Golfing News & Blog Articles

Odyssey White Hot OG continues in 2023 with a new design and price point.Odyssey is bringing back the popular Versa alignment scheme.2023 White Hot OG (MSRP: $199) and White Hot Versa (MSRP: $249) both at retail on Feb. 3.

All that’s old is new again at Odyssey Golf in 2023 and some of you are going to be real happy about that.

Yes, the No. 1 putter on the PGA TOUR (three for three for Odyssey-using winners in January so far) is acting like it’s 2013 instead of 2023. Odyssey is not afraid of looking backward to move forward. Why wouldn’t they with their solid track record full of positive designs?

True, Odyssey already sort of did the retro thing in 2021 when they revived the original-recipe White Hot insert for the OG White Hot OG line. Odyssey did that because players continued to use their old White Hot putters rather than changing to new models. So Odyssey did the smart thing and gave the people the insert they wanted.

In 2023, they are taking a page from their own playbook and again resurrecting a popular Odyssey design. Continuing to give the people/customers what they want seems like a solid marketing plan to me. What has Odyssey returned to the clamoring public? In a word, Versa.

Black-White-Black is Back. All right!

Obviously, Odyssey can’t just rerelease their Versa putter designs from 2013. I guess they could but that would mean completely discounting the decade of putter performance progress Odyssey has made since the original Versa launch. Why not have both? Just like they did with the White Hot OG line, Odyssey is taking the core retro Versa elements loved by golfers and merging them with current design methodologies.

Bridgestone e6 Golf Balls – Key Takeaways

Update to Bridgestone’s best-selling, longest-running ballAvailable in Optic Yellow and White, $24.99/dozenBridgestone also updating and shrinking OTTO the ball-fitting robot

 

The new Bridgestone e6 golf ball is the company’s horse. It’s been in Bridgestone’s lineup the longest, and it’s Bridgestone’s best seller.

And it’s not even close.

“There’s definitely a following for e6,” says Bridgestone Golf Ball Marketing Manager Elliot Mellow. “It’s always been about soft, low compression and good feel.”

For 2023, none of the above has changed. But the new version is being reformulated to soften something you don’t often think about.

Attorneys representing the PGA Tour are seeking to add Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and the fund's governor, Yasir Othman Al-Rumayyan, as defendants in the tour's countersuit against LIV Golf.

Rory McIlroy was on the driving range Tuesday at the Dubai Desert Classic when he was approached by Patrick Reed, one of the high-profile players to have joined LIV Golf. McIlroy said he was busy practicing and didn't feel the need to acknowledge Reed.

Jon Rahm has won four of his last six starts worldwide, including the first two PGA Tour events of the season. "I don't take it for granted," he said.

Rahm won again and is going for the first three-peat on Tour since 2017. The PGA Tour heads to Torrey Pines and there was a Rory McIlroy sighting.

Cleveland Frontline Elite Putters – Key Takeaways

Eight new models in Cleveland’s Frontline seriesExtreme forward CG to reduce twisting on mishitsOptional ALL-IN carbon fiber/steel shaft offering$249.99 steel; $299.99 ALL-INAvailable Feb 22

The new Cleveland Frontline Elite putters are living proof that a certain age-old adage is, in fact, true: It’s what’s up front that counts.

In this case, what’s up front is a lot of tungsten and a center of gravity that’s so far forward that if it were any farther up front it would be in the next putter.

We’ve known since the Eisenhower Administration that perimeter weighting is very good for putters (thank you, Karsten). And we’ve known since the Spice Girls were a thing that a rear-weighted mallet drove putter MOI sky high.

But it’s only been in the last handful of years that putter companies, particularly Odyssey and Cleveland, have marketed the benefits of forward weighting.

Is a forward-weighted putter for you? Cleveland is giving you plenty of options to find out.

Scotty Cameron unveils his new Super Select milled putter line.The new line features new Dual-Milled faces, Plus models and the return of both Golo and Del Mar models.The first batch hits stores on March 17 with the second batch coming May 19 (MSRP: $449).

Milled metal maestro Scotty Cameron has unleashed his 2023 creations: the Scotty Cameron Super Select putter line. Yes, Cameron fans, Mr. Cameron’s Special Select putters are no longer “Special.” Now they are Super!

What does that mean? What does any of it mean, really? Why are we here? If fingers are so great, why do we only have 10 of them? Do we really need three different versions of the word to/too/two? Do you really get to make a wish if you can lick your elbow? Why do we get so excited about rolling a ball at a hole with a stick?

Sorry. Lost focus there for a moment. Let’s get back to these new putters and a question I can actually answer.

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What makes the Scotty Cameron Super Select putters “super”?

Better focus in golf is all about having a clear process to follow and then learning how to control your attention.

We can’t simply can’t fully apply ourselves to continued improvement without being able to do this, and here’s how to do it:

Better Focus in Golf: Having a Clear Intention

Focus in golf is when your intention for your focus is currently aligned with what you are actually directing your attention to.

This is why the mental scorecard for golf is so important, as it reminds you want you want to focus on. So the first step is deciding on what you actually want to focus on i.e. what is in your Pre Shot Routine, what you will focus on after a bad shot, in between shots, etc.

Better Focus in Golf: Being Present

Being present is when your focus is 100% on what you are doing now, not what just happened, or what might happen in the future. The intention for your focus in golf is aligned with what you are actually directing your attention to. When you are doing this, your mind is quieter, you have a deeper connection with what you are doing, and it’s more likely that your physical movement will be fluid and uninhibited.

Bridgestone e9 Long Drive Golf Ball – Key Takeaways

Designed by Bridgestone for official World Long Drive competitionsFirm enough for distance, soft enough for low spin$29.99/dozen. Available at retail in March

The new Bridgestone e9 Long Drive golf ball is, as far as we know, a first.

As in, it is—we believe—the first golf ball designed specifically for the Professional Long Drivers and World Long Drive Associations. If you watch any of those long drive competitions on TV, they’ll be smashing the new Bridgestone e9.

And it also fills a bit of a void that’s been in the golf ball marketplace since the days of the old Rock Flites: a firm true distance ball.

Just how this ball came about is actually a pretty cool story. We promise you, if you tee this one up, it’ll go high, far and deep.

 Bridgestone e9 Long Drive – The Genesis

“It’s a culmination of two different projects we’ve been working on,” says Elliot Mellow, Bridgestone’s Golf Ball Marketing Manager. “The perfect storm ultimately led to the e9.”

Titleist has announced black versions of its T-Series iron lineup.The limited release features a new titanium carbide vapor coating.Also announced are Vokey SM9 Jet Black Premium wedges.Global availability for both begins March 3.

As clubs roll into Year Two of the cycle, it’s typically the time when companies launch “black” versions of products and the golfer interweb gets flooded with ever-so-clever Back in Black headlines.

And here we are.

While Titleist is guilty of the first part (and that’s fine because golfers seem to appreciate the black options), I won’t be guilty of the latter. I also won’t be doing anything around Fade to Black, Black Betty and definitely not Baa Baa Black Sheep, though the price tag is sure to leave some of you bleating like angry goats.

Kicking off the march to 2023's U.S. Open with a look at the architects who transformed a mediocre course into a masterpiece.

This is the first of several looks at Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course as we begin the march to June.

The next event on the PGA Tour is the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California. Here is how you can watch all of the action, which starts Wednesday.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley have recused themselves from the Official World Golf Ranking board that is considering whether LIV Golf League players will receive world-ranking points.

PGA Tour players Collin Morikawa and Adam Scott were added to the roster of players in the TGL golf league.

LIV Golf's team championship will be played in Saudi Arabia in November, sources confirmed to ESPN. Last year's team final was held at Trump National Doral in Miami.

Titleist has announced the addition of the TSR1 driver to the TSR driver family.The TSR1 features aerodynamic shaping and a light overall build weight.The objective is to create distance though faster clubhead speed.Retail price is $599. Pre-sale begins Feb. 2. In stores Feb. 23.

The launch of the Titleist TSR1 driver shouldn’t come as a surprise. When TSRs 2, 3 and 4 were released, Titleist was up front about the fact that its lightweight model—the TSR1—was coming in early 2023. It’s a small thing but it’s kind nice that the company gave its “1” players the head’s-up that a replacement was in the works.

Your patience has been rewarded.

About the Titleist TSR 1 Driver

The TSR1 leverages weight (or lack thereof) to deliver more clubhead speed to what Titleist graciously calls the “moderate swing speed player.” More specifically, the primary audience for the TSR1 is golfers who swing below 90 mph.

Bridgestone e12 Contact – Key Takeaways

New FLEXATIV ionomer coverFirm when hit with driver, soft when hit with wedgeAvailable in white plus Matte Green, Red and Yellow$34.99/dozen, available in March

The new Bridgestone e12 Contact is an interesting release for a handful of reasons. Foremost on that list is that it represents the kind of R&D effort most OEMs don’t usually commit to in ionomer offerings.

Typically, an OEM gives its “premium ionomer” ball some trickle-down technology from its Tour-level balls and calls it “innovation.” Bridgestone, as you’ll see today, tomorrow and Wednesday, puts some thought into this category.

Whether it’s enough to make this ball more attractive to golfers than a direct-to-consumer urethane ball at a similar (or even lower) price is the proverbial open question.

So let’s dissect the new Bridgestone e12 Contact. First off, we need to understand the holy trinity of Contact Science, impact modifiers and FLEXATIV.

Bridgestone e12 Contact: Contact Science

When Bridgestone introduced the original e12 Contact two years ago, it brought “Contact Science” into golf’s lexicon. Contact Science was the result of five years’ worth of R&D. In basic terms, Contact Science describes what happens when ball and club collide. Bridgestone developed a unique, if not weird-looking, dimple-in-a-dimple pattern called Contact Force. It’s a pattern which, according to Bridgestone, increases club-to-ball contact by 38 percent over traditional dimples.

Titleist has announced the TSR1 fairway woods and hybrids.The TSR1 features light overall build weight.Performance benefits include higher launch and improved MOI/forgiveness.Retail price is $349 (fairway), $299 (hybrid). Pre-sale begins Feb. 2. In stores Feb. 23.

With the TSR1 fairway wood and hybrid, the first shall be last … numerically speaking, at least.

Several months ago (Sept. 8, to be exact), Titleist introduced the first batch of TSR drivers and fairway woods which included the expected TSR2, TSR3 and TSR4 models. The TSR2+ fairway wood provided an unexpected surprise.

Then last week, Titleist launched its TSR2 and TSR3 hybrids and now, with the TSR1 fairway and hybrid, the family picture is complete.

Are you the (TSR) 1?

Let’s start with a simple question: Do you swing the driver at less than 90 mph? If so, that’s the soft line Titleist draws to help define “moderate swing speed” players who can benefit from the lightweight design of TSR1. That doesn’t necessarily exclude golfers with more speed—particularly if there’s a clear need for technological assistance in creating higher launch and more spin.

Srixon Z-STAR Golf Balls for 2023 – Key Takeaways

Updated Z-STAR, Z-STAR XV, Z-STAR DiamondZ-STAR XV is now single core, three-layer; previously dual-core, four layersUpdated DIVIDE for Z-STAR and Z-STAR XV$47.99/dozen; available Feb. 15DIVIDE available April 14

The new Srixon Z-STAR golf balls differ, for the most part, by just a few tweaks, adjustments and enhancements from the 2021 models. There’s nothing revolutionary here. According to Srixon, they’re going to be better. Not sure by how much, but better is better, right?

If you like the Srixon Z-STAR line, you’ll like these a little better. If you didn’t, well, you probably will like these a little bit less, I guess.

You will find a major change in the 2023 Z-STAR XV, some noticeable tweaks to the Z-STAR Diamond (probably to make Brooks happy) and some minor improvements to the Z-STAR. And the changes on one hand are barely skin-deep.

On the other hand, the upgrades cut deep to the core.

That, friends, is what’s known in literary circles as foreshadowing. Or it’s an allusion. I can never remember.