Golfing News & Blog Articles

TaylorMade’s Carbonwood era appears to be on the verge of a sequel.

With the PGA TOUR ready for action again at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the USGA’s first conforming driver list of 2023 indicates a number of the company’s Tour staff could be brandishing updated big sticks at Kapalua this week.

Three versions of a new TaylorMade driver under the names Stealth 2, Stealth 2 Plus and Stealth 2 HD appeared on the list Monday without product or performance information.

Part II

However, we can assume a few things about the new models from the USGA images and accompanying identification markings.

The most obvious bit of conjecture falls under construction materials.

The Masters sent an invitation to the 2023 tournament to the wrong Scott Stallings, mailing it to an amateur golfer in Georgia, instead of the PGA Tour pro.

The 2023 season is spooling up but, before we get totally immersed in all the new releases, the MyGolfSpy staff took some time to reflect on 2022 and imagine what’s ahead for the coming year in all things golf.

Before you read on, go ahead and drop your 2023 golf predictions in the comments. We’re curious!

Starting With “Most Wanted” …

Our hard-goods expert, Jon Howard, predicts COBRA will struggle to place in the top five in any Most Wanted test in 2023.Phillip Bishop is betting all three of Titleist’s latest TSR drivers will place within the top 10 for Most Wanted Driver of 2023. He thinks one of them will take the top spot.Bennett Green’s confidence in L.A.B. putters this year is unmatched. It took a little convincing but she thinks they’re pushing the envelope just enough for her. Mallet putters beware.Phillip Lien believes the PING i230 irons have a strong chance to win Most Wanted testing.

On the TOUR …

“Rory completes the career Grand Slam at Augusta,” says John Barba, “which will only further piss off Greg Norman.” Barba goes on to predict 2023 will bring in Norman’s rumored replacement as CEO of LIV. “The new LIV CEO will be able to facilitate peace talks with PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan.”Another confident vote for Rory winning the Masters comes from Tony Covey and concers on the disappearance of Norman.Phillip Lien is all-in on Patrick Cantlay taking the 2023 FedEx Cup.Along with yet another nod to Rory winning the green jacket, Bishop is positive Rickie Fowler will join LIV.Barba predicts OEMs will begin to pull their sponsorships from LIV players, citing technicalities in contracts that require PGA TOUR appearances. The Official World Golf Rankings will stretch out a little longer than anyone intends as well.Howard predicts LIV players will be included in OWGR rankings by mid-2023.Note: Five staff members are on board for Rory taking Augusta!

Moving on to Equipment Companies …

Barba believes Callaway has something in the pipeline—footwear.The personal launch monitor market will continue to expand.Covey is convinced TopGolf Callaway Golf Company will make yet another acquisition. “Impact not on the scale of Topgolf but probably bigger than Jack Wolfskin, which is admittedly a super-low bar.”If you’re looking for emerging brands, Canadians support their own so it’s no surprise Rick Young predicts you’ll hear more from Blacksmith Putters this year.Putter connoisseur Dave Wolfe believes Odyssey-Toulon will cut into Scotty Cameron’s milled putter market share.As the game moves indoors and to other condensed formats, you should expect to hear more from LinksDAO, Puttery and the Tiger Woods-backed Popstroke.

As for the Longshots …

Courses will begin offering six-hole rounds to fix slow play, says Wolfe. Will it fix the problem? Hardly, but it’s worth a shot.

What Do You Think?

What are your predictions for the world of golf in 2023?

 

 

If 2023 is going to be the year where you start compressing the golf ball with some sizzle and penetration off the club face then it’s time to get to work on that pesky little chicken wing you see at impact and beyond in your golf swing. It will take some time, but with a clear picture and a few solid practice sessions it can be done. Here’s how…

The two key areas are as follows:

The club face is invariably the culprit here and its almost always overly weak or open. Practice the “pump drill” demonstrated in the video where you really exaggerate how closed you’re getting the club face. Yes, you’ll hit a few shots to the draw/hook end of the spectrum, but just the same way you learned to hit it “straight” with an open face, is how you’ll learn to hit it straight with a more neutral face.

Let’s get DIRECT with this drill and make sure the lead arm stays extended. Keep in mind - face first and then the 9-3 drill demonstrated in the video. Use a 7 iron and keep the drill smaller than you might think. No need to hit it hard just yet. Please make sure that both arms are still extended as things come to a halt after the strike.

I know that if you commit to these two ideas you will not only improve the quality of your ball striking, but you’ll also get rid of the infamous golf swing chicken wing.

Former Ryder Cup player and five-time European Tour winner Barry Lane has died at the age of 62, the DP World Tour said in a statement on Sunday.

The 2023 Evnroll V-Series putter line expands by 15 new models.The new line includes redesigned favorites and Evnroll’s most customizable model to date.All new V-Series putter models available at retail mid-February 2023.

Baby New Year is not even swaddled and Evnroll has unveiled their new 2023 batch of V-Series putters. This batch of putters is no preemie. It’s a fully developed line of new models and designs. In 2023, Evnroll’s V-Series expands by a whopping 15 putters!

Admittedly, some of those putters are more configurations of models than new models. Still, the amount of metal that Evnroll is bringing to your shop next month is impressive. This small putter company is bringing a battleship’s worth of steel to your putter corral. Too much exaggeration? Well, it could be a small battleship.

Why should you care? First of all, all new putters should be welcomed and explored. In this case, these have the features we expect to see in Evnroll putters. These new models feature the hosel versatility of the current Evnroll V-Series putters as well as the Envroll’s lauded Sweet Face technology.

Are you unfamiliar with said versatility and Sweet Face technologies? Not a problem. Let’s take a moment to rehash some of the key features of the V-Series and Evnroll in putters general.

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Some birthdays seem made for athletic greatness. December 30 is one of them. Tiger Woods and LeBron James were born on the same day.

MyGolfSpy Experiences follows the one fundamental truth of the golf cosmos: The best bucket-list golf trip is the next one.

Always.

And of all the bucket list destinations in North America, the bucket-list-iest of them all is Pebble Beach. From first-class accommodations to world-class golf in an unforgettable setting, Pebble ranks with St Andrews as the place any golfer must visit before they die.

A fair warning: Pebble ain’t cheap. And you’re unlikely to find any deals. The resort is close to sold out for 2023. However, if you’re in the general area and have a flexible schedule, you can get on any of the four courses that make up the resort, including the iconic Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Just bring your wallet.

Who made the biggest impact in professional golf this year? What's in store for these key players in 2023? We look back at the year's noteworthy names.

A couple of weeks ago, we asked you about the clubs in your bag. More than 4,000 of you responded. Thank you!

Your feedback provided a plethora of insights, not just about the clubs, but the type of clubs you have in your bag right now. Perhaps we’ll take a closer look at some of that down the road but today we’re focusing on the brands that golfers spent their money on this season.

Here’s a closer look at our readers’ top brands for every spot in the bag.

What’s in the Bag Survey Results

Titleist accounted for the most new driver purchases, beating Callaway and TaylorMade by the narrowest of margins. PING was just a few percentage points behind them.

Other Notables

COBRA and an apparently growing PXG each accounted for a little more than nine percent of recent purchases.While percentages are small, it’s notable that more respondents purchased Sub 70 drivers than more established brands like Cleveland and Wilson.While exceptionally strong in the iron category, Mizuno accounted for less than 2.5 percent of new purchases

More MyGolfSpy readers chose Callaway fairway woods than any other brand. TaylorMade was next, followed by Titleist.

I was amazed to see how many long putts were made at the PNC Championships where a PGA Pro teamed up with a non-PGA family member. VJ Singh and his son shot 2 rounds of 13 under par to win the 2022 Championship. Their success came from playing a Scramble Format where they both hit each successive shot from the best location. Their biggest advantage came by understanding the break in their putts.

Every putt was played strategically by allowing the weakest player to make their best putt so that the second putter used the knowledge of the BREAK in the first putt as it slowed down near the hole. Of course we rarely get the chance to putt after someone putts on our exact same line. Watching this 2-putt team approach, we should all recognize 3 key points.

1/ Choosing the right line and speed is your primary focus if you are ever going to be a great putter.

2/ The most break occurs as your ball slows down at the end of your putt. Of course, the greater the side slope, the greater the break so you need to estimate if the break is non-existent (0), slight (1), moderate (2) or major (3 to 10)

3/ To limit your break (as the ball nears the hole on a slight to moderate slope) you should always putt with enough force to pass the hole by 10 to 20 inches. This extra force will eliminate a significant amount of the break as your ball passes the hole.

There is a lot of cool gear in the golf 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.

Not always does every item in the game receive the objective, in-depth review it deserves. Without a doubt, some are better than others. That’s why it’s our mission to give you the inside scoop on just about everything on the market—good and bad.

So, as a year-end bonus for you, we’ve highlighted some of our favorite reviews from our 2022 We Tried It series.

Technology and Tools

GARMIN R10

A lot of golfers don’t have a clue about how far they hit their clubs. The Garmin R10 golf launch monitor provides 14 different data metrics, even with its small Doppler radar. With more than 42,000 virtual courses, tournaments and prizes available, the R10 quickly became a buzz item.

We put it to the test. Check out the results below.

 

The post 2023 NCGA Rules Seminars and On-Course Seminars appeared first on Northern California Golf Association.

There is a lot of cool gear in the golf world that doesn’t always fit 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

adidas S2G BOA Wide spikeless golf shoes

Your “Thick Kick” Tester

Dave Wolfe– Though I talk mostly about putters, I also have feet so wide that they would spill over the edges of Clementine’s herring boxes, without topses.

Welcome to Dave’s Stout Shoe Search

Some of you are decidedly average, at least in terms of shape. Don’t feel bad about that—apparel companies love you! You and your average cohort are the money-making target market. They make gear for the majority. If your body plan hits the middle of the bell curve, you’ll have all kinds of choices when to comes to golf gear, be it hats, jackets or shoes.

Last month, LA Golf began shipping “prototype” samples of its upcoming golf ball. We put “prototype” in quotation marks because golf brands of all sizes have, at one time or another, used the description to drum up interest in a finalized but yet to released product.

Given the lead time to produce something like a golf ball and the industry’s preference for launching new products in early January, my hunch is that what you see is what you’re going to get.

Thus far, LA Golf has kept details of its ball under wraps. We don’t know how the company will position the ball, what performance claims will be made or how much it’s going to sell for.

LA Golf’s other products, namely shafts and putters, offer bold performance claims with premium prices so it would be a deviation from the business model if the ball didn’t command a premium price.

Kathy Whitworth, whose 88 career victories are the most by any player on a single professional golf tour, has died at the age of 83.

Winter means one thing: indoor practice!

Welcome to Day 2 of MyGolfSpy’s Countdown to Christmas where we offer holiday giveaways every day until Christmas!

Today, we’ve teamed up with PuttOUT Golf to give away their latest training aid, the Devil Ball.

We Tried It a little while back and not only is it addicting but it’s worth spending some time with at the office, at home or anywhere you can roll a few.

ENTER HERE

Several months ago, I posed the question: “Where did all the Japanese golf brands go?”

Part of the answer assumes a North America-centric viewpoint. And though brands like Yonex, Yamaha, Vega, Fourteen, ONOFF, PRGR and Honma have largely vanished from the U.S. landscape, they’re not extinct. Well, not entirely.

That said, if I consult my crystal ball, it portends a bleak outlook, at best.

So You’re Saying There’s A Chance?

Sort of. But it begs a deeper dive into two important topics.

First is a discussion regarding the prototypical JDM (Japanese domestic market) consumer. Second, we must assess how the global equipment market has changed over the last decade and what that might mean for JDM brands moving forward.