Archive for September, 2010

PING’s ‘Web-Fit’ Online Fitting Program is Fast and Easy

by James on September 29, 2010 in News, Manufacturers, PING with No comments
PING Web-Fit Custom Club Fitting

PING Web-Fit Custom Club Fitting

It had been awhile since I tried out the PING ‘Web-Fit’ custom club fitting system. I remembered it being quite easy to use, and after stepping through the ‘Web-Fit’ process again this morning, that was confirmed. I went through the driver fitting process, and below are the steps you’ll need to take to get fit for a shiny new PING driver:

Step 1: Head on over to PING Web-Fit >

Step 2: Start out by clicking the ‘Your Info’ button and enter your information. This includes your gender, type of units you prefer (imperial or metric), your handicap, height, wrist-to-floor measurement, dexterity (left or right-hand), hand size and longest finger. All measurements are explained via clearly marked diagrams, and a nifty little slider makes it easy to adjust each item. It’s easy. But make sure you have a tape measure handy for the wrist-to-floor, hand size and longest finger measurements!

After you’re done with this, hit the ‘start’ button to begin the club fitting process.

Step 3: Now that we’re on to the club fitting, stuff starts to get fun. First, you’ll need to input your driver carry distance, followed by total distance. Remember, these are just average or typical distances, so ballpark it. Next choose if you strike the ball consistently in the same spot, or if you spray the ball a bit around the clubface. Next, choose your typical ball flight. Your options range from hook and draw, to straight… and of course to the other side with fade and slice paths. If you have a ball flight preference, you can enter that in the next step.

Once you’re done that, click ‘get results’ and you’ll have your fitting results front-and-center. Take them to a local fitter or pro shop and have your club whipped up for you!

My driver results came back as follows:

Model: G15 (9 degree loft), or i15 (8 degree or 9.5 degree loft)
Shaft Flex: Stiff or X-Stiff
Shaft Length: Standard
Grip Color Code: White

My PING Web-Fit Driver Results

Of course, Web-Fit works for PING fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges and putters too. After you go through the fitting process, you can easily run through specs for each category, and find out what PING recommends is best for your game. You can even print the results for reference, or find a fitter nearest you to help get you setup with your new sticks.

To try it out for yourself, visit PING Web-Fit >

K.I.S.S. and Furyk’s Putter…

by Annie Latham on September 29, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Manufacturers, Putters, Yes! with No comments

It’s not often that the K.I.S.S. philosophy is applied to golf equipment.  But that was the case of the putter Jim Furyk used to win the Tour Championship ($11.35 million) and FedEx Cup.

Furyk played with  a heel-shafted, Yes! Golf Sophia putter which he purchased used at Joe & Leigh’s Discount Golf Shop just outside Boston.

According to the “The Tour Van” story posted by Jennifer Gardner, Furyk found the flat stick after putting poorly at the Deutsche Bank Championship, held at the TPC Boston. He was looking for a heel-shafted putter with no alignment aids – “I just wanted it as simple as it could be, heel shafted,” he said – and found the Yes! Sophia putter.

He shelled out a whopping $39 for it.

The little putter that could is now on its way to Wales for the Ryder Cup.

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Tiger Woods Strokes the Nike Method 003 Mallet Putter in Ryder Cup 2010 Practice

by James on September 28, 2010 in News, Golf Equipment, Manufacturers, More..., Nike Golf, Putters with 1 Comment
The Nike Method 003 Mallet Putter

Tiger Woods and the Nike Method 003 Putter

Perhaps I’m seeing things here… But take a peek at the picture above. Is that Tiger Woods with another Nike Method Putter in his hands? Well yessir, it certainly is.

Snapped during practice for the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor, one can clearly see the Nike Method 003 under his arm. Oh no Tiger, say it ain’t so.

We all know what happened the last time Tiger made a putter change… at the 2010 British Open he gave a Method putter a go in the bag. But that experiment was short lived, and after some mediocre putting on the greens, his trusty Scotty Cameron went back to its rightful place.

What should be interesting to see is if Tiger sticks with the Method during continued practice, and into the matches on Friday. Conventional thinking would have one believe if his Scotty Cameron was good enough to win 14 professional majors, it should be good enough for another 14. When it comes to putting, I’ve found it’s more of a deal with the space between one’s ears than the putter in one’s hand. Obviously Tiger feels otherwise.

What’s your take? Should Tiger be fiddling around with his equipment? Or should he be more focused on getting his mental game back to the state that brought him so much success?

Should be an interesting weekend… can’t wait!

The Nike Method 003 Mallet Putter

[Via: GolfWRX]

TaylorMade Burner SuperFast TP Driver

by James on September 28, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Drivers, Manufacturers, TaylorMade with No comments
The TaylorMade Burner SuperFast TP Driver

The TaylorMade Burner SuperFast TP Driver

Besides being one of the ‘sexiest’ looking drivers to come out of TaylorMade‘s workshop in recent memory, the Burner SuperFast TP Driver also features a lot of brawn to go along with its beauty.

First off is the aerodynamic head shape. TaylorMade promises that the shape will help you get the club through the air faster during your backswing and downswing, therefore increasing your clubhead speed… which translates to more distance. If you’ve seen the TV commercials, TaylorMade is all about pushing how ‘Fast’ the driver is. Guess that’s why they named it the ‘SuperFast’. Makes sense.

The clubhead itself is maxed out at 460cc’s, and features a dual crown to promote a higher flight. If you prefer to keep the ball low, or like to see a more boring trajectory, the R9 is probably a wiser choice. Not only will the R9 come off lower off the clubface, but if you don’t like the launch angle or trajectory, you can always tweak up the loft and face angle.

Finally, the Burner SuperFast TP Driver comes stock with a Matrix HD6 65 gram shaft for optimal trajectory and of course, ball speed off the clubface.

8.5, 9.5 and 10.5 degree options are available on all right-hand models… But sadly, only the 9.5 degree model of the SuperFast TP is available for lefties. That is, off the shelf anyway… 🙂

For more information on the Burner SuperFast TP Driver, or any other club in TaylorMade‘s lineup, you can check out their website at TaylorMadeGolf.com.

Cobra S2 Driver Photo Gallery

by James on September 28, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Cobra, Drivers, Manufacturers with 2 Comments
The Cobra S2 Driver

As you may have noticed, I recently posted my first impressions of the Cobra S2 Driver. So far so good with the S2, and for the moment I’m quite content to keep this bad boy in the bag.

You’ll want to stay tuned here at GolfCrunch for a more thorough review of the S2, but until then I’ve posted a few photos for your review below. I think you’ll find the Cobra S2 is not only a powerful and forgiving driver with great feel… but the darn thing looks mighty nice as well. Enjoy.

The Cobra S2 Driver

The Cobra S2 Driver at address

Face of the Cobra S2 Driver

Sole of the Cobra S2 Driver

Stylish Cobra S2 Headcover

The Cobra S2 Driver and Headcover

The Axis1 Eagle Putter: Engineered to Turn Heads (and Sink Putts!)

by James on September 28, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Putters with No comments
The Axis1 Eagle Putter

The Axis1 Eagle Putter

Dubbed ‘Best in Show’ by Sports Illustrated (Golf Edition), ‘Best new golf product’ by Golf.com, ‘Most innovative club’ by the PGA Show and ‘Most innovative putter’ by MyGolfSpy, the Axis1 Eagle Putter is an innovation in putter design that will make your head turn… and perhaps sink a few putts too.

Created by Luis Pedraza, the Axis1 Eagle putter is noted to be the first 100% perfectly balanced putter. The uniquely designed hosel and clubhead give the club perfect balance, which, in theory, should result in more on-line putts because your putter won’t naturally open up. The face will want to stay square to the target line throughout your entire stroke. Interesting.

Axis1 Eagle Putter

The club itself is made from 17-4PH stainless steel, and features a copper insert for a soft feel off the clubface. Stainless steel counterweight screws are also inserted in the putter before it comes off the assembly line. The counterweights used precisely balance the putter, which, in the end offers up a 0 putter torque rating. Twisting and turning when you strike the ball? Not with the Axis1 Eagle Putter!

I have to say, I’m VERY intrigued about the Axis1 Eagle Putter. I’m not quite sure how I stumbled across it, but I’m glad I did. To the folks at Axis1, expect an email from me in short order. I’d love to get my hands on this one to give it some thorough testing on the greens. When it comes to putting and the technology imparted to help improve our games… I’m open to anything!

Stay tuned for more…

Jim Furyk Wields a used Yes! Sophia Putter to Win at Tour Championship

by James on September 27, 2010 in News, Golf Equipment, Manufacturers, More..., Putters, Yes! with No comments
The Yes! Sophia Putter

The Yes! Sophia Putter

So what was that mystery putter, anyway? I could see the traditional yellow, white and black grip on the putter, so I could tell it was a Yes! putter. But just what model was it that Jim Furyk had in the bag this weekend at the Tour Championship? After some quick sleuthing, I came away with the knowledge that it was a Yes! Sophia putter, and a model that Furyk had picked up in used condition at Joe & Leigh’s Discount Golf Pro Shop in Massachusetts. An interesting story, for sure.

When asked about the new flatstick, Furyk commented:

“It was used. It was a used putter. It’s got a nick on the back flange, it’s got a little ding in the top line. I never loft and lied it which is rare for me because I’ve always got my putters on a loft-lie machine at home, and the way the grip is on it, it might be slightly off center but that’s kind of how I like it anyway. I guess we were meant to be, who knows.”

I have a number of used clubs in the bag as well… I’m glad to see professionals taking to the used scene as well. Used doesn’t always mean abused, there’s still plenty of life in many clubs out there if you give them a chance! Furyk went on to explain further:

“They had some that were bigger, more like a mallet head that were heel shafted, kind of like Faldo used to putt with in his heyday, but they had lines on them, and I wanted something without a line. I just wanted it as simple as it could be, heel shafted. It was the only one in the shop of about 300 putters. At the time I didn’t think it was all the that pretty to be honest with you, but it’s getting a lot better looking every day.”

Very cool indeed. I love the classic look of the Yes! Sophia, reminds me very much of the Wilson 8802. Timeless.

Yes! Putters have a few other similar models up for grabs as well… that is, if blades are your thing. In addition to the Sophia, there’s the Mollie and Morgan. Both are inspired by classic designs… and both feature Yes! C-Groove technology.

For more information or to take a look at Yes! complete lineup, head on over to Yes! Putters.

The Yes! Sophia Putter

The Yes! Sophia Putter Top View

The Yes! Sophia Putter

[Via: PutterZone]

The Cobra S2 Driver: First Impressions

by James on September 27, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Cobra, Drivers, Manufacturers with 2 Comments
Out on the course with the Cobra S2 Driver

I had been wanting to get my hands on the Cobra S2 Driver for some time now. A few months back, the good folks at Cobra Golf were nice enough to send me the Cobra ZL Driver for review… and after putting that one through its paces, I loved it. Naturally, with the S2 as their other big driver option, I wanted to do the same. Without hesitation Cobra obliged my request, so… the other day I took the S2 to the range, and then out on the course for some testing. What I found was all good.

The club in my hands was a 10.5 with stiff Cobra Fit-On Max 65 gram shaft. On the range, my first few drives were straight and true. Much like the ZL, the feel at impact was solid as a rock, and I was able to work the ball either direction with ease. It’s important to note that the Cobra S2 Driver has Adjustable Flight Technology (AFT) built-in as well, so if you’d rather not make changes to your setup, simply adjust the clubhead to the open, neutral or closed position to help you work the ball (or straighten out that slice!).

Out on the course, my drive off the first tee made me smile. Straight down the pipe, right down the middle of the fairway leaving me a gap wedge into the green. Needless to say, I was loving the Cobra S2 already. Never mind the fact that I missed the green and 3-hacked it from there for a bogey… the purpose of my round was to get some initial impressions of the S2 🙂

The Cobra S2 Driver in the bag!

The Cobra S2 Driver taking its place in my bag. You may also notice the Cobra Baffler Pro Hybrid in there too. Solid club.

As the round went on, one thing became quite apparent to me. The 9 Point Face Technology that Cobra touts was clearly in effect. If you have never heard of this, Cobra advertises that their drivers have 9 ‘hot’ points across the clubface, giving you consistently long and accurate drives no matter where you strike the ball. As long as you make contact in the area containing these 9 points, you’ll feel the difference. And, I’ve got to say… in comparison to the ZL I really felt this in the S2. Maybe it’s because my swing was a little bit off, but I was hitting quite a few drives off the toe-side of the driver, and all of them took off like a rocket. The feeling of these drives off the face was as if I had pured it off the sweet spot. It felt great, to say the least.

Much like the Cobra ZL Driver, the S2 sets up nicely to the ball, and inspires confidence. The overall look and feel of the club is sharp as well. In fact, I prefer the styling on the S2 over the ZL. Not by much, but I have to admit, the S2 wins in overall looks.

I’m going to stop here for now, but expect a more thorough review (with pictures) in the near future. I’ll probably put the S2 through some more testing, and form some takeaway conclusions for you to keep in mind.

At first blush though, the S2 is certainly getting my seal of approval. Solid distance, great accuracy, and a consistent feel off the face.

For more information on the Cobra S2 Driver, head on over to CobraGolf.com.

Stay tuned for more.

Note: As always, a special thanks goes out to Terra and the team at Cobra Puma Golf.

Adams Golf Unveils New ‘Easy-to-Hit’ V3 Hybrids

by Annie Latham on September 27, 2010 in News, Golf Equipment, Adams, Hybrids, Manufacturers with No comments

Earlier this month, Adams Golf unveiled its new Idea Tech V3 hybrids and hybrid irons that are supposed to establish a new standard in the “super game-improvement” category.   Intended for aspiring and recreational players looking to improve their games, the Idea Tech V3 set is offered in two configurations (forged or all-hybrid) in order to meet each customer’s preferences. The Idea Tech V3 hybrids may also be purchased individually.

In both configurations, the eight-piece Idea Tech V3 set consists of 4-, 5- and 6- progressively-sized hybrids and a 7-mid-hybrid.

  • The forged set features four oversized cavity-back forged irons in 8-iron through gap wedge.
  • The all-hybrid set features four hybrid scoring clubs in 8-iron through gap wedge.

The easy-to-hit hybrids in both configurations feature strategically placed tungsten weighting in the premium stainless steel heads for enhanced forgiveness and spin.

A four-way cambered sole and recessed heel and toe areas reduce turf drag for superior playability and versatility.

The transitional hybrid mid-iron includes a viscoelastic vibration dampening system for exceptional feel.

The stock shaft for the Idea Tech V3 hybrids is the Mitsubishi Rayon Bassara graphite shaft. Offered in four different flexes and weights–stiff (65g), regular (60g), lite (55g) and super-lite (50g)–the Bassara shafts are designed to exactly fit each player’s swing speed and type. For the short irons in either the forged or all-hybrid set, consumers may choose between True Temper Performance Tech shafts in steel or Mitsubishi Rayon Bassara shafts in graphite.

The eight-piece sets begin shipping to golf shops October 1 with a suggested retail price (SRP) of $899.99 for steel and $999.99 for graphite.

Individual Idea Tech V3 hybrids are available right-handed (2-7) or left-handed (3-6) with a SRP of $249.99 and will begin shipping November 1.

There is also a Women’s’ version of the Idea Tech V3 hybrid iron set fwhich provides the same advanced features and materials found in the men’s sets, but with dedicated tooling and design specifications created specifically for a woman’s swing.  Available with the Mitsubishi Rayon Bassara graphite shafts in the super-lite (50g) flex, the eight-piece women’s set begins shipping to golf shops October 1 with a SRP of $999.99.

Watch the commercial here.

MLB’s Rays Get “LoudMouthed”

by Annie Latham on September 22, 2010 in News, Style & Fashion with No comments

Last Sunday, in honor of old-time manager Clarence “Pants” Rowland (and supposedly Golfer John Daly), the Major League Baseball (MLB) team from Tampa Bay, the Rays, wore  LoudMouth pants for their themed road trip to New York (dubbed “The LoudMouth Pants Rowland trip”).

The concept for the road trip was organized by Rays’ manager Joe Maddon, who has been an admirer of Pants Rowland since discovering that he is the only manager in baseball history to have his team be no-hit twice during the regular season and then go on to win a World Series title with the 1917 Chicago White Sox.

“We are combining a tribute to him, along with LoudMouth pants,” said Maddon. “It is just natural to call it the LoudMouth Pants Rowland road trip, so it works perfectly.”

LoudMouth will provide their bold style to the entire traveling party: players, coaches, trainers, broadcasters and front office staff, making this the team’s flashiest trip ever.  Some of the patterns that were selected by coaches and players were Bushwood, Oakmont Houndstooth, Disco Balls Black and Big Buzz.

Larry Jackson, CEO of LoudMouth Golf said, “LoudMouth is confident that the pants will be the wind beneath the Rays’ wings on their way to a LoudMouth Pants Rowland World Series where we fully expect them to meet our hometown San Francisco Giants for the title!”

Check out this video to see the players getting Loud.

Source:  Golfwire

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