February 2011: Hot List 365: Golf Digest

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Results for February 2011 Back to Hot List 365 Index

TaylorMade's welcome dilemma

Monday, February 28, 2011

It must have been an interesting afternoon for executives of TaylorMade Golf as they watched the final match of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship Sunday. One finalist was Martin Kaymer, the soon-to-be-annointed No. 1 player in the world, reigning PGA Champion and full-line TaylorMade staff player. The other was Luke Donald, a Mizuno staff player who happened to be wielding TaylorMade's flagship product, the white R11 driver.

Donald gave TaylorMade's R11 driver its first PGA Tour win. Photo: J.D. Cuban

So which player was the company rooting for?

On the surface the theoretical question would appear to be a no-brainer. Kaymer is a TaylorMade guy and as the new No. 1 he is someone the company can ride in terms of exposure for the brand. But fact is TaylorMade has pretty much bet the ranch on white clubs -- and the R11 in particular -- becoming popular. Company president and CEO Mark King even went so far as to recently tell Golf Digest the goal was "to make black drivers obsolete."

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The secret benefit of fitting? More shirts, hot dogs

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Yes, we've been championing the cause for clubfitting and clubfitters as the game's most important technology. We believe the real opportunity for average golfers to fundamentally change their performance comes from a properly fit set of clubs, not from somethng they borrowed from their neighbors or got a deal on off of ebay.

It's where golfers should focus their attention, too, says Eric Hogge, Head Professional and Director of Club Fitting at the PGA Center for Golf Learning & Performance at PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, Fla., a Golf Digest 100 Best Clubfitters facility.

"Sure, I think it's possible for average golfers to get better through fitting," Hogge says. "But if we are actually going to move the needle on the average handicap level, I think it's mandatory. Fitting is more important for the average player than it is for the tour player."

But there's one entity that might find fitting even more vital: the industry itself. You need look no farther than Golfsmith's conference call Wednesday on 2010 fiscal year earnings.

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Eric Hogge,
PGA Center for Golf Learning & Performance,
bridgestone,
golf,
golf digest,
golfsmith,
hot list

A resurgence in one of golf technology's oldest forms

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

A video recently came across our desks that details the unique forging process employed by Miura Golf, and while forging is the oldest process for making iron clubs in the game (Miura's forging house is set in Hemiji, Japan, where forging of metal has been done literally for hundreds of years), forged irons this year are seeing a bit of a resurgence.

Certainly, Miura, a Silver selection in the 2007 Golf Digest Hot List for its CB-301 irons, has developed a well-deserved cult following with its precision irons and wedges and its spin-welded hosel technique (the hosel is a separate piece and is fused onto the clubhead by spin-generated friction, which heats the two parts so they join together as they cool). But no less enthusiastic and innovative are the latest forged initiatives from several major companies.

Let's run down the list, starting with the company who has had more of its forged irons appear on the Hot List than any other company's forgings.

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Winner's Bags -- Baddeley, Tseng, Langer

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Although Aaron Baddeley is normally known for his stellar putting, it was Badds' accurate iron play that helped propel him to victory at the Northern Trust Open. Baddeley, now a three-time PGA Tour winner, used Adams' new Idea Pro Black MB irons at Riviera. "I'm definitely striking the ball beautifully, hitting lots and lots of greens, which makes it easier and gives me lots of birdie opportunities," said Baddeley after the third round. For the week Baddeley hit 72.2 percent of the greens in regulation to rank third in that department for the week.

On the Champions Tour, Bernhard Langer used his trusty Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball Long putter (on which he also draws a black line across the two white spheres for added alignment) to lead the field in putts per GIR. Langer also used Adams' Speedline F11 driver--a silver medal winner on the 2011 Golf Digest Hot List. Yani Tseng rounded out the big week for Adams Golf in winning the LPGA Thailand event will 11 Adams clubs in her bag.

Aaron Baddeley

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Driver: Adams Speedline Fast 10 (Mitsubishi Diamana i'lima), 10 degrees

3-wood: Adams F11, 15 degrees

5-wood: Adams Insight, 18.5 degrees

Irons (3-PW): Adams Idea Pro Black MB

Wedges: Adams Puglielli (56 degrees); Titleist Vokey (60 degrees)

Putter: Scotty Cameron by Titleist Newport

Yani Tseng

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Driver: Adams Speedline 9032LS, 9.5 degrees

3-wood: Adams Speedline, 14 degrees

Hybrids: Adams Idea a7, (19, 22 degrees)

Irons (4-PW): Adams Idea Tech a4

Wedges: Callaway X Tour (52, 58 degrees)

Putter: Taylor Made Rossa Daytona AGSI

Bernhard Langer

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Driver: Adams Speedline F11, 8.5 degrees

3-wood: Adams Insight, 12.5 degrees

Hybrid: Adams Idea, 18 degrees

Irons (3-5): Ben Hogan Apex; (6-PW): Adams Idea Pro Black

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Spin Milled C-C (56, 60 degrees)

Putter: Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball Long

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If you want to play, it's time to pay

Thursday, February 17, 2011

There was much consternation last year over the ability of non-elite tour players to acquire wedges and irons that conformed to the new groove rule stipulations in time to compete in certain professional events. So much hullabaloo in fact that the U.S. Golf Association relaxed the rules slightly and allowed the first stage of qualifying for its national open championships to not require competitors' clubs meet the groove guidelines.

So while PGA Tour evens and U.S. Open sectional qualfying implemented the so-called "condition of competition" governing grooves, competitors in local qualifying could use pre-2010 rule irons and wedges.

That leniency will change this year. The USGA announced today that the groove rule condition of competition would apply to Local Qualifying for the 2011 U.S. Open.

According to the announcement the groove condition of competition will go into effect for all USGA amateur events "no later than 2014, as originally planned."

That means, if you're thinking of making a run for the USGA's richest event, you better have wedges and irons that conform to the new guidelines in your bag.

"After a successful implementation of this condition in 2010, it is logical to implement it for all players competing in our three national Open championships in 2011," said Mike Davis, USGA senior director of Rules and Competitions. "It is our understanding that there are ample conforming clubs in the marketplace such that adopting this condition for first-stage U.S. Open qualifying ensures a level playing field for all competitors."

Confused where to begin your search? Start at the 2011 Golf Digest Hot List, which features only conforming groove wedges and irons.

--Mike Stachura

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New Nike ball has core story

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

More than 10 years ago, Nike's multilayer, urethane-covered Tour Accuracy signaled a shift in tour-level golf balls. Now the company is hoping it has found another golf-ball technology that can meet with similar success.

Nike's new 20XI line boasts a four-piece construction featuring a resin core, which is lighter than a rubber counterpart. According to Rock Ishii, Nike's product development director for golf balls, that material allows for heavier outer layers. The result, he said, is better perimeter weighting and a higher moment of inertia, which, just like a golf club, enhances forgiveness. In the case of a ball, it can assist in windy conditions due to reduced driver spin.

Nike produced a video of its tour players (including Tiger Woods and Stewart Cink) talking about the new ball and its benefits during testing sessions. Yes, it smacks a little of a commercial, but there are some nuggets of insight that make it worth a look.

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Video: A Whiteout event in NYC

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

NEW YORK -- There are promotions and then there are promotions. Today's "Whiteout" event touting TaylorMade's white R11 and Burner SuperFast 2.0 drivers definitely fell into the latter category.

The event, which took place at Golfsmith at 54th Street and Lexington Ave. in New York City, had star power with World No. 2 Martin Kaymer and Sergio Garcia (both fittingly dressed all in white) as well as a guest appearance by Donald Trump as several hundred spectators gathered around a specially constructed 45-foot tall by 120-foot long driving range outside the store entrance on 54th Street. Faux snow even fell from the top of the structure. Construction on the range began at 3 a.m. this morning and was finished shortly before 11 a.m.

"An event like this is great," said Kaymer. "I love New York and to come here and see a driving range set up in the street with people watching is pretty amazing."
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Callaway earns award from composites group

Monday, February 14, 2011

Few companies have explored the possibilities of using carbon composite or graphite in clubheads the way Callaway has, and none today are using the material to form the entire body of clubheads the way Callaway has done with clubs like its "fusion technology" series of drivers over the last eight years (FT-3, FT-5, FT-9, FT-i, FT-iQ, FT Tour).

Now, its latest carbon composite driver the RAZR Hawk, which earned a Gold designation in the 2011 Golf Digest Hot List, has claimed an award no golf company has earned before. The American Composites Manufacturers Association gave Callaway the Outstanding Merit Award for its unique carbon composite formulation in the RAZR Hawk driver.

The body of the RAZR Hawk, as well as the crown of the Diablo Octane, utilize a reformulated carbon composite matrix the company has trademarked "forged composite." Callaway says the new material allows for more precise internal and external geometries than previous formulations. The Outstanding Merit Award was first presented in 1997.

The "forged composite" material received other non-golf attention when it was announced in September that carmaker Lamborghini would partner with Callaway to use the material in its Sesto Elemento technology demonstrator.

--Mike Stachura

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Murray's old clubs are no joke at Pebble

Monday, February 14, 2011

Congratulations clearly are in order for Bill Murray, who teamed with pro partner D.A. Points to win the pro-am portion of the AT&T Pebble Beach national Pro-Am. Murray helped the team some 20 shots but it could have been more. It's clear the man either doesn't believe in technology or is hoarding his cash because the only thing older than some of the clothes he wore during the four days of play was his equipment. In fact, the only new sticks he was swinging were Titleist's 910F 3-wood and Vokey wedges. But hey, at least Murray used a driver that earned a Gold designation on the Golf Digest Hot List. Problem is, that driver was on the 2007 Hot List.

So what did Wild Bill have in the bag at Pebble Beach? See below.

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Driver: TaylorMade r7 SuperQuad, 11.5 degrees

3-wood: Titleist 910F, 15 degrees

Hybrid: Cleveland Halo, 22 degrees

Irons (3-PW): TaylorMade r7

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Spin Milled (54, 58 degrees)

Putter: TaylorMade Rossa Monte Carlo

-- E. Michael Johnson

(Follow me on Twitter: @EMichaelGW)

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Golfsmith hoping for TaylorMade blizzard in NYC

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

You cannot market golf clubs the way you used to. Or at least that's one explanation for why Golfsmith is building a driving range in the middle of a Manhattan street next week.

Golf's leading retail outlet will use its New York store (located at 54th Street) as the site for an event to promote the arrival to the marketplace of TaylorMade's new white drivers, the R11 and the Burner SuperFast 2.0. But this isn't your typical in-store promotion. Instead, the retailer, in cooperation with TaylorMade and most especially the local authorities, will construct a 120-foot-long, 40-foot-high netted driving range and bring in Martin Kaymer and Sergio Garcia to demonstrate the new products. The plan even calls for players to be decked out in ivory colors and snow (yes, snow) to be trucked in to accentuate the "white out" theme. Given the northeast's winter weather so far, additional white precipitation may not be necessary. The event is planned for February 15.

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