Killer Bee

Model: Yellow Hornet LD
Material/Mfg: Investment Cast 6-4 Titanium, 15-3-3-3- Beta Titanium Face
Introduction: 2007

I worked with long drive competitor Pat Dempsy on the development of the Yellow Hornet LD (Long Drive) drivers. Pat was instrumental in guiding me where he desired the center of gravity to be. Likewise on identifying the optimum face height and feel/sound of the driver at impact. I used a modified version of the Reactive Cup Face which had proven to be a good upper face impact performer on the Snake Eyes 650/653 drivers. Pat promptly took the first Yellow Hornet LD engineering samples and used it for a 2nd placed runner-up in the Re/Max Long Drive Championships in the club’s inaugural outing. Unfortunately manufacturing problems followed. Just as interest was growing in the Killer Bee driver the foundry delivered inventory with out-of-spec face bulge and roll. Not a good problem when dealing with long drive competitors. After two bad production runs, a tooling change and another marginal production run, the future to the Yellow Hornet HD driver was dead. Even when dealing with some of the most reputable foundries there are some simple problems that just don’t get overcome. The LD was available only in 6.5° and 7.5° lofts. An XD version with more traditional lofts was offered in 2009.

Model: B-Sting
Material/Mfg: Investment Cast 6-4 Titanium
Introduction: 2006

The B-Sting drivers incorporated a stepped crown and sole design that was licensed from the infamous club designer Tony Antonious. Most veteran golf club designers are familiar with Tony, often from the other side of the courtroom. He and I had talked back and forth for more than a decade before I felt assured that we could do a project that wouldn’t end up in litigation. Tony had this concept of a “power ring” that extended around a driver’s skirt, thereby expanding its footprint and increasing the moment of inertia. I had created a number of designs that incorporate such a geometry but by the time the B-Sting was approved for production it had turned into a much more homogenized driver shape. Tony was insistent that we incorporate the vertical score lines ‘free of charge’ as part of the licensing package deal. The B-Sting was a good performer with a very solid sound at impact. The model would have likely become more popular under a different brand name.

Model: Yellow Hornet
Material/Mfg: 6-4 Titanium
Introduction: 2007

The first of the Yellow Hornet models was introduced late in 2006. This was one of the first “bullet” shaped drivers to be introduced to the market. The deep breadth of its design created a very rearward center of gravity capable of getting the golf ball to launch at high angles quite easily. I had taken a Yellow Hornet driver and created a 7° version as a test club for Pat Dempsy’s long drive project. He felt that the deep center of gravity contorted additional loft into the face at impact due to centrifugal force. While this was bad for a long drive competitor it proved a position design trait for your everyday golfer.

Model: Bee Sting Anti-Slice
Material/Mfg: 6-4 Titanium
Introduction: 2008

Square geometry is a natural shape for creating the physics to close the club face at impact. The center of gravity of a square driver forces its face shut and when adding offset, as I done with the B-Sting Anti-Slice, the dynamics are incredible for slice fighting. I used the same trick for the variable face bulge on this model as I had done on earlier versions of the Special Force drivers. Eight inches of bulge towards the toe and 18” in the heel ensure a ball flight that challenges the left side of the fairway. The heel-ward center of gravity contributes further to these gear-effect dynamics.