Which is more technologically advanced: a light switch or a pair of shoes with BOA’s proprietary closure system? We all know what a light switch does. At one point, it was revolutionary. Now it’s an afterthought. Conversely, how much “technology” could a pair of golf shoes contain?

Some companies would have you believe that the right pair of shoes can help you hit the ball further and shoot lower scores. So what in the name of Bill Bowerman is going on here?

BOA Technologies believes it has an answer. More importantly, its crack team of Ph.D-equipped researchers is charged with creating a repository of information that assesses the impact of various closure systems on a range of athletic movements. In 2018, BOA constructed a performance laboratory at its Denver, Colo., headquarters. The directive was simple: gather evidence that the academic community would accept which supported a clear and definitive performance benefit on footwear that leveraged BOA’s unique performance fit system.

Easier said than done.

WHAT IS BOA?

 

The Korn Ferry Tour released its 2023 schedule on Tuesday with changes that already had been in the works, starting with a minimum $1 million purse for the regular season, with $180,000 to the winner.

Tiger Woods saved three Hero World Challenge spots for tournament exemptions, and it is widely expected he will play for the first time since 2019.

Captain Zach Johnson says Tiger Woods will be a part of the United States' 2023 Ryder Cup team in some capacity.

The PING G425 Max driver won the coveted MyGolfSpy Most Wanted Driver title this year, finishing first in accuracy and second in forgiveness.

But it ain’t perfect.

PING G425 Max Driver  Details

We tested the PING G425 Max as part of the 2022 Most Wanted Golf Driver test. Its predecessor, the G410, struggled a little in the 2021 Most Wanted Golf Driver test, finishing seventh overall. However, PING responded with the new 26-gram tungsten movable CG shifting weight. Combined with a T9S+ forged face, an eight-position hosel and the Arccos Caddie Smart Grip, this driver checks all the boxes for features. 

The G425 Max driver has neutral, draw and fade settings to work for a wide range of players. That alone helped move this club up the list. Ribbing inside the club head helps with feel and sound. The feel thing worked quite well. The sound is another story (check out our tester feedback). Overall, the look of the G425 is sleek with the Turbulators on the top of the club being pretty prominent.

Pros

Very high MOIBuilt-in adjustabilityEight-position hosel for loft and lie adjustmentArccos Caddie Smart GripT9S+ forged face

Cons

Turbulators have mixed reviews from an aesthetics standpointSound is harshNot the longest driver of 2022

How We Test 

The PING G425 Max driver was part of the 2022 Most Wanted Driver test. Testing involved 38 drivers, 35 golfers (of all different playing abilities), 400 hitting sessions and thousands of golf shots. To help ensure accuracy across the board, we used the Foresight GC Quad launch monitor, known for high levels of accuracy. In addition, all golfers hit with the Titleist Pro V1 to golf ball help eliminate some variables. 

The ClicGear Model 4 performed strongly in the 2022 MyGolfSpy Best Golf Push Cart testing and the Bag Boy Nitron Auto Open wasn’t that far behind.

Which is the best for you?

Verdict

The ClicGear Model 4 finished second in our 2022 Best Golf Push Cart Test, behind the Rovic RV1S, largely on its durability. This thing is built to last.

The Bag Boy Nitron Auto Open finished fifth place overall. Despite its impressive stability, it lacks in features and durability.

How We Test

When we tested the ClicGear Model 4 and the Nitron Auto Open push cart, we also looked at 18 other products. One of our experts reviews all of the contenders to ensure consistency in the ratings. This project took 23 hours and focused on data parameters like stability, durability, features, maneuverability and folded size.

TaylorMade Stealth took top spot for the best game-improvement iron in 2022. But why?

There was so much hype surrounding the release of the Stealth line that we couldn’t wait to test them as part of the 2022 MyGolfSpy Most Wanted Game Improvement Iron Test. With TaylorMade having quite a handle on the distance and ball speed game the last few years, we weren’t concerned about yardage and carry on these clubs. What surprised us was the accuracy.

Take a look at why the TaylorMade Stealth irons were named the best game-improvement iron in 2022 and whether you should be giving them a try.

TaylorMade Stealth Iron Details

The TaylorMade Stealth irons are really not as revolutionary as the new release of the TaylorMade Stealth woods. This iron does not feature carbon in the face or anything crazy like that. It’s simply an upgrade from the SIM 2 Max. However, a few things were worth upgrading from the SIM 2 Max. The Stealth iron features a cap-back design with toe-wrap construction. The result is slightly better feel at impact and much more forgiveness. The weight repositioning gives the club a very low center of gravity, higher launch and tons of accuracy—in fact, the best accuracy of all the irons in this category.

TaylorMade isn’t about fixing something that isn’t broken. The Speed Pocket technology made it through another round of R&D and it shows up in the Stealth irons as well. You will find an ECHO Damping System to help take away harsh vibration on missed shots. The Stealth claims to have a forged-like feel compared to other game-improvement style irons.

The Mizuno Pro 225 won the coveted MyGolfSpy Most Wanted Player’s Distance Iron title this year.

We know Mizuno to be a top performer for feel and control. But distance? Not so much.

But things may be changing for Mizuno and for players who are loyal to this brand.

Mizuno Pro 225 Irons Details

The Mizuno Pro 225 irons feature Grain Flow Forged 4135 Chromoly, increased tungsten weighting in the longer irons, a copper underlay and a full satin brush finish. These irons created more distance for players without losing the iconic Mizuno feel.

With this iron head being hollow, a higher COR, higher MOI and more solid feel are attainable. The cambered sole is a bit wider than we have seen with previous Mizuno releases and it’s not quite as sleek as a traditional Mizuno blade. That slightly thicker sole helps with accuracy. Tungsten weighting helps with improved launch conditions in the mid to long irons, so expect a mid to high ball flight.

Go Big with Higgs Sweepstakes

Official Rules

October 4, 2022—November 15, 2022

PRELIMINARY INFORMATION:  NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A purchase will not improve your chances of winning. Void where prohibited. The Go Big with Higgs Sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”) will begin on October 4, 2022 at 12:01  A.M.  ET  and end on November 15, 2022 at 11:59  P.M.… Read the rest

The post Go Big with Higgs Sweepstakes appeared first on Golf Blog, Golf Articles | GolfNow Blog.

Continuing today’s theme of showing you stuff you probably can’t get until next year  …

The 2023 Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls made their debut last week at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

According to Titleist, the new balls were originally slated to debut this week at the Shriners in Las Vegas but M.J. Daffue, Gary Woodland and THE Garrick Higgo asked to put the new models in play ASAP. The company overnighted boxes which arrived last Tuesday.

(Upon hearing this news, I immediately checked my porch. Turns out I was overnighted … nothing.)

If not for Daffue’s ace on Thursday and Higgo leading the field in birdies (both with the new balls), use at the Sanderson likely wouldn’t have reached footnote status in this story but here we are.

 

The post Rule of the Month: Loose Impediments and Movable Obstructions appeared first on Northern California Golf Association.

PING is kicking off your Monday with a textbook “good news, bad news” situation. The good news is that PING’s upcoming G430 family of drivers—a lineup which again includes MAX, LST and SFT models—has hit the USGA’s conforming list. The bad news is that parts of the world (most notably Australia) will get it months before we do here in the States.

The G430 teaser of sorts might feel familiar. The them now, us later approach is a repeat of how PING launched the G425 and while I don’t love it, I get it: with peak golf season fading as quickly as the daylight here in the U.S.A., other parts of the world are just ramping up.

It’s true that the supply chain is improving but it hasn’t fully recovered from COVID and so I suppose it makes sense to limit release to smaller markets while stockpiling inventory for a January global release.

For sure, that makes for a bit of an awkward release where the official dissemination of engineering and performance details will likely be confined by geographical boundaries but there are some intriguing bits to be gleaned from the USGA listings.

As mentioned, PING will again launch three models.

Wilson Staff Model Putters – Key Takeaways

Three new models plus an updated 8802100-percent precision milled from 304 stainless steelAvailable in 33-,  34- and 35-inch models$349.99. Available for pre-sale starting today; at retail Nov. 1

Say what you want about the new line of Wilson Staff Model putters.

But you can’t say they’re not pretty.

Wilson introduced the Staff Model moniker in January 2019 with the ultra-sexy Staff Model blades. Since then, Wilson added the Staff Model CB irons along with Staff Model wedges, utility irons and balls. Pretty much all that’s left are putters and metalwoods. We’ve heard rumors of Staff Model metal woods and we’ll see what role the newly USGA-approved DynaPowr metalwoods will play in the Wilson lineup.

Wilson hasn’t played in the premium end of the putter pool for quite some time, The Infinite line has performed exceptionally well in MyGolfSpy’s testing. But Infinite remains a value-priced option. Staff Model, according to Wilson, is reserved for the game’s best players and for golfers who appreciate premium.

Will the new Wilson Staff Model putters check the right boxes? Let’s take a look.

OUR JOB IS YOUR GAME

With fall approaching, golf season is still in full swing. Speaking of “swing,” we all swing at different speeds and that means no one driver is right for all of us.

If you swing at 105 mph or greater, these are the best golf drivers for you. Let’s take a look.

MOST WANTED SCORING

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

For drivers, we’ve split our key metrics into four categories: accuracy, forgiveness, distance and Strokes Gained. Each category is weighted through proprietary methodologies.

Data was collected using Foresight GCQuad Launch monitors. To minimize variables, all testers hit Titleist Pro V1 golf balls. Outliers were removed and data was aggregated before scores were calculated.

Mackenzie Hughes made birdie on his third time playing the 18th hole on Sunday, and it gave him a playoff victory over Sepp Straka in the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Charley Hull ran off four birdies on the back nine for a 7-under 64 to win The Ascendant LPGA on Sunday.

Ryan Fox clinched his second DP World Tour title of the year on Sunday as the 2022 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship concluded at St. Andrews.

Charley Hull and Janet Lin are tied for the lead going into the final round of The Ascendant LPGA.

Mark Hubbard has a one-shot lead in the Sanderson Farms Championship as he goes for his first PGA Tour victory.