Small Miracles

It’s a fact of life every golfer must face sooner or later: that grassy lie you used to hit with a wood so effortlessly now doesn’t get there. The strength and skill required to loft the tough lie onto the green diminishes, and you’re left with a choice of evils: to get out your long iron and settle for a shorter approach, or to go on as before and hope for the best.

Now two manufacturers have devised a clever solution to this problem, and in the process may have created a revolution in the making. The idea is simple: to build a club with a low enough center of gravity that the ball is lofted from almost any stroke. And it seems to be working.

The two companies are Orlimar Golf and Adams Golf and their clubs are the Trimetal and the Tight Lies. We have omitted knockoffs, and there are many. Suffice to say, you get what you pay for, so be forewarned and stick with the major brands.

Orlimar is the most expensive, has the smallest head, and claims the most technology in its design. This club has a super hard face, thanks to the use of alpha maraging metal, and uses copper tungsten weights in the sole plate to lower the center of gravity. Although somewhat less forgiving than its rival, the Trimetal is popular on the Senior Tour, and is used by such pros as Hale Irwin, Lee Trevino, Brian Barnes and Tom Weiskopf. Orlimar manufactures this club in nine different lofts, with shaft lengths up to 44 inches, available in steel or graphite.

The Adams Tight Lies is a steel head club that features a smooth, sculpted sole plate and simple design. Costing about $100 less than the Orlimar, the Tight Lies has been the most popular of the two, selling over 150,000 clubs in 1997 and showing no signs of letting up. With the addition of Nick Faldo and an IPO, expect Adams’s sales to surge ahead. Head size makes this a very forgiving club and particularly adept at difficult lies.

The Tight Lies club comes in lofts of 13°, 16°, 19°, 24° and their new 28°. The 13° head, however, plays more like an 11.

According to PGA teaching professional Dave Carollo of the Glendora Country Club, the low profile clubs are a trend away from matched clubs and toward ever more specialized gear.

“It’s not for everyone, but these clubs are excellent if you’re in a grassy lie. Since the weight is at the bottom, you don’t have to hit the ball fat as you would with traditional woods, where much of the mass is in the upper part of the club head.”

After testing all of these woods with approximately 100 pros and average golfers, the conclusion is that the Orlimar is for the low handicapper and especially does well on fairways. As for the Tight Lies, this was generally accepted as being the best wood from out of the rough and difficult lies in particular, but if you are a higher handicapper, the Tight Lies is the best all-round club.

All clubs are available through pro shops or direct from the manufacturer. Both have rated distance capabilities of 184 to 224 yards. Customer service kudos go to Orlimar, followed closely by Adams. Expect this to change as soon as Adams get a grip of the rapid expansion. Customer service was Adams forte and was a major reason for their success.

Be prepared for a blitz of infomercials from Orlimar who have committed $6 million dollars for media. Adams continues to run their infomercials and heavy magazine advertising as well.

Barry Lotz, J.D., Ph.D. is the director of the Professional Golf Teachers Association of America. He is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America, the California Golf Writers Association, and serves both as a Consultant and Mediator to the golf industry. He is also the author of numerous books, including “333 Best Web Sites for Golfers” and his current book, “How to Build Business Relationships Through Golf” is in the Top Ten Golf Business Book’s best seller list.

He can be reached at www.pgtaa.com or drlotz@cbsgolf.net