Golfing News & Blog Articles

In a recent social media post, Callaway claimed its Chromesoft is more centered than a Titleist Pro-V1x. Do they have the data to back their claims?

1:45 – Most Wanted Putter Testing Commences3:19 – Callaway’s questionable golf ball claims23:34 – How is Titleist’s quality control so tough to compete with?30:27 – The new Pro-V1/Pro-V1x35:27 – The next gen of ERC-Soft with Triple Track37:14 – Can Mizuno ever hit #1 in Drivers?

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The post Crazy Claims from Callaway | NPG 69 appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

Bridgestone has launched the e12 Contact golf ball.A Contact Force Dimple offers more speed, and more spin around the green.The e12 Contact replaces both the e12 Soft and e12 Speed.Retail price is $29.99 a dozen.

A golf ball with the grip of a tire. It’s not a perfect analogy but it might help us understand the role of contact science in the design of the new Bridgestone e12 Contact golf ball.

On the tire side of the Bridgestone business, contact science is where the rubber literally meets the road. On the golf ball side, contact science is where the cover of the golf ball meets the clubface—also in the literal sense.

Bridgestone e12 Contact and Contact Science

The Bridgestone e12 Contact golf ball—more specifically, its cover—is the result of nearly five years of work in contact science. Before I jump too far ahead, I should probably mention that, in really basic terms, contact science applies to understanding and optimizing what happens when two things, like a tire and a road or a golf ball and a golf club, meet.

We wrote about Round 1 of Bridgestone’s foray into contact science about this time last year with the REACTIV cover on the Tour B Series. At the time, Bridgestone described REACTIV as an “Impact Modifier.” That means its properties vary based on the speed of impact. Firm for speed off the driver but soft for more spin when struck with a wedge. The lingo seems to have taken root industry-wide as Callaway used the same phrase to describe the PARALOID Hybrid cover on the new ERC Soft while Bridgestone is doubling down on “Impact Modifier” to describe the dimples on its new e12 Contact ball.

Key Takeaways

XXIO Prime is XXIO’s ultra-lightweight offering for sub-80 mph driver swing speed players.2021 XXI driver features Rebound Frame and a Super-TIX PLUS titanium face with a 200-percent larger sweet spot than the 2019 model.XXIO Prime irons feature the same titanium face and 110-percent larger sweet spot than 2019.XXIO Prime Royal Edition is a new offering: an ultra high-end luxury brand specifically for women.

Before we start discussing who should consider XXIO Prime, let’s first talk about who shouldn’t.

If your driver swing speed is above 100 mph, XXIO of any kind probably shouldn’t be on your radar. And if your driver swing speed is  80 to 95 mph, there may be a XXIO with your name on it. But it isn’t XXIO Prime.

And if the price of a 2021 TaylorMade, Callaway or PING makes you want to grab your torches and pitchforks and storm the castle, then XXIO Prime—and we can’t stress this enough—isn’t for you.

So, who is XXIO Prime for? Well, if you look in the mirror and see a sub-80 mph driver swing speed, you might just be a XXIO Prime golfer. And if you want clubs designed grip-to-tip specifically for a sub-80 mph driver swing speed, you might just be a XXIO Prime golfer.

And if you don’t mind paying the freight for either of the above, you might definitely be a XXIO Prime golfer.

Mizuno is launching two new ST-series drivers.The ST-X offers draw bias with some forgiveness.The ST-Z is a low- to mid-spin driver with higher MOI.Retail price is $400.

With the launch of the Mizuno ST-X and ST-Z drivers, the company hopes to build on the momentum from its previous ST releases while making its case that it belongs in the conversation with the top-selling driver brands in golf.

New Rules

In past Mizuno stories, we’ve discussed how and why the company’s drivers disappeared from the PGA TOUR. When its competitors began buying Tour counts, notoriously frugal Mizuno grew comfortable with its Tour ambassadors not playing its drivers. The approach was to give its staffers plenty of time to work their way into Mizuno driver. More often than not, they never did and the company never said much about it.

For more than a decade, the count of Mizuno drivers in play on the Tour held steady at zero.

Over the past couple of seasons, things have changed. The company has rolled out a fresh approach—a new rulebook of sorts. Like many of its competitors, Mizuno has become increasingly rigid about staffers bagging its drivers. Potential new Tour signings are advised to be absolutely sure the driver is going to work.

Si Woo Kim birdied two of the final three holes to finish a rock-solid, 8-under 64, coolly rallying past late-charging Patrick Cantlay by one shot to win The American Express on Sunday for his third PGA Tour victory.

Jessica Korda closed with a 5-under 66 and holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole Sunday to beat Danielle Kang in the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions and start the LPGA Tour season on a good note.

Englishman Tyrrell Hatton shot a sparkling 6-under par in the final round on Sunday to win the season-opening Abu Dhabi Championship by 4 strokes after overnight leader Rory McIlroy faded with an uninspired even-par 72 to drop into third.

Darren Clarke won the Mitsubishi Electric Championship by two strokes on Saturday for his second straight PGA Tour Champions victory.

Danielle Kang still has the lead in the LPGA Tour season opener. Jessica Korda won the day. Korda blistered the back nine in 9-under 28.

Max Homa made nine birdies and shrugged off a double bogey on the way to a 7-under 65 in the third round Saturday, joining Tony Finau and Si Woo Kim atop the leaderboard at The American Express.

Rory McIlroy leapfrogged Tyrrell Hatton to reclaim a one-shot lead after the third round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Jerry Kelly and Darren Clarke shared the second-round lead Friday in the Mitsubishi Electric Championship after first-round leader Retief Goosen stumbled late.

Sungjae Im will take The American Express lead into the weekend. Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, won't be around. He missed the cut after making 18 pars for the first time in his 2,201 rounds of PGA Tour play.

Mark Hubbard didn't have a good day in the second round of the American Express. So he tried a little something different with his putting stroke. You have to see it to believe it.

Danielle Kang shot a 6-under 65 Friday at the LPGA Tour's season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions to stretch her lead to two shots.

 

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England's Tyrrell Hatton put on a show in the second round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, going 12-under overall after 13 holes to take a five-shot lead before fading light stopped play on Friday.

Wilson Staff D9 Irons – Key Takeaways

Wilson’s longest iron gets a little longer.Features computer-optimized Power Holes and lower center of gravity.$649.99 in steel, $749.99 in graphiteAvailable Jan. 26

The new Wilson Staff D9 irons have, relatively speaking, a hard act to follow.

D9’s game improvement predecessor – the D7 – was Wilson’s best-selling iron post-lockdown even though it was in its second year. Wilson touted D7 as its longest iron ever and our Most Wanted testing confirmed that. D7 was the second-longest iron set tested last year, just behind the Callaway Mavrik.

Length isn’t everything, but it is something. And when you’re Wilson, getting attention in the hitting bay is maybe the best way to get the consumer’s attention. And if a lot of distance is good, then a little more than a lot is even better.

So what makes the Wilson Staff D9 irons longer? Well, new Power Holes and an even lower CG are two big reasons along with a little help from a loft-bending machine.

Let’s unpack this suitcase and see what’s inside.

Key Takeaways

Wilson Staff D9 driver features computer-designed Peak Kinetic Response (PKR) variable-thickness face. Fairways and hybrids are Wilson’s first to combine variable-face thickness and 455 maraging steel.All are non-adjustable, fixed-hosel metalwoods.Real-deal Tensei CK Blue (driver, fairways), Tensei AV Silver (hybrids) are stock.Driver ($349.99), fairways ($219.99), hybrids ($199.99) for sale starting Jan. 26.

The new Wilson Staff D9 driver, fairway woods and hybrids probably won’t lead the pack in innovation, technology or style. But it would be wrong to presume they’re lacking in innovation, technology or style.

Specifically, Wilson shifted its supercomputer into overdrive to design the new D9 driver. The new D9 fairway woods and hybrids didn’t get the full UNIVAC treatment but they are the first Wilson metalwoods to combine variable-face technology with 455 maraging steel.

For a company fighting for metalwood relevance, it’s a step in the right direction. And while the D9 probably won’t be causing the Big Five any sleepless nights, there’s plenty here for your average golfer to ponder. Especially if he or she doesn’t want to ante up the five bills for a new TaylorMade, PING, et al.

Wilson Staff D9 Driver – Fire Up The Computer

The Wilson D7 was a sneaky-good driver. It didn’t get much fanfare but it was a solid performer for us in both 2019 and 2020 Most Wanted testing. In fact, the D7 copped Best Value for Mid-Swing Speed last year.

To make a sneaky-good driver a sneaky-better driver, Wilson is firing up its computer.

Retief Goosen's 10-under 62 was good for the first-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions' Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai on Thursday.