LAS VEGAS -- The latest in a line of Alien Sport Ultimate clubs designed by PGA professional Pat Simmons was informally introduced Wednesday and will be officially launched at the 1999 RE/Max World Long Drive Championship in October.
Although Alien Sport does not have a booth at the PGA Merchandise Show in Las Vegas, company officials spoke to golf.com about its latest offering to golfers.
The Alien Sport Ultimate Driver features what the company calls a "power corrugation system" -- thick ridges or indents on the titanium head that prevents that head from deforming at impact. It works on the same principle as corrugated cardboard, where bending the material into ridges makes it much stronger.
"This corrugation is so rigid that the head can't deform. It will break first," designer Pat Simmons said.
When the head doesn't deform, more energy is transferred to the golf ball at impact, leading to more distance off the tee.
A compound radius face, or "hooked" face, promotes a right-to-left ball flight, providing golfers with the ability to correct a slice.
Additionally, Simmons said, the club's center of gravity is positioned to reduce spin rate by creating a parabolic arc. Don't follow? Think of a regular golf shot that goes up and up and then, pulled by gravity, falls sharply down to earth. A parabolic arc is flatter and falls more gradually, increasing roll along the ground and adding length. Alien Sport achieves this by raising the kickpoint on the shaft, thus changing the launch angle of the club and keeping shots on a flatter trajectory.
To balance the head and move the kickpoint up on the Ultimate Driver, Alien Sport worked with Aldila to create a shaft best suited to handle the extra weight in the club head. By filling the butt end of the shaft with a heavy gel material -- a process that Alien Sport patented -- Simmons said golfers won't have to adjust their swing or slow it down to produce successful drives.
"[The shaft] is a main reason for the added power and direction [of the Ultimate driver]," Simmons said. "It can actually change the torque so the hits are straighter, with no twist and more forward thrust."
The shaft insert will also dampen shock to the hands -- ideal for golfers with arthritis or sensitive hands, Simmons said.
"Our staff is excited about the design elements incorporated into the new titanium driver, which we predict will become Alien Sport's No. 1-selling club," said Dick Gianferante, president of Alien's parent company, GDH International, in a press release.
The driver will be available in 6-, 8-, 10- and 12-degree lofts. Retail price on the Ultimate Driver, which comes with a Tour Wrap grip, is $299.99.
Wednesday, September 29, 1999
Monday, September 20, 1999
'D' Way to Putt
SAN DIEGO -- Carbite Golf (Vancouver: CAB) announced Monday that it will launch its new Polar Balanced "D" Series putters at the 1999 Las Vegas Golf Show Sept. 28-30. Carbite Golf will begin shipping the new putter to retail outlets on Oct. 1, 1999.
Carbite's DC Polar Balanced putter features a classic look and a stainless steel body.
The "D" Series putters differ from the rest of Carbite's line because they feature pockets of a special material in the heel and toe. Carbite calls this material Tungsten Heavy Metal Matrix, or THM2, and says the extra weight helps keep the putter from twisting at impact. The heel-toe weighting of the putter head with this special metal material also increases the golfer's chances of hitting the putt directly on the sweet spot, according to the company.
"We've utilized Polar Balanced technology to make high performance putters in shapes that people will enjoy looking at," Carbite spokesman Mike Pinckes said.
The three new putter heads on the "D" Series sticks were taken from the more traditional shapes that have been successful on tour. The focus, said Pinckes, is on promoting the line to golfers who like more familiar design while incorporating polar balanced technology.
"We've made the most winning shapes in golf high performance," said Mike Spacciapolli, Carbite Golf's president.
The "DB" model in the new Polar Balanced "D" Series has an aluminum body while the "DC" and "DH" models are made of stainless steel. All the putters in the Polar Balanced "D" Series come with a face insert made from what Carbite dubs Bronzemer. This soft material has been a part of Carbite's Polar Balanced putters since 1997; it adds bronze particles to a primarily polymer insert to give a slightly rough texture. The company says Bronzemer provides the feel and sound of polymer with the performance of metal, giving the golfer a crisp feel on the greens.
The new line also features a soft gold finish for reduced glare. Suggested retail price for the new putters is a competitive $99.95.
"It's a price point that everyone seems willing to buy," Pinckes said.
Carbite's DC Polar Balanced putter features a classic look and a stainless steel body.
The "D" Series putters differ from the rest of Carbite's line because they feature pockets of a special material in the heel and toe. Carbite calls this material Tungsten Heavy Metal Matrix, or THM2, and says the extra weight helps keep the putter from twisting at impact. The heel-toe weighting of the putter head with this special metal material also increases the golfer's chances of hitting the putt directly on the sweet spot, according to the company.
"We've utilized Polar Balanced technology to make high performance putters in shapes that people will enjoy looking at," Carbite spokesman Mike Pinckes said.
The three new putter heads on the "D" Series sticks were taken from the more traditional shapes that have been successful on tour. The focus, said Pinckes, is on promoting the line to golfers who like more familiar design while incorporating polar balanced technology.
"We've made the most winning shapes in golf high performance," said Mike Spacciapolli, Carbite Golf's president.
The "DB" model in the new Polar Balanced "D" Series has an aluminum body while the "DC" and "DH" models are made of stainless steel. All the putters in the Polar Balanced "D" Series come with a face insert made from what Carbite dubs Bronzemer. This soft material has been a part of Carbite's Polar Balanced putters since 1997; it adds bronze particles to a primarily polymer insert to give a slightly rough texture. The company says Bronzemer provides the feel and sound of polymer with the performance of metal, giving the golfer a crisp feel on the greens.
The new line also features a soft gold finish for reduced glare. Suggested retail price for the new putters is a competitive $99.95.
"It's a price point that everyone seems willing to buy," Pinckes said.
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