Nike Golf Releases Victory Red Irons

Nike wants to put a little victory in your golf game.

Bag DropThere is no mistaking the impact that Nike has had on the golf world and having a tour staff featuring Paul Casey, Trevor Immelman, Stewart Cink, Suzann Petterson, Anthony Kim, and oh yeah, some guy named Tiger certainly gives them a testing ground for new products that few companies can match.

Admittedly, Nike Golf hasn’t had too many products in the past that I would have contemplated adding to my bag. That might be changing with the release of their new Victory Red line of irons.

Boasting a little something for a wide array of golfers, the Victory Red line very well could be the lineup that make’s Nike Golf as synonymous as some of the other big names on the better player’s irons spectrum.

Join me as we take a quick peak at the latest from the folks at Nike.

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Volume One Hundred Sixty Nine

Alright, who stole Poulter’s driver?

Hittin' the LinksIs it Monday again already? Well then it must be time for yet another edition of Hittin’ the Links. So join us, oh golf junkies and squanderers of company time, as we peruse what’s up in the world of golf.

In this edition of HTL we investigate what happened to Ian Poulter’s driver, take a look a John Daly’s new line of wines, and take note of the 2009 PGA Tour schedule. Also, we see why Mickelson has decided to stay stateside, find out why it will soon be easier to go from the Nationwide Tour to the PGA Tour, and check out the toughest courses on the PGA Tour. Read on!

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Range Rats!

Some people can drive you to shoot chile peppers at Lee Janzen.

Trap Five LogoAh, the range! It’s the place where most of us work on our games. If you’re like me, you go through a jumbo bucket or so every week… sometimes two when the game necessitates it.

I’ve had some great experiences at ranges. Once, back when the LPGA used to come to town, I found myself hitting shots next to Vicki Goetze-Ackerman, whose best career finish is T2. Now, as a top-level professional, I’d have expected any LPGA player to be pretty consistent. But hitting balls there beside her, I quickly learned just how consistent these players are. She was hitting irons to a target green, and every shot was landing within a circle about ten feet in circumference. Not only that, but each consecutive shot seemed to follow the hole in the air punched by the shot before it. It was amazing… and humbling. But it also taught me just how consistent you have to be to play really good golf.

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Something’s Missing, For Better or For Worse

There’s a specter haunting both David Feherty and the PGA Tour – it’s Tiger Woods.

Thrash TalkRecently, in his monthly contribution to Golf Magazine, David Feherty made reference to an interesting dynamic which he has seen at work in the world of golf this year.

“In Tiger’s absence,” the iconic (and perhaps iconoclastic) Irishman writes, “I’ve noticed that more and more people have started referring to him as you-know-who, as if he is golf’s equivalent of Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter novels.” For those of you unfamiliar with the Dark Lord, Feherty’s description is more compelling than any I could hope to produce: “Voldemort is the all-powerful dark wizard whose black magic is so terrifying that saying his name out loud can induce involuntary brown magic in ones Fruit-of-the-Brooms.”

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Callaway and Titleist’s Legal Battle, Round 38

Short answer: you’ll still be able to buy Pro V1s this year. Don’t believe everything your buddies at the club tell you – there’s a lot of misinformation about this lawsuit. Here are some of the facts.

Recently Callaway celebrated a minor victory in their long-running legal battle with Titleist over patents related to the manufacturing process used to create Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls. A few weeks back, Titleist celebrated their own small victory when the U.S. Patent Office ruled the four applicable patents invalid.

Despite the now invalid patents, a Delaware judge recently granted Callaway a permanent injunction against Titleist for the sale and distribution of Pro V1 golf balls manufactured under the patents in dispute in the U.S.

However, Titleist quickly responded to point out that since September, they’d shifted their manufacturing process to a new one clear of these patents, and that production, distribution, and sale of Pro V1 and Pro V1x will not be hindered. This shift in manufacturing has been planned for quite some time and is not the result of the lawsuit. Please see paragraph two of Titleist’s official response (below) for more on that. If you were wondering whether there would be new Pro V1s in 2009, you’ll also want to read the response.

Titleist Boxes

For those deeply interested – or for those who are as confused as I am about how what are now invalid patents can be used to form an injunction – I recommend you check out David Dawsey’s golf-patents.com in the coming weeks.

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UST Releases Proforce AXIVCore Shaft Series

Time to hit the launch monitor!

Bag DropGraphite shaft technology seemingly grows by leaps and bounds with each new release from the various manufacturers. There is some exciting, cutting-edge technology being used for the making of the next generations of graphite shafts and it will be very interesting to stay abreast of what is available now and what is coming down the road.

With that, the folks at UST have just come out with their new Proforce AXIVCore Shaft Series which will give you at least 30 extra yards of distance and pinpoint accuracy with your woods and hybrid. Okay, I made that claim up but they do utilize some pretty neat technology to give you a graphite shaft that fits you like a glove and provides performance that you’ve come to expect from UST.

Join me as we take a look at the Proforce AXIVCore Shaft Series.

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Volume One Hundred Sixty Eight

The season is over, Davis Love III gets his lifetime exemption, and some guys are headed back to Q-school

Hittin' the LinksGood day fellow golfers and welcome again to Hittin’ the Links. This is a special HTL this week as it marks my one year anniversary as the author. Hopefully, everyone has enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. But enough reminiscing, on with the column.

In this week’s volume, we see what changes have been made for next year’s Masters, investigate who still hasn’t received their Masters invitation, and find out why Anthony Kim got to go home early from Shanghai. Also, we take a look at our President Elect’s golf game, find out how Nationwide Tour Champion Matt Bettencourt spent Wednesday night, and congratulate Davis Love III for his 20th PGA Tour win. Read on!

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Adams Idea Pro Gold Irons and Hybrids

These are not your grandfather’s clubs (unless you happen to call Tom Watson “Gramps”).

Adams Idea Pro Forged Gold SetDon’t let the two hybrids fool you. The Adams Idea Pro Gold Irons are intended for better players of all ages. Adams has taken it upon themselves to do you a favor and remove the temptation of those 3- and 4-irons by replacing them with easy-to-hit hybrids. Chances are, after you play these clubs for a little while, you won’t even miss the long irons.

Adams Golf has been making some great equipment for years, though at times the general golfing public has seemed oblivious to their efforts. Adams is out to change that. While Champions Tour star and PGA Tour legend Tom Watson is probably the best known Adams staffer, the company is beginning to get some exposure with PGA Tour players.

Last year, Adams signed Aaron Baddeley and Rory Sabbatini to endorsement deals (not to mention Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey from Golf Channel’s Big Break). There are Adams staffers on the LPGA and Nationwide tours, as well as on the Long Drivers of America circuit. All of which should help convince more “Joe Golfers” to give Adams clubs a try, and they’d be well advised to at least take a look.

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A Brief Look at the PGA Tour Exemption System

There are a variety of ways to acquire an exemption on Tour, but the bottom line is that you have to play well to get it at some point in your life. That time is now for many.

Thrash TalkAccording to the PGA Tour’s website, there are 33 ways in which a player may qualify for an exempt status. Now that the FedExCup has been decided, and the Fall Series is drawing to a close, the chief drama on Tour revolves around who will secure a spot among the exempt next year, mainly by virtue of appearing in the top 125 of the season money list.

Last week, at the Ginn sur Mer Classic in the developing region of Palm Coast, Florida, Ryan Palmer, who was previously on the “bubble,” (he was ranked 143 entering the week), secured himself a spot in the aforementioned 125 with a victory (and a two-year exemption, of course, for winning). Exempt status often seems to be a vague, mysterious, and perhaps sinister thing, even though the qualifications for such a status are laid out on the Tour’s website and the information is readily available to any seeker.

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