High-MOI / High-Technology Putter, the No. 1 Model at the Event, is Scheduled to Launch at Retail in March
CARLSBAD, Calif. (February 4, 2008) – TaylorMade® Golf’s new Rossa® Monza® Spider generated an unusual amount of excitement at TaylorMade headquarters during its development because its design and appearance are so strikingly different, and because its performance is truly remarkable. The Rossa Monza Spider, which will be available at retail in March, has already been widely embraced by PGA Tour professionals. It was the No. 1 putter model at last week’s FBR Open, and was used by the winner, who ranked No. 2 in putts per greens-in-regulation. The week prior, 12 Monza Spiders were put into play at the Buick Invitational.*
Rossa Monza Spider
"Our objective when we embarked on the creation of Rossa Monza Spider was to build a putter that delivers a quantum leap in total performance to give players better results on all types of impact locations, to promote super-smooth and accurate roll," said Sean Toulon, executive vice president of product creation and innovation for TaylorMade. "The response we’ve received on Tour confirms that Monza Spider is something special. It’s rare to see so many players put a new putter in play so quickly."
TaylorMade engineers focused on giving the Monza Spider increased stability and forgiveness because poor impact quality is so frequently the cause of poor putting among all levels of golfers. Even tour professionals frequently miss putts because they fail to hit the ball with the center of the clubface. With most putters, when impact is made toward the toe or heel, the head twists and the ball rolls off-line and finishes short of the target. Off-center hits also impart different types of spin compared to center-hits, contributing to inconsistent distance and direction.
Rossa Monza SpiderTo increase Monza Spider’s forgiveness, TaylorMade engineers had to increase its moment of inertia (MOI). They found three key ways to accomplish that:
* A steel wire-frame head construction similar to that used in the Monza Corza™, which allows them to position increased weight at the perimeter, adding stability on mis-hits that helps the putterhead resist twisting when impact is made toward the heel or toe.
* A light and strong aluminum core that allows more weight to be positioned on the perimeter, increasing MOI.
* Monza Spider’s "wings," into which Movable Weight Technology™ (MWT®) cartridges are inserted, allow substantial weight to be concentrated in areas far from the face, helping to move the center of gravity (CG) rearward, which increases MOI and stability. Of course, another benefit of the Monza Spider’s MWT is that it also gives players the option to customize its feel by changing the weights to make the putterhead heavier or lighter and/or to change the putter’s balance.
Dynamic testing of the Monza Spider’s performance on mis-hits indicates that, compared to mis-hit performance of competitive high-MOI putters, Monza Spider delivers dramatically better results when impact is made away from the center of the clubface toward the heel or toe. Specifically, Monza Spider’s high MOI helps it to deliver extremely consistent distance results on off-center hits, so that instead of coming up short, oftentimes the ball reaches the hole. "We like to say that Monza Spider turns bad strokes into good putts," said Toulon.
Rossa Monza SpiderAs for great roll, Monza Spider has the advantage of Rossa’s renowned and tour-proven AGSI®+ (Anti-skid Groove System Insert) Technology. AGSI+ features 14 polymer-filled grooves in the face that "hold" the ball briefly at impact to promote forwardspin for a smoother roll and more accurate results. The AGSI+ insert, in concert with the putterhead’s extremely high MOI, also delivers superior consistency in forward roll on off-center hits, something not shown in tests of other popular putters.
On the crown, Monza Spider incorporates an optically friendly alignment aid that was created with input from tour professionals. The aid is specially designed to work with the geometry of the putterhead and the ball to make it simple to aim the putterface accurately. That, in turn, makes it easier to get the ball started on the intended line.
In summary, the convergence of Monza Spider’s unique design geometry, advanced multi-material construction, Movable Weight Technology and AGSI+ Technology have produced something extraordinary. TaylorMade testing indicates that Monza Spider’s MOI rating is 35% higher than the tour-proven Monza Corza and more than 75% higher than the original Odyssey® White Hot 2-Ball, equaling extraordinary stability and energy transfer on heel and toe hits for dramatically improved results. Its AGSI+ Technology promotes forwardspin on center hits, and works in conjunction with its advanced geometry and weighting to dramatically diminish the production of backspin on heel and toe hits. It all allows Monza Spider to deliver a level of performance across the clubface that isn’t marginally better than other putters, but dramatically better.
* Darrell Survey putter model count, 2008 Buick Invitational and 2008 FBR Open
Odyssey is a registered trademark of Callaway Golf Company
About Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc. dba TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company
TaylorMade Golf has led the golf industry’s technological revolution since the company was founded in 1979. TaylorMade metalwoods, irons and putters have been used to win hundreds of professional golf tournaments around the world. In 1998, TaylorMade became a wholly owned subsidiary of the adidas Group. adidas Golf footwear and apparel is the choice of hundreds of professional golfers around the world. Learn more about TaylorMade-adidas Golf and its brands at (800) 888-CLUB or www.tmag.com ,www.taylormadegolf.com , www.adidasgolf.com , www.maxfli.com.
About the adidas Group
The adidas Group is one of the global leaders within the sporting goods industry, offering a broad range of products around three core segments adidas, Reebok and TaylorMade-adidas Golf. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, the Group has almost 30,000 employees and generated sales of more than ?10 billion in 2006.
Contact:
TaylorMade-adidas Golf
Public Relations Department
Scott Leightman
Tel: 760.476.5748
email: scott.leightman@tmag.com
John Steinbach
Tel: 760.918.6330
email: john.steinbach@tmag.com
