Dave Stockton's putter expertise continues to turn up in the news, as it has often since Phil Mickelson credited his help in winning the Tour Championship in 2009. This time, it was the LPGA's Suzann Pettersen, who has been working with him this week at La Costa Resort, site of the LPGA's Kia Classic.

"I spent a lot of time with Dave Stockton early in the week literally preparing for next week [the Kraft Nabisco Championship]," she said Thursday following a round of 68. "But it's definitely worked, and I made some good putts and started to feel better with my game as we played along. We're just trying to make putting the simplest thing in the bag. Hitting them shouldn't be that complicated compared to the rest of the game, and that's the philosophy we both believe in.

"Since I started with him almost a year ago, for the most part, I've been putting a lot, lot better. It's a lot less technical, which is for me probably is the biggest change. But that being said, you want putting to be the easiest thing you do on the golf course. That's what we're trying to make it."

Stockton, who also has worked with Rory McIlory among a long list of tour professionals, is issuing a DVD based on his book, "Unconscious Putting: Dave Stockton's Guide to Unlocking Your Signature Stroke," written with Golf Digest's Matt Rudy. The DVD, which also features the other two members of Stockton Golf, sons Dave Jr. and Ron, follows the book chapters: "Putting Signature," "Create a Picture," "Let It Go," "Roll Your Ball," "Why You Three-Putt," "The Mental Game," "Why Equipment Matters and When It Does," and "Troubleshooting."

The DVD can be pre-ordered here (it will be released in April) for $29.95.

-- John Strege

Those who would rather walk than ride, but don't wish to carry their bag or even use a push cart or caddie, now have an option: A robot.

CaddyTrek is a robotic caddie that automatically follows the golfer, at whatever speed they are walking, and stops when they do. It takes its lead from a transreceiver that fits in a pocket that also allows the golfer to stop the CaddyTrek before it follows them onto the green or to send it to the next tee. It has sensors that detect objects in its path, allowing it to avoid collisions.

It can carry up to 45 pounds and comes with a lithium ion battery that will carry clubs for 27 holes or more before requiring a re-charge. It weighs 39 pounds and folds into a 23-inch by 18-inch by 12-inch package.

What's not to like, perhaps other than its sticker price, $1,600?

-- John Strege

In 2006, a Chicago-area attorney, Angelo Papadourakis, attended the PGA Championship at Medinah and noticed Thomas Bjorn, after a particularly poor round, working with his instructor, who was taking his club and phsyically maneuvering it into the proper positions, "like the first time he was playing the game," Papadourakis said.

"I thought, 'if he needs instruction like this, how is it that we as amateurs think we can go out to the range and hit 50 buckets of balls and get better?' We amateurs needed a feedback loop."

So he went to work on a device that evolved into the SwingSmart, a small lightweight (19 grams) sensor that attaches to the shaft just below the grip and provides instant feedback to your iPhone or iPad via a Bluetooth connection. Swing speed, tempo, face angle, angle of attack and a 3-D swing view are all provided.

The SwingSmart was developed with input from noted instructor Peter Kostis, who also is a spokesman for the product.

"Our original concept is, we measure the club," Papadourakis said. 'We wanted to find somebody I considered a proponent of golf motion and the motion of the club. Peter was the number one guy. I see his analysis every week on CBS. I like the fact that he's a neutral observer of the golf swing, that he wasn't necessarily a system guy. Peter saw the value in it immediately, which is great."

Kostis was helpful in the SwingSmart containing only the most useful information to keep it simplified. "He really narrowed it down for us, to keep it simple for everybody," Papadourakis said. "We made sure that as a golfer you want to be able to set your iPhone on your bag, look up and see the information. We don't want you to have to play with it. We made it simple on purpose."

One of its features is the ability to use what you would consider your best swing as the model with which to compare the rest of your swings.

"What you can do with this is use your own best swing as your swing model to pursue," Kostis said in a promotional video. "If you hit one just the way you'd like to hit it the rest of your life you push save on your [iPhone or iPad] and that swing now becomes your swing model."

The SwingSmart ($299) will be available later this spring through its website. The company also will have an infomercial with Kostis airing on the Golf Channel.

-- John Strege
Follow me on Twitter @JohnStrege

In 1950, adidas introduced a shoe, the Samba, that evolved into the most popular indoor soccer shoe in the sport. More than 35 million pairs of Sambas (and counting) have been sold since. The Samba is still available today.

Now comes the Samba Golf majors collection, four limited-edition golf shoes inspired by the four major championship -- the Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship (they're shown in that order, left to right, above). Only 1950 pairs of each will be available, commemorating the year the Samba was introduced.

The dark green, sun and white colorway Masters edition is on sale now. The navy, power red and white colorway goes on sale on May 1. The Brit blue, university red and white inspired by the Union Jack goes on sale on June 15. And the pool, half orange and white patterned after the scenery at Kiawah Island, S.C., site of the PGA Championship, goes on sale July 15.

The shoes have an MSRP of $100.

-- John Strege

It is that time of year, when a particular shade of green moves to the fore in a variety of forms, including golf apparel.

Shown here are two limited-edition products designed to coincide with the playing of the Masters next month. Each will go on sale this week.

The polo is from Quamire Golf's new Arnie line of apparel created in partnership with Arnold Palmer. The shirts will be available at Golfsmith and FairwayStyles.com. The suggested retail price is $85.

The socks are from KentWool, which manufactures a line of golf socks that are worn by several professional golfers. Bubba Watson is among those who endorse KentWool sock and will wear this particular design in the Masters. These socks will be available at KentWoolSocks.com retail price is $20.

-- John Strege

Simplicity for the user is always welcome in training aids, and a San Diego-based inventor, Voz Kumar, has developed one that could not be easier to use.

Kumar calls it the VozTee, designed to provide instant feedback on the path your club is traveling at impact. It features a Vector Analysis Movement Pivot, basically a tee on a swivel that ends up pointing in the direction your clubhead was traveling.

"I'm a golfer, but also an engineer," Kumar said. "A lot of it was me struggling with what's actually happening at the point of impact. For a lot of high and medium handicappers, everything is happening so fast it's hard to gauge what's happening in that instant."

Its simplicity of use notwithstanding, there is technology built into the device (hence it's price, $40). For instance, the top part of the VozTee snaps into place after impact, thus providing immediate and precise feedback on the clubhead path, whether it's moving from outside in or inside out and to what degree.

"I've got it to a point where I've had pros test it, and they've told me it's pretty accurate," he said. Among them was Michael Major, a professional at Torrey Pines Golf Course.

"It lets the golfer know what his clubhead path is doing," Major said. "You hit that thing and it's on that swivel, and the student's going to get feedback."

It's a clever little device that can help those who are hitting crooked shots figure out why.

-- John Strege

Nike Golf recently registered two tartans with the Scottish Register of Tartans -- a dark (shown here) and a light -- the purpose of which is yet unknown.

A Nike spokesperson said the company is not yet announcing plans for the tartans. The Herald in Scotland that "they have been created ahead of the 2014 Ryder Cup, due to take place at Gleneagles, to allow Nike to produce a new clothing range inspired by golf's Scottish heritage."

The tartans were designed by Lochcarron of Scotland, a prestigious textile company that manufactures tartans. Registration notes at the Scottish Register of Tartans state that, "The Nike Golf Tartan was produced to respect, reflect, and connect Nike products to the heritage and culture of the game."

The National Records of Scotland, an agency of the Scottish government, administers the Register of Tartans.

-- John Strege
Follow me on Twitter @JohnStrege

Traditional all-white golf gloves aren't going away anytime soon, but technology will provide alternatives, as Easy Glove is demonstrating.

Easy Glove has the ability to provide customization to golf gloves using a process that re-produces vivid images that won't wear off. Shown here is a butterfly pattern from its limited edition offerings.

"We've got a proprietary process where we can take any digital file and apply that file to up to 90 percent of the glove surface area," Easy Glove Vice President Keith Andrews said. "So we're able to do some very unique stuff in terms of designs and logos, well beyond the tradtiional, of having your logo on the strap. We could take a photograph and put it on a glove."

The majority of its business will be in custom bulk orders, for golf courses that want to display their logos, for instance. "We do an awful lot of tournament business, as you can imagine," Andrews said, explaining that tournaments provide their participants with a custom gloves in lieu of, say, a cap or a shirt. "We do a tremendous amount in corporate branding. They like the idea of having a golf item. Or the higher profile destination resorts, as a souvenir item."

It also will have a rotating series of limited edition gloves. "Here in Vancouver, (B.C.), we have a very active Asian community, so we came out with a year-of-the-dragon glove that has proved very popular," he said.

Easy Glove was launched three years ago in Europe, where "it's done very, very well," Andrews said. It only recently expanded to North American markets. Last week, it announced that it was designing and manufacturing a signature glove for Apache Stronghold Golf Course, a resort east of the Phoenix area, in Globe, Ariz.

The gloves feature a synthetic top with a cabretta leather palm.

-- John Strege

Follow me on Twitter @JohnStrege

Bushnell Golf is the laser rangefinder of choice for PGA Tour players, who rely on the precision of lasers to determine how far each club hits the ball.

"We have about 92 percent of PGA Tour players usuing our product," Bushnell spokesman Derek Schuman said. "We've been working it for a long time. We started making these things in '95 and since that time we've made sure we got them in the hands of the pros. Crazy as it seems, pros still buy them from us. And as we continue to innovate they've continued to stay wilth us."

Bushnell's latest offering is the Pro 1M. The 1M stands for one mile, the outer limit of its range. "It's ranging capability is incredible," Schuman said. "It can hit a reflective object out to one mile and hit a flag at 550-plus yards." That ought to cover the distance the modern technologically-equipped PGA Tour hits his driver. For now.

The Pro 1M has what Bushnell calls Vivid Display Technology, a vibrant red readout replacing the traditional black. "It gives you improved light transmission, better resolution, a crisper, more legible readout," Schuman said. "If it's cloudy out you can turn up the brightness level setting."

The Pro 1M has a twin, the Pro 1M Slope, the latter equipped with the ability to provide distances that compensate for elevation changes. The Pro 1M sells for $499, the Pro 1M Slope for $599.

-- John Strege

TaylorMade Golf's RocketBallz (or RBZ) brand already enjoys a measure of prominence on which the company expects to build with golf bags and accessories bearing the name and logo, and, of course,its green, black and white color scheme.

Among the products it is introducing are two lightweight bags -- the RBZ Stand (shown above) and the RBZ Cart (prices $170 and $180, respectively). The Stand bag weighs in at 4.9 pounds, while the Cart bag is 5.2 pounds.

The Stand bag features five dividers and six pockets, including a velour-lined valuables pocket and an insulated beverage sleeve pocket, and a cart-compatible base. The Cart bag has a 14-way divider top as well as an integrated putter tube. It has eight pockets, including two velour-lined valuables pockets.

Three RBZ headwear designs, men's and women's gloves, umbrellas and towels are also being introduced.

The company also is introducing its Pure-Lite 3.0 bag ($180), successor to its popular Pure-Lite 2.0 bag and featuring upgraded materials and hardware. It weighs 5.1 pounds and comes in eight colorways.

-- John Strege
Follow me on Twitter @JohnStrege