There was a time when golfers did not view Kirkland Signature as a serious golf brand, despite the fact that, in general, the brand has a reputation for offering quality items at discounted prices. Even with that product pedigree, it took a while for golfers to buy into the idea of buying golf equipment at Costco.
These days, that’s not the case. Kirkland Signature apparel is played by players around the world. From the wedges to the driver and especially the ball that started it all, KSig, Costco golf equipment is trusted by thousands of golfers.
I personally love their gloves and have been very impressed their first shooter offering.
I say “first” offering because today we welcome the arrival of Kirkland Signature’s latest signature. This time, the warehouse club designers have harnessed the computing power of artificial intelligence and developed a new approach to increase MOI.
Using these advanced technologies, designers created the new Kirkland Signature KSMZT zero-torque hammer.
“Looks like they just put something in ChatGPT.”
That’s pretty much exactly what I said when I first saw the photos of the prototypes. I may have added the f-word here and there, but that’s the general vibe of my answer.
Seriously, if a high school student took a five minute recess 6-7 nonsense, they could have designed these paws on a single spurt.
“Bruh, make a Kirkland zero-torque gauge and make it drink, capless!”
Since I’m just an NPC who stopped listening to new music after My Chemical Romance, I don’t fully understand that sentence, but I can tell it hits home differently.
Did they really just use AI to design the gauge?
As it turns out, this was pretty close to how the design process went, at least for the initial permutations of the pitcher. I asked an engineer involved with the project, who asked to remain anonymous, if they just used ChatGPT to make the gauge. This was their response:
“BFFR now. We ate and left no crumbs.”
For me, using ChatGPT makes sense. Costco must produce products with razor thin margins to remain competitive. They don’t have the deep pockets of an OEM like Callaway to develop their own supercomputers with machine learning algorithms.
They used the design tool that was most cost effective.
Rumor has it that early models were created with the free version. Later, they determined that upgrading to the $20 per month ChatGPT subscription made all the difference.
Harnessing fluid science to increase MOI and eliminate torque
The key to any successful Kirkland Signature product is keeping the price low while making the quality comparable to that of higher priced competitors.
That’s why it has so many fans Kirkland signature golf ball and Kirkland brand French vodka. You can walk out of your local Costco with two dozen golf balls and 1.5 liters of vodka for less than $50. That’s a weekend plan if ever I saw one!
With the zero-torque machine market becoming increasingly competitive, cost-conscious engineers turned to a new and inexpensive material to make their equipment not only zero-torque, but also one of the most durable on the market.
What was the miracle material that made the difference? Mayonnaise.
How does mayonnaise maximize MOI?
Remember when tidal wave bats were all the rage in the 40+ recreational softball leagues? For the uninitiated, these bats had water inside that would flow out of the handle at the bottom of the barrel when the batter took a swing.
This added mass and momentum to the batter’s swing, resulting in a lot of undeserved noise.
Because the putter’s head swings at a slower rate than a soft club, engineers had to use a material with a higher viscosity. Although not the first choice, mayonnaise was determined to provide the perfect combination of density and desirable fluid dynamics.
The science behind the secret surprise sauce
Injecting mayonnaise into a hollow rubber head increases the insert’s moment of inertia (MOI) by redistributing mass toward the circumference while simultaneously dampening internal vibrations. Because mayonnaise has a higher density than air but remains semi-liquid, it can occupy internal cavities and effectively add mass without requiring solid structural components. When the added mass is positioned away from the tire’s center of rotation, the polar moment of inertia increases, making the stick more resistant to twisting in off-center impacts. This increased rotational stability can help maintain face angle at impact, reducing drive dispersion in the gums.
Additionally, the viscous nature of mayonnaise absorbs some of the impact energy and suppresses high-frequency vibrations, producing a smoother feel and a more desirable muted acoustic response. Our data shows that this mayo-assisted mass delivery system delivers MOI characteristics previously only achievable through extreme multi-material constructions, setting a new benchmark for stability and feel in modern iron engineering.
-Dr. Anne E. Mulson, Ph.D
To put it simply, mayonnaise fills the empty space inside the pan. Unlike injected foams or other solid polymers, mayonnaise retains some of its ability to move.
When you backspin, mayonnaise flows gently to the back and circumference of the head, eliminating torque and stabilizing the swinging head. When you return to the kick position, the mayo flows forward maintaining torque elimination and improving both feel and end-to-end spin characteristics.
The Kirkland Firm’s Price Advantage
By using mayo instead of a more typical (and expensive) weight distribution material like tungsten or steel, Costco was able to set the MSRP for the KSMZT hammer at $66.99.
The shot is also environmentally friendly. The mayonnaise is biodegradable and the rubber body is made from recycled aluminum cans. Normally, this thin aluminum would collapse after hitting a golf ball, but the low pressure mayo internal component provides the support needed to strengthen the face.
In general, the plant is very cheap to produce. Most of the cost of materials comes from the Kirkland Signature brand SuperStroke glove. While they explored less expensive grip options, the consensus of the design team was that the SuperStroke grips felt good and gave them versatility.
Multipacks available
Unlike the original KS1 handset, the KSMZT will also be sold in a multi-pack option. Costco understands that many golfers require more than one golfer to get through a golf season. If your shooters tend to run out of birds or go for spontaneous pond swims, the multi-pack option is for you.
Big names already use the Kirkland Signature KSMZT oven
You may feel skeptical about the performance-enhancing properties of mayonnaise. Would it ease your mind to hear that some familiar names are playing the role of KSMZT?
Here’s a photo of Adam Scott playing the new hammer in preparation for April’s major tournament in Augusta, Ga.
The super-talented Nelly trusts the new mayo-based technology enough to play pretty during a final round at Monterey.
With that kind of star power, I fully expect KSMZT to be the “It” player of 2026.
Can mayonnaise bring delicious dishes?
I personally haven’t had any”learn about a pretty full of mayo” in my April 1st planner. I have to admit I’m intrigued by the concept. Could something so far from the accepted norm be the next big innovation in tire design?
It wasn’t that long ago that many of the most popular hammer players in the game today would have been dismissed as unplayable by the golfing population. Time has shown us that what we see as strange today may be the accepted norm tomorrow.
Like runners, lilacs, Nickelback, and changing shoes in the parking lot, mayo-infused inserts may become so commonplace that we wonder how we ever got by without them.
I’m excited to see where this goes, but I have to leave you with a cautionary tale.
Even though mayonnaise is food grade, putting the contents of your device on your hotdog in a twist will reduce the inertial characteristics of the tosser. You will also need to refrigerate it after opening.
Find out more about new mayonnaise soaking technologies at mayo-putter.com.
