Getting the ball into the air is integral to good golf. Sounds easy but for some players it's not that simple and when it's a struggle the game isn't as much fun.
Club design has long addressed this problem, looking for solutions to make the game easier to play for those golfers, but Adams Golf is now taking this concept a step further.
Meet Adams Blue and its 'Easy Launch System'.
Adams Blue is a whole range of golf clubs, including a driver, fairway wood and hybrid/iron combination set that have been created with the sole aim of helping golfers get the ball in the air more easily and more consistently. If you do that the game is more fun and it's hard to argue with that.
Brian Bazzel, Senior Director of Product Creation, explains what Adams is trying to achieve:
Quite simply, Adams Blue is engineered to help golfers hit higher, straighter shots more consistently. Through a sophisticated, simple design, Blue matches an aesthetically-pleasing look with proven performance technologies to make the game more fun for more golfers.
Adams Blue Easy Launch System
Launch conditions are basically the physics behind ball flight. Take some inputs like club head speed, launch angle and spin rate at impact and the answer to the equation is where your golf ball ends up.
Adams take on this is refreshing in that they have taken this set of rules and come up with three performance features that work together to give golfers who need it as much help as possible in getting more air on their shots more consistently.
The first part of the Easy Launch System will be familiar to followers of previous Adams golf clubs, the Velocity Slot. The company were the first to introduce slots in early versions of their Speedline Woods and the fact they are now so familiar are testimony to the fact that they work.
The Velocity slot helps the clubface flex more at impact meaning the players get more consistent ball speed across more of the face at impact. This means both gains in distance and accuracy resulting in better golf shots.
The second facet of "Easy Launch" is the centre of gravity (CG) position that Adams are adopting for all of the metalwoods and irons in the Blue range.
Positioning CG low and back in the clubhead is essential in promoting a higher launch for the ball with more spin, which in turn helps the ball get further into the air, so combining for more carry on all shots.
By keeping the ball in the air as long as possible it flies further giving players more distance. Adams has been careful in designing the Blue range that the placement of the CG works best with as many swing speeds and swing styles as possible making it fit to the largest possible number of golfers who require help to get the ball launched.
The final piece of the Easy Launch trinity is the new SlimTech shafts that Adams have put into the Blue range.
A narrower diameter at the tip of a golf shaft promotes a lower kick point in the shaft which promotes a higher launch from any lie on the course.
The SlimTech shafts have a .320mm tip in the Driver and Fairway woods which compares to .350mm in most standard products whilst the Hybrids and Irons shafts have a tip of .350mm compared to a standard of .370mm.
So there you ave it. Velocity Slot's, low and back CG and narrower shaft tips get together to promote an easier launch for more enjoyment from all clubs in the bag. Adams have added a internal draw bias to counter the tendency of golfers with slower swings to slice the ball, as well as a confidence inspiring look at address.
Adams Blue Driver
The Adams Blue driver is available in lofts of 9.5°, 10.5° & 12° with a 55g Aldila SlimTech shaft and have a MSRP of £199.
Adams Blue Fairway Wood
The Adams Blue Fairway Woods come in three lofts of 15°, 19° & 22° with a 55g Aldila SlimTech shaft and have a MSRP of £149.
Adams Blue Hybrid And Irons
Adams Blue Hybrids have four lofts of 19°, 21°, 23° & 25° and come with a 55g Aldila SlimTech shaft. The hybrids can be bought individually with an MSRP of £129 or as part of a hybrid iron combination set.
The combination set consists of a 3 and 4 hybrid together with 6 irons (5-PW). The irons come with either a True Temper Dynalite SlimTech 85g shaft with a set MSRP of £599 or with graphite 55g Aldila Slim Tech shafts at £699.
The iron set (5-PW) can also be purchased separately with an MSRO of £399 for steel shafts and £499 for graphite shafts.