Golfing News & Blog Articles

TaylorMade is releasing four new Spider models in 2021.New models include the paint-free Spider X Hydro Blast, the high-MOI Spider S and SR and the brand-new Spider EX.The new Spider EX line features a new True Path alignment scheme, the new Fluted Feel shaft and the new Pure Roll² insert.

Arachnophobes beware! The TaylorMade Spider clutter is growing in 2021. Yes, “clutter” is the proper term for a group of spiders. It’s a pretty significant clutter at that. These 2021 TaylorMade Spider models feature new shafts, new heads, new alignment schemes, new inserts and new spins on previous designs. That’s a whole lot of new right there!

It’s a tangled web we navigate today. Let’s start with the most familiar spider, the Spider X.

2021 Spider X Hydro Blast

The TaylorMade Spider X model is a success story for TaylorMade. In less than two years, it has 11 PGA TOUR wins. I’d argue that the Spider X in the hands of Jon Rahm delivered the putt of the year in 2020.

66 FEET for the WIN!

The Callaway Chrome Soft X LS gives Callaway a second legitimate offering in the tour ball categoryCSX LS is a high launch, low spin ball that compares with the Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash and TaylorMade TP5xRetail price is $47.99

More than a year into its latest Chrome Soft cycle, Callaway is introducing a new member of the family—the Chrome Soft X LS. As you might surmise, the LS stands for “low spin” and while it doesn’t replace anything in the current lineup, it does give Callaway a long-needed second option in the Tour ball category.

But What About …? No.

I’m barely a paragraph in and I can already sense some of you giving me the stink eye so let’s take a second for some real talk. Over the last several years, a yarn or two may have been spun suggesting otherwise but I don’t believe anyone at Callaway would reasonably classify the standard Chrome Soft as a “Tour ball.” It’s a solid 10 compression points softer than anything played on the PGA TOUR and “soft” is, well, a specification that doesn’t hold up to higher swing speeds.

In that respect, Callaway’s lineup was lacking. Every serious ball brand has two Tour options and, with the addition of Chrome Soft X LS, so does Callaway.

No pro-ams. No tickets. No concessions. For the past year, tournaments on the PGA Tour asked the same question: How do we make this work?

Mike Pearl, a 17-time Sports Emmy Award winner who spent years at ABC Sports, ESPN and other networks producing high-profile events across multiple sports, has died. He was 77.

The Trailblazer: Helen Lengfeld

March 1, 2021

March is Women’s History Month: As part of the NCGA’s ongoingSpirit of the Game series, we take a look at the great Helen Lengfeld

It’s a good thing that Helen Lengfeld’s mother insisted that her daughter take up the more ladylike game of golf instead of focusing on ‘tomboy’ sports like baseball.

Otherwise, today’s landscape of women’s golf in Northern California would probably look much different.

Born in 1898, Lengfeld’s legacy began as a player. In 1926, the Bay Area native won the San Francisco Women’s Championship. That same year, she helped found the Women’s Golf Association of Northern California and in 1927 she won their first championship.

U.S. Amateur champion Tyler Strafaci and top-ranked amateur Davis Thompson are part of the 10-member U.S. team announced Monday that will try to retain the Walker Cup in May.

Rule of the Month: Equipment/Clubs

March 1, 2021

You are allowed to carry up to 14 clubs for play (but you can have fewer). There is no restriction on the type of clubs you carry – for instance you can carry multiple putters, multiple drivers, or some left-handed clubs and some right-handed. If you start a round with 14 clubs, you are generally limited to those clubs for the rest of the round, even if you lose one or break one while making a stroke. But you can continue using a damaged club or have it repaired if possible. If you start a round with fewer than 14 clubs, you can add clubs during the round until you reach 14, but you must not delay play in doing so. When you have a partner, you can share clubs, provided that the total number of clubs between the two of you is no more than 14. For example, if you have 6 clubs and your partner has 8 clubs, the total is 14 and you can share.

You cannot purposely adjust or alter clubs during your round, which includes making changes to adjustable clubs. But if an adjustable club becomes loose during the round, you can repair it by moving it back to the original setting.

FAQs:

How many clubs am I allowed to have?I broke my club in anger – can I still use it?My club broke during a stroke – what can I do with it?Can I carry my clubs in the same bag as someone else?Can I share clubs with another player or my partner?Can I add a club to my bag during the round?Can I tighten my clubhead or shaft if it becomes loose during the round?Can I adjust my adjustable driver during the round?What happens if I lose a club?Can I use a left-handed club if I am right-handed?

-NCGA Staff

Slice it on the regular? This episode’s for you. We talk the best drivers to help cure a troublesome slice.

1:40 – Boom or Bust? Sun Mountain releases a bag with speakers.9:35 – Editor John Gordon gives his professional opinion on the elderly17:37 – What’s your walk-on song?20:11 – HOT SEAT: Are “Get off my lawn” golfers ruining the game?24:00 – WITB w/ Harry Nodwell35:17 – The Best Drivers for a Slice

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The post The Best Drivers for a Slice | NPG 74 appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

Macklemore didn't think much of golf. Well, now he's hooked. From changing the way players dress to his bucket list courses to how it's helped him stay clean, he hits it all with Michael Collins.

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

The Lagshot Swing Trainer

Our Lag-Seeking Swinger

Dave Wolfe – MyGolfSpy writer and putter fanatic. I am always looking for ways to improve my “non-Tour level” golf game.

Golf is Hard

I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve bought a bunch of training aids through the years. I know I am not alone in this. Millions of training aids have been purchased by improvement-minded (aka desperate) golfers. The draw of the training aid is that it, theoretically, allows you to improve on your own. Unfortunately, it has been my experience that most of training aids don’t really help. For me, only the Orange Whip and Tour Striker have proved their usefulness.

Kevin Sutherland overtook Mike Weir with a 4-under 69 on Sunday to win the Colorguard Classic.

Collin Morikawa shook off an early mistake Sunday to close with a 3-under 69 for a three-shot victory in the Workday Championship. Afterward, he paid tribute to Tiger Woods, his golf idol growing up.

Branden Grace closed eagle-birdie Sunday to win the Puerto Rico Open, an emotional triumph following his father's January death after a monthlong fight with the coronavirus.

It's been a strong run for the Korda family, as Nelly won the Gainbridge LPGA Tour event on Sunday, after her sister, Jessica, won the season-opening Tournament of Champions last month in Orlando.

Several players at the WGC-Workday Championship wore a red shirt and black pants Sunday in honor of Tiger Woods, who remains hospitalized after a serious car accident on Tuesday.

Collin Morikawa started hot with seven birdies in an eight-hole stretch, but two late bogeys cut his lead down to 2 shots Saturday at the Workday Open.

Mike Weir shot a 5-under 67 to build a 2-shot lead in the Cologuard Classic on Saturday, leaving Phil Mickelson with a lot of ground to make up to win his third straight PGA Tour Champions start.

Rafael Campos took a share of the lead Saturday in the PGA Tour's Puerto Rico Open, shooting a 5-under 67 at windy Grand Reserve.

Nelly Korda, whose sister Jessica won the first LPGA Tour event of the season, is leading the Gainbridge LPGA after shooting a 4-under 68 on Saturday.

Top 5 Drivers to Kill a Slice

The slice is the bane of mid-to-high handicap golfers everywhere. Whether caused by face angle, swing path, strike location, or some combination of them, watching the ball sail off the intended targeted line off the tee is one of the more frustrating golf experiences.

While no piece of equipment can completely eliminate the slice, modern drivers are designed explicitly with intelligent features to help tame that shot and keep it in play more often. Let’s look at some of the best options available.

1. Ping G425 SFT

If you battle a slice, the PING G425 SFT can help. Once again, the PING’s SFT model took the right side out of play better than any club in the test, and, once again, it wasn’t particularly close. With the G425 SFT, drives finished 15.64 yards left of the centerline. Its closest competitor was only 8.01 off the centerline. Like previous SFT models, this is accomplished through heel-weighting and a subtly closed face to promote right-to-left shot bend.

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2. Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo

The Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo seeks to fight slices off the tee by tripling down on one important concept; MOI. Moment of Inertia (MOI) is a measurement of the club’s resistance to twisting. Generally speaking, the higher the MOI, the more forgiving a driver is going to be on off-center hits. The Launcher HB Turbo features a new crown, hosel, and weight placement to maximize MOI in the clubhead itself. It is then paired with a unique counter-balance shaft designed by Miyazaki specifically for the club, enabling further MOI increases.