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Wilson Staff FG Tour Irons: A Classic Look Blended With Modern Technology

by James on April 17, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Irons, Wilson Staff with 2 Comments
Wilson Staff FG Tour Irons

I have to warn you, I’m going to be on a little bit of a Wilson Staff kick over the next little while. Out of curiosity, I tweeted the good folks at Wilson Staff (@WilsonGolf), wondering what sticks Ricky Barnes was playing these days. He’s been consistently at or near the top of the leaderboards so far this year, with 9 cuts made in 10 events, 3 top 25’s and 2 top 10’s. Not too shabby… Looks like his game is headed in the right direction. Naturally, one of the things I want to know when a player is in-form, is the equipment he or she is using. Wilson Staff kindly obliged, letting me know that Ricky is playing the new FG Tour irons, and a 48 degree Tw9 wedge. I’m going to take a look at the FG Tours below.

Wilson Staff FG Tour Irons

A meld of classic looks and modern forgiveness, the FG Tours are made from a mild carbon steel. They’re precision forged and integrate a progressive offset for more accurate short irons, and easier to hit long irons. They also feature a preference of most top pros, a thin top line and square toe blade shape. A very classic look indeed.

On top of the classic silhouette is actually some modern forgiveness. A shallow cavity redistributes weight from the heel to the toe of each iron. This moves the center of gravity to the center of the face for increased stability and solid feel through the shot.

Last but not least, the grooves on the FG Tour irons ARE conforming. The face and grooves are CNC-milled to the maximum limits of the new specs enforced by the USGA and R&A.

A couple more shots of the FG Tour Irons are below. For more information, hit up Wilson Golf.

Wilson Staff FG Tour Irons

First Impressions of the Cobra ZL Driver

by James on April 16, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Cobra, Drivers with 4 Comments
Side View of the Cobra ZL Driver

Cobra ZL Driver

Keeping in mind I haven’t even tee’d one up with it yet, I’ve been spending a lot of time today with the Cobra ZL Driver. Sent over from the good folks at Cobra Golf (Thanks Terra!), the ‘Zero Limits’ is a beauty to look at… and I’m willing to bet it’s going to be a champ off the first tee as well.

The first thing you’ll notice about the ZL out-of-the-box (besides the sharp looking headcover) is the multi-material construction. A quick once-over of the clubhead reveals a carbon fiber crown and sole, and a titanium body, face and swing weight screw. Together the package looks tight, but in a word I’d have to describe it as ‘FAST’. Looking at the ZL from certain angles reminds me of a sleek and sexy racing machine… You know, like Ferrari or some other high-end sportscar. Take a gander at the image below and tell me if you don’t agree:

Side View of the Cobra ZL Driver

Besides the obvious good looks, the ZL comes with an adjustable face. Cobra calls their system ‘Adjustable Flight Technology’, and with the help of a custom screwdriver, you can easily make adjustments on or off the course. Doing so is as easy as inserting the head in the screw, and turning counter clockwise until the head and shaft separate enough for you to rotate the clubhead. Markings of ‘O’ for open, ‘N’ for neutral and ‘C’ for closed are clearly marked on the hosel. Choosing a setting is easy, just rotate the clubhead to your desired slot, press the head and shaft together a bit, and re-tighten the screw in a clockwise direction. You’ll hear a satisfying ‘click’ when things are back in-place. I’ll get more in depth with this process in the upcoming review.

The ZL driver that Cobra sent over to me is a stock 9.5 with the Aldila VooDoo stiff flex shaft. Will let you know how things go once I’ve had a chance to get a chance to know it… The range and a loop of the course are calling.

MacGregor Golf Launches New Equipment Line

by James on April 15, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Drivers, Irons, Putters with 2 Comments
MacGregor M85T Driver

For some reason I thought MacGregor golf was done. Since Greg Norman’s grind to the final group on the British Open a few years ago, I hadn’t really heard much about them… However, since Golfsmith acquired full intellectual property rights to the MacGregor Golf brand last May, it looks like things are turning around.

If you’ve never heard of MacGregor Golf before, I have one question for you, have you been living under a rock!? The brand has been around since 1897, and their equipment has been in the bag for 59 major championships. Not too shabby.

At any rate, let’s get right down to it. Here’s the new product line you can check out right now at Golfsmith:

MacGregor M85T Driver ($299.99)

MacGregor M85T Driver

The M85T uses MacGregor’s exclusive FACEFIT technology to let you choose from an open, neutral or closed face position at address. Weight distribution within the clubhead puts the center of gravity low and deep, for drives that have tons of carry. Cup Face 360* technology also maxes out ball speeds across the entire face.

MacGregor M75T Driver ($199.99)

MacGregor M75T Driver

The M75T Driver is an oversized driver featuring a HOT clubface with Cup Face 360* technology. Again, the center of gravity is placed low and deep, giving you lots of carry and forgiveness on those off-center hits.

MacGregor VIP Forged Irons ($799.99)

MacGregor VIP Forged Irons

If you’re a low-handicap golfer that demands shot shaping and feel from your irons, the new MacGregor VIP Forged Irons are worth a look. Made from 1020 carbon steel, these sticks go through a 800-tom forging process to create a tighter grain structure, which in the end, promises improved feel and consistency. While not a full-out blade, the muscle cavity design is a nice blend of forgiveness and feel… and let’s face it, these clubs look classic.

MacGregor M85i Irons ($699.99)

MacGregor M85i Irons

The MacGregor M85i Irons are more of a game improvement cavity back. Providing ultimate forgiveness via the deep undercut back cavity and a low center of gravity, most players will notice higher shots that come down soft. Inside each cavity is a multi-material medallion with vibration-damping properties to help avoid those nasty ‘stingers’ and provide clean feedback. One other thing you’ll notice in comparison to the VIP irons, is the thick top line.

MacGregor ROTA Series Milled Putters ($129.99)

MacGregor Prestwick Putter

Available in three classic shapes, the new MacGregor ROTA Series Milled Putters are beautiful to say the least. Available in a ‘Prestwick’, ‘Hoylake’ and ‘Lytham’ edition, the three models cover all the bases depending on your style of putting. The Prestwick is a take on the more modern offset putter… The Hoylake looks like your classic blade (think Wilson 8802)… and the Lytham putter is a take on the modern mallet. All are works or art, and feature ARC face milling. The process leaves a texture on the strike area of the putter face for consistent contact and roll on every putt.

Check out our image gallery for a closer look at the new equipment from MacGregor.

Also available are a wide range of fairway woods, hybrids, wedges and more… you can even get MacGregor bags, balls, towels and hats. Golfsmith is doing it right, and I’m looking forward to seeing more and more MacGregor goodness in the years to come!

For more information, hit up the MacGregor line over at Golfsmith.

[Via: THP]

Tiger Shark Spotted at the Masters…

by Annie Latham on April 13, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Putters with No comments

The folks at Tiger Shark were busy with post-Masters announcements.  One of the oldest brands in golf, Tiger Shark (www.tigersharkgolf.com) offers a variety of golf equipment with a specialty in grips, putters, complete sets, drivers, wedges and hybrids.

Their first announcement was about KJ Choi, who finished T4th at the Masters, using the company’s SuperStroke over-sized putter grip. The grip measures 1.67 inches in diameter or roughly 3 times the size of a standard putting grip. Choi ranked 4th in putting at the 2010 Masters with 114 total putts, a 28.5 Putts Per Round average. He earned $360,000 for the Top 5 finish.

The jumbo grips are designed to reduce wrist breaks and enhance a pendulum stroke, and they are also proven to reduce grip pressure and keep the putter head square. Extensive testing has shown that the SuperStroke requires up to 32% less grip tension and represents a significant improvement over conventional putter grips. Other benefits include natural balance and set up, less putter head rotation, accurate smooth putting stroke, improved ball roll and greater distance control.

Based on the description, it looks like it was actually the SuperStroke Fatso grip that was used.  The jumbo grip is merely 1.25 inches in diameter.

The other announcement the company made stated “The player who finished tied for 14th at The Masters Sunday played a Tiger Shark Golf Great White putter and Tiger Shark oversized putter grip that he purchased at a golf retail shop just days before the event.”

It noted that this player had worked with the new putter at the beginning of the week and officially put it in his bag for the Masters, leading him to only 109 total putts, and the #1 ranking in putting at the 2010 Masters. The putter and grip combination led the player to finish 3 putts better than the next closest competitor.

According to Tiger Shark’s spokesperson, the player wasn’t named because “we do not have the rights to his likeness or name.”

You can figure it out for yourself — four golfers were tied for 14th.

What’s in Tiger Woods’ Bag at the 2010 Masters?

by James on April 11, 2010 in News, Golf Equipment, Nike Golf, Players with 1 Comment
What's in Tiger Woods' Bag at the 2010 Masters?

I’ve been wondering for a little while now what has been in Tiger’s bag this week. From all I could tell, the big change came in the form of a new Victory Red Tour Model Driver… But it sounds like there is more, thanks to a great report by James Achenbach over at GolfWeek.

Scroll down for the sweet low-down on Tiger’s equipment this week…

What's in Tiger Woods' Bag at the 2010 Masters?

  • Driver: Stock 9.5 Victory Red Tour Model, with Graphite Design Tour AD-DI-7 shaft (75 grams)
  • 3-Wood: Nike SQ Sumo, with Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana Blue Board shaft (103 grams)
  • 5-Wood: Nike SQ Sumo, with Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana Blue Board shaft (103 grams)
  • 3-PW: Nike VR Blades, with True Temper Dynamic Gold X-100 shafts
  • Wedges: 56 and 62 degree Nike VR Wedges, with True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts
  • Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport 2 TW Prototype (was there ever any doubt?)
  • Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord on all grips with the exception of his putter. On the putter, you’ll find the now somewhat infamous Ping Black-Out grip.
  • Ball: Extra-soft version of the NIke One Tour (also used by Anthony Kim)

So there you have it. Looks like a bag stocked-full of some pretty awesome tools of the trade. The question is, can Tiger Woods get it done this Sunday at The Masters? He’s 4 back. Going to be a heck of a finish.

Moore News: Getting off the Tiger Beat…

by Annie Latham on April 9, 2010 in News, Golf Equipment, Irons, Players with 2 Comments

How about something off the “Tiger beat”?  According to David Dusek at Golf.com, Ryan Moore had Scratch irons custom made for Augsuta National.

You may be wondering: Who is Ryan Moore and why should you care?

To start, back in August, Ryan Moore made headlines for winning the Wyndham Championship AND  being the only PGA Tour pro who didn’t have an equipment contract or clothing endorsement deal.   The most notable thing besides his play was what he was wearing on his feet — skateboarder shoes with golf cleats.  There has been lots of buzz on the Web about the shoes.

Back the Scratch story.  Apparently, Moore finally signed with an equipment manufacturer Scratch Golf, of Chattanooga, Tenn.  They custom-grind every set of irons they sell, with an output of about 10 sets of irons in a week.

Moore’s deal with Scratch golf is unique — he took an equity stake in the company instead of an endorsement fee.  You can lear about the deal here.

Scratch Golf told Dusek that Moore had a set of oversized, cavity-backed Scratch EZ-1 irons made to his specs especially for the Masters. The game-improvement clubs are not only more forgiving, but they also hit the ball higher than the SB-1 irons that he used in other tournaments.  The EZ-1 irons should allow Moore to stop the ball more quickly on Augusta’s legendary greens.

So far, Moore is +1 for the first two rounds.

The Nike Victory Red Tour Driver May be the Only Change in Tiger’s Bag

by James on April 8, 2010 in News, Golf Equipment, Drivers, Nike Golf, Putters with 2 Comments
Nike Victory Red Tour Driver

Nike Victory Red Tour DriverI’ve been wondering for some time now what Tiger Woods would have in the bag for his Masters effort this year. Obviously, I didn’t think much would change (other than the branding on the actual bag!), but after doing a little bit of research, it looks like there is at least ONE important change.

First, I found out that Tiger has made a switch from the Nike Dymo Tour Driver he last played. He now has a Nike Victory Red Tour Driver in the bag… and I just confirmed this while watching him on the 10th green at the Masters. As he tapped in his disappointing bogey with the top of his putter, he pulled what was clearly the Victory Red Driver out of the bag, removed the headcover, and was no doubt looking forward to crushing one down number 11.

Speaking of putters, there had been some rumblings that Tiger may be changing to one of the new Nike Method putters. As you’ve probably noticed already, looks like that rumor wasn’t true. Tiger still has his trusty Scotty Cameron in the bag, and from what I’ve seen so far, it looks like he hasn’t lost much of his touch with the flatstick.

If anything, Tiger is looking a little rusty in shorter chips and pitches around the green. Should be VERY interesting to see if he can post a couple of sub 70 rounds before the weekend.

The SeeMore FGP/FGPw Stainless Putter

by James on April 7, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Putters, SeeMore with 1 Comment

The SeeMore FGP/FGPw Stainless Putter

I hope everyone out there is enjoying Masters week! The traditional par 3 contest is going on right now, and boy oh boy was it ever great to see Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player tee it up again. With Masters clearly on the mind, I found myself thinking back to recent champions and the ‘tools’ they used to rise above the rest. And, for one reason or another the mind wandered to Zach Johnson and his wonderful performance in 2007. I recalled he had a SeeMore putter in the bag, and with that… I decided to take a closer look.

Back in 2007 Zach Johnson used the original SeeMore FGP putter to charge his way to victory. After taking a quick peek at the SeeMore site, I was pleased to discover a brand new edition of the FGP is available in both a nickel and black satin finish. The Nickel version has an offset shaft (FGPw), while the black satin comes with your standard straight shaft (FGP). Custom lengths are available from 31″ all the way up to 37″, and numerous lie angles are up for grabs as well.

Unfortunately lefties are left out of the love here, as only right-handed models are available… However, the righties that do want to put one of these in the bag will be pleased with not only the finish, length and lie options, but you get many headcover and grip options as well!

Priced at $185.00, it’s worth every penny. Now, I can’t guarantee it’ll make you a Masters champion, but it WILL get you into a solid setup position, and help you roll putt after putt on line, and with great pace. More images below for your browsing pleasure. For more info, hit up SeeMore Putters.

Cobra Introduces the Baffler Rail H Hybrid

by James on April 6, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Cobra, Hybrids with 1 Comment

I was alerted just a few minutes ago about a brand new club hitting the market, from our good friends at Cobra Golf. The new club is a utility, and has been dubbed the Baffler Rail Hybrid. I’m quite excited to give this one a shot, as I have a 20 degree 2008 Baffler Pro Hybrid in the bag (and love it). Surely the new Baffler Rail Hybrid will build upon previous successes in the hybrid arena.

Cobra Baffler Rail Hybrid

Built for anyone looking for long game performance (aren’t we all), the Baffler Rail Hybrid features a 17-4 steel body with a 465 maraging face insert. The insert promotes faster launch speeds, PLUS, the lightness of the insert allows for 10% of the weight to be repositioned low-and-back in the clubhead. A new four-way sole reduces the area of the club that comes in contact with the ground, making it easier to hit… much easier than pulling that 2 or 3 iron out of the bag.

The last of the key features in the Baffler Rail is the ‘9 Point Face Technology‘ that we see in all of Cobra’s current driver, fairway metal and hybrid lineup. I can speak from experience, that yes, in every current Cobra metal I’ve put to the test the face is indeed ‘HOT’! With the Baffler Rail you’ll no doubt get tremendous ball speed, and improved feel and forgiveness no matter where you hit it on the face.

Out of the box your Cobra Baffler Rail Hybrid comes with your choice of regular or stiff Fujikura Motore graphite shaft. It’s also available in lofts of 17 degrees (2/H), 19 degrees (3/H), 22 degrees (4/H), 25 degrees (5/H) and 28 degrees (6/H). A wide range of lofts = a wide range of options.

For more information hit up Cobra, or check out the image gallery below.

Scotty Cameron Circa ’62 No. 1: Smooth and Buttery Says it All

by James on April 4, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Putters, Scotty Cameron, Titleist with No comments
The Scotty Cameron Circa '62 No. 1

The Scotty Cameron Circa '62 No. 1During my first round with the Scotty Cameron Circa ’62 No. 1 in-hand, I rolled about a 60 footer from off the green, straight into the heart of the cup. I knew from that point on that this short stick was going to enjoy an extended period in the bag… In fact, it’s been over a year since I first introduced it to my game, and it’s still rolling strong.

In the design of the Circa ’62 No. 1, Scotty Cameron has put together a ‘new’ classic. Based on the blades of yesteryear, the No. 1 combines that great classic look, with a soft (and very buttery feeling!) carbon steel putter head. The view of the putter from the top line is clean. No markings at all are found on the flange, all you’ll notice is a small alignment dot on the top. That’s it. And, during those bright and blindingly sunny days, there’s no worries of glare. A custom charcoal-mist finish knocks down any glare to keep your focus where it should be, on the putt.

Everything feels right when you lay the No. 1 down behind the ball. The head feels balanced, the grip is perfect, and a 3/4 offset feels ‘just right’ at address. At least, that’s my opinion.

Scotty Cameron assures that ALL putters in the Circa ’62 line have been optimized for perfect grip weight, headweight and shaft flex… and I can say from experience, this putter is a keeper. In fact, even though I’ve only hit the Circa ’62 No. 1, I’d hazard a guess that all models (there’s the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 6 and No. 7) are just as smooth, buttery and responsive as the next. Trust me when I say if you’re looking for a putter that gives awesome feedback and a true roll… Look no further than the Scotty Cameron Circa ’62 lineup.

Key specs on the Scotty Cameron Circa ’62 No. 1:

  • Loft: 4 degrees
  • Lie: 71 degrees
  • Length: 35″ (RH)
  • Headweight: 330g
  • Swingweight: D4-D6
  • Head material: Soft Carbon Steel
  • Offset: 3/4 shaft

Of course, as with all Scotty Cameron’s you can have yours customized to your liking. To do so you can visit Scotty’s Custom Shop, for re-gripping, re-shafting, custom logos, initials, and a lot more.

Now, on to a small photo gallery. I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief look at the Scotty Cameron Circa ’62 No. 1!

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