Furyk's two drivers a page out of Mickelson's book
A week before Augusta, Jim Furyk is using two drivers while playing in the Valero Texas Open. While new to Furyk, the concept of a two-driver bag has been shown off by Phil Mickelson in recent years.
Iomic and No. 1 focus on U.S. grip market
Iomic and No. 1 golf grips, made by two different Japanese companies, are making a bigger push in the U.S. with "sticky" and colorful products.
SeeMore expands business, creates Putter Institute
SeeMore Putter is creating a putting institute to bring together teachers and golfers to dissect putting online and in person.
Toy Box: Versa's paint scheme attracts attention
Odyssey is busy on the PGA Tour with players either switching to new Versa putters or requesting Versa paint jobs on their existing putter models (the Versa putter head has alternating sections of black and white).
SuperStroke innovations aim to help putting
The original oversized SuperStroke was designed to take hands out of the stroke. That innovation has led to an array of putting grips and growing popularity on the pro tours.
Fast friends on tour: Molinari, Pirelli and Lamkin
Francesco Molinari agreed to use special Pirelli grips on his Nike clubs. He chose grip manufacturer Lamkin because he already felt comfortable using Lamkin’s i6 3GEN grips.
Toy Box: Streelman relies on popular wedge configuration
A 54-60 wedge configuration of differing brands helped carry Kevin Streelman to his first PGA Tour win at Tampa Bay
Grip Month: Counterbalancing key behind Boccieri grip
The Secret Grip, with a tungsten insert in the butt cap of the grip, serves as a counterbalance. Advocates, including Jack Nicklaus, say it slows the hands during the swing and promotes accuracy.
Toy Box: Woods becomes Covert operative
At the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, Tiger Woods captured his second win of the year and his first WGC victory since 2009.
Don't expect USGA, R&A to blink on anchoring
When the USGA and R&A settle the anchoring debate, don't expect the decision to come down to a popularity contest. In fact, it's fair to anticipate the proposed ban taking effect.
Toy Box: Thompson tames challenges with Ping
Michael Thompson used 13 Ping clubs en route to capturing the Honda Classic, his first career PGA Tour victory.
Grip Month: Golf Pride's green Victory set the bar
Golf Pride's green Victory grip popularized slip-ons and transformed the category. Though it's no longer available at retail, its legacy has shaped Golf Pride's evolution as a leading grip maker.
Shaft Month: Oban delivers performance for a premium
With industry veterans at the helm, Oban is building its shaft business with one word in mind: premium. Company officials say they're all about top-tier performance for a top-tier price.
Toy Box: New Bettinardi putter aids Kuchar
With the help of his new Bettinardi putter, Matt Kuchar won his first WGC-Accenture Match Play. Check out the latest Toy Box Notes!
Shaft Month: Matrix aims to make fitting simple
Shaftmaker Matrix has taken a giant step toward simplifying shaft fitting. The company’s new Flight System contains three designations for shafts: Black Tie (low trajectory), Red Tie (mid trajectory) and White Tie (high trajectory).
Shaft Month: Steel offers plenty of options
For 75 years, steel iron shafts have dominated the marketplace, mostly for their consistency and stability. New lightweight versions – suitable for tour players and amateurs – are bound to continue steel's popularity.
Shaft Month: A decade after NV, Aldila extends its legacy
John Merrick's win at the Northern Trust Open validates the enduring legacy of Aldila's NV shaft. But the company hardly is content and is planning a major push with graphite iron shafts.
Shaft Month: Nunchuk touts "one-size-fits-all" shaft
When it comes to shafts, Nunchuk's Bryan Nicholson advocates one weight and one flex for all golfers, regardless of their age, strength, swing speed or ability. It may seem like a radical concept, but Nunchuk has its supporters, including a prominent long-drive champion.
Vossler, 84, watched his golf vision grow in desert
Ernie Vossler, one of the co-founders of PGA West and a man who possessed a grand vision for golf courses surrounded by residential communities, died Feb. 16 at his home in La Quinta, Calif.
Shaft Month: A call for industry standards
James Achenbach laments that if only the golf industry had uniform equipment standards, it would be so much easier to compare contemporary shafts and simpler to fit golfers with the proper equipment.
Shaft Month: Q&A with Chris Hilleary, Aerotech president
Chris Hilleary is owner and president of Aerotech Golf, maker of composite SteelFiber golf shafts. These shafts are composed of separate layers of carbon fiber (graphite) and steel fiber.
Toy Box: Snedeker wins with TaylorMade ‘classic’
From Brandt Snedeker's win at the AT&T with a TaylorMade 'classic' to Rocco Mediate's mix-and-match bag, take a look at equipment used last week in the world of golf.
Shaft Month: Graphite gains momentum in irons
Manufacturers of graphite iron shafts, citing exceptional feel and improved performance, are conspicuously bullish as they head into a new season.
Shaft Month: Accra's co-owner, a preacher of proper fitting
The Accra Premium Golf Shafts business is based on intelligent, informed fitting, and Accra shafts are available only through a network of some 350 club fitters around the world.
True Temper unveils 'sub-40' driver shaft
At the PGA Merchandise Show, which concluded Jan. 26, True Temper made a proclamation: “We have the lightest golf shaft that’s ever been introduced. It weighs 39.5 grams at 46 inches raw length.”
Toy Box: Lefty’s arsenal delivers wire-to-wire win
From Phil Mickelson's nearly complete Callaway bag to Titleist's new Pro V1 and Pro V1x gaining momentum, a look at equipment used last week in the world of golf.
Shaft Month: Q&A with Fujikura's David Schnider
For Shaft Month, Fujikura's Dave Schnider sat down with Golfweek's James Achenbach and shared his thoughts on graphite performance and the latest trends affecting product development.
USGA's Nager on slow play: 'Golf needs to act'
During his presidential address at the USGA Annual Meeting, Glen Nager said he intends to declare war on slow play and any move toward bifurcation.
Toy Box: Tiger uses Nike gear for record win
Tiger Woods picked up his eighth victory at Torrey Pines, with a four-shot triumph at the Farmers Insurance Open. He did it with an all-Nike bag.
Club guru Ed Mitchell: 50 Shows and counting
Ed Mitchell, maker of Steelclub loft and lie machines, became a club professional in 1962 and has attended somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 PGA Merchandise Shows.
Titleist debuts next-generation Pro V1, V1x
Titleist’s newest Pro V1 golf balls are ready to hit retailers’ shelves this week, promising more distance, softer feel and more durability in a tour-proven ball that already has won seven professional golf tournaments around the world.
Backweighting undergoes a revival
Backweighting will be seen in abundance at the PGA Merchandise Show. Sometimes called counterbalancing, backweighting is nothing new. It has been a part of the game for decades – clubmakers place lead or some heavy material in the butt end of the shaft to alter the feel and balance point of a club.
NexBelt offers no-holes belt with proper fit
It might seem difficult to get excited about a golf belt, but how about a belt with no holes and that promises a better fit? NexBelt has created one.
Q&A: John Spitzer, USGA managing director of equipment standards
On Feb. 2, John Spitzer officially will become managing director of equipment standards for the U.S. Golf Association, moving up from assistant technical director. Spitzer, who has been with the USGA since 1997, replaces senior technical director Dick Rugge, who is retiring.
Bright ideas: Colorful, low-spin drivers highlight '13
Drivers – colorful and with lower spin – offer plenty of options for 2013
Q&A: Marty Jertson, senior design engineer, Ping
Marty Jertson is a senior design engineer for Ping. As a professional, he qualified for the 2011 and ’12 PGA Championships and was a star of the 25th PGA Cup in 2011.
An abundance of driver adjustability
For 2013, adjustable drivers dominate the landscape. For the first time, every major golf equipment manufacturer will showcase at least one adjustable driver at the PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 24-26 in Orlando, Fla.
New Callaway driver goes Xtreme
Callaway is introducing a driver - the Razr Fit Xtreme - and preaching a club-fitting philosophy that is different than driver developments from several other companies.
TaylorMade unveils RocketBladez irons
The TaylorMade golf club family is expanding, as RocketBallz has a sibling for 2013 called RocketBladez.
Titleist introduces 913 hybrid, fairway wood
Titleist's new 913 driver has made an early appearance on Tour with the likes of Rory McIlroy, and now you will see more of the 913 fairway and hybrid line as well.
Nike launches cavity-back VR_S Covert driver
The new adjustable VR_S Covert driver is the most distinctive club ever released by Nike Golf. The head is a deep red. The loft can be changed from 8.5 degree to 12.5 degree.
Achenbach: Family, innovation drive Ping's evolution
From modest beginnings, Ping has evolved under Solheim offspring, but family, innovation still drive clubmaker.
Humana, Clinton lead Bob Hope comeback
The Humana Challenge, formerly the Bob Hope Classic, has staged a remarkable comeback in the past two years.
Toy Box: Henley wins in PGA Tour debut
Russell Henley, a Web.com Tour graduate, won in his first start as a PGA Tour member, a three-shot victory in the Sony Open at 24-under 256.
A new trend: No loft stamped on driver heads
For 2013, another trend is emerging in drivers: no loft stamped on the clubhead. TaylorMade (R1), Nike (VR_S Covert), Cobra (Amp Cell) and Adams (Super S) all have it. Or better said, they don’t have it.
G25 is next up in Ping's G series evolution
Next in the evolution of Ping's G series: the new G25. At the PGA Merchandise Show on January 24-26 in Orlando, Fla., Ping will showcase this new line. Bubba Watson has switched to the G25, as has fellow Ping staffer Hunter Mahan.
Brannan, Ping rep and former U.S. Junior champ, dies at 57
Mike Brannan, a former U.S. Junior Amateur champion and two-time California State Amateur champion, died Jan. 8. He was 57.
Callaway adds Ishikawa to its tour staff
Japanese phenom Ryo Ishikawa has signed a multi-year contract with Callaway Golf.
Johnson wins with new TaylorMade, Fujikura products
Dustin Johnson debuts new TaylorMade and Fujikura products, while Webb Simpson shows off new Titleist clubs and Bubba Watson adds a Ping G25.
TaylorMade: New 3-wood will go 10 yards farther
RocketBallz fairway woods and Rescues gained so much popularity in 2012 - their first year of existence - that TaylorMade decided to make Rocketballz Stage 2 its one and only line of fairway woods and Rescues for 2013.
