What you wear on the golf course says a lot about who you are as an individual, and what better way to express your personality, then with some fresh new looks from Puma Golf Fall/Winter 2008 collection. If you read my previous post on the Puma Open, you may have noticed I was sporting my Puma Style on the golf course. And several of those items were from the Puma Golf Fall/Winter 2008 collection.
Puma Golf 18-Hole Tee Holder Cap Profile
Puma Golf 18-Hole Tee Holder Cap
Puma Golf Lux Performance Polo and Bermudas Shorts
Puma Golf Lux Performance Polo-18-Hole Graphic
Puma Golf 1/2 Zip Body Map Top
Puma Golf Graphic Pique Polo
Puma Rivet Wide Belt
One of the items I was wearing was the Puma Golf 18-Hole Tee Holder Cap in Limestone Gray-White. This hat is not only stylish and functional, it features a Puma embossed metal buckle closure, Puma 18-Hole Graphic with white Puma embroidered logo on the left side of the hat, and a tee holder on the right side of the hat to hold your tees.How cool is that! You can wear this hat on and off the course, and still look hip, without screaming golf hat. Just make sure to loose the golf tees. The hat is made with Ultimate Sports Performance (USP) Moisture Management fabric to wick the moisture away from your face and keep your head cool and dry. I love wearing this hat, because its comfortable and sporty. I really liked having the tee-holder, it was nice having a backup tee within easy reach.
The next item in Fall/Winter collection is the Golf Lux Performance Polo in Maui Blue. At first this may look like your average golf polo, but looks can be deceiving. The Puma Golf Lux Performance Polo is made with USP Moisture Management fabric ( 86% Polyester/14% Spandex), that has coated the fabric with special UV protection from those harmful rays, and best of all it has spandex that lets the polo stretch and move with your movement. I loved how lightweight the polo is and how well it kept me cool and dry. The shirt features the Puma embroidered log on the left sleeve, as well as the Puma 18-Hole Graphic pattern on the right back shoulder. You’ll feel nice and cool wearing this shirt.
The other item form the Fall/Winter 2008 Puma Golf collection is the Golf Bermudas in Gray Violet. These golf shorts are made 51% Cotton/45% Polyester/4% Elastic fabric, with a 100% Polyester lining. A nice feature about these shorts, is the details, like the welded zip pocket on the front leg of the shorts for easy access to golf tees, ball marker, etc. These shorts also feature stretch woven fabric , so the shorts move with body and are comfortable to wear all day long. I love wearing these shorts whenever I get a chance, even when I’m not golfing.
Other notable items from the collection also include two other shirts from the Fall/Winter 2008 collection and those are Golf 1/2 Zip Body Map Top in White and the Golf Graphic Pique Polo in Gray Violet. The 1/2 Zip Body Map Top is made from 100% Polyester fabric that utilizes the same USP Moisture Management system to keep your skin nice and dry, but also treated with Cyclofresh by Cognis. The Cyclofresh becomes activated as soon as it comes in contact with moisture by trapping your perspiration into the fabric. This helps keeps those unpleasant smells in the fabric, which are just laundered out in the next washing. With a front zip opening, the Body Map Top has specially placed jacquard mesh in all the right spots for breathability. The top has a slightly longer hem in the back so you can wear it alone on those really hot days or layered on those cooler days.
The Graphic Pique Polo is made from 65% Cotton and 35% Polyester pique fabric, that has been treated with the same USP Moisture Management to wick away your sweat. What makes this shirt stand apart is the graphic pattern in turquoise and gray a on the front of the shirt that looks like bubbles floating to the surface. You’ll definitely make a statement* on the course when you wear this polo. *Statement not included.
No outfit is complete without the proper accessories and there is no better way to finish off your look than with a great belt. The Puma Rivet Wide Belt, is a genuine leather belt that features the Puma logo on a silver brushed metal buckle, with the Puma 18-Hole Graphic rivet details. The belt will not only hold up your shorts or pants, it will elevate your style.
I have to say I really like these pieces from the Puma Golf Fall/Winter 2008 collection and recommend that you get your self some Puma Style. BTW, it’s not too late to take part in the Puma Open , two more are scheduled one in FT. Lauderdale, FL on September 19th, and Austin, Texas on October 3rd.
For more information on purchasing the Puma Golf Fall/Winter 2008 collection or attending the Puma Open visit http://golf.puma.com.
As a golfer, I’m always looking for the perfect golf ball, one that will give me that extra distance on every shot, without sacrificing the control and feel I like having around the green. The Callaway Tour iX is aimed at golfers looking for Maximum Tour distance with soft feel and superior greenside control. Over the past three weeks I’ve been testing the Callaway Tour iX golf ball and the results are what you come to expect from a premium golf ball.
Callaway Tour iX Golf Ball
Off the Tee
In my tests I compared the Callaway Tour iX to a Titleist Pro V1 golf ball. The Callaway Tour iX is a 4-piece dual core construction golf ball that utilizes inertia technology to deliver breakthrough tour distance. The engineers at Callaway first created a ball that has a Tungsten-Infused Outer Core - meaning the ball’s high-density outer core moves weight away from the center of the ball for increased Moment of Inertia (MOI) resulting in reduced driver spin for increased distance. I have a tendency to produce a lot of sidespin on my drives and I noticed that my drives were much straighter as a result of the high MOI. The amount of carry I had off the tee was comparable to a Pro V1, but not as much as I got with the Nike One Platinum. What Callaway did with the Tour iX, is construct the ball with a dual core and firmer mantle layer, which also provides distance off the tee while still offering spin around the green. The soft inner core provides low spin off the driver for great distance while the firmer outer core provides high driver speed and high chip-shot spin around the green. In my tests the firm outer core provided great feel and control with my irons from the fairway and on those short par 3’s. The final component of the four piece Tour ix, is the soft urethane cover that gives the ball its superior feel and short-game spin. I immediately noticed the soft, yet firm feel of the Tour iX golf ball the first time I hit the ball and the nice sound it produced when I hit it with my irons and wedges. I knew right then, this ball could give my Bridgestone Tour B330-S a run for the money in the feel department.
Short Game
In and around the green the Callaway Tour iX preformed quite well at putting, providing a nice feel on my putts, and good roll on the green. This is attributed to the to the soft Thermoset urethane cover, which also gives the ball a unique texture. When it came to pitch shots and chips, the soft urethane cover provided the right amount of feel you would want from a premium golf ball comparable to a Pro V1. My pitch and chip shots had unbelievable feel and good control around the green, which I loved. Some of my chips and pitches would roll a little more, rather than come to a complete stop when hitting the green . I would have liked a little more spin, like I get from my Bridgestone Tour B330-S golf balls, but the Callaway Tour iX still did a nice job.
Is this the perfect golf ball? No, but the Callaway Tour iX does comes close to being my favorite golf ball in terms of feel and reduced driver spin.
Key Features of the Callaway Tour iX
Tailored for the player who wants to get more distance on every shot.
Tungsten-infused outer core redistributes weight away from the center to reduce spin for breakthrough distance.
4-piece dual core construction provides better feel and higher ball speeds for maximum carry.
Superior feel and short-game spin for excellent greenside control.
I had a chance to hit the soon to be released TaylorMade r7 Limited Driver over the weekend and I was quite impressed by the look and feel of this new line of r7 drivers. Golf Views and TaylorMade have teamed up to give away the new r7 Limited Driver to one lucky reader.
The new TaylorMade r7 Limited Driver
TaylorMade®, the No. 1 driver brand in golf, introduced Movable Weight Technology™ four years ago in a seminal driver called the r7® quad, which gave golfers the ability to move weight in the driver head to promote changes in trajectory to gain greater distance and accuracy. It was followed by the r7 425, the r7 460 and r7® SuperQuad™, drivers whose groundbreaking performance fueled record popularity among tour professionals and recreational players alike. Now, TaylorMade is unveiling the next driver in the r7 lineage, which promises a similar leap in performance and is destined to be similarly embraced. Called the r7 Limited, it also uses Movable Weight Technology to fuel a remarkable boost in performance.The Newest Generation of r7 Driver Combines a New Head Shape with Movable Weight Technology to Promote 35 Yards of Side-to-Side Trajectory Change.
The r7 Limited is equipped with a new high-performance 60-gram graphite shaft, the Matrix XCon 5.5 MOI, which incorporates a stability-enhancing weave that extends from the butt to the middle of the shaft. The XCon 5.5 MOI is specifically designed to work in conjunction with today’s larger, high-MOI driver heads to reduce twisting when contact is made toward the toe or heel. The result is improved stability and energy transfer on toe- and heel-hits, equaling improved accuracy and distance.
The r7 Limited is completed with a radium ion-plated finish, giving it a highly polished look for an exceptionally striking appearance. Available shaft flexes include S, R and M; lofts include men’s and ladies’ 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5° and 11.5° and men’s left-handed 9.5° and 10.5°. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $500, and availability at retail begins on September 15, 2008.
How to Enter
Answer the following four questions correctly to be entered to win the new TaylorMade r7 Limited Driver:
1) What does MWT stand for?
2) Up to how many yards can the new r7 Limited Driver be adjusted?
3) What type of graphite shaft is used in the new r7 Limited Driver?
4) What is the shaft weight of the new r7 Limited Driver?
Once you have answered the above questions, send it (all in one email) to contests@sandbox8.com with the subject “TaylorMade r7 Limited Driver Contest.”
A TaylorMade r7 Limited Driver will be awarded to a randomly selected contestant with all four questions answered correctly. All entries must be received by Noon PST on October 8th, 2008. Good luck!
Contest Rules
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE CHANCES OF WINNING. All winners must be 18 years of age or older Eligibility is limited to residents of the United States and Canada Only one entry allowed per household.
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Ashworth’s new men’s Fall 2008 golf shirt collection brings the classic look that you have come to expect. Among their many attributes, the men’s and women’s collections place importance on fabrics and attention to detail, respectively. The Harding Park golf shirts I received from the Third Groove collection are great examples of comfort and style on and off the course.
Ashworth Third Groove Performance Golf Shirt in Black
Ashworth Third Groove Performance Golf Shirt in White with Blackberry Stripes
Look and Feel
The first thing you’ll notice about the Third Groove Performance line of golf shirts from Ashworth is it is not made from 100% polyester fabric, instead Ashworth used an innovative blend of pima cotton and polyester that are the ultimate in performance, comfort and style. The performance attributes include moisture wicking, breathability, lightweight, no snagging and no odor issues. I like the like the feel of the Third Groove Performance golf shirts which are made from 60% Cotton/37% Polyester/3% Spandex. I never would have guessed that this was a ployester blend shirt, that’s how good it feels against your skin. The other nice feature about the Third Groove golf shirts, is the “HiTwist Stretch” spandex, that lets the shirt move with you when you swing your club and retain its shape. The benefit of being a made from a blended fabric is that it also provides good moisture and odor control. You can wear these shirts to work, without having to worry that it screams, “I’m wearing a golf shirt!” and out to dinner after a round of golf as well. The shirts have the traditional Ashworth cut, which is a little looser for more of a polo type shirt cut, but this also done to compensate for any shrinking that may ocurr when you wash it. Overall, this is the type of golf shirt that I love wear.
Are you looking to add a little attitude to you golf wardrobe? If you answered, Yes! Than you may want to check out the golf clothing and accessories from Tattoo Golf. Started in 1998, Tattoo Golf set out to change the way golf clothing should be about, by creating tattoo inspired clothing that would appeal to a golfer who wanted there clothing to have some attitude. If your into traditional style, this line is not for you. I received a couple of items from Tattoo Golf and the clothing does live up to its name.
Tattoo Golf Argyle Golf Shirt
Tattoo Golf Argyle Golf Shirt Argyle Pattern
Tattoo Golf Argyle Golf Shirt Back Logo
Tattoo Golf "TG" Golf Hat
The Argyle Golf Shirt
Made out of Poly-dri Hi Performance Microfibre fabric, this slick Polo Shirt is new to the Tattoo Golf line and has become a top seller. The new Argyle is constructed from a textured microfibre knit fabric that wicks perspiration rapidly away from the skin, drawing it to the surface where it quickly evaporates.
Look and Feel
The charcoal grey version of this shirt has a really nice soft feel to it thanks Poly-dri microfibre fabric (100% Polyester). The shirt features the Argyle pattern on the front and what appears to be blood stains splattered over the argyle. At the bottom of the front of the shirt you have Tattoo Golf Skull and golf clubs logo. On the back right part of the tail of the shirt you have”Tattoo Golf” written in small Old English font. Overall the shirt is comfortable and feels nice against your skin. In terms of moisture management, the Poly-dri fabric did a nice job in keeping me cool and dry in the hot weather.
Another item from Tattoo Golf to add to your wardrobe is a low profile FlexFit Hat. The Tattoo Golf “TG” hat is a comfortable & stylishly fitted Hat, perfect for displaying your style on and off the golf course. Each hat features “TG” in large text embroidered on the front.
Look and Feel
I liked the low profile nature of the “TG” a lot, which made it comfortable to wear. The other nice features is that it’s a FlexFit hat, which is made of a 63% Polyester/34% Cotton/3% Spandex blend, this allows the hat to fit both Large and XL size heads. The “TG” does not look like it’s a golf hat, so you can wear it off the course too.
Tattoo Golf is going to appeal to those looking for an alternative to traditional golf clothes and accessories. My friend, really loved the look of these pieces, while they’re not quite my style which is more traditional.
What’s the shortest distance between two points? A straight line. No. Try again, its square. The Nike SQ Sumo2 Fairway Wood is the straightest line from the tee to pin brought to you by the square geometry of the SQ Sumo2 Fairway Wood. I’ve been testing the 5 wood of the SQ Sumo2 Fairway Wood and I’m really impressed with how easy it is to hit this club from the tee or on the fairway.
Nike SQ Sumo2 Fairway Wood Monorail Design Sole
Nike SQ Sumo2 Fairway Wood Lightweight Cryo Steel Face
Look and Feel The square shape of the club has stealth bomber like appearance with a black matte paint job and grey arch at the back of the club outlining the PowerBow design. The matte color gives the SQ Sumo2 Fairway Wood a minimalist appearance that won’t distract you when you tee it up or hit from the fairway. Some people might be put off by the nontraditional square shape and find it intimidating to use, but that’s not the case. The sole of the club utilizes a monorail design, that makes it quite easy to hit the club from all types of lies. The lightweight tour quality, 65 gram regular flex Diamana Yellow Board Shaft by Mitsubushi, provides optimum distance and accuracy.
Performance Is a square shape better than a traditional fairway wood? The answer to this question is a resounding “Yes!” What Nike did when designing the square shape of the Nike SQ Sumo2 Fairway Wood is push the weight to the farthest corners of the head, creating a more forgiving club that hits straight shots from practically any lie. The PowerBow design lowers the SQ Sumo2 Fairway Wood’s center of gravity to make it very easy to get the ball off the ground with pinpoint accuracy. The PowerBow weighting is located in the rear of the club and outlined by a graphite grey color on the crown of the club.The square shape also promotes greater stability and less twisting of the clubface, making it very forgiving on off-center hits and limits the amount of sidespin produced on the ball, which leads to better accuracy. The face of the Nike SQ Sumo2 Fairway Wood utilizes a Lightweight Cryo Steel face that provides a very large responsive sweet spot, for increased distance and forgiveness across the clubface. In my tests I was able to hit Nike SQ Sumo2 Fairway Wood so easily, I thought I was hitting a hybrid club, that’s how easy it is to get the ball up in the air with this club. The ball just explodes off the face of the SQ Sumo2, launching my shots high into the air which did limit the amount of carry distance, but it does make the ball stop quite quickly. I also noticed that the square shape allowed me to hit the SQ Sumo2 from the rough without any problems, making this a very versatile club. I always thought that fairway woods were not very practical, since the introduction of hybrid clubs, but I stand corrected. The Nike SQ Sumo2 Fairway Wood makes a great case for why square is better than round and I have to say I’m a believer.
Japanese philosophical tradition provides that “perfection” is not a goal that can be attained, rather its a never ending journey to a goal. For the past 47 years, Katsuhiro Miura has been on that journey in pursuit of making the “perfect” forged golf club. Miura Golf Clubs have been around for quite sometime in Japan, you may in fact, never heard of them. Miura doesn’t sponsors players on the PGA Tour, instead the players pay to use these excellent forged clubs. “It’s about craftsmanship, and not a marketing machine.” I’ve been lucky enough to review the Miura MC-102 forged 6 iron and Mirua 54 Sand Wedge for the past month and the results have been astounding.
Miura MC-102 Irons
Miura MC-102 Irons Top Line
Miura MC-102 Irons Profile
Miura 54 Wedge Series
Miura 54 Wedge Series Face
Miura 54 Wedge Series Top View
Background All Miura golf clubs are manufactured in Himeji, Japan considered to be the “Steel region of Japan”. Every golf club goes through a 14 step manufacturing process that has been developed and refined over the years by Katushiro Miura and his staff of master craftsman. All of the clubs are hand ground by expert grinders making final adjustments to the weight, finish, and design of the club. By adjusting the weight during the forging process, rather than the grinding process, allows Miura to create a uniform clubhead weight that other manufacturers cannot match. What makes Miura forged irons and wedges so different from other manufacturers? There are two things that make Miura golf clubs the best forged clubs you can buy, and those are the use of mild steel and the forging techniques.
Why Mild Steel? Mild steel produces a sense of feel and control that cannot be matched by other forging and casting processes used by other manufacturers. The Miura forging process compliments the use of mild steel for the manufacturing of irons and its wedges.
Why is the Miura Forging technique the best?
Miura’s forging techniques rearranges the molecular structure of the mild steel in a pattern that is uniform throughout the hitting area of the club, that makes his clubs so unique. The forging process used on all Miura Golf clubs is the tightest in the industry. If you view the clubhead under a microscope, it looks like a glass jar filled with sand, showcasing the solid grain structure of the clubhead. Its this unique forging process that give Miura golf clubs their sense of softness and solid feel. Mr. Miura uses forging techniques which have taken 47 years to perfect. These special techniques produce a club head with the most stable and refined molecular structure found anywhere in the golfing industry. Because Mr. Miura is able to have the fundamental weight adjustments in the club head occur during the forging process rather than the grinding process, creates a uniformity of club head weight which is unsurpassed. Translation: unbelievable feel.
Look and Feel My initial reaction to holding the MC-102 6 iron in my hands for the first time was one of sheer amazement, the club just felt right. The balanced weight and look of the club is unlike anything I’ve seen before. It truly is a thing of beauty and an example of superb craftsmanship. The matte nickel satin finish gives the club a nice refined look and the top view of the forged blade is so thin and sleek, my cavity back Callaway X-20 6 iron looks obese compared to the Miura MC-102 6 iron. The face of club looks just as sleek and minimal like the top-line with its beautiful pressed score lines and large sweet spot. The back of the face of the club has a cavity back design, which features the Miura logo stamped into a satin finish. The hosel of the club is made using a proprietary “spin welding” process to produce the industries’ most consistent hosel. This unique procedure ensures that the bore depths and hosel heights are identical on every Miura made head and the shaft of every club will be perfectly centered. The Miura NGS Graphite Shaft and velvet cord grip, made the MC-102 6 iron extremely pleasant to swing and lightweight. Miura gives you the option to buy your clubs with only the best shafts available in the industry, from Miura’s NGS Graphite Shaft, Nippon Shaft, True Temper, Aerotech Golf, and Royal Precision.
The look and feel of the 54 Sand Wedge from Miura, had a similar nickel satin finish, making the wedge look very refined. The weight of the wedge was comparable to my Titleist Vokey Spin Milled 54 Wedge, but with one huge difference, it didn’t feel as balanced as the Miura wedge. The face of club had beautifully scored lines in the face, but did not have the spin milled grooves that you see in Vokey or other comparable sand wedges on the market. The toe of the club has a nice roundness to it as well as the sole of the wedge.
Performance A common misconception about Miura golf clubs is they are designed for a better player, which isn’t true because “the golf ball doesn’t know who is hitting it,” said Bill Holowaty, Miura General Manager of North America Operations. MC-102 Irons The Miura MC-102 model is a marriage of tour issue performance and game improvement features. It has a generous offset in the long irons and progressively less offset through the mid and short irons. A great deal of thought was also given to shaping the sole in a way that makes it less demanding to play. The sole of each irons is personally ground by Mr. Miura or one of the Miura family to ensure consistency through out the set. The 6 iron I tested from the MC-102 line features an expanded sweet spot and the forgiveness of a cavity back, all packaged into a forged golf club. Quite remarkable. I have to admit the first time I teed up my ball on the golf course, I was little intimidated by the thin top-line of the Miura MC-102 6 iron. The top-line is so thin and sleek, I was afraid my shot was going to sting if I miss hit my ball, but I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t sting at all. In fact, when I hit the club, I was amazed at the “buttery soft” feel at impact, you could actually feel the ball explode off the face of the club, transferring the energy from the clubface to the ball so effortlessly. It was a feeling I’ve never experienced with my cavity back clubs or even other forged clubs I’ve hit before. I also noticed that the trajectory of my shots were consistently middle-to-high and very stable. I never had a problem swinging this club from the fairway, rough, or uneven lie on the golf course, the perfectly balanced clubhead and generous offset made this an easy club to use. What really made the MC-102 6 iron standout is the solid feel and softness of the club.
Mirua MC-102 Irons (3 - 9, PW) start at $1200 and up depending on the shaft option you choose.
54 Wedge Series The 54 degree sand wedge (9 degrees of bounce) from Miura Golf, looks like your typical forged wedge, but you would be surprised how different it really is. Like the MC-102 irons, the 54 wedge goes through the same 14 step manufacturing process and is made of mild steel. The 54 wedge has the same solid feel and softness you would come to expect from a quality forged club. In my tests the 54 degree sand wedge performed quite well in both medium packed and fluffy bunkers. The ball would come flying out of the bunker quite nicely with the right amount of spin you would expect from a 54 degree wedge. Chipping and pitching could not have been easier, the softness of the forged club really excels when you make a crisp ship or pitch. The Miura 54 degree wedge also performed quite well in and around the green, in both light to moderate rough conditions. The only thing I wished for was little more spin on my shots, that I’m used to getting with my Eidolon 54 degree Mid Wedge. Overall, its everything you come to expect in a forged wedge, in terms of workability and feedback.
Miura Wedges retail for $160 - $200 depending on the shaft option you choose.
Just like Leonardo da Vinci is considered to be the archetype “Renaissance man” and most diversely talented person ever to have lived, Katsuhiro Miura is considered to have the “Hands of God” when it comes making forged golf clubs. Words cannot begin to describe the quality of Mirua forged golf clubs. You have to feel and touch the golf clubs to get a sense for what a perfectly balanced forged golf club feels like. If your in the market for a remarkable set of forged irons or wedges, than checkout the Miura MC-102 Irons or the Miura Wedge Series, you wont be disappointed.
Also coming out later this year in North America is a line of Drivers, Fairway Woods, and Utility Clubs. These clubs have been available in Europe for about a year now and have been doing well. I can’t wait to review the latest offering to a great line of forged clubs.
There have been a lot of rumors and leaked photos of the new Nike Victory Red Irons, and those rumors have been confirmed. The new Nike Victory Red Irons will be available November 1, 2008 at golf shops and retailers nationwide.
Nike Victory Red Irons Forged TW Blades
Nike Victory Red Irons Forged Split Cavity
Nike Victory Red Irons Victory Red
The Victory Red irons come in three distinct offerings – Victory Red Forged TW Blades; Victory Red Forged Split Cavity and the Full Cavity Victory Red irons. Nike Golf athletes, including Paul Casey, Trevor Immelman and Stephen Ames teed it up with the Victory Red irons at The Barclay’s on the PGA Tour last week. Casey, who finished tied for seventh, credited his new Nike Victory Red Forged TW Blades for giving him extra distance.
“For me, they go about two to three yards further than my old set,” said Casey.
Nike Golf’s new family of Victory Red irons comprises traditional looking irons designed for the aspiring golfer who demands the ultimate combination of Tour proven craftsmanship, performance and forgiveness. Prior to his absence from competition because of a knee injury, Nike Golf athlete Tiger Woods worked directly with Nike Golf’s experienced team of designers and engineers to create Nike Golf’s best irons ever under the Victory Red brand. Woods’ influence is especially evident in the Nike Victory Red Forged TW Blades.
Nike Victory Red Forged TW Blades
The Victory Red Forged TW Blade is a forged iron that is all about precision. It features a more traditional muscle back design that includes a conspicuous and recognizable “TW” mark. The center of gravity of the Victory Red TW Blades is positioned to Tiger Woods’ specs and provides ultimate control and shot shaping demanded by Nike Golf’s preeminent athlete himself. Made of 1025 Forged Carbon Steel with a CNC milled face, the Victory Red Forged TW Blade differentiates from Nike’s original Blades with a more modified backpad and a slightly thicker toe.
“I like the new VR Blades because of the consistent feel throughout the bag, how good it looks in a playing position and my workability,” said Woods. “I can shape the ball both ways, change my trajectory, do whatever I need to do to hit the ball closest to the hole and be as efficient as I can throughout the round. That’s ultimately what you want to have happen. I hope to have these new irons in my bag upon my return to competition.”
Validating his confidence in the Victory Red brand, Woods used a 60-degree Victory Red Wedge during his stunning performance at the U.S. Open in June.
Nike’s Victory Red Forged Split Cavity irons have a moderately wider sole and slightly thicker topline than the Victory Red TW Blades. Still maintaining a traditional look with a high degree of workability, the Victory Red Forged Split Cavity includes a split back design that positions the center of gravity behind the sweet spot for ball control while providing forgiveness. The Victory Red Forged Split Cavity irons are made of 1025 Forged Carbon Steel and are machined to precise tolerances to optimize feel and accuracy. The CNC Milled Face ensures uniform ball compression for consistent ball flight and distance control. Differentiating slightly from the Victory Red TW Blades, the Victory Red Forged Split Cavity provides a higher trajectory and is more forgiving. The loft and lie of the Victory Red Forged Split Cavity irons are the same as the Victory Red TW Blades; the Victory Red Forged Split Cavity irons do have more offset than the blades.
“The first time I hit the VR Forged Split Cavity irons, I immediately noticed what a great feel they have as the head penetrates through the ground,” said Nike Golf athlete, Lucas Glover. “I really like the shape of these new irons. The look and feel is terrific.”
The Nike Victory Red Iron is a full cavity iron and has more offset than the Victory Red TW Blades and Victory Red Forged Split Cavity irons. The Victory Red Irons deep full cavity, wide sole, thick topline and moderate offset provide added forgiveness and confidence for the average golfer. Made from 431 Stainless Steel, the Victory Red irons provide a soft, crisp feel (25% softer than the commonly used 17-4 Stainless). The full cavity clubhead design positions the center of gravity further back to facilitate high launching, soft landing accurate approach shots. Perimeter weighting and the undercut cavity distribute more weight to the perimeter of the iron to increase the MOI of the club head and produce more forgiveness on off-center hits. Thinner face thickness on the top and progressive thickness closer to the bottom move weight closer to the sole and lower the center of gravity.
What golf ball does Tiger Wood’s use when he plays golf? Tiger plays the Nike One Platinum golf ball, which have been re-engineered for longer distance, enhanced control and workability. The Nike One Platinum provides the ultimate Tour performance ball, combining feel, spin, and accuracy from the tee to the green with exceptional distance for players with high swing speeds. For the past month I’ve been testing out the Nike One Platinum golf balls and the results are quite surprising.
Nike One Platinum Golf Ball
Off the Tee In my tests I compared the Nike One Platinum to a Titleist Pro V1 golf ball. The Nike One Platinum is a four piece multi-layer golf ball that has been totally re-engineered to provide longer distance and enhanced control, the two most important features I look for in a golf ball. How Nike did this, is improve the 378 dimple pattern of the golf ball to make it more aerodynamic for more carry and added distance off the tee. The improved dimple pattern and seamless urethane cover result in a ball that flies in a much more penetrating ball flight, with less drag on the ball. I really liked the way my ball would fly off the face of my driver and fairway woods, in a consistent flight path, similar to the Pro V1. The biggest improvement to the Nike One Platinum golf ball is the introduction of the new Power Transfer Layer, which consists of a layer of highly advanced, resilient polymer that replaces a conventional mantle for increased ball speed and longer distance with driver, fairway woods, and long irons and off center hits. The amount of carry I got off my shots was really nice, my ball would travel anywhere from 5 - 15 yards longer, very useful on those long par 4 and 5 holes. Even on off center hits, my ball would travel a lot farther than with the Pro V1. The other improvement Nike made to the Platinum golf ball is optimize the inner cover of the ball for better workability and control with your irons. I found it to be quite easy to shape my shots with the Nike One Platinum, especially with my mid-irons on short par 3’s, making it very easy to dial in the right amount spin and control on my shots. The final piece of the Nike One Platinum is the Progressive Density Core, which gives it the superior feel you would expect from a Tour performance golf ball and longer distance off a wider range of clubs. The amount of feel you get from the Nike One’s is comparable to a Pro V1, in terms of workability and distance.
Short Game In and around the green the Nike One Platinum golf ball excelled at putting, because of the Seamless Urethane Cover which gives the ball such enhanced feel. The only thing I would have liked is a more pronounced aim line on the ball for lining up my putts, like you have on the Pro V1’s. When it came to pitch shots and chips, the optimized Inner Cover really helped with the amount of control and spin you can impart on the Nike One Platinum, making it very comparable to a Titleist Pro V1.
Even though this ball is aimed at golfers with high swing speeds, I think a player with moderate swing speed can still take advantage of the Nike One Platinum’s distance and control enhancements. If your looking for a golf ball that will give you improved distance, even on off center hits and exceptional feel with your mid irons, then pick up a box of the Nike One Platinum golf balls.
Key Features of the Nike One Platinum
Progressive Density Core for superior feel
Power Transfer Layer for increased ball speed for improved distance and off center hits
Seamless Urethane Cover for exceptional feel and short iron spin
Improved 378 Dimple Pattern for better aerodynamics and longer distance
New for 2008 is the new Cleveland HiBore XLS Tour driver, which is aimed at the golfer in search of increased distance, workability, higher ball speed, and high launch angle. I’ve been testing the new Cleveland HiBore XLS Tour driver (10.5* Regular Flex) for the past month and I’m quite pleased with the results and is a welcome addition to the already popular HiBore XL line of golf clubs.
Cleveland HiBore XLS Tour Driver
Cleveland HiBore XLS Tour Driver Face
Cleveland HiBore XLS Tour Driver Stability Foils
Look and Feel
The first thing you’ll notice about the Cleveland HiBore XLS Tour driver is it has a more traditional compact pear shape, which is much smaller than a traditional looking 460 cc driver, and it also has a longer Tour length hosel. The design is based on precise PGA Tour specifications and Tour testing and feedback. The stock Fujikura 55 gram Fit-On M Gold regular flex shaft makes the club very easy to swing and lightweight. The face of the HiBore XLS Tour is opened 2 degrees and weighted at the toe to promote a fade based workability. The enhanced sweet spot of the face of the HiBore XLS is 17% larger than the HiBore XL, making it Cleveland’s largest ever and one of the biggest on the market. The HiBore XLS Tour also features the maximum USGA clubhead dimensions to push the MOI limit. 5300 MOI represents a 13% increase from the HiBore XL for control off the tee for straighter drives. Weight was added to the heel and toe in the form of “stability foils”, which create a higher MOI and more stable clubface. A really cool feature of the HiBore XLS Tour driver is the authenticity feature built into the toe of the club. The HiBore XLS toe graphics will change from white to yellow in daylight or UV conditions.
Performance
The sound the HiBore XLS Tour makes when you hit this club reminded me of the sound a baseball makes when you hit it with a aluminum bat, it did take a little time to get used to the sound. One of the things they did with the HiBore XLS Tour is open the clubface 2 degrees, and weighted the toe for fade based workability. Now I normally play a fade and the open face design really accentuated my fade, making my shots fade very severely. But after some alignment and swing adjustments, I was able to factor in the built fade bias of the clubface, which is quite nice. Cleveland has packed the HiBore XLS Tour driver with three technology features, that they claim give you higher ball speeds, optimal launch angle, and greater overall distance. One of those features is Distance Driven Geometry. What this means is they moved the weight lower and deeper in the clubhead, which creates an optimized center of gravity in the center of the face, resulting in optimal launch conditions and higher ball speeds for greater distance off the tee. In my tests, I did notice that my launch angle was much higher than with my Callaway BigBertha 360 driver and gave me more distance, but not as much as the TaylorMade Tour Burner driver I reviewed. The other technology utilized by the HiBore XLS Tour is Energy Transfer Core. This is basically an engineered system of thin, lightweight titanium spines that transfers energy to the ball to create more efficient transfer of energy from the club to the ball and create higher ball speeds. The higher ball speeds will give you greater distance and launch conditions that will increase your overall distance. The final piece of technology employed by the Cleveland HiBore XLS Tour, is Full Face Performance (FFP). Full Face Performacne is just the expansion of the sweet spot over a larger area of the face of the club, which gives you maximum ball speed for increased driving distance. Another bonus of the FFP “Hot Zone” is it gives you more forgiveness off of mishits. In my testing of the HiBore XLS Tour, I did notice that the larger sweet spot made it very easy to produce solid shots repeatedly, and even when not hit perfectly square, the shots went relatively straight and far.
Will this club give you the tour distance of Vijay Singh and Boo Weekly? No, but probably close enough to make you pleased to have this driver in the bag. If your looking for a club that is Tour tested, provides fade based workability, a large sweet spot, and stable on mishits, then checkout the Cleveland HiBore XL Tour Driver.
Specs: Loft 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 Length 45″ Head Size 460 CC Shaft: Fujikura Fit-On M Gold Regular Flex, 55 gram
