January 2012: Hot List 365: Golf Digest

Results for January 2012 Back to Hot List 365 Index

Expect more pink from Ping and Bubba

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

For several years, Bubba Watson has used a driver with a pink-colored True Temper BiMatrx shaft. Now he has a clubhead to match. Watson will play the 2012 PGA Tour season using a 8.5-degree Ping G20 driver that has a bright, bubblegum pink clubhead. The rear crown of the club has wording that reads, "Made exclusively for Bubba" -- as if that were needed. The driver is built to the exact specs of Watson's previous G20, including a substantially built-up grip that has the Ping wording set slightly to the right of center as you look at the club from the address position.

The club is more than just a fashion statement for the three-time PGA Tour winner. It's part of his year-long "Bubba and Friends Drive to a Million" charity. Watson's equipment sponsor, Ping, has given an initial $10,000 to the cause and has pledged $300 for the first 300 drives Watson hits over 300 yards. Considering he had 483 such tee shots last year, Watson and his pink driver should easily max that out -- and that's a pretty good start. We'll do that math for you. Including the initial $10,000 that's $100,000.

-- E. Michael Johnson
Follow @EMichaelGW

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Thursday: Hot List questions on Facebook

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

I confess I know very little about Facebook other than what I saw in The Social Network. What I do know a little something about, however, is the Golf Digest Hot List. Since the Hot List is what I do most days (and since it's now available in analog and digital form), we thought it might be valuable that I share a little face time on Facebook, specifically the Golf Digest Facebook Page.

On Thursday, Jan. 12, from 2-3 p.m. EST, I'll take every question you have (yes, the sticky ones, too) and do my level best to provide meaningful answers, whether they be about our process, interesting technologies or even specific clubs. I like to describe the mission of the Hot List as being "helpful to the reader, fair to the industry and true to ourselves."

Let me know how we're doing. Thursday on our Facebook page. Assuming I can find where that is.

--Mike Stachura

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Podcast: Discussing the 2012 Hot List

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

The beginning of a new year means the release of our annual Hot List, Golf Digest's complete guide to the best new equipment on the market. The full Hot List is available now in the February issue on newsstands and in our tablet editions, and you may have already seen the clubs we selected in the ever-important drivers category.

Related: The complete 2011 Hot List

As for some behind-the-scenes insight, listen to Golf Digest's Senior Equipment Mike Stachura, discuss this year's Hot List, what sets it apart from our equipment ratings, and what he likes and dislikes most about the process of putting the whole thing together.

Listen to the podcast | Download free on iTunes

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Ping introduces i20 line of woods, irons

Sunday, January 1, 2012

If Ping's G20 line of woods and irons is about hiding a player's mistakes, the new i20 line will attempt to focus on enhancing his skills. The company announced the introduction of the i20 line today, and reports are Ping staffer Mark Wilson could put some of the new clubs in play as early as this week in the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

The line includes a driver, fairway wood, hybrid and irons. Ping's successful line of G-series woods and irons have focused on maximum forgiveness for all players, but its i-series has been geared specifically to players who place a premium on manipulating the club to control ballflight. The i20 line of driver, fairway wood, hybrid and irons attempts to satisfy that audience by utilizing a series of designs that focus on keeping the center of gravity closer to the hosel axis to improve a player's ability to manipulate the clubhead during the swing. It all comes with a renewed emphasis on forgiveness, too, says Ping's director of product design Brad Schweigert. That's especially true on the i20 irons, which feature a tungsten toe weight to improve clubhead stability and a progressive shape (larger long irons, smaller short irons) in an effort to give the golfer more control.

"What we were able to do was improve forgiveness and lower the CG, but we also put the CG in a location that makes the clubs feel like the blades these players grew up with," Schweigert says.

The i20 driver utilizes an aerodynamic crown design and a new lighter weight Titanium 8-1-1 in the face, while the i20 fairway woods and hybrids feature a compact design.

There are more details about the i20 line at PIng's website, and discussion on the new clubs at GolfWRX.com.

--Mike Stachura

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