Equipment
Coming out of the haze: What to expect from the OEMs in the second half of 2020
As we slowly come out of the lockdown haze, it’s going to be interesting to see which OEMs are primed to come out swinging. From where I sit, there are a few companies that either kept the foot on the pedal or found new ways to interact with the masses. I have been tracking the major companies for different reasons, and I am optimistic on most fronts. Now, it needs to be said that everyone has been keeping the respective momentum going in their own ways—this has been a challenge for everyone, so this analysis is simply a commentary on what may come in the second half of the year.
Many good folks were either furloughed or laid off during this lockdown—that’s where we all lost. It needs to be acknowledged that we are talking about golf here, but the underlying reality of this is still devastating. I so look forward to getting into the trenches with these folks again either back where they were or at new companies.
TaylorMade became educators…and kicked off live golf again
Big giant club company or big giant marketing machine…it doesn’t matter what you label them as. TaylorMade Golf, in my opinion, turned the heartbreak of stalling one of the biggest first quarters in company history into an opportunity to start talking…and teaching. With the help of the tour team and TM athletes, TaylorMade focused hard on talking to us all during the lockdown. With multiple initiatives through social media, the Driving Relief event, and the tour staff engaging way more than usual. I believe TM created a runway to start moving quickly once stores and pro shops open up again.
Let’s face it, with the social media presence, the most robust tour staff maybe ever, and the driver everyone seems to have reserved for the top big stick of 2020, what’s not to be confident about? On the flip side, a company that big could have really taken it on the chin hard, but how they handled the lockdown—from my chair—was fun to watch and will ultimately ensure a quick restart. There is something to be said about having guys like Trottie, Adrian, and Hause in the fold informing and keeping things fun.
Rumor has it new irons are dropping in the fall/winter, which could spell two awesome bookends to a bittersweet 2020.
PXG leaned in
Why online sales for all OEMs spiked is no mystery. Boredom, desire, and a credit card are keys to any great online buying experience, but PXG made certain that if you were not a buyer previously, you may be now.
The price tag has always been a key topic with Bob Parsons’ Scottsdale-based company. It’s no secret that the clubs aren’t cheap, but during this lockdown, they did multiple strategic initiatives to not only crank up direct-to-consumer buying but also expand the PXG conversation into different areas, namely fashion.
Price cuts across the board started early and, rumor has it, enabled PXG to achieve sales numbers unlike any other period in the company’s short history. Yes, cutting prices helps unit sales, but in the case of PXG, it brought in the club customer that ordinarily shied away from PXG for financial reasons and ultimately made them buyers. That’s where PXG seems to shine, once they finally get you in, they are very effective at keeping you in the family. Mercedes-Benz AMG is like that: once you have had a taste of the Kool-Aid, it’s hard to go back to Hawaiian Punch.
In addition to the aggressive price-cutting, PXG fashion, spearheaded by President Renee Parsons, launched a new collection that is designed and manufactured by PXG. Fashion in times like these is always a risk from a financial standpoint, but this launch has been on the calendar since the BOY and the current lockdown did not disrupt that. It speaks to the confidence that Bob and Renee have in what they are doing. Now, is it a guarantee that PXG garments will fly off the shelves? No. but that’s not the point, it’s the fact that this current climate didn’t scare them into pivoting or holding off.
Point to this pick is PXG looks healthy coming out of this and it was possible to believe that perhaps this would have taken a toll on the custom fit brand. There is even a commercial produced during lockdown to attract even more club builders to the fold. Not normal behavior in times like these, but is anything that PXG does normal? No, and that’s what makes them fun to talk about.
The company also released its Essential Facemask with 50 percent of proceeds going to Team Rubicon.
Ping was quiet…but don’t be fooled
Yes, they did some rare social media engagements with Kenton Oates and the tour staff, which were fantastic. But the real magic here was the quiet way in which Ping slipped into 2020 and the mystery they have in hand and what’s to come next.
There hasn’t been really any new Ping product in a good while, and I anticipate a big winter for the Solheim crew. Sometimes, silence is golden and from what I can gather, what Ping has coming in irons and woods will be yet again a launch that gets people talking.
Ping from a business standpoint is a company that gets one percent better every year. Never any dramatic shifts in strategy or product. It’s always good, it’s always high-performance, and it’s always in the “best of” category across the board.
Watch out for them over the next six to nine months…a storm is brewing. A good one.
Cobra introduced the “Rickie iron”
Compared to 2019 and the runaway success that was the F9 driver, Cobra Golf seemed to cruise along in the first quarter of 2020. The SpeedZone metal wood line was an improvement tech-wise from the F9 but seemed to get lost in the driver launch shuffle with an earlier release—and frankly everyone in the industry took a back seat to TaylorMade’s SIM.
It’s not placing one stick over the other actually, I have been very vocal about my affections for both, it’s just some years, the story around a club can generate excitement, and if the club is exceptional, boom. Cobra was that cool kid in 2019.
What Cobra decided to do in the downtime is slowly tease and taunt with a “Rickie Fowler” iron. Players blades aren’t typically the driving element of any business model, but what Cobra did was introduce to a beautiful yet completely authentic forging that will not only get the gear heads going nuts but also entice the better players to start looking at Cobra as a serious better players iron company. No small feat.
Point is, Cobra has generated buzz. It helped that Rickie’s performance at Seminole was just short of a precision clinic. Beyond the Rev 33, its rumored Cobra has a new players CB coming and some MIM wedges.
It should be an exciting last half for the Cobra crew.
The Titleist train chugged on
I mean, what else is there to say about Titleist? They are as American as apple pie, have a stranglehold on multiple tour and retail categories, and one of the best front offices in golf. The company is a well-oiled machine.
So what do I expect from them in the last half? Well pretty much what I would expect on any other year, solid player-driven equipment. A metal wood launch is coming, the SM8 was a huge hit in stores and on tour, and the ball portion is the biggest 800-pound gorilla in golf.
It was also nice to see a little more social media interaction beyond the traditional. Aaron Dill has been very active on the social media front and a good portion of the tour staff, namely Poulter, JT, and Homa were proactive in engagement. Might seem trivial to some, but specifically, Titleist and Ping are not super active in the organic interaction game, so it was nice to see both companies dive into the fold.
Cleveland/Srixon should have a lot to look forward to
Let’s be honest here, 2019 was a quiet year overall for Srixon. Shane Lowry won The Open, but in the golf mainstream it was a leap year for them in regards to any launches. The anticipation from me personally of what is to come is quite strong. I adore the irons. I have yet to meet one I didn’t love, and fitters across the country will speak to that in sales. The Srixon iron line has become a popular yet-sort-of-cult-classic among fitters and gearheads and rightly so. They are phenomenal.
The recently teased picture of the new driver on the USGA site more or less teased us of what is to come for the overall line. New Cleveland wedges are coming shortly and the golf ball has always been a solid component to the Huntington Beach company.
As much as anyone in the market, I believe Srixon could finish the year with some serious momentum going into 2021. The irons and ball have always been firestarters. My only wish for them, selfishly, is a more aggressive tour strategy in regards to landing one of the perennial top 10. It seems like a dumb thought, but I have always felt Cleveland/Srixon was always a serious hitter that at times seems to get lost in the conversation. Having a big gun on staff or a couple of them will remedy that quickly.
Callaway has an eye on big things for the golf ball
Callaway, a company that seems to do it all well, was actually a bit quiet since the lockdown started. After a solid release of the Mavrik line and some momentum in the golf ball area, I’m sure this lockdown probably felt like a kick to the shin.
However, this company is shifting in a good way. The idea that they were a golf club company that happened to make golf balls is slowly turning into a company with multiple major components that stand alone. TaylorMade is on a similar shift, and honestly it’s very interesting to watch. Do I think that anyone will ever catch Titleist in the ball category? No, I don’t. All of these mentioned golf balls are ridiculously good, but 75 years of trust and loyalty are hard to compete with. But that’s not the point, Callaway is a monster company that takes the golf ball conversation very seriously, and I believe this will serve them very well coming out of this craziness and help the momentum going into 2021.
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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 an Artisan 0519 putter.
From the seller: (@Bradh972): “34″ artisan 0519 face balanced putter with polar stability shaft very clean has a garasen quad grip and original headcover $850.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Artisan 0519 putter
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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GolfWRXers are as fanatical about their accessories as they are about the rest of their golf equipment. Naturally, the world’s largest online retailer, Amazon, has plenty of options to choose from. These products are among the best-selling golf accessories on Amazon at the time of publication in the “golf cart accessories,” “on course accessories,” and “golf club bag accessories” categories.
Also, we’re leaning on our partners at 2nd Swing for some additional best-sellers, which we’re including as well.
We hope you find this list valuable!
We may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Prices are accurate and items are in stock as of publication.
Best-selling golf accessories
Jiskan Pro Golf Club Brush Cleaner
Product description: “Jiskan Brush with Squeeze water bottle’s body 7.5 inches, holds 4 Ounces of water, It allows you to switch between washing and dry brushing when you play golf in the field”
Notable review: “Quickly, easily, effectively, and efficiently cleans yours clubs in seconds. Great value for the price and quality of this item.” – Noah K.
Bulex Golf Club Groove Sharpener
Product description: “Portable golf club groove sharpener, easy to clean and restore your wedges, irons. Suitable for U-grooves and V-grooves. This golf groove cutter can grind and clean grooves very quickly.”
Notable review: “Unlike the other people if you use it smoothly versus digging the absolute crap out of you grooves it’ll last. Did all 7 of my irons and didn’t even make a dent. Great product for the price.”
Champkey Pro Retractable Golf Club Brush
Product description: “The area of the nylon & wire bristles of Champkey brush is significantly larger than of a regular golf brush…Our retractable groove cleaner can clean individual grooves and hide them when not in use.”
Notable review: “Good value, attachment with string works great. Will order again when this one wears down but I don’t see that being real soon.” – Gordon
Grooveit “The Wet Club Scrub” Golf Water Brush
Product description: “Elevate your game with our Golf Club Cleaning Brush. Its large nylon-bristle brush head makes cleaning a breeze, so you spend less time scrubbing and more time perfecting your swing. A must-have for precision and cleaner shots.”
Notable review: “Love this lightweight golf club brush that is well made and very easy to use. I love how it attaches with a strong magnet. I can quickly and easily pull it off my golf bag after every shot. The best part you just hold near the bag and it snaps right back on. It has never fallen off my bag. The water sprayer does not leak and last multiple rounds and practice sessions without needing to refill. I would buy this again!” – Jeremy
Pride Golf Tees 135 Count
Product description: “100% Multifilament. Made in USA and Imported. #1 Tee on the PGA Tour. 100% Natural Hardwood.”
Notable review: “TL;DR: Perfect height for drivers, visually aiding colors, wood’s natural fragility, ideal for golf purists, plastic alternative for modernists.” – Chicago Dan
G4Free Automatic Open Golf Umbrella
Product description: “With a 47/54/62/68-inch canopy and heavy-duty design, the G4Free Ultimate Golf Umbrella is an ideal companion for golfers, and business professionals, or for daily life. With its sleek all-black design, comfortable EVA grip, sturdy frame, and auto open mechanism, the G4Free Ultimate Golf Umbrellas are perfect in a metropolitan city or a sports field!”
Notable review: “With its thick, high-density cover, this umbrella stands up to the heaviest downpours no matter what. Not only is it functional, but it also has a sleek and stylish look. Ample protection, making it ideal for my family.” – Steven C.
SlopeMaster ProGreen Reader
Product description: “The SlopeMaster ProGreen Reader is the ultimate tool for accurately reading the slope of the green. Its high precision bubble level ensures that you get the most accurate reading every time. The more you use it, the better your putting game will be.”
Notable review: “Really great quality materials and solid build. Unfortunately it does not work well on greens that may be bumpy or greens that are not pure/true. I’d find myself reading a 3 degree difference on a straight out due to where I placed the chip. Try and use it in the middle of your line on the flattest part you can find.” – Dan
Desert Fox Golf Phone Caddy
Product description: “Keeps your phone and favorite golf app right at your finger tips. Once adjusted your phone slides in and out for easy access. Slide your phone out, take that photo or answer that text message, then slide it back in.”
Notable review: “I purchased this for my husband and he loves it. It has become a staple for golfing. He keeps it in his golf bag. It easily and securely mounts the golf cart. There are others out there that are magnetic, but this felt more secure and it is. This allows him to keep his range finder and golf app visible while playing.” – Ashley C.
Roykaw Golf Cart Fan
Product Description: “This golf cart USB clip fan has 3-speed settings. The portable fan is super quiet and super strong airflow; The adjustable head of this golf cart fan can rotate 360 degrees, So you can direct the air however you would like.”
Notable review: “Just what was needed for the golf cart. My husband loves it and says it works really well. Easy to attach to golf cart.” – SParker
On 2nd Swing
Ping Moonlite Stand Bags
Product description: “An enduring favorite, the updated Moonlite bag is a model of ultra-lightweight efficiency, weighing less than 2 ½ pounds yet offering four pockets, room for 14 clubs, an adjustable standing strap to make lifting easy, and a water-resistant belly. Converts easily to a single strap, too.”
Get it from 2nd Swing for $74.99
The Stack Swing Trainer
Product description: “5 milled Stack weights enable 30 weight combinations between 0g and 300g. Dual-purpose weight case / phone stand. Highly engineered training club – Adult (41.5″).”
Get it from 2nd Swing for $299.99
Bushnell Tour V6
Product description: “Utilizing new and improved electronics, Tour V6 is the most accurate, consistent and longest ranging Tour series laser Bushnell Golf has ever released.”
Get it from 2nd Swing for $299
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Every week we spot some really cool and custom putters out on the putting green and in tour players’ bags. This week is no slouch with some really interesting and beautiful putters being tested. Let’s take a look at some of the standouts we found.
Tyler Duncan: Scotty Cameron Phantom T-11.5
The Phantom 11 is a pretty wild putter by Scotty’s standards with a multi-material design that boosts MOI for more forgiveness. Duncan’s T-11.5. takes the stock model and moves the shaft to the center of the putter head. We don’t mean a center shafted version, but the shaft is installed in the center, behind the face as well. We don’t have any official details on this T-11.5 but it looks like that setup should create a putter where the face points towards the hole or target, similar to a L.A.B. putter.
Zac Blair: Scotty Cameron 009.M Cameron & Co. “Longneck”
Blair might be in possession of the largest Scotty collection on tour! It seems like every week he has something new, and flat-out gorgeous, that he is trying out. I have seen a lot of 009.M putters over the years, but never one with a long plumbers neck on it. This 009 is a Masterful that utilizes additional CNC machine work to reduce the amount of hand polishing needed to complete the putter. The long, or tall, neck on the putter usually is used to reduce the amount of toe hang and make the putter more face balanced. The face contains a very shallow milling while the sole features a tour truck, tour only, diamonds, and the rare Circle L stamp. The Circle L was made for Scotty’s close friends who lost matches or games and was meant to poke a little fun at their misfortune.
Paul Barjon: PXG Prototype
There are a lot of putters out there that become so widely used and popular that other manufacturers will borrow some of the design cues. The Spider is one of those putters and it looks like PXG has made a prototype putter for Barjon that has some similar features. This proto has a tapered mallet shape with twin wings that come out from either side of the rear. Twin movable weights sit in each wing on the sole and the sole features a plate that is bolted in place at the corners. The top contains a single siteline and the face uses PXG’s advanced pyramid face structure.
Odyssey Ai-One Cruiser Broomstick #7
More and more long, counterbalanced, and alternative putters seem to be showing up recently. The long, or broomstick, putter is making a comeback and more than a few players have joined Adam Scott in using that style. Odyssey has thrown its hat in the broomstick arena with a new Ai-One Cruiser model. The head shape is the very familiar #7 model, but with the shaft going into the center of the club head. An Ai-One face is there to help keep ball speed consistent on off-center hits and three white lines are on top for framing ball and aligning the putter.
TaylorMade Spider Tour S Broomstick
Another option in the long putter is TaylorMade’s Spider Tour S broomstick that we saw around the putting green. The head looks to be a little larger than the standard Tour S and that makes sense with the broomstick-style putters demanding heads near or over 400g. A TPU Pure Roll insert is installed in the face and the shaft is a more traditional double-bend design, just much longer! There isn’t the True Path alignment on top, just a full darker grey finish with a single siteline. Two moveable weights are out in the wings of the putter to dial in the specific weight a player might want.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 3M Open
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Cambo
May 28, 2020 at 6:58 am
Anyone else try to push play on the Lee Westwood image???
Cody Reeder
May 27, 2020 at 9:46 am
I need those Rickie Fowler blades. It is a neck and neck race with me as to which brand has been in my bag more. Cobra, or Mizuno. They are wildly different but I have loved both.
I was a huge Greg Norman fan back in the day, so I have always been drawn to Cobra.
Radim
May 27, 2020 at 1:13 am
What about Mizuno?
Simon
May 28, 2020 at 2:13 am
Yeah I’m really excited about the new updates to the JPX919 Hot Metals. Thinking they should be due Q4 2020 unless any COVID related delays.