Tag: ben hogan

  • WITB – November 2015

    WITB Nov 2015Back in September I posted my first “What’s In The Bag” segment that detailed the clubs I play with. WITB posts are pretty popular on other sites when they post pictures of PGA Tour players and their preferred equipment. It’s always interesting to see what the best players in the world play with, and the market for “tour van” or hard to find equipment – especially putters – is huge. Forget that most people couldn’t possibly hit the clubs that tour players use, they still want them for the exclusivity and cool factor. I’ll admit, I’m one of those people that love being unique and having things that nobody else has.

    It’s for good reason that people are curious about the golf bags of PGA Tour players, but not many people care about what a lowly golf blogger plays with. It’s a shame too, because I think my fellow bloggers and golf media people are in a much better position to help others when it comes to getting the right equipment.

    While the average touring pro is well paid to endorse a company’s golf clubs, golf writers and bloggers aren’t. That’s not to say we don’t get our share of sweetheart deals or eek out a tiny profit from online affiliate sales, but nobody I know that runs a golf blog is making much more than enough to keep the site going and pay for the occasional round of golf.

    Golf writers and bloggers do however have access to and get to play with a ton of different clubs, and the ones that go in our golf bags as “gamers” have cut through the marketing hype and passed the test. Just like my buddy Tony from hookedongolfblog.com, in my golf bag on any given weekend sits a who’s who of golf manufacturers you may or may not have heard of. If we’re playing them, you can be pretty confident that they are a good buy.

    Since the end of September all but 3 of the clubs in my bag have changed. No less than 6 different golf equipment companies are represented in my bag.

    What’s in the bag?

    Driver: Ping G30 LS-TEC (9° w/ Ping Tour 80x)
    Fairway: Tour Edge Exotics E8 Tour (14° w/ Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana S+ 70x)
    Hybrid: Srixon Z H45 (16° w/ Aerotech hls880 x-flex)
    Utility Irons: Srixon Z U45 (20° & 23° w/ Aerotech Steelfiber i110cw x-flex)
    Irons: Srixon Z745 5-PW (w/ Aerotech Steelfiber i110cw x-flex)
    Wedges: Ben Hogan TK15  50° & 54° (w/ KBS Tour-V 120X)
    Lob Wedge: Hopkins Golf CJ-1 60° (Custom channel grind w/ Dynamic Gold X-100)
    Putter: Cure RX3F Putter
    Ball: Srixon Z-Star XV

    What’s New?

    The clubs that didn’t change? My Tour Edge Exotics E8 Tour three wood, which gets a fresh new grip, my trusty Hopkins Golf CJ-1 60° wedge and the ugly-duckling-but-impossible-to-mis-hit Cure RX3F putter.

    The biggest changes are the replacement of my aging Cleveland CG16 Tour Concept irons with the fantastic new Srixon Z745 irons. These irons are currently in play by most of Cleveland/Srixon’s tour staff including Graeme McDowell, Keegan Bradley, Russell Knox and many others. I also replaced the 3 and 4 irons with the Srixon ZU45 utility clubs which are much easier to hit, and the old Cleveland hybrid is replaced by a new Srixon ZH45 hybrid. All the new clubs get Aerotech Steelfiber shafts. The Srixon irons and utilities are made of forged 1020 steel and look as good as they perform.

    I changed drivers this month also. I switched out the Ping G30 driver for the Ping G30 LS-TEC. There’s not much difference between the two as they look identical, but the LS-TEC spins a little less according to Ping.

    I also have some new wedges in the bag. Gone (but not forgotten) are the SCOR 50° and 54° wedges I was so fond of. Fortunately they’ve been upgraded to Ben Hogan TK15 wedges. For those who aren’t familiar with SCOR and Ben Hogan, they are run by the same brilliant golf mind – Terry Koehler. SCOR Golf became Ben Hogan when he resurrected the iconic Ben Hogan brand from the ashes of golf equipment history. His amazing v-sole wedges live on in the Ban Hogan brand however. The new TK15 wedges perform the same as the older SCOR wedges and look fantastic in the new Hogan design. They are also a perfect match for the Hogan Fort Worth 15 irons, which players can customize to their liking. The Ben Hogan TK15 wedges are available from 48° to 63° and every loft in between. The HoganFit fitting process is designed to customize a set of wedges that will compliment your current irons and offer consistent distance gaps to help you score better inside 125 yards, where almost 65% of shots are taken.

    Finally, new in my golf bag this month is the golf bag itself! My special WAGT “Team USA” golf bag recently arrived from Burton and it looks fantastic. The amazing Last Bag travel bag I got from Club Glove is going to be protecting my clubs while traveling. I’m one of the few fortunate souls to be proudly representing the US in the World Amateur Golfers Championship in December in Antalya, Turkey.

    Antalya is one of the ten most frequented tourist destinations in the world, and is in the southwestern part of Turkey in a region called the Turkish Riviera. We’ll be at the all-inclusive Gloria Golf Resort competing over 54 holes in a team format with 40 other countries. I’ll be posting photos and updates on the event when we get there!

  • 2015 PGA Show – Best New Clubs

    Knuth Golf High Heat Driver
    Knuth Golf – High Heat Driver

    We were in attendance at the madness that was the 2015 PGA Merchandise Show last week, and other than registering about 18,000 steps (8.5 miles) on the pedometer each day, we met many old friends and saw lots and lots of golf products in the more than 1 million square feet of exhibit space at the Orange County Convention Center. As always, some products stood out among the rest. Here’s a few of the golf clubs that caught our eye this year.

    Best New Clubs

    • Bridgestone J15 irons, J715 & J815 Drivers – Bridgestone hasn’t released any new clubs for a couple of years, but fans of the brand have plenty of options in 2015. Bridgestone golf has released two new drivers and five new iron models. The J15 muscle back, cavity back, driving forged, dual pocket forged and cast irons have something for every level of golfer from low handicap to beginner golfers. The J715 driver has a cleaner, more traditional look, while the J815 driver gives more forgiveness and higher launch angles.
    Bridgestone J715 Driver
    Bridgestone J715 Driver
    • Nike Vapor – 2015 brings some new offerings from Nike Golf as well. The new Vapor Speed, Vapor Pro and Vapor Flex drivers give every level of golfer a club fit for their game. The Vapor Flex is Tiger Woods’ model of choice, while the Vapor Pro is in Rory McIlroy’s bag, and the Vapor Speed is for the rest of us who need more help. Matching the drivers and fairway woods are three new Vapor iron models, similarly called Vapor Speed (more forgiveness), Vapor Pro Combo (Cavity back w/ feel & forgiveness), and the Vapor Pro (Small cavity back/blade for feel and workability) The Vapor Pro blades were one of the best new irons I tested, and are sure to be popular with better players that fancy the Nike brand.
    Nike Vapor Irons
    Nike Vapor Irons
    • Ben Hogan Golf – The biggest club story of the 2015 PGA Show was the re-birth of Ben Hogan Golf. Club designer Terry Koehler has not only given us a beautiful forged blade worthy of the Ben Hogan name, but his unique club fitting system is a much needed innovation for the modern game. Eschewing the traditional numbered iron set, the new Ben Hogan irons and wedges have the club’s loft stamped on the bottom instead. The new Ft. Worth 15 irons and TK 15 wedges combine to offer 44 clubs available with every loft from 20 degrees to 63. This allows golfers to tailor a set to their particular preferences for loft, distance gapping or personal tastes. For example, slower swingers may choose 4 or 5 degree gaps in their long irons as they tend to hit traditional long irons the same distance, or longer hitters may prefer smaller 3 degree gaps in their wedges to cover more yardages in the short game. With soft & surprisingly playable forged 1025 carbon steel heads in 44 different lofts and the most playable sole grind on any wedge available – V-Sole (Increased leading edge bounce, decreased trailing edge bounce creates a V- shaped sole) The new Ben Hogan irons and wedges are going to be a big hit. Even mid to high handicappers have praised the clubs for being easier to hit than anticipated for a forged blade.
    Ben Hogan Ft. Worth Irons
    Ben Hogan Ft. Worth Irons
    • Callaway PM Grind Wedge – Phil Mickelson is one of the most influential players in golf. His long relationship with Callaway Golf has led to some interesting club designs and ideas over the years. One of the most recent ideas comes in the form of the new Mac Daddy PM Grind wedges. Wedge designer Roger Cleveland came up with this design at Phil’s request to help him hit high, soft shots around the greens. The wedge features a very high toe area and grooves that extend all the way across the face to the edges. It also has a scalloped sole grind and drill holes to remove weight. The wedge is so new that Callaway haven’t even put it on their website yet. Check out the scoop on PGATour.com here. It’ll be available in May with lofts of 56,58,60 and 64 degrees. Time to work on your flop shot!
    Callaway Mac Daddy PM Grind Wedge
    Callaway Mac Daddy PM Grind Wedge
    • Exotics E8 Woods – What is there to say about the legendary Exotics fairway woods? The best just keep getting better. The new E8, E8 Beta and E8 Tour fairways are as hot and easy to hit as ever. As usual, the Exotics E8 was the most versatile, best looking and best feeling fairway wood I hit at the PGA Demo day. Those wanting a higher launch and a bit more spin to get the ball airborne will favor the E8 (185 cc) , while those that prefer a smaller head and lower spin will gravitate to the E8 Beta (175 cc). The E8 Tour fairways complete the lineup with a compact head size (150cc) and a fancy new manufacturing process called 360 degree robotic laser beam bonding to ensure very precise tolerances. Adjustable hosels (E8 Tour) and weight kits allow for a custom fit, and a multitude of shaft options are available. Prices range from $249 to $399.
    Tour Edge Exotics E8 Fairway
    Tour Edge Exotics E8 Fairway
    • Srixon Z745 – In 2015, the parent company for Srixon & Cleveland Golf (SRI Sports) has repositioned the Srixon brand at the head of the table behind the popularity of their Q-Star and Z-Star golf balls. This year Srixon has released an entirely new line of irons and woods. I’ve had a chance to spend some time testing the Z745 Driver, ZF45 Fairways and Z745 irons, and I’ve come out impressed. Srixon haven’t jumped on the gimmick bandwagon with these clubs. Even though they are modern clubs with hot faces and have adjustable hosels and interchangeable weights, the look and feel of the driver and fairway woods is clean and simple. No fancy paint scheme or alignment marks, no flashy colors or crazy shapes here, just a classic look and shape. The forged cavity back irons have a familiar look that better players and purists will appreciate, and the polished chrome finish on the back edge of the irons reflects the turf, making the club appear thinner at address. The forged feel is solid and delivers great feedback, as expected from a forged club, while providing enough forgiveness for mid handicap players. Higher handicap players may want to try the Z545 driver and irons, which are built with more forgiveness than the Z745 line.

    Biggest Surprise

    • Knuth Golf High Heat Driver – Perhaps the biggest surprise of the PGA Demo Day, Dean Knuth (Known by many as the “Pope of Slope” for his role in creating the USGA’s slope rating system for golf courses) has introduced a new improved version of the High Heat driver he originally created in 2007. The High Heat driver has the lowest CG (Center of Gravity) of any driver on the market, and the company claims that the low, deep CG also makes the driver more accurate on off center hits than any other driver. If you are among the majority of golfers that tend to make contact slightly off center and lower on the face, this is very good news. Even if you make consistent contact, you need to try this driver! Having hit the High Heat myself, I believe their their claims. The High Heat driver hits the ball very high, very far and very straight. Available with Fujikura and Aldila shafts. $399 direct – www.knuthgolf.com

    Biggest Disappointment

    • Honma Golf – The Japanese luxury club maker has a strong following in Asia for building top of the line, high performance clubs. If price was not a factor, Honma’s Tour World TW727 Driver, Fairways and TW727M forged blades might very well be in my bag. Being one of the few OEMs that manufacture their own shafts allows them tighter control over quality and the ability to make shafts specifically for their clubs. This advantage translates to better performance and more fitting options. However, given the price of their products they aren’t likely to become very popular in the USA or Europe anytime soon. Street price for the TW727 driver will be around $800 USD, and the irons typically sell for $275 per club ($2200 per set). There are other companies that sell premium priced clubs that compete with Honma, but sadly the elitist mentality and condescending looks I’ve gotten from the Honma reps at the PGA Show for the last several years has turned me off to the brand. Perhaps if I had a check in hand for $3000 I may have been treated better.
  • 5 Trends To Watch In 2015

    5 Trends To Watch In 2015

    A new year is upon us, and in the golf world that means one thing – The annual PGA Merchandise Show is right around the corner. Held in Orlando, Florida every year, the show brings together thousands of golf industry insiders, manufacturers, professionals and buyers to share ideas, display new technology and conduct business. The state of the golf industry as a whole is usually a hot topic at the show, and this year will be no exception. Here are a few things we’ll be keeping an eye on for 2015.

    • Performance Analysis and Game-Tracking Technology – It started a few years ago but now this new segment of the golf market has taken off. Advancements in GPS, accelerometers, bluetooth and smart phone technology has allowed developers to bring dozens of new game tracking devices to market. One of the best I’ve used is GAME GOLF. Using sensors on each club and GPS to track your location, this little device gives you all kinds of stats about your game and helps identify points of weakness. It also has a cool social media angle to it that allows you to share your results with friends. Another is Arccos Golf, which uses bluetooth sensors on the clubs to give you real-time information about your swing. Expect more advancements and new products in this category for 2015.
    • The Death of Anchored Putters – As the 2016 ban on anchored putting approaches, professional golfers all over the world will have to abandon the long putter. More specifically, they’ll have to abandon the anchored putting method many of them have used for years. Some may switch to a conventional putter, others may try the arm-lock method Matt Kuchar made famous, and still more may move to counter-balanced putters, which were born out of the anchoring ban. You can expect to see products that allow you to convert conventional putters to arm-lock models and more counter-balanced options. As an opponent of the anchoring ban, I think many recreational golfers will simply ignore the rule and continue to play golf with their long putters rather than deal with back issues and yipped putts.
    • How to Grow Golf – In years past we’ve seen various industry initiatives come about that proposed changes to the game to increase participation and keep players interested in golf. A couple of years ago the PGA of America announced Golf 2.0. They paraded Jack Nicklaus out to be their spokesman and talked about programs like “Get Golf Ready” and “Play Golf America”, but consumers weren’t listening. Last year we saw a rebranding of Golf 2.0 called Hack Golf. Led by Taylor Made Golf CEO Mark King, they threw out ideas to grow golf and increase participation. A year later, these initiatives have mostly failed to attract new players to the game, but they did spawn a couple of abominations like Foot Golf (Imagine slipping on some knickers, which are mandatory to wear for tournaments and kicking a soccer ball around a golf course) and WhipGolf, which has players throw the ball around the course with some sort of apparatus on your arm. While some suggestions the group had were interesting, (like mixing things up occasionally with 8 to 15-inch cups instead of the standard 4 1/4″ hole size) most of their ideas never had a chance. More importantly, the Hack Golf movement lost their champion. Mark King left Taylor Made Golf in the wake of massive layoffs and restructuring to become the head of adidas North America, and basically left Hack Golf adrift in a vast ocean of apathy. Personally, I don’t think anything is wrong with golf, and it doesn’t need to grow. The ongoing contraction in the sales of equipment, number of courses and people playing the game makes sense, given the unsustainable growth golf experienced in the last 20 years and guerilla marketing employed by golf companies to sell drivers.
    • Decline of Golf Media – There’s no stopping the media juggernaut these days. We live in the age of social media, 24/7 cable “infotainment” and TMZ. In my opinion the influence of modern media has had a very negative impact on golf. I’ve spoken about this subject before, and I don’t see things getting better very soon. Traditional golf publications like Golf Magazine, Golf Digest and Golf Channel have lost their way in search of eyeballs and page views to drive advertising revenue and stay profitable. These outlets seem to have eschewed golf instruction and real journalism for paid advertorials and “fitness” articles showcasing ladies in tight yoga pants. Perhaps they forgot that women play golf too, and they don’t care to see women objectified all over their pages and social media channels? I’ve ended my subscriptions to Golf Magazine and Golf Digest, and can barely watch the Golf Channel since NBC Universal took over. Maybe one day they’ll figure out that golf instruction shows don’t need to feature a woman making swings in a shirt that is a couple sizes too small for her. And don’t even get me started on the Back9Network – the TLC of golf programming. Sadly, this “Sex sells, and when all else fails, talk about Tiger” approach will probably continue in 2015. Even some golf bloggers aren’t immune to this overload of sex in golf in search of web traffic. Thankfully, Golfweek is still around and actually still covers golf.
    • New Equipment – 2015 promises every golfer at least two things when it comes to equipment. More distance!! More Accuracy!! Ok, now that we got the message from the marketing department of every single golf manufacturer, we can focus on the real news. If you bought your current driver in the last 2 years, that shiny new Taylor Made R15, Callaway Big Bertha Alpha, Titleist 915D2 or Ping G30 driver probably won’t give you more distance or accuracy. Sorry to burst your bubble, but hey – I just saved you $400! Actually, I just got the Ping G30 and think it’s the best driver I’ve hit in years, but that’s a story for another day. There will be the usual assortment of new drivers, woods, irons and wedges in 2015, but what I’m really looking forward to is the rebirth of the Ben Hogan Golf Company led by the very capable guidance of Terry Koehler and the new company from GoDaddy founder Jim Parsons, called Parsons Extreme Golf. Mr Koehler is the brain behind the most versatile and best performing wedges I’ve ever owned, and he’s bringing his considerable talents to the Ben Hogan Company to resurrect this great brand. I don’t have any idea about how much Jim Parsons knows about golf, but I know he’s a marketing genius and is no stranger to the “sex sells” approach with his over the top GoDaddy.com Super Bowl commercials, so we’ll wait and see what his new ultra-premium golf clubs look like with great anticipation. I hope they live up to the hype, but given my history in golf over the last 25 years I’m not holding my breath.