PING i15 Fairway Wood Review

PING’s new offering in the fairway metal market gives the lower handicap and professional a solid option that has little to no drawbacks.

PINGThe newest line of PING woods comes in the form of the i15 line. The sleek design and profile of the i15 fairway metal is right in line with the current trend you see in the bags of professionals on tour.

I’ve sampled many fairway metals over the past few years. Going from a Callaway Steelhead to a TaylorMade r7 before settling on my current Callaway X-Hot. I even tested other Callaways and a Titleist during that time. None could really shake the Callaway X-Hot as it did a great job off the tee, which is where my fairway metals get the most use.

So now comes the PING i15. With some specific design features that intrigued me I was eager to put it to use. Whether or not it could supplant the X-Hot was the big question. Read on to find out.

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The Cast of Characters Makes Any Driving Range a Colorful Place

The familiar, friendly, and not-so-friendly faces you’ll find on the practice tee.

Thrash TalkFinally, the weather in most of the country is starting to break, which means cabin fever is spreading at epidemic pace. Reports from driving ranges all over included 45-minute waits for a stall and range pickers running non-stop to keep the buckets full.

Heck, just last week I saw something for the first time in my long golfing life. With a full gallery of players blasting away, two workers made their way to the 150-yard green. I paused, wondering if they had a death wish. Then it dawned on me they were out there to rake up the balls plugged in the mud. But no worries, they were prepared. They were wearing what looked like a panel of fence on their backs like backpacks. The things others will do so we can hit a little white ball.

So while even a range veteran is bound to see something new ever once in a while, some things never change. So while many of us already recognize the characters who set up shop in the land of fake grass, vinyl divider walls and rubber golf tees, range neophytes can use a guide. Of course for range mainstays, you might just find yourself described below.

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SkyGolf Annouces New SkyCaddie SGX with SmartClub Technology

Tired of manually keeping track of your stats or not knowing your exact distances? Maybe you’ve also had problems with habitually forgetting your clubs on the course. Though you’re wondering how these two different problems are related, the new SkyCaddie SGX might be the all-encompassing solution for you.

Bag DropWhile most of us have one or two places that we frequently play, a lot of players like to venture out every once in a while to a course that’s unknown and unfamiliar. I know that I’m pretty familiar and comfortable with the yardages at my home course, but along with the excitement that comes with playing somewhere new is a certain degree of unfamiliarity which can lead to a few issues, the biggest being second-guessing club selection.

Since we aren’t lucky to have a Steve Williams or Fluff Cowan by our side every weekend, yardage book in hand, devices such as laser range finders and GPS units have found their way into a lot of bags, and it seems like they’re improving with every product release. Sometimes, though, these new features leave you scratching your head, thinking “Why didn’t I think of that first?”

One such product is SkyGolf’s new SkyCaddie SGX with SmartClub Technology. What improvements am I talking about? Well, you’ll just have to read on to find out more!

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Volume Two Hundred Twenty Seven

South Park takes on Tiger, Lefty changes his schedule, and Finchem is looking for a little heads up

Hittin' the LinksHello again Sand Trappers and welcome to another volume of Hittin’ the Links. How about Ernie Els? Just when I thought he might be washed up, he comes storming back. Maybe there is hope for John Daly… nah!

In this edition of HTL, we start off with a peek at Lefty’s revamped schedule, them find out what Finchem is hoping for, and look at Tiger’s happy home. Also, we investigate South Park’s next victim, check out an unlucky woman’s golf injury and do a wrap up of the week’s events. Read on!

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Five Major Courses You Can (Afford to) Play

I get just as tired as you do of seeing lists of famous golf courses I’ll never get to play, so here’s a list of the ones you can play – inexpensively!

Trap Five Logo2010 marks a landmark year in the world of golf. For the first time, the three major championships that rotate host venues will all take place on courses that are open to the general public. Pebble Beach Golf Links will host the U.S. Open this June; The Open Championship will be contested at the Old Course at St. Andrews in July; and the season’s Grand Slam will conclude with the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in August.

However, while anyone can theoretically enjoy a round at any of these courses, it won’t come cheap. At $495 per round, Pebble Beach’s green fees are the most expensive in the world — and that doesn’t include the two-night resort stay required to book a tee time. A round at Whistling Straits during peak season, plus the required caddy, costs $400. Compared to those two, St. Andrews’ going rate of £130 (roughly $200 using current exchange rates) is a relative bargain; but its lottery system of allotting tee times means access can be very hard to come by, especially for golfers making a trans-Atlantic pilgrimage.

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My Dough is On Tiger Woods, Even if My Heart Isn’t

In the land of legal sportsbetting, now’s the time to plunk down a few bucks on 2010 being the Year of Woods afterall

Thrash TalkAs I prepare for a week in Las Vegas and the chance to place a wager on just about anything, I’ll be on the lookout for golf in the sports book. As if this sport isn’t maddening enough, why not combine it with another completely futile hobby – handing over my hard-earned cash so they can buy another chandelier for the lobby.

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Nike MachSpeed Irons and Hybrids Complete 2010 MachSpeed Lineup

In part two of our Nike MachSpeed roundup, we take a look at new game improvement irons and hybrids from the guys at The Oven.

Bag Drop Rounding out Nike’s new MachSpeed lineup is new for 2010 irons and hybrids. Like the drivers and fairway woods, game improvement and forgiveness are the main priorities with these clubs.

When we think of game improvement, concepts such as stability, MOI, and forgiveness come to mind, but assistance in achieving a faster swing speed might not. Don’t you think it would be safe to say that if you’re improving your swing speed, your game is improving? That very concept is another key to the encompassing design of the MachSpeed clubs.

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Volume Two Hundred Twenty Six

Freddy goes back to back, there’s still no Tiger, and Daly’s Tweeting with anger

Hittin' the LinksGreetings golf fans and welcome to yet another volume of Hittin’ the Links. The weather is beginning to change in many places, can you smell that, it’s spring just around the corner! Have faith all you guys up north, the golf season is coming. But until then you will just have to read about it.

In this volume of HTL we begin with John Daly getting even, then we investigate Tiger turning down a lot of money, and an old guy does good. Also, we listen again to Stevie, find out if Tiger is playing again anytime soon, and do a wrap up of the week’s events. Read on!

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Taly MIND Set Review

The #1 imperative to playing good golf may very well be a flat left wrist at impact. The Taly helps you to achieve that position.

Taly HeroThe world of golf training aids is vast. Sometimes it seems as though every serious instructor has his name on some gadget or another. Some work. Some work really well. Others do not.

Then there are the guys who don’t teach golf for a living. Sonic Golf comes from a scientist. And the item pictured just above/to the right, the “Taly MIND Set,” comes from a slightly better than average golfer named Taly Williams. He’s also not an instructor.

Does that make the “Taly” (even the inventor prefers to call it the “Taly” instead of the official “MIND Set” name) better or worse than the others? Let’s find out.

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