Jesse Ortiz has long been regarded as a master club designer. And Dave Pelz has long been regarded as a short game teaching guru. Now the two have joined forces to create a series of wedges that promise enhanced durability along with exceptional playability.
The Bobby Jones-Pelz Wedge Collection by Jesse Ortiz is the highlight among the new products Bobby Jones Golf is introducing for 2008.
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| Pelz Wedge Collection by Jesse Ortiz |
The new clubs were unveiled at the recent PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla. They were hand-designed at the new Jesse Ortiz Design Studio in Hayward, Calif., and begin shipping this week.
"As we've done before with any of the Bobby Jones clubs, we've taken our time until everything was just right before bringing out new clubs," Ortiz said. "We're very satisfied that these new clubs will help all golfers with their games."
Here's a closer look at the latest from Bobby Jones Golf.
Wedges
There are six wedges in the Pelz Wedge Collection by Jesse Ortiz: a 52-degree Gap wedge, two models of 56-degree Sand wedge, two models of 60-degree Lob wedge and a 64-degree X wedge (for Extra lofted).
"The innovation in the wedges is that the faces are different than the head; they are wear-resistant," Pelz said.
While the head is made from a soft steel, the face in the cavity is made from a material called Cronidur. According to Pelz, the grooves will hold up, and maintain spin characteristics, for up to three years, an exceptionally long time for a well-played wedge.
"Many golfers do not realize that backspin longevity is so fleeting that tour professionals replace their wedges often throughout the golf season to keep ball control and shot performance at the highest level," he said. "These enduring wedges will help golfers hit better scoring game shots (and) control their wedge distances."
As explained by Ortiz, a special heat and pressure manufacturing process also enhances the "feel" of the wedges.
During range testing, reviewers praised the look and feel of the wedges, and cited them for being "very solid" at impact with "good loft and soft landing."
Suggested retail price for the new wedges is $150 each.
Driver
Nowadays, triangular and square shaped drivers are almost taken for granted. They're not the norm, but there are plenty of them around.
In 2004, Ortiz was among the first to pioneer "new geometry" in a driver with Bobby Jones Golf by redistributing weight deep and back at a time when the phrase Moment of Inertia (MOI, or stability factor) was hardly talked about.
Ortiz has now launched his first driver since then, a club that also represents his first 460cc head. It is noticeably triangular and is built for both distance and control.
Called the Bobby Jones Workshop Edition driver, it comes in right-handed lofts of 9, 10.5 and 13 degrees, and 10.5 only for left-handed.
As before, it's got a sleek, black finish on top, strategic weights in the sole and features the USGA maximum width and depth dimension of 5 by 5 inches. The club's triangular shape enhances the gear-effect, which allows for correction on off-center hits.
"While a square-head driver helps correct extreme heel and toe hits, it does not adequately correct those hit slightly off-center," said Ortiz. "That's why we use the triangular design. When we introduced the shape four years ago, some people thought it was unusual. Now, you see it elsewhere in the industry."
Recently, noted golf instructor Jim McLean joined the Bobby Jones staff. When the new driver was introduced in Orlando, McLean said, "It's beautiful, it's functional, it is very long. The ball jumps off the face."
To which Ortiz added, "The biggest improvement in the new driver is that it is straighter."
Rather than offer one shaft as standard, Bobby Jones is offering a choice among Aldila, Fujikura, UST, Graphite Design and Accra in a range of flexes, with a suggested retail price of $500. Other shafts are also available for a premium upcharge.
Hybrids
Ortiz has added two new lofts, 17 and 35 degrees, to the hybrid lineup, which comprised 19, 21, 25 and 30 degrees.
Designed to replace hard-to-hit long irons, Ortiz's hybrids follow the fairway metals in that they feature a low and deep center of gravity, a wide-bodied triangle of stability and versatile contoured sole. They are designed for playability from a variety of lies.
Suggested retail price is $200 each.
Click Here, to view new Bobby Jones Golf club specs
