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LiquidMetal burst on the scene in the 90s and every golfer saw the informercial that promised more distance.
From 1999 (From PGA Show)
Liquidmetal sounds more like something out of a Terminator movie than a material used to make golf clubs. And when you ask executives of Liquidmetal Golf what other applications the alloy might have, they respond as if you're requesting information pertaining to national security.
Then again, Liquidmetal, which is touted as being twice as strong as titanium and three times as strong as stainless steel, was created in the 1950s by California Institute of Technology scientists looking to develop aerospace materials. It was not until 1992, however, that researchers there were able to make it thick enough to use for anything. These days, Liquidmetal Golf licenses the material through Cal Tech, which has received grants from the U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Energy.
That's a lot of power behind a golf club. Amorphous Technology, the parent company of Liquidmetal Golf, will say that the alloy is being used by NASA, with astronauts recently taking a form of the metal on the space shuttle to help determine better ways to process bulk metallic glasses. Back on Earth, the substance could revolutionize the golf club industry, which accounts for $2 billion annually in the sale of drivers alone.
"We believe we're about 40 years ahead of our time," says James Kang, CEO of Liquidmetal Golf. "Titanium was invented in the Cold War, and only later did people realize they could use it for other things. We're exactly the opposite. We have this exotic material that we're putting towards sporting goods first. And we believe golf clubs are the perfect fit."
Liquidmetal consists of titanium, zirconium, copper, nickel and beryllium. Unlike other metals, during casting it does not cool with atoms forming into crystals. It retains the same amorphous atomic structure.
For those of us who barely passed high school chemistry, here's what that means: Liquidmetal transfers more energy to the ball at impact than other clubhead materials, producing more power and, presumably, a longer drive. Normally during a shot, some energy is converted to heat and some absorbed by the club. Steel and titanium heads typically transfer 60 percent to 70 percent of the club's energy. According to Liquidmetal Golf, the alloy transfers 99 percent of the energy because of its amorphous structure, producing a soft but solid feel when the ball is struck. The Liquidmetal clubs have a larger sweet spot, helping to correct off-center hits.
"Because we have no weakness in atomic structure, Liquidmetal doesn't absorb any energy," Kang says. "It's pure energy transfer."
During one test the company demonstrates at trade shows, three steel balls are dropped one foot through test tubes onto striking plates made of steel, titanium and Liquidmetal. The ball bounces on the steel for 19 seconds and on the titanium for 22 seconds. But it keeps going for 1 minute and 20 seconds on the Liquidmetal. The company has set up versions of the test at some retail outlets.
The breakthrough in Liquidmetal research came in 1992, when Cal Tech professors Bill Johnson and Atakan Parker found a method to form the alloy that would enable it to cool more slowly, yet remain amorphous. More important, their process yielded chunks of the substance up to an inch and a half thick. Their predecessors in the 1950s could only produce thin strips since thicker pieces took too long to cool and lost their amorphous structure.
Johnson and Parker, who now work with Liquidmetal Golf in addition to their academic work, found a way to force-form the material into molds. In order for the alloy to take the proper shape as it cools, it's kept under such high pressure that it requires an 8,000-pound steel mold to withstand the force.
Not surprisingly, the technology does not come cheap. Liquidmetal unveiled its putter at $400 last summer, followed by irons at $2,400 a set in the fall. The driver ($595) was introduced at the PGA of America Merchandising Show in Orlando this winter.
The company previously marketed its clubs in South Korea, where they ranked as the third-best selling clubs despite a $1,000 price tag for the driver alone because of trade tariffs and duties.
"We knew because of the price point that we weren't going to capture a large part of the market initially," Kang says. "We're obviously not going to sell $300 million worth of drivers this year. But we do hope to become the premium brand."
LPGA veteran Pearl Sinn uses the Liquidmetal driver on tour and has improved her driving distance. Last year, Popular Science magazine honored Liquidmetal clubs with a "Best of What's New Award" in the area of technological development.
Like any new technology, the cost is likely to come down over time. Kang says the company plans to produce lower-priced, smaller-sized drivers. It also is exploring other sports applications, such as fishing reels and ski components. Baseball bats would be a natural outgrowth but won't be pursued because of the dangerous exit speeds produced by existing metal bats.
"We think this could be like plastic in the sense that it could have dozens of different uses," Kang says. "There are probably things we haven't even thought of yet."
Some Driver Pics
From 1999 (From PGA Show)
Liquidmetal sounds more like something out of a Terminator movie than a material used to make golf clubs. And when you ask executives of Liquidmetal Golf what other applications the alloy might have, they respond as if you're requesting information pertaining to national security.
Then again, Liquidmetal, which is touted as being twice as strong as titanium and three times as strong as stainless steel, was created in the 1950s by California Institute of Technology scientists looking to develop aerospace materials. It was not until 1992, however, that researchers there were able to make it thick enough to use for anything. These days, Liquidmetal Golf licenses the material through Cal Tech, which has received grants from the U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Energy.
That's a lot of power behind a golf club. Amorphous Technology, the parent company of Liquidmetal Golf, will say that the alloy is being used by NASA, with astronauts recently taking a form of the metal on the space shuttle to help determine better ways to process bulk metallic glasses. Back on Earth, the substance could revolutionize the golf club industry, which accounts for $2 billion annually in the sale of drivers alone.
"We believe we're about 40 years ahead of our time," says James Kang, CEO of Liquidmetal Golf. "Titanium was invented in the Cold War, and only later did people realize they could use it for other things. We're exactly the opposite. We have this exotic material that we're putting towards sporting goods first. And we believe golf clubs are the perfect fit."
Liquidmetal consists of titanium, zirconium, copper, nickel and beryllium. Unlike other metals, during casting it does not cool with atoms forming into crystals. It retains the same amorphous atomic structure.
For those of us who barely passed high school chemistry, here's what that means: Liquidmetal transfers more energy to the ball at impact than other clubhead materials, producing more power and, presumably, a longer drive. Normally during a shot, some energy is converted to heat and some absorbed by the club. Steel and titanium heads typically transfer 60 percent to 70 percent of the club's energy. According to Liquidmetal Golf, the alloy transfers 99 percent of the energy because of its amorphous structure, producing a soft but solid feel when the ball is struck. The Liquidmetal clubs have a larger sweet spot, helping to correct off-center hits.
"Because we have no weakness in atomic structure, Liquidmetal doesn't absorb any energy," Kang says. "It's pure energy transfer."
During one test the company demonstrates at trade shows, three steel balls are dropped one foot through test tubes onto striking plates made of steel, titanium and Liquidmetal. The ball bounces on the steel for 19 seconds and on the titanium for 22 seconds. But it keeps going for 1 minute and 20 seconds on the Liquidmetal. The company has set up versions of the test at some retail outlets.
The breakthrough in Liquidmetal research came in 1992, when Cal Tech professors Bill Johnson and Atakan Parker found a method to form the alloy that would enable it to cool more slowly, yet remain amorphous. More important, their process yielded chunks of the substance up to an inch and a half thick. Their predecessors in the 1950s could only produce thin strips since thicker pieces took too long to cool and lost their amorphous structure.
Johnson and Parker, who now work with Liquidmetal Golf in addition to their academic work, found a way to force-form the material into molds. In order for the alloy to take the proper shape as it cools, it's kept under such high pressure that it requires an 8,000-pound steel mold to withstand the force.
Not surprisingly, the technology does not come cheap. Liquidmetal unveiled its putter at $400 last summer, followed by irons at $2,400 a set in the fall. The driver ($595) was introduced at the PGA of America Merchandising Show in Orlando this winter.
The company previously marketed its clubs in South Korea, where they ranked as the third-best selling clubs despite a $1,000 price tag for the driver alone because of trade tariffs and duties.
"We knew because of the price point that we weren't going to capture a large part of the market initially," Kang says. "We're obviously not going to sell $300 million worth of drivers this year. But we do hope to become the premium brand."
LPGA veteran Pearl Sinn uses the Liquidmetal driver on tour and has improved her driving distance. Last year, Popular Science magazine honored Liquidmetal clubs with a "Best of What's New Award" in the area of technological development.
Like any new technology, the cost is likely to come down over time. Kang says the company plans to produce lower-priced, smaller-sized drivers. It also is exploring other sports applications, such as fishing reels and ski components. Baseball bats would be a natural outgrowth but won't be pursued because of the dangerous exit speeds produced by existing metal bats.
"We think this could be like plastic in the sense that it could have dozens of different uses," Kang says. "There are probably things we haven't even thought of yet."
Some Driver Pics
