Dr. Michael Mullan, having perused the Hot List carefully, attempts to catch his breath while securing his wallet.

We golfers must be a very gullible bunch if we believe that will bring a better game when, for a fraction of that cost one can get the right shafts fitted to our present sets and still have a lot left to pay for lessons, a much better game is more likely to result.

As for $150 green fees being about the norm or $475 at Pebble beach, PLEASE RESCUE OUR WONDERFUL GAME.

Michael, I can understand why heart-stopping prices might concern a doctor. And I really understand what those prices do to the budget of a journalist. But there are those, many of them readers, who don't seem taken aback. And there are many others who will wait until they can buy them for less...or used.

On the subject of green fees, couldn't agree more. For a decade we were building "Country Clubs for a Day." What we need more are munis you can, and want, to play every day of the week.

--Bob Carney

Wendy Liljenquist of Riverton, Utah found our Hot List coverage, as extensive as it was, lacking in one department.

I am a reader of Golf Digest and have been waiting for the Hot List issue which I received today. I was disappointed that nothing was written on women's clubs specifically. I have been waiting to purchase some new clubs but wanted to see what your magazine said. In particular, I am interested in a women's set. The Adams a3 set. Can you find out for me anything about this set or any other womens sets? It would really help me to know if any of this equipment would be recommended by someone who has tested it. Just talking to a young salesman at a store does not help.

For the record, Wendy, the February Hot List package does indicate which clubs on the list offer options for women. Women testers were part of the process of choosing the list.

Beyond that, you'll be happy to know that in the March issue we will devote multiple pages specificially to women's clubs, inlcuding the Adams Idea a3 set.

--Bob Carney

There's a ton of chatter around the web about the 2008 Golf Digest Hot List. Now Hot List judges Mike Johnson of Golf World and Mike Stachura of Golf Digest , also known as Bomb & Gouge, have done an extensive chat on GolfWRX.com about the List and the process of creating it. If you're at all interested in the process, or just want to know what Buzz is, it's worth a look.

Also, check out our video that documents the process.

--Bob Carney

A reader named George joins me in confusion about MOI. Given that it's Hot List season, it seems appropriate to clear up the confusion. Or try, anyway:

Writer Max Adler in Golf Digest mag writes about Moment of Inertia of clubs. I need help in understanding this--my question is--MOI is measured about a particular axis--is the axis the shaft axis or is it the axis thru the face of the club? Where can I find articles that address the technical issues of MOI and center of mass and center of percussion, etc??

George, Crudely put, moment of inertia (MOI) is an object's resistance to twisting and it can be measured along any axis. An inner tube floating down a river has a very low MOI about its horizontal axis (it will spin in a circle easily) but a much higher MOI about its vertical axis (it would require much more force to flip end over end). When we talk about golf, the important MOI measurement, the measurement of which the United States Golf Association has placed a limit of 6,000 grams-per-centimeters-squared, is the horizontal MOI about the clubhead's center of gravity. On a toed shot, the clubhead would have a tendency to twist clockwise about this axis. A larger clubhead with a higher MOI will resist this twisting more. MOI about the vertical axis of a clubhead (which resists twisting on high and low impact shots) matters, but is probably a less important a factor in off-center hit performance. MOI about the shaft axis is the third measurement possible with golf clubs. Golfers often refer to this MOI when they talk about how difficult it is to square a larger clubhead immediately before impact. The common complaint is that the larger clubheads tend to want to lag open. An egghead might insist this is more a matter of conservation of angular momentum, a closely related physical reality.

That said, all three of the MOI's share a direct relationship. The higher the horizontal MOI, the higher the vertical MOI, and the higher shaft axis MOI. The first two want to help while the third hurts your likelihood o fhitting a good shot. If you really want to delve deep, check out "How Golf Clubs Really Work and
How to Optimize Their Designs" by Frank D. Werner and Richard C. Greig. Max Adler

I am tempted to say, "You had me at inner tube," but that would only reveal my abject ignorance of these things. If, like me, you want to look at those new clubs flaunting their MOIs, check out the Hot List, and especially the gallery of products that lead in Technology.

Phil Monk of Granger, Indiana, takes exception to our characterization of Marty Hackel's gift suggestions in the January issue:

"Smart Gifts" must be an acronym for "Some More Awfully Ridiculous Trinkets." I mean, $875 for a paperweight, $185 for driving shoes, a $175 umbrella or a $42 scorecard holder?  Sorry Marty, just drop off a dozen Pro V1s or a Natalie Gulbis calendar and you can cross me off your list while saving a grand or so.

You make an excellent point, Phil. But it's a slippery slope. Once you've bought that $42 scorecard holder, you just kind of have to have the $875 paperweight. (And anyway, what's a Monk doing with a Natalie Gulbis calendar?)

For real gifts, check out the February-issue 2008 equipment Hot List.  Nine hundred dollars goes a long way there...

--Bob Carney