BOMB: Just so you don’t think that all I do is “product testing,” thought I’d take the change to catch the folks up on some stuff they’ll be seeing in the coming months that, if you looked carefully enough at The Players, you might have picked up on. For starters there was Sergio’s putter—a Yes! Golf prototype mallet called Valerie that is scheduled to hit store shelves in early August. Then there’s Henrik Stenson’s irons, another prototype, this one from Srixon dubbed I-701, that will be out come fall. And Joe Durant’s irons? Cleveland’s new CG Gold model. Not in the bags of anyone this week at Sawgrass but new to the market is Cleveland’s CG12 wedges with a new groove design that shows until the USGA acts on grooves, companies will keep trying to make them better. And speaking of the USGA, another driver finds its way onto the nonconforming list—Cobra’s right-handed HS9 F, 9 degree model. While I’m all for any nonconforming product being hauled out of the hands of players, the fact that two of the drivers recently banned have been one loft of one model seems to speak to the conventional wisdom that all this is not intentional.

GOUGE: All I know is the next time you injure your back it better have something to do with giving a new driver a workout and not because you were out clearing the back 40 with a pickax and weedwhacker. Strange time for trying out the new stuff, but seeing as Phil Mickelson is trying out new people, everything is fair game.
Two things: First on the grooves bit: The deadline for comment from manufacturers on the USGA's proposed rule change on grooves is less than three months away, and I've heard little in the way of specifics on the planned response to the USGA from manufacturers. As a group they do make the point that the rule as proposed would roll back groove performance to pre 1980 playability. Why? Because the golf ball today still spins less than the old balata ball. They say that with less spin to start and a groove configuration that trends toward V-groove (less capacity to channel away moisture), you presumably might have even less spin generated for shots from the rough than in the V-groove/wound balata ball days. Of course, the ball might change to meet this condition.
Second, on the nonconforming business, I'll grant you it's not intentional, because if it were, those over the line would be way over the line and in mass quantities. Nevertheless, I think all parties (USGA included) are finding out things about the pendulum CT test that they didn't know originally. I'm not sure exactly what plan would end the possibility of being over the line, but I don't see a solution that would entirely extinguish the desire to make drivers as hot as possible. And that means someone will be tempted to look the other way at a convenient time. And now that consumers know there is an element of variability in CT among entire lines of drivers, what's to stop them from demanding to know which drivers on their favorite retailer's shelf have the highest CT number?

GOUGE: Bomb's taking this glorious afternoon off to do some product testing, but in the interest of keeping the discussion going, I'll throw a few notes up on the bulletin board to keep the hounds at bay.
First, there's square drivers. While sales have softened, two of the biggest selling drivers continue to be the Callaway FT-i and Nike Sumo2, according to sales reports I've seen. For those keeping track, it's been roughly 100 days since TaylorMade's Mark King suggested square drivers would be done in 90 days. So he was wrong at least on the timeline. We all know Tiger tried one in his Oakmont preparations, and some of us know that more square clubs are on the way, including the Nickent 3DX Square to be unveiled shortly. None of that ensures the survival of the square shape, of course. Increasing moment of inertia as a number is easier with a boxy shape. As a number. The question remains whether increasing moment of inertia as a substantive improvement in performance is necessitated by a boxy shape. Of course the era of substantive improvement based on clubhead technology may be winding down.

Secondly, let's talk about substantive improvement. Lost in the USGA announcement about grooves is a proposal to expand the degrees of freedom in the rules regarding clubhead adjustability. Expect to see very shortly (within a year certainly) a slew of product options that allow a consumer to match heads and shafts together as components and walk right out of the store with a self-built (more or less) driver. Callaway and TaylorMade's clubfitting systems are the foundation, and the rumor that Nike is going that route, as well, means everybody will need to be there soon, if they''re going to compete. One retailer is certain it will dramatically change the landscape of golf shopping. I hope it gets more golfers thinking about their options instead of grabbing a new club off the shelf like it were another can of peas.

Third, Titleist's club design business got a big boost when it lured Dan Stone away from Cleveland Golf. Stone will be the new head of R&D for Titleist clubs, and his sense of inquisitive innovation has been an important element in Cleveland's emergence over the recent past as something a great deal more than a wedge company. Should be fun to see what direction the inventive Stone goes with the traditionally conservative Titleist approach.

Fourth, don't look now but driving distance on tour is down 4.4 yards from where it was this time last year. Statistical quirk? Maybe, but that's not what we'd be saying if it were up 4.4 yards year over year. If maintained, that would be the first drop in driving distance average since 1992 and the largest one-year drop since the tour started doing statistics in 1980. Sure, they could be hitting more 3-woods, I guess. Sure, it's early in the year and the weather hasn't been great. Sure, I think people calling for a rollback should be forced to play in tweed jackets and hobnail shoes. But honestly, why would it go down? Why is the number of 300-yard hitters a third of what it was this time last year? It's perplexing. Maybe the tour is trying to make it look like distance is not a problem anymore by rigging the way they take the statistics. But what can be gained from the tour (which is all about entertainment) by producing evidence that shows your stars aren't hitting it as far? Food for thought. Now go out and join Bomb on the teebox.

BOMB: We know, it’s been a while since we posted. Sorry about that, folks. We’ll try to be better. Sad fact is we have day jobs, too, and are not full-time bloggers.
But nothing like another blathering idiot to get the fingers dancing on the keyboard. Got a phone call this morning from a manufacturer’s rep asking, “Hey, what’s up with the nonconforming Cobra and Cleveland drivers?” I had heard the rumors, but had thought nothing was going to be done—at least this week. So when I told him that, he said, “No, they’re on the nonconforming list! I just read it in Terry McAndrews newsletter.”
I asked him to send me a copy of the piece. And when I saw it, I just shook my head. McAndrew writes, “This past week a couple of other companies joined the growing list of nonconforming drivers. Cobra Golf, via its parent company Acushnet, has seen multiple lofts of its Unlimited SS 370, King Cobra 400 SZ Unlimited, King Cobra Unlimited SS 430, King Cobra Unlimited SZ 440, King Cobra 414 Comp Unlimited and King Cobra 454 Comp Unlimited models added to the USGA list on nonconforming drivers. Also too has Cleveland Golf with its Launcher NC, 460 NC-X and 460 NC-X2.”
Hey Terry, here’s the real news. Those models are sold only in Asia (where COR of .860 is legal until the end of this year). For crying out loud, the NC in the Launcher NC actually stands for non-conforming. And if you actually picked up the phone to call Dick Rugge at the USGA (as I just did a few moments ago), you would know that the Cobra drivers went on the list in August of last year and the Cleveland drivers in September of last year. In fact, the very high majority of clubs on the nonconforming driver list ARE clubs only sold in Asia. No drivers currently marketed in the U.S. by Cleveland or Cobra are on the list. That’s not to say that couldn’t change, but for now it’s simply not true and to report this as “news” is borderline irresponsible.

GOUGE: It’s unfortunate, but it seems the whole industry is caught up in nonconforming hysteria. That’s when misinformation or the slimy residue of obfuscation runs rampant. An example: When the second driver to trip over the CT rule landed, one insider told us, “Listen, boys, this really is small potatoes.” That, friends, was wishful thinking, at least, or a diversionary tactic at best, or maybe as someone much wiser than me once suggested just the kind of lie you tell your prom date well past each other’s bedtime. Manufacturers are doing their best to manufacture right to the limit because, well, there’s no money in making drivers that hit it shorter. And every bit of face tweaking more often than not will help, won’t hurt, when it comes to the search for distance. Not that it matters to you and me. Our inconsistencies overwhelm the technology in most of our clubs. But then that’s not the point when it comes to the rules, is it? We can look long and hard at this question of bifurcation and what we come away with is nothing other than a leap into the moral abyss. How do we decide what rules matter and what don’t? What’s worse is that consumers don’t know and never will know whether manufacturers routinely dance around the CT rule, whether the CT rule is a valid test or whether the USGA matters any more in their golfing lives. There is little doubt that the USGA should matter. There is some doubt that it currently does. That disturbing tendency is not enhanced by false reporting. It only adds to the confusion.

BOMB & GOUGE: More stuff from the PGA Merchandise Show that doesn't have to do with clubs and balls, but may be at least as important. Some of you may remember the groovy Shling bag from Ogio. The idea was to provide a simpler, more ergonomic solution to the double-strap bag. A great idea and well done. Now Sun Mountain has its own take on revising the industry standard double-strap bag, and this time, the idea is to show the best way to take a load off. We love the HUG technology from Sun Mountain on its Superlight 3.5 bag. The HUG incorporates a pair of form-fitting flexible arms that rest comfortably like a yoke around your waist. Easy on and easy off. But more importantly, it takes the weight of the bag off your shoulders and distributes it to your hips. Walkers have long experienced the nagging lean forward as we make our way up a hill or struggle through the last six holes of the round when we use typical double strap bags. The HUG technology not only redistributes weight, it straightens you up, and you walk with better posture. Just like that, walking 36 seems like a fine idea. It's certainly not a bag for caddies who double loop, but it would seem a godsend for college and top junior players, to say nothing of those of us pre-geezers who still enjoy a good walk and carry.

BOMB & GOUGE: And you think Bomb & Gouge only care about clubs, shafts and golf balls? (Well, Gouge does, but he spends weekends reading the latest entries from the Journal of the American Journal of Physics. Not that he understands any of it. He was a liberal arts major who took one science course in his entire collegiate life. His life is just that boring.) But really, think again. Of all the products that caught our fancy at last month’s PGA Merchandise Show, perhaps none had us saying “why didn’t someone think of this before” as much as Ogio’s Mammoth travel bag. Hey, don’t laugh. If you think travel bags aren’t important, then you’ve never had your hat crushed or tried to figure out a way to get your clubs, a pair of shoes and about a week’s worth of laundry in one only to find out that you can’t close it over the top of your 45–inch driver. In short, the Mammoth is the solution to all those crises. Just as JetBlue seemingly solved every nitpick of air passengers, so too has Ogio with golf travelers, thanks to input from its team of out-of-the-box thinkers (like their yoke-like bag strap you might remember called The Shling), with some real world traveling golfer input from national sales manager Tom Gocke, a former Nike Tour pro. For starters, the Mammoth has firm sides so instead of wrestling to get your clubs in the travel cover you can simply lay them in there and then secure them with a strap—a big plus when you get to the Avis dropoff and realize you haven’t packed your clubs and you have about two minutes before the shuttle bus that will allow you to catch your flight leaves. And it has plenty of room, so even the tallest driver fits, as will several loads of dirty clothes. One pocket is designed to hold two dozen golf balls, another will hold half-a-dozen caps in a crush-proof cocoon. Shoes? How about not only a shoe compartment, but one that zippers off so you can take it right in the locker room with you. Double that you can rinse out the shoe bag with a hose because its divider is not some weak fake fur that holds in dirt and odor, and you have the simple kind of genius so much of the golf industry is desperately lacking. But a bag with all these bells and whistles (and called Mammoth) must be a beast to get through the line at the airport, no? Not so much. Ogio has designed a bottom with four wheels that allows the bag to stand straight up and easily roll not only front and back, but side to side as well. We tried it. It works. A gentle push with your hand or foot will do the trick—without worry of the bag falling over on the 3-year-old in line next to you. What can we say, after seeing the Mammoth we were reaching in our pockets for the $250 American the bag will sell for at retail. Only problem is that this marvel won’t be available until May 15. Start saving. After all, it beats one of those cardboard freebies the airlines give you.

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.

BOMB: It must be that time of year again, partner. Everyone's asking me what's going to be new in equipment for next year. Normally I just blow them off. But then again, never had a blog before to answer then en masse. So I challenge you, my high-launch, high-spin, short-distance friend, to help me come up with half-dozen things golfers can expect to be drooling over in the next six months. I'll even get us started:

Just got off the phone with Nate Radcliffe, one of Cleveland Golf's brainiacs. We were talking about geometry in clubs, and when I asked if we were closer to the beginning of the end of seeing unusual club designs, he said: "I think this is similar to where we were when the 2-Ball came out. That broke the barrier, and you see what everyone did in mallet putters after that. I see geometry as just starting to blossom." Translation: That scooped-back Cleveland Hi-Bore and square heads early next year from Nike and Callaway are just the beginning. We might not see the Power Pod again, but the accepted shape of drivers might be altered dramatically. That's what the pursuit of the USGA's limit on Moment of Inertia is driving club designers to do.

GOUGE: Here's another thing that all of us need to check out soon: Lightweight iron shafts. And when I say lightweight, I mean lightweight steel. That's right, steel. And not that old-school 95-gram stuff we've been seeing for the last four or five years. No, we're talking maybe another 15 or 20 grams lighter, like True Temper's new GS 75. Certainly, Nippon has already been there with a multi-material alloy construction, but the question remains: Will truly lightweight steel still have sacrifices? I don't know, but if you're losing speed due to age and infirmity like I am, it's time to go as light as you can. One thing to watch out for: Trajectory. Almost all lightweight shafts help you hit the ball higher. Too high could become an issue, but probably not for players who really need this kind of shaft.

BOMB: You know the best part of covering the equipment scene on tour this time of year? Prototypes. It's a fact companies validate their products with the big boys, let a little buzz get going and then unleash the product on the masses. This fall will be no different. How do I know that? Davis Love III just won the Greensboro event using a prototype of Titleist's next iteration of its Pro V1x ball, and expect to see some Nike staffers wielding the big-honking square Sumo-squared driver as soon as Disney.

GOUGE: Something else to think about my hard-swinging colleague. Until we hear something definitive from the USGA on changing the groove rule (check out the second video here), the newest wedge grooves are darn near lethal these days. If you haven't gotten yourself a new wedge in the last couple of years, do it now. The combinations of loft and bounce options are incredibly diverse, certainly--and that's one reason to take advantage of a new wedge--but the fact is the tools being used to mill the grooves in the face of your average wedge are miles more precise than ever before. But a word to the wise: Those grooves are only useful if you're playing a urethane covered ball. And one other reminder: If you don't clean your grooves, you might as well be playing one of these.

BOMB: You know partner, I agree with you about as often as these guys get on the same page, but your recent rants about hybrids being "over" are, sad to say, starting to make some sense. I'm a hybrid hardliner. Anyone without one falls into this category. But some manufacturers are making it hard to stay on the bandwagon. It seems they've forgotten these clubs are IRON-replacement clubs, not pseudo fairway woods. We recently saw a hybrid with a 42-inch shaft that made me want to puke. Can we please get back to designing these clubs for what they were intended to be? Sadly, I think the trend is saying the answer to that is no.

GOUGE: If you want to know what you should buy because the U.S. Open winner used it on his way to victory, well, you've got a mixed bag, as it were. There's Mickelson's Callaway Fusion FT-3, a 460 cc driver with a multimaterial, carbon composite shell, titanium face construction. Or there's Kenneth Ferrie's movable weight TaylorMade r7 425 driver. Geoff Ogilvy recently switched to a Cobra X Speed all titanium driver that's 460 cc. Same deal with Ian Poulter. Vijay Singh is back to his trusty Cleveland Launcher Comp, again a multimaterial, carbon composite crown, titanium face model. And Colin Montgomerie's toting another multimaterial, carbon composite 460 cc head from Yonex that's got a name straight out of Star Wars (Cyberstar Powerbrid).

That's three multimaterial drivers, if you're counting. Jim Furyk's got a new age Srixon driver (W-506) that's 450 cc, and Steve Stricker is in with Titleist's 460 cc 905R. And Padraig Harrington is using a Wilson Pd5 that's "just" 400 cc—and also utilizes carbon composite in the crown. 

What's that say when our top 10 is sporting seven different driver models from seven different companies? On one hand, you could say there's an awful lot of good product out there. Of course, you could also say, everything's so equally good, it doesn't matter what you choose, as long as you get it fit to your specs.