TaylorMade ATV Wedge Review

We review TaylorMade’s radical attempt to consolidate their wedge offerings and improve your short game.

It’s a testament to TaylorMade’s insane devotion to innovation that just about every TM-related equipment review starts like this: “Not long after the release of their last technology-packed golf club, TaylorMade is back with another highly-touted line.” This time it’s wedges.

After success for a few years marketing the groove design in their wedges (Y-cutter grooves, Z-grooves), TaylorMade came out with the world’s first wedge with a replaceable sole, the xFT. It was a solid wedge on a number of levels, but not exactly on the Cleveland or Vokey echelon. This year they’ve gone away from the replaceable route, instead opting for a radical sole design.

Bounce is the name of the game when it comes to wedges. It’s invaluable in sand shots, and the most consistent short game shots are those that utilize bounce. But instead of offering copious options (like Vokey), or an extensive fitting system (like Edel), TaylorMade has gone for a one-size-fits-all approach.

Does the uniform system benefit the most golfers, or is TaylorMade leaving something on the table when it comes to individuality? Read on to find out.

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PING Updates the Anser Lineup

PING finally gets into the adjustable driver market with the introduction of the PING Anser Driver as well as introducing new fairway woods, hybrids, and irons.

Bag DropFor a few years now, the big trend in the driver market has been the introduction of adjustable clubs. We first saw this with the TaylorMade R9 line and over the last few years the majority of companies have fallen in line and introduced some sort of adjustable driver. Up until this point, PING has stayed away from this market, but with the updated Anser line (which also includes fairway woods, hybrids, and irons) PING now has an adjustable driver.

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The Rise of Rory McIlroy

Rory is number one with a bullet. How high can he go?

Thrash TalkI enjoyed watching Rory McIlroy win these past two weekends at the Deutsche Bank and BMW Championships. Rory appears like a very likable young man and a very gracious winner. He is young and I think he has only just begun to get as good as he will eventually be. He does not have the same impact on the game of golf as Tiger did at the same age.

Tiger hit the scene and the game has been changed forever. Tiger was incredibly athletic and had a workout plan that would make a NFL football player proud, at a time that most golfers were not in the gym much at all, if ever. Rory is fit, in fact much more fit in recent months than in his younger days, but almost all the golfers on the PGA Tour are fit in today’s game. Not all of them, but the vast majority, certainly most of those in the top ten of the world rankings.

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Volume Three Hundred Twenty Eight

It’s really good being Rory McIlroy!

Hittin' the LinksLife is really good right now for Rory McIlroy. Talk about being on top of the world, the kid is doing a very good impression of another player who was dominant in his mid-twenties…what was his name? Anyway, congratulations to Rory and I certainly hope he cools down a bit by September 25th.

In this edition of HtL we start with a giant overreaction, then check out the $100 Million Dollar Man, and find out how his niece did at Q-School. Also, we look at the U.S. Ryder Cup Picks, investigate a cool comeback, and do a wrap-up of the week’s events. Read on!

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Volume Three Hundred Twenty Seven

Rory look like the man to beat.

Hittin' the LinksWe are down to seventy in the FedEx Cup playoffs and Rory McIlroy is looking more and more like the guy to beat with the resurgence of his game as of late. Throw in the fact Davis Love III has some decisions to make this morning, and the best event in all of golf is just around the corner and we have a lot of golf to look forward to in the coming month.

In this edition of HtL we begin with a look at Roger Clemens’ golf game, then check out the newest standings in the FedEx Cup race, and find out how tweeting angry can cause problems. Also, we look at some Ryder Cup pick predictions, take a peek at Cheyenne Woods first professional win, and do a wrap-up of the Deutsche Bank Championship. Read on!

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Nine Holes with the Front Nine at TPC Boston

What the pros will face on the front nine at TPC Boston.

ProfilesThe Boston area is not particularly known for its golf. We have one tournament in the area per year, The Deutsche Bank Championship, and Brookline’s The Country Club has hosted the occasional major (as well as the 1999 Ryder Cup and next year’s U.S. Amateur). Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton, MA, used to host a PGA Tour event until the tournament folded in the late-1990s. That’s about it.

Thankfully, the emergence of The Deutsche Bank as an important FedExCup Playoff event (and it’s tendency to produce big-name winners) coupled with New England-native Keegan Bradley has increased the stature of professional golf in the area.

Winners tend to be well into the double-digits below par, and to pull out the Deutsche Bank you generally need to get off to a fast start on the relatively easy front nine. Here’s a description of what the world’s best are facing.

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Choosing the 2012 Ryder Cup Team

The Ryder Cup is on the horizon, so I give my thoughts on who Love III should select.

Thrash TalkAfter the Masters, Bubba Watson was holding the trophy the American team was the strong favorite to win the Ryder Cup. The last couple of majors had been won by Americans and the Europeans had not really been making many waves. Since the U.S. Open, however, the tide has changed a bit and with resurgences from Euros such as Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy, I think the Europeans are now the favorite.

I think the home-field advantage of Medinah will certainly help the Americans, but the Europeans will have only one rookie that plays on the team, contrasting the Americans have three inside the top eight and may pick up another if U.S. Captain Davis Love III selects another with one of his four captain’s picks. I do think Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley, and Webb Simpson will play well, but they are rookies nonetheless and could easily get caught up in trying to play too well.

It seems almost a certainty that two of the four available captains picks for Davis Love III has have already been decided. By most accounts he will select Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker to the team. The remaining two picks are much more of a true unknown and adds some intrigue to the process.

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Volume Three Hundred Twenty Six

I guess they do make green jackets in a lady’s size.

Hittin' the LinksIts one down and three to play in the FedEx Cup playoffs, and twenty five guys can now take a few weeks off in the coming month. Nick Watney looked very good down the stretch even birdying the final hole to put an exclamation point on his three shot win. Now we will have to see what is in store this week at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Dufner will make his 2012 debut as red hot Sergio Garcia takes the week off due to fatigue.

In this newest edition of Hittin’ the links we start out with a look at the first female members at Augusta, then investigate why Padraig Harrington probably needs to buy a spectator’s badge for the upcoming Ryder Cup, and do a rundown of the new FedEx Cup standings. Also, we find out what Bubba does in his free time, check out the youngest winner ever on the LPGA tour, and do a recap of the rest of the week’s events. Read on!

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Callaway RAZR Fit Fairway Wood Review

Callaway Golf has found a winner in its RAZR Fit line of fairway woods.

callaway_razr_fit_fairway_hero1.jpgCallaway golf has fallen on some hard times lately. With the announcement of its intention to cut 12% of its workforce, it is obvious that things are not really going according to plan. I have to say some of Callaway’s offerings in the past few years have left a little something to be desired in my opinion. The Callaway FT-iQ looked more like a spaceship than a golf club, the FT- i wasn’t much better and the FT-9 looked like it was made from used parts the developers found lying around.

I long for the days of the Big Bertha. I remember when I first started playing golf, Callaway’s Big Bertha line of drivers and fairway woods were by far the industry leaders. No other manufacturer was close in those days, Callaway reigned supreme. But a lot has changed since then, Callaway got a little weird, someone at TaylorMade thought painting a driver head white would be cool; and the rest they say…is history.

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