Golfers are sensitive about how their clubs look at address. They want it to look such a way that it inspires confidence and good feelings before they take it back to make a swing that probably won't make them feel that way.
Golfers are weird.
However, golfers spend money on clubs based on those feelings and their perception of how a club performs. So, is a golfer willing to trade off a different look for better performance? Or will they stick with something that looks great to them but doesn't perform as well as they need?
Again, golfers are strange animals, but some will take a chance on a product that looks different if it helps them shoot lower scores.
Wilson Golf is banking on that with the new C300 line of drivers, fairway woods and hybrids. The first thing you'll notice about them is red. The matte finish crown is red, and the color is prominent on the sole as well. It's different than the black, white and gray schemes you'll find in a lot of woods. Usually red, green, blue or orange are accent colors. So, that's aggressive.
What's also aggressive is the company's decision to bring the Power Holes technology from the C300 (and, previously, C200) irons to the metalwood and hybrid line. The Power Holes are designed to create more of an unsupported face and less connection points to the body of the clubs, allowing the face to flex more easily and in such a way that it offers maximum distance no matter where the ball is struck on the club.
Variants of this exist in other drivers, but the Power Holes are different in that they're on the crown and in your face. However, they're also handy as alignment aids, and most golfers won't notice them after a few swings anyhow. The two Power Holes on the sole won't be noticeable.
Wilson has also simplified its offering in terms of weight adjustments in the sole. With the C300s, the driver has three spots for weights (a pair of 6-grammers and a 2-gram weight) -- back, heel and toe. Put the 2-gram weight in the back for a neutral bias, go heavier in the toe for a fade and heavier in the heel for a draw bias.
For adjustability, the 45.5-inch C300 driver comes with Fast Fit 3.0, which is a one-piece aluminum hosel that not only saves weight but makes adjusting easier. You can adjust loft down a degree and up 2 degrees, all in half-degree increments.
In the fairway woods, there are six Power Holes, as well three weights (two 2-gram weights and a single 12-gram weight). The same adjustability options are on the fairway woods, too. The fairways are available in 13.5-, 15- and 18-degree heads.
The hybrids feature five Power Holes (two on the crown, three on the sole). There are two weight ports, but three (same setup as the fairway woods) come with the club. You can use them to set up a draw or neutral bias. The hybrids come in 17-, 20- and 23-degree heads.
The Wilson C300 driver, fairway woods and hybrids are available for pre-order. The driver costs $400 with a stock Furjikura Speeder Pro 58 shaft, which is unique to Wilson. The fairway woods are $220 each and come with a stock Furjikura Speeder Pro 68 shaft. The hybrids are $210 each and come with a stocka stock Furjikura Speeder Pro 78 shaft.
