Our friend Scott Kramer is back with his monthly look at what’s new in the world of golf equipment. Today he’s got news from Nike, Tour Edge, Cobra and more.
– Tour Edge will soon offer JMAX Gold Ironwoods, which are iron-type hybrids bearing a slight offset, oversized top line, rounded sole for minimal ground contact. With 11 lofts, they’ll be available as a complete set or individually…
– Mizuno Corp. reported that its U.S. golf sales fell 23% in its year ending March 31, from the previous year, grew by 4% in Europe, and were down 9% in Japan…
– Cobra debuted its Baffler Rail Fairway wood, which has a low-profile, 17-4 steel clubhead and elongated clubface, to help the ball get up quickly and with forgiveness. Its four-way rail sole helps the club move effortlessly through turf …
– TaylorMade intro’d its Burner SuperFast TP driver with Tour Preferred face alignment and an aerodynamic clubhead shape that generates speed. The large clubface and high MOI lend forgiveness, while its dual crown lowers and deepens the CG, to launch the ball high with less spin…
– Nike Golf signed new PGA Tour pro Matt Hill to an endorsement contract, in which he’ll play and wear its products. Speaking of Nike, the company has come out with Victory Red Cast V-Rev wedges featuring USGA-conforming grooves. They have a Dual Sole design, are made of soft 8620 carbon steel, and come in choice of satin chrome and black satin finishes – in eight loft/bounce combinations…
– Fourteen Golf debuted its ST-110 driver with a two-titanium aerodynamic crown; shallow clubface that transitions in thickness; and cup-faced design…
– Bridgestone Golf debuted B-FIT, which it claims is the first-ever web based live-chat golf equipment consultation service. The free service allows consumers to chat online one-on-one with Bridgestone’s ball-fitting technicians…
– Mark Calcavecchia has started rolling putts using the oversized Fatso putter grip from SuperStroke. It’s roughly three times larger than a traditional grip, to help take the hands and wrists away from the stroke, for a smoother roll. Calcavecchia says his “hands barely fit around it…I’m putting good right now.”…
– Tiger Woods played a Nike VR Tour driver recently at the Memorial that has just 8.5° of loft…
– adidas Golf is offering a special trade-in for its shoes: Through July 5, you can trade in any old pair or brand of shoe, golf and non-golf, at a participating golf shops and take $20 off a new pair of 2010 adidas Golf shoes that sell for at least $120 (manufacturer suggested retail price)…
– Robert Allenby and Skip Kendall are among the Tour pros using new putters from Bobby Grace…
– Watch for plenty of hybrid usage at this week’s U.S. Open…
– AHEAD re-signed Jack Nicklaus to represent its headwear line…
– Billy Mayfair’s now playing TaylorMade’s new R9 SuperDeep driver…
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. The following excerpt is the chapter on buying putters. For the complete book, visit amazon.com for the Kindle version or lulu.com for the instant pdf download.