EQUIPMENT GUIDE
Gear to make your game great
The weather is — very slowly — starting to warm up.
The misery of winter’s chilling grip has been stronger than in year’s past, but it is starting to loosen through the middle of spring. Well, maybe eventually.
This may have hit your early-season golfing plans into the rough, but it’s worth evaluating your equipment for when the time does come to throw off that raincoat and get the clubs out.
With that in mind, here are four equipment trends to look out for in 2017, with help from Roger Cosgrave of Peak Golf in North Vancouver and Kitsilano.
SAME-LENGTH IRONS
PGA Tour player Bryson DeChambeau, 23, has made headlines for his use of same-length irons. but it was Cobra Golf ’s October announcement that its newest set of irons, the King F7, would feature same-length sets that adds more intrigue to this idea.
According to Golf Digest, this isn’t a new idea, but it’s also one that hasn’t worked out for golf manufacturers in the past. However, with DeChambeau championing this style of irons, it makes this trend worth keeping an eye on this season.
“That’s an interesting one to see how that’s going to play out. One length, same swing. Pretty interesting angle,” said Cosgrave.
“I don’t have a lot of feedback on it yet to find out how that category is going to play out. Great idea and I think for an intermediate to a higher-handicap player, the idea of hitting a long iron with more control makes a lot of sense.”
It’s an unconventional idea for equipment, which makes Cosgrave all the more curious about it. According to Cobra, all King F7 One irons feature “constant seveniron” lengths in the set.
“Am I still going to get that 10yard gap between the four iron or the five-iron, or the six-iron — even though it’s the same length?” Cosgrave said. “I’m starting to wonder: Are you going to lose that gapping ? Is that gapping going to reduce or has Cobra relofted the irons to make it work; that you’re maintaining that 10-yard gap.”
MOTHER SHIP OF PUSH CARTS
Don’t want to carry your golf bag for 18 holes, but don’t want to drive a powered golf cart around, either?
Push or pull carts allow golfers to still walk the course and get exercise that way, while not saddling them with the burden of lugging around a heavy bag, which can cause fatigue by the end of a round.
These days, push cart technology allows golfers the ability to strap in their golf bags — and just about anything else they can think of. Take for instance, the Clic gear Model 3.5 three-wheel push cart — or the “mother ship” of golf carts, said Cosgrave — originally invented in North Vancouver.
According to Peak Golf, this model has 80 per cent more cargo space, but it also comes with an umbrella tube, cup holder and enough room for a cooler bag as well. Its technology also allows it to be neatly folded up and stored easily in a vehicle when the round is done.
“You turn the back nine, you’re in the last four or five holes, you’re packing a 30-pound golf bag around all day … wears you out a little bit,” said Cosgrave. “More and more people are (using push carts) because it won’t fatigue them as much.”
AN EPIC DRIVER FOR THAT EPIC DRIVE
The desire to hit the ball long and straight off the tee is something all golfers, from the best professionals to the most irritated amateurs, share.
A good golf swing, and the seemingly indefinite individual variations, play a part in achieving such quality from the tee box, but the vast advancement in technology in drivers manufactured by the giant golf companies like Callaway, Ping, Taylor Made, and Titleist has helped golfers of many skill levels be able to bomb the ball further off the tee while also being able to land it in the fairway, which can ease the stress of this often perplexing game.
For 2017, one new driver, the Callaway s GBB Epic Sub Zero seems to be drawing more attention.
“For driver this year, I would say this is getting all the accolades,” said Cosgrave.
“There’s a lot of things going on in the industry the last little while. I think that has a lot to do with a slowdown of technology to some degree and probably profitability for the big guys. So the struggle has been to find a game-changer or something that’s demonstratively better to make it worth making the investment. This driver is selling well.”
Cosgrave added that the jailbreak technology used by Callaway is what is “fuelling this driver to be very long and very straight.”
So, what is jailbreak technology? It’s the placement of two lightweight titanium bars inside the head of the driver, connecting vertically from the crown to the sole, which Callaway states is exclusive to its company.
“At impact, the tension in the bars keep the crown and sole from bulging, which nearly doubles the impact load on the face,” said Alan Hocknell, Callaway’s senior VP of research and development in a website video.
“In the case of Epic, it imparts more of the energy of the impact onto the ball for more ball speed.”
BOA TECHNOLOGY ISN’T JUST FOR SNOWBOARDING
Like all types equipment in the sport, golf shoes have undergone a major transformation in technology and style over the years. It was only a matter of time before Boa technology transitioned from snowboarding boots into golf shoes, right?
The technology allows golfers to adjust the fit of their shoe using the micro-adjustable dials — some companies like FootJoy put the dial on the heel of the show, while others put it on the tongue, said Cosgrave — and the lightweight, yet highly durable laces.
“The Boa technology has been really popular for snowboard boots and outdoor (activities). But it’s totally here to stay,” he said. “Easy in, easy out.”
MORE MUST-HAVES
36 Golf Co. — Pin-Seeker hat: The Toronto-based 36 Golf Co. was founded by two guys with a passion for golf, and a bigger love of looking good.
The Pin-Seeker hat is one of their biggest sellers. They also have some buckets inspired by local Toronto sports teams along with T-shirts, sweaters, and tank tops for casual looks off the course.
Adidas Crossknit Boost: Adidas has ramped up the comfort with its latest spikeless shoe offering for 2017, the crossknit boost. Utilizing the very popular Boost technology, golfers will experience unrivalled cushioning and endless energy through the feet. A ton of technological innovations throughout make the shoe ultra stable.
Puma Titantour Ignite DISC: Puma has infused its latest Titantour Ignite offering technology borrowed from its running shoe line to give golfers maximum energy return to their feet. Its unique DISC closure (a tightening wheel, versus laces) gives you a superfast fit.
FootJoy ContourFIT: Last year, a golfer played more rounds in one calendar year than any other in history, breaking a Guinness World Record. And, he did it wearing a FootJoy Contour shoe. It was the ultimate testimonial for the new shoe, the ContourFIT. With its improved cushioning and comfort, it’s made to last.
OAKLEY Crossrange PRIZM: The world’s finest sunglass maker has stepped up its game for 2017 with a brand new line for golfers using Prizm technology, which provides unprecedented control of light transmission resulting in colours tuned to maximize contrast and enhance visibility. The Crossrange is made with interchangeable temples and nose pads to let you adapt to whatever condition you’re in — on the course or off.
Bradley Allan polo: Another Toronto-based company, Bradley Allan, is the brainchild of Brad Franklin, who used to work at Dunning Golf. The Bradley Allan line is focused on being sophisticated men’s apparel, using premium technical fabrics.
The polo can easily be worn on the golf course and off, and Bradley Allan also has sweaters, pants, and shorts.
Cobra King F7: Cobra has partnered with Arccos, a digital shot-tracking technology company, to provide the world’s first ‘connected club’ in the King F7 driver. Equipped with three centre of gravity settings, it lets golfers easily maximize distance. And with the Arccos unit attached to the club, it gives golfers a chance to track his or her driving stats.
Taylor Made M2 Irons: Taylor Made has made what they call its most technologically enhanced iron ever, featuring a lower centre of gravity, improved sound, and the addition of Face Slots for distance and forgiveness. The M2 is designed for golfers looking for more of that forgiveness, while its M1 line is for golfers looking for more control, in a more refined package.
Titleist Pro V1: The No.1 ball in golf has been total redesigned in 2017 to provide golfers with more of pretty much everything. More distance, a more penetrating ball flight (and more consistent), more soft feel, and more control. There’s a reason it’s the best ball in the game, year after year.
At impact, the tension in the bars keep the crown and sole from bulging, which nearly doubles the impact load on the face.