There’s always buzz when Ping Golf introduces a new iron. The company is known for its consistency and commitment to technology.
The Ping i200, debuting here at the PGA Merchandise Show, is no exception. “Major advancements’’ in the i200, according to Ping, make the face and cavity structure more dynamic to achieve faster ball speeds, a soft, powerful feel and “unprecedented’’ forgiveness for an iron of its size.
“Bringing all these benefits into one iron required our teams to re-think how the face and cavity structure can work together to improve overall performance,’’ said Ping CEO John A. Solheim.
Solheim said Ping engineers created a head design that provides precision distances with horizontal and vertical trajectory control while substantially increasing forgiveness. A muscle-stabilizing bar and deeper, longer tuning port, according to Solheim said, harmonize with a thinner, faster face to create a powerful feel and sound.
Solheim said this results from the soft elastomer insert activating at impact to enhance face flexing for faster ball speeds while damping vibrations. The insert nearly doubled in volume, allowing for more than three times the amount of face contact.
The i200 carries a suggested retail price of $135 per club (steel) and $150 per club (graphite).
There’s also no equipment company better at doing “precision’’ than Ping. It’s been in the Solheim family’s DNA from the day patriarch Karsten Solheim made his first Anser putter more than 50 years ago.
Now comes Ping’s Glide 2.0 wedges with precision-milled faces and sharper groove edges than any previous Ping wedge model. The Glide 2.0 wedges (suggested retail price $150 each) are making their debut here at the PGA Merchandise Show.
“The new Glide 2.0 wedges represent a major breakthrough in performance for a number of reasons, but it’s the new grooves that are most exciting,” said Ping Chairman John A. Solheim. “As many golfers are aware, we have a lot of knowledge and experience when it comes to evaluating and designing grooves. We worked closely with our tour staff to improve every aspect of the wedges.’’
The grooves in the lower-lofted wedges (46°, 50° & 52°) are milled with a 20° sidewall and a .005” edge radius, Solheim said, for optimal full-shot performance. The higher-lofted versions (54°, 56°, 58° & 60°) are milled to a .004” edge radius and a 28° sidewall to impart more spin, especially around the greens.
By spacing the precision-milled grooves closer together, Solheim said Ping designed the lower- lofted options with one additional groove (compared to the original Glide wedge) to increase spin and control on full shots. The higher-lofted versions feature two more grooves for more spin on chip and pitch shots.
Callaway Golf’ has move up to No. 2 in ball market share largely on the success of its Chrome Soft ball it launched in 2015.
The company is debuting the newest member of the Chrome family – Chrome Soft X – here at the PGA Merchandise Show.
Callaway says the Chrome Soft X has a firmer core and cover combination, which promotes more ball speed off the tee, more spin through-the-bag, and a piercing and workable ball flight.
“Chrome Soft is designed to promote a high, straight, distance-enhancing trajectory,” said Dave Bartels, Callaway’s senior director of golf ball R&D. “In Chrome Soft X we wanted to create a ball that does everything Chrome Soft does, but with a piercing trajectory and more workable ball flight desired by many Tour professionals and elite amateurs.”
Chrome Soft X will be available Feb. 3 and will carry a suggested retail price of $39.99 per dozen.
Since the days of Balata and Surlyn back in the 1980s, golf balls have become more and more alike across the board, no matter the price point or manufacturer. Right? Well, yeah, I’ve long held that belief, especially when I view the ball market through the lens of a mid-handicapper. How much difference can this construction or that cover or whatever dimple pattern make to the average player? Uh, lots, it appears, and it took only one tee shot with the brand new Bridgestone e6 Speed ball to convince me. And a few holes later, when I put its sibling, the new e6 Soft, into play, the conviction became giddy enthusiasm. I’ve played and been impressed with Bridgestone’s various B330 balls, but the new e6 is a different animal — indeed “longer and straighter,” as their marketing motto purports.
Compared to what, you ask? How about the flagship, high-end ball from the bestselling brand in the world, the one that starts with a “T?” Yep, at least according to my casual and admittedly non-scientific testing over a couple rounds, both versions of the new e6 took me at least eight to 10 yards further down the fairway.
Back to that opening tee shot at a popular muni in Reno, Nevada, on a warm fall day, from the substantially elevated back tees: I hadn’t played in a few weeks, but went at it full-speed anyway, catching the e6 Speed slightly on the toe. No matter — it still carried about 240, coming to rest next to a couple fairway mounds that mark the 250-yard spot. The wedge shot to follow was pulled long and left, telling me I’d have to adjust my iron distances with this ball from here on in. Not a bad problem to have if, like me, you’ve been leaking distance with the approach shots for a while.
And so it went through the front nine — one busted, slightly drawn drive after another, leaving fewer yards home than I’m used to. What were 5-iron approaches turned into 7-irons; where I may have pulled a 3-metal on a par-5 in the past was now hybrid territory. And the Speed ball didn’t disappoint around the greens, either, offering impressive feel and spin from 100 yards in. Then, when I switched to the yellow version of the e6 Soft, I noticed a bump in touch on the short ones, and, surprisingly, no loss of carry on the full shots, including drives. And there’s no way I could put too much bend in the ball with either the Speed or the Soft, which tells me that Bridgestone’s claim that they are “31 percent” more accurate than the competition isn’t far off the mark. Same with their “nine yards longer” assertion, which certainly came into play for me.
So, how did Bridgestone come up with this new pair of e6s, which feature new “Delta Dimple” technology to cut down air resistance? According to a press release they were “Developed using data gathered from more than two million in-person and online ball fitting sessions” — an outgrowth of their industry-leading “proprietary Ball Fitting system” introduced back in 2007.
“We are the clear industry leaders in ball fitting, our team has measured millions of swings with all types of golfers and captured data on their performance needs,” said Elliot Mellow, marketing manager of ball fitting. “Unlike competitors, we are not advocating that most amateurs play a Tour level ball, rather we designed the new e6 series to benefit the widest variety of players. In fact, 83% of golfers show a performance gain when switching from Pro V1 to e6.”
Count me among the early converts.
The new e6 Speed and Soft balls are available now in select warm weather markets, with nationwide rollout coming in early 2017.
The first time a Golf Tips editor put an OnCore golf ball into play, at Bandon Dunes in Oregon, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Tee shots were barreling down those rumpled fairways with rifle accuracy and bunker-busting distance. Though the hollow-metal-core ball hadn’t yet passed USGA muster, we were willing to wait. It was love at first flight.
Well, that regulatory hurdle is long cleared, and several years down the road, this insurgent equipment company just keeps improving its flagship products. The new Caliber ball is an 80 compression wonder, still rocking that .9-inch-diameter metal core, “Soft Cell” mantle and a 392-dimple urethane cover that marries soft feel with explosive performance off the clubface. Over three rounds on some of Northern Michigan’s most challenging tracks, we found the Caliber workable and responsive and averse to going too far off-line, even on the most egregious mis-hits. It held its own distance-wise up against big boys from Titleist and Callaway while allowing plenty of feel around greens from both deep and close-shorn lies. Metal core? Let’s just call it hardcore fun and worthy of a go for anybody whose average swing speed is under 100 mph. Which means just about everybody.
Then there’s the Avant, OnCore’s new affordable but high-performance ball. Instead of the hollow metal core it offers a two-piece design with Soft Cell inside and a tougher but still-supple Surlyn cover. This combo allows big-time piercing ball flight with minimal sidespin as well as a super-soft 65 compression for sweet feel off the irons and wedges. We put it through its paces on one of Michigan’s toughest tracks, The Bear at Grand Traverse Resort, which resulted in no-sweat carries over lakes and wetlands and a smokin’ 38 on the front nine. “It’s a great ball,” said our tester. “Did exactly what I asked it to do.” Then we gave it another go at Toiyabe Golf Club in Northern Nevada, which comes at you with tough green complexes and fast putting speeds. The Avant not only gave its tester an extra 15 to 20 yards off the blocks, but took his up-and-down game to a new level. From gnarly rough, tight collars and semi-wet sand, he stuck 60 and 54-degree wedges close enough to save par three times in nine holes — which, of course, means that it kept its line on the putting surface, too. “On Core?” said one playing partner. “Never heard of them.” He has now.
The verdict? Pick up a dozen of each, put them both into play and pick your favorite for the given conditions. Chances are you’ll keep them both around.
Once again Titleist gets to the core of the matter with its new NXT Tour, NXT Tour S and Velocity golf balls for 2016 — and the cover of the matter, too. New NXT Tour has been engineered for even longer distance, while new NXT Tour S offers its softest feel yet. New Velocity provides even more powerful distance with a more playable feel. NXT Tour and NXT Tour S, its softer-feeling companion model continue to lead the mid-line ball category with advanced distance and short-game technologies to help golfers shoot lower scores. NXT Tour has a larger center dual core that produces low spin and fast ball speed for even longer driver and iron distance. The new core technology combines with Titleist’s soft, proprietary Fusablend cover for excellent shot stopping control and soft feel. The NXT Tour S provides similar high performance benefits as NXT Tour with a remarkably softer feel. A reformulated softer compression core combines with a softer Fusablend cover to produce the softest-feeling NXT Tour S yet, while maintaining outstanding distance in the long game and commanding scoring performance for precision in the short game. Comparatively, NXT Tour delivers longer distance with a higher flight, while NXT Tour S provides significantly softer feel. The new Velocity is reengineered with its largest and fastest core yet to produce explosive initial velocity for even more powerful distance thanks to proprietary LSX core technology The low-spin construction with leading-edge aerodynamics produces a soaring trajectory for remarkable carry and roll, while a new, thinner NAZ2 cover provides more playable feel in the short game. NXT/NXT Tour $34.99 per dozen; Velocity $29.99 per dozen
716 & AP IRONS
Never at a loss for giving golfers the widest possible array of choices in the all-important iron category, Titleist has rolled out a series of sticks that allow anybody on the spectrum to find the sweet spot and start shaving strokes with pin-firing confidence.
Start with the 716 T-MB utility irons ($1,599-$1,799 per set), which are precisely engineered using an extreme amount of high density tungsten to deliver an unprecedented combination of high launch, long carry distance and forgiveness in a sleek, muscle back frame and thin, fast, unsupported face that increases speed and launch for more distance. T-MB’s construction allows for maximum use of high density tungsten – an average of 80 grams per head, the most of any Titleist iron – providing a powerful combination of high launch and forgiveness with a playable trajectory. T-MB also features a pre-worn leading edge that reduces digging at the point of turf entry, with a trailing edge chamfer that produces a fast, smooth release from the turf.
The new 716 CB ($1,199-$1,399) is a modern cavity blade engineered with industry-leading amounts of high density tungsten for tour-proven shotmaking with added forgiveness. It is a pure muscle back blade with modern refinements that provides maximum shot control. They use extreme high density tungsten weighting to position the center of gravity (CG) low and perfectly aligned at impact for more speed with tour-proven trajectory and control. An innovative co-forged construction places high density tungsten low and on the perimeter for added forgiveness in its tour-proven profile. The 716 MB ($1,099-$1,299) is a precise, high muscle back design with a squarer toe, thin topline and pre-worn leading edge that delivers maximum shot control with pure, forged muscle back feel.
Finally there’s the AP1 and AP2 irons. AP1 ($899-$1,099) is the longest, most forgiving Titleist iron ever. New AP1’s extreme 360-degree undercut cavity design with a large, thin, unsupported face delivers speed and launch for more distance, while the industry-leading use of high-density tungsten weighting provides maximum forgiveness. A forgiving High-MOI Design – with 50 percent more tungsten than prior generation 714, at an average of 42.5 grams of tungsten per head – maximizes heel and toe stability without increasing AP1’s preferred blade length, while producing higher ball speeds. AP2 ($1,199-$1,399) is Titleist’s most advanced players’ iron made even better, delivering tour- proven distance with forgiveness and solid forged feel. They also use extreme high density tungsten weighting to position the center of gravity low and perfectly aligned at impact for more speed. An innovative co-forged construction places the high density tungsten low and to the perimeter, increasing MOI for greater forgiveness and consistent distance. Golf Tips recently tested the AP2 at PGA Village in Florida and found them workable and smooth off the face, with a handsome top line at address.
TITLEIST SCOTTY CAMERON SELECT PUTTERS
Mr. Cameron does it again. Engineered with innovative new face inlay technology, blend precision milled Scotty Cameron craftsmanship and enhanced multi-material construction, the new Select Newport putters deliver tour-validated performance with unmatched feel and feedback. They feature sleek, performance-oriented models with new technology, shapes and configurations to satisfy the variety of strokes, styles and preferences of golfers at every level of the game. The new face inlays — which wrap around the sole and disappear from the player’s view at address, as opposed to a traditional face insert that occupies only a specific center section of the face — are presented in three unique setups to complement each putter shape and size. Select Newport, Newport 2 and Newport 2.5 models are modern heel-and-toe weighted blades designed to support flowing strokes. Newport 2 Notchback is a slightly larger, angular modern blade with a notched flange, featuring a sole-to-topline 6061 aircraft grade aluminum inlay anodized in gunmetal gray. The Newport M1 and Newport M2 mid-mallets combine a 6061 aircraft grade aluminum inlay with Scotty’s face-sole pop-through technology. The face-sole is a single piece of lightweight aluminum that comprises the face inlay, wraps down and around to create the midsection of the sole and pops through the flange to create the sightline field. This concentrates weight on the perimeter to produce higher MOI and stability for “straight back/straight through” strokes. A Select Newport 2 Notchback Dual Balance model is also available for those players who prefer a Newport-style head but need maximum stability in their stroke. Like all Dual Balance models, Newport 2 Notchback DB has a 50-gram heavier head (400 grams total) and a 50-gram counterweight in the butt of the shaft. Each new Select putter features advanced stability weighting with two, customizable stainless steel heel-toe weights, stepless steel shafts and supple Red Matador mid-size grips developed to offer the comfort of a larger grip while maintaining responsiveness and feel (Newport 2 Notchback DB has a 15-inch Dual Balance grip). Select $379 | Dual Balance $399
816H HYBRIDS
The new Titleist 816H1 and 816H2 models utilize Active Recoil Channel and Ultra Thin Face technology to generate high speed and low spin for long distance. A high MOI design increases speed across the face for more forgiveness on off-center hits, while the optimized center of gravity (CG) increases launch and trajectory for more shot-stopping control. The new hybrids offer a high performance choice over long irons by providing more speed, higher launch and a steeper landing angle to help players hold the green and stop the ball closer to the pin. They provide the most precise fit Titleist has ever offered with two models, loft choices every 2 degrees and a new 1 degree SureFit Tour hosel for independent adjustment of loft and lie. The H1 is a high-launching hybrid that flies farther and land soft, with a larger profile that provides confidence, with slightly increased face progression that performs well from the rough. The H2 hybrids has a more compact shape with a slight offset for iron-like shot control for players who engage the turf more aggressively. The Active Recoil Channel – positioned along the sole of the club head, close to the leading edge – delivers more distance by actively flexing at impact to launch the ball with lower spin and higher speed. It works in tandem with the Ultra Thin Face to deliver increased ball speed across the entire face. The high-speed, constant thickness face insert, made of high-strength Carpenter steel, is the thinnest Titleist has ever developed. The club is a true hit on Tour. Says Jordan Spieth, “The new 816, with the silver head and black face, is a really cool looking hybrid. It’s really clean, really crisp. When I strike it, it shoots off the face nicely. It goes a little higher than my 915 hybrid, and a little bit further. When you mishit a hybrid, you need it to stay on line, still get up in the air and to still go far enough – and that’s what 816 does.” $249
PING i200 IRONS & GLIDE WEDGES
CALLAWAY CHROME SOFT BALLS
