BOBBY JONES INTRODUCES NEW BLACKBIRD SERIES FAIRWAY WOODS AND HYBRIDS WITH INNOVATIVE CUP-FACE DESIGN FOR LONGER DISTANCE
2014 Series Longest Ever By Jesse Ortiz
Bordentown, NJ – Bobby Jones, celebrating the iconic brand’s 25th anniversary in 2014, unveiled today the latest fairway wood and hybrid creations from master club designer Jesse Ortiz. The new Bobby Jones Blackbird Series, named after the Air Force’s stealth titanium fighter jet and finished in the same satin black color scheme, promises to be the longest offering in Jesse Ortiz’s storied career, thanks to a new innovative cup-face design.
Both the fairway woods and the hybrids feature a CH-1 maraging steel cup-face design producing increased CT ratings while reducing the spin rate and creating a more piercing ball flight. This innovative club construction is made possible through a patented nickel brazing technique that eliminates the need for conventional welding and allows for the joining of two thin, dissimilar metals—the CH-1 of the club face and the 17-4 steel used in the body. The new brazing technique creates weight savings of 3 to 4 grams over welding, allowing for the relocation of that weight from the face of the club to a more desirable location in the sole.
The fairway woods, available in 15 and 17-degrees of loft, are on average 12 yards longer than previous Bobby Jones fairway woods as a result of the new ‘hotter’ cup-face design, according to robot testing. Featuring a shallow profile with a very low center of gravity, complemented by Ortiz’s trademark drag reducing inverted runners, this head design is ideal for addressing the ball in tight lies and allows for ease of use when playing a shot ‘off the deck’ in the fairway. The new woods offer adjustability via a weighted screw of either aluminum or tungsten to increase or decrease distance as desired. The lighter the screw, the longer the club will play—the 17-degree resembles a 3-wood with the light aluminum screw and a 5-wood with the heavier tungsten option. The clubs offer additional adjustability in the slim, superlight, adjustable aluminum hosel – allowing for square, one-degree closed or two-degree closed face angles.
Blackbird Series Hybrids’ New Face Design Reduces Spin for Straighter Shots
In the Blackbird Series hybrid line, Ortiz’s new cup-face design reduces spin rate by 700 RPMs over previous Bobby Jones hybrids. The new hybrid line does, however, retain the contoured sole and leading edge popular in previous models, reducing the chance of the heel or toe grabbing turf and resulting in twisting of the clubhead. This makes the clubhead extremely versatile in trouble lies, especially deep rough. Adjustable for lie angle only, the hybrids’ hosels provide standard or flat lie options. 2014 Blackbird Series hybrids are available in 18, 21, 25, 30 and 35-degrees of loft.
“When you’re asked to make clubs for Bobby Jones, you first have to appreciate how much amateur golf meant to Mr. Jones. I’ve used that inspiration to find ways to make this game more playable for amateurs of all skill levels, while still maintaining the classic elegant look you’d expect from something with the Bobby Jones name on it,” said Jesse Ortiz, Vice President of Bobby Jones golf equipment. “Thanks to the new cup-face technology we’re using, the Blackbird fairway woods and hybrids offer golfers better distance and forgiveness than ever before.”
The entire Blackbird Series features a satin black finish with iridescent red crown details that frame the head and offer easier alignment. The standard shaft offerings are Graphite Design’s G-Series in stiff, regular and senior flexes. The new clubs will be available online at www.bobbyjones.com beginning in February 2014. Fairway woods are priced at $220 and hybrids are available for $199.
