Tag: Ryan Moore

TRUE Linkswear – All Day Knit II
TRUE Linkswear has come a long way from their first generation golf shoes I tried in 2012. They have always been known for making supremely comfortable golf shoes, but back in 2012 the design of the shoes wasn’t as polished, and while the shoes were amazingly comfortable, they also looked a bit like clown shoes. With a low to the ground design to mimic walking barefoot to the gaping wide toe box, the shoes provided amazing comfort at the expense of some style.

Compromising style for comfort isn’t a problem anymore with TRUE Linkswear. With over a decade of experience and 500,000+ happy customers to show for it, TRUE Linkswear has matured and their current lineup is a representation of that maturity, with a blend of classic styles and modern materials, TRUE Linkswear has a shoe for just about every golfer. The one thing all their shoes still have in common is comfort. A great example of that is their most popular model – The All Day Knit II.

Simply put – The TRUE Linkswear All Day Knit II golf shoe is one of the most comfortable shoes (not just golf shoes) I’ve ever worn. It sits low to the ground and the breathable upper takes the shape of your foot and allows perspiration to escape, keeping your feet happy and dry on those hot summer days. There’s just enough cushioning for all day wear, and paired with a pair of thin no-show socks these are a walker’s best friend on the golf course – as long as it’s not too wet out, because the All Day Knit II isn’t waterproof. As long as you stay away from the puddles you should be fine. If they do get a little wet or dirty, no problem. Just toss them in the laundry. That’s right – The All Day Knit II are machine washable! The only real tradeoff these shoes make is in stability. While they offer some support, if you need lots of lateral stability in a golf shoe these won’t be a good choice, but in my experience stability and comfort in a golf shoe are often at odds with each other. For most golfers, these will be great everyday performers that you can wear right out of the house and to apres-golf activities alike. Heck, I even wear them to work sometimes.

The All Day Knit II is available in 12 different colorways, and if you are like most people you’ll want 2 or 3 pairs in different colors to match outfits. MSPR is $145 direct on TRUE’s website and they run in sizes 7 to 15 and fit widths D to EE.

All Day Knit II – Features
- TRUEknit Fully Breathable One-Piece Upper (90% Polyester, 10% Spandex)
- Full Sock Fit Flexible Opening for Slide-In Comfort
- One-Piece TRUEknit Upper Flexibly Conforms to Most Foot Shapes (D-EE)
- New Open Cell Footbed for Increased Breathability and Comfort on Warmer Days
- NEW Wanderlux Midsole for Increased Comfort and Rebound
- TOUR Tested & Approved Outsole Cushion & Tread
- Extremely Lightweight – 9.1 oz. (Size 9 M)
- Cross-Life Tread for Maximum Versatility
- Transitional Drop (~6 mm)
- Comfortably Fits up to EE Width
- Machine Washable
May 27, 2022
TRUE Linkswear Golf Shoes

Some time last season on the PGA Tour, I spied Ryan Moore wearing some funky looking shoes on the golf course. They didn’t look at all like your typical wingtip or saddle type golf shoe. They looked more like mocasins or slippers. After doing a bit of research, I found out that he was wearing shoes from a new company called TRUE Linkswear. I reached out to the company and was able to get a pair of my own for review.

Being a golf blogger means I end up with lots of equipment and accessories laying around. It also means that I have more golf shoes than regular shoes. After a year of testing just about every type and style of golf shoes on the market, I keep going back to just 2 pairs of shoes for my every day play. My “Tenny” shoes from Kikkor Golf, and the TRUE Tour from TRUE Linkswear . Now that I think of it, The TRUE Linkswear shoes aren’t just the most comfortable golf shoes I own, they may be the most comfortable shoes I own period!

TRUE Linkswear makes shoes that are designed to work with your body and be super comfortable. While most shoe companies design a shoe from the top down using other shoes as a model, TRUE Linkswear builds them from the ground up, using the human foot as their inspiration. They have come up with a shoe that sits very low to the ground (10mm) and is very light weight. The result is a super comfortable shoe that provides ample traction and allows the player to really feel the ground beneath him at all times.

As someone that enjoys walking when possible, these are the perfect shoe. Because they are built so low to the ground and the toe box is so wide, they are a joy to walk with and the spikeless soles provide a great combination of traction and comfort. Because they are spikeless I usually just wear them right out of the house which saves me time in the parking lot of the golf course. Walking a few holes in these is like walking around the back yard with slippers on. While the styling certainly isn't classic in terms of traditional golf shoes, they aren't ugly, and there are several color combos available for all tastes. Still, some people will prefer to stick with the old school golf shoes with firm soles and stiffer leather uppers. While I don't have an issue with stability, some people might find these shoes aren't up to par with traditional golf shoes for stability. That will depend on the player and your particular swing. Since I got these shoes, I've gone virtually 100% spikeless when I play golf. I alternate between the TRUE Tour, Ecco Streets that Fred Couples made famous and my Kikkors. Only occasionally do I bring out my traditional Ecco World Class GTX golf shoes. Overall, the TRUE Linkswear line of shoes are must-haves for anyone that wants premium, well built, walking shoes for golf. Anyone that struggles with their golf shoes being uncomfortable or too narrow will definitely want to try these. Look for new and improved styles with even better traction and comfort for 2012. See the entire line at http://www.truelinkswear.com
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January 11, 2012
Scratch Golf Tour Department – Behind The Scenes

Click to enlarge photos - Raw Scratch wedge head, ready to be ground into shape for a customer.

Scratch golf was founded in 2003 by Ari Techner, and in recent years their wedges have become some of the most sought after by touring pros and amateurs. Several players on the PGA, Champions and LPGA Tours are using Scratch wedges and most are doing so without endorsements. By the end of 2007 Scratch wedges were the number one wedge on the Nationwide Tour. Last year PGA Tour rising star Ryan Moore switched to Scratch irons and wedges the week after the final FedEx Cup tournament and now owns part of the fast growing company. Scratch Golf still makes most of its wedges one at a time, grinding them to the desired shape by hand. Scratch Golf employs two of the best grinders in golf – Jeff McCoy and Don White. Mr. White joined Scratch in January of 2010 and brings with him almost 40 years of club design experience. He has personally hand ground irons for players winning 14 major championships while at MacGregor golf, including Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, and many of the game’s greats. Scratch Golf has managed to combine classic workmanship and materials with modern design and fitting methods better than any other golf company. The result is a line of clubs that are highly customizable and perform brilliantly.

[caption id="attachment_2050" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Scratch Wedge being hand stamped for a customer"][/caption] I had a chance to visit Scratch Golf's Tour Department in Chattanooga Tennessee recently. They have a small shop in an old industrial part of town that is being remodeled. Patrick Boyd, VP of Custom Sales and Director of Tour Department Operations gave me a tour of the facilities. The tour department turns out about 8 clubs per day, working with various professionals and amateurs who custom order wedges. Each raw wedge head is hand ground, finished, stamped and shafted according to the player's need. [caption id="attachment_2055" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Your's truly getting fit for a wedge"][/caption] Scratch Golf offers wedges in two different metals - 1018 forged carbon steel and 8620 milled carbon steel. The 1018 carbon steel is regarded as the softest metal currently used in golf today, and the 8620 carbon steel is CNC milled to ensure a perfectly flat face. Scratch also offers many custom grind options based on three basic swing types: Digger / Driver: Players in this swing profile tend to be very “steep and deep” with the club at impact. Their aggressive angle of attack causes the club head to dig into the ground requiring greater bounce angles to get the club head back out of the ground and maintain contact between the face and golf ball. Miss-hits for this profile are commonly fat. Driver / Slider: This swing type encompasses a vast majority of golfers. These players will try and trap the ball between the clubface and ground, taking a shallow, even divot. Driver/Slider’s moderate angle of attack requires a mid-bounce angle providing assistance in maintaining the club head’s path through the turf and ensuring crisp, clean contact. Driver/Sliders tend to miss both thin and fat. Sweeper/Slider: Often a favorite of course superintendents, Sweeper/Sliders have a very shallow angle of attack and take little to no divot at all. This swing profile requires a low bounce angle, which helps combat the thin miss-hit for Sweeper/Sliders. [caption id="attachment_2051" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Scratch iron heads ready for polishing/finishing"][/caption] Depending on your swing style, there are about 20 or so different grind options available. For those who are not familiar with what a grind is I'll try to explain in basic terms. The grind of a wedge is basically the shape of the sole area which comes in contact with the ground during a swing. The type of golf swing you have and the grind of a wedge affect its playability. For example, a player who tends to sweep the ball off the turf and take very shallow divots will have trouble making consistent contact with a wedge that has more bounce and a grind designed for players that take deep divots, like Scratch's XDG grind. [caption id="attachment_2052" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Irons with the antique finish, designed to look aged"][/caption] In order to make sense of all these swing types and grinds available, it takes a very knowledgeable club fitter like Patrick. We spent a little while on the range and chipping green at The Black Creek Club, home of the Nationide Tour's Chattanooga Classic. Patrick had me hit a few shots and observed the size and shape of my divots, as well as sound of impact to see if I was hitting solid shots. I started with half swing pitch shots and worked up to full swings, trying different grinds and head shapes. Moving on the the chipping area, I hit a few different grinds and immediately he could tell which grind was better suited for me. I could also tell, as a club with too much bounce was leading to inconsistent contact and bad results. We determined I would be best suited to the SLT grind in a 58 degree lob wedge. Amazingly, I was able to slide the club under the ball with ease, even on very tight lies. I felt like I could be very aggressive, knowing I would not hit the ball fat or bounce the club into the ball. [caption id="attachment_2053" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Gold Plated wedge for a tour winner's collection"][/caption] The great thing about this company is that the custom fitting experience is available to everyone, not just touring pros. If you can't make it to Chattanooga, they also have demo days nationwide following the PGA Tour event schedule. For more information and to schedule a custom fitting, just contact the Scratch Golf Tour Department! I can't wait to get my custom wedges. I think these will be the best I've ever hit. Of course, a review will be posted as soon as possible! Scratch Golf's 8620 wedges carry an MSRP of $99. The 1018 wedges are $149 and the Tour Custom wedges are $349. Special thanks goes out to Patrick Boyd and the entire Scratch Golf Tour Department in Chattanooga for allowing us to take photos are share the Scratch Golf story!
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March 25, 2010
Callaway Tour i(s) Golf Ball

Callaway has a new golf ball called the Tour i(s), and from the immediate success it has seen on tour, it will be a hit. Just ask Ernie Els and Ryan Moore; using the new ball, they finished second and third this past weekend at the WGC HSBC Masters in China, behind Callaway staff player Phil Mickelson, who is still using the Tour ix. “I started playing a new golf ball that Callaway made,” Els said. “This is what I’ve been looking forward to, is this golf ball. It would have been unbelievable if I could have won with this ball. It would have been great for Callaway and myself. I’m looking forward to the future now, and I think my equipment is now spot on.”

Many companies have been researching and testing new golf balls for their tour players in response to the groove rule change that goes into effect on January 1, 2010. Since the groove placement and shape is being reduced, players are looking for a way to maintain high spin without losing distance. Taylor Made has released the new five piece Penta golf ball, and now it seems like Callaway has answered with the new Tour i(s) ball.

I played 18 holes with the new Tour i(s) ball recently. It was a cold and windy day at Falcon's Fire Golf Club in Orlando Florida, a day after the close of the PGA Merchandise Show, but we braved the elements in the service of our readers! OK, and because we're kind of nuts too.
Callaway's vice president of ball R&D, Steve Ogg, called the Tour i(s) the most highly-engineered golf ball product they have ever come out with. Using four piece construction, it is the softest ball they have ever developed. To increase performance, the new ball features a large degree of spin separation. What this means is the inner core and outer core work together on certain types of shots to reduce or increase spin. For example, on a driver swing, the force of the shot compresses the very soft inner core of the ball, reducing spin. On an iron shot, the force of the shot reacts with the harder outer core, producing more spin for greater control. The result, according to Callaway, is a ball that is much softer with higher spin than anything they have ever offered without losing any of the distance as compared to the Tour i and ix. My first impression of the ball was that even in 50 degree temperatures, the ball felt very soft off the putter. It's very similar in feel to the Titleist Pro V1. What I don't like about the V1 is it's durability (or lack thereof) and the performance in the wind. The Callaway performed beautifully in the windy conditions that day, which was a bit of a shock. Usually a soft, high spinning ball will have a tendancy to balloon into the wind, but the Tour i(s) was solid and stable into the wind, and in cross winds the ball doesn't budge! I hit many a solid iron shot that simply didn't drift towards my target as I expect in a cross wind. This ball likes to fly straight when hit crisply. I also expected a ball this mushy feeling not to go, but that wasn't the case either. This ball flew as far as any other ball I hit against it, including my current gamers, the Srixon Z-Star X Tour Yellow. Callaway seems to have been able to combine a soft feeling, high spinning ball without sacrificing distance or wind stability. It's early adoption on tour suggests it has a winner on it's hands, and my play test with it in the strong winds and on firm greens confirmed that this golf ball is indeed a winner. In fact, I'm seriously considering switching to it. I'll have to do some more testing to be sure though. The Callaway Tour i(s) will be available in mid-January 2010 for about $43 per dozen.
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November 9, 2009