Courtesy: Element 21

In November of 2006, a Russian cosmonaut whacked a golf ball off the International Space Station.

It was a publicity stunt, as you can well imagine, for a company called Element 21.

The golf ball, by the way, is still orbiting the earth. Call it permanent hang-time.

At any rate, the point of the exercise was to promote the company's new line of golf clubs using a metal called scandium. The metal is literally space age and is found widely on the Space Station itself.

"Element 21" comes from the fact that scandium is found on the periodic table at, well, number 21.

The company stated that scandium is far superior to titanium, up 'til now the best material for metal woods and drivers. It is also more accurate than steel and longer than graphite, the company says. Element 21 is also manufacturing irons with the stuff.

It launched its new club line early last year with much fanfare and some terrific offers to amateur golfers.

Now Element 21 is introducing a line of hybrids whose clubheads are made from the aforementioned scandium stuff along with another great looking deal for the recreational player.

And the Canadian company has recruited Rick Smith, Frank Nobilo and Roger Maltby to act as mouthpieces.

Apparently, "a player" - as this wire story describes him - using scandium shafts made by Element 21 placed third at the Bay Hill Invitational and second at the AT&T Pro Am at Pebble Beach.

Some astute digging turns up the name: Vijay Singh.

So Vijay is using the shafts and getting good results. That's way better than paying Smith, Nobilo and Maltby to talk up the company's clubs.

By the way, Singh is NOT being paid to play these clubs. He chooses to as do a number of other unnamed PGA pros, according to the company.

In my post last February on Element 21, I predicted it could be a fascinating development in golf technology.

It was an easy prediction to make, more a guess really. But I appear to be more on target with this one that I was in picking Sunday's Masters winner in my pool.

I wonder if Immelman uses scandium, too....