Golf Equipment – Page 88 – Syndication Server

Ping Heppler putters

Ping’s Heppler putters are designed using aluminum and steel for golfers who like a crisp, firm feel at impact.

Gear: Ping Heppler putters
Price: $245-$270 each
Specs: Mallets with cast-aluminum and stainless steel heads; blade-style putters in all steel. Adjustable-length shafts.
Available: Jan. 20

While there has been a significant trend over the past few years to softer-feeling golf balls, many players prefer a firm, solid-feeling putter. To them, a crisp strike feels better and allows them to develop a better sense of touch. With the new Heppler family of putters, which contains nine head shapes, Ping is using a new manufacturing technique to deliver a firmer feel and more forgiveness at the same time.

Ping has designed grooved faces in all of its recent putters, such as the Sigma 2, Vault 2.0 and Sigma G families, and some putters also have backings and inserts to soften feel. The Heppler blades, mid-mallets and high-MOI mallet putters – named for Rick Heppler, an employee who joined the company in 1966 as it started and was with Ping for nearly 50 years – are different.

The putters have a smooth face that produces crisp contact and were designed using a multimaterial construction that is new for Ping.

Seven of the nine Heppler putters can be classified as either mid-size mallets or high-MOI mallets, and each has a chassis dye cast from ADC12 aluminum. Ping said the material is 10 percent softer than the 6061 aluminum used in other putters. The pressure-casting process allowed Ping to get more details into the heads during the casting process instead of machining and milling after the heads are created.

Other areas of the heads are made from cast stainless steel, a material that is much heavier than aluminum. In the mallets, the steel was given a copper tone that contrasts with the black-finished aluminum.

The combination of aluminum and steel allowed Ping to concentrate weight more precisely for increased perimeter weighting and forgiveness without making the heads significantly larger.

For example, the Heppler Tyne 3 putter is the higher-MOI version of the Tyne that Ping has produced, even though it is not bigger than previous models and does not have a ball-speed-normalizing face insert.

Ping Heppler TomCat 14 putter — The black portion of the Tomcat 14 is made from aluminum while the copper-toned piece is steel. (Ping)

The Tomcat 14 putter has the highest moment of inertia in the Heppler lineup, with half its weight coming from aluminum and half coming from steel. The rails are a ball’s width apart and covered in white dots that were inspired by the lights that flank an aircraft runway.

The remaining two of the nine putters in the Keppler family are blades and made using only steel. The Anser 2, which is ideally balanced for golfers who have a slightly arced putting stroke, is the latest edition of the classic putter that put Ping on the map, while the ZB3 is for players with a strong arc. The copper-colored topline helps the blades match the rest of the family and acts as an alignment aid.

Each Heppler putter comes standard with a black chrome shaft that is adjustable. Using a tool that inserts into the grip, the putters can be made as short as 32 inches or as long as 36 inches, making it easier for players and fitters to create a Heppler putter that is the ideal length for any player.

Titleist T400 irons

Titleist is known for blades, but it made the new T400 irons to deliver loads of distance and forgiveness for slower-swinging players.

Gear: Titleist T400 irons
Price: $185 per iron with True Temper AMT Red steel shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 Lite+ grips; $199.99 per club with Mitsubishi Fubuki MV IR graphite shafts
Specs: Hollow-bodied irons with forged SUP-10 stainless steel face and internal tungsten weights
Available: March 27

Titleist is known for making muscleback blades and cavity backs such as the 620 MB and 620 CB irons for elite ballstrikers like Justin Thomas, Adam Scott and Jordan Spieth, but the company also has offered game-improvement clubs.

Last August, Titleist debuted the T300 for mid- and higher-handicap golfers who want more distance and forgiveness. Now the company is releasing the new T400, a super-game-improvement club that is bigger, more powerful and more forgiving than any other club in Titleist’s stable.

Titleist T400 irons — The thick topline and offset should boost confidence for slower-swinging golfers. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

At address, golfers looking down at the T400 irons will see thick toplines and plenty of offset because these clubs were not made for pros. They were designed to help moderate and slower swings produce more distance.

Each T400 iron is hollow, and the 5-iron through 7-iron feature a thin, forged SUP-10 stainless steel face that is shaped like an L, wrapping under the leading edge and extending into the sole. It flexes easily at impact to create more ball speed, especially on shots struck low in the hitting area.

An added benefit of making the T400 irons hollow is Titleist designers were able to add large, internal pieces of heavy tungsten to the heel and toe areas. The precise amount varies by the club but goes up to 100 grams, which creates extreme perimeter weighting to boost the stability on off-center hits.

The internal tungsten weights are in the back of the split sole on the bottom of the club, and by adding that weight so far back from the hitting area, Titleist was able to lower the center of gravity. That in turn helps the clubs produce higher-flying shots. At the same time, the split-sole design reduces turf interaction.

To help golfers generate more clubhead speed, Titleist also reduced weight in other areas of the club. The stock Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 Lite+ grips are 9 grams lighter than the stock Tour Velvet 360, while the True Temper AMT Red steel shafts feature lighter long-iron shafts for extra speed and heavier short-iron shafts for more control.

Winner’s Bag: Andrew Landry, American Express

A complete list of all the Ping gear that Andrew Landry used to win the PGA Tour’s 2020 American Express.

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A complete list of the golf equipment Andrew Landry used to win the PGA Tour’s 2020 American Express:

DRIVER: Ping G410 LST (9 degrees), with Aldila Tour Blue 65X shaft

FAIRWAY WOODS: TaylorMade M5 (15 degrees), Ping G (17 degrees), Ping G410 (20.5 degrees), with Project X HZRDUS Yellow 85X shafts

IRONS: Ping iBlade (4-9), with Nippon N.S. Poro Modus3 105X shafts

WEDGES: Ping Glide 3.0 (46 degrees), with Nippon N.S. Poro Modus3 105X, Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (54, 60 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts

PUTTER: Ping Vault 2.0 ZB

BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

GRIPS: Lamkin Crossline Full Cord

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Cobra Golf founder Thomas Crow dies

Founder of Cobra Golf, Tom Crow died this week.

Cobra Golf founder Thomas Crow has died, the equipment manufacturer confirmed to Golfweek Saturday.

A former Australian amateur golf champion who won more than 20 club championships at Kingston Heath, Royal Melbourne and Royal Sydney according to Australian Golf Digest, Crow founded Cobra Golf in 1973.

Crow’s age and cause of death were not immediately known.

“Tom Crow’s impact on the game will always be remembered, especially within the walls of our Cobra Golf headquarters,” President of PUMA North America & COBRA-PUMA GOLF Bob Philion said. “He was an incredible talent and innovator, founding Cobra and transforming it into one of the most recognizable equipment brands in golf.

“I remember sitting down with him after we purchased Cobra in 2010, and he was still so passionate about the brand, and always pushing innovation to make a better golf club. He was truly the original King Cobra. And his impact goes well beyond his creations, he was a great man, a family man and someone who will truly be missed.”

In 1975, Crow developed one of Cobra Golf’s most famous pieces of equipment: the first ever utility wood named the “Baffler”.

The Baffler was a state-of-the-art club that could hit from a wide variety of lies thanks to its unique railed sole design. That technology is still being used today in the company’s new Speedzone fairway woods and hybrids.

Toward the end of the decade, the Baffler revolutionized golf as it began to show up in the bags of big name golfers like Gene Littler. As the club gained notoriety from professionals all the way down to recreational players, so did Cobra Golf.

Cobra is located in Carlsbad, California.

View this post on Instagram

Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my old friend and @cobragolf founder Tom Crow. Tom was a true innovator and pioneer in golf club design and I am proud to be Cobra’s long-standing partner since 1991. He challenged me always to understand and build a better golf club. RIP my dear friend I will miss you and the golf industry now has a void.

A post shared by Greg Norman (@shark_gregnorman) on Jan 18, 2020 at 11:20am PST

Greg Norman, one of Cobra’s partners, posted about Crow’s death on Instagram Saturday afternoon, writing in part, “Tom was a true innovator and pioneer in golf club design and I am proud to be Cobra’s long-standing partner since 1991. He challenged me always to understand and build a better golf club. RIP my dear friend I will miss you and the golf industry now has a void.”

According to the company’s web site, Norman signed an endorsement deal with Cobra in 1991 and helped Crow develope the company’s first line of forged irons.

In April 2010, Cobra Golf was sold by Acushnet, the parent company of Titleist and FootJoy, and purchased by Puma AG and the new company was called COBRA-PUMA GOLF.

Norman, Rickie Fowler, Lexi Thompson, Bryson DeChambeau and Jason Dufner are part of the Cobra family.

Scotty Cameron Special Select putters

Using feedback from PGA Tour players, Scotty Cameron’s newest putters feature thinner toplines, lower profiles and milled faces.

Gear: Scotty Cameron Special Select putters
Price: $399 each
Specs: Milled 303 stainless steel heads with 6061 aluminum, stainless steel and tungsten.
Available: Jan. 24

Scotty Cameron’s official title at Titleist is not head of design or category manager. It’s master putter maker. For years he has focused on trying to make putters with which the game’s elite golfers fall in love, and many have. Some of the game’s best players collect Cameron putters, often those being prototype and customized clubs that aren’t available at retail.

With his latest update to the Select family of putters, Cameron is making the putters sold at retail simpler, cleaner and more like clubs used by the pros.

Each of the seven head models starts as a solid block of 303 stainless steel before a computer-guided milling tool shaves off ribbons of material until the final shape is achieved. In the Newport, Newport 2 and Newport 2.5 blades, the sole was given a soft, tri-sole design, with the toe and heel rising slightly so the center portion can easily rest flat on the ground at address.

Scotty Cameron Special Select Newport putter — Special Select blades have thinner toplines and slightly shorter blade lengths, so Cameron achieved the ideal swing weight by adding tungsten weight screw in the sole. (Titleist)

The blades also feature thinner toplines and slightly lower face heights, with more material being milled off the back flange areas. That may not seem like a big deal, but Cameron did it to make the retail putters have the same look at address preferred by many pros.

As a result, the overall weight of the heads decreased. In order to maintain the same swing weight, Cameron decided to use tungsten in the heel and toe sole weights of the blade putters. Heavier weights are added to shorter putters, while longer putters get lighter weights.

Scotty Cameron Special Select Flowback 5 putter — The Special Select Flowback 5 mallet has steel removed from the bottom and an aluminum sole plate added to cover the opening. (Titleist)

The four mid-size mallets have extra material in the sole milled out. Removing steel from the center of the sole, then covering the hole with 6061 aircraft-grade aluminum, shifts more of the head’s weight to the heel and toe areas, which creates more stability without increasing the head size.

While the Fastback 1.5 and Squareback 2 are shapes Cameron has offered in the past, the Flowback 5 and Flowback 5.5 are new. They are semi-circular mallets based on the previously released GoLo putters

Scotty Cameron Special Select Del Mar putter (Titleist)

Cameron has brought back a compact mallet, the Del Mar, with the Special Select line. As with the blades, it has a solid sole.

Unlike the previous Select putters, none of the Special Select putters have an insert or vibration-dampening membrane. Again, this is a nod to the kind of insert-free putters that pros often ask Cameron to make.

Each Special Select putter has a glare-resistant, raw stainless steel finish with a single black alignment line.

Titleist T100•S irons

The new Titleist T100•S irons have the same classic look and feel, but offer better players more distance.

Gear: Titleist T100•S irons
Price: $137 per club with Project X LZ shafts
Specs: Stainless steel and tungsten heads
Available: March 27

Before the U.S. Open in June at Pebble Beach, Titleist made the T100 irons available to the game’s elite players for the first time. Designed to replace the AP2, the T100 was warmly received by pros who liked the compact blade length, thinner topline, cambered sole and touch of forgiveness the internal tungsten weights provided. Jordan Spieth, Cameron Smith and several other golfers soon switched into the T100, but some players were hoping to get a little more distance. For those players, Titleist just announced the release of the T100•S irons.

You can think of the S as standing for “strong,” because the main difference between the standard T100 and the Titleist T100•S is the lofts in the T100•S irons are 2 degrees stronger (or lower). For example, the T100’s 5-iron has 27 degrees of loft while the T100•S 5-iron has 25 degrees.

Titleist T100S irons — Internal tungsten weights in the heel and toe boost stability in the Titleist T100•S irons. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

If a player wanted more distance from the T100, couldn’t he or she take the clubs to a fitter and have the lofts strengthened? Yes, but shifting the faces downward and de-lofting them also changes the bounce angles, lowers the leading edges and changes the way the T100 irons work through turf. Most elite golfers liked those features, so golfers might would have had to choose between getting more distance and having the T100 irons play and feel better. With the release of T100•S, Titleist eliminated the need to alter the clubs.

Like the standard clubs, the T100•S irons are forged and feature a dual-cavity construction with internal tungsten weights in the heel and toe. The precise amount of tungsten varies by club, but the average amount is 66 grams, and it let Titleist design the T100•S with more stability and forgiveness than a compact club typically offers.

The T100•S also has progressive blade lengths, meaning the long irons are slightly larger than the mid-irons, which is turn are a touch bigger than the short irons. This helps to shift the center of gravity lower in the long irons, which players usually want to help hit the ball higher, while the center of gravity is higher in the short irons, which better players often like to flight the ball lower for enhanced control.

Odyssey Triple Track putters

Odyssey combines the Triple Track alignment system, Stroke Lab shaft and microhinge face in its newest putter family.

Gear: Odyssey Triple Track putters
Price: $249.99 each
Specs: Seven models with microhinge face inserts and shafts that combine graphite and steel.
Available: Jan. 30

Last February, Phil Mickelson won for the fifth time at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am using a golf ball featuring two blue stripes that bracketed a thicker red line. The ball was a Callaway Chrome Soft X with Triple Track, a unique visual aid designed to help golfers align their putts more easily.

For 2020, Triple Track is also a part of Odyssey’s newest putter family.

Odyssey Triple Track Marxman putter (Odyssey Golf)

Each of the seven Odyssey Triple Track putters has the same blue and red configuration on the top. The pattern shows misalignment easily, which can help golfers square the clubface to their intended line and start putts on target more accurately. Combined with the Triple Track alignment lines on the Chrome Soft X with Triple Track and the Callaway ERC Soft balls that were released last season, it creates an alignment system that blends from the putter’s crown directly into the ball.

The Odyssey Triple Track putters also have a pair of Odyssey’s newest technologies designed to improve consistency, the Stroke Lab shaft and the Microhinge Star insert.

The Stroke Lab shaft’s upper and mid sections are graphite, while the tip section is steel. Using graphite in the top and middle areas of the shaft made it stiff but also saved weight, so Odyssey designers made the heads heavier. They could also putt more weight at the top of the handle. Odyssey’s research showed this configuration helped golfers develop a more rhythmic, consistent putting stroke.

The Microhinge Star insert combines metal pieces with a firmer-feeling plastic piece. The sound is more like a click, which many players prefer. Odyssey said the Microhinge Star insert does a better job of matching sound with distances and energy applied to the ball.

Odyssey Triple Track Ten putter (Odyssey Golf)

The Triple Track putters will be available in several shapes, including the classic 2-Ball, the Marxman, the Doube-Wide Blade and high-MOI mallet Ten.

Odyssey Stroke Lab Black putters

Odyssey gave the Stroke Lab Black putters a darker PVD finish and a new, firmer-feeling microhinge insert.

Gear: Odyssey Stroke Lab Black putters
Price: $299.99 each
Specs: Seven models with Microhinge face inserts and shafts that combine graphite and steel.
Available: Jan. 30

Odyssey introduced the Stroke Lab putters in early 2019, and Francesco Molinari and Phil Mickelson promptly won PGA Tour events using them, then Xander Schauffele finished tied for second at the Masters with a Stroke Lab.

For 2020, Odyssey is extending the Stroke Lab putter family with the introduction of Stroke Lab Black putters inspired by feedback from elite golfers and tour players.

Each Stroke Lab Black putter comes standard with a Stroke Lab shaft made with graphite in the upper and middle sections and steel in the tip section. Odyssey said this design helps remove about 40 grams of weight from the middle of the putter, where it does not provide any performance benefits. Engineers split that saved weight between the head and the top portion of the handle, and Odyseey research showed the design resulted in golfers producing a more consistent stroke.

Unlike the original Stroke Lab putters that featured silver tones and darker accents, the Stroke Lab Black putters have a black PVD finish complimented by black paint.

Odyssey Stroke Lab Black putters — Like the other Stroke Lab Black putters, the One has a new Microhinge Star face insert. (Odyssey Golf)

Another subtle change Odyssey made for the Stroke Lab Black putters was the addition of a new face insert. While many golfers liked the White Hot Microhinge insert, some thought it was too soft and muted. After testing several prototype inserts, Odyssey opted for a firmer hitting surface that has Microhinges but no grooves. It’s called the Microhinge Star insert, and it makes a slightly louder, higher-pitched sound, like a click, that many players found pleasing.

At the same time, the Microhinges still bend back at impact, then spring forward to reduce skidding and encourage the ball to start rolling more quickly.

The Stroke Lab Black family is comprised of five mallets, including the Bird of Prey, Ten and the Seven, which features fang-like extensions in the heel and toe area. The R Line Arrow is a rounded, high-MOI mallet, while the Rossie is a rounded mid-size mallet. Odyssey also offers a heel-toe-weighted blade, the One, and the Double Wide, which is an enlarged blade-style putter.

Titleist Tour Soft golf ball (2020)

The second version of the Titleist Tour provides more distance off the tee and control around the green while maintaining soft feel.

Gear: Titleist Tour Soft golf ball (2020)
Price: $34.99 per dozen
Specs: Two-piece, Surlyn-covered ball. Available in white and yellow.
Available: Jan. 22

Titleist debuted its first Tour Soft golf balls in 2018 to replace the NXT Tour and NXT Tour S in the company’s stable. According to the company, golfers who bought the Tour Soft liked the soft feel at impact and the distance produced with their irons.

Still, company research showed that if there were areas where players wanted to see improvement, it was distance off the tee and control around the greens. For 2020, with the release of the updated Tour Soft balls, Titleist made a point to address those two areas.

The spherically-tiled 342 cuboctahedron dimple pattern has not changed for 2020, but the edges and depth of the dimples were modified slightly and the Surlyn blend used to make the cover is subtly firmer. As a result, the Tour Soft now has a lower, more penetrating trajectory.

The ball also should deliver more greenside spin because the cover is thinner, so the grooves in wedges and short irons can bite into it and generate spin more effectively.

Titleist Tour Soft balls — The Tour Soft has a bigger core plus a new side stamp and alignment aid. (Titleist)

To make the ball longer off the tee, the core has been enlarged to 1.61 inches in diameter (by rule, balls cannot be smaller than 1.68 inches in diameter including the cover). It’s the largest core found in any Titleist ball, and the company said it delivers more speed off the tee and with long irons. The softness of the core also helps offset the slightly firmer cover material, so the ball still feels soft at impact.

Finally, Titleist gave the Tour Soft a new side stamp, modeling it after a popular custom offering the company had made available online. The perpendicular lines are designed to boldly stand out against the white and yellow balls and make it easier for golfers to align putts and square their putter at address.

Titleist Velocity golf ball (2020)

The fifth-generation Velocity is still long off the tee, but now it has more stopping power on approach shots.

Gear: Titleist Velocity golf ball (2020)
Price: $27.99 per dozen
Specs: Two-piece, Surlyn-covered ball. Available in white, matte green, matte orange and matte pink.
Available: Jan. 22

There is nothing subtle about the updated Titleist Velocity golf balls. They are an unabashed attempt by the Fairhaven, Mass.-based company to help golfers who want more distance off the tee and more style in their game. However, after conducting research and gathering feedback from Velocity players, Titleist has added more stopping power on approach shots.

To help golfers add yards off the tee, the fifth-generation Velocity has been designed with a slightly larger core for more speed. It also has an updated cover pattern. The tiled 350-dimple octahedral pattern was developed to give the ball more lift. Coupled with the larger core, that should aid in creating more carry distance with the driver.

The added lift also will help golfers hit their long irons and hybrids higher, which means those shots should come down on a steeper angle and stop faster after landing.

For 2020, Velocity is available in white, matte green, matte orange and matte pink. The white and pink balls are available with single-digit numbers (1-4), while the green and orange balls are available in double-digit numbers (00, 11, 22, 33).