The way a supercar manufacturer builds golf clubs

McLaren Golf has revealed the work it has been talking about for the past few weeks: two different iron models, both built with MIM technology that provide performance for both better players (Series-1) and players who want some help (Series-3). Many observers have been asking why McLaren started the Golf division in the first place, but the most important question for me is How Do you build golf clubs from scratch?

McLaren Golf Club

Let’s make one thing clear: These clubs are not a partnership or a contribution with the McLaren brand. It was created from scratch by some of the game’s brightest minds, including JP Harrington, founder of JP Wedges and former Titleist employee, who is McLaren’s chief design officer for irons and wedges, and Ryan Badgero, a Cobra Golf veteran, who is McLaren’s director of engineering. They have also attached other staff working on the product who are all veterans of the golf industry. McLaren is not interested in building success. They want to start there.

McLaren also has big names in the sport who put their own money on the line of business. Justin Rose has been working with the team since the beginning. He is not only a McLaren Golf athlete but also an investor in the business and the player’s main tester when developing the design and performance of the Series-1. Michelle Wie West is also lending her name to the brand as she comes out of retirement this year to play a few tournaments on the LPGA with the new McLaren Golf equipment.

Metal Injection Molding

With a stacked team like this, McLaren is off to a good start. They know what works, what doesn’t and what to test before moving forward. And, yes, they check. Everything. Molding, casting and printing were all tested and tested until the team arrived at Metal Injection Molding, a process that allowed them to be more specific about the designs, including making their own proprietary metal combinations for the new metals.

When I asked the engineering team why they are so committed to MIM technology, something that has been around for a while, here is what they said:

“As McLaren looked to enter the golf field, testing the manufacturing techniques of the irons was a priority. MIM has its foundations in aerospace and biomedical applications that are very precise and had not yet been fully explored for its capabilities in golf, so taking a closer look at its potential was really exciting. Our testing process showed us that MPMrens would allow us to reproduce the Metrene feel and performance of forging while allowing us to create complex, close-up parts that limit value of post processing and result in an instrument that suits our design purposes.”

MIM also allowed the McLaren team to achieve larger shapes and structures that they couldn’t achieve with conventional forging or casting. What surprised me the most in talking to the team is that they use the MIM process for everything – even the tungsten weights that are installed inside, all specially designed and placed for each area, each model. Using the MIM process allows them to ensure that their tolerances are incredibly tight, meaning there is less finish work that needs to be done. The heads have a “near net shape” when they come out of the MIM process. The slow finish function means a greater degree of consistency from head to head.

MIM is also a clean process. There are no giant presses, large factory floors and dirty work areas. Imagine if the Apple Store made golf clubs: airy buildings with good lighting, and clean machines that pump irons. In the supercar market and the Formula 1 circuit, McLaren is known for luxury, precision and cutting-edge design. McLaren Golf is expected to be different. They will hold their own at the same level as any other McLaren division.

The McLaren team went through more than 100 prototypes before settling on what we now know as the Series-1 sportster blade and the Series-3 sportster grade offering.

Where do you really start?

Once the McLaren Golf team settled on the process, they set to work building conditions and putting players like Rose and Wie West through their paces. Rose was a big part of this development. The Series-1 is actually Rose’s “perfect” instrument, and now we all get to share in that. I haven’t been able to hit them yet, but from the photos and the hands-on time I’ve spent with the irons, they’re pretty good.

To start the process of designing these new instruments from scratch, the team dove into the situation first. The way the club sits behind the ball is huge, and for high-level players this look can be the difference between testing a product and sending it back to a rep or designer. Both Series-1 and Series-3 have a good presence behind the ball. The Series-1 is obviously a smaller package with a thinner top line and shorter blade length, but the Series-3 was amazing. The specs sheet listed for the Series-3 might trigger some people who are against the offset, but the way the design hides the offset is really nice. You certainly don’t feel very comfortable where you are.

Once they get the perfect shape and how the club is going to look after the ball, then they get into one position, which from a performance standpoint can be the next difference in a long list of things that can shut down a player. How the club passes down the ground determines how the player will hit the ball. That strike decides to work. Bad turf interactions can stop progress quickly.

McLaren took an interesting approach here with the Series-3, featuring a single forgiving design with a unique cutout in the heel section. These small cuts help locate the heel of the club by using the turf more effectively. The Series-1 has a slightly narrower sole, but nothing I’d consider knife-like with a decent amount of front-wear edge relief that helps clubs get through the planted area quickly without digging too hard.

With dialed mode, it’s all about the CG scene and the big buildings. Ensuring that each instrument’s CG, each loft, is driven to the proper launch expectations and performance windows is critical. This was one of the biggest areas where Rose had an experimental impact. Both the Series-1 and Series-3 have many targets that are tough on endurance.

Another way that MIM has helped in the design of these parts is in the CG counterweights that sit inside the cavities of both instruments. These balancing weights are not identical in a set. They are different weights and slightly different shapes in each head to help create a completely consistent feel set, while making it easy to launch clubs with lower ranges and control higher options. They are also used as a way to ensure that the headpieces of each instrument head match. The weights will not be user friendly, meaning they are not intended to be a weight conversion tool but rather to be a final headweight and CG position measurement that the McLaren factory will fit properly before being sent to custom builders, or to the homes of new McLaren Golfers.

How do ‘McLaren’ instruments?

For me, this is where some of the coolest back stories come from. Both wheels have a mesh pattern on the outside of the wheel that mimics the design element behind the McLaren W1 supercar. That mesh design also has structure; it’s not just for decoration. It was designed to help them save weight which can then be lowered down and towards the border to increase the MOI of both different models without losing integrity in power, sound or feel.

The Series-3 also has a carbon fiber bonnet at the rear, which is perhaps the most obvious connection back to McLaren Automotive and McLaren Racing. I love that they found a way to add this bit of carbon fiber to the Series-3 because it gives another nod to the McLaren auto while also serving another function. That bonnet was designed to help improve sound and feel, and by using carbon fiber they were able to achieve some unique features. After hitting the Series-3 on the go, I have to say that the sound and feel of this instrument is fantastic.

A final nod is the numbering alone, which complements the digital pattern that links back to McLaren Racing. I love this, too. It’s a simple way to differentiate the instruments from others on the market, it links back to the core McLaren product that people are familiar with and, frankly, it’s just a cool idea. It’s new, it’s different, it’s fun. There is nothing wrong with that.

McLaren has done a great thing here

I personally am happy with what McLaren is doing. I think it’s a bad thing for a major legacy brand to take this kind of approach to golf. Yes, they are expensive. No, not everyone will be able to find them. That’s the last thing that should be on any of our minds, though. McLaren is not out to undercut TaylorMade or Callaway. They prepare to make sure they reach theirs market, theirs the customer. That customer is on the more affluent side of the market, and that customer cares about looks, accuracy and details that they may not even see but are happy to have. (And proud of their friends about!)

McLaren fans will buy the gear anyway. McLaren could have easily started their golf division as a logging company by simply throwing their logo on something to sell to their fans, but they chose to start from scratch, create their own product and spend time honing their craft and offerings so that those who want a badge of pride on their wallets will also be jealous of their support. McLaren is not about the logo or name; it’s about performance. The McLaren Golf is now following in those great footsteps. So far, they have filled them well.

For now, the Series-3 is all we’ve been able to get our hands on, but the official launch of the Series-1 will follow soon. For more information on the new product and iy equipment and a chance to grab some McLaren Golf merchandise, visit mclarengolf.com.