GOLF DIGEST 2014 "HOT" LIST - What's Hot, What Should Be Hot

[MULVn8tor]

That and I need wedges and hybrids. Next year is a buy no clubs year :-D

. No such thing as a no buy clubs year

[jamo]

I'm looking through it for the first time. A few "nots" that have irked me: TaylorMade SLDR fairway wood not: "Does a fairway wood need this much adjustability?" I don't even know what this is supposed to mean. It's got an adjustable hosel, but despite the SLDR name it doesn't have any sliding weights. Mizuno JPX-EZ driver not: "With adjustability, players in the middle might be confused as to whether they should opt for the 9.5 or 10.5 loft." Are there that many players who need to use exactly 10˚ drivers? Why is this not a problem for just about ever driver? Adams Tight Lies/Tight Lies Tour driver not: "Why make the crown slot bigger than it already was?" I'm assuming it's not just for shits and giggles. Tour Edge Exotics XCG7/XCG7 Beta fairway wood not: "We're pretty sure all the golfers who need an 11.5-degree fairway wood are getting paid to play it." How is that a bad thing, especially since half of the complaints they have for fairway woods are a lack of loft options? Similarly, Adams Idea hybrid not: "These players do not need a 2-hybrid." Mizuno MP-64 irons not: "The stock set is still 3-iron through pitching wedge. It's time to make 4-iron through gap wedge standard." In Mizuno's MP-6X line??? No thanks! Titleist Vokey SM5 wedge not: "The simple design on the back looks a tad unfinished." Why would you recommend they clutter the back of a wedge? There are a bunch more that are just stupid. I'd rather they give a general lists of categorical wants. In putters, for instance, many of the nots were a lack of counterbalanced options. It makes no sense that they'd mention that for a Nike but not a Ping, so just tell us before you start the list that you'd prefer to see more counterbalanced putters rather than putting that in randomly when you can't think of something else.

[saevel25]

Mizuno MP-64 irons not: "The stock set is still 3-iron through pitching wedge. It's time to make 4-iron through gap wedge standard." In Mizuno's MP-6X line??? No thanks!

Titleist Vokey SM5 wedge not: "The simple design on the back looks a tad unfinished." Why would you recommend they clutter the back of a wedge?

There are a bunch more that are just stupid. I'd rather they give a general lists of categorical wants. In putters, for instance, many of the nots were a lack of counterbalanced options. It makes no sense that they'd mention that for a Nike but not a Ping, so just tell us before you start the list that you'd prefer to see more counterbalanced putters rather than putting that in randomly when you can't think of something else.

I don't know, I wish Mizuno made a gap wedge at 50*

I don't know if I want to get a Mizuno T-4 wedge at 50*, or just go with a 50* in 2 or 3 wedge set. I really never hit 50* around the green for short game.

[PirateJim]

The thing about the Hot List is that a lot of GDs readers like seeing the Hot List, a lot of GDs advertisers like seeing their clubs featured favorably on the Hot List, and a lot of the editors like putting the Hot List together because it requires a number of field trips to nice places where they get to try out new golf clubs, often I presume with some hand picked cronies (the infamous Low Handicapper and Mid Handicapper that have their comments highlighted.)  The tricky part is doing it in such a way that they don't anger any of their advertisers or turn off any of their subscribers enough to cancel their subscriptions.  The end result is a pretty bland report, particularly where some of the comments about what is Not Hot are concerned.

It's another magazine article...  My bag's pretty much set for the next year or so, but I am still poking through the hot list because I like golf and golf equipment and am interested in what is out there.  I wouldn't make a buying decision based on it though.

[Hammer 4]

The bottom line is...how can a mag that relies on these companies advertising dollars, do a non biased test on any of these products..?

IMHO, they can't, and further more I can't place any trust in what they print.

[David L Yskes]

so does this mean my Titleist 735cm's are outdated ????   lol

I mean if i had a extra 1k laying around, i could see picking up a new set of irons, but w/e lol......

[Hammer 4]

so does this mean my Titleist 735cm's are outdated ????   lol

I mean if i had a extra 1k laying around, i could see picking up a new set of irons, but w/e lol......

Definitely Not...Although, if I too had 1k laying around, I'd likely buy new clubs too.

[Mozgolf]

Hum there is another golf blog that does a pretty comprehensive set of tests on drivers at least, I guess it might be out of order to mention the name?

[Hollister]

The only reason I am getting a new driver, my old one is a 2010 model is because it fits my swing profile so much better. That taylormade SLDR is very much a great club for higher swing speeds. I was hitting 13-14 degrees of launch with 2100-2300 backspin, that is just crazy good numbers. With my current driver I get 2800-3100, way to much. It is literally costing me 15 yards of carry, and probably more roll due to the more boring trajectory.

That and I need wedges and hybrids. Next year is a buy no clubs year

Yep - last years TaylorMade drivers had crazy high spin numbers compared to my 2007 TaylorMade. But last year we hit it like always, according to TM. And adjustability was more for TM and the resellers having to produce only one club type instead of many.

This year we are hitting up. Yikes, 2+ degrees more loft.

I would be happy if the free press (=journalists) would look behind the curtain and question, or even truly test, the new gear. But hey, it is a marketing world.

If I had unlimited funds, I would feed a golf pro with a trackman weekly and buy the oldest, nicest Hogan clubs that play well... Wait a minute, already got em. Trackman, too. But the right pro is still missing. Thats why I suck soooo much. Or is it the clubs. Where was that GD list?