It’s the beginning of the year, and if you are anything like us you are on the edge of your seat waiting to see what new products are coming out this year.
In late January every year, the PGA Show takes place in Orlando, Florida giving PGA Professionals and other industry members the opportunity to spend a few days showcasing the latest and greatest products from their lineups.
We were able to spend a few days perusing the floor, and we wanted to share a few of the products that we saw as well as some other items that we’ve recently found that we are excited about for 2022.
TaylorMade
TaylorMade has long been known to be at the forefront of technology when it comes to the world of woods. In fact, they created the first ever metal wood many moons ago. Over the years we’ve seen the brand evolve from Bubble Shafts to adjustable weights and to white clubheads, searching for anything and everything to help golfers gain every advantage possible to maximize your performance on the course.
In 2022, that process has evolved to the new Stealth lineup of Carbonwood Drivers. While titanium has been one of the hottest materials of choice for manufacturers over the years, the team at TaylorMade has created a new material that consists of 60 layers of carbon sheets that are strategically arranged to optimize the transfer of energy from the club to the ball. The have also leveraged the Twist Face technology that was popularized in previous models, to create the new Carbonwood driver design to give you longer and straighter tee shots.
TaylorMade engineers were able to utilize this carbon material to create a face that is 40 percent lighter than a titanium face of equivalent size. This allowed them to create a larger face on the Stealth driver than they have been able to in the past. This larger face has translated to increased ball speed performance which means shorter approach shots moving forward. We’re all in on that.
TaylorMade is also giving golfers plenty of models to choose from including the Stealth Plus (lowest spinning model), Stealth, Stealth HD (a draw bias deisgn), and Stealth Women’s lineup. For those looking for the ultimate in customization, TaylorMade will be offering the MyStealth series allowing you to choose from 6 different face color options as well as a few other personalized changes to add a bit of flare to your new boom stick.
To learn more about the new Stealth family that includes fairway woods, hybrids and irons in addition to the drivers we’ve discussed here, visit www.taylormadegolf.com now.
FootJoy
Performance, style and comfort. These three simple words are at the forefront of every decision that the team at FootJoy incorporates into every product that they assemble, and the result is a wide array of products that cater to any golfer’s needs.
That dedication to creating an option that works for any golfer is personified perfectly in two of the new products for this year: the FJ FUEL and the Tour Alpha. The FJ FUEL is the latest iteration in FootJoy’s expanded product offering that continues to innovate a shoe that caters to a younger generation of golfers who are looking for athletic performance, comfort, and a little more flare in the styling. It’s not just about style and comfort though as this shoe features a Power Stabilizer Outside and a Stability Bridge to create a secure foundation with the ground. The shoe is light and comfortable, and it is personified in FJ staff players like Will Zalatoris and Jessica Korda, whether in practice or in play at tournaments.
Now, let’s take a look at the Tour Alpha lineup that has been designed for golfers who are looking for a more secure foundation to enhance power and performance. The Tour Alpha is all about power and performance, featuring FJ’s most advanced stability system called the OPS System. The OPS System is made up of a rear-foot A-Frame, a Midfoot clip & Dual-durometer FTF that delivers unparalleled support and stability. For even more stability, you’ll notice how the cleat pattern on the bottom of the shoe is pushed out ever so slightly to give golfers a strong connection to the ground.
For those looking for the ultimate in a performance spikeless golf shoe, FootJoy has made the best even better with the launch of the new Pro|SL and Pro|SL Carbon. The new Pro|SL Carbon features a stronger backbone with the addition of a second carbon fiber insert into the heel area of the shoe to resist flexing in lateral directions to provide enhanced stability. This shoe has been incredibly popular amongst golfers, and it blends comfort and stability perfectly for players such as Louis Oosthuizen, Corey Connors, and Sungjae Im. Think smooth power, and if that sounds good to you, slide a pair of these on and you’ll see what we mean.
While FootJoy has been and always will be known for their footwear, an area where they have really made a huge impact in a very short time is in apparel. One of our favorite things about their approach to apparel is their layering system, built to make every day playable for golfers and perfect for you, the traveling golfer, as it gives you a wardrobe that can be built around catering to your home conditions while adding in a few key pieces to make you always travel ready.
Every year, FootJoy continues to blend classic styling options with newer, trendier options with a more snug, athletic fit. Once again, it’s all about options at FootJoy, and you’ll be able to find products that cater to your style in their collections.
For more information on all these new designs, be sure to visit www.footjoy.com for more information.
Bag Boy Nitron
One of our favorite trends in golf is that golfers are starting to walk more and more. While we enjoy the convenience of a riding cart just as much as the next person, it’s not hard to see why there’s an influx of golfers opting to walk their rounds these days.
To make it more convenient than ever for golfers to enjoy a nice stroll around the course, Bag Boy has created the Nitron Auto-Open Push Cart to their lineup to create the ultimate in convenience for being trunk-to-course ready in a matter of seconds. Much like the name denotes, the Nitron features a built-in piston that pops the cart open in an instant making it the best push cart we’ve seen on the market to date. It’s also incredibly light and conveniently folds up to a compact size making it easy to fit in your trunk for storage and easy access.
Another thing we love about this cart is how incredibly secure your bag is during your round regardless of the terrain. You can choose to utilize Bag Boy’s innovative Top-Lok technology, a bag to cart attachment system that eliminates the need for cart straps, or you can utilize the very secure bungee strap system that works perfectly with any other bag brand.
Every cart includes a myriad of storage options including convenient storage for a beverage, cell phone, umbrella and much more.
The carts tend to sell out quickly, so if you’re interested in picking one up visit their site here and you’ll be glad that you did.
SQAIRZ
In a very short time, the team at SQAIRZ has entered and made a significant impact in the footwear category. With a unique design approach to footwear, SQAIRZ golf shoes feature a square toe design that expands the size of the toe box to provide golfers with noticeably more comfort and greater balance. The wider base under the ball of the foot adds stability and more surface area coverage with the ground ultimately leading to a more efficient energy exchange and increased distance.
In 2022, SQAIRZ is continuing to build on the momentum they have created by enhancing their key designs and adding more options and updated styling to their lineup. One of these models is the new SPEED series which incorporates all the key findings that the SQAIRZ design team has learned over the years all into one design. They’ve also added a SPEED Mesh model to create a more breathable design for golfers who play in hot climates. For those looking for a more traditional look, check out the Classic Series which is clean classic saddle-like styling inspired by tradition and combined with our SQAIRZ patented performance and comfort innovations.
SQAIRZ also does a great job integrating their talent into design process, and this year they will have two limited edition golf shoes added into the fold. One will be the Men’s Limited-edition Augusta 11, a shoe designed to commemorate brand ambassador Sir Nick Faldo’s two consecutive playoff victories on the 11th hole at Augusta National. The other focuses on brand ambassador John Daly and is called the Men’s Limited Edition Men’s Redneck shoe. John, who has always been known to “grip it and rip it,” incorporates his casual, fun loving, easy going southern lifestyle into the design by incorporating symbols of his Arkansas heritage along with a cool silhouette of his likeness that will catch your eye like only big John can.
SQAIRZ utilizes a direct-to-consumer model, so you’ll need to visit www.sqairz.com in order to pick up a pair of these innovative shoes.
FlightScope Mevo and Mevo+
It’s insane how far the world of technology has come when it comes to tracking performance for golfers. Not too long ago, if you wanted to get any kind of significant data about your golf swing and tracking spin rates, smash factor, etc., you would have to spend a chunk of change to see a local or expert or tens of thousands of dollars on a personal device.
Lucky for us, times have changed, and the team at FlightScope has created the Mevo and the Mevo+ to give you all of the relevant information you need to track your game.
The Mevo is a personal, portable launch monitor that is perfect for the everyday golfer who is looking to optimize his or her game with key data points that ultimately impact performance on the course. This simple, pocket-sized device can be used indoors and outdoors and works in tandem with an app on your phone or tablet to give you key data points including carry distance, clubhead speed, smash factor, apex height, flight time, ball speed, spin rate and vertical launch angle. The app also has a built-in technology that clips a video of your swing alongside the data points while also letting you draw lines and circles on the video for further analysis. This is huge for self-analysis or sharing it with your swing coach so you can track your progress on any swing changes you’ve been making.
For those looking for a more premium experience, FlightScope has developed the Mevo+ that gives golfers 16 data tracking points and weather conditions to help you dial in your game. Another huge asset for this device is that it can be used as an in-home simulator with several golf courses and games included on the app creating the ultimate tool all for a price point under $2,000. That’s insane value for a device that does this much.
It’s incredible to see how much this space has evolved, and how FlightScope has evolved their high-end technology to bring it to consumers at an affordable and easy to use level. Visit www.flightscopemevo.com to learn more and be sure to check out the Videos section that easily explains how each device works.
20/20 Wellness Shots
Let’s be honest, most golf trips involve the members of the trip imbibing a bit more than usual after the round. One of the best parts about a golf getaway with your crew is “the hang” and telling tales of yesteryear while recapping the events of the day. As good as it feels to have those drinks go down the night before, the feeling can be equally as bad the next morning as you start to realize you are about to be on the course for 4-5 hours.
To combat this, 20/20 Wellness Shots were created to give your immune system a solid boost through natural ingredients and without excess sugar that your body doesn’t need. The company was founded by Golf Channel commentator George Savaricas, and George and the rest of the 20/20 team have become obsessed with creating a product to help you optimize your performance on the course.
We love this product as it’s easy to toss into your golf bag and have on-hand before a round at home or on the road. To learn more about what 20/20 has to offer, visit https://drink2020.com today.
Ridge Wallet
Is there anything worse than having a bunch of clutter in your pockets on or off the course, or when you are going through TSA at the airport and having to try and throw everything in the pockets of your bag? We are always on the lookout for products that can make our lives a little easier, and the team at Ridge has created a fantastic solution with their Ridge wallet.
This wallet features a flawless design that shrinks the size of your wallet to just over the height and width of a credit card. It’s simple to use, and for those who carry way too many cards in their wallet the team provides the ability to expand the wallet by loosening the screws a bit. For anybody who has ever spent a hefty sum on a wallet just to have the pockets expand when you were forced that one time to stuff a pocket with one too many cards, you know the pain of having things fall out of your wallet from that moment forward. The Ridge won’t do that, and the result is a long-lasting product that fits easily into your pocket time and time again. For more information, visit www.ridge.com to see their full line of wallets and other convenient products.
Dead Zero Putting
We’re always on the lookout for products that we love to use at home as well as on the road, and that’s how we came across the Dead Zero Putting Disk. This small target is easy to toss in your bag giving you the ability to easily bring it with you during your travels for those hotel room grind sessions when your putting wasn’t quite where you wanted it after the first day of your golf getaway. Don’t worry, we aren’t judging…we’ve been there plenty of times ourselves!
The disk is half the size of a normal cup which intensifies your focus and makes putting to a normal cup look more like the size of a trash can than a thimble. For more information, visit deadzeroputting.com to find out more about this unique training aid.
