Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from cookszn who asks WRXers how often do they change their wedges. Cookszn also asks the same question focusing on those who don’t have the fortune to be able to play the game in winter months, and our members have been sharing their thoughts, with many following a variety of different philosophies.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

• MattyO1984: “Lob Wedge, every year to 18 months. Sand and Gap, every 24-36 months.”
• dlygrisse: “Every 2-3 years. For me, it’s more of a visual check, if the chrome is wearing off and the grooves are getting a bit dodgy. I play about 10 months a year on average. For me, though, it really depends on how much you practice. If you are just playing golf 20-40 times a year or so you really won’t get much wear. But if you practice bunker shots and work on your short game on a weekly basis, then you may need new wedges every season.”
• Oz Max: “I’ve had my set for 5 years now, and they still spin a lot, enough to zip back a few meters on a pitch shot (when I make a good contact that is!). Though I loom after them, clean the grooves regularly and use one of those regrooving tools, they are perfect to keep the edges sharp every so often.”
• Zigzog: “I am using some Cleveland 588 Tour Action at the moment, at least 15 years old – they still spin plenty for me. New wedges will give more initial bite, but this will stop after a handful of rounds IMO – so for me, I am more comfortable with what I know.”
• RichieHunt: “About once every 12-15 months.”
• Roody: “I play about 100 rounds a season. I just replaced my 60-degree wedge last week. The previous one was 5 years old. I have a groove sharpener that I use on the wedges once or twice a season. Seems to keep them “good enough” for my needs.”

Entire Thread: “How often to replace your wedges?”

Indi Golf has unveiled two new putter designs in two different finishes named Allison and Ramone.

The Allison and Ramone flatsticks come in both black and chrome finishes and contains the brand’s Colossal Sweet Spot Technology which, according to the company, eliminates miss-hits no matter where the ball is struck on the face.

Speaking on the new additions, Rob Lang, General Manager, Indi Golf, stated

“After designing wedges for the past few years, the putter category was the most logical next step for us in our mission to help golfers make their short game their best game.

“We’ve been developing the technology for these putters for over a year now and we’re confident they will help golfers make more putts. We’re excited to finally introduce them.”

The Allison putter is a face-balanced mid-size mallet, which features a double-bend shaft which aims at creating a perfectly face-balanced putter for the player that uses a straight back, straight through putting stroke.

The Ramone, a toe-hang blade putter, features a 30-degree toe-hang, which is aimed towards the player that favors an arced putting stroke.

As well as the Colossal Sweet Spot Technology, both of the new additions from Indi Golf are precision CNC milled and are constructed from Aircraft Grade Aluminum. The flat-sticks also contain toe and heel tungsten weighting, designed for increased stroke stability and maximum feel for ultimate consistency.

The putters are available with matte black or satin chrome finishes in 33”, 34” or 35” lengths and customers can also choose between a Lamkin Deep Etched Pistol putter grip, upper Stroke Traxion Tour 2.0, Traxion Pistol GT Tour or Traxion Claw 2.0 grip.

The putters are currently available for pre-sale at www.indigolfclubs.com, with inventory beginning middle of December. The MSRP for both putters is $449.99, and during the pre-sale, the price is $329.99.

Today’s Forum Thread of the Day showcases an array of new Bettinardi flatsticks. The putters have received a positive reaction from our members, with the alignment dots, in particular, garnering plenty of praise.

For lots more photos, check out the full thread here.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say on the putters at the link below.

• RonSwanson: “BB8W with the sight dot…yessir.”
• getair23: “We need more alignment dots on retail putters. A couple of great looking putters, as expected.”
• Rig14Port: “That black out crescent neck INOVAI looks nice.”

Entire Thread: “New Bettinardi putters”

*Lanto Griffin WITB accurate as of the 2019 RSM Classic 

Driver: Titleist 917 D2 (10.5 degrees set at 9.75)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Kuro Kage TiNi 70 TX

3-wood: Titleist TS2 (16.5 degrees set at 15.75)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue 80 X

Irons: Titleist U510 (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 105 X (2), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 130 X (4-9)

• More photos of Lanto Griffin WITB in the forums.

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (46-10F, 50-12F bent to 51, 54-10S bent to 55, 60-08M)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Wedge 125

Putter: Sik Flo
Grip: SuperStroke Slim 3.0

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

• More photos of Lanto Griffin WITB in the forums.

Breakthrough Golf Technology (BGT) hit a home run with the introduction of the original Stability Putter shaft. Now, to build on that success it is introducing the Stability Tour which offers the same massive boost in putter performance, with improved feel and looks.

Stability Shaft Technology Recap

The principle behind the BGT Stability Shaft is that by increasing the stiffness and reducing the torque of the putter shaft you reduce club head twisting and greatly increase putts made percentage, especially on mishits. Of course, using a higher MOI putter design helps with that, but there is still an inherent flaw—what happens when you’re using 2019 putter technology with 1950s steel shaft technology? Less than ideal results.

We featured the original BGT Stability on GolfWRX earlier this year when I had the chance to do a fitting with VP of R&D Blair Philip (BGT’s Stability putter shaft: Real numbers, real improvement). As someone with experience using the Quintic Putting fitting system and the information it produces, I was extremely impressed with the performance benefits the Stability Shaft offered me.

So where does the new Stability Tour improve vs the original Stability? By taking player feedback from the original and tweaking the design to offer the same technological advantage and putting it into a more player-preferred package.

The Tour Difference

As much as the original is loved by those who put it into play, the biggest deterrent that kept golfers from making the switch was the looks—and BGT took on the challenge to improve it!

The original Stability had a consistent diameter of .600″ all the way from the shaft transition adapter to the butt end. .600″ is the standard butt diameter for must shafts on the market including irons and driver shafts, but having the .600″ run the entire length makes the shaft appear oversized compared to standard putter shafts and creates a very noticeable transition from the graphite portion to the steel at the bottom.

The new Stability Tour has a slow consistent outside diameter taper from .600″ at the butt to just over .520″ at the tip, .080″ might not seem like a big difference, until you understand just how sensitive the human eye is to detecting measurements and recognizing parallel lines. This small change makes a huge difference to how the shaft appears at address.

With this change in the specs of the outside diameter, a lot of other things had to change on the inside too. The construction of the Original shaft and its four parts can be seen below:

The new Stability Tour uses 30 percent more graphite to reinforce the shaft and no longer uses the aluminum insert to create the extra rigidity. When talking with Blair Philip about the construction of the Stability Tour, the new shaft is actually stiffer and stronger than the previous versions but offers better feel, and here’s how

Graphite wall thickness: By increasing the wall thickness of the Tour, it reduces the acoustic vibration potential and makes it sound and feel softer. Think if a crash symbol vs a solid block of steel—it’s an extreme example but the symbol is going to be a lot louder when hit with the same force because it’s thinner and has the potential of vibrate more. You add in the inherent vibration dampening properties of the material (graphite) itself, and you have a shaft that sounds softer, feels better, and keeps the ball online more often.

Balance point: The other element for feel is the balance point of the shaft. The new Stability offers a balance point much more inline with a traditional steel shaft vs. the original Stability. This means that for players used to a specific weight feel (swing weight) of their putter before re-shafting, this can eliminate one variable for the converting player.

Per BGT: “It will balance like a steel shaft which makes it easy to recreate a specific swing weight when re-shafting. Better golfers can replace their steel shaft without changing the balance of the putter, which allows the most discerning players to achieve precise specifications on their equipment.”

When all of these changes are combined together into the new Stability Tour putter shaft, you get the same benefits of the original in a smaller, sleeker, player-preferred package.

For more information check out BGT’s Website:  BreakThroughGolfTech.com,  and you can see what our members are saying in the GolfWRX Member testing thread here: BGT Stability Tour, GolfWRX Member Testing Thread

Jon Rahm WITB: 2019 DP World Tour Championship

Driver: TaylorMade M5 (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Tour Green 75TX

3-wood: TaylorMade M5 (15 degrees set at 16)
Shaft: Aldila Tour Green 75 TX

5-wood: TaylorMade M5 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 8X

Irons: TaylorMade UDI (4), TaylorMade P750 (5-PW)
Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5

Wedges: TaylorMade Hi-Toe (52, 56), TaylorMade Milled Grind 2 TW’11 Grind (60)
Shaft: Project X Rifle 6.5

Putter: TaylorMade Spider X Copper
Grip: SuperStroke Ultra Slim 1.0 P

Ball: TaylorMade TP5 (#10)

Grips: Golf Pride MCC Red/Black Midsize (1 wrap of tape)

Related

• Jon Rahm WITB: 2019 PGA Championship
• Jon Rahm WITB 2018
• Jon Rahm WITB 2017
• Jon Rahm WITB 2016

Driver: Titleist TS2 (9.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Atmos Tour Spec Blue 6X

3-wood: Titleist TS3 (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Tour Green

Irons: Titleist U500 (2), Titleist 718 AP2 (4-PW)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 95X Hybrid (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-PW)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM7 (50 degrees), Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (54, 58 degrees)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron 009M

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Today’s Forum Thread of the Day showcases FootJoy’s new Pro SL & Pro SL Carbon golf shoes. Our members have been discussing the latest additions from FootJoy based on photos in our forum, with the majority of WRXers excited by what they see.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

• hwturner17: “These looks great. Might cop two pair.”
• XQIUhacker3: “They look awesome. Know what I’ll be buying in the spring.”
• Hougz17: “Nice! The heel is interesting, but at least the upper finally doesn’t look like a bowling shoe. I have two pairs of the previous model. I love them. Looking forward to these.”

Entire Thread: “New FootJoy Pro SL & Pro SL Carbon shoes”

Editor’s note: For as much fun as it is to see what’s in a player’s bag right now, it’s also pretty intriguing to take a backward glance at a golfer’s WITB to see what has changed—and what hasn’t. We’re calling this feature “WITB Time Machine.” We’ll start with Tiger Woods’ WITB from August of 2015. 2015 saw TW make just 6 of 11 cuts as he battled a back injury, ultimately shutting it down in September in favor of microdiscectomy surgery. This WITB is a relic of a brief window of time when Woods was truly a full-bag Nike staffer!

*WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship (8/22/15)

Driver: Nike Vapor Speed Prototype
Shaft: Matrix Ozik TP7HDe X-Flex

3-wood: Nike Vapor Speed (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana Blue Board 103X

Irons: Nike VRS Forged (2), Nike Vapor Pro Blades (3-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Nike VR Forged X3X (56 and 60 degrees)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Nike Method 001

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

Ball: 2014 Nike RZN Black

• More photos of Tiger Woods 2015 WITB here. 

Cobra Golf tour staff members have always had some of the coolest irons in the game. From Bryson’s first single length sets to Rickie’s first black forged CBs—being part of a smaller staff means attention to detail for each player, and in the case of Cobra and Rickie Fowler, that means truly one-off prototypes!

Yesterday, we got a sneak peak when someone at the Floridian Club posted a distance shot of Rickie’s clubs on the back of a cart. Although it was from a distance, an astute eyes quickly noticed that these were not a current model iron and speculation started to swirl.

Starting early this morning photos starting making the rounds on social media featuring what looks to be close up in-hand images of Rickie Fowler Cobra Prototype blades. The telltale signs include Rickie’s signature Tungsten toe weight to help increase head weight in each head, and the obvious RF initials milled into the toe, under a King Cobra Crown.

Although the pictures are now out, we have few details to go on from Cobra. What I do know is at the Cobra SpeedZone event hosted a few weeks ago to showcase the new line, there was lots of hush-hush discussion that we might see something new coming in the better players category soon, but no pictures or other details were released. These pictures certainly indicate that the Cobra iron team has been working on something with Rickie, and gotten them to the point of having them out in the world for testing.

This is merely speculation, but what’s interesting to point out is that nowhere in the iron does it say forged! Could this be because it’s still a prototype and they didn’t want to go the extra step to stamp that on the head or could it mean something else?

The picture above shows the head on a fixed block—something observed during the CNC milling process, but going deeper Cobra has been pushing the limit of iron construction for a long time, and last year did they introduce a (MIM) Metal Injection Molded wedge to the consumer. Could this non-forged blade be the result of using MIM technology to form a mostly finished iron head to then have the face milled?

Like I said, we don’t have any confirmation yet from Cobra and their R&D team, but this could be a very interesting development for full release iron construction come 2020.

Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from Norboo who asks WRXers what they feel are some of the best feeling irons currently on the market. Our members give their thoughts with a variety of different irons receiving the “buttery soft” status.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

• Pepperturbo: “My new Titleist 620 CB&MB’s are not only beautiful looking but smooth as butter. The problem is they look so good I don’t want to get them dirty.”
• Hougz79: “Mizuno is hard to beat. Much softer than any Titleist I’ve ever gamed. As far as cast, it’s almost impossible to beat i210. They’re softer than my old 718AP2.”
• anni5009: “I’ve played a bunch of different Mizuno’s in the past; those are incredibly soft pretty much up and down the lineup. I have to say though my z785s are shockingly soft, quite possibly significantly better than any of the Mizuno’s I’ve had”
• jerryo: “Taylormade P770, seriously!”
• simonnd: “Cobra Fly-Z Forged and Mizuno Mp-53 are soft and forgiving.”
• Jonesy: “FG62’s and 588MB’s to throw some curveballs in there.”

Entire Thread: “Butter irons?”

Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from Jaygolf37 who asked WRXers on their thoughts on going back in time equipment-wise. Jaygolf37 has recently found success after putting his Ping i5 irons back in his bag, and our members share their thoughts and experiences of siding with older equipment.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

• Aviador Naval: “I put a ~2005-2006 original Cleveland Ti Launcher fairway back in the bag for the umpteenth time. Smaller footprint by today’s standards. Only 15 deg club I’ve been able to hit reliably from turf. Currently playing a Mn-Bn Anser I bought in 1989. Like the lighter head weight. Just got some MP20 mid and short irons which are basically a redo of the TN-87s. Changes driven by a mix of functionality (fw), variety (putter), and irrational ho’ing (irons).”
• cgasucks: “All my gamers are old with my newest clubs made in the early 2010s. I feel that with a good swing fundamental, one can play with any club out there. I think older clubs are better feeling, obviously a lot cheaper, and can still keep up with the present-day clubs out there since golf tech has been stagnant for years.”
• scotty_2987: “Just put my 910 D2 back in play yesterday and had the best driving day I’ve had in a long time, and I was hitting it just as far as all the newer drivers.”
• MountainGoat: “Whenever I lose my swing, I go back to a set of Maltby CER701Us that I assembled in 2006. Those are the clubs I was using when I discovered my current swing technique, so those are the ones I inevitably return to when I need to re-discover it.”

Entire Thread: “Going back in time equipment-wise?”

Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from WristySwing who has been enjoying our WITB Time Machine segment and has been interested to hear what was in fellow WRXers’ bags back in the day. Our members have been sharing the equipment they used both five and ten years ago, with some items remaining to this day.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

• NRJyzr: “10 years ago: driver: SMT Encore 9*, AJ Tech ZTour 90 X -3 wood: Trimetal Plus 14*, DG-SL X100 – 2-PW: Mizuno MS-11 – wedges: Mizuno Pro 52*, Ram Troon Grind 58* -putter: Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1. 5 years ago: driver: Adams Fast 12 LS, Motore F1 75 S – 3w: a cast of several, maybe R11s, Aldila NV85 X – 2-PW: Ram TG-898, Precision 6.5 – wedges: Scratch 8620 53* and Ram 1982 Commemorative 58* – putter: Snake Eyes Viper Tour Sv1. Forgot to mention hdcp… I was about a 7 to 8 index in 2009, and I’m about a 7 to 8 at the end of 2019. I dropped to a 5-6 in 2012 and 2013, and have largely bounced between 6 and 8 over the last 11 years.
• jkinger89: 10 Years Ago: Driver: Titleist 909D3 with stock VooDoo stiff, Fairway: Sonartec NP 99 15* with Alidila NV 75 stiff, Irons: Taylormade 2009 Tour Preferred 3-PW with Dynamic Gold S300, Wedges: Taylormade RAC Black TP 52-56-60 with stock shafts S300’s?, Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport 2 or Scotty Cameron Pro Platinum Newport 2 Mil Spec or Odyssey Rossie II (I switched every couple rounds back then). 5 Years Ago: Driver: Nike VRS Tour Covert with Fujikura Tour Spec 60 x-stiff, Fairway: Nike Covert with Matrix HD6 stiff, Irons: Titleist 712 mb with Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S300?, Wedges: Vokey SM4 52-56-60 with stock S300 , Putter: Scotty Cameron Pro Platinum Newport 2 Mil Spec or Scotty Cameron Futura X. My handicap has improved over the last few years. Hover around scratch depending on the streak. But that’s from playing smarter, not really any better.
• kmay_: ” My bag from when I was around 15 stayed the same right thru till the last couple of years when I’ve gotten serious about the game. It was as follows..TM R580 10.5 with a 35g reg flex grafalloy shaft, Goliath 3 wood 15* stock shaft, TNT Gold irons 3-PW, 60* Powerbilt Walmart model wedge, Bullseye flange putter. And yes my play is greatly improved but much more a result of practice and playing often!
• Matty01984: “This is me from 5 years ago: Driver – 913D3, Fairway Wood – 910F, Irons – 712U 3 iron & 714AP2 4 to PW, Wedges – SM5 52, 56 and 60, Putter – Scotty GoLo S5. No pictures from 10 years ago but that would have been: Driver – 909D3, Fairway Wood – 904F (with a steel X100 shaft…what was I thinking), Irons – Original AP2, Wedges – Vokey’s of some kind but genuinely not sure, Putter – Scotty Select Newport 1.5.

Entire Thread: “In honor of the new ‘WITB Time Machine’, what’s your WITB from 5 and 10 years ago?”

Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from speeder717 who opens up discussion on potential moves players may make in 2020. With Jason Dufner to Cobra already confirmed, WRXers are speculating on more big changes which could occur in the new year.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

• GDTBATH: “I’m interested to see if Brooks ever nails down something official. He’s leaving a lot of cheddar on the table.”
• Golfjack: “If Cobra could land Brooks, it would be huge for them.”
• TheMoneyShot: “I heard Fowler to TM as well.”
• MidwestGolfBum: “It seems like Brooks would have signed with somebody if he wanted that. I wouldn’t doubt that people have thrown some decent sized numbers at him at this point. Club deals aren’t as big as they once were, so maybe he is just happy to be playing whatever he likes, winning a ton of cash, and having a couple big sponsors.”
• CStephenson17: “Rickie is definitely not moving. Just posted a video with the Speedzone.”

Entire Thread: “Players on the move in 2020?”

Driver: Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Tour Spec Blue 63X

3-wood: Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Tour Spec Blue 73X

5-wood: Callaway Epic Flash (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Atmos Tour Spec Blue 8X

Irons: Callaway X-Forged Utlity (24 degrees), Callaway X-Forged 18 (5-8), Callaway Apex MB Irons (9, PW)
Shafts: Nippon NS Pro Modus3 Hybrid Tour X (24 degrees), True Temper AMT tour White X100 (5-PW)

Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy 4 (48, 56, 60 degrees)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Putter: Odyssey Toulon Las Vegas

Ball: Chrome Soft X Triple Track

Say hello to Callaway Golf’s newest driver and fairway woods for 2020—Mavrik and Mavrik Sub Zero.

We just spotted the new Callaway Mavrik drivers on the USGA Conforming List, which for those that don’t know, is a publicly available database that allows tournament committees to check the conformity of any club that might be put into play during an event. Every single OEM has to submit each variation of a club to the USGA before it gets deemed legal for competition.

For the new Callaway Mavrik to show up on the USGA List on an “off week” for the PGA Tour, beyond the Tiger Woods’ hosted Hero World Challenge, means that there is a very good chance we could be seeing this in a few bags this week, not just in the Bahamas but on the European Tour as well.

What’s New With The Callaway Mavrik Line?

First up, there is the confirmed continuation of the now traditional Callaway “standard” model along with a lower-spinning, lower-MOI Sub Zero version. What is difficult to tell on either head is the geometry compared to the Epic Flash. If Callaway is going to work along what has been their standard practice over the last couple of years, the new Mavrik should be slightly shallower and longer heel to toe like the Rogue which would offer a total boost to overall forgiveness.

Callaway’s JailBreak face technology is predominately featured on the sole, and again this is an assumption, but with the success of last year’s A.I. designed Flash Face, it would be hard to believe that the team at Callaway would be abandoning that.

The most noticeable difference so far compared to the 2019 Epic Flash is the lack of any movable weight track along the back of both Mavrik driver models. They look to have the same adjustable hosel but no adjustable CG, beyond the potential of move a heavier weight to the rear of the Sub Zero head.

I must admit that compared to the Callaway Epic Flash the new Mavrik drivers look to be trending towards a slightly more subdued overall graphic scheme but that has very little to do with the technology and is just an observation. We have heard unconfirmed rumors that the main accent color will be orange, but until we have a clubhead in hand, this is just a rumor.

Mavrik Fairway Woods

Just like with the drivers, any technology included in the Mavrik fairway woods beyond what we can see are up to the imagination.

We know that we will have a standard and a Sub Zero model, and that unlike the previous Epic Flash fairway woods, the Mavrik heads will NOT be adjustable at the hosel. The interesting thing about the hosel is that Callaway has been producing non-adjustable versions the standard retail (adjustable) heads on tour for a few years now, and this could mean that as far as fairway woods go, there is potential for increased forgiveness from freed up mass when the adjustability is removed—at that point it becomes a fitting want versus a performance need with either one being the better option depending on the player.

Keeping You Updated

Until more details emerge we will have to continue to speculate, but you can see what other golfers are saying about the new Callaway Mavrik driver and fairway woods in the GolfWRX forums here: GolfWRX Forums: Discussion the All New Callaway MAVRIK

Adidas Golf is bringing its street culture looks to the course for a limited-edition apparel collection – Collection Ø.

Designed for golfers looking for a blend across lifestyle and performance, Collection Ø includes a sweatshirt, jacket, Jacquard polo, stripe polo, Dobby and woven shorts, and Dobby pant for a golf and lifestyle look and feel.

Speaking on the release, Dylan Moore, senior creative director, Adidas Golf., stated

“Golfers today expect to find apparel that provides them with everything they would need on the course – stretch, lightweight, moisture-wicking fabrics, protection from the sun, etc. – but they also expect to find unique elements of style and versatility within those pieces.

We wanted to give them that, so we looked to our DNA as a brand for inspiration and met with designers from other categories to get additional insights. The end result was this unique capsule that had the perfect blend of golf with sport and street culture.”

A few of the highlights, below.

Crew sweatshirt ($90)

Jacket ($100)

Jacquard polo ($80)

Dobby ($75) and woven ($80) shorts

Dobby pant ($90)

The exclusive Collection Ø launches today and is available to purchase at adidas.com and select retailers worldwide.

Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from mxkier who currently plays, and adores, his Apex Pro 19s but has an attraction to blades. Anxious about the forgiveness of blades from the low end of the bag, mxkier wants to split his bag by using them from 5-PW. Our members have been discussing the idea of playing a split set in our forums.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

• smithy23: “The split set is a happy compromise and a bit more confidence-inspiring. I have two sets Mizuno jpx 900 tours and Nike vapor pro blades. I’m an 11 HCP so arguably not low enough to play blades but personal preference whatever etc. (another argument that one). If you love the way the blades look at address and strike it well get them, and just play your Apex pros in 4/5/6 etc. for the known feel distance etc. and then your blades in the rest. It’s what I do play 6 upwards in blades on the nikes and use cobra utility 4 iron and Mizuno 5iron. When I really start to get off things I go back to full mizzy bag. Split set is a great way to go, why do tour pros do it ?? cos its a good fit.”
• WristySwing: “As to the question why, here it is. Blades are typically easier to shape shots with due to their weight distributions being more neutrally biased as opposed to the extremes of the perimeters. They also typically have higher CoGs, meaning they will flight the ball a bit lower, which is what most better players are after since they create enough height and lift due to their ball speed naturally. Lastly, there is no pro or con to playing a blade if you are good enough (solid, mid-low single-digit player at a decent course, not some dinky goat track that you can play with your eyes closed) apart from what I have outlined. I have hit fliers with blades just as well as I have with GI irons; fliers are caused by a significant reduction in spin due to a lack of efficient contact with face and ball. Rarely, if ever, is a flier caused by a “low spin” face…it just means the loft and/or ball aren’t fit to you properly.”
• BCULAW: “I gravitate towards blades because of feel. Mind you; it isn’t not so much the feel of the strike – there are plenty of CBS that feel outstanding on contact. Rather, for me, there is a distinct feel of a thin-sole iron through the turf that a thinner sole iron cannot replicate. Without that “feel” of turf interaction, contact doesn’t feel solid to me. As a result, I want the thinner soles, which usually are found on blades. I generally don’t put much but stock in “forgiveness,” but I expect there will be a time when I will struggle to elevate blades to an appropriate trajectory. I’m not there yet, so I play a full set of MBs. The search will be an interesting one for me when the day arrives when I need help. At the end of the day, a lot of us don’t play for scores. And, even if we did, there’s plenty that will score as well, or better, playing blades for precision as opposed to something else for other reasons (distance, forgiveness, etc. ). Play what will provide you the most joy.”
• Cptwiggly: “To me, the benefit comes with how the club goes through the turf. I grew up with Hogan and Mizuno’s in my bag. I don’t know if I was always steep or I became steep because I was hitting blades. Regardless, that’s where I am now. As I move to longer irons, I become less steep, and the wider soles become less of an issue. I tried to go more forgiving this year and put z585s in my bag. Even with the v sole, I can still don’t like the short irons, and I feel like I am a club short sometimes. When I get through the turf really clean, I’m 15 yards past the pin. Some of that comes from low spin fliers, but it makes it really hard to feel comfortable with my yardage. I just ordered a set of Z Forged with the same Modus 105s I have in my 585s. I’ll probably keep my 585 4 and 5 iron and go z forged down. I’ll have to adjust the lofts a little of course on the 585s, but I’m looking forward to going back to blades.”
• Cachualo: “I have been playing blades for a bit, and my hcp does not support it…I love the feel of the good shots but recognize the lack of forgiveness in the longer irons especially. I am intrigued by the idea of a split set but haven’t moved that direction yet, hit the MP20 MMC the other day thinking it would be a night and day difference in forgiveness, but I did not feel the 7i was any easier to hit than my MP32s. I probably am leaving some shots on the table by playing a full blade set but with the amount of golf I play (not a ton) I can live with it.”

Entire Thread: “Why play a split set with blades? And why are we drawn to blades??”

It’s one thing to reinvent a design, it’s another to take an existing design and make it work better, or in the case of the new Scotty Cameron Phantom X 12.5, make it work better for more players.

Scotty Cameron Phantom X 12.5: Details

The Phantom X 12.5 is an extension of the popular Phantom X line of mallets to meet the needs of players seeking a stable putter with more toe flow. This category of more “toe down” mallet putters has grown enormously in the last few years, and we see more and more putters like this used by the top players in the world. A bonus for the southpaws out there: the new Scotty Cameron Phantom X 12.5 will be available left-handed.

The Phantom X 12.5 brings the entire Phantom X line up to 10 mallet designs built around five head styles—each with an option for different hosel configurations. The Phantom X 12.5 offers a low-bend shaft setup that mimics what many would refer to as a short slant neck. The difference is that compared to a slant neck, the low bend hides the hosel and the shaft transitions into the head quite discretely to offer a very clean look from address, making it very easy to align.

Since the inspiration for the putter came directly from the tour, the top alignment is much more subtle compared to other models in the Phantom X line. A single gloss black long line contrasts nicely with the matte finish on the aluminium body of the putter to offer help in setting up but still keeps a clean look preferred by better players.

Just like every other putter in the Phantom line, the X 12.5 utilizes multi-material construction to increase MOI and optimal weight distribution, while also maintaining the responsive feedback and feel Scotty Cameron putters are known for.

“Every time we introduce a new putter line, I receive requests from tour players and dedicated
golfers for additional setups and configurations. Phantom X 12.5 is the result of some of those
requests. I added the low-bend shaft for extra toe flow and also designed a new alignment
option by milling a single sight line down the center painted black for a very clean look from
address. It really sets up nicely. Adding this new model also gave me the opportunity to make
a left-handed version designed so everyone can take advantage of the performance benefits
of the Phantom X 12.5.” – Scotty Cameron

Cameron released this video on YouTube in conjunction with the announcement.

Scotty Cameron Phantom X 12.5: Availability

Scotty Cameron Phantom X 12.5 putters will be available in North America on December 12,
2019, and worldwide on February 14, 2020 through Titleist authorized golf shops. MAP: $429.

Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from jjfcpa who opens up a discussion on forged game improvement irons. Our members have been discussing the array of forged irons on the market, and which ones WRXers rate highest in each department.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

• Millhill88: “In the GI Category…. If you’re set on forged, look at the Srixon 585’s. Very forgiving, great feel and loooong. If you’re open to “forged feel”, try the Titleist T300’s. I switched from the 585’s to the T300’s. Both of these are great for all handicaps. I’m a “9”, and wouldn’t play anything but a GI iron.”
• JanKo: “Cobra Forged Tec Blacks are awesome as well. Decent looking head with good feel, pretty forgiving and better spin consistency than a lot of other heads I played.”
• PreppySlapCut: “Big fan of the Miura CB-301.”
• reider69: “I have had the 900 forged since they were released and I still love them. Very forgiving and long. The topline is much and thinner and sleeker looking than the 919’s albeit with a bit longer blade length. I still get compliments from people who see them in the bag as well.”
• JDMRN81: “I recently had a chance to hit Honma’s TW X irons, and I was very impressed. Not very long heal to toe but does have wider soles. Great looking irons overall.”

Entire Thread: “Forged game improvement irons?”