Callaway GBB Epic Driver Review

Callaway’s latest driver introduces Jailbreak technology that should add some speed off the face.

CallawayJailbreak technology. Sounds evil. Sounds non-conforming. Well, Callaway has been working on the new technology for some time now and were able to get their newest driver, the Great Big Bertha Epic, on the USGA’s conforming list.

With the promise of extra ball speed off the face of the club, the Epic ma be the most anticipated driver of 2017. It certainly created a lot of buzz in December and early January. Does the Epic deliver on its promise? Just how much does Jailbreak technology boost your distance? Read on to find out.

Continue reading “Callaway GBB Epic Driver Review”

Callaway Announces New GBB Epic Drivers and Fairway Woods

Callaway’s newest release promises to bring groundbreaking technology that will have you hitting the ball further than ever before.

Bag Drop A few years back, Callaway made waves in the golf equipment industry when they relaunched one of the more famed lines in their history, the Big Bertha. Since that time, the line has seen yearly updates with new technology coming along the way. The Big Bertha 816 and Big Bertha 816 Double Black Diamond were particularly well received. That being said, since the original relaunch, I would say it fair to call the updates evolutionary, meaning that while they did improve over their predecessors there was nothing that you would necessarily call groundbreaking. With this release, however, Callaway is touting the new Epic line as a huge release with major new technology. Continue reading to see what makes the new clubs so revolutionary and stay tuned to the Sand Trap for our in-depth reviews of the Epic and Epic Sub Zero drivers to see if they really live up to their name.

When I said earlier that the prior updates to the Big Bertha were simply evolutionary, that was not meant as a knock against Callaway. At this point, with the restrictions from golf’s governing bodies on technology, there is only so much you can do and still produce a conforming club. With the new Epic drivers, there are four key technologies at play; some which we have seen before and others which are brand new. Both the Epic and Epic Sub Zero will have the ability to tweak the clubs weight; on the standard Epic this is done through the use of a sliding weight, while the Sub Zero version uses interchangeable weights. Both clubs also feature the new Jailbreak technology along with Speed Step and Triaxial Carbon and Titanium Exo-Cage technology.

Callaway GBB EPIC Driver

Continue reading “Callaway Announces New GBB Epic Drivers and Fairway Woods”

Bridgestone J15 Hybrid Review

Bridgestone ups the ante in the hybrid game.

Bridgestone J15HY HeroWhen I say “Bridgestone” to you, hybrids probably aren’t what come to mind right away. You’d think of golf balls, tires, Brandt Snedeker, the annual WGC event, and maybe even their forged irons. Hybrids would probably be well down the list.

Bridgestone has spent more than a decade trying to change that, but I’m not sure they’ve actually made much headway. They’re a little like Mizuno: hyper-specialized, but with the ability to occasionally surprise you when you don’t expect it. I played a Mizuno MX-700 hybrid for several years, and never thought twice about how strange that was because that club played go great.

The Bridgestone J15 is a lot like MX-700. No one is going to be beating any doors down to get their hands on a J15 hybrid, but the few who do are going to come away glad they did.

Continue reading “Bridgestone J15 Hybrid Review”

Ping G Fairway Wood Review

Ping makes their case as the industry’s best clubmaker.

PING 2016 G Series HeroAt last year’s TST Newport Cup, the guys and I got to tour PING’s facility in Scottsdale, Arizona. I’d never owned a PING club, but I was excited all the same. PING is known for being an engineering leader among OEMs, and their U.S. base of operations makes them a particularly intriguing company. Though they no longer cast and manufacture many clubs in America, they still have quite the impressive setup.

It wasn’t long before I knew I had to try the next PING product that came our way, if only to reap the benefits in real life of everything we got to see on the shop tour. So when the PING G series woods came up for review, I jumped at it.

Though they don’t have the splashiness of drivers or the utility of hybrids, fairway woods have been hot lately. TaylorMade used them to drive their marketing for several years, and recently PING has picked up the same mantle. The G series, now numberless, may be the most heralded set of fairway woods on the market right now.

Do they live up to the hype? Let’s take a look.

Continue reading “Ping G Fairway Wood Review”

Top Golf Stories from 2016

The biggest news in golf from 2016.

As we approach the end of the year, it’s time to take a look at some of the biggest storylines in golf over the past twelve months. The game lost one of its idols in Arnold Palmer, but potentially regained another with Tiger’s return to golf. The U.S. re-captured the Ryder Cup and Dustin Johnson captured a major for the first time, but Europeans won the Masters and British Open. Golf even managed a return to the Olympics, though mosquitoes kept many of the game’s best away.

If you are interested in placing bets on golf, click here for the latest golf odds. You could even use this for our own Fantasy league here on TST.

Continue reading “Top Golf Stories from 2016”

Mizuno JPX-EZ Driver Review

When you name a club “EZ,” certain expectations are set. Can a company known for its forged irons deliver with a game improvement driver?

The Mizuno JPX-EZ promises forgiveness and low spin in a driver.Mizuno has long been known as being among the top, maybe even the, top brand for forged irons. In the last 10-15 years, Mizuno has expanded its iron line to include options for every skill level and playing style. For right or wrong, however, its metal woods options have almost always trailed the industry leaders in terms of public perception for their playability and technology.

Mizuno’s JPX-850 was a very solid driver. But it was distinctly geared to the “better” player, with too little spin to keep the ball in the air at lower swing speeds. The JPZ-EZ is a forgiving “game improvement” driver, but also promises lower spin.

With a name like EZ, you can bet this one is aimed at Joe Everyman Golfer. So, does it deliver on that game improvement promise? Read on to find out.

Continue reading “Mizuno JPX-EZ Driver Review”

Volume Four Hundred Ninety-Three

Tiger returns, Matsuyama wins, and Derek Jeter struggles.

Hittin the Links Hittin’ the Links is back! After a bit of a hiatus, (hey, at least it was shorter than Tiger’s) we’re back to recap the week that was in the game of golf.

It was a rather eventful one, as a 14-time major championship winner returned to the PGA Tour (kind of), a young up-and-comer got back into the winner’s circle, and the prospective 2018 European Ryder Cup captain gets leaked. We also check in with Retief Goosen, Tony Finau, and Derek Jeter.

Let’s hit the links!

Continue reading “Volume Four Hundred Ninety-Three”

Woods to Make Long Awaited Debut at the Hero World Challenge

Tiger Woods makes his return in his 18-man event.

Former top ranked golfer Tiger Woods has been away from the golf course for the past 15 months due to a series of back and knee injuries that required surgery. Due to his absence and his level of play before being sidelined by the injuries, Woods has dropped in the world golf rankings, and isn’t considered the same player he was before. However, he plan s on making his return to competitive golf this week at the Hero World Challenge. If you’re interested in placing some wagers on the tournament, you can find top U.S. Golf odds at MyBookie.

Continue reading “Woods to Make Long Awaited Debut at the Hero World Challenge”

Mackenzie Hughes Gets First PGA Tour Victory

Mackenzie Hughes battles a Monday finish, cold temps, and four other men to win his first PGA Tour event.

Rookie golfer Mackenzie Hughes surprised a lot of people, including himself, on Monday, when he won the RSM Classic. It was his first career PGA Tour win. The Canadian golfer’s first career PGA Tour victory not only made him happy, it also made the people who had him winning on US Betting lines a lot of money since he was a big underdog.

Hughes won a four-man playoff on Monday by pouring in an 18-foot par putt on the 17th hole, after the three other players missed putts from 10 feet or less.

Continue reading “Mackenzie Hughes Gets First PGA Tour Victory”