Volume Two Hundred Seventy Seven

Celebrating and remembering the life of the legendary Seve Ballesteros

Hittin The LinksIt’s been a week of ups and downs in the world of golf as we witness the passing of a titan in the great Severiano Ballesteros. Yes, he was a five time major winner, but to the golf world, he was so much more.

On the lighter side, though Danny might be out for the week, another week on Tour passes and for the third straight Sunday we’re treated to an exciting playoff. From there, we touch upon yet ANOTHER rules controversy, Lucas Glover’s win at Quail Hollow, The Champions Tour’s first major, Tiger drops further down the OWGR, and more. So let’s get to it!

Miura Passing Point 9003 Irons, Adams Idea Pro a12 Hybrids, Irons

Check out the latest forged cavity backs from Miura and while you’re at it, take a look at the latest in the Idea Pro line from Adams Golf.

Bag DropWe’ve got a good mix of stuff to cover this week, one being Miura’s new Passing Point 9003 irons which were actually released right around a month ago, and the other being more new stuff from Adams in the form of their latest in the Idea Pro line, the a12 hybrids and forged irons.

While Miura marches along at their own schedule, taking their time painstakingly crafting their forged irons, Adams on the other hand, who we actually just visited a couple of weeks back, rolls along with their yearly release of game enhancement hybrids and irons. Lets dive right in and have a look at both.

Bag Boy and Sun Mountain Introduce New Bags For All Occasions

Bag Boy introduces a new cart bag and travel cover while Sun Mountain’s featherweight champion gets a belt.

Bag DropNo new clubs to report this week, but we do have a few new carrying options to keep your stuff secure whether you’re walking, riding, or even flying. While a nice bag won’t directly improve your game, it can have an effect on how other aspects of your round go. For example, if you frequently walk, a lightweight bag can simply reduce the level of fatigue you feel. One with strategically placed pockets can improve your pace of play simply due to the additional level of organization it provides.

So this week we take a look at a couple of new bags to use on the course, and one that’s used off of it. The first two come courtesy of Bag Boy, makers of favorites such as the Revolver, and the third from Sun Mountain, whose Four 5 and others have been some of the most popular bags made. Lets have a look.

Adams Introduces New Redline Iron/Hybrid Set and Yes! C-Groove Putter Line

The latest game improvement hybrid-iron set looks to take distance to the next level with their all new Redline set.

Bag DropThis week’s Bag Drop comes courtesy of Adams Golf in the form of their latest game-improvement irons, the Redline Hybrid-Iron set, and the re-release of the former Yes! putters. Adams’ long, successful history in the hybrid really speaks for itself, but another place where their equipment really shines is in the hands of Long Drivers of America (LDA) players. That would lead one to believe that if there’s one thing they’re familiar with, it’s milking every bit of distance out of any and all clubs they produce. Distance, in fact, was the primary design goal in this new Redline set. So how did they go about implementing a set that meets that goal? We’ll get to that in a minute, but first we have some other Adams news to mention.

As an added bonus, we take a look at Yes! Golf’s new and improved C-Groove putters. In case you weren’t aware, Adams purchased Yes! this past January, and now they’re pulling the curtain back on the first new putters to be (re-)released since this acquisition.

Brush Caddy Review

Spend more time practicing and less time wiping dirt and sand off of your clubs with the Brush Caddy.

Brush CaddyWe all know that taking a divot is a good thing if it’s made in front of the ball, but even if it’s behind the ball, there is one result that is the same – dirt and sand caked on the face and in the grooves of your club. So unless you want the face of your club to look like a 5 year old kid went wild with 24-grit sandpaper after a single practice range session, after nearly every shot you’re walking back to your bag, wiping down the face with a towel, and possibly cleaning the grooves out. While you’re doing repeating this process, it doesn’t seem as if that much time is wasted, but think of how much more efficient your practice could be if you never had to go back to your bag to clean your clubs.

That’s where the Brush Caddy (the product for which the company is also named) come into play. The Brush Caddy sticks in the ground right beside your pile of balls, allowing you to quickly clean your clubs. While that’s a great theory, does it pan out in practice? Read on for my take.

Bag Drop – Masters 2011 Edition

From commemorative shoes to game consoles, the Masters brings out some of the most unique schwag that most of us will never hold in person. Just because we can’t buy it doesn’t mean that we don’t want it. Follow along as we take a look at some of the special goods that come out during Masters week.

Bag DropLast night, Stewart Cink tweeted “The Masters is the SWAG season”, and that’s probably the understatement of the week. In the past 24 hours, details and pictures of loads of limited edition apparel and accessories have made their way out into the public’s eye and it looks like the goods this year is going to dwarf that of last year.

Though most of it is given only to Tour pros participating in the year’s inaugural major, some of it is going to be released in limited numbers to the public, but all of it is extremely cool. I thought this would be a great time to wrap a lot of it up in one cohesive (though likely not comprehensive) post for your enjoyment.

I’ll give you fair warning that we won’t be spending a lot of time on minute details like we normally do, since, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, and I’ve got a lot of pictures.

EA Sports Releases Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12

For the first time in franchise history, the most popular golf video game includes Augusta National, along with “a tradition unlike any other.”

Bag DropSome people thought it would never happen, but here we stand just a few days away from the launch of EA Sports’ Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12, and for the first time ever in the 12 year old franchise, golf’s closest thing to Mecca, Augusta National, will be a playable course. With Augusta National comes The Masters, as one would expect, because having the course without the tournament would be sort of like having a cake with no icing.

While we normally don’t cover video games, this is a bit of a special occasion, and this might be that one piece of must-have equipment that gets you through those days you can’t make it out to the real golf course.

Nike Lunar Control Shoe Review

Nike’s new Lunar Control shoes keep you firmly planted here on earth.

Nike Lunar Control ShoesThough Nike’s line of golf equipment has expanded over the years to include for the most part, anything you’d ever need, they continue to stay true to their footwear roots year after year by offering everything from the radical to sporty to premier/upper echelon. They’ve established a great practice of producing shoes for just about anyone, no matter what their looking for. This year marks the initial release of the Nike Lunar Control, a shoe that, in my opinion, could easily appeal to nearly everyone, young or old, traditional or modern, those seeking comfort over anything else, as well as those concerned with appearance above all. Though this is only the first year they’ve been available, after searching the Internet a bit, it seems that they’ve already gotten quite a fan base.

What makes them so great? Well, you’ll have to follow along to find out.

Mizuno Launches JPX-800 Drivers, Fairway Woods, and Hybrids

Mizuno grows their recently-introduced JPX family to include all new drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids.

Bag DropLast October, we covered the launch of Mizuno’s new JPX brand, which marked the first time they had ever combined all of their R&D teams from around the world. The goal was to produce clubs that contained every possible technology from each of their shops around the world and put it all into one cohesive brand.

Part of that launch was the introduction of their JPX-800 and JPX-800 Pro irons, one of which I had the pleasure of reviewing. Their commitment to this brand continues as they are now adding to that brand all new drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids. So, what all technology and game improvement features can be found in the first woods in the JPX Series? Well, you’ll have to read on to find out!