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Heads
Bi-Materials
As technology advances we are likely to see more varied materials being used in the manufacture of golf club heads. Quite often two or maybe three materials may be used in the same head.
The main advantage of this technology is the ability to pre-determine weight distribution within the clubhead. The Dynacraft Copperhead CU woods and irons incorporate copper weighting in the sole area to help lower the centre of gravity in conjunction with the shallow face to help get the ball airborne.
The Dynacraft Ti-Tech woods are also a bi-material head but the weight of materials has been used in a different way. The face of the head is forged titanium and the shell of the head is 15-5 stainless. This means that the steel weight and mass has been removed from the face and repositioned around the perimeter.
Titanium Woods
The introduction of new materials and processes has created many possibilities. Casting or forging Titanium has allowed the size of woods to expand dramatically. Titanium is extremely lightweight but with high tensile strength. It is therefore possible to make the walls much thinner than standard steel heads, and expand the size without making the head any heavier. Some driver heads have grown to an amazing 400cc in size, such as the Dynacraft Dynaflex titanium driver. As well as the much enhanced perimeter weighting, the deep face will allow the ball to be teed up high, encouraging longer distance off the tee.
15-5 Stainless Steel
A more recent advancement in metal wood designs is the introduction of 15-5 stainless steel, which offers a high strength material capable of being cast to sizes similar to most titanium heads. It is possible that the introduction of 15-5 steel will make the titanium headed clubs extinct in years to come as it is far cheaper to produce.
Forged Irons
Traditionally irons were always forged from mild carbon steels, until a certain Karsten Solheim introduced the very first production run investment cast Ping heads. It has been said that forged heads offer a purer softer feel. Forged irons are generally more expensive than cast due to the manufacturing process and high reject rate.
Cavity Irons
Cavity designs came into being as weight was removed from the back of the head and redistributed into the sole, heel and toe of the club to provide enhanced perimeter weighting. This gives the club more resistance to twisting at impact from off centre hits. Dynacraft's most popular cavity design in recent years is the Copperhead iron. A generous cavity size and trilateral cavity weighting simultaneously offer perimeter weighting and mass directly behind the ball. Rounded soles also make the Copperhead easy to align from just about any lie.
Bladed Irons
The back of a bladed head is smooth with little, if any, visible perimeter weighting. These type of irons were generally the only design available until the advent of investment cast heads in the early 70's. The player who uses these will require a repetitive swing to hit the ball accurately in the centre of the blade, and as a result they have been termed as
"player's clubs". As the faces offer little resistance to twisting on off centre shots, they should only be fitted for professionals or players with
a grooved powerful swing.
Weight Distribution
Weight distribution within a head is a design characteristic that is pre-determined to help all golfers hit a more forgiving shot. How the weight is distributed within a head will greatly affect the outcome of any golf shot egardless of the shaft fitted.
In terms of weight distribution the biggest difference occurs between Blades and Cavity heads. With a bladed head the ball needs to be hit from the sweet spot every time to achieve a good shot. With a cavity head the weight distribution allows for off centre hits and help return the clubface square at impact, a more forgiving head design for all levels of golfer.
Offset Irons
Offset is a feature applied to most cavity heads. This allows the player who does not have a good hand action, to have a 'late hit', by allowing the blade to come into contact with the ball at the last possible moment, creating a much easier strike.
Offset Woods
Offset is an enhancement also available in some woods. The Copperhead Offset wood also features a 1 degree closed face, a combination designed expressly for the perenial slicer looking for help in getting a "hands forward" swing.
Low Profiles
A re-emerging trend with many companies is the design of low profile, sole weighted woods, a prominent feature of some antique long nose woods. The Dynacraft LCG wood is an example of this design. The aim is to create a head with a low center of gravity, whereby the mass of weight is forced below the ball's equator, helping to get the ball airborne. This is particularly useful from tight fairway lies where deeper faced clubs will not prove effective.
Dynacraft has also designed a new low profile wood and iron set - the LCG II. Each features a Bi-Metal construction with copper weighting strips embeded in the sole. The copper, being of higher density than steel, forces the centre of gravity even lower. The woods also feature sole rails which will make these clubs very playable from fairway or light rough. The irons have a super deep cavity for directional control and will ensure the ball gets airborne from any lie.
Variable Face Technology
All new Titanium Dynaflex woods feature variable face technology to produce longer, straighter drives by precisely locating the centers of gravity for maximum power and accuracy. Driver face engineering includes thinner walls at the top and bottom of the faces for maximum trampoline effect. Fairway wood faces are thinner toward the crown and thicker toward the sole to get the ball airborne more easily.
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