Author: Jack Waddell

Cleveland Introduces Two New HiBore XL Drivers

No other club category is as competitive as drivers with new head shapes all the rage. Cleveland’s newest entries refine its unusual and original HiBore model.

Bag DropWhen it comes to drivers, it’s a jungle out there. All the major equipment makers are clawing for market share as they pop out a steady stream of innovative new models in an effort to win your annual $400 contribution to the industry.

By most accounts, Cleveland’s introduction of the original HiBore last year was something less than the blockbuster they’d hoped for. In fact, here in the U.S. they’re giving them away free now through the end of January with the purchase of a set of CG4 or CG4 Tour irons.

The concave crown and overall performance characteristics seemed to produce a ball flight higher than many better players wanted to see. Plus, word was that you had to tee the ball lower to really catch the sweet spot. It looks to me like the two new HiBore XL models are meant to fix all that.

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Tour Edge Introduces GeoMax High MOI Driver

With a limit on driver head volume, it appears the next frontier is increasing MOI (moment of inertia, or resistance to twisting). Tour Edge now joins the fray.

Bag DropFrom what I’ve read, one of the big advantages of a big-headed driver is that its mass helps prevent the face from deflecting when the ball is struck off center.

But there’s more to creating high MOI than just size… witness the square-headed drivers from Nike and Callaway we wrote about recently that added new shapes to the mix.

Tour Edge claims they’ve come up with a driver with a higher MOI than the Nike SasQuatch SUMO or the Adams Insight BUL by using geometry that doesn’t resort to the radical square shape of some of its competitors. Called the GeoMax, here’s the story on their latest introduction…

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A Lightning Detector You Can Carry

Other than perhaps rolling a cart over, the greatest danger on a golf course is lightning. If you’ve ever witnessed a strike, you know the risk is real and deadly.

Bag DropMost golfers know Retief Goosen’s story and some the tragedy at Hazeltine during the 1991 U.S. Open when one spectator was killed and five more were injured. A few may even recall when Lee Trevino and Jerry Heard were struck while sitting under a tree at the 1975 Western Open. Lightning is no joke.

I know. I lost a great friend to a lightning strike just this year. While it didn’t happen on a golf course, it happened 20 miles from my house. It was a heartbreaking and frightening reminder of strikes I’ve witnessed while playing.

That’s why a product I recently stumbled across while surfing the web seems like a must have, even if it is expensive. Here’s the story…

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Ping Launches Redwood Milled Putters

A new line of milled stainless steel putters has been introduced that updates classic Ping designs with the precision and feel of a one-piece milled head.

Bag DropI guess it’s true that what goes around, comes around. The early Ping cast putter models have been among the most adapted in the world, often in very expensive milled carbon and stainless steel versions. Now the circle is joined as Ping introduces its own line of milled stainless putters.

Karsten Solheim pioneered the manufacturer of investment cast club heads for putters and irons back in the 1960s. Over the years they’ve been cast in manganese bronze, stainless steel, and beryllium copper. While the designs and details, like inserts, have proliferated, they’ve always been cast… until now.

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Callaway Reworks Online Sales

In the slow growing golf market, the relationship between manufacturers and retailers has become almost adversarial. Will Callaway’s recent move calm the waters or fan the flames?

Bag DropCallaway Golf introduced a new wrinkle in club marketing a couple weeks ago that, if nothing else, is pretty innovative. They’ve become the first manufacturer to sell their clubs and accessories online directly to consumers.

But perhaps the bigger news is that they’re attempting to channel those sales through traditional brick-and-mortar retailers.

Among those I know in the golf retail business, Callaway hasn’t engendered a lot of love. Their sales policies are often viewed as restrictive and unhelpful in achieving reasonable margins. The new concept sounds good, but will it work? Here’s the story…

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Have Clubs, Will Travel

With winter fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about packing up and heading for warmer climes. Here are some ideas to make a golf trip easier.

Bag DropIt’s a grey, cold November day here in the northeastern U.S. and it’s days like this that drive me to the travel section of golf magazines to dream of a winter golf trip. Trouble is, to get to those places I have to fly. I hate flying.

I once flew a lot on business so I’ve seen first hand how struggling airlines and new security measures have turned a fun adventure into a gigantic hassle. Flying with clubs doesn’t make it any easier.

For me, it’s not just wrestling the bag around that’s the problem. It’s the worry factor. Are the gorillas on the tarmac going to snap my $400 driver? Are my clubs headed to Oshkosh while I’m headed to Scottsdale? Here are some thoughts, products, and services that may allay your worries…

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Clubs I Loved and Why I Loved Them

Golf clubs have changed. Product life cycle is measured in months. Beauty gives way to bizarre. Technology trumps tradition. And I’ve fallen out of love.

Bag DropAs I wrote last week’s Bag Drop on the new Nike and Callaway square drivers, it occurred to me that despite all the proven and promised performance improvements over the past few years, golf clubs have lost something, at least for me.

The clubs in my bag do work better than any I ever used before. But I don’t love them. Somewhere along the way they’ve become simply tools to use until something better comes along. Which, thanks to constant innovation by clubmakers, happens more and more often.

Outside of perhaps my wedges and putter, none were selected for their looks. All are free agents subject to waiver at any time. Despite shooting a career round with them this year, there’s no emotional attachment. And that’s kind of sad.

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Nike SQ SUMO2 and Callaway FT-i Drivers Nearing Launch

Pictures and details have emerged on new drivers that beg the question “is it hip to be square?” But one maker is hedging its bet with a more conventional looking club as well.

Bag DropIt’s really great fun to sit back and watch today’s club designers labor to come up with something new and different year after year. Given the rules now constraining volume (the 460 cc limit), COR (coefficient of restitution, or spring-like effect), and MOI (moment of inertia), clubhead shape and material composition seems to be the most widely explored options open to them.

Thus, it’s probably not a great surprise that two companies have essentially come up with the same idea: a square-headed driver. And rumors are floating around that Cleveland may join them.

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. How else to move a lot of weight out to the perimeter of the clubhead for yet more forgiveness? Of course, it’s a more radical look than even last year’s Nike SasQuatch or Cleveland’s HiBore. But maybe that’s not a bad thing. Read on to see what’s coming with and without corners…

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Golf Stretching for a Better Swing DVD Review

Mike Pedersen is an accomplished athlete in peak physical condition. Can the stretching routine he demonstrates help your swing? That will depend on you.

Pedersen Stretch Dvd CaseIt’s no secret that physical conditioning is more important to your game than your equipment. While that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be as cut as Tiger Woods or Camilo Villegas, it’s worth considering that even doughboy Phil Mickelson works out.

Strength and flexibility are obviously the keys to the golf swing and Mike Pedersen, a trainer and author specializing in golf, aims to loosen you up in his newest video as he leads you through an extensive stretching routine.

With an ever-growing number of DVDs and websites like the Titleist Performance Institute devoted to golf fitness, Pedersen’s offering faces considerable competition. Here’s how we think it stacks up…

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