PRESENTED BY
2021
Gear Guide Heightened specificity means lots of amazing clubs. By Ted Johnson WE HAVE MOVED past the days when a driver we saw during a PGA TOUR broadcast could, with a different shaft and an adjustment on the hosel, fit you and I. Today, club manufacturers are learning more through data gathered not only from golf’s elite, but high-handicap amateurs and all player types in between. The result is more options to fit players, and thus a marketplace flooded with high quality choices. The products listed in this year’s Gear Guide open the door to a better golf experience. Amazing products that, with some time spent on a launch monitor, can be fitted to maximize performance for your swing and most common playing conditions. Don’t be intimidated by Callaway offering two wedge designs—with a combined 31 options and six sole grinds. Irons now have multi-material heads
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and interior weighting that rival the technology we’ve come to associate with drivers. The same goes for fairway woods and hybrids. The one club we all use most—the putter can, in some models, have any head, head weight and neck you can imagine. It’s all aimed at getting the right clubs for you. So, venture in with great curiosity. The goal here is to provide some motivation to take the time and learn about new designs that could, through a fitting session, reveal what club or clubs matches your swing and, in turn, increase your knowledge of your game. The result will be more joy, satisfaction and smiles at the end of the round.
April 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Drivers TITLEIST TSi3
TOUR EDGE EXOTICS C721
$550
$400
Why You’ll Love it: Titanium alloy ATI 425 in clubface
Why You’ll Love it: Lots of high-tech design for the money
Why You Should Buy It: Light, flexible, durable and robust—lots of pop in new hot face
Why You Should Buy It: Various face thicknesses throughout face release more energy
Insider’s Insight: Not as unforgiving as previous Titleist clubs
Insider’s Insight: Bigger sweet spot = stability, distance
CALLAWAY EPIC MAX LSN $530 Why You’ll Love it: Improved “Jailbreak” tech in face Why You Should Buy It: Super stable crown and sole allow face flex for added distance Insider’s Insight: Take your time to dial it in
COBRA RADSPEED XB
TAYLORMADE SIM
$450
$530
Why You’ll Love it: Off-center mis-hits still fly
Why You’ll Love it: More stable than earlier models
Why You Should Buy It: XB model has more rear weight, boosting sweet spot & stability
Why You Should Buy It: Titanium in face; carbon fiber crown & sole = ample sweet spot
Insider’s Insight: Radspeed suited for better players
Insider’s Insight: SIM2 Max for mid-launch; MX-D fights slices
PXG 0811X GEN4 $549 Why You’ll Love it: Unique titanium alloys in head, face Why You Should Buy It: Aluminum particles in carbon fiber head creates overall rigidity Insider’s Insight: Personalized weighting makes this powerful & forgiving COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | April 2021
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Fairway Woods & Hybrids
PRESENTED BY
PXG 0211 $325 Why You’ll Love it: Likeable shape creates confidence Why You Should Buy It: Aside from the driver-like flex in face, you’ll love the sole Insider’s Insight: Clean hits from fairway, rough & elsewhere
TAYLORMADE SIM
TOUR EDGE C721
$300
$225
Why You’ll Love it: Larger head = fairway forgiveness
Why You’ll Love it: Perennial on this list for a reason
Why You Should Buy It: Allows more backweighting for stable face, high ball flight
Why You Should Buy It: Forgiving off fairway & tee thanks to hot wraparound cup face
Insider’s Insight: Look how many are in pro players’ bags
Insider’s Insight: Again, Tour Edge gives more bang for your money
SRIXON ZX $230 Why You’ll Love it: Thinner face for more energy Why You Should Buy It: Unique face design supports thin sweet spot for more rebound Insider’s Insight: You want more distance? Look here
PING G425
WILSON D9
$270
$200
Why You’ll Love it: Market best for off-center hits
Why You’ll Love it: Contrarian face design = wow factor
Why You Should Buy It: Hybrid is backweighted, & lower lofts have different face variances
Why You Should Buy It: Thicker face in middle of sweet spot supported by thinner tenets
Insider’s Insight: You won’t hook the shorter clubs
Insider’s Insight: Middle hits will scream, decent forgiveness
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Denver
e-tron® quattro Sportback Electric’s gone Audi.
6060 South Broadway, Littleton, CO, 80121 888-484-3601 BEV Federal Tax Credit $7500 Tax Credit* *For Lease deals, this is a pass through of the federal BEV tax credit available to Audi Financial Services by law. For Retail and Premier Purchase deals, tax credits should be requested directly with the states and Federal government by the customer and will not be administered by AFS.
Irons
PRESENTED BY
TITLEIST CNCPT CP-02
PXG 211
$500 PER
$195 PER
Why You’ll Love it: Skunkworks models defy tradition
Why You’ll Love it: Luxury in gameimprovement irons
Why You Should Buy It: Hollow-cavity heads & tungsten & exotic “Super Metal” face inserts
Why You Should Buy It: Hollow body filled with polymer decreases in short irons Insider’s Insight: Lofts are 3 degrees stronger, so adjust
Insider’s Insight: Want to impress your club? These will turn heads
CALLAWAY X FORGED CB $200 PER Why You’ll Love it: Easy-to-hit highperformance club Why You Should Buy It: Unique weighting in each clubhead = perfect but different to you Insider’s Insight: Comes in three swingweights, so get fitted
MIZUNO JPX 921 FORGED
WILSON LAUNCH PAD
$175 PER
$100
Why You’ll Love it: High-tech design with Mizuno look
Why You’ll Love it: Get-started irons for better contact
Why You Should Buy It: Face is 16-percent thinner means more distance & forgiveness
Why You Should Buy It: Wide soles help reduce “chunks” so frustrating to newcomers
Insider’s Insight: Best club for aspiring midhandicappers
Insider’s Insight: Hybrid-like heads induce confidence & enjoyment
COBRA KING TOUR COPPER $200 PER Why You’ll Love it: Mind-blowing finish & performance Why You Should Buy It: Multi-Injection Molding in face; tungsten weight in toe = soft but solid Insider’s Insight: Precision & forgiveness makes for winning cavity-back set COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | April 2021
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Go to Pyramid-Putters.com to see the short demo video with Blair O’Neal.
IT’S LIKE AUTO-CORRECT FOR YOUR PUTTER Pyramid grooves steer mishits back online.
What if there was a way for you to immediately sink more putts? A way that allowed you to hit the “sweet spot” of the putter every time… Doubling and even tripling your ability to putt? Well, that’s the exactly what our club designers have done using the “Gear Effect”. SWEET SPOT MILLING No Skidding or Bouncing... When you hit the center of the face on THE PYRAMID PUTTER, the horizontal grooves give the ball top spin. This means your ball will not skid or bounce off line... and this keeps it tracking toward the hole. This also helps with speed control because a consistent roll gives you a consistent speed.
TOE MILLING No More Pushed Putt s... Hit a putt with a ‘typical’ putter and you will usually push the putt. But the special toe milling on THE PYRAMID PUTTER keeps the ball tracking on the intended line.
HEEL MILLING No More Pulled Putt s... Hit the ball on the heel of the traditional putter and you will pull the putt. However, the milling on THE PYRAMID PUTTER keeps putts hit toward the heel moving straight.
Go to Pyramid-Putters.com to see the short
demo video with Blair O’Neal.
Pyramid-Putters.com • 1 (833) 456-1185
Wedges
PRESENTED BY
COBRA KING SB $150 Why You’ll Love it: More bite into the ball for control Why You Should Buy It: Unique, wavering groove design & sharper edges = short-shot spin Insider’s Insight: Another way club designers get max performance
TITLEIST VOKEY DESIGN SM8
MIZUNO T20
$160
Why You’ll Love it: Micro grooves and regular grooves
$150
Why You’ll Love it: Makes all wedge shots easier
Why You Should Buy It: Feel is so notable, but grooved-up face channels away moisture
Why You Should Buy It: Longer hosel, tungsten in toe means face squares at impact
Insider’s Insight: You’ll notice better shots out of rough and dew
Insider’s Insight: Most popular wedge line on PGA TOUR
PING GLIDE 3.0 $150 Why You’ll Love it: Performance club so easy to hit Why You Should Buy It: Has same sole design as famed Eye2 models + elastomer insert Insider’s Insight: Gives lower launch angles but with higher spin
CALLAWAY MD5
PXG SUGAR DADDY
$160
$650
Why You’ll Love it: Unique groove angles on high lofts
Why You’ll Love it: Ten titanium weights stabilize head
Why You Should Buy It: Oblique angle of grooves on 56-degrees adds more edge contact
Why You Should Buy It: When fitted, weights & soles to match will bring new short-game faith
Insider’s Insight: Sharper grooves + more edges = lots & lots of spin
Insider’s Insight: Expensive, yes; many feel their short-game is worth the price
For all of your must-have, 2021 golf accessories, visit coloradoavidgolfer.com. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | April 2021
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Putters & Balls CARBON BANDIT RINGO
BETTINARDI QUEEN B 12
$460
$400
Why You’ll Love it: Solid, unique feel at impact
Why You’ll Love it: Honeycomb face delights fingertips
Why You Should Buy It: Brass in heel pushes center of gravity (Cg) to the middle for stability
Why You Should Buy It: Wide flange glides through stroke for optimum feedback
Insider’s Insight: You won’t find the toe closing fast
ODYSSEY 2-BALL TEN
Insider’s Insight: Rose color finish is classy but also reduces glare
$300 Why You’ll Love it: Alignment marks bring confidence Why You Should Buy It: Insert face induces faster roll, more sound, all with super stability Insider’s Insight: Harkens back to famous 2-Ball putter but better
CLEVELAND HUNTINGTON BEACH SOFT
CLEVELAND FRONTLINE
$160
Why You’ll Love it: Sleek mallet with deadly consistency
$200
Why You’ll Love it: Great performance at good price Why You Should Buy It: Milling thicker in face center, thinner on edges—mis-hits still roll Insider’s Insight: Proof that a club used on every hole doesn’t cost too much
Why You Should Buy It: Forward-facing interior weighting reduces twisting = more accuracy
TITLEIST SCOTTY CAMERON PHANTOM X
Insider’s Insight: S-groove pattern in face insert reduces sidespin
$430 Why You’ll Love it: Elegant mallet by master designer Why You Should Buy It: Blending milled aluminum and steel with customizable weights Insider’s Insight: Cameron’s reputation grows with eye-catching head
TITLEIST PRO V1X
SRIXON Z STAR XV
$48
$43
Why You’ll Love it: Long shots fly; approach shots stop
Why You’ll Love it: Better control and distance in wind
Why You’ll Love it: 4-piece performance & very thin cover
Why You Should Buy It: Caveat: Driver swing speeds over 105 mph will get most performance
Why You Should Buy It: Thinner cover but deeper dimples keeps trajectory flatter
Why You Should Buy It: A neodymium-catalyzed polybutadiene rubber core is a hot, hot engine
Insider’s Insight: Firmer cover + low spin off driver yields more carry distance
Insider’s Insight: Bombers like Cameron Chance use this ball
Insider’s Insight: A different formula to find that distance AND control bond
CALLAWAY CHROME SOFT X
BRIDGESTONE E12 CONTACT
MIZUNO RB TOUR
$48
$25
Why You’ll Love it: Improved ingredients, construction
Why You’ll Love it: Redesigned with Tour player input
Why You’ll Love it: Soft feel on putter, wedges
Why You Should Buy It: Callaway rejiggered manufacturing processes to produce distance, spin Insider’s Insight: Don't be fooled; this is a highcompression ball coloradoavidgolfer.com
WILSON STAFF $45
Why You Should Buy It: Re-engineered 3-piece Surlyn ball has gone high-tech for distance, spin
$35
Why You Should Buy It: 4-piece construction, cone-shaped dimples give flat, straight tee shots Insider’s Insight: The control around the greens is expected from Mizuno
Insider’s Insight: Close your eyes, the feel is great for non-urethane ball
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April 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER