TaylorMade Introduces the New RocketBladez Irons and Ghost Spider S Putter

TaylorMade says that its new technology has completely changed the iron while also updating one of its more popular putters.

Bag Drop There is no question that TaylorMade is one of the most popular golf manufacturers in today’s market and one of the biggest reasons for that is the amount of technology that goes into their clubs. While some may argue that at least some of their technology is a bit on the gimmicky side, the TaylorMade R&D department puts in a lot of work and comes up with features that haven’t been seen in golf clubs before. From adjustable drivers, to white paint, moveable weights and an adjustable sole plate, their doesn’t seem to be much that the company hasn’t thought of. This time around, TaylorMade a two new releases; the Rocketbladez irons and the Ghost Spider S putters.

Volume Three Hundred Thirty Six

Twitter pics, Ryder Cup Captain talk, and would someone please pass me my John Daly Cocktail

Hittin' the LinksOh, the weather outside is frightful…at least it is many places in our great country right now. Heck, I even had to put on a long sleeve pullover to play golf this morning. The weather looked pretty nice in Naples, Florida this weekend though where they played the Franklin Templeton Shootout. Oh, the life of a PGA Tour pro, free money on sunny golf courses while many of the rest of us freeze our tails off. If only I had begun playing golf earlier!

In this edition of HtL we begin with a look at Tom Watson for Ryder Cup Captain, then check out the top 100 to watch, and investigate some caddy fisticuffs. Also on tap, we look into a rather unconventional long drive, peruse some interesting Twitter pics, and do a rundown of the week’s events. Read on!

Bifurcation… What the Heck Does That Mean?

Should there be a separate set of rules for the pros and the rest of us?

Thrash TalkRecently there has been a ton of discussion on the USGA decision to prohibit golfers from making a putting stroke by anchoring the club or their forearm to their body. For the first time in my life I was introduced to the term bifurcation. I know that my vocabulary should be better, but I needed to look up the word in the dictionary. For those like me, it means to divide into two branches, in the case of golf, one set of rules for professionals and one set for amateurs.

In the last few years the USGA has made two major changes to the game, one changing the rules on the grooves in an attempt to force players to curb the distance gains that have been made, and the recent putting stroke change. Many believe the groove change was a colossal failure, and I agree. It has done very little to affect how players score on the PGA Tour and just forced them to get new wedges. I have used wedges with the newer grooves and for a slower swing speed players such as myself and I do get less spin. I play with many plus handicap players and I see the new rule hardly affecting them.

Reacting to the Pro-Anchoring Crowd

Why I agree with the USGA and R&A ruling on anchoring putters.

Trap Five LogoIn 2016, anchoring putters will be outlawed, and the joint USGA/R&A ruling caused quite a stir when the proposed ban was announced. The ruling bodies contend that anchoring a golf club to the body is not a swinging motion, and thus not allowable under the Rules of Golf. Supporters of belly and long putters rely on arguments like “the game is evolving,” “long putters will grow the game,” and “they don’t provide an advantage.”

Because it’s a decision that involves $300 putters, three of the last five major winners, and putting guru Dave Pelz, it made noise in the sports world despite the basketball and football seasons being in full swing.

Reactions to the decision have been interesting, to say the least. Several forum threads (here and here) revealed that golfers were against a ban in 2007, but times have changed, and another poll has a majority of responders supporting the ban. Golf writers, on the other hand, seem staunchly against the ban, and many have been quick to criticize the ruling. Professional golfers seem similarly split, so let’s take a bit of time to respond to what people have had to say.

Callaway Golf Introduces the New RAZR Fit Xtreme Driver

Callaway’s newest driver boasts the lowest CG of any adjustable driver along with faster ball speeds, lower spin and maximum distance.

Bag DropOn January 18, 2013, Callaway Golf will release the new RAZR Fit Xtreme driver to the public. The driver, which has already found it’s way into a few bags on the tour, has many features which makes it “very long and consistent,” acoording to Dr. Alan Hocknell the senior VP of Research and Development for Callaway.

Chief among the new features is Speed Frame Face Technology, which is really a combination of two previous technologies that have been seen in the past, VFT (variable face thickness) and Hyperbolic Face Technology. The result of this combination is a face that that has a larger and more consistent sweet spot and higher ball speeds. In addition to the faster ball speeds, the Speed Frame Face redistributes some of the material in the clubhead to lower the center of gravity and maximize the MOI, giving golfers better ball flight and forgiveness.

Volume Three Hundred Thirty Five

It’s down to the wire in Q-School, Graeme takes Tiger’s money, and who’s the idiot calling Keegan a cheater?

Hittin' the LinksHappy December golf fans, and welcome to Hittin’ the Links. Q-School is heating up with one round to go. There are several big names fighting for their card this year including non other than Camilo Villegas. And it’s not looking so great for Camilo right now, we might have to watch Spiderman on the Web.com Tour in 2013.

In this edition of HtL we begin with a look at Micheal Phelps’ aspirations, then look at the belly ban, and check out what Tiger did to keep his World Challenge afloat. Also, we investigate an idiot calling someone a cheater, look into some golf games, and do a wrap-up of the week’s events. Read on!