January 27-30 2010
Orange County Convention Center
We attended the 2010 PGA Merchandise Show and came away with the following observations. We hope you find them illuminating, but we also hope you find the discourse entertaining. We welcome any and all feedback. We KNOW we will hear the feedback when you disagree. It goes with the territory. This is Part 2 of the report, ‘The Equipment Review’.
We are going to change thing up a little this year. Instead of strictly focusing on equipment categories, as I went through the various products, certain themes presented themselves to me. We are going to expand upon those themes.
We would also point out that if TaylorMade Golf seems missing in several categories, it is because they chose not to exhibit at the PGA Merchandise Show. We can’t hit what isn’t there. But we will make every effort to get our hands on some TaylorMade equipment as the year goes on and render an opinion.
Our Perfect Golf Set-Up
When its time to play golf, you want the perfect set-up. You want the right clothes, the right shoes, the right clubs, and the right accessories. I might not get all of them, and for certain categories, the right item depends upon the person involved.
Getting Dressed
The apparel business is potentially even more competitive than the golf club equipment category. Where there are 4-5 majors in the golf club equipment category, there are dozens in the apparel category. But without question, we are just entranced by the way Puma Golf has exploded into the market for apparel. And they have picked the right guy with Rickie Fowler as their clothes horse. He somehow captures the edginess that Puma Golf apparel is all about.
Puma Golf has re-explored the world of bold colors, and the eighteen-hole logo is just a great idea. The fabrics are smooth to the skin, allowing for freedom of movement. And the X-Games skater-dude Puma Golf hat is going to be a huge hit with the upcoming junior golfer set.
Puma Golf grabbed our attention when it came to the shoes we want also. Puma has one style of golf shoe that perfectly mimics their flat sole skater-dude athletic shoe. There is so much flexibility in this shoe, and yet it has the necessary support built in to the design. Since it accommodates a matching outfit with the Puma Golf apparel, we want to wear the shoe as well.
When you put it all together, it just speaks to the edgy junior golfer. It has enough cool to make golf cool. And that is not so easy to do.
We fully expect to see Puma Golf enter the golf club equipment category in the next 1-2 years, perhaps sooner. Is there any chance that the puma could be stalking a cobra? Or could the puma be after bigger game?
Teeing It Up – The Ball
We have learned through the years not to underestimate Titleist when it comes to their ability to defend a dominant golf ball position in the market. We sensed some changes taking place this year in the Titleist go-to-market strategy. First of all, there are less varieties. Titleist will offer five balls this year; two versions of the Pro-V1, two NXT versions and one DT So-Lo. Secondly, there will be an increased emphasis on ball fitting. We get the feeling that Titleist cannot ignore the success that Bridgestone has earned though an intense focus on their ball fitting challenge. We believe that Titleist senses that there is only so much market share that can be earned in the Pro-V1 category, but that by emphasizing ball fitting they can drive more traffic into their value-oriented NXT series. We have played the NXT’s, and after a couple rounds we were having trouble distinguishing the NXT Tour from a Pro-V1. It’s a very good golf ball, and it fits the value proposition that we believe golfers are going to increasingly demand.
Kudo’s to Bridgestone for bringing ball fitting into the light. Bridgestone claims to have conducted over 50,000 ball fittings. We went through one, and we were told the Bridgestone 330RX (tour performance for amateur swing speeds) was the ball for us. Since we have played with this ball several times and really like it, we tend to agree.
We would also highlight the Callaway Tour i(z) ball. We have played the Tour i(x) for a couple years now, and even though we haven’t played the Tour i(z), a curious thing happened while we were doing the Bridgestone ball fitting challenge. The fitter, who had conducted thousands of fitting, asked me what ball we played. When we related that we played Callaway Tour i(x), he actually shuddered somewhat. When we asked him about his reaction, he said “Look, it’s a really good ball. I have more trouble trying to beat that ball than any other ball we come up against”. Now, we had just watched three fittings against Pro-V1’s with no such reaction. So when a professional ball fitter says the Callaway product is a good one, we think that’s a meaningful reaction.
Teeing It Up – The Driver
We recognize that TaylorMade has the leading market share for drivers. But as we mentioned above they weren’t at the Show, so we can’t add them to our bag yet. There were four drivers that we tried that we would be happy to find in our bag any day.
The Adams Speedline Fast 10 had the best look from the top at address. We put a lot of stock in the look at address, because we need that confidence-inspiring feeling that the club will send the ball in the intended direction, and with commensurate force. The Speedline feels a little light during the swing, which is probably intended, but we would prefer a little more ball-and-chain feeling. All in all, this was a very nice progression from the original Speedline.
The Ping G15 had the best feel. The face felt like it was capturing the ball, holding it for a moment, and then just exploding it off the face. The face had the penultimate mush-feeling, so to speak. The Ping G15 didn’t have quite as friendly a look, as it just came off a little blocky at address and didn’t have much bulge in the face. Still, all in all, a very nice performing club.
For consistency, we found two others that were very good in terms of look, feel and ball flight. The Tour Edge Exotic XCG3 had a face that seemed to catch the ball quite well. And the club seemed very workable. We were able to fade the ball on command which is saying a lot for a condemned hooker like ourselves.
We were also impressed with the consistency of the Callaway Diablo Edge Tour. The Callaway produced the high ball flight that so many seek in the desire for more distance. The Callaway was also very workable, moving the ball in both directions at will. Given the higher ball flight, down wind shots must be a blast!
We were a little disappointed in the Cleveland Launcher DST and the Cobra SZ drivers. The Cleveland had no bulge to the face which gave us the feeling of very little forgiveness, and the Cobra SZ was so offset that we could only see it as being useful to a real dedicated slicer. We’ll pass on these two.
The Second Shot – From the Fairway
If we are hitting our second shot from the fairway, then we want to move the ball as far down the hole as we can. We want a fairway wood. We tried every fairway wood imaginable. One, and only one, was acceptable. Fortunately the fairway wood that was acceptable was also exceptional!
Once again, the Ping G15 rose to the top. The Ping G15 fairway wood has a great look at address. The look inspires confidence that you won’t have to help the ball in the air, that the club can and will do all the work. The feel was tremendous. The ball exploded off the face to the extent that we could easily see this fairway wood becoming a go-to club off the tee when accuracy is necessary. The ball flight was perfect, high enough to get plenty of carry, not so high that the wind would have too much of an effect on the outcome. Put this in your bag and keep it there.
We had heard great things about the Tour Edge Exotic fairway woods. All we can say is we were singularly unimpressed. The ball flight was very low, which forced us the try to lift the ball off the ground. This did not inspire great swing thoughts. Also, the Callaway Diablo Edge Tour had a leading edge to the club that just made us feel uncomfortable. If the look from the top isn’t good, not much else will be either.
The Second Shot – From the Rough
If we are hitting our second shot from the rough, then we want to move the ball as far down the hole as we can with a club that can rip through the rough and still perform. We want a utility/hybrid club. There are many very good hybrids out there.
The Cleveland Launcher DST was very good, with a leading edge out in front of the shaft. This gives you the feeling that you can get the club to the ball before the rough starts to wrap around the shaft, improving the end result. The forward leading edge also makes correct alignment seem much more attainable.
But the best of the bunch was the Adams A7 OS. Adams leads the hybrid count on the PGA Tour (and probably all the other tours too). The Adams A7 Pro has been the hybrid of choice by the professional golfer. The look of the A7 Pro is unusual, with a very bulbous toe, and the club didn’t seem to be too forgiving. No, we were grabbed by the more friendly Adams A7 OS. This hybrid looks easy to hit, feels great, and results in a consistent ball flight on center, heel and toe hits. This club is the reason Adams wins the hybrid category. Because it’s great!
The Cobra Baffler simply baffled us. It seems to only have utility, so to speak, out of the rough. From any type of tighter lie, a golfer who is a picker (as opposed to a trapper) is going to really have a hard time with this club. Any off center hit is going to feel like it has been struck low on the clubface and lose distance. Thus we would only recommend the Baffler to a poor driver who often finds himself in pretty difficult rough and needs something that can gouge it out.
To The Green
When its time to approach the green, we need irons that inspire confidence and perform with forgiveness and accuracy. Feel becomes very important with the iron game. If it doesn’t have great feel, you will never have great confidence.
Despite our self-professed prowess, we have never been a big fan of player’s irons with thin top lines. Still, the Titleist AP2’s have that thinner top line and still deliver a true cavity-back feel. Many players simply need that thinner top line look, and this club gives them the look they need without sacrificing the forgiveness that will allow them to improve on their off center hits. The AP2 also provides the workability that many desire in a players club. If you need the thin top line to feel right, this is the club for you.
Somewhere between a players iron and a game improvement iron was the Ping G15. Ping had skimmed a few millimeters off the top line so the club doesn’t look ‘fat’ from the top, but the feel is so good and the club is so forgiving that the shot’s success is almost a forgone conclusion before you have even taken the swing.
We would characterize the Nike SQ MachSpeed as a game improvement iron. The club has a thicker top line, and a huge amount of weight moved in behind and down at the bottom of the club. The center of gravity almost feels like it’s embedded in the sole of the iron. The feel was pure mush, and the ball took off like a bullet. We felt like these irons were adding distance. If distance and forgive-ability is your thing, the Nike SQ MachSpeed is forgivably hot!
The Cobra SZ Max was disappointing. The club head simply did not feel stable. In fact, we went back and grabbed different ones just to make sure we didn’t have a lemon, and the result was the same, instability. This was not very confidence inspiring.
Around The Green
We have discussed for years about the interchangeability of the current crop of wedges. It has seemed to us that in a world of computer-aided-design/computer-aided-manufacturing (CAD/CAM), that there is simply no reason to make a bad wedge. And very few do. We could change our wedges out for another brand every month and still play respectably well. Callaway, TaylorMade, Nike, Cleveland, Ping, etc. Bring them all on.
But this year, we encountered something truly different, The Cleveland CG15 wedges. These have a secondary groove pattern cut into the face. This secondary groove pattern definitely gives the player the feeling that spin will be imparted to the ball. As we watch the PGA Tour and the USGA trip all over themselves trying to resolve a groove issue with clubs from 20 years ago, we are satisfied that the Cleveland CG15 will fill our needs quite nicely. Thank heavens for bifurcated rules!
On The Green
When we get to the green, we want a putter that is easy to line up, that is balanced, and has great feel as the ball comes off the face. We are not looking for explosiveness.
For years we have looked at the SeeMore putter. The rifle-scope technology intrigued us, but the shape and shaft location of the putter just didn’t work for us. SeeMore has now engineered several new head designs that still incorporate the rifle-scope technology. We were very interested in the blade-type, and the roll seemed true. Aligning the putter and setting your hands with the rifle-scope technology definitely helps you putt with the confidence that you are going to hit the putt where you aim it. The face of the putter could be a little more forgiving, but all in al, this is pretty good innovation.
We have always liked the feel of a mallet putter. We just never liked the look of one too much. The Ping IN Anser finally has the feel of a mallet, combined with the look of a blade. The result is a roll that comes off solid but without much effort which will be very beneficial on fast greens. And who doesn’t have fast greens these days?
Best of the bunch was the Odyssey White Ice Two-Ball putter. We know the two-ball concept isn’t new. But we also know the concept is valid from an ocular standpoint. The two-ball does help with correct alignment. And this baby has a balance and a feel that is just money perfect. The face insert just kisses the ball on its way, with a lovely north-south roll that starts on line every time. The White Ice fills the value proposition as well, priced under $200.
The Adams A7 putter group and the Cleveland BRZ are simply not very inspired retreads. The BRZ is just another Anser look-alike. The Adams group appears to be partially borrowed from Ping and partially looking back to the Ray Cook era.
Our Dream Bag
So what’s in our dream bag for 2010? Well, dress us head to toe in Puma apparel because we want to be as cool as Rickie Fowler. Tee up a Titleist NXT Tour golf ball, because we want tour performance at a reasonable price. The let us take a whack with the Callaway Diablo Edge Tour driver. If it’s tight, we’ll go with the Ping G15 fairway 4 wood for accuracy and distance. Then let us have a rip with a 3 or 4 Adams A7 OS hybrid. Next we’ll fire at the green with our Nike MachSpeed irons 5-PW. If we miss the green, we’ll chip with the Cleveland CG15 sand wedges, 50, 56 and 60 degree please. Lastly we’ll hole out with the Odyssey White Ice 2 Ball putter.
When our buddies look in our bag, they will see every major equipment company is in there. Except one. We can’t hit what isn’t there. But if we were betting people (and lo and behold, we are!), we would bet that if TaylorMade had been at the Show, then they’d be in our bag. They have earned that level of confidence over the last several years.
