Golfing News & Blog Articles

There is a lot of cool gear in the golf equipment world that doesn’t always fit neatly into Most Wanted Tests or Buyer’s Guides. You still want to know how it performs. In our We Tried It series, we put gear to the test and let you know if it works as advertised. 

What We Tried

Today we’re reviewing the NIKE Air Max 90 G — the golf variant of the popular casual runner, the NIKE Air Max 90. This is one of NIKE’s “hybrid” golf shoes that blurs the lines between casual and course performance.

Your NIKE Air Max 90 G Tester

Connor Lindeman — Resident sneakerhead and recreational golfer.

History of the NIKE Air Max 90

As the name suggests, the NIKE Air Max 90 made its debut in 1990. Its predecessor, the Air Max 1, was the first NIKE shoe to feature a visible Air unit which can still be found on a plethora of NIKE’s designs. At launch, the Air Max 90 was initially named the Air Max 3. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that the shoe took on its new identity.

Now that same timeless design and Air Max cushion you can both feel and see is available in a shoe that’s been slightly retooled for the golf course.

This is the seventh in a series of blogs to help you simplify your knowledge of golf and hopefully improve your game. [These tips are distilled from an article published by Luke Kerr-Dineen for a GOLF franchise called “Play Smart”.]

25/ Know What To Do When You’re In Trouble: You’ve done your smart preparation, but some-how things still aren’t going according to plan. Don’t worry, it happens. Golf is a game of misses. So you should try to minimize your misses and take your medicine and make a good recovery shot. Stay calm. Following are 4 solution to avoid a blow-up hole:

25a/ Try variable training: “It may sound counterintuitive, but one of the best things you can do when you’re struggling to hit the sweet spot is try to hit misses,” says GOLF Top 100 Teacher Mark Durland. “The next time you’re struggling, try intentionally to hit shanks or shots off the toe. This kind of ‘variable training’ will help your brain get a better sense of the club face when it’s time to hit the center.” [I don’t really understand how this tip will help but I don’t make these up. However, we should give it a try to see what happens in a non-competition game.]

25b/ Eat something: You may simply be running out of energy if you’re playing poorly. Sugar and carbs will spike your energy the fastest but fade fast. Higher-protein snacks will last longer. Drinking water throughout is essential. Weight Watcher’s former head of nutrition says golfers should choose a blend of everything but try to stick to a 2-to-1 protein-to-carbs ratio (a protein bar and banana or apple), with up to 10 glasses of water per day.

25c/ Time your tempo: If you’re playing in the wind, one of the first things to go is your tempo. First brought to light in their pioneering book Tour Tempo, John Novosel Sr. and Jr. say good rhythm can come at different speeds, “but the ratio should always stay 3:1, meaning your back- swing should be three times slower than your down- swing.” If it’s not, your tempo is out of sync. [LOVE THIS TIP!]

 

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MyGolfSpy Ball Lab is where we quantify the quality and consistency of the golf balls on the market to help you find the best ball for your money. Today, we’re taking a look at the 2022 Callaway Chrome Soft. To learn more about our test process, how we define “bad” balls, check out our About MyGolfSpy Ball Lab page.

About the Callaway Chrome Soft

Like the previous two balls tested in Ball Lab (Srixon Q-Star Tour and Bridgestone TOUR B RXS), the Callaway Chrome Soft falls in what we call the non-Tour urethane category. It’s a category that exists largely for slow to moderate swing speed players looking for soft-ish feel without giving away greenside spin entirely.

Like the other balls in the Chrome Soft family, this standard Chrome Soft features what Callaway has branded Precision Technology. We suspect what that actually encompasses will evolve overtime, but with the current generation of Chrome Soft Precision Technology helps to ensure layer concentrity throughout the golf ball.

Callaway Chrome Soft Construction

The Callaway Chrome Soft is a 332-dimple ball with a urethane cover. It’s a 3-piece design which is notable if only for that fact that the prior Chrome Soft was a 4-piece design, which is unusual, though not entirely unheard of, in the low compression space.

Tiger Woods has claimed the top bonus in the PGA Tour's Player Impact Program yet again, despite playing only nine rounds in three major championships this past season.

When we test the best golf rangefinders in the game, it isn’t lost on us that affordability can play into your purchase decisions. The $500 rangefinders may have great features and accuracy but $500 also buys a lot of greens fees. In our testing, we found several rangefinders that allow for accurate and speedy results, numbers you can actually read and a little extra money left in your golf fund. Here are the three best rangefinders under $199.

Best Overall: Precision Pro NX7 Pro Slope

The Precision Pro NX7 Pro Slope is the best rangefinder under $199. In the 2022 Most Wanted Rangefinder testing, Precision Pro NX7 Pro Slope took 10th out of 24 rangefinders. It’s the first one on the list that breaks that $200 price point.

This model has a 650-yard range, 6X magnification and slope technology built in. There have been other Precision Pro models through the years but the NX7 Pro Slope was designed to be more ergonomic, faster and user-friendly. The way the NX7 Pro Slope fits in your hand helps improve overall stability and accuracy.

For optics, display and features, the Precision Pro NX7 Pro Slope ranked eighth out of 24. Certainly not bad for less than $199.

Key Features

Water-resistantDisplays one-yard measurements in meters or yardsAccurate to one yardVibration when the target is hitAccuracy with slope turned on and offPrecise optics and stable enough for shaky hands

Who Is It For?

If you are on a budget but can’t deal with a rangefinder bouncing between yardages anymore, the Precision Pro NX7 is your best bet. Not only is this one of the best rangefinders under $199 it’s also just a quality golf accessory.

Luke Donald, Europe's Ryder Cup captain, has appointed Nicolas Colsaerts as his third vice captain for next year's competition in Rome.

Bettinardi updates their Queen B putter line with four new models.The 2023 putters feature new shapes, face milling and a new PVD finish.Pre-orders begin Nov. 22 (MSRP $430) with putters arriving in shops Jan. 17.

First Look: Bettinardi Queen B 2023 Putters

Are you wondering how to spend your Santa Saver funds this year? Well, I have good news for you. Bettinardi Golf is updating their Queen B putter line for the 2023 season. Yes, that means it has already been two years since the line was refreshed in 2021. Where did the time go?

The first Queen B putters were released in 2015. Initially, the Queen B line was marketed toward women. Thankfully, that marketing plan was quickly abandoned. These days, the Queen B line is the most experimental of the Bettinardi putter lines. This is where you will find primarily non-traditional putter shapes or at least deviations from traditional.

This theme continues with the 2023 release as all four of these heads are unique when compared to other putters in the marketplace. Sure, you’ll still see common putter elements like plumber’s necks and heel-toe weighting. However, for the Queen B putters, Bettinardi takes these core elements in new design directions.

Let’s take a look and see how the new Bettinardi Queen B line shapes up.

Cameron Smith is hopeful his enhanced pulling power can secure a LIV Golf event for his native Queensland.

Adam Svensson handled the cold air and the heat of contention as if he had been there before, closing with a 6-under 64 to win the RSM Classic for his first PGA Tour victory.

Lydia Ko never won more in one day than on Sunday in the CME Group Tour Championship, where she claimed the richest prize in women's golf at $2 million with a victory that allowed her to win LPGA player of the year in Florida.

Rory McIlroy finished the year as Europe's No. 1-ranked golfer for the fourth time -- and first since 2015 -- despite Jon Rahm winning the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday.

Want to test the new Nippon N.S. PRO 850GH neo iron shafts?

Welcome to Testers Wanted where we recruit readers like you for objective feedback on products that roll into HQ throughout the year!

Nippon N.S. PRO 850GH neo Details

It’s a long product name with a simple story. If you’re a golfer who uses a 40-50-gram driver shaft, Nippon designed the N.S. PRO 850GH neo for you.

In other words, golfers who benefit from lightweight driver and fairway wood shafts should find a similar upside with sub-100 gram iron shafts.

The design architecture is similar to the N.S. PRO 950 neo with the 850GH neo coming in a weight class lower (84.5 grams in R flex and 88 in S flex). Moreover, the N.S. PRO 850GH neo acknowledges two key industry realities. First, many golfers are better off with irons that launch higher and spin more. Also, the typical modern GI (game-improvement) iron design features less static loft (hello 40-degree pitching wedges) with a lower center of gravity to try to offset the jacked lofts.

Leona Maguire of Ireland had four straight birdies around the turn and added a pair of birdies late for a 9-under 63 on Saturday.

Patrick Rodgers ran off four straight birdies late in his round and finished with a par save for a 6-under 64, giving him a share of the lead with Ben Martin in the RSM Classic and another chance at his first PGA Tour title.

Rory McIlroy is well-placed for another Race to Dubai title after his 7-under 65 on Saturday left him three shots off the lead heading into the final round at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

A federal judge in Florida on Friday dismissed golfer Patrick Reed's $750 million defamation lawsuit against Brandel Chamblee, the Golf Channel and others.

Harry Higgs played bogey-free on the more difficult Seaside course for a 7-under 63, giving him a share of the lead with Cole Hammer and Andrew Putnam going into the weekend of the RSM Classic.

Lydia Ko is in total control at the halfway mark of the CME Group Tour Championship.

More than $100 million will be awarded to LPGA players for the first time in 2023, an increase of about 18% over what was planned for this season and more than doubling what was paid out on the tour just a decade ago.