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Similar to its Ghost Spider predecessor, the new Ghost Manta provides the performance benefits of a high-MOI (moment of inertia) putter, but is packaged neatly in a more traditional one-piece neo-mallet shape that is sure to appeal to a wide range of golfers.

“The Manta takes a very clean and classic Tour-proven look, along with an advanced and modern technology that often comes in a quirky head shape, and combines them into one comprehensive putter,” said Michael Fox, global product manager, putters and wedges. “The result is a putter that is powerful for players of all levels, while also providing confidence while on the green.”

The Ghost Manta’s white head contrasts sharply with the turf to make it dramatically easier to determine where the face is aimed. In addition, the Ghost Manta’s white finish helps golfers align themselves to the putt more easily, as well. A study of thousands of putting strokes using TaylorMade’s proprietary MAT-T (Motion Analysis Technology by TaylorMade) System revealed that 65 percent of golfers fail to square the putter face to the target from 12 feet, leading to inaccurate putts and higher scores.*

An update to its Ghost predecessors, the Ghost Manta features a new flat matte white finish which eliminates the distractions of glare and “hot spots” caused by reflected sunlight, making it easier for the player to focus his or her full attention on aiming the putter accurately and executing a sound stroke.

Key to the alignment performance of the Ghost Manta is its wide-bodied frame, which features two black rails on the top of the putter head that frame the golf ball and contrast with the white top to help improve alignment and visibility.

Additionally, all of the putter’s technology, including its two 50-gram tungsten stabilizing weights and user-adjustable weight in the center, are hidden on the sole of the putter to help the golfer maintain focus. The Ghost Manta features a new double-bend shaft, which provides the correct amount of offset without the shaft distracting from the putt.

TaylorMade teaching professional and renowned putting guru Dave Stockton helped develop the Ghost Manta, as he did with the original Corza Ghost and the entire TaylorMade Ghost series family.

Weighting system provides high MOI
The Ghost Manta features two 50-gram tungsten weights on the heel and toe of the sole, which are designed to stabilize the putter and increase MOI. This high MOI produces consistent speed on off-center hits. There is also a third user-adjustable weight in the back-center of the sole (additional weights may be purchased separately). The stock 33 and 34-inch putter heads weigh 360 grams, whereas the 35-inch putter head weighs 370 grams and the belly putter head weight is 380 grams. The head weight of the Ghost Manta long version is 440 grams.

Improved Alignment Elements
The Ghost Manta putter has two alignment elements: the leading edge and the dual alignment lines. The leading edge contrasts highly against the white surface of the putter and the green itself, while the alignment lines are painted black to maximize the golfer’s ability to see these elements clearly and use them effectively to aim the putter. Both of these high-contrast alignment elements give the golfer the best possible chance at effectively aiming the putter.

PURE ROLL Surlyn Insert
Like its Ghost Spider predecessor, the Ghost Manta is equipped with TaylorMade’s patented PURE ROLL insert, which promotes forwardspin to help reduce skidding to encourage a smooth, accurate roll and precise speed control. The PURE ROLL insert’s soft Surlyn construction delivers a satisfyingly soft sound and feel at impact.

Availability and Pricing
The Ghost Manta is available at retail on March 23, 2012. MSRP is $179 for standard-length center-shaft versions, and $199 for belly and long putters.

www.taylormadegolf.com

*65% claim is based on player data from TaylorMade’s MATT System.

Belly and long putters are getting a lot of attention by OEMs, after numerous players switched to the longer putters or won using them in 2011. Most OEMs only offer select models in the belly and long lengths, but Heavy Putter is offering all its models in belly and long lengths for an up-charge of $59.

What’s cool about them is that because the heads are already weighted heavier than traditional putters, each model in the collection (of which there are numerous versions) can be converted.

To learn more about getting a belly or long putter visit www.boccierigolf.com

With more than 25 worldwide wins, including three major championships and counting, the Nike Method technology has become the new face of confidence in putting. The latest addition to the Nike Method putter franchise is the distinctive Method Core Drone, which already has tasted Tour success three months prior to it becoming available.

Nike athlete Suzann Pettersen already has won twice with the Method Core Drone, once on the Ladies European Tour at the Ladies Irish Open, and again on the LPGA Tour at the Safeway Classic. After her first victory with it in Ireland, she was so thrilled that she tweeted about it with an accompanying photo saying: “My new best friend from Nike. The Drone!”

Available on November 1, 2011, the Nike Method Core Drone features the Nike major-winning Polymetal groove technology in a high-Moment of Inertia (MOI) package. With its iconic larger mallet shape and milled face, the Nike Method Core Drone is loaded with geometry. Its extreme mallet design and Opti-mass weighting in the center and wing tips keep the clubhead on its path, preventing twisting and creating a smooth, accurate stroke. The high-MOI putter enables more stability, which provides a better roll and ultimately leads to increased confidence over every putt.

The Nike Method Core Drone also has the distinctive Polymetal Groove Technology that exists in all Nike Method putters, generating a faster forward roll at impact for increased accuracy. The polymer and aluminum grooves lessen impact vibrations and provides pure sound and feel. This helps eliminate backspin, which causes skidding and misdirection. This revolutionary and visibly distinctive red insert decreases backspin, which was expressed by Nike Golf athletes as an important ingredient to their putting accuracy, distance control and ultimate putting success. The less backspin, the more “true” the putt will roll.

The Method Core Drone also comes in a belly putter length and is one of six models in the Nike Method Core line.

Availability: 11/1/11
MSRP: $203.99 $227.99 Belly Putter (41”)
RH/LH: 33”, 34”, 35”
RH: 41”

www.nikegolf.com

Keegan Bradley won the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club wielding an Odyssey White Hot XG Sabertooth Putter (belly model) to grab his first major championship title in his first major championship appearance.

Bradley’s putter is 46.75” to the end of the grip. It has three degrees of loft and a lie angle of 67.5 degrees. It weighs 762 grams and has a double-bend ski pole shaft with a Winn Flat Top Mid grip. Bradley is the first player to win a major with a long putter (a belly putter).

Bradley began using the putter last year on the Nationwide Tour at the Stadion Classic in Athens, Georgia. He has used it at every event except the Honda Classic this year, where he started the week with a White Ice Dart Mallet Mid with the same specs. According to Odyssey tour rep Johnny Thompson, Bradley nearly changed to a different Odyssey model at the Byron Nelson Championship earlier this season, but decided on Wednesday afternoon to stay with what he calls “The Tooth.” That turned out to be a good move because he won the tournament for his first PGA Tour title.

Thompson checks the loft and lie on “The Tooth”’ every week—at least twice—for Bradley because he is very particular about the loft and lie not changing. This year at the Canadian Open he started the week with a shorter, more upright version of “The Tooth” in order to get his eyes closer to over the ball. After an uncomfortable week, he went back to the original gamer and that is the putter he just won his first major with.

Fun Facts: This was the 10th PGA Tour win of the season for Odyssey putters. Odyssey had 40 putters in play this week which was 25.6% of the putters in play.

www.odysseygolf.com

Earlier this summer, TaylorMade Golf Company introduced the all new Ghost Spider putter, which continues the line of iconic white Ghost putters. Today, the company launched “Ghost Sightings,” an application on the TaylorMade Facebook page that encourages fans to post one or more images of themselves, friends or even tour pros with any Ghost series putter.

In addition to uploading their Ghost putter pictures, fans can also share the story behind the images. Ghost Sightings posts will also appear from TaylorMade Staff Tour professionals like Justin Rose, Jason Day, Sergio Garcia and legendary putting guru Dave Stockton, as well as the TaylorMade Tour team and TaylorMade employees. Fans can sort Ghost Sightings posts by friends and professionals.

The latest putter in the Ghost series is the new Ghost Spider. Like its Corza Ghost predecessor that was released in 2010, the Ghost Spider features a white head that contrasts sharply with the turf to make it dramatically easier to determine where the face is aimed. TaylorMade-adidas Golf Tour Staff professional Jason Day used a Ghost Spider prototype in his T2 finish at this year’s Masters and U.S. Open.

Visit TaylorMade’s Facebook page to learn more about “Ghost Sightings” and visit TaylorMade’s website to see the complete series of Ghost putters.

Following the success of the original Corza Ghost, a “golf ball” white colored mallet which was used two to capture two wins on the PGA Tour in 2010, TaylorMade Golf is proud to introduce the all-new Ghost series putters. The new lineup consists of three models – TM-110 (blade style), TM-770 (mid -mallet) and the TM-880 (small-mallet) – each equipped with our PURE ROLL titallium face insert.

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The new TaylorMade Ghost series putters were inspired by the immense Tour success achieved by the Corza Ghost and TM-110 Tour models in the past 12 months, as the products combined to win multiple events worldwide including twice on the PGA Tour. The Ghost TM-110 Tour, in particular, gained vast notoriety and adoption following TaylorMade-adidas Tour Staff professional Paula Creamer’s victory at the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open. All new Ghost series models were engineered under the advisement of PGA Tour coach and TaylorMade Tour Staff professional Dave Stockton.

“The new TaylorMade Ghost series brings the technology and science behind the white color and alignment cues from previous models to a wider audience then ever before,” said Stockton. “I’ve never seen a series of putters that are so easy to aim.”

The TaylorMade Ghost series has already experienced validation from the game’s elite in 2011. Just last week at Augusta National, 10 players used Ghost model putters, including TaylorMade-adidas Golf Tour Staff professional Jason Day, who tied for second using a new Ghost Spider prototype.

PURE ROLL Solves Common Problems with Putter Launch Performance
TaylorMade’s patented PURE ROLL face inserts solve two common problems with standard putter launch performance. The first pertains to the loft of the putter face at impact. At impact, the loft of the putter face (typically 4°) lifts the ball off the ground and imparts backspin. When the ball lands, it skids and bounces before forward roll and constant ground contact begin. During this transition, from linear movement to rotational movement, the unpredictable nature of the skid phase of the putt can easily throw the ball off the intended line. Bouncing causes lateral deviation, which leads to missed putts.

Secondly, when effective loft is too low, the putter cannot sufficiently launch the ball cleanly from the depression it rests in on the green. The ball is driven forward or downward into the grass sitting immediately in front of the ball, causing the ball to bounce. Bounce steals momentum, so the ball rolls shorter than intended. Bounce can also cause the ball to deviate from the intended target line, especially if the ball should hit small imperfections on the green.

The composition and construction of the PURE ROLL insert is specially engineered to bring the grooves into direct and active contact with the ball during impact, even on short putts. The grooves in the face also serve in part to strategically soften the insert’s structure. Together, these factors make the insert deform at impact, putting the grooves into direct contact with the cover of the ball.

In summation, PURE ROLL inserts help to reduce skidding, promoting precise line and optimum speed control. The result is a smoother roll and better overall performance on the greens.

TaylorMade Corza Ghost

• Mallet sized putter with circular hole creates a vivid secondary alignment aid
• Golf ball white finish stands out against green grass
• Three black, easy-to-see alignment lines
• New PURE ROLL Titallium insert promotes forwardspin and smooth roll
• Tour-proven, winner of multiple worldwide events.
• Also available in belly, center and long styles

Ghost TM-Tour 110

• Classic blade-style
• Used to win 2010 Women’s U.S. Open
• Golf ball white finish stands out against green grass
• Three black, easy-to-see alignment lines
• New PURE ROLL Titallium insert promotes forwardspin and smooth roll
• Adjustable weight technology to customize feel

Ghost TM-Tour 770

• Mid-mallet putter used by Rory Sabbatini to win 2011 Honda Classic
• Golf ball white finish stands out against green grass
• Three black, easy-to-see alignment lines
• New PURE ROLL Titallium insert promotes forwardspin and smooth roll
• Micro-weight ports to adjust swingweight for custom lengths

Ghost TM-Tour 880

• Small mallet putter
• Golf ball white finish stands out against green grass
• Three black, easy-to-see alignment lines
• New PURE ROLL Titallium insert promotes forwardspin and smooth roll
• Micro-weight ports to adjust swingweight for custom lengths

Availability and Pricing
TaylorMade Ghost series putters’ PURE ROLL technology allows them to deliver the best roll of their competitive set. In addition, their modern design, which is beautifully complimented by their golf ball white finish, promises to make the TaylorMade Ghost series a favorite for a wide range of players . TaylorMade Ghost series putters are available now at a street price of $159.

www.taylormadegolf.com

Face angle and putter path are both important in successful putting. The most common paths are either straight back/straight through or arced path that’s inside-to square-to inside. To help the amateur golfer practice the perfect putting path, TaylorMade designed the TR3 True Path putting trainer.

Watch this video of Gregg Hemphill, Vice President of Marketing/Communications, talk about the features of the True Path putting trainer from the 2011 PGA Merchandise Show.

TaylorMade TR3 True Path Features:

• Consistency in putting stroke path
• Instant putter face alignment feedback
• Improved muscle memory for proper putting stroke path
• Improved putting tempo
• Visual and audible feedback on putting path flaws

TaylorMade TR3 True Path $49.99

Golf is a sport where muscle memory is an important part of the learning process and improving your game. One area where muscle memory is very important is the putting stroke. How would you know what the perfect putting stroke feels like and consistently repeat it?

You could buy countless putting training aids or take lessons with a PGA Professional. But what if you could just go to your local driving range and take putting lessons from a robot? You’re in luck! A new vending machine for putting lessons called RoboPutt was just introduced at the 2011 PGA Merchandise Show to do just that.

Watch this video of Joe Sery, CEO/President of RoboPutt talk about the features of RoboPutt and give a demonstration on how it works.

How RoboPutt Works
Using your own putter, you can buy a 5-minute lesson for less than the cost of a sleeve of good golf balls. During your lesson, RoboPutt will move your own putter, perfectly repeating it time after time. Simply hold your putter and feel how it moves you. Like the saying goes, practice makes perfect!

www.roboputt.com

You probably can’t remember the last time you bought something that had the words “Made in the USA” stamped on it. It seems like everything now a days is either made in China or some third world country. In a lot of ways the golf industry is just a cog in the wheel of the global economy. Where golf clubs are researched and developed in the United States, and then manufactured overseas.

I recently made a visit to Bettinardi Golf, one of the few companies that makes its putters in the United States. Bettinardi Golf is named after its founder Bob Bettinardi, which is located in the southwest Chicago community of Tinley Park, making some of the nicest one piece milled putters. Watch this rare behind the scenes look at what goes into making Bettinardi putters and you’ll have a greater appreciation for what “Made in the USA” stands for.

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About Bettinardi Golf
The 52 employee operation features 23 CNC milling centers on its 22,000 square foot shop floor, that produce one piece milled putters and custom belt buckles. Located in the same facility is the X-Cel Technologies which Bob opened not too long after graduating from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, which still manufactures parts for medical and defense industry. As an avid golfer, Bob was eager to design one piece milled putters. And in 1998 Bettinardi Golf is born, and like they say, the rest is history.

The Bettinardi Process
All putters at Bettinardi Golf start off as either some kind of an idea or sketch that Bob has for a new putter. At this point the sketch or concept is then entered into special software to render the putter in 3D. It typically takes about 30-45 days to go from design to production, with an additional week for machining on the shop floor to develop a prototype.

From this point the putter, depending on its complexity will go through an 8 step manufacturing process. The material of choice is 303 stainless steel, which comes in 12 foot bars that get chopped down to size. A forging blank that weighs 5 pounds then goes through a series of steps to create a finished head. It can take up to 6 CNC operations to go from forging blank to finish head weighing a ½ pound. The 3 ½ pounds of steel that is removed is then recycled.

Depending on the type of putter being made, it goes to art work and engraving where site lines and any custom engraving are added. At this point the putter is 95% completed. The final stage is when the paint fill is added and that is all done by hand, This process can employ anywhere from 1-5 people, depending on how busy the shop is. The last step of the process is assembling the putter.

Quality Standards
As an ISO 9001 certified shop, every part they produce needs to be controlled via documentation and quality standards. Any part that is manufactured that doesn’t meet the quality control standards is automatically rejected and placed in red bins.

2011 Product Line
During my visit I got a chance to look at the 2011 product line that showcases the next step in the Bettinardi evolution.

The BB33 is classic face-balanced mallet putter with a custom double-bend shaft and patented Honeycomb face. The face of the BB33 is gorgeous in my opinion, because of the Honeycomb face which ensures the flattest surface possible.

Another putter in the 2011 product line which really stood out was the Studio Stock Series #8 putter. What makes this compact raised toe putter so unique is the Borealis Black finish, which gives it an iridescent glow to the putter. Simply stunning! Other features of the SS8 are the standard plumber’s neck and patented Tour F.I.T. face milling.

The Model Two Signature Series putter is a limited run of 1000 pieces for 2011. This putter gets its inspiration from one of Bettinardi PGA Tour Staffer’s and is milled from Double Aged Stainless Steel (D.A.S.S.). Featuring a plumber’s neck and Tour F.I.T. face this putter will appeal to any golfer who prefers a classic heel-toe weighted design. One look at the detail work on this putter and you’ll understand why Bettinardi made this a limited edition run and are highly sought after.

After my visit to Bettinardi Golf, I was blown away by the attention to detail and craftsmanship employed at Bettinardi in the manufacturing of their putters. I quickly realized that you’re are buying some of the best putters that money can buy and helping support U.S. manufacturing, which is becoming a rarity in this day and age.

Special thanks to Keith Webster and Bettinardi Golf for making this possible!

www.bettinardi.com

Being a gambler takes on a whole new meaning in the Never Compromise Limited Edition line of Gambler putters. The Gambler is for golfers who want perfection on the greens and appreciate modern construction and classic design.

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The Gambler series features four models (2 blade & 2 mallet) are forged from 303 Stainless Steel, which provides a combination of the soft material and forged grain structure for unprecedented feel at impact . With names like Royal(blade), Flush (mallet), Boat (blade),  and Straight(mallet)-you’ll appreciate how each is individually machined with unique artwork on their soles. These are some of the nicest putters from Never Compromise. We’ll be rolling the Gambler and let you know what we think!

Starting on February 11th, you’ll be able to create your very own custom Gambler putter with various paint-fill and engraving options. The Gambler Limited Edition line of putters hits retail in February.

Specs on the Gambler Royal Putter:

Grip: Winn

Type: Blade

Style: Plumber Neck

Loft: 3

Lie: 70

Head Weight:  340 grams

Length: 34″ or 34″

Available in LH and RH.

MSRP: $299

www.nevercompromise.com