SPOTTED: New Aldila Rogue 130 Platinum Proto Shafts

Testing begins this week for the new Aldila Rogue 130 Platinum Proto shafts at the Valspar Championship in Tampa.  There's not a lot of news about the shafts yet, but here's what I know so far, including some pictures to sink your teeth into and specs from Aldila's 2018 Catalogue. 

 

The 130 Platinum shafts are billed as mid launch, low spin shafts that will be even more stable than the previous generation.  That's largely because of the new 130 MSI material now being used. 

2018 PGA Merchandise Show - Day 1 Recap Part 2 of 4: Devereux Golf, Under Armour Golf, Peter Millar, Stitch Golf, and New Balance

Attending the PGA Merchandise Show isn't a requirement to be a certifiable golf geek, but you haven't lived until you attend one.  It's basically a 72-hour non-stop high with crowds of golf enthusiasts large enough to fill 20 football fields.  Sleep is unlikely, fun is guaranteed, and checking out the anticipated new releases for the upcoming season is intense in the most fantastic way possible. 

 

In my PGA Show Day 1 Recap Part 1 I showed you new apparel from New Era, Polo Ralph Lauren, Sunice, Adidas, Galvin Green, and J.Lindeberg.  In this section we'll stay apparel-centric and take a look at new lines from Devereux, Under Armour, and Peter Millar, as well as new headcovers from Stitch and the latest golf shoes from New Balance. 

2018 PGA Merchandise Show - Day 1 Recap Part 1 of 4: Titleist Presentation, New Era Ryder Cup (New Era and Polo Ralph Lauren), Sunice, Adidas, Galvin Green, and J.Lindeberg

When the PGA Show moves indoors to the Orange County Convention Center prepare for an all-out assault on your entire being.  It's not quite a cell block riot, but you need to develop a sixth sense on how to get around, or you'll plunge into meltdown quickly. 

You're bombarded with overwhelming amounts of new equipment, new apparel, new gear and accessories.  Everything gets unleashed.  Every isle leads to something cool.  More than 1,000 companies and brands showing off their new merchandise in a 1 million square foot area bursting at the seams. 

 

Yes the Show is packed with big budget marketing and dripping with hype.  Yes there's a definite commercial flavor to it.  But as I wandered the floor for three days in search of magic and mystery, I learned that PGA Show 2018 also delivered some of the best new products I've seen in years.  If you're a certifiable golf nut, these are exciting times.  In this recap we take a look at new wares from New Era and Polo Ralph Lauren (2018 Ryder Cup uniforms), Sunice, Adidas, Galvin Green, and J.Lindeberg. 

2018 PGA Merchandise Show - Demo Day Recap Part 4 of 4: Cobra Golf, Cleveland Golf, and Vertical Groove Golf

As Demo Day starts drawing to a close I always wish it was a two day event.  Orange County Convention Center has spots indoor to hit new clubs as well, but it's nothing like the full circle, mammoth driving range at the Golf Center.  To hit all the new clubs I want to test, I have to take fewer pictures at this point because there's so little time left.  But I'll still have loads of pictures of clubs from this recap, as well as more pics from other Demo Day recaps you've already read coming up in my PGA Show recaps from the floor. 

 

In my Demo Day Recap Part 3 we took a look at new wares from FootJoy, Titleist, Miura, and Lynx Golf.  In this final Demo Day recap I'm covering new clubs from Cobra, Cleveland, and Vertical Groove.  When all my recaps and Best of Show are done, if you're interested in a particular company or club(s), head on over to the search bar and type in the name to see the multiple articles where I covered them throughout the week. 

2018 PGA Merchandise Show - Demo Day Recap Part 3 of 4: FootJoy, Titleist, Miura, and Lynx Golf

Halfway through Demo Day is a dangerous point for me.  Muscles are starting to ache and burn.  Orange County National Golf Center begins to look even more gargantuan knowing there are still numerous companies to cover.  The sun's beating down and I have to decide, "do I save the space in my backpack for much needed water, or for more gear to bring back for you?"  Maybe just a quick breather to recharge? 

 

But you know what happens.  It's breakneck from start to finish.  I put on my Bose earbuds, queue up Eminem "Till I Collapse," and forge ahead to more new equipment.  And forget the water.  In my Demo Day Recap Part 2 I went under the hood with new gear from Ping, Callaway, and Fujikura.  In Part 3 I'll show you the latest from FootJoy, Titleist, Miura, and Lynx Golf. 

2018 PGA Merchandise Show - Demo Day Recap Part 2 of 4: PING Golf, Callaway Golf, and Fujikura Golf

Demo Day feels a bit like the Gold Rush for me. Trekking around Orange County National Golf Center and hitting swarms of new clubs can be grueling for sure.  But when you discover those gold nuggets panning through the waters of new equipment, it's a glorious adrenaline rush. 

 

In my Demo Day Recap Part 1, I told you about new riches from Wilson Staff, TaylorMade Golf, and Mitsubishi Golf shafts.  Next up would be PING Golf, Callaway Golf, and Fujikura Golf shafts, and competition for my Best of Show winners started to really heat up. 

2018 PGA Merchandise Show - Demo Day Recap Part 1 of 4: Wilson Golf, Mitsubishi Golf Shafts, and TaylorMade Golf

Demo Day is always my favorite part of the PGA Merchandise Show.  I start at the front gates, and purposefully make my way around the entire 42-acre Orange County National Golf Center.  I hit as many new clubs as I can in the nine hours we get, jot down notes for recaps, and grab pictures and videos so you can see everything. 

 

Music is pumping, people are drinking, and everyone's having a great time.  Demo Day is basically golf's version of Woodstock, except everyone has their clothes on.  By the end of the day I have worse calluses than I do actually playing an entire season back home in Ohio.  And I usually don't sleep that evening, because if I did I probably wouldn't want to wake up for the first day of the Show. 

2018 PGA Merchandise Show and Demo Day PGAPappas GIVEAWAYS

Well I'm finally home from the spectacle that is Demo Day and the PGA Merchandise Show, and I've never been more excited about new equipment, apparel, and golf gear as I am this year. 

 

I'll start uploading daily pictures, videos, and recaps starting tomorrow, and will have my Best of Show final wrap up sharing with you what products stood out as best in their class and why. 

As always I picked up some swag for you while I was down there and currently have five separate giveaways you can enter to win in three different ways. 

Callaway Golf Mack Daddy 4 Wedges - Preview

Callaway Golf has released an ultra- premium wedge called Mack Daddy 4, created with an appealing new shape, forged of soft 8620 carbon steel, and delivering an exceptionally satisfying feel and response on every shot. 

 

Less offset, a squarer toe and a straighter leading edge create a clean, confidence-inducing appearance at address to promote crisp contact and command control.  Higher spin comes from the new Groove-in-Groove technology and surface treatment to promote added stopping power, especially on pitches and chips.  Callaway also added an extra 16th groove to provide extra grab on shots hit from right lies that are often hit thin. 

TaylorMade Golf Spider Interactive Putter Powered by Blast - Preview

TaylorMade Golf has announced the release of the new Spider Interactive putter Powered by Blast.  Engineered in collaboration with Blast Motion and SuperStroke Golf, it will advance how golfers of all skill levels capture, analyze and progress their game on the greens. 

 

The Spider putter is TaylorMade's most popular putter in company history and was one of the most popular putters on the PGA Tour in 2016 to 2017.  Taking the next step in its evolution with the incorporation of Blast's motion capture sensors, this is TaylorMade's first totally-integrated golf sensor product in company history. 

Miura Giken MC-501 Irons Preview

You probably haven't heard much about this yet, but Miura Golf will be releasing three new sets of irons this year, and the Miura Giken MC-501 irons should make their debut at the PGA Merchandise Show next week. 

 

I'll have all the information about them you'll ever need next week from the floor, as well as tons of pictures and first impressions.  In the meantime, here's what we know about these muscle cavity beauties so far. 

Callaway Golf Rogue Drivers and Fairway Woods Preview

Riding a wave of momentum into 2018, Callaway Golf has released their new Rogue Drivers and Rogue Fairway Woods.  Both clubs feature the company's proprietary Jailbreak Technology made famous in last season's Epic drivers, but Callaway claims the Rogue drivers and woods are more forgiving and deliver even faster ball speeds thanks to an updated face. 

 

Improving on the best selling driver of 2017 is no small task, and I'll give you my full impressions next week at the PGA Show.  In the meantime here are few key details about the new line, and some comparisons for perspective to last year's Epic. 

Wilson Golf C300 Driver, Woods, and Irons Preview

It's easy to be curious about the hundreds of eye-catching new products that come out every year about this time.  Wilson Golf's new C300 Series of drivers, woods, and irons however, will grab your attention. You can expect heavy coverage of the entire line from me at the PGA Show.  I can't say for sure until I review these new clubs, but my first impression is the C300 Series has the potential to be Wilson's best selling line ever. 

 

The C300 Series clubs feature Wilson Staff’s revolutionary Power Hole technology for accuracy and power.  These urethane-filled through-holes strategically positioned around the face minimize contact between the body and face while providing maximum flex and an expanded sweet spot. 

TaylorMade Golf M3 and M4 Driver, Fairway Wood, and Rescue Preview

TaylorMade Golf is shifting the landscape of golf club engineering with the introduction of their new M3 and M4 metalwoods.  In a radical departure from traditional driver face design, TaylorMade's breakthrough innovation - Twist Face technology - promises new thresholds of never before seen performance. You might even call it a plot twist in driver design (see what I did there)? 



Seriously though, the concept is intriguing and it's sure to be a polarizing topic in the industry.  Twist Face technology is supposed to deliver a corrective face angle for shots hit off-center that should result in longer, straighter shots.  I'll have a full report for you from the PGA Merchandise Show on whether or not the benefits are real and tangible. 

Antigua Golf Apparel Spring 2018 Collection Preview - High Fashion at the Forefront

It's not officially spring until The Masters is upon us, but that doesn't mean we can't warm up a bit with an early peak at the bold new styles from one of the nation’s most prominent golf apparel designers. 

 

I'll be showing you a lot of Antigua Golf's new Spring 2018 collection from the PGA Show next week, and can tell you already they've made spring a season of energy and optimism. 

Preview: COBRA Golf Introduces the 2018 KING F8 Drivers with CNC Milled Faces for the Ultimate in Speed and Precision

COBRA Golf's new KING F8 line of clubs earned immediate validation last month when Rickie Fowler used the new KING F8+ driver and fairway woods to win the Hero World Challenge over a star-studded field.  I'll have a full report on COBRA's entire F8 line-up, including the new F8 irons next week at the PGA Merchandise Show.  I'm especially excited about COBRA's new equipment because last year's KING F7 Driver was one of my top-rated drivers of the season. 

 

The KING F8 and KING F8+ drivers feature COBRA's first ever Precision Milled Forged face for the ultimate in driving performance.  The groundbreaking, fully CNC machined driver face paired with revolutionary 360* Aero Technology, and equipped with COBRA CONNECT Powered by Arccos, delivers COBRA's fastest, most precise, and smartest drivers to date. 

PING Golf G400 Max Driver, Glide 2.0 Stealth Wedges, G700 Irons Preview

PING Golf is going all in on new equipment releases this year, with drivers, irons, and putters that promise to be some of the most eye-catching products at the 2018 PGA Merchandise Show. 

 

I'll have detailed impressions of the new PING G400 Max driver, G700 irons, Glide 2.0 Stealth wedges, and Vault 2.0 putters at Demo Day and on the floor at the Show.  In the meantime here's some info on all the clubs that PING believes will deliver across-the-board performance gains to help all golfers play better. 

EDEL Golf Torque Balanced Putter Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas DAY 12 Giveaway

Nothing causes more stress for a golfer than putting, and so each new year we see companies lay out different putter models, sizes, weights, toe-balanced versions, face-balanced versions, and everything in between to be our saviors. 

 

In one way, shape, or form, they all promise their putters have great feel, fantastic spin, and superior control.  Most of the time however, you just have to file these promises under complete and utter bullcrap.  That is, unless the promises come from a company like EDEL Golf. 

Callaway Golf Epic Sub Zero Fairway Wood Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas DAY 11 Giveaway

Move over Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Torry Holt and the rest of the 2000 St. Louis Rams, there's a new "Greatest Show on Turf" in town.  Callaway Golf's GBB Epic Sub Zero fairway woods are attack oriented clubs that run circles around the course with burner speed.  They eat up massive chunks of yardage from the fairway and the tee, and every time you take a swing, they put big shot potential in your hands. 

 

I should tell you right away the Epic Sub Zero fairway woods don't feature the jailbreak technology included in the Epic drivers, the face is too shallow for rugged titanium bars.  But trust me, it's nothing to stress out about.  The SZ still fires with the power of a .357 Magnum thanks to its lightweight triaxial crown and Callaway's latest generation Hyper Speed Face Cup. 

Cobra KING F7 Driver Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas DAY 10 Giveaway

Let’s be honest.  We’ve all grabbed a driver from our bag, stuck a tee into the ground, and then had no idea what was about to happen next.  Our ball might go left and it might go right.  We might hit it high and we might hit it low.  Stepping into the tee box can sometimes be like pulling the arm on a Vegas slot machine.  You just hope for the best. 

 

Cobra Golf's KING F7 driver takes random chance out of the equation and hits the jackpot with a three gold bar payout in distance, forgiveness, and adjustability - making it one of my top performing drivers of the year.  It leaves no doubt in all-around performance and will give you confidence to take dead aim and fire away without inhibition.