PowerBilt continues to make golf clubs that not only offer superior value, they also can contend in quality with premium clubs costing much more.

The combination of quality and value-pricing makes an extremely attractive proposition for golfers.

As a division of Hillerich & Bradsby, the company that makes Louisville Slugger baseball, softball and other sporting goods, PowerBilt has been in the golf business since 1916. A family-owned operation, its clubs have been used to win more than 100 professional tournaments, including eight major championships.

The latest equipment in the PowerBilt lineup includes a set of TPS Wide-Soled irons that’s actually a combination grouping of two Iron-wood hybrids and six cavityback irons. Separately, there are four TPS Composite I-woods available by themselves.

Both the I-woods and the Wide-Soled irons were rated highly satisfactory in testing among players of various skill levels assembled by GolfWeb. The irons would probably be best for mid- to higher-handicap players. The Iron-woods would be suitable for a full range of golfers.

Here’s a closer look at the latest from PowerBilt.

TPS have ease of swing and excellent return on the downswing.

WIDE-SOLED IRONS SET

The irons in the set are numbered 5-PW. The full eight-club makeup includes two hybrid clubs with 20 and 24 degrees of loft.

“The PowerBilt research and development team created the new cavityback TPS Wide-Soled irons with a challenge: make them even more forgiving, without compromising distance, trajectory and feel,” said H&B spokesman Rick Redman.

To construct the irons, PowerBilt milled a small cavity into the back of the stainless steel clubhead. The cavity is angled into the extra-wide sole (with four-way tour grind), then filled with a lighter, vibration-dampening composite material. Finally, two tungsten injections were strategically placed at the bottom of the club. The result is a low center of gravity to help golfers get the ball airborne.

The two hybrid clubs in the set are meant to replace hard-to-hit long irons or fairway woods, depending on the golfer’s preference. The I-woods, with graphite shafts, have a composite crown, with weight shifted lower and toward the back, again to help get balls airborne.

In rating the Wide-Soled irons, GolfWeb testers praised the clubs for ease of swing, excellent return on the downswing and squaring of the club, and a very solid impact. In addition, the set was cited for “real game improvement” and “tremendous value.”

Suggested retail prices for the TPS Wide-Soled irons, with two I-wood hybrids, are $499 for a set with steel-shafted irons and $549 for graphite-shafted irons.

COMPOSITE I-WOODS

Composite technology, which matches a graphite crown with a steel body, is the key to PowerBilt’s TPS Composite I-woods.

There are four models available, in lofts of 17, 21, 24 and 27 degrees.

PowerBilt's TPS Composite 3-wood.

“We started with a lightweight, composite crown,” said PowerBilt Golf president Larry Edlin, in describing the development of the I-woods. “That let us shift weight lower and toward the back. We added tungsten inserts and, bingo, we created more dynamic loft.”

Meant to replace hard-to-hit long irons, PowerBilt’s I-woods, at quick glance, look somewhat like TaylorMade’s Rescue clubs or Ben Hogan’s CFT hybrids.

PowerBilt’s hybrids include a 10-gram tungsten weight toward the heel in the soleplate.

In demo sessions, GolfWeb testers rated the I-woods very highly. They were praised for their light weight, pleasing setup, ease of swing, solid impact, workability and trajectory achieved. Some testers labeled the Powerbilt hybrids as good as any in the category.

Suggested retail prices are $99 each with steel shafts, $119 with graphite.

PITCH SHOTS

Technology Extension: Etonic has extended the G-Sok technology it introduced in shoes to a line of G-Sok gloves. All the gloves, made with Cabretta leather, feature a Stabilizer Island Thumb, Dri-Sorb Moisture Management wrist, Aerify Lycra fit. Five models will be available, beginning next week: Ultimate, G-Sok, All Weather, Rain and Winter. List prices range $12 to $22 for the individual gloves; $20 for Rain and Winter, which come in pairs.

Rimless Sunglasses: PeakVision Sports, which features Dual-Zone lenses, recently introduced an SD7 model of lightweight sunglasses. Rimless on the side and under the lenses, the top frame and arms are made from a lightweight, yet durable, aluminum/magnesium alloy. Other features include spring-loaded temple hinges, adjustable temple ends and nose bridge pads, gray tinting in the upper zone, an amber-tuned lower zone, distortion-free lenses and full UV A/B/C protection.. Available in matte black, ocean and coppertone, suggested retail price is $169.

New PowerBilt equipment specs

TPS Wide-Soled irons set -- Combo set includes 20- and 24-degree Iron-wood hybrids with graphite shafts, plus irons Nos. 5-PW with choice of steel or graphite shafts; hybrids have lightweight, composite crown construction; irons have a CNC milled small cavity in the back of the stainless steel head; cavity is angled into the extra-wide sole (with four-way tour grind), then filled with a lighter, vibration-dampening composite material; two tungsten injections strategically placed at the bottom of the clubhead; irons have low center of gravity; choice of True Temper steel or Aldila graphite shafts on the irons; hybrids have Aldila graphite shafts; list prices: $499 with steel-shafted irons, $549 with graphite.

TPS Composite I-woods -- Models come individually in four lofts: 17, 21, 24, 27 degrees; lightweight composite crown, steel body; tungsten insert in sole enhances draw bias; geometrically-centered sweet spot; U grooves; True Temper TPS Light steel shaft in R and S flexes or Aldila graphite shaft in R, S and Senior flexes; Winn V17 Arrow grips; list price $99 with steel shafts, $119 with graphite.