Golfing News & Blog Articles

Mizuno announces the ST-Z 230 and ST-X 230 drivers.They feature a speed-enhancing CORETECH chamber.A lightweight ST-X 230 PLTNM model is also available.Retail price is $499 for the standard Z and X and $549 for the PLTNM model.Availability begins Feb. 23.

The new Mizuno ST-Z 23 Z and ST-X 230 are part of the company’s ongoing quest to shed its identity as an irons-only brand.

On one hand, it’s not the absolute worst problem to have. The company achieved its highest-ever market share this year and recently it has claimed about 15 percent of the market. It routinely over-indexes among MyGolfSpy readers with more than 20 percent of you reporting that you play Mizuno irons.

That’s good.

The less good?

Mizuno has announced new S23 wedgesGame-improvement design with wedge-specific technologyRetail price is $160/wedgeAvailability begins Feb 23.

The Mizuno S23 wedge is a solution to a problem you likely didn’t know existed. In fact, Mizuno could argue that it created a new category of wedges and you’d be hard-pressed to find evidence to the contrary.

You might recall the ES21 wedge which, odd looks aside, pushed the conversation of CG location in a different direction. Literally and figuratively.

To clarify: the direction is more towards the geometric center of the face.

Ultimately, the Mizuno S23 is the game-improvement wedge that doesn’t necessarily look like it.

Mizuno announces the ST-Z 230 fairway wood and hybrid.Both feature a speed-enhancing CORETECH chamber.Retail price is $299 (fairway) and $249 (hybrid).Availability begins Feb. 23.

To the degree that the Mizuno ST driver franchise finds success in 2023, it should also prove beneficial for the ST-Z 230 fairway wood and hybrid. And like its JPX line of game-improvement irons, Mizuno is providing plenty of evidence that it’s much more than an iron brand for better players.

Maybe that’s not the rosy, unicorns and rainbows lede you were expecting. But it’s the nature of the arduous task ahead for the brand that, fair or not, has a penchant for reminding golfers that “Nothing Feels Like A Mizuno.”

To its credit, over the last four years, Mizuno has put a substantial amount of resources behind its metalwood development and believes the 2023 line is a culmination of those efforts.

Mizuno ST-Z Fairway

The ST-Z 230 fairway features a carbon composite crown, expanded Z-axis weighting and the same CORETECH Chamber technology as in the ST-230 series drivers. In addition, Mizuno is sticking with the thin MAS1C face, albeit with a slightly altered topology.

Titleist has added the T Grind to its Vokey SM9 retail lineup.The T Grind is a popular low-bounce option on Tour (and with MyGolfSpy staff).Lightweight shaft options have been added to the lineup.Availability begins March 10.

Filed under “It’s about damned time” or perhaps more eloquently under “Finally!”, Titleist and Vokey have made the glaringly obvious (to me anyway) decision to add the low-bounce T Grind to the Vokey SM9 retail lineup.

Because the design parameters are the same as other SM9 wedges, we’re not going to rehash the particulars here, though it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if you wanted to read all the details of the Vokey SM9 lineup here.

As far as the T Grind itself is concerned, if you haven’t heard of it, it’s an exceedingly popular grind on the PGA TOUR. To date, Vokey has made the T Grind available only through its custom WedgeWorks program.

The retail offering of the Vokey SM9 T Grind is much the same as what you’d find through WedgeWorks. It’s available in 58 and 60 degrees, both with four degrees of bounce. The SM9 T Grind solidly qualifies as a low-bounce option and, for all intents and purposes, should play as the lowest-bounce wedge on the market today.

TaylorMade launches the new Spider GTX and GT Max putters.The Spider GTX adds a new weight element to the 2022 Spider GT design.The Spider GT Max features innovative adjustable weight technologies.Spider GTX will be available for pre-order on Jan. 19 and at retail beginning Feb. 24 with an MSRP of $349 USD. Spider GT Max arrives this spring.

Every year, TaylorMade either revises or radically redesigns their popular Spider putter. In 2023, they are doing both. Granted, accomplishing this feat does require more than one new Spider model. More Spiders? Sounds good to me. Is there really such a thing as too many new putters?

The Spider getting a revision this year is the 2022 Spider GT. The new 2023 Spider GTX retains most of its predecessor’s architecture. The body shape is mostly the same, with the new GTX featuring new colors and a new rear weighted design.

The other putter, the Spider GT Max, hides its newness a bit. At address, the Spider GT Max resembles the Spider GT Splitback. However, that similarity ends as soon as you flip the putter over and see the new adjustable weight system. No, we are not talking about the usual sole weights that swap in and out. The weights on the Spider GT Max are moveable, not removable.

This new weight scheme is a radical departure from the norm.

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Cleveland CBX Full-Face 2 Wedges – Key Takeaways

Updated, full-face version of Cleveland’s CBX wedge lineFeatures ZipCore, HydraZip and UltiZip technology$169.99 per wedgeAt retail Feb. 3

The new Cleveland CBX Full-Face 2 wedges make up the newest song in Cleveland’s concept album, Dark Side of the Wedge.

But seriously, folks …

Cleveland debuted its ultra-forgiving, cavity-back CBX wedge line in 2017. Back then, Cleveland told us that if you play game-improvement irons but not game-improvement wedges, you’re probably doing it wrong. And since 84 percent of us play game-improvement irons, well, you can do the math from there.

Two iterations and a couple of sub-launches later, we’re getting a full-face version of the most recent CBX. On the face of it, this launch looks like a simple line extension of the 2021 CBX ZipCore.

But in actuality, the face of it is the thing that tells a slightly different story.

Busy week in the world of majors and surrounding nonsense!

In the latest weekly news and notes I dissect news of the CW taking on LIV plus scheduling reveals for NBC and CBS major coverage.

Plus, the bvest of GQ's Netflix doc story, Davis Love is back (again), the 2031 Ryder Cup favorite is in Spain, Scott Stallings gets his invite (finally), old auction news and a bunch of Reads.

Here's everything you need to know about how to watch the PGA Tour, Masters, PGA Championship and FedEx Cup playoffs on ESPN and ESPN+.

The next stop on the PGA Tour is La Quinta, California, for The American Express. Here is how you can watch all of the action.

The American Express is loaded with talent, what's up with two world No. 1's and LIV Golf might have a new TV deal.

Previewing the 2023 LPGA season as the season kicks off at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.

Titleist has announced new Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls.The 2023 models feature high-gradient cores for more distance, lower long-game spin and tighter dispersion.Retail price is $54.99.Availability begins Jan 25.

The story of the new Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls is relatively simple.

Before we dig into what’s changed, however, what you need to know is that what’s true for one ball is basically true for the other.

For example, spin properties have changed a bit for both but the relationship between the two remains the same.

The Pro V1 is still a mid-flight, mid spin ball while the Pro V1x remains Titleist’s highest-launching and -spinning option. Compression ratings haven’t changed, either. The Pro V1 is still a high-80s compression ball while the firmer Pro V1x runs in the high 90s.

I found a great summary of mistakes published by Josh Berhow when interviewing PGA pros at GOLF’s Top 100 Teachers Summit . You really don’t have to change your game to lower your scores. just don’t make the following mistakes.

Arriving Late for Your Tee Time: Arrive early for your tee time or your round will suffer. Warm up with stretching and hit some wedges, chips and putts. Ideally you should get there earlier, don’t rush, practice with a purpose (stretch and practice your woods, chip, putt, etc.) and stroll to that first tee with confidence.Play from the right tees: Choose the tee that allows you to reach the green in 2 shots on the longest par-4 hole. Do it and you will have a lot more fun.Hit the Shots that Work for You: If you are hitting a 10-yard slice with their irons and a 20-yard slice with the driver on the range, don’t try to make changes during your round. Use the shots that work for you. Stick with it. Own it. Be confident in it. And if the issue is still there after your round or again for your next, then it’s time to check in with a teacher.Know your gear: Don’t try to get more out of your clubs than they are designed to give you. Understand that your 5-wood will give you a higher ball flight (than a 3-wood) with more stopping power on the green. Apply the same rule for all of your clubs.Stop going after pins: Just don’t do it. Even pros don’t go at every flag. Aim for the middle of the green and favor the side with less trouble. Even Bernhard Langer has said he sometimes does this when he has a lead down the stretch. He calls it being “cautiously aggressive.”Find the fairway when you are struggling: World GOLF Teachers Hall of Famer Mike Adams says, in short: tee it low. This makes you hit more down on the ball, and if you stand a little closer and flare your lead foot out, it will force you to rotate and, worst case, your mishit will be on the heel and lead to a harmless cut that still finds the short stuff.Avoid double bogey or worse: Stop playing hero shots and get your ball back in play. Punch out from a dire situation, find the green and two-putt for bogey. Call that a win and move on.Know your distances: High-handicaps miss short way more often than they miss long. Golfers with a handicap of 21 or higher missed short 70 percent of the time. So, if you are in between clubs, remember that stat.Get over bad shots and move on: After a poor shot Tiger Woods told his son, Charlie: “I don’t care how mad you get. Get over it and be 100 percent committed to the next shot. That’s all that matters. That next shot should be the most important shot in your life. It should be more important than breathing.”Don’t get too cute around the greens: Unless you really know how to hit a high-lofted wedge, chip with a safer club or if you are close enough to the green, use your putter. Learn to let the bounce of the wedge do the work for you after your round of golf.These tips will help your game without changing your swing. Why not practice with GOLFSTR+ to help you learn 6 types of swings with a straight leading elbow and to control your wrist position for putting, chipping and iron shots. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com

LIV Golf's Ian Poulter said Tuesday that it's no guarantee he would play for Europe in the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome if he does manage to qualify.

Wilson Staff Dynapower Drivers, Fairways and Hybrids Key Takeaways

Wilson Staff revives a classic name from its past.Two new adjustable drivers: one all-titanium, one with a carbon-fiber crownAI-optimized dynamic face thickness$499.99 in carbon fiber; $429.99 in titaniumPresale starts Feb 22; at retail March 1

The new Wilson Staff Dynapower drivers, fairways and hybrids have an awful lot going on. Not the least of which is the name.

Wilson’s social media has been warning us that something retro is brewing. And that something is the resurrection of Dynapower. The original 1956 Dynapower was an iron-focused weighting technology. You can read more about that technology in our companion piece on the new Dynapower irons but you’ll notice the “buy-a-vowel” labeling on both the irons and metalwoods reads “DYNAPWR.” So in text, it’ll be “Dynapower,” but on the sticks it’s DYNAPWR.

Just so we’re CLR.

But give Wilson Staff credit. As an outside-looking-in player in the driver game, this modern take on a retro-classic name is bringing something unique to the table: dueling drivers.

Made from different materials and with different performance characteristics.

Wilson Staff Dynapower Irons – Key Takeaways

Wilson revives a classic tech name for 2023.Game-improvement irons designed by AI$799.99 in steel, $899.99 in graphitePresale Feb 22; at retail March 1

The new Wilson Staff Dynapower irons check all the requisite boxes for a modern game-improvement iron.

Low CG for high launch? Check

AI-designed variable face thickness for max ball speed? Check

Lofts strong enough to cause outrage in certain circles? Double-check

Retro naming that highlights a 67-year-old—and still relevant—technology? Wait. What?

Titleist has announced the TSR2 and TSR3 hybrids.Reimagined shaping and lower/deeper CGMAP $299 eachPre-sale starts Feb. 2 with full retail availability on Feb. 23.

Because we discussed the Titleist TSR2 and TSR3 fairway woods several months ago, you might have assumed that Titleist released TSR2 and TSR3 hybrids concurrently. 

If so, I forgive you. 

And given the cacophony of equipment releases this month, it would be easy for Titleist’s updated TSR2 and TSR3 hybrid launch to come and go relatively unnoticed.

But I’m working to change all of that. After all, ain’t no party like a hybrid launch party. 

Let’s discuss.

Srixon Soft Feel Golf Balls – Key Takeaways

13th generation of Srixon’s softest ballTwo-piece ionomer, 60 compressionNew FastLayer core$22.99/dozen. Available Feb. 16

The newest edition of Srixon Soft Feel golf balls would appear, if you checked the specs, to be no different from the previous edition of Srixon’s Soft Feel golf balls.

Both are two-piece ionomer-covered balls priced to move at $22.99 per dozen. Both releases report a compression of 60 for the standard model and 58 for the Soft Feel Lady version. And both tout a “new”  FastLayer core that is Srixon’s softest yet. Even the cover thickness—or in Srixon’s case, we should say “thinness”—is the same.

Even the Soft Feel Brite colors are the same: matte red, matte green and matte orange.

So what’s new and/or different?

It’s hard to say. But we can say OEMs don’t spend a lot of time, energy, effort or money pumping innovation into two-piece ionomer-covered balls that sell for $22.99. Any innovation is usually trickle-down stuff from the next tier or two of golf balls.

Si Woo Kim captures the Sony and a Masters invite.

Plus, Fernandez de Oliveira's LAAC win lands him three major invites, Continental Europe takes the Ryder Cup audition, Paul Azinger's PAC comment and Nelly Korda signs with Nike.

All that and more in the latest Quadrilateral!