TPT Golf Shaft Review - A Star is Born

TPT Golf had their "hello world" moment at the PGA Merchandise Show in 2017, when they first introduced their high performance shafts to market.  Since then, TPT shafts have won multiple times on every major professional Tour.  Justin Rose, Jason Day, and Bryson DeChambeau picked up big wins using TPT shafts.  And Masters champion Patrick Reed hit every fairway the first time he put his TPT shaft into play. 

 

In a very short period of time, TPT experienced significant worldwide success, and momentum was growing stronger.  So I scheduled a TPT fitting earlier this year at Club Champion to see for myself if these shafts can also deliver for amateur golfers like you and me.  And I discovered the answer is a resounding YES. 

Bridgestone Golf Returns to PGA Merchandise Show in 2019 after Winningest Year in Team History

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder.  And after time away from the PGA Merchandise Show, Bridgestone Golf is returning to Orlando in January on the heels of their winningest year in team history.  I'm saving all the details about their newest products for The Show, but can tell you now that Bridgestone will have you extremely intrigued and excited for 2019. 

 

Bridgestone's Tour team had more victories in 2018 than in any previous calendar year in company history.  They also had more wins per Tour team member than any other golf ball company.  This isn't hype, just fact.  And of the eight PGA Tour wins picked up by Bridgestone's four staff players, the most exciting may have been Tiger Woods return to the winner's circle at the season-ending TOUR Championship. 

Titleist Hybrid 5 Bag Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway

If you've never been excited about your golf bag, now is probably a great time to start.  Titleist's new Hybrid 5 bag is new for 2019, and as the name suggests, can be used as a stand bag, a carry bag, or a cart bag.  And no matter how you choose to use it, it's going to give you reliable and spectacular performance. 

 

All the official details about the new Hybrid 5 will probably be announced around the time of the PGA Merchandise Show in January.  But since I'm giving this bag away for the final day of my PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway, I'm sharing some insights about the Hybrid 5 that I believe will make it not only one of Titleist's most popular bags of the season, but also maybe of all-time. 

Titleist TS2 Fairway Wood Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway

This one's easy for me to say.  The Titleist TS2 fairway wood is the longest, most accurate, and most forgiving wood I have ever played from Titleist.  Ever since putting it in my bag, the TS2 has been a distance machine that devours fairways with hulking power and speed. 

 

I haven't carried more than a couple Titleist clubs in my bag since the 913 D series (when I played the driver, fairway wood, and hybrids).  Titleist released some great equipment since, but I wasn't completely blown away by the new stuff or felt an upgrade would significantly improve my game.  The TS series changed all that, and the TS2 wood is phenomenal on multiple levels. 

Callaway Mack Daddy 4 Wedge Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway

Let's get something out of the way right off the bat.  You're never going to hit a full blooded flop shot like Phil Mickelson.  Mickelson wields the lob wedge like it's a magic wand, and those impossible floppers he hits are pretty much genius level stuff. 

 

The good news is you can use the same lob wedge Lefty uses, and the Callaway Mack Daddy 4 wedge will make just about anyone's short game formidable.  And if you have the imagination, it might even turn you into a mini maestro around the greens. 

Aldila Rogue Silver 130 MSI Shaft Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway

Looking for a shaft that tames your swing, wins your heart, and puts confidence back into game from the tee box?  The new Aldila Rogue Silver 130 MSI shaft will do that and more.  Club twirls are in its DNA. 

 

The Rogue line has been extremely popular on Tour for years now, and it's won multiple major championships and countless other tournaments.  So when Aldila announced earlier this year it was upgrading the Rogue, it got people's attention.  And I can tell you right away, the Rogue Silver 130 is a golf engineering gift to mankind. 

CRU Golf Classic GRAND Collection Headcover Review (in Hand Waxed Black Italian Leather) - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway

CRU Golf is a pioneering custom headcover manufacturer with a reputation for uncompromising perfection and quality.  From brilliant and traditional designs, to unpretentious, minimalist styles, CRU's handcrafted, unique leather headcovers are always attractive and highly prized.  And their Classic GRAND Collection is one of my favorites. 

 

The Classic GRAND Collection headcovers are the first styles CRU ever designed, and you can immediately see from the quality of these masterpieces that everything for CRU starts and ends with attention to detail.  You're not going to find more luxurious leather unless you travel to the world's most famous leather markets like Florence or Barcelona. 

Mitsubishi Diamana DF Shaft Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway

If you followed the PGA and European Tours this year you'll know that Mitsubishi golf shafts had a dominating season.  Mitsubishi won total driver counts, total shaft counts, first place finishes, and second place finishes week-in and week-out. 

 

It wasn't uncommon to see entire leaderboards filled with Mitsubishi shafts, and at some events almost half the field was playing one.  That's not just dominating, that's ridiculously dominating.  One of these Mitsubishi juggernauts was always a Diamana shaft, and the DF-Series might be the most deadly. 

Cleveland Golf RTX-4 Gap Wedge Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway

It's golfing gospel: The key to lower scores is a good short game.  Some 60 to 65 percent of all shots come from 120-yards and in, making your gap wedge the single most important club in your bag.  Cleveland Golf's RTX-4 is the culmination of 30 years of iconic wedge design, and as you might expect with that kind of pedigree, the RTX-4 are masterful in trajectory control, versatility, and feel. 

 

I already wrote a full review on the Cleveland RTX-4 wedges here, and you can read about all the specific reasons why I believe these wedges will make you downright dangerous when you're taking aim at pins.  I won't go into all the details here again, but will just say that the RTX-4 will conjure up some magical shots that leave your playing partners in awe. 

Callaway Golf Rogue Fairway Wood Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway

Here's the situation.  You're in the fairway on a dogleg par-5, and can hit your second shot with a wedge or mid-iron 125 to 150 yards to the right fairway.  You'll leave yourself with an easy, short approach to the green.  And probably give yourself a good look at birdie. 

 

Or?  You can pull your Callaway Rogue fairway wood from the bag and fire straight at the pin with nothing but water between you and the green for 200 yards.  Oh yeah, and the pin is tucked up front.  Guess what choice I made?  Grinning.  Nodding.  Yep, every time. 

Wilson Golf FG Tour PMP Gap Wedge (Oil Can) Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway

The Wilson FG Tour PMP wedge is a club that legitimately gets better with time, like a fine wine.  I've had at least one in my bag for the last two years, and this year almost 20 players on the PGA and European Tours trusted PMP wedges to help them score. 

 

PMP is not a new 2018 release (although Wilson put out a new RAW finish version this year).  But that just goes to show you that sometimes you don't need the newest to have the greatest.  It's sort of like don't fix what isn't broken, and PMP is a wedge that will pretty much do everything you ask of it and more. 

Cobra KING F8 Driver Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway

I played the Cobra KING F8 driver on some pretty tough courses this year.  If you don't hit the fairways on tracks like Harbour Town and Oakland Hills your hurt will be endless.  On other courses like Firestone South and Shinnecock Hills distance off the tee is always going to be your best friend. 

 

No matter what course I stepped onto this season, the F8 gave me complete confidence that I could hit the ball as far and as accurately as I needed to.  Sure I hit some shots that were blooper reel material, but for combined distance, accuracy, and forgiveness, the F8 was still one of my top-3 drivers of the year.  And in one of those rare instances in golf, I can honestly say the F8 made me a better overall driver of the ball.

Titleist Players 4 Golf Stand Bag Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway

I used to be that dude who had to play with a staff bag because well, I thought it looked insanely cool.  And then the day came when I played a course that only allowed walking, and lugging around that full size bag over my shoulder made me realize I'm definitely not Kratos from Gods of War.  It was time for a stand bag. 

 

The Titleist Players 4 checked off all the boxes in what I was looking for in a stand bag.  It was lightweight, and turned out to be season long durable.  It had plenty of pocket space (and you'd be surprised how many companies miss the boat on this one), giving it ample storage room.  And most importantly, it was very comfortable to carry.  Overall, you'll be hard pressed to find a stand bag that's better looking or more functional than the Players 4. 

Cleveland Golf RTX-4 Sand Wedge Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway

Golf is a frustrating game.  Always has been, always will be.  From tee to green, the variety of unpleasant shots we're forced to hit and ridiculous lies we're compelled to escape from can be downright traumatic.  And the bunker shot might be the most menacing of all.  Unless you're hitting the new Cleveland Golf RTX-4 sand wedge. 

 

More golfers have probably sworn off golf from the bunkers than any other location on the course.  It's not just escaping them to favorable locations that's so maddening, it can just  be escaping them period.  The RTX-4 makes it easy to dominate from the sand thanks to incredible spin, intelligent sole grinds, and exceptional balance and weighting.  Oh yeah, and they're also pretty versatile from the fairway and rough. 

5th Annual PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway: Aldila, Callaway, Cleveland, Cobra, CRU, Mitsubishi, Srixon, Titleist, Wilson, and More!

It's time again for my PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway, and it's going to be wilder and bigger than ever friends.  That's because this year has been wilder and bigger than ever, and I have you to thank for that.  We have equipment and gear from Aldila, Callaway, Cleveland, Cobra, CRU Golf, Mitsubishi, Srixon, Titleist, Wilson, and more! 

 

Before we get into the details on how to enter and what you can win, and even before I recap some highlights of the year for you like I do every year, first I want to say thank you. 

Go Big or Go Home: COBRA PUMA Expanding Presence at 2019 PGA Merchandise Show

Cobra PUMA Golf will have its largest presence ever at a PGA Merchandise Show this upcoming January in Orlando, and you better believe it's more than just chest puffing. 

 

Riding an incredible wave of momentum over the last three years, and have expanded their industry footprint with some absolutely fantastic clubs and cutting edge technologies, Cobra PUMA is looking to keep its foot on the gas and make 2019 perhaps one of the most significant in company history. 

A Legend Returns: 2019 Callaway Golf Big Bertha Irons and Hybrids Preview

The Big Bertha name has always been synonymous with innovation, technology, and fun.  And this epic name might be pushing the boundaries of what's possible to such an extent that it could transform an entire category of golf clubs. 

 

Callaway Golf will be releasing their next generation Big Bertha irons and hybrids as soon as the calendar flips to January, and if you're a player looking for maximum distance, launch, and forgiveness all in one package, these easy-to-hit clubs promise to meet your every single need. 

Fast and Furious: Cobra KING F9 Speedback Driver Preview

Last year the Cobra Golf's KING F8 driver was all about accuracy with the first CNC milled face in a driver.  This year however, Cobra is all about distance.  And the new KING F9 Speedback drivers promise to launch high, spin low, and provide never before seen speeds from a Cobra driver. 

 

Cobra is calling the F9 the King of Speed, and the most aeroficient driver they've ever made.  Of course aeroficient isn't really a word, but they're using to to explain the blend of aerodynamics and transfer of energy in the F9 drivers.  Let's take a closer look at three of the key technologies in this driver that's scheduled for release in early January 2019. 

FIRST LOOK: Cobra Golf KING F9 Speedback Driver

Some big embargo dates are lifting tomorrow in the equipment world, but today we got a sneak peak of one of the new clubs coming in 2019.  The Cobra KING F9 Speedback driver appeared on the USGA's list of conforming driver heads earlier today, and there's plenty of information there to sort through if you can't wait until tomorrow to learn all about it. 

 

I've included a picture of the new Speedback driver, as well as similar views of the F8 and F8+ drivers so you can get a better ideal of what's coming, and more particularly, how the F9 Speedback will be different. 

Double Impact: FootJoy Tour-S Dual BOA Golf Shoes Preview

The new FootJoy Tour-S Dual BOA golf shoes are everything you've come to expect from the Tour-S, with the added adjustability and responsiveness of a double BOA system. 

 

You could just as easily call this a zonal BOA system because the two BOA dials tighten the upper area of the shoe separately from the instep and heel lock.  Although a double BOA system may seem complicated or arbitrary to some, the result is a precision fit like you've never experienced before.