The big guns naturally have the biggest presence; Nike, Titleist and Callaway all draw big, and all get plenty of attention, which makes it easier to get around to see the other companies, including some of the smaller, lesser-known ones. These companies may have good new clubs, but may not be seen every week on every tour and in every golf magazine.
And it's fun trying clubs from companies such as Honma and Maruman, not so well-known in the United States. Clubs that are quite expensive and not often seen at the local muni.
So let's start with everyone's favorite club - the driver. My favorite new "big dog" at the 2009 PGA Merchandise Show Demo Day was the Wilson Smooth. This is the American version of the DI6 that Padraig Harrington played to win his British Open titles. The Smooth has a lot of punch with a very soft feel.
Second in line was the Adams Speedline. We were hitting directly into a pretty stiff breeze, but we got a lot of carry to go with a very solid feel. An added bonus this year is a reduction in the very loud sound that Adams drivers usually have. The Tech A4OS is also worth a look, as well as the Speedline fairway woods and hybrids – all come with a pretty reasonable price tag.
Also worth a look is the Nickent SuperMag 4DX. Very solid and easy to get in the air.
You may have seen the infomercial for the new Powerbilt Air Force One drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids. The driver has a different feel – almost as if the head was solid – compared to the hollow feel we have gotten used to since titanium came into play. It does provide a nice ball flight, but it wouldn't be my personal choice for a driver. However, watching Tina Miller of "The Big Break" hit the Air Force One was impressive. Miller said she'll be putting it in her bag this year, which makes sense since she stars in the informercial.
But the Powerbilt Air Force One fairway wood is at the top of my list from Demo Day. Very solid, easy to get in the air, and plenty of control.
Wilson had a strong showing in this category with its Spine series. The white shaft is a different look, a plain look, compared to the brightly colored shafts we see most often, but overlook the lack of color and give them a swing.
The new Exotics fairway woods and hybrids by Tour Edge were very strong. They are a bit further up the price scale, but the new version is very solid for the more advanced player.
The Cobra Baffler Pro is also more for the better player, or the hooker, or the player who gets plenty of height off of the ground.
I didn't spend a lot of time hitting irons, but I do have to say that the new Nike Victory Red series is pretty sweet. However, the most fun we had was with the new Wilson Fg59 blades. Classic beauty, and a real treat for your hands when you strike the ball solidly, but this set takes a lot of experience and confidence to play regularly. Personally, hitting anything more than the 7-iron would be pretty tough.
On to putters. There were three new sets of putters that stood out on Day 1 of the 2009 PGA Merchandise Show Demo Day. Tour Edge Exotics jumped in with a very nice line of milled, one-piece putters in blade and half mallet styles. Heavy Putters introduced a couple of new blades that improved their feel quite a bit from years past. And, topping the list that we tried today, the new Mizuno Bettinardi Black Carbon series is as nice a putter you'll find off the rack. My advice: Before you reflexively head to the Scotty Cameron section, try the Bettinardi and Exotics. You won't be disappointed.
I was also able to check out a couple training aids and practice tools that were interesting.
If tempo and swing smoothness is a problem in your swing, check out the updated version of the Orange Whip. Weighted and whippy, you have to swing smooth to get the tip through the hitting area squarely and without wacking yourself in the head or shoulder. (OrangeWhipTrainer.com)
The Tour Striker is designed to help the golfer who tends to hit the ball thin, on the bottom three grooves. Their solution? Remove the bottom three grooves ... period. In order to get the ball in the air, you have to make contact with a descending blow and the hands slightly ahead of the head. (TourStriker.com)
Finally, we came across a top-notch laser rangefinder from a company called Leupold. They use a lot of military technology to make it easier to lock in on your target. What really stood out was their top-level model that measures slope angle and adjusts the yardage for up or down slopes. That itself is not new – but this model also adjusts for altitude.
For example, you live in Florida and play most of your golf pretty much at sea level, then travel to Colorado and play a little Mile High golf. With the Leupold, you pull up a menu and enter the new altitude and the range finder adjusts the carry length you hit your clubs and recommends a club for the yardage. Did I mention that you also enter your club yardage? This is a very sharp piece of equipment. The $400 retail price for the top level rangefinder seems steep, but a unit from another high-level competitor is even more expensive. If you’re in the market, definitely check out Leupold.com.
