If there were a Tropicana bikini contest for drivers it is doubtful that PING G25 driver would ever get to wear the victory sash or even crack the top 5. Yet, somehow PING drivers have been a steady contender in everyone’s “hot list” and a staple in golf bags for what seems like forever. Sure Bubba Watson swings a PING driver and is no doubt a flashy ambassador, but the brand as a whole still wears a one-piece bathing suit.

So does this mean the marketing folks at PING should be set out to pasture and replaced with a bunch of wizbang spiffed up go getters? I say no and I actually believe that PING has never set their sights on the sexy award.

If you think about golf clubs as girls, they can be divided into two groups: those you date and those you marry. What if PING is the marrying type? You know the one that does NOT make your life a soap opera, the one that does NOT break your heart, the one that does NOT stand you up, and the one that is NOT a potential train wreck every time you see her. Instead, what if PING is your steady, your life long companion, the one you know and trust, the one that has your back. What if being the girl you marry is what PING is going for? Too creepy? Stay with me . . .

I have had many PING clubs in my bag over the years and currently still carry a PING G10 five wood because it is the safest most consistent club I own. At 185 yards, I feel like I can land it on a dime and it gets me out of so many jams I am going to be hard-pressed to ever replace it. So, while  it has been years since I had a PING driver in my bag, I was pretty darn sure I was going to enjoy reviewing it.

My PING G25 driver review started like buying any other PING club – the online fitting. While probably not as good as an in person fitting with a Pro, the online version does a good job of recommending the right shaft and loft. In my case, I am always right between a stiff and regular shaft as my swing speed is about 94 mph. For what it is worth, I ended up with the regular shaft 10.5 loft driver.

The club itself is not fancy but I would classify it as distinguished. Matte black with a simple alignment aid on the top and a shiny bottom that features only the branded PING G25. Worth noting is that even after 20 or so rounds, the bottom of the club has shown very little wear, which is very refreshing compared to many drivers we review that look 2 years old after a month of play.

As with most PING clubs, the first thing that comes to mind is forgiveness. While PING has definitely earned their reputation for forgiving with clubs like the G25 irons, they also make darn good player clubs like the S55 irons. With that said, the G25 driver is more on the forgiving side. That is not to say a player cannot benefit from the G25 driver. I am a 9.5 handicap and hit the ball straight but not particularly far. My average drive is about 225 with 265 being my outside range. I have reviewed about 5 drivers this year and the PING G25 driver is as long as any of them and longer than most.

Regardless of the distance, the reason the PING has remained in my bag for so long is that it just goes straight all the time. Even with mis-hits I am not wildly far off. The large clubhead gives you a tons of room for mistakes, but when you catch it just right it is a bomber.

Again, not super sexy but when I am hitting 12 fairways and never playing out of the woods, I am all in. I also don’t want to give the impression that the G25 is ugly, because it is far from that. It is just that you don’t have any extra glamour. It is your basic step up and smash it driver. Your working class bigstick.

Under the hood, the PING G25 driver does offer a touch of adjustability. You can change the loft by plus or minus a half degree which will make a 1% adjustment to the face angle. Per usual, I don’t mess with the setting, but that’s just me.

As I mentioned, the PING website takes you through a basic fitting which in part will spit out a recommended shaft. The shaft that came with my driver and was used for this review was the TFC189 which is weighted toward the butt end of the club in order to partially offset the heavier club head. I am a self-admitted dope when it comes to shafts, but I am convinced that the shafts PING uses are well matched to the club (plus they look super cool).

Hey what about the PING G30 Driver? Yep, the PING G30 driver has just come out which means the G25 driver is now an older model. Unlike many companies, PING does not roll out multiple versions of a club each year (which, by the way, I believe is a business model that is proving to be counterproductive for both consumers and companies). My guess would be that it will be the PING release cycle that becomes more normal as we enter into 2015. But, my point is, that even though the G25 is now one generation old, it is still a rock solid choice for the majority of golfers.

Anyone who plays to a 10-30 handicap is a perfect candidate for the PING G25 (and likely a bunch of single digit handicappers as well). At every level, PING nails it. The sound is great, the looks are fine, the adjustably is sufficient, the forgiveness is welcomed and the distance is plenty respectable. Get it, you get the whole ball of wax. Maybe you miss out on one “wow” factor, but you don’t get burned by a glaring deficiency.

So for all those married guys out there, when you go shopping for your next driver, think about your wife (I assume you love her). Think about why you are still married (besides the huge inheritaence from her dad). Yea, it is the stability, the dependability, the no surprises that keeps you together. Sure you might miss the wild nights in Vegas with that girl in the short dress, but in the end it just meant trouble. Meet PING: the girl you can marry.

Learn more on the PING website.

When the founder of Bombtech, Tyler ‘Sully’ Sullivan, announced that he was working on a putter, the obvious question was could he replicate the success he had with his Grenade driver. Sure, we thought he had done a bang up job with the Grenade driver, but the technology in a flatstick and a big stick are worlds apart.

The most obvious feature of the Bombtech putter is the weight. It’s about as heavy a putter as we have reviewed, weighing in at a stout 445 grams. Even my wife, who is not a golfer, instantly noticed how heavy it is compared to other putters. But she also noted one of the big advantages. In her words: “It takes a little more to pull the putter back, but it actually makes it easier and smoother to swing it through the stroke.” And in that short observation, you get a lot of the science at work in this new mallet.

As noted in our Bombtech Driver review, Sully works with engineers to design what he believes is a superior product. While I will dig into many of these topics, Sully brings his perspective in this article. As for my opinion, I will start with my general belief that the short game is mainly feel, imagination and lots of practice. There is  no putter on the planet that can magically eliminate 3 putts or because human error is a fact of existence. However, a superior putter can help with these issues and I believe the Bombtech putter does so by addresses a couple of key problems.

One, we don’t always hit the putter in the sweet spot–and that translates to offline puts as the putter twists in our hands. MOI, or the moment of inertia has been thrown around a lot in the past few years, but the Bombtech designers did a ton of work to use form, materials and distribution of that large chunk of carbon steel to make sure that off-center hits were as minimally damaging as possible. I can certainly attest to the fruit of their labor! I spent some time hitting off the toe, the heel and the center and was very impressed how well the putts stayed on line and kept their distance.

Two, we have trouble with the fluidity of our stroke, especially under pressure— and that means that we will stab or swat at the ball, or push, pull or yank our strokes when we are nervous. I can also tell you that this putter is extremely easy to swing smoothly through the hitting zone. The added weight compared to other putters is a true revelation in terms of promoting a smooth, non-wristy stroke through the ball-striking path. If you can pull it back and let it go, the putter tries really hard to stay on a smooth arc which correlates to much better and more consistent rolls. Bombtech starts with a huge block of steel, and like many boutique putter companies, uses computer-guided metal lathes to work the steel into the beautiful mallet you see here.

Three, many of us have putters that skid before they start rolling— and that contributes to offline rolls and varied distance. Bombtech has put a loft angle of 2.5 degrees into the face of the putter so that it will skid less and start rolling quicker. They have slow-motion footage comparing the Grenade Golf Putter to other well-known putters, and the results are easy to see with your own eyes. Links are on the article mentioned above.

We have reviewed quite a barrel-full of putters here at Three Guys Golf and we have been very impressed and grateful to the companies, craftsmen and engineers that have taken the ‘flatstick’ to new heights. I’d like to say from my experience that the Bombtech Grenade Golf Putter belongs in a short list of putters you should be glad to have in your bag. It’s a true contender, and at a street price of $200, it’s pretty stunning what they’ve packed into this stick.

I first took the putter out with an Odyssey mallet I’ve used as my default for nearly 20 years, as well as several other boutique and name-brand mallets I’ve reviewed over the past few years. No doubt, the Bombtech was the heaviest, without question. For example, I recently reviewed the Bettinardi BB2 counterbalance putter that I would classify as “heavy”, and the Bombtech is heavier than that.

On the course: To give some context, I was putting on some greens that were the fastest I had seen in recent years. I don’t like to exaggerate, but folks were actually gasping when they hit their putts and when I tapped a little 8 footer down a slight incline, and the ball rolled a cool 15 feet past the cup I knew these conditions would be a great test for the Bombtech putter. At the end of a 45 minute putting session, I was extremely pleased with how quickly I was able to make putts with the same consistency as my normal putter. And in certain situations where I was a little shaky on a brutally quick side-hill putts, the Bombtech helped give me a smoother, less wristy stroke than I sometimes put on with a lighter putter. What I found was that the ball rolled off the face beautifully, and held it’s line extremely well.

Since most of us don’t play on lightening fast greens I also tested the Bombtech putter on medium/slower greens. Perhaps because I have so many years feeling the distance of 8 to 10 footers with a lighter putter, moving to such a weighted flat stick is often difficult because judging distance is quite different. Again, the Bombtech does a phenomenal job of getting the ball on line but there is absolutely an adjustment period for judging distance. On slower greens I found myself hitting the ball past the hole farther and more often than normal. With that said, it is more a matter of learning the putter to dial in the distance.

That brings me to two of the main things I noticed about the Grenade Golf putter: it feels effortless to swing and it sounds beautiful when if comes off the milled face. I don’t ever underestimate a balanced feel and satisfying sound on impact. Those benefits to my peace of mind while I am putting are immense. If you are more used to an insert, you might hear a little more click off the metal face than you are used to but I guarantee you that with a bit of time with this putter you will hear exactly how solid it is through impact from the sound alone.

The mallet head design looks excellent to my eye during setup which is also as a design benefit. Plus, you can pick up a ball of the green using the back of the mallet (my back says thank you to all designers who make this work). The aligment aids which include the notch in the head and green stripes are spot on and really are helpful to getting you lined up correctly. And honestly, the well-balanced feel of the putter really helped me forget how heavy the putter is. There is no other way to describe the swing of this putter than ‘super smooth.’

Finally, it is worth noting that the headcover is a branded Rose & Fire ballistic nylon model. We are big fans of Rose & Fire headcovers and reviewed the motorcycle leather version a few months ago.

So, if you are looking for an excellent putter designed to facilitate as smooth and easy a putting experience as you could hope for, at a very reasonable price, in this guy’s opinion you should give this new Bombtech Grenade Golf Putter a very hard look.

You can learn more on the Bombtech website.

PING, TaylorMade, Titleist, Cleveland, Nike, we all have a perception of those brands that are based on the combination of  experience and marketing. However, none of those names in itself has any connotation of the product’s performance. In other words, Nike is not an adjective or verb so it is only through years of commercials that we attach it to real feelings.

On the other hand, some companies choose names that are intended to incite an emotion. Hence the name Powerbilt – obviously it is supposed to infer an association with a driver that delivers what we all want – power. Ironically, it was the name Powerbilt that was at the root of my initial concern. 

You see, it’s a bit of a catch 22. Without a flashy name, I likely would have never remembered Powerbilt, but the name itself was a red flag for a driver hiding behind a smoke screen of clever naming. Add the fact that Powerbilt’s most noted ambassador is not a golfer but rather an MMA fighter and you can imagine why I feared the worst.  

Despite all of my initial concerns, reviewing products from new companies is always fun because I have no idea what to expect, so there is the chance I will be pleasantly surprised. Sure I had read about Powerbilt, but I had never seen one in person, let alone hit it. Therefore, I decided my first trial would be 100% straight to the course.

On that particular late afternoon, I walked right past the driving range and headed straight to the tee box (apparently everyone else is working at 1pm on a Wednesday). To be clear, there was literally no one else in sight so I even surprised myself when I exclaimed out loud “oh on my gawd” just after contact. No, not because I could tell I ripped it 325 (why is that the magic number reviewers like to use?)  but rather due to the unexpected sound.

Softball bat is what I would liken the sound to, or maybe the old Nike Sasquatch, but definitely a loud “ting”. As I walked down the fairway, however, there was my ball in much the same place it always is (give or take a few yards). 

Over the course of that first round I continued to hit drives to my typical landing spots with roughly the same accuracy and distance as I am accustomed to. Thankfully, the sound also became more of an afterthought rather than a jolt to my system.

 
What I did notice though was my ball flight was lower than most other drivers I hit. This is in part due to the fact the driver has a 9.5 degree loft. Still, the ball definitely stayed lower than I am accustomed to, with the trade-off being that it also rolled out more than usual. NOTE: the Powerbilt DFX driver is not adjustable, which is actually 100% fine by me, but you do need to make sure you get the right loft.

In addition to the supercharged name, Powerbilt also is literally super charged with nitrogen. Now I am no chemistry major but I am pretty sure that this is also what is in my son’s paintball gun. Clearly, the nitrogen in the driver is not exactly the same as what is used to power projectile war paint, but you get the idea. So in the age of endless widgets to make the ball go farther, I am not in a position to say whether this chemistry experiment works, but I can tell you that over the course of 8 or 9 rounds I hit a bunch of drives farther than normal and with roughly the same forgiveness.

Truth is, one of the reasons I was intrigued by the Powerbilt driver was because I had read the results from My Golf Spy’s driver tests and the Powerbilt was near the top for guys with sub 100mph swing speeds (hey, that’s me). Unlike MGS, we are not exactly scientific in our approach to reviews. On the other hand, we play in real conditions on courses that we are extremely familiar with so understanding distance and accuracy is something I am comfortable speaking to, and there is no doubt in my mind that the Powerbilt stacks up with the big brands, AND, considering the fact that it retails for significantly less makes it an actractive alternative.

As with the name, the Powerbilt looks are unique. While top view is pretty plain Jane (sporting a matte black finish and midsized head), the bottom incorporates orange stripes to give it a high-tech look. The reality is, however, the bottom of the club should be a non-issue as you never see it. On the other hand, how it sets up and how it looks at address are important. For me, I like the clean topline with a simple alignment mark. The face is also deeper than many drivers which helps with confidence to make square contact.

The Powerbilt DFX driver also comes with a number of options for aftermarket shafts. In my case it was the Fujikura Motore F3. While I am a not a shaft geek, I do believe that adding aftermarket shafts from companies that specialize in just that is always an advantage.

So if you are the kind of guy who likes to buy new drivers, but you’re not thrilled about dropping $400, the Powerbilt is a great option. The Tour model runs $299 and the MOI version just $249 so you can save a chunk of change. You can see the whole line on the Powerbilt website

There is a new putter in town that is all the rage – it is commonly referred to as the “Boutique Putter”. Somehow, I have drawn the short stick for every such putter review but this time I struck gold when I drew the assignment to review the new Kenny Giannini G6 putter.

I know I know, product review guys claims “THIS” putter is the best ever after just claiming that “THAT” putter was outstanding and a game changer. I’ve been pretty fortunate to review some outstanding putters here at Three Guys Golf and with no intent on discrediting any of those fine companies, I have to say not one of them has impressed me to the level that the new Giannini G6 has.

My first encounter ever with Mr. Giannini was back in 2013 at the Las Vegas PGA Show when I had the opportunity to chat with him at his booth. During our conversation he asked me what I was currently putting with and when I told him an Odyssey Versa he just smiled and chuckled. “You guys and your inserts.” He then went on to educate me about why using a putter with an insert isn’t the most practical solution if you’re looking to gain any form of consistency with your putting. It was a rather humbling moment to say the least.

Prior to attending the PGA Show in Orlando I knew there was a new line of putters coming from Giannini, so I made it a point to make their booth one of my first stops and when I arrived. Gusten, one of their reps, placed the G6 in my hands and I instantly fell in love. The “Flow Neck” design of the G6 is simply gorgeous with its classic look and beautiful finish; it stood out over the others new putters in the 2014 lineup. I loved the look and feel of a blade putter and from the first time I was able to hold the G6 in my hands, I literally couldn’t wait for the day it arrived on my doorstep.

As a certified geek when it comes to the techy/nerdy side of golf and equipment, I really enjoyed learning about Mr. Giannini and his history as a club designer and craftsman. The putters he creates are the real story though, so let’s get into it.

For starters, all Giannini Putters are all billet milled using a solid one-piece of carbon steel and they all incorporate the Trademarked and Patented milled Soft Slotted Face Technology (SSFT®) slotted sole. You read that correctly, you simply will not find this technology on any other putter, period!  This “slot” that is present on the sole of the club is milled into the body of the putter just behind the face. The placement of the slot provides for the inertia of the ball striking the face to be distributed across the face, thereby allowing the putter to square up to the intended line on “slightly” off center hits, be it the heel or the toe.  The “gear effect” where the heel of the putter will pass the toe on a toe strike or vice versa on a heel hit just isn’t there, which makes it an unbelievably well balanced putter.

Where other companies may have incorporated a slot similar to this one, none of them are performance-based. For most putters, the slot is just is an audible enhancement, creating a different sound. The SSFT on the Giannini putters is 100% performance-based and when you hit a putt for the first time you’ll be utterly amazed at how well the putter head travels through the impact zone. Dropping putts will become a mere formality and not the rare occasion.

Here are the specs on the Giannini G6 we received for review:

Giannini G6: 35” with PureGrips “Big Dog” putter grip, ¼ inch offset with a ¾ toe hang in the “003” non-glare finish.  The ¾ toe hang is ideal for the inside-square to inside putting stroke which is another reason I enjoy putting with it some much. It fits my stroke path perfectly.

If you recall our last product review from Giannini, the G5 Mallet, you will see there have been some dramatic changes to the appearance of the new line. A new branding of the putters featuring a scripted Giannini logo on the back of the club that has replaced the square enclosed G logo. You’ll also notice Giannini has a new finish that is very appealing; it’s called “003” and this new finish has a non-glare attribute which is great on the course but also helps in accentuating the new white scripted logo. You also have the choice of the platinum finish.

In speaking with Gusten and Tim from Giannini I found it remarkable how much they take into consideration the suggestions from people who have played or are currently playing their putters. Several of the changes they have made, all of which I believe have made the new line outstanding, came from suggestions from existing players and reviewers. According to Gusten and Tim, this is all in the pursuit of creating a putter that doesn’t compromise their basic premise of the company’s tag line “The Look, The Feel, The Balance of Winning”

The “Big Dog” is a new grip from PureGrips that I was a little hesitant to try. The Fat grip craze is all over the place (even juniors as young as 7 years old are using them) but I’ve been a traditionalist for a long time in regards to the size of my putter grips. Not that I haven’t tried them, it just hasn’t been a good fit for me. Luckily Gusten talked me into the grip because even though I was leery of an oversized grip, I’ve been putting lights out with it and couldn’t been happier. The “Big Dog” is a very heavy grip and because of its weight it acts similar to how a counterbalanced putter is used. The putter practically putts by itself, I just have to be there to hold on! With PureGrips being the grip of choice for Giannini LLC, it’s pretty sweet how they have incorporated the scripted Giannini logo into the grip.

No worries if you’re not a fan of the larger grips. The PureGrips pistol grip is the standard for all Giannini putters and they are both available in a wide variety of colors.

Much like Adam’s assessment of the putter cover he received with the G5, I’m a huge fan of the G6 cover as well. Giannini matched my red grip to a red cover and it looks fantastic not only protecting the club but also when it’s safely tucked into my bag. The stitching is outstanding, it’s obviously not going to fall apart on you any time soon, and the lining reminds me more of an exotic fur coat than a putter sleeve. The best part . . . magnets! Most putter companies have gone away from using magnets in their putter covers due to cost, but when you’re dropping close to $400 on a flatstick it’s nice to see Giannini didn’t choose to trim the budget on an important piece of the package. Once the cover is placed over the putter head, it isn’t going anywhere!

The first couple of days with the G6 I mainly stayed at home and used it on my backyard green to get a feel for it. I’m not the type of player that likes to show up for a round with a foreign entity in my bag, so having the putting green out back really assisted me in getting the feel for it and how the ball was reacting to the milled face. In a single word it was flawless. The ball rolls off the face in such an elegant manner that it was pure pleasure rolling the ball. The sound coming off the face is pure and in no way has that distracting high ting you’ll find in some boutique putters.

My first on course outing took place several days later at one of my favorite tracks in town, Rio Secco Golf Club. I chose Rio because they have some of the best greens in town and I didn’t want to deal with a crappy putting surface the first time I put the G6 into play. Even with a 3-putt on the first hole (completely my fault, not the putter’s) I managed to record 28 putts with 9 1-putts. Both personal best!

I have played a total of 5 rounds with the G6 and have been averaging 1.7 putts per round. Along with that statistic my 3-putts have significantly decreased, a number that I NEED to be lower for sure.

As chaotic as my golfing life has been over the past three years, it is a newfound blessing knowing that every time I walk up to a green the last thing I’m worried about is how I’m going to putt.

The craftsmanship and advancement in the club design is remarkable, the appearance is extraordinary, and when you take into account the spectacular performance what you have on your hands is one SEXY putter.

You can purchase the G6 for $355 on the Giannini website. But be sure to check out all the putters in the new Giannini line and find the right one for your game.

I freely admit that I am a sucker for pimped out putters. Yes, I know looks should not be the decided factor when choosing a flatstick but I just refuse to comprise on aesthetics. Even though Low Tide putters have only been around for about two years they have quickly made a big impression on those who follow the boutique putter market. First off, they are downright beautiful. With three basic models – Fin, Whale Tail and Rip Curl – Low Tide Putters have come out of the gate with eye popping designs.

Long before I ever touched one of these putters, I was checking out pictures on the Low Tide Twitter and Instagram feeds. If nothing else, these guys are pretty darn sharp when it comes to displaying their product, although I probably should not be surprised since the two founders of Low Tide are not exactly graybeards.

The history of Low Tide Putters is the age old garage-to-boardroom success story (although I think they are still somewhere between those two points). Still, the fact is the company was founded by two friends with complementary skill sets and a whole lot of desire to create a putter that is both beautiful and functional. Barely removed from the long nights spent creating the first prototype, Low Tide Putters are now getting great reviews. I, for one, fully expect that it is only a matter of time before the larger population takes notice as well.

For my review, I chose the Whale Tail because I tend to prefer more of a mallet shape (at least in terms of performance). Milled out of a single block of stainless steel, this putter is definitely a head turner. The shape is aggressive and bold and reminiscent of the butt-end of weapons used in Game of Thrones. Couple the unique shape with the rainbow torched finish and you have a flatstick that is sure to be noticed by everyone in the foursome.

A few side notes on both the shape and the finish before I move on. I am not sure how much time was spent measuring the gap in the back of the putter but it is literally the exact space needed to pick up a golf ball. It is hands down the easiest putter to scoop up a ball with. The finish is absolutely beautiful and the rainbow effect varies on how the sun shines upon it. The top of the putter is also quite shiny, even to the point that it caught the sun almost too squarely. With that said, the finish starts to dull over time so there’s a little good news/bad news: the glare goes away but the rainbow “wow” factor is also diminished (but not eliminated).

On to the course…for some reason, I always seem to get new gear about 10 minutes before I am going to play golf, which either means I am very lucky or I play way too much golf. Either way, my first experience with equipment often occurs on the #1 tee box or green. In the case of the Low Tide Whale Tail, my very first putt was about a 35 footer. No, I did not roll a gagger, but I was caught equally by surprise. Have you ever taken a big gulp of what you thought was juice without knowing it had been spiked with vodka? Because you had certain expectations for the taste your brain gets short-circuited trying to match perception to reality? Well the same thing happened when I struck the ball. Specifically, I never anticipated that the Low Tide Putter would have a pronounced tingy sound. Maybe because the putter is beefy in nature or that the name includes the word “low”, I just never expected the sound it produced.

So, for me, I am not a huge fan of tingy putter sounds but as I expressed my surprise, two of my playing partners said they really liked the sound. Obviously, it is a personal opinion, but it took me a little time to get used to the sound. Now, months later, I don’t even notice it.

If you did not pick up on that last line, I said months later. Yes the Low Tide Putter has stayed in my bag. From a performance standpoint, what I like most about it is the weighting and feel. I, along with nearly everyone who has used it, immediately comments on the balance. It simply feels natural in your hands and comfortable to swing. This in turn makes it easy to become very confident with both long and short putts. I know this is not scientific, but in my brain, a mallet is slightly less accurate than a blade but a whole lot more forgiving. This is basically how I feel about the Low Tide Putter. I have played rounds when I putted lights out and days when nothing would drop but rare is a day when putts are nowhere close.

Now let’s step back a moment to talk about why you would consider a putter from a company run by two young guys with 1/millionth the R&D budget of Nike or Titleist or any other big brand name. The simple answer is that they live and breathe this company which means they will go the extra mile to make a custom putter that you will have and treasure forever. In my case, the Three Guys Golf logo on the sole of the blade gives me a…well it is so damn cool.

Beyond the bling, Low Tide will work with you to get the exact specifications that you want and will even make suggestions based on your putting stroke. For me, they took a look at a video of my stroke to gauge what specs I should get. The point is, Low Tide is committed to each and every customer’s satisfaction because they have to. Like any small company, they cannot afford to blow off any customers, which means you/we win!

Finally, I just want to touch on a few of the other products Low Tide Putters offers. Specifically, the putting puck which is super cool (although I don’t have one). Made from a solid piece of metal, you can throw it down anywhere (your carpet or the green) and have an exact replicate of a hole. No more trying to putt to a tee in the ground. The other cool item they have (which I do own) is a divot repair tool. Last year we wrote a whole piece on cool divot repairs and ball markers and had I known about the Low Tide version, it would have surely made the list.

So if you are in the market for a custom putter (or any putter), I would highly recommend Low Tide Putters. Between the three basic models and the availability of custom options you are sure to get just the putter you want.

Check out all of the putters on the Low Tide Putter website

After hundreds of product reviews written, I still find that the most difficult ones to to write are for wedges. Why? Well, first because my short game is sometimes a bit suspect. Secondly, I believe people who chip well can chip with a shovel and still get up and down. And finally, wedges have started to come with a whole list of technology like bounce and grind that frankly go over the head for most golfers.

So, with that huge disclaimer, let’s dive into the Renegar wedge review. First off, Renegar is not part of a large golf company. Instead it was founded by one guy named Bob Renegar. Late to the game of golf, Bob started Renegar in 1993. Through the years, the company has gone through a number of design iterations and in the process filed a couple of patents which they believe to be crucial in differentiating their clubs from the pack. Foremost of the design features is the lowered leading edge. This is the part of the club which is closest to the ground at impact. Now for bunker shots, a higher leading edge is fine because the club passes under the ball, but when you are chipping from the ground, a high leading edge can result in the dreaded skulled ball. By lowering the leading edge, the Renegar wedge essentially gives you a touch more forgiveness to reduce the chance of a mis-hit. Hence, the club is just as effective on tight lies as in fluffy bunkers.

The compliment to the leading edge is the bounce. Bounce is what determines how much resistance the club has with the ground or sand. The more bounce the less resistance. Again, in a bunker you typically want a lot of bounce so the club moves through the sand easily. However, when you are playing in varied conditions, hard pan or soft turf, the bounce can have a large effect on how the club reacts to the ground. This is why some players will choose wedges with more or less bounce depending on the conditions.

Where the Renegar wedge design is unique is in the sole because it gives you a number of bounce options based on how you lay the club. This variable bounce feature is created by the UTILITY-patented Sole (the cut-out).  At this point my mental capacity becomes a little strained but in layman’s terms you get three bounce ratios in each club. So enough of the techno speak. The Renegar wedges have a few things out of the box that I really liked. First they don’t look like a butter knife that you have to hit perfectly in order to get the ball moving in the right direction. Many of the wedges I have played are so clearly a “pro-club” that they can be a touch intimidating. You know the kind –  amazing to look at, nightmare to hit, yea, I got your number buddy.

Because of my inherent “issues with chipping”, for years I chipped primary with my stock PW simply because I was comfortable with the club since it looked like all of my other clubs. I guess my thought was “why hit a club that looks different?” Now clearly I was giving up some control and workability but I was willing to trade that for confidence. As my game improved, I became more comfortable with a more standard 52 or 56 degree wedge but even today I can get a little yippy around the green.

The good news for me is that the Renegar wedge seems more substantial than many other wedges and while I have not weighed it, I would bet it is heavier (at least the clubhead). So for me, the Renegar just feels very natural and comfortable in my hands. Even the muted polish is reminiscent of my irons. Sure, a blinged out wedge looks awesome, but standing over a tricky chip I don’t want to be reminded I am wielding a “specialty club”. In terms of performance, I feel like I get nice spin with all of the wedges. This is in part due to the fact that Renegar mills the grooves right to the USGA boundaries. Again, my short game is not world class but I have really enjoyed using the gap wedge inside of 100 yards. Typically, the 60-80 yard shots are those that require 1/2 or 1/3 swings, but I have found using the 52 degree to be a great option as I can take more of a full swing and get the ball up where in can land softly.

Around the green, the Renegar wedges are fairly easy to use. I definitely think they are more forgiving than some of the more bladier wedges out there. That is not to say you can’t get good touch with them. As a double check, I had two buddies who have great short games chip with the Renegar clubs for 10 or so minutes just so I could get some feedback from low handicappers (one being our club champion). Both men agreed that the Renegar seemed more forgiving and easy to hit. My only real knock is the sound which is more muted than some wedges. I don’t get the true “ting” when I hit a shot super pure. It’s not making a gross thud sound but you’re not gonna get a pure ring of “that was perfect” either. This opinion was also shared by my buddies.

As I mentioned, I really like the fact that the Renegar tries to not look significantly different than my irons. The fact that they are a dullish finish helps to also make them blend in with the pack. Still, upon closer inspection, the “R” logo” on the back is fairly bad-ass for those who like a little bling on the wedge. Well, bling is probably not the right word. The vibe I get is almost midieval since the “R” is outlined with some Knight like castle.

The final piece of the wedge puzzle is the shaft and grip. Now I am not going to even pretend to understand how the shaft factors into the performance of the wedge but clearly Renegar thinks it is super important. The stock KBS shaft are used precisely to compliment the short game. What I do understand are the two markings on the grip which are very useful in adjusting for distance control chocking up to the lower dot  should take off about 5 yards from the distance so you can theoretically dial in your shots even more.

Despite the fact that Renegar has been making clubs for 20 years and can boast wins on the PGA Tour, the name remains far under most people’s radar. With that said, I love the fact that they do one thing…wedges. I have always believed in specializing and when a company can set its focus on just making the best wedges without being distracted by drivers, putters, or even apparel, you know you are getting their full attention.

Renegar offers 8 different lofts between 46 and 60 degrees. All clubs can be purchased directly from the Renegar website.

Confession: until 6 weeks ago, I didn’t know jack about Tour Edge. In fact, I’m still not quite sure whether “Exotics” is part of their name or a specific line of clubs or what. Now that I’ve hit the XCG7 4 Hybrid for a few weeks at the range and on the course, I frankly don’t care. The short version of this story is that the Exotics XCG7 Hybrid is now taking up residence in my bag, while my once kinda-beloved 4 iron is sawing logs in my trunk.

Back to my initial cluelessness with Tour Edge and their products – I remember always seeing their clubs being reviewed in the Golf Digest Hot List, but my eyes sort of glazed over the name, me figuring this was more of a knockoff or lower-tier line of clubs. After doing some research, I see that they do have some clubs carrying the “Bazooka” moniker, so you can’t really blame youngerMe for that perception while flipping through the pages. What my research also turned up – the Tour Edge Exotics fairway woods are both respected and utilized on Tour, without paying anyone to play them. So we know they’re legit.

Turns out the whole business model of Tour Edge is geared to put high quality clubs in the hands of golfers without the “inflated” prices that result from mass marketing and hype-machining. So that explains why I never knew much about them, and a lot of you out there are probably in the same boat. For the record, if you visit their website at www.touredge.com, you’ll quickly see that they are not running things the same way a Taylor Made or Nike or any other mainstream clubmaker does . . . I’m not saying better or worse, it’s just a different approach. As examples, I’ll just say that their press releases have not been updated in some time and they offer golfers the option to put a corporate logo on the clubs. Not exactly blueblood stuff, and I think that might give some folks reason to question their legitimacy as a true player in the market.

But as we all know by now, or should know at least – none of that matters. How’s the club?

I tested the XCG7 hybrid 4, with 22 degrees of loft, fitted with the stock Fujikura FUEL shaft in Stiff Flex. Overall the club has a ‘player’ look, in that the classic head shape is a muted/matte gray with no alignment aid, and the shaft is also a matte gray/black. In other words, there’s no bling or flashy stuff going on, it just looks like it wants to be a serious club. The top of the club does bear the word “Exotics” in muted white, located on the back heel, but it is subtle and barely noticeable at address.

Hitting this club follows along the same understated-but-serious path . . . the feel at impact is soft but solid, same with the sound. If you put a blindfold on and took three swings, you’d think “okay, this is a good club”. The kicker, though, is when you look up and actually see the flight of the ball – so high and straight, but with enough forward momentum to never seem like a ballooned skyball.

I had actually never swung a 22 degree hybrid before (always lower) so I suppose this observation must be taken with a grain of salt, but in my first range session I had trouble believing that this club could possibly be hitting the ball 190 or so yards like my 4 iron because it was honestly flying twice as high. And of course, my range of choice is one of those classics where you can’t really tell where the ball lands, so I was thinking there was still a chance that I was just hitting high pop-ups with this thing. It felt great and looked great, but I still couldn’t believe that something climbing that high would also be moving the chains.

Once out on the course, however, my fears were put to rest – yes, this club somehow hits it a mile high and the same distance as my 4 iron – beauty. It still catches me off guard every time I pull this club out on a par 5 layup or a long par 4 – I swing, it feels solid as hell, I look up, it seems way too high to do anything good, I wait a while, it lands where I was aiming.

Because I am forced to think about these things for the sake of reviewing a club: the shaft and head of this club feel so well-balanced through the swing that when you do hit a great shot, it feels like it was just so damn easy and exactly how it was all meant to go down. But not in a super game-improvement manner, mind you – this club allows you to work the ball a bit, and the softer feel is solid in a way that you know you’re not cheating to get the ball up into the air at the cost of all else. In other words, I don’t think Tour Edge is trying to express-deliver more distance or higher launch or what have you, I think it is just a quality, well-balanced golf club that provides a high level of performance.

As I said before, until now I had only hit hybrid 2s and 3s, and I could never shake the idea that they were more of a fairway wood than an iron. I knew they were designed to find greens, but I was only really comfortable using them when I had a little less than a 3 wood’s distance to find a fairway. With this XCG7 4, I am now totally confident in trying to drop a ball on a green with a hybrid in my hand. I’m hitting it so straight, high, and with such control that it no longer feels like a risk/reward scenario to forgo the iron and reach for the lumber.

You can see all of the Tour Exotics clubs on the Tour Edge website

Tell me about your new driver and I’ll ooh and aah about the new paint color and the claims of another 15 yards off the tee. However, what amazes me more is how many people still have the same beat-up putter from high school or bargain basement deal found in the discount bin. Since getting the ball in the hole is where the scoring takes place, it seems like spending a bit of money on a high-quality tool is a pretty darn good idea. In the case of Bettinardi putters, they are the definition of a high-quality instrument!

Bettinardi putters are designed by Robert J. Bettinardi at his state-of-the-art facility in Chicago, IL. Putters are conceived by Bettinardi, computer designed and tested, and finally milled into shape on $350,000 metal lathes from blocks of steel. While that description may lead you the think the Bettinardi putters are generically rolling off the conveyer belt by the bushel-full, the reality is the the process is very exacting and many potential putters don’t make the grade. In fact, by the time they are finished, many putters will go through machining in 6 different lathes before they’re ready for the logo carving and the hand-painting. For my first experience with Bettinardi I was tasked to review the Bettinardi BB32 counterbalance putter which is the latest craze to sweep the putter market.

What is a Counterbalance Putter?

Counterbalance putters aren’t a brand-new idea but with the impending ban on long putters, many guys who make their living rolling the rock are looking for an alternative way to quiet the hands and guarantee a smooth, consistent stroke. As you have probably seen or experienced, belly putters connect the shaft to your core and long putters connect the shaft to your sternum to guarantee a more pendulum-like action. Fundamentally, a counterbalance putter adds weight above and below your hands on the shaft of the club to help stabilize the putter throughout the swing of the putter head. The idea of a counterbalance putter is to give the player all of the advantage of a belly or long putter and to make the transition much easier. In other words, it’s much harder to make a yippy stroke with a counter balance putter. Said another way, the goal is to make the same stroke every time when putting – to square up the putter face to the target line, to get the ball rolling quickly, smoothly and with the right speed. Counterbalance putters are by their size, weight, and center of gravity going to help that happen more easily and with less room for operator error.

The Bettinardi counter balance putter works by adding extra shaft length and a longer grip to add weight above your hand position. To offset the longer shaft, extra weight is added in the head of the putter. This moves the balance point of the putter more towards the middle of the shaft rather than closer to the putter head like conventional putters. The result is a putter that is extremely balanced and solid feeling throughout the swing. The putter I have been using is the mallet-style BB32 counterbalance putter with 38” shaft and 17” Winn grip. Since I normally putt with 33” or 34” putters, this gave me about 5” of shaft and grip above my normal hand position on the grip. The head weight of the BB32 counterbalance is 395 grams which is heavier than most conventional putters. NOTE when ordering I measured from the ground up to my stomach in my normal putting stance to make sure that the 38” shaft wouldn’t contact my body. The shafts go up to 40” so you can get the proper length.

At first glance, the putter is very eye-catching. It’s bold colors make it clear that this is an American product, and everything from the red, white and blue stitching on the white premium-leather head cover to the bold Bettinardi lettering on the red grip and in the carving on the bottom of the putter itself let you know that you have got your hands on a Bettinardi gem. It’s easy to see the care and precision in this putter right through to the hand-painted “B” on their beautiful honeycombed putter face.

I hadn’t seen a Bettinardi putter in person until this review, but was very aware that they are a tour-proven commodity. In fact, PGA Tour star Matt Kuchar even has his own line of Bettinardi putters. Additionally, Freddy Couples, JB Holmes, Bo Van Pelt, Brian Gay and Edoardo Molinari also carry a Bettinardi putter. Knowing that these guys make a living with a putter, I figure there must be something to the Bettinardi name. Kuchar uses a line of putters designed for his arm-clasp method where he holds a longer shaft against his left forearm. Brian Gay uses a traditional blade-style putter and puts with a traditional stroke. Since I putt with the Ballard method which is very core focused, I chose the counterbalance putter that closely resembles the belly putter, without actually touching your body. The counterbalance putter comes in the BB32 mallet design, the BB1 blade or the extremely high MOI BB55 design.

Since this was my first experience with a longer putter I was curious to see how I would be able to adapt to the added length. When I got to the course I instantly knew I was holding a thoroughbred. The 17” slightly-oversized Winn grip felt very comfortable in my hands and because of where the balance of the putter is, I didn’t feel the added weight of the head in a negative way. It simply felt more solid and true all the way through the swing of the stroke. As I used it through my rounds and tried the putter as a ‘Texas wedge’ from off the green, I found that by moving my hands a bit higher on the grip, it was no problem to dial in a bit more distance on my putts.

I was pretty sure the added weight of the putter would be excellent on faster greens but I was concerned that it could be more difficult to use on slower greens. In practice, I actually found that the putter is probably the best I’ve ever used on different green speeds. By slightly varying my hand position to be an inch higher on the grip and making a longer stroke, slow greens were not a problem. Precisely because of the added stability, a longer stroke was more fluid and the putter behaved beautifully.

The mallet-head in the BB32 counterbalance putter is larger than the Odyssey mallet that I have used for years, but it has a very classic look and I was instantly comfortable with its shape and feel through the ball. I have also been using a putter with an insert for years, and was curious as to how the sound would strike me with the ball coming off the metal honeycomb face. Although I first noticed a “clicky-ness,” particularly with cheaper balls, it was minimal with higher quality balls. Plus when the feel is so solid through the strike it soon was a non-issue for me.

We get to review a good number of putters at Three Guys Golf, and there are some great designs that we’ve tested. For me, it’s easy to see why this counterbalance Bettinardi is getting serious looks on Tour, and it should get serious looks from amateurs as well. After several weeks of testing, this putter is in my bag to stay, and I couldn’t be happier.

If you would like to get a Bettinardi putter, you can truly get the putter you want. Their website at Bettinardi.com is well designed and functional, and will take you through the variety of options you can get for the putter that will fit you like a glove. They had our putter out to us to test in a flash, and all the comments I’ve read that say that the folks at Bettinardi have given them excellent customer service and the same attention to detail found in the putters they make. The BB32 counterbalance putter will run you around $350, and there are signature models that can run you up to $500. I heard Bob Bettinardi say that they are expensive because that’s how they are made. They are made by skilled craftsman on top-of-the-line equipment, to the most exacting standards, in the heartland of the USA. This is a putter you can keep for life, and be proud to have in your bag. So, next time you’re trying to decide if that new $400 driver will get you that extra 5 yards over last years model, you may want to take a look at a $350 Bettinardi putter that may do you one better than that, and actually lower your score.

Check out all the Bettinardi putters on the Bettinardi website

OK, at some point in time TaylorMade’s ability to produce new outstanding club after new outstanding club has to come to an end, right? That’s what I’ve thought since first being introduced to the new Burner 2.0’s during a Demo Day nearly three years ago, and since then all they have done is crank out great club after another with virtually zero failures.

Ever since that first swing with a TaylorMade club I’ve been a convert. I traded in all the gear I had to get those Burners in my bag. But I didn’t stop there. I soon added the Rocketballz Hybrid, then the Rocketballz 3 Wood and eventually the Rocketballz driver. That driver stayed in my bag until last fall when I was given the new TaylorMade SLDR to review.

Technological advancements in the golf industry seem to happen more frequently than a traffic jam on the 405, but nowhere does the reign of terror on distance, speed and control seem to end. TaylorMade – keeping on point with more bang for your buck with every club – has, wait for it…. done it again with the new SLDR Fairway Woods.

Let me first preface this review with a little info. I was real hesitant to do this review. I mean REAL hesitant. My struggles with the long clubs have been well documented within my site and for what seems like forever I’ve been trying to associate myself with a fairway wood that I could fall in love with. My Rocketballz 3wood is that club ever since Wade and I started working on my swing. The club is a monster and I probably hit it better than any other club in my bag.

Hopefully, you can understand why my level of anxiety was elevated. The last thing I wanted to do was bring in some alien club to my bag and destroy the beautiful relationship that was YEARS in the making. After spending some quality time learning how to hit the SLDR Fairway Wood, however, I’ve recently tossed aside my old, out of date, decrepitly aged Rocketballz 3W to the “extra club” bag that resides in the cobwebbed corner of my garage.

TaylorMade took the same technology they instituted in the SLDR Driver, moving the center of gravity lower and to the front, and replicated the wildly successful SLDR Driver with their new SLDR Fairway Woods. You’ll notice right away the crown of the club has the same finish as big brother and looks equally appealing to the eye. I have to admit I was actually a fan of the pasty white craze that overtook the industry when the R11 was released, but with the SLDR line I am much more content looking down at the silky charcoal-gray head. It practically lulls you into a relaxed state as you prepare for some Smashing!

Aside from the available stock shafts and grips and the fact it’s a bad ass on the course, the appearance on the top of the club is where most of the similarities with the driver end. The underside of the club continues the TaylorMade trend of a modern approach to club design. Sharp edges and a bold metal finish highlight the club’s hidden beauty along with one familiar piece of technology, the Speed Pocket.

Our first sightings of the Speed Pocket came back on the Rocketballz fairway and rescue clubs and it appears it’s here to stay. Anytime a club manufacture continues with a successful feature and then makes improvements to it you know they’re on to something. This time around the TaylorMade engineers decreased the size of the speed pocket and chose to fill it in with a polymer so there’s no more clean-up after every swing. And a big thank you to the man in the white coat who obviously had been playing with a Rocketballz Fairway club and was clearly just as frustrated as everyone else with that little flaw. Bravo sir, bravo!

Aesthetics aside I was eager to get out and see how well the club did what it was designed for. Which I’m certain is why you’re reading this, so let’s get to it.

Not having any time to work with the club since I received it, mainly in part to some pretty long soccer weekends, I broke a cardinal sin and took a virgin club with me to the course to use it for my round. The first swing I took with the club was about 20min before we were called to the first tee. I even waited to pull of the wrapper. Freeing the club from its plastic prison and feeling like I just won the lotto, I tee’d up a low ball and let it fly.

This is when things went incredibly south for me, and quick! I likened it to performance anxiety. The simple task of hitting a golf ball, weather I reared back and let it fly or just tried to punch it 75 yards down the fairway, became a daunting task. I couldn’t make decent contact at all! I looked over to the new club in my bag and proclaimed “This never happens to me I swear!” but the SLDR wasn’t interested in my shortcomings.

That’s what a serious lack of practice can do to your self-confidence. Fearing a blow-up hole on the horizon I was unwilling as ever to pull the SLDR from my bag throughout the round. When I approached a hole that required less than driver I reluctantly pulled it. With my inner stress at an entirely new level I stepped up to the tee box and absolutely cranked one.

I swear, off in the distance, I heard my old Rocketballz fairway wood from the garage back home scream out “Nooooooooo!” as the ball went hurling through the air. It was the perfect swing at the perfect time and the results were perfect. The next couple of swings I took with it literally amazed me. The ball flight, albeit much lower than I was used to, was outstanding and several times when the ball came to rest approximately 230 yards down the fairway I was utterly speechless, as were my partners.

Wanting to feel that level of excitement with every swing had me spending the next couple of days at the range. With the 12 different loft adjustments that can be made there is a learning curve that goes into getting the club dialed in so it will perform. I highly recommend seeking out a professional fitter if available so you can see some actual results on the factors of your ball flight. I recently took my SLDR Driver into Golf Galaxy and was shocked at how much distance I increased my drives with a simple adjustment to the loft. With the SLDR fairway wood, lofting the club up really changed how the ball reacted much more than I had expected when comparing the similar adjustments I made with the SLDR driver. That reason alone is justification for seeing a pro.

Once it was correct though (final adjustment landed me at +.5°) I started really seeing what makes the SLDR special. An easier swing at a higher loft equaled more distance and greater control. Who doesn’t want that from a fairway club? When you add in the fact that the launch angle is lower than my previous fairway wood, it just gives me another weapon off the tee in the blustery weather conditions we often have here in the Vegas valley. The wind can be a beast at times but now I’m more prepared for such situations with the SLDR in my bag.

Chalk up yet another successful club innovation for team TaylorMade. The SLDR Fairway Wood has firmly supplanted my previous “go to” club, the Rocketballz 3W, and has me pondering another upgrade with the SLDR Rescue now available as well.

You can read all about the SLDR line of fairway woods on the TaylorMade Website. The SLDR Fairway Wood retails for $249 and can pretty much pickup one at any golf retailer in the country.

I’ve got my work cut out for me today, for sure. I have spent the last few weeks testing out Cobra’s complete Bio Cell and Bio Cell+ lineup, and now it’s time to spill the beans. Take a breath, this will be a complete review of the Bio Cell driver, fairway wood, hybrid, and irons, as well as the Bio Cell+ driver and irons. I’m still not quite sure how to break this down in a way that will not annoy/bore/annoy (in that order), but like a good Three Guy, I’m sure as hell gonna try.

There’s been a lot of noise surrounding Nike’s new VRS Covert 2.0 Tour driver over the past few months, and with Tiger and Rory both dropping them into the bag in 2014, I think there’s good reason for the hype. Deciding that my ballstriking was easily on par with those two chumps, I’ve been out testing Nike’s newest offering to see what’s up.

That was a joke.

With both the VRS Covert 2.0 and VRS Covert 2.0 Tour, Nike has gone with a bold red look that is visually striking and, quite frankly, badass. A small white swoosh is placed from 7:00 – 8:00 on the crown of the club, which seems odd at first but becomes a non-factor within seconds. One way the Tour version is distinguished from the regular Covert 2.0 is that its clubface has a muted black/gray color, which looks pretty cool on its own and really cool in comparison to the regular steel-colored face on the Covert 2.0. Way to make us feel special for stepping up to the big boy club, Nike! Seriously. The Tour version also comes with a red Nike Tour Wrap grip (made by Golf Pride), which stands out and looks cool.

I’ll spare you the techno-speak pertaining to what Nike has put under the hood, as you can always read about that stuff on their website. Simply put, the Tour version is designed to create lower spin and lower ball flight for better players. Like any “better player” club, a little forgiveness is traded in for workability. The 2.0 version is an evolution of last year’s model, again utilizing a cavity back design, something called “Fly-Brace” technology, and a larger face utilizing variable thickness intended to create hotness. “Cavity back” might sound weird for a driver, but in person it looks plenty cool and reasonable, nothing gimmicky about it.

The club also boasts Nike’s FlexLoft adjustability system, which is a very solid rig that allows loft to be adjusted from 8.5 degrees – 12.5 degrees and has 3 face angles: Right, Neutral, and Left. It is important to note that the FlexLoft systems allows you to adjust loft and face angle independently, so you don’t have to worry about inherently tweaking your face angle when you change your loft.

On to the range! You’re going to have to bear with me here, as I have always vowed to give the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and sometimes my annoying personal story can help paint the picture: the Nike Covert 2.0 Tour taught me a valuable lesson in clubfitting right off the bat, more than any previous driver had. When I first swung this club, I was shocked at how horribly I was hitting the ball. I actually started to panic over the future prospects of my hacker golf career . . .  I knew “Tour” versions were for true adults, but I had no idea they could be this finicky. But then I remembered that this baby was adjustable, and that’s when the clouds began to part. The club arrived at a 10.5 degree loft and a neutral face, which sounded appetizing enough to me at first glance. But all I was doing was hitting low laser slices that felt like hitting a rock with a broomstick. And while I’ll admit to having some “minor” issues with my stroke, slicing the ball is not one of them.

Duh, let’s use this wrench and try tinkering with it a bit. I adjusted the face angle to “Right”, which for a lefty means draw. Holy cow, now it looks like a normal driver! The draw face brought the Nike over to my side . . . turns out that Nike’s “Neutral” setting is actually about 1.5 degrees open (another reminder that Tour players and low handicappers are freaks).

Anyway, after making the adjustments, I started hitting some legitimate balls. Legitimate low, fast, knuckleballs that is. I never knew how much spin my previous driver was generating until I saw the flight of my ball off of the Nike . . . these things were screaming off the face and just staying low, hurdling across the range at about 20 feet on the altimeter. By now I’ve learned two things: 1) this face is hot, and 2) this driver lives up to its low spin claims. In fact, I ended up finding my nirvana at a whopping 11.5 degrees of loft. 11.5! I always thought you had to show an AARP card and a note from your doctor to get permission to wield that number. I should mention that my driver came with Nike’s stock Mitsubishi Rayon Kuro Kage shaft in Stiff flex, labeled as geared for a “LOW” trajectory. Okay, do you get it now? Ball flight leans toward low.

I’ve since played with this driver for a few rounds and a few range sessions, and I have some general thoughts to share about my experience. First and foremost, this sucker is LONG. I would attribute this to both the lower spin and the hot face, as well as my own feeling that the club feels “heavy”, like when you use a heavier bat in baseball and get more smash. When you get a’hold of this driver, it goes. I had several drives that were 10-15 yards longer than my normal drives on certain holes, and while a few yards here or there could be due to conditions, there were enough instances of walking past my usual spot to know that the distance thing is legit. This was confirmed at the local Golf Galaxy launch monitor – well struck drives were 8-10 yards longer with the Nike Covert 2.0 Tour than any of the other 4 drivers I tried. And to be fair, this might be the only driver I’ve hit in a while that didn’t even really demand a walk-off or computer session . . . whenever I striped one I could tell just by eye that the ball was humming out there a bit faster and further than my usual.

Now, obviously I didn’t hit every ball perfect. I would say that for slight mis-hits, this club performed great – no significant loss in distance and the dispersion was very tight. In fact, on a few holes I would hit a less-than-satisfying drive that would come out a bit lower than the norm, feel kind of lame, and it would end up rolling out just as far as one that I ripped. Seemed like the 85% hit created even less spin and the ball just rolled forever. There is a steep drop-off, however, when you put a bad move on the ball; the club punishes you with a negative impact feel and a not-so-good shot. Living up to its Tour name, this driver definitely demands a slightly better stroke out of its owner than the average driver. This is not very scientific, but I’d say anything less than 80% swing execution and you’re not having any fun . . . perhaps time to check out the Covert 2.0 if you’re worried about that.

The feel of this club, when hit right, is fantastic. It has a modern (and definitely unique) ‘ting’ sound to it, but impact has a little classic ‘CRACK!’ feeling mixed in with the modern trampoline vibe that is wholly satisfying. When you rip this driver, you know it, and you look up with dollar signs in your eyes.

Over the span of my time swinging this club, however, I have had some funky thoughts about how important pure distance is to me. I continue to think “heavy” when I hit this club, and this could very well be what Nike was shooting for in their Tour version. But when I hit the Nike alongside two or three other drivers, I always feel like I’m swinging a little more lumber, and maybe my swing isn’t quite up to snuff because if I get lazy at all, the whole schebang feels a bit sluggish. To be fair, the lazy drives usually end up moving out there just fine, I’m just not always quite sure how it all came about.

But that’s just my game. I am sure that there are better players out there that can take full advantage of what this club can do (possibly with a modified shaft). I just want to be clear that this is not a plug-n-play driver that ends up being like all the rest once you wash off the logos and paint jobs. In fact, I can’t remember ever being so anxious to watch other people try a club to see what they think (I wish I knew some lefties). The Covert 2.0 Tour is its own type of beast, and I’ve hit enough insane bombs with it to know that for the right player this thing will be an absolute monster.

Learn more about the Nike VRS Covert 2.0 Tour driver at their website.

My father was many things, but a car lover was not one of them. Hence I grew up believing the Nash Rambler was a fine automobile and was quite pleased with my first car purchase, a 1975 Toyota Corolla that cost $500. That car was followed by a Datsun B210, Ponitac Catalina and Subura DL . When I finally got a job that paid reasonably well I decided it was time to step up my game. Despite knowing it was a poor investment I happily slapped down cash for a 6 year old BMW 535i. Black exterior with black leather, yup, it was beautiful. I loved that car, but fidgety German engineering made it the “ultimate maintenance machine”, so after 4 years I gave up and sold my dream car. Since that time, I have forgone leather seats and while I tell myself I don’t really care about leather, the fact that is that is a lie.

From the dawn of man (well somewhere in early man time), leather has been a premium substance. Leather coats, leather shoes, leather gloves and of course leather seats all represent the finest of quality. Beyond the finer things, if you look at sports equipment in general, what do you find? Leather. Leather footballs, leather soccer balls, leather baseballs, basically any ball that you need “feel” is made from leather. Why then do we put rubber grips on our golf clubs? Sure, rubber is cheap, sticky, and holds up well, but in the end it is still rubber. Maybe it is time to take some advice from Tom Haverford.

Best Grips was founded by a Albert Sewell, who at the tender age of 13 realized he preferred leather grips over conventional rubber. Not satisfied with just any leather grip, Albert started to tinker with different textures and treatments (I am presumably skipping ahead a few years as I would hope he had better things to do with his teenage years). In 2008 he founded Best Grips and since that time the company has expanded their product line.

Best Grips currently offers six different grips for irons. What I find interesting is that each one is very unique not just in texture but in concept. Specifically, Best Grips borrows from familiar sporting goods to create such grips as the Grid Iron and Hard Court grip which share the characteristics of a football and basketball respectively. To me this makes perfect sense; both of those balls provide excellent feel.

In addition to the unique textures offered by Best Grips, they also treat many of them with ProTac which makes them tacky when they get wet. Actually, I have found the grips to be fairly tacky regardless of moisture but they do recommend wiping the grips with a wet towel every few weeks. With that said, I have been using the Best Grips for nearly 3 months and I can tell you with certainty that the grips have retained nearly all of the original tackiness despite my less than perfect maintenance record. To be honest, I have cleaned them only twice so I don’t think you have to worry about being a super clean freak.

The grips I installed are MicoPerf but are part of a special collection called Augusta Club Grip that will be available April 1st 2014. While these are special edition, nearly all of the Best Grips, come in a number of colors and can be customized with contrasting stitching. It just so happens that mine are Masters Green and kinda money!

From a feel standpoint, I noticed the difference right away when compared to rubber grips. For one thing, the lacing on the underside of the grip fits perfectly in your fingers to give you a sense of connection to the club. The other difference between the Best Grips and most other leather grips is the fact that they are not wound around the club which can lead to separation between the seams.  Rather, the Best Grips are a single piece of leather that stitched together down the length of the grip which helps with durability.

Beyond the leather, this was the first time I ever played with grips that had stitching. For me, I instantly loved the look and the feel. Specifically, I found that when I set up for a shot, especially a tricky one, it helped me to get a feel for the club. Sensing the stitches in my grip brought consciousness to my hands and allowed me to feel “locked in” to the impending shot. Yea, it sounds hokey but I have never really thought much about the grip at address until recently.

Price and installation are not much different than standard grips. The cost is maybe $4 or $5 more per grip, but I never understood the concept of cheaping out on anything involved with irons or putters. Face it, they are your babies, they are what you keep for years . . . why not get exactly what you want even if it costs a little more?

Grip installation is done with an air gun and it is not particularly difficult. I did mine in about 30 minutes with the help of a friend. NOTE: you will need to use double sided tape and solvent. The only cautionary tale is to be a little gentle but honestly we did not have any issues. If you prefer to have your grips installed professionally, just make sure the shop has experience with leather grips and uses an air gun.

In addition to leather grips, Best Grips has recently branched out to putter shoes and headcovers. I assume it seemed like a fairly obvious way to expand since they owned much or the required skill and machinery. Because Best Grips is expanding their capabilities at a very rapid rate, it is hard to give you an exhaustive list of what they can do. To date, I have seen a few different headcover designs and models. Each one is made from genuine leather which can be embroidered, over-stiched or even laser engraved.

While the embroidery was cool, it was something I have seen before. However, the laser engraving was a process I have yet to see in person. As an example, Best Grips sent us a Three Guys Golf logo driver cover that included my signature. Holy cow, I would have never thought this to be possible but all I had to do was to scan a piece of paper that included my John Handcock (no I did not practice 20 times…only 12). The results are pretty cool even if my chicken stratch signature leaves much to be desired.

Bottom line is that the guys at Best Grips can pretty much create anything you can dream up. Being a small shop they are willing to work with you to find your ideal grips and headcovers. These guys, specifically Albert, are incredibly passionate about their product. Whether you want exotic skin grips, pink stitching, or a picture of your cat engraved on your headcover, Albert will make it happen.

You can check out all their products on the Best Grip website but I would also encourage you to reach out via email or twitter with any questions – they are super responsive.

A couple of years ago, Matt wrote a blistering post about how dumb throwback clubs were. Specifically, he took a few shots at the then new Cleveland Classic. Luckily, Cleveland has a sense of humor and the brass to call his bluff. A week later a shiny Cleveland Classic driver showed up and Matt was forced to come to terms with his new favorite driver. Thanks to Cleveland, for over a year now I have had to endure Matt yammer on about how great a driver the Classic is. To this day, he pretty much compares all drivers to that club (even though he still thinks it looks kind of stupid).

It’s Ping-apalooza here at Three Guys, with Mathew reviewing the Ping G25 irons and Wade reviewing the Ping S55 irons, and I’ve spent the last few with the i25’s. With that I give you the Ping i25 irons review.

First, let me give you the technical scoop. The Ping i25s are intended for players that reside in that gap between the game-improvement G series and the low handicapper/professional S series irons. The predecessor, the i20 iron, was a successful product for Ping and the i25 is an evolution of the same bloodline. The i25s are designed as a progressive set, with forgiveness and high-launch characteristics in the long irons giving way to softer, feel-oriented short irons. The intended demographic appears to be mid-handicapper with a good stroke all the way up to tour players (Kirk Triplett is the only Tour Pro I could confirm to have them in the bag, but hey, that’s enough).

Ping accomplishes this progressive concept by utilizing wider soles, longer blade lengths, and more offset on the long irons (leaning more towards game-improvement characteristics), while the short irons have a smaller blade, less offset, and a narrower sole. I’m boring you to death, but Ping has also utilized weighting to achieve it’s desired center of gravity by way of the “Custom Tuning Port”, which allows them to manipulate the center of gravity on each iron.

My first step in getting my mitts on the Ping i25 irons was completing the nFlight Web Fitting process that Ping offers through their website. Ping considers themselves to be the leader in custom-fitting, and my childhood memories of them being the only folks with color codes and various graphs hanging on golf store walls makes me inclined to believe them. That said, I was actually a bit surprised that Ping would endorse online clubfitting, as obviously nothing beats actually taking some swipes and having a proper session, but I guess this is the age we live in. Anyway, the nFlight program starts with easy enough questions, learning your handicap, height, distance from wrist to floor, hand length, and length of your longest finger. That last one may sound a bit too personal, but Ping actually provided me with a “duh” moment when I realized they were interested in customizing my grip size, which makes total sense. For folks with hands like carnies, perhaps a smaller grip would be helpful, right? nFLight then walks you through your current clubs, how far you hit them now and with what trajectory, then what your desired trajectory would be. All in all, there is enough data going in that you have reasonable confidence that Ping is hooking you up with the right set of sticks.

One thing to note, however, is that I initially misread the question of how long my driver goes, thinking they meant carry, and I was prescribed a set of Karsten hybrid/iron combos with a regular flex shaft, which would have been a huge disappointment had they turned up at my door (they are super game-improvement clubs, not what I’m looking for). Luckily, I knew enough about requiring a stiff flex that I went back and did the process over, feeling better about the results the second time. So like anything, go in with your eyes open because the slightest tweak of certain variables will drastically alter the recommended clubs and shafts. Wade actually mentioned the same thing in his S55 post, so . . . you’ve been warned.

Anyway, doctor’s orders were for the Ping i25s with stiff steel shafts (Ping CFS), a blue color code for lie angle (0.75 upright), and a grip code of aqua. Bring it!

Real quick about me and Pings. Since day 1 I was keenly aware that Ping was making top-caliber sticks because, I swear, for the first 5 years I played golf almost every good golfer I got paired up with was wielding a set of Ping Eye 2s. I’m talking almost EVERY time I played with a legit baller, he had the Eye 2s. Being a lefty, I never got a chance to try them out until they were long discontinued and I was foraging 2irons out of a Play It Again Sports barrel (hint, it’s not the same). But because I had Ping on the brain, every time I got fitted for a new set I would be sure to give the Pings a whirl, and every time I would come away just thinking that the Ping feel was too “soft” for me. Pings struck me kind of like Saabs – their owners are fiercely loyal and way into something that might not be my cup of tea, but their decision is to be respected. As it went, I would always get hooked on a set of irons that had a harder, more explosive feeling at impact and the Pings would go back on the shelf.

Ping has also changed the looks of their clubs pretty significantly over the years, but they always seem to retain a bit of the funky-shape-deal that was started with the Eye 2s and Ping Zings; I expected to get a bit of that vibe somehow with the i25s. Well, overall the i25s have fairly traditional, smart, handsome looks, but of course they still have that Ping character in the shape. This is the worst paragraph I have ever written, by the way, my apologies. Basically they look like Pings . . . just look at the pictures, leave me alone.

At address, I immediately fell in love with the blue color code . . . the slightly flatter lie angle was a perfect fit and, unexpectedly, a sight for sore eyes because I had always been fitted for standard length/lie and never knew a club could rest so much better at address. Now, one could argue that my in-person fittings should probably trump anything based just on my wrist-to-floor numbers, but in hindsight I can remember the various pros kind of hustling through my fitting process and breezily declaring that I am standard. Who knows . . . at this point I’m gonna call this one 50/50.

Another thing you immediately notice at address is that the i25 does indeed progress from longer, slightly thicker blades in the long irons to shorter, thinner on the short irons. Nothing so obvious that it seems gimmicky, I just remember looking at the 7 iron and thinking “if my 3 iron has a similar profile, I’m in trouble”. Alas, when I set up with the 3 iron it was a bit more confidence inspiring with a thicker topline and overall larger clubface. I should clarify that I currently play Titleist AP1s, and while I always thought that even Titleist’s game-improvement iron still leans toward the “player” end of the spectrum, I immediately noticed that the i25 was less chunky and definitely more of a player club.

That theme continued when I started smashing pills, as I quickly learned what it felt like to hit a club that leans more towards the player side. The i25s had a much more refined, delicate, and precise feel to them than my AP1s, which feel more like they are just smashing through the turf and ball like The Hulk. With the i25s, I was feeling a click/thump combination, and I wasn’t yet sure whether to attribute that to the “player club” aspect or to the softer feel that I always expect from Ping. This sounds like a cop-out, but I think the answer is both. The only way I can possibly make sense from this point is to just separate the 3-7 irons from the 8 and up.

When hitting the long and mid irons, it was easy to see the results of Ping’s efforts to create a high-launch club. Because I am coming from the AP1s that are – turns out – definitely game-improvement irons, I was to this point unaware of how bad a mis-hit could actually feel. Relatively speaking, the i25s would produce Simon Cowell-like negative feedback, but I would look up and see the ball doing a decent job of going where I wanted it to. So in that sense they are forgiving, because mis-hits are not viciously punished by landing 50 yards short, but the unsatisfying feeling at impact would just leave me pissed and wanting another crack at it. Then every once in a while I would pure one, and the ball would rocket gloriously off the clubface and follow a perfect medium-high/boring trajectory that I would stare down all day. Even when I ripped it, though, I always had the feeling that I wasn’t getting all I could out of the club . . . perhaps this iron was best reserved for true studs. I DID rip that one though, so what gives? This is where I think Ping’s softer feel comes into play, and obviously it has to do with my own personal taste. I think Ping would agree that they have always provided a unique feel at impact with their irons, it’s part of their appeal to golfers. I do want to reiterate, however, that the contact always felt “clean”, like I was just picking the ball off of the turf and putting it on a very precise line of flight. Kind of a cool feeling when you are swinging well.

The fact is, ripped shots and slight mis-hits all flew on an ideal trajectory, with mis-hits being a tad lower and landing 0 – 10 yards short (pretty much what you would want out of a player-club-with-forgiveness). And for the record, on my first hole playing with the i25s I hit a circus-shot fade/slice around a tree that was a bit ridiculous and something I had never done with such authority with any other clubs, a testament to the “workability” of the i25s. Then I broke 70 for the first time. Now I’m lying.

When I got to the 8 iron and up, I was again faced with trying to sort out whether I was feeling the softness of a Ping or the softness of a player iron. Or at least that was the case for the first 3 swings, then I realized I didn’t give a damn because these things feel frick-en awe-some. Impact with the short irons feels soft, but not in a wimpy way – in an accurate way. I had no idea how “foggy” my AP1 short irons felt because I didn’t know any better. Every swing I made with the i25s gave me such precise feedback that I would look up already knowing what that egg was doing. I instantly became a convert to the blade side of life, like ‘this must be what everybody gets so lathered up about’ . . . I felt like I was carving iron shots with total accuracy, throwing darts. And the softer feel at impact was not a detraction, it was addictive. The trajectory was high, but not ballooning – it would go up in a hurry and go down in a hurry, at least that’s how it seemed to me.

So if you can’t already tell, I’m a believer in the i25s and their level of performance. The soft Ping feel is still there, but this time around it is less of a drawback for me. With the short irons, that soft feel is ridiculously sweet. With the long irons, I do crave a tiny bit more “smash” feedback when I pure one, but I really think it’s just a cleaner feel that Ping produces, and that is something I am not used to. I may grow to love it even more (as these i25s have taken up residence in my bag, btw), but obviously there are a ton of Ping loyalists who will find it superior right from the start . . . in other words, take my personal taste with a grain of salt because I could just be a total meathead. And as a final hammer onto your skull: if forced into a stream of consciousness regarding the vibe of the i25 irons, I would mutter very little about distance, even though they hit the ball as far as expected. Instead, the words “clean” and “precise” would just keep bubbling up to the surface.

I do want to make it clear to those on the hunt for new sticks – the “game-improvement” aspect of the long irons is relative. I do think that the word forgiveness gets thrown around WAY too much in the golf equipment industry, and we have to always question what the context is when we hear that word. The i25 long irons are certainly forgiving, as I have hit numerous shots not-so-great and watched them still land on greens, but there was a definite rap on the knuckles from the swing nuns on each of those strikes. So you can step up to the ball with confidence, just don’t get cocky, and bring at least your A- game. Anyway, I now understand the genius behind the concept of a progressive set, as I think every golfer could benefit from moving towards blade in the short irons, and the progressive concept allows us to keep the long irons within reach of our skill level.

My apologies for making my own game such a prominent part of this review, but I think it helps illustrate my takeaways from the i25s. Ultimately I think the i25s are clearly a premier set of irons, perfectly capable and accomplished in what they set out to be – a progressive set of irons that give a little assistance in the long irons and allow for true scoring feel in the short irons. If you hit the ball pretty well, you owe it to yourself to give these a run because even the short irons alone could open your eyes to something great. And if you are one of those low-handicappers, the i25s are a no brainer for your next clubtesting session – they will perform as well as any other top-tier club, and you could very well fall in love with that signature Ping feel.

You can learn more on the Ping website.

Karsten Solheim, the founder of Ping, came to the game of golf later in life but left his mark as a recognized product innovator. In the early 60’s Solheim began tinkering with equipment and was often found peddling is homemade putters around the practice greens on the PGA tour, and yes it was because of the metal he used which created the now iconic ‘ping sound’ that gave birth to the name. The metal of the putter head may have sounded a bit funny and looked dull compared to the shiny offerings of other companies, but when Pros started to win on tour with his putter the Ping reputation grew  to what is now a global brand. 

My introduction to Ping irons came in the form of the classic beryllium-copper Eye2. It was with those clubs that I learned to play golf and  for many years they remained in my bag. To this day, years apart from their introduction, the perimeter weighting, square grooves and softer metal are all testaments to the innovation, risk-taking and technological improvements that Ping has brought to the table.

Primarily known for their game improvement irons, Ping has launched the innovative new S55 irons, which are targeted to low handicap players. On tour, guys like Bubba Watson and Hunter Mahan have added these clubs to their bag. In fact Bubba made the change mid-season during the 2013 FedEx Cup after years with the S59’s. Suffice it to say that I was excited to see what new stuff Ping had put under the hood.

As a reference point, I have been playing the ‘09 Callaway X-forged irons for several years and have enjoyed the challenges of playing a forged club with its smaller profile and head size but with the forgiveness of a cavity back. Given that I saw similar features in the Ping S55 and read about their added forgiveness, I felt confident they would be a good match for my game.

The first thing Ping did was send me through their online fitting program. It’s available from when you first log onto their website at Ping.com and enter the dropdown menu telling them what continent you’re from. You then click on the blue “Get Fit with nFlight web” tab, and after answering a few questions about your game and giving them some measurements like height, height of wrists from the floor, and hand length, they provide you with a club, shaft and grip recommendation. For experimental purposes, I spent more than an hour making small changes to my answers in order to see how much difference it made in Ping’s recommendations. Interestingly, the differences in what Ping recommended were fairly significant with only small changes to my reported stats, like 7-iron distances for example. Also, since they spit out a specific ‘solution’ for you, it makes sense to also familiarize yourself with the whole product line so that you will like the look and feel of what they suggest.

My recommendation was for the S55 irons, white dot (three degrees upright) with .25’’ added to the shaft length and Ping z-z65 stiff shafts, and grip color-code white. While I think the online Ping fitting process it very solid, I would also recommend visiting a shop that sells Ping clubs via one of their club-fitting booths, so you could demo some of the subtle differences between shafts, lies (color dots) and lengths. For example, fellow blogger Mathew who reviewed the Ping G25 was able to determine that he wanted a different dot color than the website recommended after trying them in person.

When I first pulled my set of Ping S55 from the box, I was struck with how good-looking the clubs are to my eye as they carry a classic blade shape and shiny finish. It guess it is understandable for veteran golfers, who are used to the traditional dull Ping finish and over-sized shape, to actually question “Is this a Ping?” when confronted with the new S55’s.

Since I recently had the opportunity to review a new Miura muscle-back blade, the MB-001 6-iron, I wanted to see how it and my Callaway compared to the new set of Pings. So with those two irons and the S55’s in hand I headed to the range. As I warmed up with all of the S55 irons, my first impression was how solid they felt and how easy they were to hit high and soft. I also noticed a slight click that was sharper than the sound of hitting the other forged clubs. Some reviewers have made a lot of the sound difference between this click, and the thud of a forged club. Although it was noticeable to me it was not overbearing but rather it gave me the sense that I was hitting a slightly harder face with the ball jumping off of the club and into the air. So while there is still the Ping click, they have added a CTP, or custom-tuning port which is part of the mechanics you see on the back of the club. Basically this adds an air pocket behind the club face which is then filled with their thermoplastic elastomer. Note that the Ping S55 is made with 17-4 steel, which is harder and more durable than forged steel, so this ‘cushioning’ created by the CTP acts to reduce sound and vibration when the ball is struck.

As I worked from PW to 3-iron, all of the clubs felt very consistent through the set in terms of how solid they felt – even on slight miss-hits. Each club was easy to hit with a beautiful, high trajectory. The three 6-irons I was testing seemed about the same in terms of distance and trajectory on well-struck shots, but the Ping was noticeably more forgiving on off-center shots. The feedback was still coming off the face as far as mis-hits, but I wasn’t penalized to the same degree as with the other two irons. These irons are designed with their MOI to be able to get a ball into the air quickly and to feel very solid through the ball. The result is that I have been able to hit high soft shots, even with the 4 and 3-iron, much easier than other blades I have hit.

As I moved to the course after a few more range sessions, I was able to forget about having new clubs, and work on knocking off some winter rust. I found pulling the right club for the yardage was easy and appreciated the club’s top-line visuals which are classic and familiar to other forged clubs. Unlike many of the other Ping clubs, the size of the S55 is similar to other blades with all of the benefits of a blade in terms of workability, ability to knife through deep rough, and tendency to keep from getting hung up in the turf through impact.

As I tested the clubs further, I was very curious as to how the Ping PW and 9-iron worked in my short game. I’m a huge fan of the SCOR wedges on multiple levels and I was pleasantly surprised as to how the Ping clubs compared to them around the green. While the sound of the club was still a bit ‘clickier’ than the SCOR wedge, the performance was very similar. One big difference in the Ping S55 compared to most blades is the sole which is more rounded, both from leading edge to the back, and from heel to toe. The roundedness from heel to toe opens up the variety of shots you can hit off of different lies and this roundedness is positioned in about the same place as the bounce ground into SCOR wedges. What I found was that chipping with 7-iron through PW was a breeze with the Ping irons. Additionally, this same forgiving technology is built into the sole of all their clubs, right through to the 3-iron.

Ping recommends the S55 clubs for low single-digit handicappers and retail for around $1000 for 3-PW with steel shafts. If you are looking for something that sets up and feels like a blade but want a touch more forgiveness than a true blade then I recommend you give these irons a very serious look. Ping’s club fitting is clearly one of the best in the business, and their commitment to innovation and excellence that stretches all the way back to their founder Karsten Solheim, is very visibly demonstrated in these new S55 irons.

You can visit the Ping website to learn more about the S55 irons.