PRODUCT REVIEW

Product Review: Thomas AT 505 Irons Helps you Hit the Bulls-Eye

By Robert Lewis

If you can't aim a rifle, how can you shoot your target?

Golf manufacturer Thomas Golf of Carlsbad, California believes the key to a successful golf game begins with the ability to accurately aim and align yourself to the pin.

Thus Thomas, a custom golf manufacturer, has launched the Advanced Aim & Alignment AT 505 irons series. Having played 36 holes of golf with the Thomas series, I didn't need to read the press material to understand why these clubs made great sense. The Thomas irons bear close resemblance to the Calloway X-14 series in both feel and appearance. The irons come armed with a line indicator (see picture) on the top of the heads that make it easy to align both your club and stance with your target.

An accurate shot begins with how a golfer is aligned to his target. Golfers tend to give little thought to how they are aligned to their target and wonder why they spray their shots all over the fairway. The Thomas irons gave me a huge advantage as the target line helped me achieve proper alignment of the club and body. The indicator is level to the ground and parallel with the target line. The target line on these irons is no different than having a target line on your favorite putter. Most of us wouldn't want to go on a green without a gauge of alignment or without easy understanding as to where the center spot of putter resided.

Thomas is treating irons and woods with the same philosophy as a putter.

Traditional golf clubs deceive and confuse us and make it difficult to achieve proper alignment. If you look at the head of a traditional golf club you will notice:

1. The slanted top of an iron points 20° to the right of the target line.
2. The leading edge of an iron is curved and often blocked from view under the ball or grass.
3. The curved face and top of a wood cannot provide an accurate reference indicator for aiming the golf shot.

The AT 505 set includes the 3 through pitching wedge. They also offer the 1, 2, GW, SW and LW. Thomas Golf offers their clubs in 10 different shafts.

Arriving in five days after ordering, my AT 505 clubs came custom made with quality True Temper shafts and were built with the exact lie angle and club length I wanted.

Lacking the hype of a big name spokesperson or flashy endorsements, Thomas Golf is an example of a small manufacturer delivering a superior quality product with sound technology.

Ball striking from each iron was both consistent and forgiving. More than just clubs that help you achieve better alignment, the AT 505 series delivers power, stability and get high marks for absorbing shock.

The men's 505 series with a True Temper shaft costs $392 (left handed irons available) and will compare favorably with the Calloway X-14 irons. The Thomas clubs compared favorably in feel and power to their expensive competitors.

Thomas gives golfers an advantage over the Callaways and other traditional clubs with their alignment system. Thomas Golf also sells woods, putters and compenents with the same alignment system philosophy. All clubs come with a 12-month warranty.

How to order?

Call 1-888-774-6938 or go directly to ThomasGolf.com. Thomas Golf clubs are not available via retail stores or pro shops.

Editor's Note: In January 2007, a new ownership group acquired the WorldGolf.com network. The author of this article is no longer affiliated with this company.