Here at WhatTheDeuce we can admit when we’re wrong, and last year we were dead wrong not to show Adams golf a little more love than we did. Adams was the first to produce a true hybrid club, and the first to make that hybrid available as part of a set. Since then Adams has continued to innovate; producing quality products at some of the most reasonable prices in the industry.

2008 is shaping up to be absolutely huge for Adams golf. In addition to a solid stable of new products, Adams has really stepped up its PGA profile, adding tour veterans Rory Sabbatini and Aaron Baddeley; the number 11 and 18 ranked players in the world respectively, to the Adams family of golfers. Sabbatini and Baddeley join a growing list of top quality players which also includes LPGA players Brittany Lincicome, Brittany Lang, Lindsey Wright and Taylor Leon. How many Brittanys are there on the LPGA tour anyway?

Kudos to Adams who won’t be overwhelming the everyday golfer with a cornucopia of clubbage or an earful of marketing mumbo jumbo. Instead, Adams offers a no nonsense selection of clubs that most anyone would be happy with.

Drivers

New for 2008 is the Insight XTD series. I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it another 20 times before this year’s guide is complete; don’t discount the esthetics of the golf club. It really does matter. Adams clearly gets that because the XTD series drivers are some fine looking clubs.

The XTD does has more of a square profile than I would generally buy, but for golfers who are solidly on board with the less traditional style, the XTD is a compelling option.

The XTD comes in two flavors, the a3OS which is optimized for players with slower swing speeds, and the a3 which is for guys like me who swing a little harder. Just like the other guys, Adams has achieved higher MOI numbers by moving discretionary weight to the outer edges of the club head.

Both XTD models come standard with a 55 gram, Aldila DVS shaft, which is one hell of a stock shaft.

It’s worth mentioning that the XTD has been selected as the official driver of the Long Drivers Association of America (LDA), so you know this thing has some muscle.

Sadly, I don’t have any pricing info for the XTD (available February), bit if I were a betting man, I’d say $249-$299.

Fairway Woods

Just like the XTD driver, the XTD fairway comes in 2 flavors. Adams believes so strongly that you’ll love this club, they offer an unconditional 30-day playability guarantee. As with the driver, I’ll take the A3 model myself.

I’m a bit peeved by the marketing data for this club. The Adams site says things like “11 yards more distance compared to conventional oversized fairway woods, Unique sole shaping and design results in 22% less turf drag that increases versatility and playability off the ground, Increased inertial properties around the hosel achieves 41% more MOI for greater forgiveness.”

Great! It’s not that I don’t believe you, but can you please be more specific? 11 more yards as compared to whose conventional oversized fairway wood? 22% less turf drag compared to what? And of course 41% more MOI than what?

For now I’ll just assume what I assume about every new club produced…more forgiveness, higher MOI, greater distance.

Hybrids

Do you carry a hybrid? Most of us do these days, and it’s fair to say we owe that to Adams. They were first on the scene with a hrbrid, and continue to make some of the best hybrids on the market.

New for 2008 is the Idea a3 Boxer. Ironically enough it doesn’t appear to be quite as boxy as last year’s idea pro (I’ll be able to say more after demo days). Adams claims that the new design of the Boxer produces an MOI 30% to 70% higher than competitors TaylorMade, Callaway, and Cobra. I don’t even want to know where my Titelist ranks.

Adams claims a higher COR (Co-efficient of restitution, in case you forgot last year’s lesson) which in addition to higher ball speed produces a better sounding club. I’m actually relieved to hear that Adams addressed the acoustics. As much as I liked the ball flight of the Idea Pro, I couldn’t get past the dull thud that it produced on impact.

Gone is the Aldila VS Proto shaft from last year’s Idea pro. The Idea a3 comes stock with a Graffaloy ProLaunch Red. Here’s hoping a pro model turns up by mid season.

Irons

Just as with hybrids, the a3 is the thing. With three models to choose from (a3, a3OS, and a3 senior), Adams has got you covered.

The OS features 6 hybrids. The 3, 4, & 5 irons are Boxer hybrids, with the 6 -8 being a a little more iron-like in appearance. Once again high COR, MOI and low and deep centers of gravity are the themes.

The standard a3 set comes complete with the same 3 Boxer hybrids as the OS. The 6 and 7 irons are more forgiving hollow-back irons, and the 8-PW which lens itself nicely to enhanced playability.

I’m still a couple of decades away from needing the senior set, so I’ll pass on the details and just tell you that it’s a complete set; driver through putter, all in one package.

Wedges

Well, what can I say, the new Puglielli is better than nothing, but at the risk of sounding short-sighted, or of yet again not showing Adams the love it deserves, if you’re looking seriously at wedges, Adams is going to be pretty far down on the list. It’s not a knock on the Adams lineup, it’s simply the reality of the situation. With Callaway’s Roger Cleveland designs, Titleist’s Vokey wedges, Cleveland’s CG series, TaylorMade’s… you see where this is going right. Adams is way behind in the wedge market, but I suspect they know that.

Putters

While Adams doesn’t have anything I’d take with me to the course, I’d love to get my hands on their Dixx Digital Training Putters. This ultra-high-tech training putter features a navigation system which determines the precise location of the face relative to impact.

Impact information, as well as swing path, speed, and tempo are all stored in the on board computer and can be displayed on the colorful LCD screen. Obviously I’m in no position to guarantee that this will help your putting, but it’s definitely the coolest piece of equipment you’ll ever seen on a putting green.

Bags

You’ve got to put your club somewhere…and well, that appears to be as much thinking as Adams has done on the bag front. It’s not that the Adams makes a lousy bag or anything. What they offer is a simple, no frills, way to carry your clubs across the golf course. There’s nothing wrong with that, but there are much more sophisticated bags available.

Realistically, filling an entire golf bag with Adams gear probably isn’t going to happen, but with some exciting stuff from drivers down to irons, they’ll get you most of the way there.

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