New SPIDR2 Glove Worn By Bubba

The New Footjoy SPIDR2 golf glove has had a great start to the season as US Ryder Cup star was wearing the glove on his way to winning the Farmers Championship at Torrey Pines

Bubba Watson, the long hitting American left-hander and a role model for those who want to grip it and rip it with a mighty fade, is using FootJoy's latest SPIDR2 golf glove to help his cause.The US golfer who was runner-up in the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits last August uses the new glove with its innovative styling because he says it delivers superior grip and optimum control, especially at the high swing speeds he generates. 

Made from water resistant DTR Digital Tac Response leather on the palm and fingers, FootJoy claims it provides the ultimate in grip and control in all weather conditions.

FiberSof material and PowerNet mesh located throughout the back of the hand, gives the glove its 'Spiderman' appearance and comfort, while the elasticated flap ensures a secure, consistent fit. The glove is available soon and is priced at £12 and is available for both right and left-handed golfers.

New Titleist Pro V1 Coming Soon

The New 2011 Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x will be released soon and you should see them on our website in early February.

A recent e-mail from Terry McAndrew outlined some finer details about the new ball and the world awaits eagerly and I would be interested in what  you think about the next generation of Titleist Balls 

Titleist announced the launch of the most technologically advanced Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls ever. According to the company, it has raised the standard for quality and performance by making it even better. Those statements pack a lot of weight when you consider some of the things that have been said about the ProV1 franchise. “It is, by far, the longest-running No. 1 model of any golf product we’ve tracked since we began Golf Datatech retail reports in 1997,’’ Tom Stine, the market research company’s cofounder said to Boston.com earlier this month. According to Titleist, more than 75 million dozen Pro V1 balls have been sold. The Boston Globe reported some 500,000 Pro V1 golf balls are made, every day, at Titleist facilities.

“Golf is a game of continuous improvement and serious golfers want to get better,” said Mary Lou Bohn, Vice President, Titleist Golf Ball Marketing and Communications. “At Titleist, we care about golfers’ games and will only introduce a new golf ball if it truly performs better and helps them shoot lower scores. We have tested and validated the performance of the new Pro V1 and Pro V1x with players throughout the pyramid of influence with resoundingly positive performance feedback and success. New Pro V1 and Pro V1x are the best performing golf balls we’ve ever made, and the best performing golf balls in the game.”  

The new ProV1 provides increased spin control and a more consistent ball flight, Titleist said, while retaining the distance and durability features it made its reputation on. The advanced performance characteristics are a result of a new and innovative ZG process core technology, Titleist said, a responsive ionomeric casing layer, urethane elastomer cover and spherically tiled 352 tetrahedral dimple design.  This new 352-dimple pattern with five different dimple sizes (previous generation had 392 dimples) has more surface coverage and 3 axes of symmetry, the company pointed out. These new aerodynamics deliver a penetrating ball flight that holds its line in the wind. “By implementing design improvements in the core, casing layer and aerodynamics, we have produced the highest performing and most consistent performing Pro V1 we’ve ever made,” said Bill Morgan, Senior Vice President, Golf Ball Research and Design, Acushnet Company.  “Players’ feedback has focused on new Pro V1’s tight penetrating flight, particularly in holding its line in the wind, as well as the increased spin control and consistent reaction into the green.” 

Delivering very low spin off the driver and long irons to generate longer distance is one way Titleist went about improving the ProV1x ball. Like its sibling, the ProV1, it too boasts a more consistent flight pattern along with the Drop-and-Stop trademark control on the green, which the company coined. A four-piece multi-component design in the Pro V1x features a large, high velocity dual core with a soft center, responsive ionomeric casing layer, urethane elastomer cover and a new spherically tiled 328 tetrahedral dimple design (previous generation had 332 dimples) Titleist explained. The high coverage dimple pattern has seven different dimple sizes and three axes of symmetry that produces a higher trajectory. The Pro V1x retains its urethane elastomer cover for feel and durability. “The new Pro V1x has a new 328 tetrahedral dimple design which is exceptionally efficient aerodynamically,” said Morgan. “The combination of the Pro V1x’s higher trajectory and very low spin results in longer distance. While any distance gains are certainly player dependent, most Pro V1x players have noticed that it peaks further downrange and carries farther than their prior generation Pro V1x. They have also experienced excellent performance in windy conditions.”

Prior to any product introduction, Titleist’s strategy is to involve some of the best players in the world for feedback as well as ultimately validation. “It flew with a nice trajectory and it carried well.  I like the way it penetrated through a headwind.  When you’re able to carry it a long way off the tee, and then spin it around the greens, that’s a perfect combination,” stated former Masters Champion, Zach Johnson after testing the New Pro V1x for the first time. “It has a higher ball flight which is what I am looking for.  And the way it’s landing on these really firm greens, it’s able to stop a little quicker,” said Bubba Watson after playing the New Pro V1x for the first time at the Shark Shootout. It might not be surprising to hear Maria Hjorth comments following her season-ending victory at the LPGA Tour Championship. The win came after the first time she played the New Pro V1 incompetition. “I love the New Pro V1 because it fits my game very well.  It has a great ball flight, is very durable and feels great around the green.  This new Titleist golf ball is even better for me,” she said. Padraig Harrington won the Iskandor Johor Open in Malaysia, the first time he put the New Pro V1x in play. He was also the very first player to win with it on the worldwide professional tours. “I was very confident with the New Pro V1x and hit it a long way. It is longer and holds its line b

etter off the tee,” he said. “It’s definitely got a more penetrating ball flight, has superb distance control and the Pro V1x has always been brilliant around the greens.” After Harrington claimed the maiden victory for the new ProV1, Michio Matsumura captured the Casio World Open playing the New Pro V1x and Hiroyuki Fujita won the JT Open playing the New Pro V1 on the Japan Golf Tour. According to Titleist, other notable players such as Hunter Mahan, Henrik Stenson and over 100 others across all of the worldwide professional tours already have made the conversion to the new golf balls.

“Professionals and amateurs alike, all of whom seek to advance their games, have provided performance feedback and validated each generation of the Pro V1 and Pro V1x, to ensure that the world’s best golf balls keep getting better,” said Bohn. “The essence of players’ trust in Titleist is that they have to know that their golf ball will do exactly what they want it to do if they hit their shot properly. Pro V1 and Pro V1x have earned this trust, year after year, and that it is why more of the world’s best players, club professionals, accomplished amateurs and golfers around the world have made Pro V1 their #1 choice.”  The New Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls begin shipping to golf shops in February.

TaylorMade White Van Man

I thought the new TaylorMade tour van looked impressive and has had a fantastic makeover. It looks like it will get it's first outing this week

This is what TaylorMade have to say about it:

This week at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego, TaylorMade’s iconic PGA Tour Van will boast a new look, having also received an “all-white” makeover to parallel the brand’s exciting new R11 and Burner SuperFast 2.0 drivers, both with distinctive white clubheads.Players have quickly gravitated to the all-white equipment, with more than 30 players switching to the TaylorMade R11 or the Superfast 2.0 driver.

“The response to our new white drivers has been incredible and we wanted to carry on the ‘white-out’ theme with our Tour Truck, which provides service to the best players in the world,” said Keith Sbarbaro, vice president of tour operations. “Just like our white drivers stand out amongst the black heads of our competitors, so will our white truck stand out amongst the others.”

A vehicle that already commands attention at PGA Tour events due to its comfortable size and stealth appearance, TaylorMade’s state-of-the-art mobile workshop is manned by four to five technicians who travel weekly with the PGA Tour to service the equipment needs of the world’s best players. It is estimated that the van travels 40,000 miles per year spanning roughly 35 PGA Tour events.

Before the start of the 2009 PGA Tour season, the truck received a complete interior and exterior redesign to meet the demands of a growing line-up of Tour Staff professionals. Featuring a stealth new look, the van was equipped with flat-screen televisions, WiFi Internet, speakers, a secluded office for player meetings, sliding doors, additional storage space and more. To date, the TaylorMade tour van is one of the most robust and exciting vans seen on the PGA Tour.

Sounds impressive what do you think?

What's in the bag of Nike Tour Professionals

I find it is always interesting to see what the professionals actually have in their golf bag when playing in the big events and it was also nice to see some fresh new faces playing on the PGA Tour. This report came direct from Nike Golf and I think they may have a bit of a winner with the New Nike 20XI golf balls

What’s in the Bag: Nike Athletes in the Field at the Bob Hope Classic

Find out what Stephen Ames, Stewart Cink, Justin Leonard, Jamie Lovemark, Kevin Kisner, and Jhonattan Vegas have in the bag this week at the Bob Hope Classic.

Stephen Ames

• Driver: Nike VR Pro 10.5-degree
• Fairway Wood: Nike VR Tour 13-degree/3-wood, Nike VR Tour 19-degree/5-wood
• Irons: Nike VR Pro Combo (3-PW)
• Wedges: Nike VR 54 & 60-degree
• Putter: Nike Method
• Ball: Nike 20XI prototype

Stewart Cink

• Driver: Nike VR Tour 9.5-degree
• Fairway Wood: Nike VR Pro Prototype 15-degree/3-wood
• Irons: Nike VR Pro Combo (3 – PW), Nike Pro Combo OS 2 iron
• Wedges: Nike VR Pro 54 and 60-degree
• Putter: Nike Method
• Ball: Nike 20XI prototype

Kevin Kisner

• Driver: Nike VR Tour 7.5-degree
• Fairway Wood: Nike VR Pro 13-degree/3-wood
• Hybrid: Nike VR 18-degree
• Irons: Nike VR Pro Combo (3-9)
• Wedges: Nike VR 47, 54 and 58-degree
• Ball: Nike 20XI prototype

Justin Leonard

• Driver: Nike SQ Machspeed Black 10.5-degrees
• Fairway: Nike SQ II 17-degree
• Irons: Nike VR Pro Combo 3, VR Pro Blades (4-PW)
• Wedges: Nike VR 54 and VR 59-degree
• Putter: Nike Method 003
• Ball: Nike 20XI prototype

Jamie Lovemark

• Driver: Nike VR Tour 8.5-degree
• Fairway Wood: Nike SQ Dymo 15-degree/3-wood
• Hybrid: Nike VR 18-degree
• Irons: Nike VR Pro Blades (4-PW)
• Wedges: Nike VR V-Rev 52, 56 and 60-degree
• Ball: Nike 20XI prototype

Jhonattan Vegas

• Driver: Nike VR Pro 8.5-degree
• Fairway Woods: Nike VR Pro prototype 15 degree/3-wood, Nike VR 19-degree/5-wood
• Irons: Nike VR Pro Blades (3-PW)
• Wedges: Nike VR 53 and 59-degree
• Ball: Nike ONE Tour D

Play By The Rules, there is no other way

Last week Padraig Harrington was disqualified for moving his ball about 3 mm from it's original position and rules expert Barry Rhodes has written an interesting article about the incident and in my opinion I think that a player should be able to re sign their card and add the additional shots so as to keep them in the tournament

What do you think?

Padraig Harrington Disqualified for Moving His Ball

I’m sorry to be writing this second blog in a week for many different reasons. Padraig Harrington is a near neighbor of mine in Dublin, he is one of life’s gentlemen, he has suffered from an innocuous disqualification penalty on a previous occasion (The Benson & Hedges International in 2000), and he is probably one of the most knowledgeable players on the Tours in terms of his understanding of the Rules.

Here is the incident for which Padraig was penalised in Abu Dhabi. As he did not replace the golf ball, which was judged to have moved forward as he was picking up his marker, he then played it from a wrong place, Rule 20-7(ii), even though it was only a question of millimetres. This breach incurs a penalty of two strokes, but because he signed and returned a score card that did not include the penalty, the only option open to tournament referee, Andy McFee, was to disqualify him.

He was later quoted as saying;

"I'm comfortable with the whole idea that there's people there watching, and I believe when I'm on the golf course I'm not going to do anything untoward. I hope that this many people watch The European Tour. I hope there's 100 million people watching me play and checking me out. It's good for the game."

This is yet another unfortunate occurrence that will no doubt feed fuel to those that argue that the Rules of Golf are unfair, draconian and out of touch, and that players that are subject to television scrutiny are at a disadvantage to those that are not so closely monitored. As you will know from my previous blogs, this is not my opinion and I prefer to concentrate on the positives. Yet again we see that golfers are different to almost any other professional sports players. Padraig Harrington accepted his fate without complaint, as did Camilo Villegas two weeks ago, and many others before them. His detailed explanation of the circumstances of the penalty can be viewed at this link following a short advertisement.

Another positive arising from this latest incident is that it has highlighted the Rule that when a player moves their ball accidentally they must replace it at the spot where it was when they moved it, even if it was still marked (Rule 18-2). Every high-profile Rules situation increases golfers’ understanding of the particular ruling involved.

Ironically, another Irishman was involved in a very similar Rules situation during the same opening round of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. A television viewer reported that Graeme McDowell’s golf club had moved his ball as he addressed it to hit into the 18th green. On this occasion, the television evidence showed that although he had touched his ball it did not move off its spot and therefore no penalty was incurred, Rule 18-2(i). I know that many readers disagree with on-course spectators and television viewers being able to affect a player’s score by reporting breaches that the players did not know they incurred, or did not report. But these two incidents show the complete equity of the situation. The player that did breach the Rules was penalised and the one that did not was not. I stand by my opinion that in golf, anyone who breaches the Rules, whether or not they are aware of it, should incur the penalty. It is not a question of whether they benefited or not in the particular circumstances. This becomes subjective, which can then lead to arguments. A breach is a breach and is penalised accordingly.

Finally, I am sad to report that only the third player in the European Tour’s history has been sanctioned for ‘cheating’; the first for almost 19 years. Elliot Saltman, a 28-year-old Scottish professional, was banned from competition for three months by a disciplinary panel, including several senior players, after he was found guilty of a "serious breach" of the Rules. During a Challenge Tour event in Russia last September he repeatedly replaced his ball on a slightly different spot from where he had marked it and this was reported by the two fellow competitors playing with him. He may appeal the decision.

Play to the Rules, there is no other way.

Report From TaylorMade

Abu Dhabi Golf Championship

Tour Report

January 2011

What can I say about this week, other than it exceeded all our expectations! reports Mark James from TaylorMade Golf

The team have travelled to Abu Dhabi with a limited amount of R11 heads and as soon as we arrived, the players wanted to get their hands on this fantastic new product. They have all seen and heard of about the “white driver”!

 We were exceptionally busy building Taylormade  R11 for our Staff players and the initial feedback from all the players was really positive. Both the colour and look were well received, but most importantly the performance of the driver was outstanding. The R11 ball speeds were 1 to 3 MPH faster than the 2010 SuperFast driver and 3 to 5 MPH faster than the R9 Super Tri and most players instantly gained yardage. We actually had to do very little “tweaking” with the FCT sleeve and ASP “bumper” to  get fantastic performance from the driver, a real boost for the players as the easily adjustable heads were quickly  changed to suit the windy conditions this week.

 Darren Clarke, Martin Kaymer, Peter Hanson, Richard Bland, Fabrizio Zanotti, Edoardo Molinari and many more were testing R11 this week and I am sure that you will see some of our non Staff players using this incredible golf club as well. Retief Goosen, double US Open Champion had the new Burner 2.0 in his bag this week.

We move on to Bahrain next week where we will continue to work with our players to “fine tune” the R11 for them but all in all it was a very busy week, but more importantly the R11 was the “star of the show”. Expect at least 10 R11 drivers in play this week and maybe a couple of Taylormade Burner 2.0 drivers as well. Let’s hope for a winner!!

New Mizuno JPX Driver Coming Soon

The new Mizuno JPX800 HOT METAL increases average driving distance by specifically targeting an improvement in ball speeds from shots struck outside the sweet spot.

Analysis has shown that most distance loss occurs when golfers miss-hit from high or low on the clubface. Therefore, Mizuno’s design team has increased the JPX800’s vertical MOI, alongside the standard extension from heel to toe.

The JPX800 sits with a square clubface at address - relying on an internal weighting system for its straight, high flight. Mizuno found that the square set-up best neutralised the amateur’s most destructive miss hit - the pull straight left.

Chris Voshall, R&D, said: “While the JPX800 driver has many of the key elements needed to help amateur golfers - large MOI, Hot Face, slightly longer club length, we didn’t hook the face or do anything else to keep it out of a better player’s hands. 

“Our tour players commented that the 800 looked very ‘clean’ something they could hit straight, cut, or draw. 

“And just like most golfers, their distance loss comes from hitting the ball a little too high or low when using a high tee. The vertical stability on the JPX800 keeps that distance loss to a minimum.”

New Callaway RAZR

Callaway Introduces the RAZR Hawk Driver and RAZR Hawk Fairway Woods

The new Callaway RAZR platform of products represents the Company’s most premium technology offerings. The RAZR Hawk woods feature an unprecedented integration of authentic and proprietary technologies, including Forged Composite™ and a groundbreaking aerodynamic design that significantly reduces energy lost to drag during a golfer’s downswing.

Crown and Sole Components Made from Forged Composite
For the first time in club development, both the crown and sole components of the new RAZR Hawk and RAZR Hawk Tour Drivers are comprised of Forged Composite. This highly advanced carbon composite material was developed in partnership with luxury Italian automaker Automobili Lamborghini and is the lightest, strongest, most precise material either company has ever employed. Forged Composite is one-third the density of titanium, features a greater load carrying capacity per unit mass in bending, and provides Callaway engineers with a level of precision that was previously unachievable.

Innovative Aerodynamics = Less Drag and More Distance
Callaway’s RAZR Hawk drivers mark the debut of a proprietary innovation in aerodynamics called Streamlined Surface Technology, which addresses the complex variations in aerodynamic flow during a driver’s entire downswing—from transition through impact. The result of a multi-year research enterprise and the unparalleled precision of a Forged Composite design, Callaway engineers reduced the energy loss due to drag by 43% in the RAZR Hawk drivers (compared to their predecessor, the FT-9 driver). Impressively, RAZR Hawk features the highest driver head speeds ever recorded by a 460 cc Callaway driver, leading to measurable distance gains.

RAZR Hawk Standard and Tour Drivers
The RAZR Hawk Standard driver is available in either a Draw or Neutral model. The RAZR Hawk Tour models, which come standard with a 45.5” shaft, feature a slightly smaller head size and a more open face at address for a look preferred by skilled players. RAZR Hawk drivers also feature Callaway’s proprietary Hyperbolic Face Technology™ for improved impact efficiency and have been proven on professional tours around the world. 

RAZR Hawk Fairway Woods
The RAZR Hawk fairway woods extend Callaway’s history of genuine innovation in the category. Employing Forged Composite in the crown of the clubhead allows Callaway engineers to precisely redistribute weight for Center of Gravity placement that maximizes distance without compromising ball flight or feel. The Company’s club designers then apply aggressive Variable Face Technology to precisely shape the face thickness in each fairway wood, increasing the sweet spot to promote consistent trajectories. Tour-inspired styling features a traditional head shape with a full- length hosel.