Recap: LIVE Q&A with Adams Golf from Wed April 23, 2014

[MaydayGSXR]

[quote name='AdamsGolf' timestamp='1398277124' post='9153015']
We didn't design the DHy to be just another driving iron. We saw what was wrong with a lot of the driving irons on the market...very hard to hit, really low launching, and low CT. The clubs were great to hit stingers off the tee with but they weren't going to go very high or very far. By making the DHy a bit more 'hybridesque' (don't think that is a word but it is now) we were able to give it high CT and make it higher launching...resulting in long, high, and beautiful swings. But it is definitely workable which is why it has caught on so well on the tour. The bulge and roll actually helps more with the forgiveness that it does workability...bulge and roll definitely goes more to help with shot dispersion on mishits versus working the ball right to left. As a mid-capper do not be afraid of the DHy...it is your friend!
-Matt Neeley
[/quote]

Thanks! Score one point for the DHy then over a 4 hybrid for filling my gap. As a follow up question though, what would you say should be the biggest factor in deciding a loft for the DHy? 18° sounds like the [i]obvious[/i] choice for a "driving" iron, how do the other lofts come into play?

Also, after watching your response video to some of the member's comments on the XTD irons, and seeing the picture of you guys huddled up with your laptops answering our questions now... how much fun are you guys having reading and sharing (and probably laughing) at some of our questions now?

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='Teekman' timestamp='1397881637' post='9123401']
Thanks Adams Golf for talking to us golf club junkies from GolfWRX and I want to say you guys make the best hybrids on the market.

I only have two questions:

1. Will you guys be releasing the irons Ernie Els is currently gaming?

2. Are you developing any clubs in the harder to hit category ... blades?
[/quote]

[i]Hell yeah! Wouldn’t you launch them? They will ship sometime in late August. Once we saw the first set everyone in the office including myself needed a set. That plus the fact that Ernie was leading the PGA tour in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards as soon as he put them in play, made it a no brainer. We just got the first samples today as Ernie’s were a one off prototype. They will start at $699 and come stock with iomic grips and KPS Tour shafts.[/i]

[i]2.[/i][i]Try the XTD forged irons, they are a true players club. [/i]
[i]-Fox [/i]

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='SwingBlues' timestamp='1397883626' post='9123509']
I firmly believe Adams started these "low spin" driver head trend with the evolution of their driver heads culmulating in the 9064....Fast 12 LS and then Super LS heads. Now these "low spin" heads are all the rage.

[i][color=#ff0000]Tease us [/color][/i]with the next driver trend from Adams....?
[/quote]

Thanks for noticing. We are working on a driver, which will work for all golfers of all swing speeds. I can’t say too much more, but it’s going to be awesome. (Fox)

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='chadly643' timestamp='1397883869' post='9123517']
How do Adams hybrid clubs compare with all the new driving irons that are gaining in popularity?
[/quote]

[i]We call our club the Pro Dhy, which stands for “Driving Hybrid”. The reason ours is a hybrids and every else is an iron is because we were the only ones who thought about putting bulge and roll on our club- help with corrective spin. Ina addition long irons are difficult to hit and hybrids iron. Calling a club that was as easy to hit as our Dhy seem wrong to call it an iron. -Fox [/i]

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='MaydayGSXR' timestamp='1398277830' post='9153153']
[quote name='AdamsGolf' timestamp='1398277124' post='9153015']
We didn't design the DHy to be just another driving iron. We saw what was wrong with a lot of the driving irons on the market...very hard to hit, really low launching, and low CT. The clubs were great to hit stingers off the tee with but they weren't going to go very high or very far. By making the DHy a bit more 'hybridesque' (don't think that is a word but it is now) we were able to give it high CT and make it higher launching...resulting in long, high, and beautiful swings. But it is definitely workable which is why it has caught on so well on the tour. The bulge and roll actually helps more with the forgiveness that it does workability...bulge and roll definitely goes more to help with shot dispersion on mishits versus working the ball right to left. As a mid-capper do not be afraid of the DHy...it is your friend!
-Matt Neeley
[/quote]

Thanks! Score one point for the DHy then over a 4 hybrid for filling my gap. As a follow up question though, what would you say should be the biggest factor in deciding a loft for the DHy? 18° sounds like the [i]obvious[/i] choice for a "driving" iron, how do the other lofts come into play?

Also, after watching your response video to some of the member's comments on the XTD irons, and seeing the picture of you guys huddled up with your laptops answering our questions now... how much fun are you guys having reading and sharing (and probably laughing) at some of our questions now?
[/quote]
Right, 18* would be the ideal choice for a driving iron. That is for the guy that just isn't comfortable with any of the more traditional hybrids we offer and wants something they can hit bullets with off the tee. The other lofts come in to play more as direct iron replacements...21*=3i, 24*=4i, and 27*=5i.
-Matt Neeley @mattneeley

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='txaggieman' timestamp='1398275224' post='9152671']
Where do u see the Yes! putters going in the future? I have a Black Callie and love it....was not a fan of the white one.
And bring back the MB2 Blue finish!
Thx
[/quote]YES! is constantly developing new putter designs and applying new technologies to enhance the line.
There is a new set of putters out there now called the True Alignment Series check it out if you can and look at the new BUMP on the sole that allows the player to keep the face square at address whether the hands are forward of vertical at address.

Did anyone catch the second place at the Masters? Pretty cool and again shows how significant the technology is.

Roll em pure!!

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='Puppetmaster' timestamp='1398276922' post='9152965']
In light of the ugly comments from many of us here and your Youtube video, when designing the cross cavity irons, did anyone at all see a Matrix/Transformers resemblance? Any inside jokes you can share?

More seriously, Adams has led the way in hybrids for years, anything special you guys do to test the designs in terms of turf interaction, feel/sound, aerodynamics, etc?

Thanks for the Q&A.
[/quote]

If only we had the budget to create a true "Matrix/Transformer" feature in the cavity in our irons. There might not be a need to create a Driver with the hottest face in golf, jk!

Turf interaction is an interesting topic that was a big discussion in 2013 through sole camber radius. Many in the industry were designing overly cambered clubs to give the appearance it is playable from all lies. Based on our prototype testing, creating a curved sole, raises the center of gravity creating a low launching high spinning product not to mention possibly missing the face on low off center hits. With our upside down technology we can counter both those problems by lowering the center of gravity and still playable on off center hits with still plenty of camber radius to spare!

Feel and Sound have been an interesting topic since we have been adding cut-thru velocity slot technology (USGA requirement), we have had to keep a close eye on how the sound is affected. We have theoretical and physical testing capabilities to objectively determine if the sound is in the acceptable zone.

For Hybrids, aerodynamics is less of a concern for us. Frontal area is a major player in aerodynamics, but because a Hybrid has a significantly lower frontal area than a driver, aerodynamics is not a area we focus on with Hybrids.

-JG

[Puppetmaster]

I have another question: in the past, many prototype and Tour only Adams designs made it to the black/gray market like forums, Ebay, etc. like the original gray PNT, the Speedline Classic driver, certain Speedline FWs, the 9033HF/F, and the list goes on. Without getting into how they ended up in non-Tour channels, did that help educate your R&D as far as consumer preferences and what designs were in demand, or what was working for non-tour golfers?

[fishstix94]

What kind of distance should we expect from the dhy? I hit my 3 hybrid about 230-240, and I am interested in getting a 18 degree dhy.
Thanks a lot guys!

Fish

[MNgolf24]

Personal customization Is becoming a bigger part in design, specifically with Drivers. Will Adams ever offer any thing like this?

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='PingDrv00' timestamp='1398277700' post='9153135']
Are the newer hybrid really that much of an improvement over the Adams Pro Gold? I have yet to find a hybrid with the consistency and play ability that they offered. Also, is two degrees differential in loft really enough to justify an additional hybrid?
[/quote]

<Justin Honea> The new PRO hybrid is wayyyy better than the Pro Gold. Just for reference the CT of the Pro Gold is sub 190 and the CT of the PRO is above 230. That alone should give you more distance on center and mis-hit shots. The new PRO hybrid has a lower and slightly further back center of gravity which will get the ball up in the air much easier than the Pro Gold. Yes, two degrees between hybrids is definitely enough to tell a difference especially if you are a faster swing speed player (driver speed north of 95mph). I personally carry a 21* DHy and a 21* 3-iron because they gap perfectly for me.

[txaggieman]

[quote name='AdamsGolf' timestamp='1398278075' post='9153189']
[quote name='txaggieman' timestamp='1398275224' post='9152671']
Where do u see the Yes! putters going in the future? I have a Black Callie and love it....was not a fan of the white one.
And bring back the MB2 Blue finish!
Thx
[/quote]YES! is constantly developing new putter designs and applying new technologies to enhance the line.
There is a new set of putters out there now called the True Alignment Series check it out if you can and look at the new BUMP on the sole that allows the player to keep the face square at address whether the hands are forward of vertical at address.

Did anyone catch the second place at the Masters? Pretty cool and again shows how significant the technology is.

Roll em pure!!
[/quote]There's nothing on your website about them??

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='fishstix94' timestamp='1398278133' post='9153203']
What kind of distance should we expect from the dhy? I hit my 3 hybrid about 230-240, and I am interested in getting a 18 degree dhy.
Thanks a lot guys!

Fish
[/quote]
As we have mentioned the DHy is more of a direct iron replacement than some of the other hybrids. So you should anticipate it being a bit longer than the iron it is replacing (and much easier to hit).

[Puppetmaster]

[quote name='AdamsGolf' timestamp='1398278103' post='9153197']
[quote name='Puppetmaster' timestamp='1398276922' post='9152965']
In light of the ugly comments from many of us here and your Youtube video, when designing the cross cavity irons, did anyone at all see a Matrix/Transformers resemblance? Any inside jokes you can share?

More seriously, Adams has led the way in hybrids for years, anything special you guys do to test the designs in terms of turf interaction, feel/sound, aerodynamics, etc?

Thanks for the Q&A.
[/quote]

If only we had the budget to create a true "Matrix/Transformer" feature in the cavity in our irons. There might not be a need to create a Driver with the hottest face in golf, jk!

Turf interaction is an interesting topic that was a big discussion in 2013 through sole camber radius. Many in the industry were designing overly cambered clubs to give the appearance it is playable from all lies. Based on our prototype testing, creating a curved sole, raises the center of gravity creating a low launching high spinning product not to mention possibly missing the face on low off center hits. With our upside down technology we can counter both those problems by lowering the center of gravity and still playable on off center hits with still plenty of camber radius to spare!

Feel and Sound have been an interesting topic since we have been adding cut-thru velocity slot technology (USGA requirement), we have had to keep a close eye on how the sound is affected. We have theoretical and physical testing capabilities to objectively determine if the sound is in the acceptable zone.

For Hybrids, aerodynamics is less of a concern for us. Frontal area is a major player in aerodynamics, but because a Hybrid has a significantly lower frontal area than a driver, aerodynamics is not a area we focus on with Hybrids.

-JG
[/quote]

Awesome answer, thank you so much.

Interesting point on VST and sound/feel. I have the A12 with VST (the black and silver non-Pro version), the Super 9031, and the LSP, and all three feel and sound pretty different. I know the LSP is Ti, and all those are different designs, but I assume there has been some evolution with each design. FWIW, the Super 9031 feels and sounds most "solid" to me.

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='peterra671' timestamp='1397918838' post='9124843']
How does the slot in your XTD Forged irons vary from TM's slot if at all, and what performance characteristics could we expect with slotted irons versus non-slotted irons?
[/quote]

The XTD forged iron set is a 2pc forged construction that allows us to create a velocity slot with an unsupported cavity. This creates a large measurable increase in CT over a traditional forged iron. Taylormade achieves a similar effect in their slots as well! -JG

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='jsams222' timestamp='1397926898' post='9125373']
Do the Adams engineers start from scratch when designing a new iron series, or do you possibly pull designs from very successful past iron series like Ping Eye 2 series?
[/quote]

As engineers we always strive to improve a product, it is important to take what was learned from previous designs (Adams and competitor) and build off of it. We will always challenge ourselves to find a new way to design an iron (a never ending process that we love!), but the most effective way to improve an iron is to start with where you finished and find ways to improve it. It’s fun to look back over the years to see how we got to today’s XTD cross cavity iron! -JG

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='Stinger82' timestamp='1397895280' post='9123745']
Huge adams fan here... What are the chances we see an updated version of the legendary 9015d? Still my favorite driver of all time! I've had seven of them now and there is still nothing that can touch the distance I get with it! Also will you guys be releasing any new blades in the near future? Thanks!
[/quote]

Very good chance. I have been around Adams for 8 years and the 9015D is a legend. The XTD driver is the closest driver in terms of performance and we are currently working on a new design so don’t be shocked if you see some similarities to the 9015D next spring. -JH

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='homeport99' timestamp='1397907511' post='9124031']
My question is about shaft flex. I'm interested in the Pro hybrids but have never played any Adams clubs before. Should I go about it the same way I would determine flex for any other club in my bag - or is there an optimal way to determine the proper Pro hybrid flex for my game?
[/quote]

We try really hard to make sure our shaft offerings are to spec with the industry. What that means is we have “boxes” for each flex that we prefer the shafts to fall into and this align with the rest of your clubs in the set. Typically with graphite the stiffer you go the lower you will launch it but with tighter dispersion. There is a happy medium but your set flex is a great starting point. -JH

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='scjr' timestamp='1397909122' post='9124115']
Can you expand on the "pressure piston" you've mechanically inserted into your new XTD irons and is there any chance that it could loosen over time?

Thanks Adams!
[/quote]

The “pressure piston” is a critical part of the design and maybe one of the most important design features of the iron. Once you add a cut thru slot and thin face to an iron you negatively impact the acoustics and frequency at impact. The pressure piston was designed so that it allows the face to deflect but dampen all the unwanted vibrations out at impact delivering a nice, solid feel. The pressure piston was designed with a mechanical locking feature so that it cannot accidentally come out of the club. Great question -JH

[AdamsGolf]

[size=5][b]THANK YOU GOLFWRX FOR ALL THE GREAT QUESTIONS. THIS WAS FUN AND EXHAUSTING FOR ALL OF US.[/b][/size]

[size=5][b]WE WILL CONTINUE TO ANSWER THE REST OF THE PRE-POSTED QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. WE ALSO WILL KEEP THIS ADAMS PROFILE ACTIVE TO RESPOND TO YOUR COMMENTS DURING UPCOMING PRODUCT LAUNCHES.[/b][/size]

[size=5][b]THANKS AGAIN.[/b][/size]

[size=5][b]ADAMS GOLF[/b][/size]
[size=5][b]#OWNTHESECONDSHOT[/b][/size]

[AdamsGolf]

[quote name='chadly643' timestamp='1397883869' post='9123517']
How do Adams hybrid clubs compare with all the new driving irons that are gaining in popularity?
[/quote]

[i]We call our club the Pro Dhy, which stands for “Driving Hybrid”. The reason ours is a hybrids and every else is an iron is because we were the only ones who thought about putting bulge and roll on our club- help with corrective spin. Ina addition long irons are difficult to hit and hybrids iron. Calling a club that was as easy to hit as our Dhy seem wrong to call it an iron. - Fox [/i]

[rtraudt]

[quote name='AdamsGolf' timestamp='1398278642' post='9153281']
[quote name='jsams222' timestamp='1397926898' post='9125373']
Do the Adams engineers start from scratch when designing a new iron series, or do you possibly pull designs from very successful past iron series like Ping Eye 2 series?
[/quote]

As engineers we always strive to improve a product, it is important to take what was learned from previous designs (Adams and competitor) and build off of it. We will always challenge ourselves to find a new way to design an iron (a never ending process that we love!), but the most effective way to improve an iron is to start with where you finished and find ways to improve it. [b]It’s fun to look back over the years to see how we got to today’s XTD cross cavity iron![/b] -JG
[/quote]

Can you expand on this a little? Given how unique the design of the XTD cross cavity is, where specifically did inspiration for such a design come from? With certain clubs it's easy to see where they may have gotten the idea from (eg. the SLDR and Big Bertha movable weight technology seen years before from Mizuno), but with the XTD I simply can't think of any past clubs that even remotely resemble them.

[mikes919]

Thanks again Adams!! This was the best Q&A that I remember reading. Lots of great info!

[fishstix94]

Yea awesome job guys! And I appreciate you guys taking the time to answer all of the questions!

Fish

[MaydayGSXR]

[quote name='AdamsGolf' timestamp='1398277973' post='9153179']
Right, 18* would be the ideal choice for a driving iron. That is for the guy that just isn't comfortable with any of the more traditional hybrids we offer and wants something they can hit bullets with off the tee. The other lofts come in to play more as direct iron replacements...21*=3i, 24*=4i, and 27*=5i.
-Matt Neeley @mattneeley
[/quote]

Ah, thanks again for clearing it up! So as far as iron replacements go, I'm assuming the turf interaction is pretty good for shots that aren't tee'd up? I see the lengths are pretty much congruent with iron lengths, so I'd venture to guess they work fairly well as an iron replacement all over the course (and not just the tee box).


Oops, Q&A is over. Thank you very much for the interaction on here! Kudos to you guys! Got a ton of good information out and now I'm itching to go out and hit some DHy's.. Thanks for taking the time to do this, I hope it was fun for you guys to read some of our comments/questions, lol.

[mikshan]

Thanks for taking the time to answer all the questions. Looking forward to your new equipment!

[jcorna01]

Thanks for answering so many questions! Great read.

[gprubes]

[quote name='AdamsGolf' timestamp='1398273927' post='9152453']
[quote name='gprubes' timestamp='1397783060' post='9115535']
With so many different hybird models and options available, what is the biggest factor in releasing a hybrid to the golfing public??

Thanks in advance (if you answer my question) and thanks for taking time to answer question for us GolfWRX'rs!!
[/quote]

[i]Since Adams Golf is the leader in hybrid purchase consideration and the #1 hybrid on tour the decision to launch a new hybrid is different than other products. With other products like players irons, we need to take a close look at the market and see what the golfer needs and what no other company is creating, because we are not the leader in player irons. However with hybrids, since we are the leader, the biggest factors in launching a hybrid is first, what the golfer needs and less about what the competition is doing. The second biggest factor in launching a hybrid is what is doing well on tour. [/i]

[i]It is clear with our current line of hybrids that they either fill clear needs in the market or have been a leading model on tour at some point and work for all golfers. See below for how we position these hybrids. [/i]
[i]New idea hybrid – the easiest to hit hybrid [/i]
[i]Pro hybrid – the #1 model on the PGA, LPGA and Champions tour last week[/i]
[i]XTD Ti – Premium Titanium hybrid for golfers looking for the best of the best[/i]
[i](Michael Fox)[/i]
[/quote]

Thanks for the reply and thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules to do this for GolfWRX and us golfers!!

[Nikepro1]

Can you name some of the non adams staffers that play your hybrids? Thanks a bunch

[JBirdUt]

It appears Adams has discontinued its association with LPGA players. My daughter loves her Super S Driver, woods, and hybrid. She is currently a single digit handicap. What, if any plans does Adams have for its iron line for the better playing ladies?

Thanks.