2020 GEAR GUIDE
Playing with a Full Tech By Ted Johnson
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | April 2020
EVER SINCE THE microchip moved into golf-club design, we “gear heads” have had to learn lots of acronyms. Thanks to CAD (computer-aided design), we’ve come to understand the importance of CG (center of gravity), MOI (moment of inertia) and, of course, COR (the legal-sounding coefficient of restitution)—all of which factor into how clubhead and ball interact. Now we add another: AI, for artificial intelligence. Golf-club design is no longer just about mechanical engineering; it’s about software and mathematical expertise. Through one computer-generated iteration after another, AI has allowed Callaway to match the optimum face thickness—thus spring-like effect—for specific lofts. The result, like most of the clubs in this year’s Gear Guide, builds a little more performance into the clubs, which in turn gives us a little more distance, a little better feel—and a lot more satisfaction with our game.
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DRIVERS
CALLAWAY MAVRIK $500 Why you’ll love it: Feel, power, forgiveness Why you should buy it: AI-aided design has produced optimal composition, face and shape for better impact Insider’s insight: Getting fit will bring significant carry distance
PING G410 PLUS $400 Why you’ll love it: Tinkerers can fine-tune settings Why you should buy it: Offers power and forgiveness; fitting needed to match specs to your swing Insider’s insight: This company never fails to improve on its products
CLEVELAND LAUNCHER HB TURBO $350 Why you’ll love it: Grab-and-go driver with pop Why you should buy it: No adjustments needed; back-weighted, large face = forgiveness and distance Insider’s insight: A high-quality, low-maintenance choice
HONMA TR20 $650 Why you’ll love it: Beauty and tech from top Japanese line Why you should buy it: Titanium frame, unique carbon core and adjustability in a beautiful package Insider’s insight: A product started by Mark King, ex-CEO of TaylorMade
TITLEIST TS3 $500 Why you’ll love it: Sleek, hot look with forgiveness and pop Why you should buy it: Titanium crown, super-thin face, optimal shape = hot performance Insider’s insight: You don’t have to be Adam Scott to hit it well
TAYLORMADE SIM MAX $500 Why you’ll love it: Confidence-inducing plus boomin’ distance Why you should buy it: Forgiving without sacrificing performance; stability and speed at impact Insider’s insight: High-tech product to get even more carry distance coloradoavidgolfer.com
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April 2020 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
FAIRWAY WOODS & HYBRIDS TOUR EDGE EXOTICS EXS 220 $250 Why you’ll love it: More performance for the buck Why you should buy it: Thinner face consisting of cross-hatched fibers offer wide trampoline effect Insider’s insight: Hard to find a better club for the money CALLAWAY MAVRIK MAX $250 Why you’ll love it: Superb performance for serious players Why you should buy it: AI is used to vary the thickness for each specific loft to control spin Insider’s insight: Get fitted on every Mavrik (lofts 19-33 degrees)
TITLEIST TS3 $300 Why you’ll love it: Thin crown for low weight in clubhead Why you should buy it: Slender face and lower CG produces high, soaring fairway shots Insider’s insight: Pros like smaller heads for center-of-face hits MIZUNO CLK $230 Why you’ll love it: Hybrid with thin crown, flatter head Why you should buy it: Reduces “chunks” out of the rough; high launch and forgiveness Insider’s insight: Adjustable lofts range from 16-25 degrees
KNUTH HIGH HEAT 257+ TGS $340 Why you’ll love it: Hot face, unique sole design Why you should buy it: Thin, trampoline-like face and a sole that gets through the turf fast Insider’s insight: Further, straighter long approach shots with fewer chunks COBRA SPEEDZONE $230 Why you’ll love it: One-length club has unique features Why you should buy it: Hollow rails enable gliding through turf and added flexibility Insider’s insight: Easy to hit, easy consistency (lofts: 19, 21 & 24) COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | April 2020
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IRONS
TOUR EDGE EXS220 $500 Why you’ll love it: Forgiving irons with yowza distance Why you should buy it: Thin cup faces are rocket boosters on iron shots: 6-iron to A wedge (6 clubs) Insider’s insight: Perfect for newbie transitioning into avid golfer
TAYLORMADE P790 $1,400 Why you’ll love it: High-tech and maintains classy look, 4-PW Why you should buy it: Repositioned tungsten weight and Speedfoam in hollow head = feel and power Insider’s insight: A set of best friends for low handicappers
HONMA TR20P $1,250 Why you’ll love it: True player iron with aggressive lofts Why you should buy it: Classic setup, thin topline, yet has balance of a more forgiving club Insider’s insight: Superb feel thanks to velvety forging
TITLEIST T200 $1,500 Why you’ll love it: A better-player’s iron with forgiveness Why you should buy it: Hot-face, polymer core and traditional look induces confidence Insider’s insight: T100 model is tighter, smaller; T200 is easier to hit
MIZUNO JPX919 $1,200 Why you’ll love it: Classic looks, high-tech features Why you should buy it: Better players rave about the feel as well as the forgiveness and distance Insider’s insight: Trying to go from 10-handicap to 4? Try these.
PING i500 $1,200 Why you’ll love it: Looks classic, plays modern Why you should buy it: Better players will love look but distance and feel speaks to modern tech Insider’s insight: A forged iron performance with top specs COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | April 2020
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WEDGES
BETTINARDI HLX 3.0 $190 Why you’ll love it: So pretty you won’t want to hit it Why you should buy it: Buttery feel from Bettinardi milling with honeycomb finish Insider’s insight: Keep an eye on it; many will want to try it out
PING GLIDE 3.0 $150 Why you’ll love it: Redesign includes iconic Eye2 shape Why you should buy it: Overall new wedge affording feel, forgiveness and performance Insider’s insight: Get fitted to match bounce to angle of attack TITLEIST VOKEY SM8 $160 Why you’ll love it: PGA TOUR’s most popular wedge Why you should buy it: SM8 offers the longest hosel, tungsten weight on toe; 2 groove shapes Insider’s insight: You’ll gain so much on those delicate shots
COBRA MIM $150 Why you’ll love it: Blend of metals, less polishing Why you should buy it: Instead of forging, this cast club reduces machine treatment for soft feel Insider’s insight: More loft-sole options for 2020
TAYLORMADE MILLED GRIND 2.0 $170 Why you’ll love it: Raw finish for sharper grooves Why you should buy it: Based on Tiger’s wedge specs, the grooves and face produce a grabby club Insider’s insight: A high-tech design for advanced wedge players
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | April 2020
CLEVELAND SMART SOLE 4 $120 Why you’ll love it: Unique wide sole for forgiveness Why you should buy it: Designed to eliminate mis-hits, making sand escapes easy and predictable Insider’s insight: A little practice eliminates short-game jitters
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PUTTERS & BALLS
TAYLORMADE SPIDER S $350 Why you’ll love it: New style to the most popular line on PGA TOUR Why you should buy it: Extreme rear-weight for max stability; no twisting of face through stroke Insider’s insight: Easy for straightback-straight-through stroke
TITLEIST PRO V1 $52 Why you’ll love it: Penetrating flight, great feel and spin Why you should buy it: Better ball for the windy plains of Colorado and doesn’t scuff as much Insider’s insight: Pro V1x flies higher but needs higher swing speed
CLEVELAND FRONTLINE $200 Why you’ll love it: A blade that helps on mis-hits Why you should buy it: CG is closer to front of blade to improve accuracy Insider’s insight: Quality at a much lower price
BETTINARDI INOVAI 6.0 $400 Why you’ll love it: High-tech mallet with blade feel Why you should buy it: Multi-material head faced with 303 stainless in aluminum body Insider’s insight: Toned blue to help with alignment
CARBON BANDIT $420 Why you’ll love it: Solid, unique feel at impact Why you should buy it: Brass in heel pushes CG to the middle for stability Insider’s insight: You won’t find the toe closing fast
BRIDGESTONE e12 $30 Why you’ll love it: Outstanding performance for the value Why you should buy it: Surlyn cover and acceleration mantle next to core for high-speed exit off tee Insider’s insight: Soft core brings soft feel on shorter shots
VICE PRO PLUS $35 Why you’ll love it: 4-piece construction and urethane cover Why you should buy it: Similar spin, distance and feel to Pro V1 Insider’s insight: Price starts at $35 per but drops with more ordered
CALLAWAY ERC SOFT $40 Why you’ll love it: Hybrid cover for overall bang and spin Why you should buy it: You’ll notice the high spin on approach shots to green Insider’s insight: You’ll get more aggressive with short irons ODYSSEY TOULON DESIGN $450 Why you’ll love it: Traditional blade style in 303 carbon Why you should buy it: Soft feel with diamond-pattern milled into face = more sensation for you Insider’s insight: Confidence to stroke it on slippery downhillers
ODYSSEY TRIPLE TRACK MALLET $260 Why you’ll love it: Famous 2-Ball model with unique marks Why you should buy it: Classic resists face twisting, and Triple Track alignment is easy to square Insider’s insight: Paired with ERC Soft ball = more putts on line coloradoavidgolfer.com COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | April 2020
TAYLORMADE TP5 PIX $45 Why you’ll love it: New alignment marks and inner cover Why you should buy it: The firmer underlying cover helps increase spin on wedge shots Insider’s insight: Highperformance for high swing speeds
MIZUNO RB566 $23 Why you’ll love it: Iconic company brings out “global” ball Why you should buy it: Threepiece construction whose C-dimple design creates fast air flow Insider’s insight: Boring trajectory that won’t descend quickly
SNELL MTB X $32 Why you’ll love it: Online purchase brings great prices Why you should buy it: Firmer cover, firmer core than Black model = distance but still great feel Insider’s insight: Good spin but value comes in order of 2+ boxes
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April 2020 | COLORADO coloradoavidgolfer.com AVIDGOLFER