STYLE: adidas Golf Debuts Retro

May 16, 2023

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Sooner or later, everything old is new again. And adhering to that phrase, adidas Golf is taking a trip back to the archives to offer golfers a modern take on the classic designs that defined an era in golf footwear.

Today, adidas is introducing MC80—a new spikeless footwear silhouette infused with premium materials and technologies in an aesthetic inspired by the rich history of adidas golf footwear from the 1980s. The crisp, clean design built on a gender-neutral last will be available in a broad range of men’s and women’s sizes beginning August 1.

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Adidas has designed golf footwear for nearly 50 years. As fashion trends and technology have evolved, the brand has continued to introduce footwear models that offer golfers performance and function with unique style.

For MC80, designers at Adidas were motivated by the growing trend in retro-style footwear that’s taking place in the sport. With the adidas archives at their disposal, and heritage models like the “Cherry Hill” from 1987 to inspire them, designers landed on a polished and classic design that rekindles the vintage style from eras past, all while subtly featuring today’s technology.

Masun Denison, global director of footwear for adidas, said:

“Golfers today are very much intrigued by the footwear styles from the past, but they also want a shoe that can offer modern-day performance benefits out on the course. The personality and style of MC80 is primarily designed to give golfers that modern classic silhouette, but we were able to include so many benefits that golfers don’t see. The biggest surprise that they will discover is how comfortable these shoes are out of the box, but then they’ll notice the stability and traction to go along the rich finish in the upper. It’s a unique model that we’re excited for golfers to experience.”

The MC80 in adiClub Limited Edition Off White / Collegiate Navy / Wonder Blue

The MC80 features a rich leather upper with brogue stitch detail and croc texturing throughout. For surprising comfort and stability, adidas combined LIGHTSTRIKE in the midsole with BOOST cushioning concealed in the heel. In the outsole, the MC80 features the iconic TORSION bar to provide golfers with additional torsion control and stability. adidas also included a technical spikeless TPU outsole for added traction. A rubber welt in the midsole helps to complete the look.

The MC80 in Core Black / Dark Silver Metallic / Grey Two

The heavy and stiff characteristics that often accompanied golf footwear models of the past are replaced with a lightweight and flexible upper to give golfers additional comfort as they walk throughout their rounds. Adidas also included an INSITE PU insole to help with fit, comfort and stability.

The MC80 was first introduced as part of the adidas x Bogey Boys collection through a limited-edition model. The in-line colorways for MC80 will feature a classic white and black, white with pops of yellow, and a special white and light blue limited-edition colorway exclusively for adiClub members on adidas.com.

The MC80 in Cloud White / Core Black / Bright Red

The new MC80 footwear will be available at adidas.com, the Adidas app, and at select retailers worldwide beginning Tuesday, August 1.

Cover Image via Adidas

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Ever since golf became a competitive outlet, nothing brings Eric more joy than a well struck 4 iron. And despite living in NYC, Eric makes it a priority to work on his game and fitness during the week, along with a round or two over the weekend. Fortunately, he’s got a very understanding fiancé who (for the time being) accepts him and his obsession. Follow Eric on IG @hozel_rocket.

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When you play golf, every piece of equipment has to work together.

From the woods down to your putter, your set has to work in sync. That’s what makes the golf grip such an important piece of equipment. A bad grip can lead to bad shots, and nobody wants that. Golf grip technology has come a long way over the years, but one thing with golf grips hasn’t really been upgraded to the modern golfer.

What I’m talking about is how they look. RipIt Golf is changing everything we know about golf grips by offering stylish grips that also perform well.

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When I received my box of 8 grips, or the “iron set” as they call it on the site, I was instantly impressed by how they looked. I was even more blown away by how they felt. Despite the unique designs, color options, and obvious amounts of flair, these grips really seemed to be a high-quality product. Because I only had eight grips, I had to decide what clubs would get changed out for the test. To maximize the test, I picked the clubs I expect to use the most. I changed out my driver, 3 wood, 8 and 9 iron, along with all my wedges (yes, I carry four).

The grip’s installed like any other grip I’ve ever tried. They went on easy and felt great in my hands while finally connected to my clubs. It was time to take them out to the course to see how they would hold up.

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I’ve played three rounds with these grips, and I can confidently say I am a fan for life! They do not slip in my hands at all. Shot after shot, swing after swing, the clubs feel great with these grips. I was skeptical at first because, with these wild design options, I didn’t think that they would actually perform well.

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One of the rounds I played was with a teaching professional, and I had him check them out himself. He felt the different clubs with the variety of grips, and he was equally impressed. The other rounds I played with these RipIt grips were at my local amateur. The person running the event is also a teaching professional, and after checking them out on day one, he made it a point to ask about the company on day two because he was equally impressed that they feel better than they look.

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Here is the catch with these grips. They are going to cost more than a plain tour wrap

Grip. A single grip will cost you $18.50 each. You can also buy them in a three-pack for $51.95 ($17.31 ea) or an eight pack for $133.95 ($16.74 ea). You are definitely paying for the look that comes with these grips. They will add a different level of swag to your bag, and it will cost you a bit more, but they actually feel amazing, so in my opinion, it’s completely worth it.

These grips turn heads and give an extra level of confidence to each shot I didn’t expect. I am a huge fan of this product, and I will be recommending them to everyone I play a round with going forward. Keep an eye out for this brand because they will be the grips that everyone wants to play in the coming years.

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Cover Image via RipIt Grips

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Contemporaneous with the new 2023 T-Series iron lineup, Titleist has also released new iterations of its U•505 and T200 Utility Irons to provide golfers with enhanced feel and improved accuracy in two tour-proven shapes engineered to create more scoring opportunities from distance.

The new U•505—available in 1, 2, 3 and 4 irons—is an extremely versatile, high-launching utility iron that now looks and feels dramatically better.

The new T200 utility—offered in 2, 3 and 4 irons—provides more solid feel across the face for the player seeking utility iron performance in a tour-preferred compact profile.

And both are available for fittings starting TODAY and available globally in golf shops on August 25th.

“Both new U•505 and new T200 build on the success of their predecessors and feature key refinements in feel and playability,” said Josh Talge, Vice President, Titleist Golf Club Marketing. “With this line, we have created two high-launching, forgiving and fast utility iron options that feel incredible. We have continued to drive performance while also putting a priority on exceptional feel through the strike. Combine that with an ultra-clean look, and you arrive at the new U•505 and T200 models.”

For the player seeking increased launch and speed at the top end of their bag, the U•505 is an extremely versatile, high-launching utility iron that now looks and feels dramatically better. The new model features an updated, clean design that inspires confidence at address with its shorter blade. Titleist engineers refined Max Impact Technology and added dampening in the muscle plate to guide the frequencies at impact to impart the feel that a discerning player looks for from a well-struck shot.

Max Impact Technology isn’t the only performance improvement; with an all-new stable, re-designed chassis and an even lower CG position, U•505 maintains speed and stability on strikes across the entire hitting surface. U•505’s new single taper face improves performance towards the heel to tighten dispersion and sharpen distance control.

Quoting Marni Ines, Director, Titleist Irons Development, Golf Club R&D: “Between all the changes that we made to U•505, the performance goal was to make all launch parameters across the face more consistent – from spin to launch to speed. And along with improving U•505’s playability, feel and looks were paramount. We worked extremely hard on fine-tuning sound on this iron so that impact feels fantastic. Along with that improved feel, U•505 also got an updated, tour inspired profile, so that from address, it presents a really clean and player-preferred shape.”

For the player looking to increase launch and speed in their longest irons, without sacrificing a compact profile, there’s the T200 Utility. Featuring the same technology as the new T200 irons, but offered in 2, 3 and 4 iron heads (17°, 20°, 23° of loft, respectively), T200 utility irons are engineered to be a high-launching and forgiving option at the top end of the bag.

Notably, the T200 is the most played utility iron on the PGA TOUR, as its tour-inspired shape (featuring the same blade length and offset measurements as T100 and T150) and all-around performance makes it as simple as ever to blend into a mixed set.

The new T200 utility iron features an unmistakable leap forward in feel. A completely re-designed internal structure takes T200 to a new level, with a more stable chassis, refined Max Impact Technology and a new dual taper face bringing tour-level feel and speed to this forged-face iron model. Like the T200 iron variant, the T200 utility features dense D18 tungsten and a 2000° aerospace brazing process affords Titleist engineers the ability to maximize performance in each club–from fast, high-launching long irons to accurate and forgiving short irons.

The T200 Utility at Address

The T200’s tour-inspired shape promotes a clean look from address promotes confidence, with identical blade length and offset measurements to T100 and T150 create seamless transitions throughout blended sets.

Likewise borrowing from the 2023 T200, the utility features a variable bounce sole design that’s been designed with input from tour pros and Vokey Design grind experts, and works faster and smoother through the turf.

Ines stated: “With T200 utility irons, our primary goal was to enhance feel. With so many players playing T200 in their longest irons, we wanted to build an iron that would feel as solid as the rest of a mixed set, while improving upon the speed, forgiveness, and launch that T200 is known for. With the changes we made to T200’s chassis and Max Impact Technology, we were able to dial in this improved feel without sacrificing the performance benefits that come from its multi-material, hollow-body construction.”

Both the U•505 and T200 utility come with standard—the Project X HZRDUS Black 4G (mid launch/mid spin) in 80 and 90 gram weights—and premium —two Graphite Design options: the Tour AD-DI Hybrid Shaft (mid-launch, low-mid spin) and Tour AD-IZ Hybrid Shaft (low-mid launch, low spin)—graphite shafts, and are priced at $269 with the standard graphite shaft and $399 with either of the premium graphite shafts.

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Titleist does not do annual product releases, so when something new is launched, you know it means there’s a meaningful, data-demonstrated improvement over the predecessor.

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After debuting earlier this year for Tour Validation, the new 2023 T-Series lineup has officially been released to the public, and with that, all the intimate details about what make these new irons hum.

As teased, the new T-Series is comprised of four distinct models—the T100, T150, T200 and T350—that each uniquely embody the three tentpoles of iron performance (and design) at Titleist: distance control, dispersion control and descent angle.

And all four models are available for fittings starting TODAY and available globally in stores on August 25th.

“The new T-Series irons embody a unique approach to iron design and creation,” said Josh Talge, VP, Titleist Golf Club Marketing. “Down to the finest details, this new line delivers best-in-class performance with stunning aesthetics and feel. Each model has been designed to feel as good as it looks, look as good as it performs, and perform better than any iron we’ve created before it.”

Starting at the top of the lineup, the T100 is being branded as the “modern tour iron,” as demonstrated by the fact that it can be found in the hands of Jordan Spieth, Cameron Smith, Justin Thomas, Max Homa, Will Zalatoris, Sungjae Im and Tom Kim.

The 2023 T100 features a refined, forged dual-cavity construction to deliver a more solid feel at impact, and a new precision CNC face milling process results in more consistent contact and control. With the use of dense D18 tungsten and a 2000° aerospace brazing process, Titleist engineers have eliminated weld points to be ultra-precise with center-of-gravity (CG) placement. The result: all the benefits of modern engineered performance with a solid forged feel.

And to make sure the refined chassis does its job, the sole has been redesigned with the help of both tour pros and Vokey Design grind experts. The T100’s Variable Bounce Sole has been smoothed and softened in its trail edge. The result is a faster move through the turf, even after contact.

Marni Ines, Director, Titleist Irons Development, Golf Club R&D, stated: “We worked hard to enhance feel and performance in T100. We’re still starting with forging, we’re still starting with dual cavity construction. However, this has been completely re-engineered. By strengthening the back bar of T100, we were able to carve out material in the heel, toe, and face to save weight. This gives us greater control over CG placement and results in a better feeling, more forgiving iron with tightened dispersion. With the CNC face milling process, now we have a more consistent face, more consistent grooves, which gives you more consistent spin and distance.”

The T150—replacing the former T100•S—is for the player who wants the exact precision and feel of T100 with increased speed, distance and forgiveness.

Built on the same fully forged platform as T100, T150 is engineered to be faster and longer with 2° stronger lofts, and the same blade length and offset measurements as T100 for a true player-preferred look.

Thus, the T150 shares many of the tech features of T100. But that doesn’t mean Titleist merely “copied and pasted” the design; the T150, indeed, features a refined Muscle Channel and updated shape blend under-the-hood performance with an inviting profile.

Ines commented on the T150, noting: “The main difference in T150’s construction versus T100 is the Muscle Channel through the back bar, which has been re-engineered. The Muscle Channel has been shifted forward towards the face, and our CG placement with D18 tungsten has allowed us, again, to create tighter distance control for this iron. We also listened to those players that felt as though the shape of T100•S was on the smaller side. With this iron, we took that feedback and increased the topline thickness and widened the sole, which also gave us the ability to drive the CG lower. Whether they’re playing T150 throughout the set or taking advantage of its performance through a blended set, players will get the ball speeds and launches they need throughout the bag with T150.”

The T200 is the “players distance iron,” and looks to provide added distance and forgiveness without compromising on looks, feel, trajectory or stopping power.

“The looks and performance of the previous generation T200 was really a first of its kind,” Talge said. “To have a model look like a Player’s iron but perform like a Game Improvement iron was a massive step forward, and that was reflected in the tour adoption of T200. But we knew in this generation if we could improve feel, while also pushing performance gains, we could take T200 to the next level, and that’s exactly what Marni and his team accomplished.”

This new iteration features an unmistakable leap forward in feel. A completely re-designed internal structure takes T200 to a new level, with a more stable chassis, refined Max Impact Technology and a new dual taper face bringing tour-level feel and speed to this forged-face iron model.

Like the T100 and T150, the T200 features D18 tungsten and a 2000° aerospace brazing process affords Titleist engineers the ability to maximize performance in each club, and a revised Variable Bounce Sole designed with the help of the tour pros and Vokey Design grind experts

Ines stated: “When we set out to improve T200, feel was the top priority for the project. Listening to our players’ feedback, we didn’t change T200’s shaping. On the inside, everything changed. We re-engineered the chassis and moved the core support bar closer to the center of the face. We also re-designed the flange to which the polymer muscle is attached and altered the thickness of the polymer core. All that went into these changes stemmed from the goal of making T200 feel as good as it looks.”

Finally is the T350, which replaces the T300 but looks to help the golfer who wants high launch, exceptional distance and forgiveness.

With an all-new hollow-body construction inspired by the tour-proven T200 chassis, the T350 maximizes speed and forgiveness through refined Max Impact Technology, a new dual-taper forged face and dual tungsten weighting.

“T350 is the best Game Improvement iron we’ve ever made. The performance – high, far, forgiving – speaks for itself, and when you add the feel and looks, it really sits in a class on its own,” Talge said. “To see our most forgiving iron model be put in play on tour really proves the versatility of this entire line and shows that the performance benefits from an iron like this is not limited to just one kind of player.”

The T350 takes all the best parts of the T100, T150 and T200, and turns the volume up to 11 so it can provide maximum forgiveness while retaining a pure player’s feel at impact. Indeed, the T350 features the same dual-tungsten weighting found in T100, T150 and T200, which further promotes solid feel paired with maximum forgiveness.

Likewise, refinements and reinforcements to Max Impact Technology couples with a new dual-taper, forged face to impart tremendous speed across the entire hitting surface. As a result, the T350’s face design promotes long and consistent carry distances on on- and off-center strikes, resulting in predictable and playable distance.

Quoting Ines: “The overall construction for T350 represents a massive step forward from the previous generation. We’ve gone from a one-piece cavity back construction to this forged, dual-taper face and hollow-body construction. T350 benefits from a re-vamped Max Impact core support, which we moved closer to the center of the face. The entire chassis has been stiffened, which helps to dampen vibration. We moved from a single tungsten weight to heel/toe tungsten weighting, which gives T350 a bump in MOI. With all these changes, we’ve created a platform that is all-around better performing versus the old model. It’s faster across the face, it flies higher, and it has tighter dispersion.”

Each of the 2023 T-Series irons are available with steel and graphite shafts that complement the club design (low vs. high launch), and are priced at $200 per club with steel ($1,399 for a 7-piece set) or $216 with graphite ($1,499 for a 7-piece set).

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