BOMB: It's not only tour players who get to see the new stuff. The fall sales meetings for all the major companies are winding down and soon sales reps will be showing off some of the new stuff they'll be selling to local shops and stores. One thing you can count on is Callaway ramping up its iron line. Every two years, the popular X series of irons births a new baby. In the fall of 2002, it was the X-16 replacing the X-14. In the fall of 2004, it was the X-18 replacing the X-16. Expect a beefed up but familiarly notched X-20 in some stores early in 2007 but players might want to take a look at the pro version (a bit of a departure from the Pro Series versions of past X models) or even those new Callaway forgings Annika's been seen using.
GOUGE: Some people can't leave well enough alone. Which is a good thing when it comes to cheap golf balls. The best balls for the average golfer can be had for $25 and often less. Too many average golfers are playing balls only tour players and their short games can take advantage of on their courses. Unless your home course frequently hosts elite player tournaments and you practice your short game two hours a day, you're probably not good enough to fully avail yourself of all that the most complex ball designs offer. Yet people do. It's like one of my friends in Japan once said: You look at what balls are selling in the U.S., and you would think that 95 percent of all U.S. golfers are single-digit handicappers. I say go with one of the new $20-$25 balls. The most sophisticated constructions are the three-piece, inner mantle balls: Callaway's HX Hot (a firm cover wrapped over a soft inner mantle surrounding the core), Bridgestone's e6 (a softer cover wrapped over a firm mantle for lower initial spin) and Nike's Ignite (built for distance); and the market-leading, dual-core Titleist's NXT Tour. You'll hit all three of these balls farther and they'll hold greens just fine. Don't expect to get them to check every time you've got a downhill chip shot, but I don't expect Joe Bagadonuts to get a downhill chip shot close, either. And here's one advance tip: Look for a new TopFlite in the coming months that may get the working man golfer excited about that brand again.
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