Golfing News & Blog Articles

TaylorMade has just launched the P•790 Black Irons.They are the same as the current version with a new aggressive black PVD finish.Retail price is $1,699 (3-PW).

The original P•790 was an instant powerhouse in the Player’s Distance category. And while TaylorMade’s first foam-filled design raised the ire of PXG, it also sent the company down what has become a four-year-long path of creating some of the most aesthetically pleasing irons in the game. The TaylorMade P•790 Black will no doubt continue the trend.

If you’re inclined to find chunks of metal “sexy,” with the last several iterations of its P•series irons, TaylorMade has joined the league leaders in the hot-and-bothered category while giving you an uncomfortable number of excuses to need some quality “alone time.”

P•790 Black – New But Not Different

For those and other reasons, you may have found yourself tingling with anticipating for the next P•790. After all, it’s been two years since the current model launched alongside the extra-uber-premium P•790 Ti. The calendar suggests it’s time for some new gear.

Unfortunately for you sweaty P•790 fans, this time around the calendar deceives. Instead of a totally new P•790, with the TaylorMade P•790 Black, the company is taking the increasingly popular route of extending the existing line.

Lydia Ko had a three-stroke lead midway through the second round at the Lotte Championship after shooting a 9-under 63.

 

Steph Curry and Lee Elder Look to Inspire Future Minority Golfers

April 14, 2021

Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry has already made efforts to bring golf more to the Black community, including supporting the re-establishment of the Howard men’s and women’s golf programs in Washington, D.C..

Back in 1975, Lee Elder became the first Black player to compete in the Masters. In recognizing Elder, at this year’s recent Masters he’d join Hall of Famers Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player as an honorary starter for the championship.

Now, Curry and Elder are teaming up as part of a national outreach to minorities to hopefully get them more involved with the game.

Cameron Smith birdied the difficult 17th and 18th holes at Harbour Town to shoot a 9-under 62 and take a one-shot lead over Stewart Cink at the RBC Heritage on Thursday.

Alejandro Canizares defied chilly and windy conditions to shoot a 5-under 67 Thursday for a one-stroke lead after the opening day of the Austrian Open.

2021 Golf Umbrella Buyer’s Guide

Whether you’re a fair-weather or “I don’t think the heavy stuff’s gonna come down for quite a while” kind of golfer, you still need a golf umbrella for those unexpected downpours or to shield you from the sun.

This year, we tested the usual suspects along with offerings from some of the bigger OEMs, some of which outsource their umbrella manufacturing to experts in the category. That’s neither surprising nor uncommon; it just makes sense. There are zero reasons why club guys should also be umbrella guys. The logo doesn’t matter, though we’re here to tell you that not every umbrella is the same.

Whether you’re looking to buy an umbrella today, seeking buying advice to get started or just want a closer look at what’s on the market, this guide will help you find the right golf umbrella to fit your needs.

WINNER – ShedRain Vortex XL

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If you want an umbrella that will stand the test of time, go for the ShedRain Vortex XL. It performed consistently well across all metrics which made it our top pick. This golf umbrella has a “bungee” link cord connecting both canopies allowing for wind to pass through with ease. Combine that with a reinforced inner structure and you have the undisputed winner of the 2021 Most Wanted Golf Umbrella Test.

2nd in wind protection2nd in coverage8th in opening speed6th in handle1st in durability8th in UV protection

Fast finishes put Yuka Saso and Brittany Altomare at the top of the Lotte Championship leaderboard Wednesday.

Every golfer has a certain skill level based on the time that you have golfed and the amount of training and practice you have put into the game. You have improved your game by adjusting the clubs that you use and the balls that you prefer. At this stage in your game you have hit perfect shots with every club in your bag and you know that wonderful feeling of executing perfect shots. So why do you still mishit a percentage of shots?

Each type of shot requires a different set of skills. Putting is the easiest skill but it is the most difficult to perfect. You have to learn to read every green based on the speed of the green to estimate a line for your putt and the power required to at least reach the hole. An approach shot to the green requires the skill to choose the right club and power for your swing to get your ball to stop on the green near the hole. The easiest shot should be a tee shot on a par 4 or par 5 where distance is your preference because you only need to land your ball on the fairway in preparation for your next shot.

Personal Pressure Causes Mishits
So why is it that you still mishit tee shots as well as every other shot that you have made a hundred times? You are actually putting pressure on yourself to control your shots and to hit longer shots. You can only blame yourself for that pressure to make the perfect shot. You need solutions to minimize that pressure!

How Do YOU Minimize Mental Pressure?
1/ Practice Builds Confidence: If your driver is not working, get fitted for a club that works for your swing speed. Over the years I have changed from a stiff to a regular and now to a senior shaft. When your speed and strength goes, you need to let the whip of your shaft do the work.
2/ Take Pressure Off: Don’t go for the hero shot. Use a less lofted club and swing at 80% for better direction and distance control. Restrict your backswing as your bent arm backswing is not helping you. Learn to swing with a straight leading arm as you coil your body for more power. GOLFSTR+ is a great training aid to help you cure this problem.
3/ Choose a Club That you Know Will Reach Your Target. Don’t choose a club that you know can only reach your target 25% of the time. It’s better to swing at 80% and choke down on a club to ensure that you can reach your target.
4/ Take an Unplayable. When you know your swing or shot is obstructed take a stroke penalty for a 2 club relief. It’s much better than hitting into more trouble or burying your next shot in a bush. [On day #4 at the Masters, Billy Horschel hit into Rae’s Creek and lost 2 strokes before he used an unplayable to escape. It was an expensive 8.]
5/ Expect More Rollout on a Green. When hitting any club into a green plan for extra rollout. It’s far better to stay on the green than to roll off the back.
6/ Layup When the Green Won’t Hold Your Shot: Hit to a good entry point if you know that your long iron will not check up on that green.

Knowing what to do and doing it are 2 different things. You can’t change your mind after you make the shot so why not play it safe and avoid the high numbers on any hole. Build confidence by practicing with your GOLFSTR+ and save more strokes. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com

Remembering Ida Pieracci

April 14, 2021

As we begin heading into the heart of the 2021 golf season, we thought we’d pause and look back at the inspirational story of the late Ida Pieracci.

Pieracci, who died in 2018 at the age of 107, was an icon at San Jose Country Club. Even at the age of 102, she still had played regularly four to five times a week. Coincidentally, she also held the record for most hole-in-ones at SJCC with an amazing 11.

In 2015, filmmaker Dustin Cohen caught up with Pieracci for a feature. The result was the short film, Golfing With Ida (below).

The film quickly won accolades from around the world and the golf world. To date more than nearly 2 million views have been registered.

Hideki Matsuyama’s Win for Golf

April 14, 2021

It was a huge win for his country. But it was also a momentous victory for golf.

At this year’s Masters, Hideki Matsuyama, thanks to rounds of 69-71-65-73, became the first Masters champion from Japan.

“I’m really happy,” Matsuyama said through an interpreter. “Hopefully I’ll be a pioneer with this win and many other Japanese will follow. I’m glad to be able to open the floodgates hopefully, and many more will follow me. It is thrilling so many youngsters in Japan are watching. Hopefully in five years they will be competing on a world stage. Hopefully youngsters who don’t play golf see this and think it’s cool. I am the first major champion and it is possible if they set their mind to it. Hopefully now others will be inspired for what happened here today and follow in my footsteps.”

The timing of Matsuyama’s win was impeccable. Only eight days prior, Japan celebrated the victory of 17-year-old Tsubasa Kajitani in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. This summer, Japan will host the Olympic Games, where golf is expected to be among the most popular events.

The PGA Tour is putting a retail sportsbook operated by DraftKings at TPC Scottsdale, home of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, one of golf's most raucous events.

NCGA Hall of Famer Juli Inkster Registers for U.S. Women’s Open Qualifier

April 14, 2021

It’s just too close to home. On Wednesday, Golfweek reported that Northern California legend Juli Inkster had registered for a 36-hole U.S. Women’s Open qualifier to be held April 26 at Half Moon Bay Golf Links.

“I’m probably an idiot for trying,” the 60-year-old Inkster told Golfweek, “but I think I would be disappointed in myself if I didn’t because it’s so close to home.”

Inkster, and NCGA Hall of Famer, resides about 45 minutes from San Francisco’s Olympic Club and has played the course roughly 50 times. When entries close for U.S. Women’s Open qualifying on April 14, at least one LPGA Hall of Famer will be in the mix.

The 76th U.S. Women’s Open will be held June 3-6 at Olympic Club’s Lake Course. It will mark the first U.S. Women’s Open to be held there.

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 2021 Titleist Pro V1x. 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.

Given that we skipped the 2019 Pro V1 in our first round of Ball Lab reports in favor of Left Dash, it only made sense to kick off our tests of new-for-2021 models with the original 0r, depending on your perspective, the other Pro V1x.

About the Titleist Pro V1x

The Titleist Pro V1x is a four-piece, urethane-covered design with 348 dimples. The majority of product sold in the U.S.A. is made at the company’s factory in New Bedford, Mass. However, because of COVID shutdowns and the subsequent high demand, it’s not entirely unheard of to find a box manufactured in Thailand on retail shelves. While all of our samples were made in the U.S.A., cross-factory comparisons of the new Pro V1 found no discernable differences between the factories.

Following a memorable Masters, the PGA Tour heads to Harbour Town for the RBC Heritage. Here are our best bets for the event.

Vaccinated players and caddies will no longer be required to take weekly COVID-19 tests at tournament sites as a condition of competition, according to a memo sent to players by the PGA Tour.

Swing speed trainers are steadily growing in popularity, but just how essential is speed for achieving lower scores?

1:04 – The best drivers for slow swing speeds5:49 – Rypstick offers speed training and more10:10 – Superspeed’s tried and true methods13:15 – Stack System’s personalized approach21:31 – Is the industry’s emphasis on speed warranted?37:09 – Tony’s putter pick and tinkering habits

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The post Is Faster ALWAYS Better? | NPG 79 appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

There is a lot of cool gear in the golf equipment world that doesn’t always fit neatly into Most Wanted Tests or Buyer’s Guides. You still want to know how it performs. In our We Tried It series, we put gear to the test and let you know if it works as advertised.

What We Tried

Cayce custom headcovers.

Product Expert

Hi, I’m Chris and I’m a golf-obsessed member of the MyGolfSpy team. As the Director of Business Development, I generally work as a conduit between our staff and other golf companies. I also get to opine on our fabulous weekly podcast, NoPuttsGiven (shameless plug), and, as time allows, collect my thoughts into ramblings on equipment or other golf topics.

But, like many of you, I can’t wait for the next brown box to show up on my doorstep.

Hogan Equalizer II Wedges – Key Takeaways

Hogan’s new Equalizer II wedges feature Progressive Center of Mass, slightly larger head, and thinner top line compared to the original Equalizer.Optional Texas Grind sole offers extreme heel and toe relief for open face shots and help on tight lies.Designed by legendary Hogan club builder Ronnie McGraw.

The updated Ben Hogan Equalizer II wedges round out a busy spring for Hogan. In the past month, we’ve seen a new mallet, new putter finish options and last week’s game improvement Edge EX irons.

To be sure, none of it has been earth-shatteringly revolutionary or particularly innovative. But for a company that went bankrupt a little over four years ago, the new releases are all healthy vital signs. As for the new Equalizer II wedges, they too are neither earth-shatteringly revolutionary or particularly innovative.

It is, however, a nice-looking 1025 forged wedge with enough CG and grind features to be interesting. The Equalizer II is also the final piece of Hogan’s visual rebranding, as the entire lineup now features the iconic Hogan sunburst logo. And for true Hogan aficionados, the name of the club designer – one Ronnie McGraw – is definitely appealing.

Depending on how you view your golf equipment, logos and designers may matter neither a jot nor a tittle. But depending on how you view your wedges, there may be enough to the Equalizer II to warrant your attention.

Let’s take a peak, shall we?

PING releases 11 new putters in 2021 based upon their Putting Lab Design (PLD) program.The putters feature multi-material construction and new dual-hardness, grooved inserts.MSRP of $249 (Harwood is $349).

Today we see the official release of the new PING 2021 putter line-up. If you paid close attention to the Most Wanted Blade Putter and Most Wanted Mallet Putter articles, you have had a glimpse of some of the new models. Though not even released yet, two of the new PING putters scored top-10 finishes in the mallet category and a new blade finished fourth overall. Obviously, it’s tough to keep something a secret when it performs so well.

Thankfully, we can now spill all of the beans about these new PING putters. In fact, there are quite a few beans that we need to discuss. In 2021, we see the return of the grooved insert, a continuation of the multi-material construction, a solid mix of new and old favorite head shapes. Like I said, lots of beans.

Let’s take a look at the general features of the new PING 2021 putter line and then explore some specific models.

2021 PING putters: The Return of the Insert

One of the most striking things about PING’s 2020 Heppler putter line was the complete lack of face grooves. PING wanted the Heppler line to be a firmer complement to the softer Sigma 2 putters. Since these 2021 putters will essentially be the replacement for the Sigma 2 line, it makes sense that the insert would return.

From Rory McIlroy's game to Brooks Koepka's knee to Jordan Spieth's return, the Masters told us a lot about the state of golf.