One of the most crucial elements of successful putting is accurately reading the green. Understanding the subtle contours, slope, and grain of the grass can be the difference between a birdie and a bogey. Use these tips to help improve your green-reading skills.

1. The Walk-Up

Before you even address the ball, begin reading the green as you walk towards it.

• Walk a circle around the hole: Don't just look from behind the ball. Walk around the cup and the ball, observing the green from all angles. The break you see from one side might be completely different from the other.
• Feel the slope with your feet: Your feet are more sensitive to subtle changes in elevation than your eyes. As you walk, pay attention to which way your body naturally leans.
• The Mid-Point: Try to identify the high point or apex of the putt, where the ball will start to curve in the opposite direction.

2. Low-Side Reading (The Pro Read)

Many professional golfers prefer to read the putt from the low side of the hole.

Every year, MyGolfSpy’s Most Wanted testing reveals which clubs truly deliver when it comes to distance. For 2025, the standout performers across every major category (from drivers to super game-improvement irons) showed how modern design, face technology and launch optimization continue to push boundaries.

Here’s a breakdown of the longest golf clubs of 2025, along with the runner-up in each test.

Best driver for distance 2025

The Titleist GT2 claimed the top spot for distance in MyGolfSpy’s 2025 driver test, producing the highest ball speeds and total yardage across multiple swing speeds. It delivered a strong balance of launch and spin that helped maximize carry without sacrificing control. The Titleist GT4 finished close behind, offering a slightly lower launch and spin profile that favored faster swingers looking to squeeze out a few extra yards off the tee.

Best mini driver for distance 2025

The TaylorMade R7 Quad mini driver emerged as the longest mini driver in 2025 testing, producing the highest carry and total yardage of the field while still delivering the playability of a smaller-head option. The PXG Secret Weapon mini driver followed closely as the runner-up, earning strong praise for its turf-play versatility and powerful launch.

Best fairway wood for distance 2025

The TaylorMade Qi35 led the 2025 fairway wood test for distance, combining explosive ball speed with a powerful mid to high launch that carried deep. Its clean look and consistent flight made it a favorite among testers looking for distance and playability off the deck or tee. The Callaway Elyte finished as the runner-up, producing nearly identical total yardage but with a slightly higher flight and softer landing.

Zero-torque putters are the most talked about in 2025, and L.A.B. Golf is at the forefront.

Here’s a quick look at each current L.A.B. model, what sets it apart, who it’s for, and how it performed in our 2025 MyGolfSpy Zero-Torque Putter Test.

L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i

The OZ.1i topped our 2025 data as the best zero-torque putter overall and the top performer on short putts. It also finished inside the top three on long putts, making it one of the most complete performers we tested. The stainless-steel insert gives it a firmer, more responsive feel that testers preferred.

Who it’s for: Golfers who want tour-level short-putt consistency and a firmer strike feel,\ and who are willing to go through a fitting to get the most from its lie-angle balance.

2025 Data: Overall −7.6 | Short −8.1 | Medium −5.8 | Long −8.7

Your drive started right and stayed right … yet again. You swore you’d swing through squarely this time, but the ball knifed into the trees. Why? You left the face open because you don’t trust the release and your hands know it.

An open clubface at impact is one of golf’s most expensive driving mistakes. It costs you the fairway you missed and the distance you left behind. When you understand why it happens, you’ll start seeing drives split the fairway rather than land in the rough and trees.

Why an open face is worse than a closed one

When you hit a drive with a closed face, at least you got the ball moving. You make contact, generate speed, and the ball goes somewhere with energy. You have some distance, even if the direction was off.

Leave the face open and you lose everything. The ball leaks right with a weak fade, sacrificing significant distance. Many golfers play so defensively through impact that they’ll never know what a fully released driver feels like.

Tour players rarely slice. Their misses stay controlled, usually as pushes or slight fades. Amateurs slice constantly and that is no coincidence.

The Srixon Q-STAR Ultispeed might not grab the same headlines as the brand’s Z-STAR lineup but in MyGolfSpy’s 2025 Golf Ball Test presented by UNRL, it proved that “value” golf balls can still deliver real performance. As an ionomer-covered, distance-first model, the Ultispeed showed surprising consistency across all swing speeds.

If you prioritize speed and distance but don’t want to pay $50 per dozen, this ball may deserve a closer look.

1. It’s one of 2025’s best value golf balls

The Srixon Q-STAR Ultispeed earned a runner-up spot in MyGolfSpy’s “Best Value Golf Ball” category for 2025 and appeared as the ionomer pick for both high- and low-swing-speed golfers in the Ball Test.

2. It’s fast off the face

Robot testing confirmed that Ultispeed produces above-average ball speeds across the board. Its firmer ionomer cover helps maximize energy transfer. It’s going to feel firmer off the face than some other value golf balls like the Callaway Supersoft.

3. Distance performance holds up at every swing speed

We saw some golf balls that were long off the tee at high speeds and then were short for slower swing speeds or vice versa. You’ll see in the table below that distance performance held consistent across all three swing speeds tested.

Bryson DeChambeau topped the list again this month, but October was defined by variety.

From Steph Curry’s emotional Break 50 debut to the Barstool x Bob Does Sports Internet Invitational and CboysTV’s outrageous “Reckless Golf 6,” YouTube golf delivered everything from competition to pure entertainment.

1. Can I Break 50 With Stephen Curry? (Electric)

Channel: Bryson DeChambeau
Views: 5.4 million

Steph Curry joins Bryson DeChambeau in the most-requested Break 50 episode yet, playing a two-man scramble at Lake Merced Golf Club in San Francisco. From the first tee, the duo goes on a tear, opening with back-to-back eagles. The video captures Curry’s trademark composure and Bryson’s intensity, and it was watched by more than five million people in October.

2. 48 Golfers Compete For One Million Dollars! | The Internet Invitational Episode 1

Channel: Bob Does Sports, Fore Play Golf, Internet Invitational
Views: 3.9 million

Way back in the early ‘70s, George Carlin famously told the world that “if you nail two things together that have never been nailed together before, some schmuck will buy it from you.”

It’s a funny and sarcastic line (George was the king of sarcasm, after all), but it does confuse innovation with creativity.

That said, I’m not sure this new Stitch x Bushnell Collab qualifies as truly innovative, but it sure as hell is creative.

Meet the new Stitch link, but be warned. Stitch and Bushnell did not simply nail together two things that have never been nailed together before.

It’s actually three things, and it uses silicone and magnets. No nails.

On the surface, a golf equipment collaboration between Honma and Malbon might sound a little, well, wacky.

Dig a bit below the surface, however, and it’s still a little wacky.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t fun.

And, remember, golf is a game. Games are supposed to be fun.

The joint press release announcing this unlikely partnership says this limited-edition packaged set collection is, ahem, “a rare collaboration by which cultivated elegance meets the vibrant pulse of American youth.”

Northern Irishman who bolted to LIV this year wins his debut start on the Asian Tour, earning trips to Augusta and Birkdale. Plus, Mickelson exposed in new insider trading mess and Game 7 highlights.

Our Tour Confidential panel discusses LIV Golf's offseason, St. Andrews' renovations and the recent Masters exemption change.

The post Tour Confidential: Does LIV Golf need to add another star? appeared first on Golf.

James Morrison planned to retire after this week. Instead, a fairytale win with his son on the bag changed everything.

The post He planned to retire. Instead, he’s headed back to DP World Tour after fairytale win appeared first on Golf.

Pau Gasol quickly became a low-handicap but the Hall of Famer encountered a relatable issue as he works to improve his game.

The post ‘Double-edged sword:’ Pau Gasol’s golf improvement issue is very relatable appeared first on Golf.

Women's Open winner Miyu Yamashita of Japan won the LPGA's Maybank Championship in a three-way playoff.

Tom McKibbin made headlines when he joined LIV Golf instead of the PGA Tour, and on Sunday he won the Hong Kong Open to earn a Masters invite.

The post He chose LIV Golf over the PGA Tour. Now he earned a Masters invite appeared first on Golf.

LIV Golf's Tom McKibbin earned his first trip to the Masters by winning the Hong Kong Open.

Set a yoga block or similar soft item just outside the ball when you practice your driver swing. This will help you make an inside-out strike.

The post Copy this easy driver drill to fix your slice for good appeared first on Golf.

Miyu Yamashita came from eight shots back and won the Maybank Championship in a playoff to claim her second victory of the season.

The post LPGA rookie comes from 8 back, wins Maybank Championship appeared first on Golf.

On this week's episode of GOLF's Fully Equipped, PGA Tour pro Justin Lower explains how often he shops for clubs at golf shops.

The post Do Tour pros ever buy golf gear at retail stores? | Fully Equipped appeared first on Golf.

A collection of golf-course chefs share their best advice for creating compelling savory toasts from scratch.

The post The keys to making savory, open-faced toast from scratch appeared first on Golf.

Want to improve your shot-shaping? Adjusting the position of your trail-hand palm when you grip the club at address can do wonders.

The post Fix your palm to shape shots like a pro appeared first on Golf.