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19 Revealing Photos from the 2018 PGA Show

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The PGA Show is a yearly showcase of new golf equipment where thousands of golfers, PGA professionals, industry insiders, media and golf equipment aficionados collect to check it all out.

Of course, GolfWRX was there to take photos of everything. We were also there writing about the new equipment, live Tweeting, filming video, and recording podcasts. It’s a busy week for us here at GolfWRX, but we’re happy to bring you all of the coverage we possibly can, because, like you, we LOVE new equipment.

There was an overwhelming amount of cool stuff, from training aids to the most expensive tech on the market, but in this article I break down 19 of the most interesting product photos (in no particular order) from the 2018 PGA Show. Enjoy!

1) Putt like a pro

Some call it cheating. Others call it information gathering. Either way, this new app from GolfLogix gives you access to green slopes, just like you’d see in the yardage books that PGA Tour caddies use every week.

2) All covered

While best known for his putters, Scotty Cameron has an unreal collection of putter covers — some more rare than others — and many of them were on display at the show. All of these covers in the photo are cool in their own right, but what’s better than the gold money sign on the green putter cover that’s two covers in from the top left? Straight cash, homie.

3) Da Kine-Fit

Areso never disappoints with its customizable, milled putters. The milling on this face is quite wavy — maybe that’s why it’s call “Kine” fit, since “Da Kine” is Hawaiian slang, and the islands are known for their waves.

4) Shhh, the fireman’s comin’

This fire truck-inspired golf cart, which Lil Wayne (aka the Fireman) would certainly roll up in, was just one of the awesome golf carts we spotted at the Garia booth. Usually you want to keep the fire going when your putter gets hot, but nonetheless.

5) Who needs a caddie

S we saw the phone app that shows you the slope of the green, well here’s the Full Swing VirtualGreen that actually shows you the break of the putt while you’re putting on the green. Somehow I think I’d still miss the putt, though.

6) Lynx has blades?

Don’t tell @ClubProGuy.

7) Where’s the CG at?

Exactly where is the center of gravity on your clubs? Well, here’s a CG Locator to point you in the right direction, and show you where the sweet spot actually is on the face.

8) Truvis bubble gumballs

Lucky for show participants who are in need of golf balls, Callaway’s new Chrome Soft Truvis golf balls in this gum balls machine were in fact golf balls and not oversized gum balls. You can still chew up the course with them, though.

9) The highest-spinning bottle opener ever

You can crack open a beer with the Cleveland CBX “Sip Groove” wedge, then get up and down with it. Save par and quench your thirst. Nice.

10) Bad weather, indoors

To show off its rain gear, Zero Restriction created hurricane conditions in this batting cage-like setup. Participants aimed at those white plates on the far right, and it made the loudest sound you’ve ever heard. Certainly an attention-grabber.

11) A club builder’s dream

A digital loft and lie reader, and one of the most stunning club-building machines ever. Somewhere, Ryan Barath is smiling.

12) The man of the people

The PGA Show attracts a small number of PGA Tour pros, most whom show up on the range at Demo Day to hit golf balls or put on a clinic. John Daly, however, just came to hang out with PGA Show goers, sign autographs and talk. Gotta love JD.

13) Bullseye!

At Table Rock, one of the most frequented and talked-about booths at the PGA Show every year, Titleist had a number of gold-plated replicas of winning putters from the past. This Steve Jones Bullseye putter from his 1996 U.S. Open win particularly caught my eye (pun). He won the U.S. Open at Oakland Hills in Bloomfield, Michigan, which is a driver, a 3 wood and wedge (if you bounce the ball off Southfield freeway) from GolfWRX HQ.

14) Chi Chi!

The legendary Chi Chi Rodriguez showed up at Demo Day in support of Vertical golf, who recently released a new fairway wood with vertical grooves.

Give em the sword fight, Chi Chi!

15) Silence of the Tyson Lamb

Nothing but silence from me on the putter-cover combo. Just speechless.

16) Office putting made easy

The PuttOut, along with the special mat, shows how far the ball would have gone past the hole if the hole wasn’t there, so you can work on speed control while putting in the office or at home. Reduce three putts while passing time at work? I’m putting GolfWRX HQ on notice.

17) Bradley’s wooden putters

These impressive, and soft-feeling putters are made from different woods such as maple. Far from the highly-technological putters of today, but these have some tremendous bag power. There’s a Tiger “Wood” joke in here somewhere.

18) A “Filthy” hat

This Sherwood CC hat from Imperial was made specially for pop-star Justin Timberlake, who’s also an avid golfer. For those out of touch with current pop-culture, “Filthy” is the name of one of JT’s new songs. If you don’t like the song or the video, Cry Me a River!

19) Dry in any weather

This new Weatherman umbrella was designed to keep from turning inside-out, even in high winds. It also comes equipped with special pockets and designs made for golfers, and it has a Bluetooth. So if the winds are really high and your umbrella flies away, you can track it with an iPhone app. You just never know where that umbrella will fly off to, especially since it won’t turn inside-out to slow down its speed!

Check out ALL of the photos from the 2018 PGA Show here.

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He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. OB

    Feb 1, 2018 at 5:01 pm

    Gold plating a brass Bullseye putter is a travesty and nothing more than bling.

  2. HDTVMAN

    Jan 31, 2018 at 8:30 pm

    Attended the PGA Show this year for the first time. Demo Day was spectacular, and the actual show at the convention center was fabulous.

  3. Ed

    Jan 31, 2018 at 7:16 pm

    A gold-plated Bullseye looks soooo … chintzy.. blingy.. garish.. foolish !!!
    I have two Bullseye putters, a regular and a rare offset putter… both in brass with a lovely patina that reeks with tradition.

  4. Bob Sarvis

    Jan 31, 2018 at 1:19 pm

    I cannot understand why Titleist doesn’t reintroduce a line of Bullseye putters. I think they would do very well and I’m sure the technology exists to expand the sweet spot.

  5. Ryan Barath

    Jan 30, 2018 at 9:42 pm

    You’re Right!
    I certainly smiled at that.

    A machine like that is a club builder dream.

  6. Ed

    Jan 30, 2018 at 7:12 pm

    Toys for boys…..

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Equipment

Q&A: Martin Trainer on his Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers” putter, 6.5-degree driver, and “butter knife” 2-iron

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As unbiasedly as I can put it, Martin Trainer has one of the coolest club setups in professional golf. (At some point soon, I’ll put together a top-10 list of “coolest club setups on Tour,” but I know that Trainer will be in the top-10)

What a lineup. He plays a 6.5-degree Wilson prototype driver, a 13-degree Wilson prototype 3-wood, a true blade Wilson Staff Model 2-iron, and a Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers Commemorative” putter!

 

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I mean, look at this 2-iron from address…

To quote the great author R.L. Stine: “Goosebumps.”

On Wednesday at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, I caught up with Trainer to learn more about his bag setup.

Here’s what he had to say:

You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?

MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.

And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.

When did it come back in the bag?

MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.

What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?

MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?

Do you remember how much you paid for it?

MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.

The driver is interesting, too. What went into the prototyping process?

MT: That was a version of the current driver, but it was the prototype that they first came out with for Tour guys to try. And for whatever reason, I just never switched out to the new one.

It’s just 6.5 degrees, right?

MT: Yeah. Very low loft, yeah.

What kind of ball speed do you have with that these days?

MT: Like high 170’s.

Yeah, that’ll work. And then a 2-iron blade? We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those out here.

MT: Yeah. The butter knife.

Very cool thing to have in the bag. Have you done any testing with driving irons? 

MT: Yeah, I used to have a thicker one, but it was a little offset, and I never hit it that well. And then finally, I started messing around with the butter knife. And I remember the first time I looked down at it, I was terrified. And then I ended up getting used to it, putting it in play, and it’s been in place since. It’s a pretty good club for me.

How far do you carry that? 

MT: Like 235.

A good little wind club, I’m sure.

MTL Yeah, exactly. I can hit it very low. It’s great.

I love it. You have people shook looking at that. Thanks for the time, man. 

MT: Absolutely.

To see more photos and discussion of Trainer’s bag, click here.

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Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (3/28/24): L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft

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At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick putter with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft.

From the seller: (@hibcam): “L.A.B. GOLF Mezz.1 Max Broomstick- LA Golf Paige Spiranac Shaft- 44″/79.5. Brand new, never used brown leather cover. The head was professionally anodized from Orange to Blue (Orange looked bad with the Pink shaft so I had it changed). Only a few rounds on this combo. Please see last pic- slight ding on back corner. 8.5-10 condition. THE SHAFT COST $475/ THE PUTTER $625. $799 shipped in the US. ONLY $699 SHIPPED.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules

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Spotted: Tony Finau’s driver shaft change at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

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Tony Finau has always been known as one of the longest players on the PGA Tour, but he has recently been working on adding a little more distance. Last year, Finau averaged 118.3 mph club head speed and 178.08 mph ball speed, all while playing a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX driver shaft. This year, he has increased his club head speed to 123.93 mph and his ball speed to 183.32 mph.

However, Finau’s overall distance has decreased by two yards in that time. From a fitting perspective, something was amiss. We asked Tony about the shaft change at the Texas Children’s Hospital Open.

“[I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin. My driver’s been a little high spin for me over the last month or so, and so I just figured it was time to probably check out the equipment,” Finau said. “And it definitely showed me that I was using a shaft that’s maybe a little too tip-stiff for me, the way I load the club now. [I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin.”

Finau switched from the Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX into the Diamana GT 70 TX. The newer Diamana GT has a slightly different profile than the D+ Limited with the stiffest handle section in the Diamana lineup. The mid sections between the two are similar stiffness but the tip is just slightly stiffer in the Diamana GT. Both shafts are within one gram of each other in the 70 TX. The torque rating on the GT is 0.1 higher than the D+Limited’s 2.7 measurement.

Mitsubishi lists the Diamana GT as a shaft between the mid-launching Diamana TB and the new low-launch Diamana WB shafts. For most players, it would be considered a mid/low launch and low-spin shaft option. Mitsubishi’s Xlink Tech Resin System makes sure the maximum carbon fiber content is there for smooth feel without reducing the strength of the shaft. MR70 carbon fiber is used for reinforcing the shaft and boron is used in the tip for its high strength and compression properties.

Finau is still using his trusty Ping G430 LST driver in 9 degrees and has the adjustable hosel set to -1 degree of loft (standard lie angle). Finau’s long-time favorite Lamkin UTX Green grip is installed. He definitely has a few extra wraps of tape under that grip as you can see the bulge down where the grip meets the shaft.

One final note: Per Ping’s PGA Tour rep Kenton Oates, Finau’s driver is also adjusted to play with an additional degree of loft to help dial in his desired launch.

We’ll see how he fares with the new setup this week in Houston!

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