Golfing News & Blog Articles

Introducing the 2021 KYOEI CB Handmade Edition – KYOEI’s new flagship cavity back iron! Buttery soft with a beautiful shape that’s packed with solid performance.  The goal was to improve upon the original cavity back designs shape and make an easier hit iron with approximately the same dimensions as the KK / Proto CB.

100% Forged, Ground, and Finished at the KYOEI factory in Ichikawa, Japan, and designed using the KYOEI K1 mold instead of the KRC mold used on the previous KYOEI cavity back.   Why is this important?  No other golf factory in Japan can with their own forging press, original molds, and plating all under one roof.   Many of the popular JDM boutique brands have to outsource their work,  which really isn’t an issue. Still, there is a sense of pride in having everything done in one spot,  especially a place as historically significant to Japanese golf manufacturing as KYOEI.

Some of the more popular JDM brands not only outsource forging but also finishing and then use molds that are near-final weight for slight polishing and grinding adjustments; this is not the way KYOEI does it; the grinding is totally different as they are starting with much heavier heads which requires the grinders to work longer and harder with more skill to bring the product to its final shape.

The K1 mold also has a history as it was first created for the Spalding blacktop back in the day.  KYOEI has brought the original mold back to life, restoring it for its second coming.  The 2021 KYOEI CB and MB ( handmade version ) both use this same K1 mold.  That’s right, they used a blade mold to create a cavity back iron.

The face progression is along the lines of a muscle back, and if you look at the F.P numbers, there are almost no cavity irons on the market with as little offset.  The top line is perfect and inspires forgiveness with its 5.5mm thickness.  KYOEI has benchmarked many class-leading mass production irons and boutique JDM brands to create what they feel is a superior iron for the serious player who demands not only performance but also quality and history.

Introducing the all-new 2021 KYOEI MB!  A  new and original design handmade starting with a very heavy raw head.  When the KYOEI brand first launched their house label, they released two blades, the KK and the Prototype series, based on the KCM Mold.  The new 2021 MB is built upon a different mold known as the K1 and shows just how flexible these KYOEI original molds can be.

For those new to JDM gear, you are probably asking who or what is KYOEI. KYOEI is one of Japan’s original golf foundries.  They are also the only factory in Japan that can combine forging, grinding, and finishing all under one roof.  Many well-known grinders have also worked at the KYOEI factory to hone their craft.

KYOEI’s ultimate blade is made for forgiveness, feel and shape.  Forged of J.I.S (Japan industry standard) S25C in Himeji, Japan, the feel is sublime.  KYOEI also does a key secondary process known as “precision forging,” which takes the head after its initial 3 presses. After it has cooled, it then reheats to 900 degrees for a final pressing in a different forging machine and weight; this process is said to improve the grain structure for a feel that takes it to the next level.

With a very thin topline and nearly zero offset, the 2021 KYOEI MB is still forgiving as far as blades go.  The back face milled design keeps much of the weight focused low for a center of gravity that helps get the ball up faster.  The shallow face also aids in the forgiveness category as well.

KYOEI has mated their 5-cut sole to the new 2021 MB as it’s a game-changer when it comes to turf interaction, especially for blade players who often come into the ball steel.  The combination of the low CG,  5-cut sole, and a shape that kills really makes the 2021 KYOEI MB one of the best performing blades on the market.   Considering it’s manufactured at Japan’s original golf foundry 100% in-house, I’d say we have something exceptional here.

We often hear TV commentators refer to the impact of the grain direction of the grass on greens. The grain definitely affects the speed of your putt but it appears that greens with Bermuda Bent Grass will affect the direction of your putt more than any other type of grass growing on greens. When you golf in Hawaii or the Caribbean islands and tropical Florida you definitely need to read the Bermuda grass which is used on most of the greens.

The following information came from an article written by Mark Immelman, brother of PGA TOUR professional Trevor Immelman.

Grain Affecting Your Putt (especially on strains of Bermuda Grass):
Grain is the direction that grass grows flat on a green. [Slope of the green (or gravity) has a much greater effect on a putt than the direction of the grain but grain direction will slow down putts when putting into the grain or speed up putts when putting with the grain.] By walking around the putting line of your ball to the hole, you can see lighter green areas where the grain is running away from you and darker areas where the grain in running toward you.

Reading the Grain at the Cup:

Rory McIlroy has been struggling with his game. But he found a new way to be forced to take a penalty drop early in Wednesday's WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

Follow the action from the 64-player bracket.

MyGolfSpy Ball Lab is where we quantify the quality and consistency of the golf balls on the market to help you find the best ball for your money. Today, we’re taking a look at the Wilson Staff Model and Staff Model R. An overview of the equipment we use can be found here. To learn more about our test process, how we define “bad” balls and our True Price metric, check out our About MyGolfSpy Ball Lab page.

While Wilson’s golf ball lineup is synonymous with its uber-soft DUO line, the company typically has at least one premium Tour offering.

That position is held by the Wilson Staff Model which replaced the FG Tour. Instead of offering an “X” model this time around, Wilson took the unusual approach of adding the Staff Model R to the lineup last fall. The “R” stands for “raw” and refers to the fact that ball is entirely unpainted. The result is a ball that’s structurally the same as the standard model but plays a bit differently because of the lack of paint.

It’s a unique approach to the market which is exactly the route smaller brands like Wilson need to take to capture attention.

Jon Rahm, whose first child is due during Masters week, said Tuesday that "being a father is much more important than any golf event would ever be" and that he was ready to head home at a moment's notice.

The PGA Tour heads to Austin for this week's match play tournament. Here are our best bets for the event.

 

The post Dinuba Open appeared first on Northern California Golf Association.

He nearly died. Even though it happened when he was 2, he still has a stutter 24 years later. Despite it all, he has honed his golf game and become one of the best players in the world you likely have never heard of.

Ben Hogan Precision-Milled Putters – Key Takeaways

New Platinum Nickel finish now available on three modelsBHB01 and BHB03 blades and BHM01 mallet getting the new lookAvailable starting today on Hogan’s website for $195

The Ben Hogan Precision-Milled Putters are getting a bit of a refresh today. As we mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Hogan’s lineup is adding a second finish option.

“Serious golfers love the classic style and feel of our putters,” says Hogan CEO Scott White. “But the only negative feedback was they were only available in Diamond Black Metal.”

Well, as of today, that’s no longer the case.

Same Putters, New Finish

With the recent addition of the new BHM02 fang-toothed mallet, the Hogan Precision-Milled putter corral features five distinct models. As of today, three of those models will be available in a new Platinum Nickel finish, as well as the standard Diamond Black Metal.

Models available in the new finish include:

Rory McIlroy, who has dropped to 11th in the world ranking, has hired Englishman Pete Cowen as his new swing coach. Among Cowen's clients are Brooks Koepka and Henrik Stenson.

Players Championship winner Justin Thomas is grouped with reigning champion Kevin Kisner, Louis Oosthuizen and Matt Kuchar at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, which kicks off with round-robin play Wednesday at Austin Country Club.

Jordan Spieth, who has not won on the PGA Tour in more than three years, says a left hand injury dating back to 2018 left his swing a "little bit off."

The Best Mallet Putters of 2021, plus what’s in Chris’ bag, and a look at the potential future of retail club fitting/sales.

0:46 – The Best Mallet Putters of 202114:08 –What’s in Chris Nickel’s Bag?15:34 – Driver17:18 – Fairway Woods23:07 – Irons29:16 – Wedges36:16 – Putter(s)38:32 – Ball42:25 – Try while you buy? Dollar Driver Club’s business model might sound familiar.

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The post Most Wanted Mallets of 2021 | NPG 76 appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

The Rocket Mortgage Classic is launching "The John Shippen," a four-day event in late June. It starts with a 36-hole tournament for the top Black golfers and concludes with a two-day sports business summit.

The Hay: Pebble’s Reimagined Par-3 Course Designed by Tiger Woods to Open April 16

March 22, 2021

Honma T//World GS Irons – Key Takeaways:

Honma’s upgrade for its XP-1 game improvement ironsDistance technology in the long irons includes an L-Cup Face, Flip Slot and low/deep tungsten weighting.$1,224.99 in steel, $1,294.99 in graphiteAvailable now on Honma’s website

The new Honma T//World GS irons is Honma’s second collaboration between its U.S.-based and Japanese design teams. Joining forces, Honma theorized, would create golf clubs that would appeal to North American tastes while maintaining Japanese heritage.

The first collaboration—the Honma TR series of irons and metalwoods—proved to be a standup triple. The second joint venture is the Honma T//World GS irons. They, too, may very well add to Honma’s slugging percentage. But since the U.S. design team apparently has been disbanded, we may not see a third venture anytime soon.

All that aside, let’s focus on what’s in front of us. The Honma T//World GS is a game improvement iron and it looks like a game improvement iron. Is that a bad thing? It depends.

Honma T//World GS Irons: Game Improvement Galore

“The GS line was designed in tandem between our offices in Sakata, Japan, and here in Carlsbad,” says Preston Toulon, Product Director for Honma. “The Japan team even came up with the name, abbreviating GS for Gain Speed.”

Better players tend to turn up their noses at game improvement irons. The lofts are too jacked, the heads are too big, they won’t fix your crappy swing, blah, blah, blah. Look, golf is hard enough as it is. The “Get Lessons” Mafia can shout all it wants but an awful lot of people who love to play golf also have kids, jobs and lives. Believe it or not, they play golf for fun.  Eighteen holes on the weekend might be all they can manage.

The Honma T//World GS fairway and hybridKey technologies include draw-biased weighting, Flip Sole and game-improvement graphics.Retail prices start at $249.

The Honma T//World GS series is arguably the most important component of its mainline offerings designed to cater to the North American golfer.

The reasoning is simple. Most golfers are, by definition, average. And if you want to maximize your reach, making sure you have something for your most plentiful customer is probably a sound idea.

Equipment manufacturers tend to politely call this segment of equipment “game-improvement” or “game-enhancement.” Golf can be a painfully difficult (if not seemingly impossible at times) game. And most of us who play it need equipment that helps mitigate our mistakes, rather than expose them.

T//World GS

Many golfers likely still associate Honma with its gold-plated, blingy and arguably ostentatious Beres line. At $4,500a club, it tends to make an impression. And if not “Beres” (and I’m sure Honma would prefer it not be the case), the next answer is likely “Justin Rose.”

The Honma T//World GS driver is for golfers seeking more speed and greater forgiveness.Key technologies include a Keel Sole, Flip Slot and Radial Face Technology.Retail prices start at $499.

Before we dig into the requisite details of the new Honma T//World GS driver, a quick refresher on the brand couldn’t hurt.

The Beres line is positioned as “super premium.” The focus is on what Honma describes as “legendary craftsmanship and prestige with unparalleled beauty.” Beres models are based on a star system. 2-Star irons start at $350 a stick. 5-Star irons feature real 24k gold accents and inlays and will set you back $4,500. That’s per iron.

Despite the aspirational (or foolish … perspective is everything here) sticker price, Beres is Honma’s best-selling line worldwide.

KABOOM that! PXG got nuthin’ on Honma.