TaylorMade Penta TP Ball Review

The Penta TP the world’s first five-piece golf ball. And you thought Gillette would never have anything in common with Taylormade…

Penta TP OutsideTaylorMade can’t be accused of shying away from technology. If anything, the company behind “MWT” and “FCT” and countless other technology acronyms is one of the most technologically adventurous around.

With the Penta TP, TaylorMade has moved the golf ball into new territory: the Gillette razor blade land of “more is better.” In shaving equipment, it’s the number of blades. In golf equipment, it’s the number of layers.

Joking aside, the buzz around the Penta TP has been tremendous since the ball was given to pros late in 2009. Can one ball – albeit one with five layers – really fit everyone? From the guy who is happy to reach the occasional par four in two to the guys who routinely reach par fives in two on our televisions each weekend?

Let’s find out.

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Five Greatest Swings

With golfers today, everything seems so mechanical. These guys have found a way to blend power and fluidity.

Trap Five LogoWith golfers today, everything seems so mechanical. Although a certain amount of repetition is necessary for one to develop the correct fundamentals and be able to repeat them, the golf swing is like a fingerprint: everyone has one and they are all different.

I took a look at a ton of different swings for this week’s Trap Five and tried to find one’s that were not only fundamentally sound, but had an originality about them that can’t be replicated. Here are my picks.

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Singin’ the January Blues

You’re stuck inside, you can’t afford a trip somewhere warm and there’s only so much carpet putting you can do.

Thrash TalkJanuary is a time of mixed emotions for golfers. There are New Year’s resolutions, which offer hope, then dash it. There’s the return of the PGA Tour, until you realize just how lackluster the fields are. And don’t forget all the fun new gear coming out, if only you weren’t still paying off your Christmas credit card bills.

So if you’re pacing your living room, taking divots in the carpet and trying to convince your wife your short game practice area really DOES belong where the sofa used to go, you’re not alone. You’ve got the January Golf Blues, just like me…

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Are You Ready for the New Season?

Looking to add new equipment to your bag? Before you spend hundreds of dollars on new clubs, here are a few things you might want to consider adding first.

Bag Drop2010 is here, and we at The Sand Trap are geared up for an exciting new year. I’m sure we’ve all got our own set of goals for improvement in 2010, but if you haven’t taken note of them by now, you probably should think about recording them somewhere so you can do some self-evaluation as the year goes on.

As far as equipment goes, January and February always brings a bit of excitement, as most manufacturers release their new stuff. It’s also when Golf Digest releases their annual Hot List, and when the larger of the two PGA Merchandise Shows takes place. What does this mean for you, the golfer? What should you have in the bag that you already don’t? Read on to find out!

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Volume Two Hundred Nineteen

Tiger’s in treatment, the groove checkers are out there, and John Daly is having a hard time getting recognized

Hittin' the LinksHello golf fans and welcome again to Hittin’ the Links. Anyone else besides me wish they were in Hawaii right now? Wow, what great weather they had for the Sony Open this week. Not that I am complaining – I still got to play twice this weekend.

In this newest volume of HTL we start off by finding out where Tiger is, then check out the Champions skins game, and investigate a bad golfers golf trip. Also on tap, we look into the groove police, find out what up in JD land, and do a wrap-up of the Sony Open. Read on!

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Mizuno MP-58 Iron Review

The MP-58 provides a solid option not only for the mid level handicap player but for the scratch player as well.

MizunoMizuno irons have long adorned the bags of many good players around the world. A large percentage of the near-scratch guys at my club are playing them and have consistently raved about them. In fact one of them just replaced an old set of MP-32s with a new set of MP-67s, never considering another brand. When I had the opportunity to review a set of Mizunos, I jumped at the chance.

The MP-58s were actually a good fit since my last set of Mizunos (yes, I also have had them in my bag) were the T-Zoid Pro IIs – a pseudo-cavity backed club. With the advancement in technology, though, this set was bound to be slightly more forgiving and consistent: two traits any golfer is looking for in a set of clubs they buy.

The biggest question that remains, though, is whether the MP-58s can give you the playability that a one-piece forged muscleback does? Sure, I was a previous Mizuno owner but I currently sport the Titleist 695 MBs. Taking them out side by side was the best and most sure way of answering that question. So what was the result? Read on to find out.

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Top Five under 25

A few of these guys are a given, but do you remember as recently as a few years ago when there were no promising stars under the age of 25?

Trap Five LogoWith crazy amounts of game and age on their side. These guys are going to make a big impact on tour in 2010. These my picks for the top five pros under 25. Lets compare our lists and see how they match up.

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2010 Predictions

Got your own predictions for 2010? Good. Compare them to ours and see if you agree – or disagree – with any or all.

Thrash TalkIt’s a touch of déjà vu. Tiger is MIA, and his return is the biggest story of the season. Geoff Ogilvy is off to a hot start with his season-opening win in Hawaii, and John Daly is about to steal the stage.

Wait, what?

Sure, 2009 set the bar high in terms of drama. Name a year with four better major Sundays, and a group of four less likely winners. And that paled in comparison to the Woods family drama that made the Silly Season all the sillier. Well, 2010 has a lot to live up to, but there’s no telling just how wacky it’ll get. Long John is leading all of Golf Channel‘s current promos, after all.

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aboutGolf and the 3Trak Launch Monitor

aboutGolf is branching out from simulators to launch monitors. We spent a day at aboutGolf HQ and talked with Chuck Winger. See how he feels aboutGolf will compete in both markets.

Throwing DartsAnyone who watches PGA Tour golf on TV enough has seen a launch monitor in action, often describing the launch statistics of a player on a long par five or a tricky par three. Almost anyone who has been fitted with a driver or a new set of irons in the past few years has used a launch monitor to check their statistics before plunking down several hundred dollars.

The biggest name in the launch monitor market these days is TrackMan, with others like Flightscope and Zelocity coming in further back. A relative newcomer to the market is aboutGolf, long known for their simulators, who have developed a camera-based launch monitor they’ve dubbed the 3Trak, ideal for use indoors or out.

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