The Quick Six: Harry Taylor Golf

Quick Six

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If you have not heard the name Harry Taylor, you are in for a treat. While Harry Taylor Golf might be a new name in the marketplace, or an advertisement that caught your eye, the man behind the brand is anything but new. With a pedigree that matches up to just about anybody in golf, his stories are endless and his creations are timeless.

We wanted to dive a little bit deeper into the history, the plans and the future. Please welcome Harry Taylor, for another episode of Quick Six.

THP: For those that don’t know your name, can you offer some insight into your experience?

Harry Taylor: For Harry Taylor in the golf business it all started as a competitive player. Being a top ranked junior golfer, collegiate player and member of the PGA Tour for ten years golf equipment has always held a special place for me. I was on the original management team at TaylorMade. Gary Adams the founder of TaylorMade gave me my start in golf club promotion and golf club design. TaylorMade is where I started thinking about what kind of clubs I would like to see in the market place. The first club I designed at TaylorMade was the original strong three wood called the Tour Spoon. Gary Adams allowed me to be a design voice in all new products we produced from 1980 through 1991.

The second company I teamed with Gary Adams was Founders Club. This was a new start up Metalwood golf club company that had great products. I was Senior VP of this company with responsibilities of all golf club designs.We quickly became the number two metal wood on the PGA Tour just behind TaylorMade. I brought Bob Vokey from TaylorMade with me and the two of us spear headed the design of all golf clubs. I lead club design for Founders Club 1991 through 1994.

The third golf company I worked for was really where I learned the most. Mizuno USA was a high tech forged iron golf club company. I was VP and my responsibilities were the entire golf club product line and golf club promotion. I had always been so much a metalwood designer but with Mizuno I received the experience of irons and wedge design. Today Mizuno is the finest forged irons available in our golf market. I worked for Mizuno from 1994 through 2008. With my team we designed many great models of premium irons and wedges. I also created the Number One Iron on the PGA Tour. This title Mizuno held for eight years simply because of great designs and tremendous craftsmanship.

After a fourteen year run with Mizuno I left the company to give the Champions PGA Tour my best shot. I played for two years competed in about twenty tournaments but I could never get exempt status. I retired from Tournament play but did continue to consult with several golf club designers. I went back to my home town of Nashville Tennessee. I have been a member of the PGA of America for 26 years so I became the Director of Golf at a beautiful resort golf course in Nashville. I missed the golf equipment business so that is why we started Harry Taylor Design. We have started with wedges which I think is one of the most important clubs in anyone’s bag.

THP: You have worked with some brilliant Mount Rushmore type of names, what is your fondest golf equipment creation memory?

HT: I have some great memories of golf club designs. Yes, I have work along side of some great design minds. For me one of the most successful product lines I ever designed was for Mizuno and it was called T-Zoid. The brand was a tremendous success around the world. Heading up Tour promotion for Mizuno it was always so exciting for me to see the top players in the world use golf clubs that I had designed. An example was Nick Faldo using T-Zoid irons when he was the number one player in the world.

In conclusion with this question I would come up with many design concepts but it always took a team to finish a project in world class fashion.

THP: When designing a wedge, what are your creation steps?

HT: My creation steps for my wedge designs. Wow! That is a trade secret! Being a player most of my life and being around the best players in the world I know what shape I like to see and what shape most great players want to see. I have designed many wedges in my life and I do go back to some of my past work and improve on what I may of done several years ago. I will tell you my views on bounce has changed through the years and you can see the difference on my sole designs now verses 2008 models.

THP: Dimples on the sole is a polarizing image, where did the idea come from?

HT: Dimples, why Dimples. Well to be honest when you design a wide sole wedge the wide sole looks plain so you must have a design so the club looks finished. Many years ago I did put dimples on a club and I never forgot the cool look it gave the club. On the sole of our wedge the dimples makes the wedge very noticeable. Also, dimples on the sole of our wedge creates less drag because less of the sole is actually in contact with the ground and turf.

THP: When it comes to wedges, do you consider the sole the most important part of the club head?

HT: The importance of sole design on a wedge is critical if you want a wedge to perform and not just look good. I will always say a club must look beautiful to a player for the golfer to give the club a try. A wedge must have a good shape but bounce and sole width is so important for golfers to be able to hit shots to shot lower scores. I could discuss this topic a long time but remember with all the lofts of wedges there is a different sole design, bounce and sole width to create the shots golfers demand.

THP: What can we expect in the future from Harry Taylor Golf?

HT: What can you expect for Harry Taylor golf in the future? I hope GREATNESS! We have many ideas on utility clubs that will help golfers enjoy the game they love. I have a lot ideas and my partner is fully of ideas also. We want to build this brand with quality golf clubs that consumers will be proud to buy and use. I have no doubt that with my years of design experience I have a golf club that will help you hit pure golf shots. Our model is factory direct to the golfer no middle man so the best price possible for premium golf equipment.

What do you think about the answers from Harry Taylor? Join us in the THP Forum where golfers are debating and discussing this interview right now.


- Josh (The Hackers Paradise)