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

Lag Shot Driver Swing Trainer

Who Tried It?

Dave Wolfe – MyGolfSpy writer and putter fanatic. I am always looking for ways to improve my game and fight off the impact of aging.

If The Lag Shot Iron Worked, How About The Lag Shot Driver?

The Lag Shot iron swing trainer was one of the pleasant surprises of 2021. Indisputably, 2021 was full of surprises but not many of them were pleasant. I didn’t really know what to expect from the Lag Shot iron. As it turned out, the trainer with the bright blue shaft not only helped me improve swing tempo with my irons but also became something I continue to use.

The Players is never boring. This year is no different, from questions about Rory McIlroy's game, Phil Mickelson's absence and more.

Sun Mountain Sports: SOLD! – Key Takeaways

Sun Mountain Sports has new ownership. Solace Capital Partners, a Los Angeles-based private investment firm, announced today that it has purchased Sun Mountain—lock, stock and pushcart—from Rick Reimers, the company’s founder, director and sole shareholder.

According to Solace, Sun Mountain will remain headquartered in Missoula, Mont. And it appears the existing management team will remain in place. In addition, Reimers will retain control of Sun Mountain Motor Sports, makers of the Finn golf scooter.

“I’m proud of the patents we have earned, the innovations we have ushered in and the lifelong friends I have made along the way,” said Reimers in a statement. “Solace brings a shared sense of values and deep appreciation of the brand and I am confident … the company’s best days are ahead.”

“Under Rick’s ownership, (Sun Mountain) has built a stellar reputation for excellence,” said Solace Managing Partner Brett Wyard. “We see attractive opportunities to grow the business and bring its wide range of products to as many golfers as possible.”

Sun Mountain Sports: History

Reimers, a former golf pro from California, has a long history as an innovator. He first dabbled in lightweight nylon golf bags in the late 1970s and established Sun Mountain in 1981 in San Jose, Calif. Three years later, he moved operations to Missoula and introduced unique lightweight golf bags such as the Front 9, his first big seller. In 1986, Sun Mountain released the Eclipse, which the company says was the first modern, lightweight stand bag.

Scottie Scheffler is 25 and has won twice in his past three starts. Viktor Hovland is 24 and has four top-5 finishes in his past six starts. The PGA Tour is not hurting for young talent.

OUR JOB IS YOUR GAME

The most comprehensive blade putter test of 2022 is complete.

At MyGolfSpy, our job is to provide independent, unbiased and objective testing so you can make more confident purchasing decisions. Our 2022 Most Wanted Blade test is an indispensable guide for the off-the-rack buyer or for anyone looking for insight before their next fitting.

Let’s take a look at the best blade putters for 2022.

MOST WANTED SCORING

We have reformulated our 2022 Most Wanted results to a 100-point scoring system. This new system will allow you to better identify golf clubs to potentially help you shoot lower scores.

PING is bringing the PLD putter line to retail.The new retail PLD line features two mallets and two blades.The PLD retail putters arrive in shops March 31 with a MSRP of $485.PING is also launching a new PLD Custom program and PLD Limited putter releases.

2022 PING PLD Putters

The new 2022 PING PLD (Putting Lab Design) putter program takes PING in quite a few new directions this month. First, there will be a retail PLD putter line. This is a first, as all other PLD offerings were limited runs featuring unique heads and experimental finishes. It’s nice to see PING making milled putters for retail again. The 2018 Vault 2.0 line was PING’s last retail milled putter offering.

This new PING PLD retail line consists of four models representing classic designs and modern favorites. The putters are fully milled from 303 stainless steel and all feature faces with PING’s new Aggressive Milling Pattern, AMP for short.

Normally, PING returning to the milled marketplace would be enough to warrant exploration and discussion. The thing is, PING is bringing even more PLD heat this month. Being able to finally snag a PLD putter at your retail shop is an exciting development but there are two other PLD stories that may prove even more exciting.

Before we get to that, though, let’s dive deeper into the retail PING PLD putter line.

Callaway once called their Chrome Soft “the ball that changed the ball.” 2019’s robot ball tests certainly changed the way we think about golf balls. It’s a large part of why we decided to build the MyGolfSpy Ball Lab. In the seasons since, it’s unquestionable that Callaway has upped their game. Their family of balls are now certainly worth trying to see if they work for you. Which is the best Callaway golf ball though? While that will vary from golfer to golfer, this list will take a look.

Best Callaway Ball Overall: Callaway Chrome Soft X

This might be considered a break from the mold for usual best overall selections. Instead of the original, for Callaway there’s a solid argument that the best overall is their X version. The big reason for this is spin. The X has the highest spin numbers of Callaway’s tour offerings. Too much spin might be bad, but it can be very important for short game and ball testing really should be done from the green out. It’s good enough for Jon Rahm as well, so that makes the Chrome Soft X the best Callaway golf ball overall.

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Best Ball for Softer Feel: Callaway Chrome Soft

There is certainly a subset of golfers who want to play a tour-caliber ball, but find most to be too firm to their liking, especially off the putter. For those folks, the Chrome Soft is the softest urethane cover ball made by any of the major players. While softer compression may reduce ball speeds a bit off the driver, lower spin can help make up for that. In fact, the Chrome Soft was the longest Callaway ball in high driver speed robot testing. For a premium ball, but a softer feel, the Chrome Soft is the best Callaway golf ball.

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For the second straight PGA Tour event, Bryson DeChambeau has withdrawn after entering the field and won't play in this week's Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, sources told ESPN on Sunday night.

Retief Goosen holed out for eagle from a greenside bunker on the short par-4 first hole, birdied the next two, and cruised to an 8-under 63 and a four-stroke victory Sunday in the Hoag Classic.

Scottie Scheffler made key putts to save two unlikely pars to close with a 72 for a one-shot victory at Bay Hill on Sunday.

Needing to win or finish solo second to retain PGA Tour status, Ryan Brehm -- with wife Chelsey at his side as his caddie -- went out Sunday and ran away with the Puerto Rico Open for his first tour title.

Ashun Wu shoots a 6-under 65 in the final round to win the Kenya Open by four strokes after starting the day trailing by four strokes.

Spornia SPG-8 XL Golf Net – Key Takeaways

The Spornia net needs no introduction after winning last year’s Hitting Net test at MyGolfSpy. However, they have just gone bigger.

Times have been tough for the past two years. We have all struggled to remain sane with all the restrictions but things appear to be looking up. For the golfing population, I would bet my pair of NIKE Air Infinity Tour (actually you can have them) that 75 percent of golfers purchased or tried to purchase a golf hitting net in those two years.

Why Go Bigger?

In most instances, size isn’t everything. However, in golf hitting nets, bigger is always better .

The Spornia SPG-8 comes in at a large 8 feet x 8 feet to catch all those stray shanks. For those who tend to sky their shots, the SPG-8 has a roof portion that is angled down to catch them. Great for saving your walls and keeping your partner happy.

One of the main features I like about the Spornia collection is how easy it is to set up. Its automatic opening system springs to life the minute you let go. From there, you add a couple of support poles to keep the net upright and you’re good to go within seconds.

Jin Young Ko, making her season debut after a three-month break, shot a 6-under 66 to win the LPGA Tour's HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore by two strokes.

World no. 1 Ko Jin-young racked up five birdies in her final six holes to win the HSBC Women's World Championship by two shots on Sunday.

No motive here, just me catching up on my queue and sharing some recent golf pods of note.

I think there’s something for everyone on this list. Enjoy all…it’s all free, including this edition of The Quad!