Written by Jonathan Greathead, TG Senior Equipment Editor on Thursday 25 February 2010
In association with It was a hot, sunny day just after the Open Championship last year. And the Equipment Team were ordered into a meeting with TG Editor-in-chief Andy Calton to discuss What Gear 2010. “We need something different, radical and better for next year’s supplement,” challenged the boss. “We need to find a way of getting all of the good stuff,...
Written by David Connor, TG Equipment Editor on Monday 22 February 2010
Cobra staff golfer Ian Poulter has played himself up to number five in the World Golf Rankings after his victory at the WGC Matchplay Championship in Arizona. The Englishman has elevated his status on the world stage with the victory, his first in America, and has ensured he is a virtual shoe-on for the European Ryder Cup team set to take on...
Written by David Connor, TG Equipment Editor on Monday 22 February 2010
Nike know it may not be love at first sight with their new SQ Machspeed irons but they insist it will be love at first hit. The styling is bold and in your face but this is necessary to incorporate the Nike Powerbow and the Total Swing Aerodynamic technology. The Powerbow allows 50g of weight to be moved from the face to...
Written by David Connor, TG Equipment Editor on Monday 22 February 2010
If you’re an avid reader of Today’s Golfer magazine you’ll already know about Callaway’s new driver line-up for 2010, including the Diablo Edge and FTiZ big dogs. But if you missed that, fear not. Senior equipment editor Jonathan Greathead has been at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando to speak to Callaway boffins about the new line-up. They are much better qualified...
Written by Jonathan Greathead, TG Senior Equipment Editor on Saturday 20 February 2010
ECCO have been churning out cracking shoes for years now – and there’s some pretty impressive new DAPS available for women this season. The all new “Classic Hydromax” represents the ideal combination of performance and style, featuring a direct-injected midsole with a real lether welt and embedded metal icon. The Classic Hydromax also features a dual-density outsole that ensures stability and traction throughout...
Written by Jonathan Greathead, TG Senior Equipment Editor on Friday 19 February 2010
Former American Ryder Cup star Fred Couples staved off the challenge of a tough field to win his maiden Champions Tour victory at the Ace Group Classic in Florida. And Couples was helped on his way to victory by ECCO’s new Casual Cool II GTX shoes which have recently launched here in the UK. The Casual Cool benefit from a unique combination of street-inspired...
Written by Jonathan Greathead, TG Senior Equipment Editor on Thursday 18 February 2010
Following on from the launch of three new Rossa Core Classic putters last year, TaylorMade have unveiled an additional trio of wands from the company’s master-craftsman Kia Ma. The new Rossa TP line-up consists of two blades (Daytona and Monaco) and one mallet in the form of the Fontana Tour. They have been designed with the input of numerous Tour professionals, and have...
Written by David Connor, TG Equipment Editor on Wednesday 17 February 2010
Leading golf cleat and tee brand Softspikes have entered the golf grip market with the launch of BLACK WIDOW grips. The new BLACK WIDOW Grips line was created to meet the demands of players at all levels and offers five models, each one featuring bold colours and myriad performance features. • Tour Silk – Tour Silk features a Softspikes inspired horizontal “S” traction pattern...
Written by David Connor, TG Equipment Editor on Wednesday 17 February 2010
Premium golf clothing brand Oxford Golf has unveiled its 2010 line-up – including 15 golf shirts. Worn on Tour by Major champion David Toms, the new collection features classic designs made from the very latest high tech and eco-friendly fabrics and also comprises luxury knitwear and a choice of smart trousers and shorts. The range is spearheaded by the environmentally-friendly Castlebar golf...
Written by Jonathan Greathead, TG Senior Equipment Editor on Thursday 11 February 2010
Tour Edge is a big deal out in the United States – and they are looking to do more distribution this year in the UK and Europe. We met Tour Edge equipment guru Jay Hubbard at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando in January and he talked us through some of their new key products for 2010. In this particular clip, Jay...
Written by Jonathan Greathead, TG Senior Equipment Editor on Thursday 11 February 2010
At the back end of last year we brought you the first look at the PING G15 driver – the first UK magazine to do so. A month later we followed it up by taking a look at PING’s new i15 driver. But what are the differences? The G15 is essentially a little more forgiving and a little easier to hit, while...
Written by Jonathan Greathead, TG Senior Equipment Editor on Thursday 11 February 2010
After consulting closely with the likes of Phil Mickelson, putter giants Odyssey have unveiled their new Black Series Tour Design range of milled flatsticks. The range, milled from 1025 carbon steel for super-soft feel, features updated head-shapes which have been designed to offer better players optimised performance. The new putters feature Advanced Roll Technology which helps to deliver a precise response and...
Written by Jonathan Greathead, TG Senior Equipment Editor on Tuesday 9 February 2010
Following on from the massive success of the Spider and the Itsy-Bitsy, TaylorMade have unveiled the new Rossa Monza Spider Vicino. You may well recognize the look of the new Vicino, but it is considerably sleeker than the past two offerings. However, none of the MOI that has become synonomous with the two models that have gone before has been sacrified. The Vicino’s...
Written by Jonathan Greathead, TG Senior Equipment Editor on Monday 8 February 2010
At TG we’ve been talking up PING gear since Adam was a lad, and further compelling evidence about how good the gear is came from Dubai this weekend. PING staffers Miguel Angel Jimenez and Lee Westwood battled it out over the final day at the Dubai Desert Classic, with the Spaniard closing out the win at the third extra play-off hole. The 46-year-old survived...
Written by Jonathan Greathead, TG Senior Equipment Editor on Monday 8 February 2010
Srixon have announced that Ryo Ishikawa and Shane Lowry will be playing their Z-Star ball. Ishikawa turned pro in 2008 and won in his first year on Tour, before becoming the youngest player ever to appear in the Masters. Lowry, a 22-year-old from County Offaly in Ireland, provided a genuine shock on the European Tour in May last year when he became only...
Written by Jonathan Greathead, TG Senior Equipment Editor on Monday 8 February 2010
Clubmaking giants TaylorMade have unveiled their latest irons in the form of the new Burner SuperLaunch. Designed with the super game-improver in mind, as well as the golfer who has a low ball-flight, the SuperLaunch irons are incredibly forgiving and will generate great distances even for those with slower swing speeds. We have a first look at them in depth in next...
Written by David Connor, TG Equipment Editor on Saturday 6 February 2010
Callaway’s tasty new FTiZ driver is made from four key ingredients – titanium, carbon fibre, aluminium and steel! The company have fused these pieces together in a unique four-piece design which is said to move weight to parts of the club where it is needed most. The result is what Callaway call Polar Weighting technology with a heavy face and heavy in-line...
Written by David Connor, TG Equipment Editor on Saturday 6 February 2010
Callaway’s new FTiZ fairway wood is the latest in the line of the company’s FT (fusion technology) clubs to incorporate a mix of materials in the head for improved performance. While multi-material technology is more prevalent in drivers, Callaway has used it to take fairway wood development to the next level and incorporate a Polar Weighting system to the new clubs. This...
Written by David Connor, TG Equipment Editor on Saturday 6 February 2010
Completing Callaway’s impressive-looking new FTiZ line-up is the hybrid, designed with more offset and better weight distribution to be easier to hit. The head is slightly larger than previous models and benefits from Polar Weighting technology like the rest of the FTiZ range. This means the heavy face and rear weighting promotes a high MOI for improved stability and more consistency. The...
Written by David Connor, TG Equipment Editor on Friday 5 February 2010
If there’s anyone who knows how to produce a set of blades properly it’s Mizuno – and the MP-68s are the latest examples of that. Based on some of the company’s most successful designs, the MP-68s bring everything together in a head constructed with the latest state-of-the-art technology. So, while having the look and feel of traditional blades, the MP-68s are also...