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Cleveland CG15 Wedges: Get them Before It’s Too Late!

by James on April 22, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Cleveland, Wedges with No comments

Cleveland wedges have long been the choice of many a touring professional. The look, the feel, and the accuracy and touch they give you on those shorter shots is undeniable. I too play Cleveland wedges (588 RTG’s, 51*, 56* and 60*), and love ’em to bits. They’re nice and ‘rusty’ these days, and allow me to drop and stop shots from all angles.

The Cleveland CG15 Wedge Family

But this isn’t about what’s in my bag, it’s about the CG15 line. Let’s get started.

The CG15’s are available in 3 custom finishes, and one custom grind. The CG15 Black Pearl wedges offer a dark, glare resistant finish. The CG15 Satin Chrome wedges bring a brushed aluminum look and feel to your short game. The last finish is the CG15 Oil Quench. This finish is sort of a copper/bronze color, and may remind you of your old ‘trusty rusties’ if you have ’em.

The CG15 Oil Quench is also available in a DSG model. DSG stands for ‘Dynamic Sole Grind’ and features a reduction of material on the sole… This is a preference of many top players, as it will allow you to open up the face without too much bounce, allowing you to get through the ball and make better contact.

Without a doubt, the most important features of the Cleveland CG15 Wedges are their precision laser milled faces and ‘Zip’ grooves. With new groove regulations coming into play, it may be a good idea to pick up a set (or two) of these bad boys to ensure you get optimal spin on those short shots for years to come. The ‘Zip’ grooves offer 25% bigger grooves, complete with sharp, cover gripping edges. You’ll notice the distance not only from tight lies, but from shaggy shots out of the rough. The grooves grip, and give you that needed stopping action to control your ball. The laser milled faces also provide an extra layer of ‘roughness’ to the wedge face, giving you another edge over the competition.

For my money, Cleveland wedges are an almost must-have for any serious player. At the very least, they’re worth a look. The classic design coupled with technology and performance make them hard to pass up.

For more information, hit up Cleveland Golf.

Titleist Announces Promo: Free Golf Ball Personalization

by Annie Latham on April 21, 2010 in News, Golf Balls, Titleist with No comments

You may be familiar with the series of “How do you mark your Titleist?” ads (see example below).  Titleist just announced a promotion where no Sharpie is required.

Timed for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, Titleist is waiving personalization charges on its popular Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls, as well as the new NXT Tour, NXT and DT SoLo models.

On any order of just one dozen or more, customers can create their unique personalized message imprinted on the golf ball in up to three lines of block text in black, blue, green or red ink for no additional charge.

To learn more, visit your local golf shop or any authorized Titleist golf ball retailer. The promo ends June 30, 2010.

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The Wilson Staff 8882 Putter: A Modern Take on a Timeless Classic

by James on April 17, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Putters, Wilson Staff with 2 Comments
The Wilson Staff 8882 Putter

A new take on an old classic. That pretty much sums up the Wilson Staff 8882 Putter. Based on the original Wilson 8802 putter, the 8882 brings all of the style, beauty and class you’d expect, in a revamped look of the timeless design.

The Wilson Staff 8882 Putter

The Wilson Staff 8882 Putter

The Wilson 8802 is one of the most famous putter designs in history. Designed by Ashland Manufacturing Company in 1914, it was renamed the Wilson 8802 when Thomas Wilson & Co. got into the game. To say the design is beautiful would be an understatement. To say the design is timeless would be spot-on. The 8802 is straightforward, with no head or toe weighting…

Many greats have used the 8802 over the years. The design itself was inspired by the Calamity Jane model putter that Bobby Jones used so expertly. But through the years such greats as Gene Sarazen and Arnold Palmer had the 8802 in the bag… Plus, Ben Crenshaw even had a replica of the original Wilson 8802 putter in his bag on his way to winning The Masters in 1995. You may recall that final putt on the 18th green, Ben sinking the putt, dropping the putter and putting his head in his hands. A timeless moment… and a timeless putter.

The WIlson 8802 Putter

The Wilson 8802 Putter

But I digress. You can’t deny the Wilson 8802 is one of (if not the most) famous putter designs in history… and Wilson has melded the classic gooseneck design into a new and updated version for 2010. Part of the new 88 line of putters, the Wilson Staff 8882 incorporates precision milling and VDP Alignment technology into a ‘new’ classic. Think of it as a blend of the old with the new.

The dual-milled face grips the ball for a true roll… Also, secondary master grooves in the clubface have been added to provide more forward spin, reducing skid after impact. The arched shape of the grooves will also impart a slight side-spin to help put your ball back on-track if struck off the sweet spot.

The VDP Alignment Technology (Visual Plane Differential) uses multi-surface markings to help get you into the right playing position before you make your stroke. Basically you want to get your eyes directly above the ball, doing so will ensure that the while line appears in-beteween the darker black markings on the face. Simple and easy… and it makes sense! Very reminiscent of the technology used in the SeeMore line.

Wilson Staff VDP Technology

Wilson Groove and VDP Technology

In all, 5 putters are part of the new Wilson Staff 88 line. The Wilson Staff 8881 is a traditional heel/toe weighted putter with plumber hosel. The Wilson Staff 8882 I’ve already talked about above… The Wilson Staff 8883 it a toe weighted semi-mallet with a heel shaft and gooseneck hosel. The Wilson Staff 8884 or a heel/toe weighted putter with a heel shaft and plumber hosel… and finally, the Wilson Staff 8885 is another heel/toe weighted putter, mallet style with plumber hosel.

The Wilson 88 Series of Putters

The Wilson 88 Series of Putters

You can’t go wrong with any of these new offerings from Wilson Staff. The good news is, depending on your taste and style of putter, Wilson has one that should fit your game nicely. For more information be sure to hit up the Wilson Staff 88 Putters.

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.

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.

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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