Good afternoon everyone! Our friend Scott Kramer is back with another golf equipment roundup. Scott has news on Paddy's new putter, Nike's new irons, customizable adidas shoes and Ryan Moore's investment in an equipment company.
– Srixon launched Z-STAR and Z-STAR X Tour Yellow balls — yes, they're yellow in color — which Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh have been practicing with; the TRISPEED premium three-piece distance ball; and TRISPEED Tour premium three-piece distance and control ball
– Boccieri Golf has come out with the Heavy Wedge with a 375-gram clubhead that's offset by 65 grams in backweight by the butt end, to move the balance point closer to your hands, for more control
– Padraig Harrington has begun playing Odyssey's new Backstryke 2-Ball putter
– Nike Golf introduced game-improvement SQ MACHSPEED irons with a thin, hot face and wide sweet zone; PowerBow technology and deep CG; and deep undercut behind the face, which repositions 50 grams of weight out and back to the PowerBow for high-launching shots
– Yes! Golf debuted the high-MOI Donna II, a multi-material, toe-down "hybrid mallet" with a plumber's neck
– K.J. Choi parted endorsement ways with Nike Golf, and is now playing a TaylorMade R7 Limited driver and Burner 5-wood, Ping G15 irons, Odyssey putter, and Titleist Pro V1 ball
– adidas Golf introduced miadidas customizable shoes. You can choose your own color scheme and even add a flag, through a special website
– Sun Mountain debuted the lightweight Second Layer waffle-weave thermal pullover with comfort and stretch
– US Glove debuted the Grip Lock glove with Poron shock-absorbing comfort pads throughout the palm and fingers. Celiant panels help increase hand circulation, as well
– SeeMore Putter debuted the m6 2-way blade, m7 blade and m8 deep blade/small mallet hybrid. The latter two have a milled aluminum face insert
– Luke Donald renewed his multi-year equipment agreement with Mizuno
– Odyssey Golf named Dave Pelz its brand ambassador
– SkyGolf unveiled the SkyCaddie GTX rangefinder with a new sleek design
– TaylorMade Golf debuted three Rossa TP by Kia Ma putters, including two blades (Daytona and Monaco) and a mallet (Fontana Tour) that are milled end-to-end from 304 stainless steel, and finished in a high-polish and Silver Mist; and the Monza Spider Vicino putter bearing a lightweight 24g polymer core, movable weights, and new composite AGSI+ face insert made of carbon fiber and resin. The company also announced eight new lightweight cart, hybrid, stand and carry bags with Fast Action Snap Technology, a seamless way for golfers to access important accessories without having to dig through cluttered pockets during a round
– Cleveland Golf debuted CG1 Tour irons — split cavityback long irons and muscleback mid/short irons, milled Tour Zip grooves, and a breakthrough surface roughness that features four texture lines milled between each groove. The company also unveiled four Cleveland Classic BRZ putters made of 17-4 stainless steel and finished in bronze PVD to minimize glare; and the high-MOI T-Frame Mallet that features 70+ grams of weight redistributed to the rear
– Dawgs Golf introduced Ultralite Golf Spirit golf shoes for men and women that are extremely lightweight, have rubber outsoles with soft spikes, antimicrobial insole, adjustable Velcro strap, and arch support
– Scratch Golf debuted the 8620 wedge that's cast from 8620 stainless steel and comes in three grinds for various swing types. PGA Tour pro Ryan Moore now owns a stake in the company.
Veteran golf equipment writer and former Golf Magazine senior editor Scott Kramer has published a new e-book, How To Buy The Right Golf Equipment. The easy-reading book helps the average golfer by simplifying the process of buying clubs, shafts, balls, bags and shoes — as well as buying equipment for other people, including your spouse and kids. For the complete book, visit amazon.com for the Kindle version or lulu.com for the instant pdf download.