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At TZ GOLF we specialize in vintage clubs and golf related items that have a cult like following, may be underrated in some circles, are beautiful to look at, have great performance, give a better value than overpriced new clubs and will help golfers have more fun & style on the golf course.
PRGR CT-545 Carbon Faced 5,6 Irons, 2 Club SET
The CT series consists of easy to hit long irons and controllable short irons designed in 1984. Both have wide soles and a mixture of a blade and a somewhat cavity back look to the line.
PRGR is the Japanese golf company with no vowels, short for “Pro Gear” and most will assume this means the company makes equipment targeted at professional golfers. You are not correct, sir. The name intends to link the quality of materials used and manufacturing process with the professional designation. From a marketing standpoint, consider Chevrolet and GMC. Both come off the same assembly line, are mechanically identical, but one is Professional Grade while the alternative apparently is not. Professional as an adjective connotes a certain level of quality and craftsmanship, which is why companies like Snap-on (tools) and Viking (kitchen appliances) use a similar approach when labeling and marketing high-end (and high dollar) products.
In 1983, PRGR developed Head Speed Theory, which from what I gather, is a paradigm of construction where the entire club and all its components are designed with the intent to maximize clubhead speed. Today, it’s a universal and fundamental premise of club design, but a quarter-century ago, it was several steps beyond cutting-edge. At that time, PRGR also produced several series of golf balls differentiated by swing speed. This concept should sound familiar as, a little over two decades later, it became the primary selling point when Bridgestone launched a ball-fitting campaign based on whether a player had a driver swing speed above or below the breakpoint of 105 MPH.
1984 witnessed the release of PRGR’s M-1 and M-2 drivers, which featured carbon heads and The CT Series Irons, in 1986 it released a lightweight driver with a standard length of 44” (everyone else in the industry was at 43”). PRGR representatives tout the INTEST iron series of 1988 as the industry launch point for utility irons designed as part of an iron set. It’s splitting hairs, and Cobra faithful cite 1975 and the first Baffler as a line of demarcation, but nonetheless, PRGR was answering questions other companies were yet to ask. As further evidence, in the early 90s, PRGR turned driver design on its head by literally flipping the driver head upside down. This shoved the previously high/forward CG lower and rearward, which raised launch, but more importantly, increased forgiveness. Keep in mind; this is 1992. DNA fingerprinting was just invented, George Bush was President of the United States, and Microsoft released Windows 3.1.
The most notable player to sign with PRGR during this era was Corey Pavin who repped the brand from 1997-2000 while cashing in on his 1995 U.S. Open victory. The early 2000s were mostly a continuation of product design focused on pushing boundaries and expanding the product lines. In 2003, it released the DUO driver, named because of its composite carbon and titanium construction. As a point of reference, one-year later Callaway would release its first composite driver, the ERC Fusion. PRGR added Sweep in 2007, a line exclusively for women and increased brand awareness by sponsoring the PRGR Ladies Cup on the Japanese LPGA tour.
Now, like other Japanese companies, the challenge is one defined by leveraging multi-media platforms and creating a sphere of influence to build upon overseas success in an attempt to gain some market share in North America. It’s an onerous task, but one for which PRGR feels it has something unique to offer – namely better value in regards to quality of construction and performance relative to dollars spent.
By strict definition, Otaku are a faction of Japanese society whose obsessions make it impossible to function normally – Causally (and in this case) it’s more a reference to obsessions which may exceed “healthy or typical” boundaries, defined by behaviors such as paying attention to details others miss and taking additional steps in quality control, which others deem unnecessary.
PRGR hopes the net result is golf equipment which “makes the average golfer smile.” While the exacting wording gets a little clunky in translation, the message is simple. Smiles are plastered on the faces of happy golfers and happiness is a derivative of quality golf shots which feel good, and preferably unlike competing products.