball strikers. The shape of the iron allows the user to have ultimate control over the shape of the golf shot.
The irons get their name from the ridge of material found on the back of the clubhead. This material controls the center of gravity and adds a little bit of forgiveness by pushing some weight to the perimeter of the club.
Cavity Back irons are at the opposite end of the spectrum from muscleback irons. They are the more forgiving and usually higher launching, helping high-handicap golfers hit it straight.
The name “cavity back” comes from the design of the club. There is an actual cavity that is formed behind the clubface. Usually, you can see it but club companies are making more models that hide the cavity. Think TaylorMade P790 irons or PING G700 irons, for example.
The term “forged irons” is generally used when talking about irons suited for better golfers. That category of clubs usually makes the entire clubhead with some type of forging process, hence the common term.
In recent years, club manufacturers have been forging specific parts of clubs, like the face cavity back irons, to improve feel and performance.
“Blades” is another common term used when talking about muscleback irons. Their profile is very thin and almost “sharp” looking, like a blade.
There are 2 different terms used to describe putters; mallet and blade.
Mallet putters have a large head that looks like a hammer or mallet. The larger surface area makes the clubs more forgiving by adding perimeter weight. These putters are ideal for golfers with a straight-back-straight-through putting stroke.
Blade putters are the opposite of mallets. They are smaller and thinner, fitting an arcing putting stroke the best.
The rest of the clubs in the bag are driver, fairway wood, hybrid, and wedge. These are all fairly self-explanatory but if you need some help defining them, reach out to our PGA Professionals.
Thanks for checking out Part 2 of our series on common golf terms explained. We’re available if you have any further questions. Stay tuned for the last part of our series.
We are a golf company that caters to golfers interested in enhancing their enjoyment of the game. We cherish the moments when customers use our insight and selection to discover their product wishes, then hit that new driver a little farther, use that new putter to sink the clutch putt or arrive at the first tee looking just a little sharper wearing that latest golf fashion. We like to consider the resulting smiles a reflection of your satisfaction of the products and services that can be found at GlobalGolf.
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