New corporate identity for Nicklaus Golf Equipment

A new logo has been launched by Nicklaus Golf Equipment after nine months market research. The new logo which was required to embrace the existing Nicklaus philosophy, reflects the attributes synonymous with the Nicklaus name. The design projects a human quality by featuring Jack mid swing above the word "Nicklaus".

Paul Hendry, managing director of Nicklaus Golf Equipment Europe, said "Nicklaus Golf Equipment is all about Jack Nicklaus himself and his dedication to the sport. The new logo, featuring the Nicklaus swing, brings Nicklaus the man and Nicklaus the company together, in a simple, yet effective manner".

Clubs to improve your swing

Expected to be launched next year is a club designed to allow amateurs to swing with the consistency of a professional.

Two engineers at Nottingham University, Dennis Vardy and Steve Mather have been researching the golf swing for 10 years and has shown that professionals have the strength and timing to be sure the clubhead is at its fastest when it strikes the ball. "The force on the ball at this time is about 2 tonnes, so it is no wonder that many pros suffer from pulled muscles and bad backs", say the researchers.

Their studies revealed that the swings of amateurs were the fastest in the downswing. "To help ordinary golfers we realised we had to make a club that feels heavy at the top of the swing, to slow it down, and light at the bottom, to speed it up at the point of impact, they say.

In the Nottingham University's sports laboratory they have managed to achieve this by taking weight from the head and adding it to the shaft. Golf manufacturers such as Ping, Wilson and Ben Sayers have made use of this research.

Vardy and Mather point out that in each set of clubs the heads are made of different materials and are of different shapes so the sweet spot is never in the same place. This means that during a round the player needs to keep adjusting his swing for each club. To eradicate this problem the researchers pinpointed each sweet spot by vibrating the clubs at different frequencies. Then balanced the head in relation to the flex of the shaft. "We have done this by moving material around the head of the club," says Vardy.

The two researchers have now started a company with Nottingham University called, Sports Technology & Research to exploit their findings.

Next year it is expected the new company will start to market clubs with shafts made in Britain and heads from Taiwan and are likely to sell for around £600.

Caddymatic Colt looks an easy winner

A new two-wheeled powered trolley that folds up to fit in most small car boots was launched last month in Britain and has surpassed expectations of the company. Caddymatic say they have taken six times the anticipated orders in the first month. The Colt is a lighweight folding trolley claimed to be the quietest in its class. With weatherproof sealed motor, gearbox and controls, variable setting, ergonomic handle design, sports wheels and double rust protection finish the 17 am battery ensures an easy one-round capability.

Bridgestone restructure

Bridgestone Sports has restructured its UK and European operations to cope

with increased demand for its products, particularly its golf balls.

Future direction of the brand will be centred in the UK and distribution of all products for the European markets will be made from the Sports Division headquarters at Birmingham UK.

Bridgestone has already become a serious challenger to established golf ball brands with the success of the Precept and it is hoping to capitalise on that with better UK and European distribution.

New clubs from Howson

Howson Sports UK has launched two new ranges of clubs for 1996.

The new DJ200 woods provide a midsize stainless steel club designed to provide better

distance and accuracy while a unique sweet spot enables superior weight distribution creating a larger sweetspot.

Recommended retail prices are £34.95 for steel and £49.95 for graphite.

The DJ200 irons give oversize perimeter weighting and have a contoured sole that promotes cleaner strikes from difficult lies. Shaft options include True Temper steel and system matched DJ graphite.

The irons are available in gents and ladies right hand 3-SW.

The recommended retail price for a full set of irons (3 iron -SW) is £199.95 for steel shafted and £349.95 for graphite.

At the cheaper end of the range Howson has introduced the Derby 2 woods which consist of a lightweight metal alloy construction providing superior strength to weight ratio. Available in gents right and left hand options and ladies right hand in sets 1-3-5 or individually 1-3-5-7 at a recommended retail price of £19.99 steel and £29.99 graphite.

The Derby 2 irons provide a larger sweetspot for longer, more accurate shots while internal cavity weighting assists in mis-hit shots. A triangular score line sighting aids ball positioning and encourages a consistent strike. Available in gents right hand and left hand options and ladies right hand sets 3-SW or individually 1- SW the recommended retail price for the 3 iron- Sand wedge steel shafted irons is £129.95

Wilson has the leading edge

Wilson Sporting Goods has

again proved it is at the leading edge of the golf equipment market.

The SMS 1995 golf club report shows that overall one in 10 sets of irons purchased in the UK were Wilson, placing it at the number 2 spot in the market. This was helped by the Staff Midsize model, where sales increased by 10 per cent in 1995. In addition Wilson is a clear number one for sales of half sets led by the new Snead and Berg model.

On the strength of John Daly's Open triumph where he used the same Ultra 500 competition ball throughout the final round, Wilson is now number one in the two-piece performance golf ball market.

Million dollar launch

Cory Pavin produced the best marketing job possible for Titleist when he won the Sun City Million Dollar Challenge using the new Titleist two-

Reebok on the attack

John Daly will be wearing Reebok's Attack Wing Tip 3000 shoe on tour this year.

The shoe is one of the most technically advanced on the market place, claim Reebok.

In addition to the Pump system which gives a customised fit, the shoe features Graphite - a composite of graphite and glass fibres - which is as strong a steel yet remarkably light. In addition, Hexalite in the fore foot and heal ensures maximum comfort and cushioning.

The attack range further highlights that Reebok golf shoes are some of the most durable, light and comfortable on the golf market.

Twin wins for HP2 Tour

The Titleist HP2 Tour ball achieved an impressive double in July with wins on both the European Tour and the Japanese Tour.

Colin Montgomerie's victory in the Irish Open consolidated his position at the top of the European Order of Merit for the fourth year in a row. In Japan, Hideyuki Sato lifted the Yonex Open title playing the HP2 Tour.

The growing list of wins for the remarkable ball now spans every major pro tour and with its string of successes it is changing the way golfers feel about two-piece balls. Judging from recent independent consumer reseach, the HP2 Tour ball may well be the fastest growing ball on the professional tours and in the pro shop.

The ball that Nick Faldo used at The Open - Bridgestone's new Precept Tour double cover golf ball

Bridgestone Sports continue to revolutionise the golf ball industry, with the introduction of the Worlds First Wound, 4-Piece construction golf ball: The Precept Tour Double Cover - which was used so effectively by Nick Faldo to win the 1996 U.S. Masters and at the Open Championship in July at Royal Lytham and St Annes.

This ball has been developed from a new concept in design and construction and is for the serious golfer who demands even higher performance than that available from wound balata.

* Added Distance
* Same Feel and Spin as Balata
* Superior Durability
* Greater Consistency

Double covers and double cores ingeniously combine to produce the ultimate high performance golf ball.

The new ball gives added distance by a combination of :

(a) A larger solid core that creates high repulsion and maximises the initial velocity.
(b) A 4-piece construction that generates ideal dynamic ball reconfiguration and creates more energy off the clubhead.

Superior controllability and feel through an ultrasoft spin 1st cover that maintains both controllability and feel with iron shots usually associated with balata balls. In addition the large solid centre reduces the spin rate with the driver to give stronger trajectory into the wind.

Superior durability comes from a reinforced double layered cover that provides far greater durability over existing balata balls, without sacrificing either feel or spin.

Improved consistency is gained through an improved tension controlled winding process while the dispersion of compression has been greatly reduced. In addition, more exact engineering make the performance of this ball far more consistent in every way.

The new Precept Tour Double Cover was designed and developed in conjunction with top tour professionals internationally and was launched at this year's Open Championship at a retail price of £40.00 per dozen.

It is the latest technology from Bridgestone Sports Company and completes a family of Precept Golf Balls that offer a ball for every type of golfer.

Best known of these is the Precept EV Extra Spin. The first of a new breed of high performance two piece balls that is used so effectively by 3 times major winner Nick Price, Lee Janzen, Raymond Floyd and which is now the No. 1 ball on the Japanese PGA Tour.

Also available in this series are Precept EV Extra Distance, Senior and Lady.

EUROGOLF TRADE SHOW

Visitors to the first ever industry and PGA backed public golf show can look forward to taking part and having fun with a whole host of exciting features planned for the four day event.

"THE GOLF SHOW" being staged by the British Golf Industry Association (BGIA) in conjunction with the PGA takes place at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham England, April 24 - 27 1997.

The emphasis will be on features which will allow visitors, whether already golfers or those keen to try the game to actually have a go for themselves. Companies from all sectors of the industry will be exhibiting and promoting their services but there will be no retailing of golf equipment.

John Ennis, chairman of the BIGA said: "The main aim is to use the Golf Show as a consumer showcase for the golf industry, aimed at both those already playing the sport and especially those who are keen to take it up and not sure how, or where, to start.

"The show will offer a tempting insight into the sport, with all sectors of the industry, from equipment to tourism, exhibiting and the main emphasis will be on visitors taking a hand on approach, being able to try the equipment themselves."

Golf Today's editor, Stan Ellison will be reporting live from this show giving his daily report and update of events.