Orlando, Florida: January 29, 2005
The Ashton Golf X-1 Driver takes 1st place

Ashton Golf would like to congratulate long drive stand-out and Ashton team member Rock Hicks of Florence Kentucky on his victory at the 2005 Players Cup event in Orlando, Florida. Rock hit an impressive 375yard drive in the final round, taking home the trophy and was 10 yards ahead of the second place finisher.

"I knew it was only a matter of time," says Hicks. "My equipment is top notch and my swing is working great. I just needed to learn how to win. Long Drive is not just about getting up there and swinging as hard as you can, hoping to find the grid. With the number of rounds you have go through you have to be mentally prepared. I went up to the tee with the thought of staying within myself and things went well. I played a 4.5 degree X-1 hand picked to 4 degree loft."

"Rock Hicks is definitely a force to be reckoned with in long drive", says Ashton Golf President Cliff Barron. "I watched Rock hit the longest ball at the 2004 Re/Max World Long Drive Finals back in October, 426 yards. His reaction to his 375 yard bomb in the finals was the same. When he has caught a good one, look out. We worked hard on his equipment, making sure his launch and spin rates were optimal for his swing. The 4 degree lofted X-1 fits him perfectly."

About the X-1 Driver

The X-1 is unmatched when it comes to ball speed. The technology behind it is second to none. For harder swinging players, we did not just reinforce the head. We actually have patent pending technology called "corrugated crown technology" behind it. In conventional club heads, at swings over 130mph, the crown, sole and skirt actually deform, absorbing some of the impact energy. This leads to a decrease in energy transferred to the ball or a point of diminishing returns. High speed photography confirms this theory. Inside the X-1 we engineered a series of ribs 1" long, ½" apart all the way around the face, protruding into the crown, sole and skirt. We liken this to jumping on a trampoline. If you are 150 lbs, the trampoline legs will not bend and you will still jump high. On the other hand if you are 400 lbs the legs will bend, reducing jumping height. The result in the X-1 is less deformation, more energy transfer and higher ball speeds. There are various heads out there that look similar but what is under the hood is what matters. In head to head launch monitor testing, the X-1 is yet to be beaten by any of its competitors.