I’ve spent a few hours over the last couple of weeks in my local proshop looking over a good bit of what’s new for 2007. While I’m definitely excited about the new season (and can’t wait to start my personal shopping odyssey (which won’t include any Odyssey putters) within the next couple of weeks), some of the new equipment is a bit of a disappointment. The following represents my personal feelings based on what I’ve seen (or what I expect to see in the coming weeks), and is in no way a reflection on the quality of the products described. The hot list is where I’m going to start when it comes time to restock my bag. The Cold list is full of stuff that I’ve either never liked, or soured on a bit in the last couple of weeks. That doesn’t mean I won’t change my mind and that something off the Cold list won’t still find its way into my bag before the shopping is over.

Before I get to the list though; In case you missed it, yesterday I received a bit of a nastygram from Ron who was pretty upset with me for not giving Adams golf it’s proper due, and for basically lumping it in with the little guys despite its growing popularity and vast assortment of products. You can read Ron’s comments here. I do think Ron kind of missed the mark by giving me statistical breakdown of marketshare and what not (going so far as to call me uneducated), but it did get me thinking a little bit. Adams definitely deserves some credit for being the first company to offer an iron set which included hybrids. That was about 4 years ago. At the same time, when everyone else was just starting to cross the 400cc barrier with their drivers, Adams had a 460cc model on the market. So Adams has established a record of being an inovater of sorts. Another plus for Adams is that they’re able to keep prices down; due in no small part to the fact that they don’t throw money at the pros like the big guys do. So why with a great selection of products, and some of the better prices in the industry is Adams not as well known as some of the others (Ron quoted me a 10.9% market share for irons, but without more information about geographic dispersion, sample size, and other important sampling data, I’d be hard pressed to accept it as absolute truth)? The numbers he quotes may be accurate, but from my own experience (which as I’ve said, consists of playing a lot of golf with lots of different people), not too many guys are actually carrying Adams sticks (I’ve played with one guy who owns a set).

As my buddy the Bean pointed out, you never see Adams at any of the demo days events. Every year the two non-course-affiliated proshops in my area have demo days (usually 3 day events) where many of the manufacturers have reps on site to let you try their products, and actually build your customized set on site. Every year I see reps from TaylorMade, Nike, Titleist, Cleveland, Ping, Callaway, and Mizuno. What I never see is a rep from Adams, Nickent, Yonex, Bridgestone, and countless other smaller brands. The bottom line is how can anyone resonably place an Adams product on par or above anyone else’s when the company seemingly can’t be bothered to show up at these events and actually tell you face to face why their gear is better? I can understand not spending money on big money sponships, but I think some sales reps willing to drive a van to a demo day probably isn’t a bad idea.

Anyway, here’s my Adams-free hot and cold list for Spring 2007.

Drivers

Hot:

1. Callaway FT-i - The best looking of the square drivers so far. The face shape is reasonably traditional, and the overall design isn’t that unpleasant to look at. Lack of stock shaft options is a little disappointing, but Fujikura makes a damn good product, so that shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
2. TaylorMade R7 SuperQuad - Not in stores for another few days, but still very high on my list because of it’s Moveable Weight Technology, and traditional shape.
3. Callaway FT-5 - Two Callaway drivers in my top 3 is a little scary even for me, but I like the look of the club, and the fact that it can be purchased with a draw bias.

Cold:

1. Cleveland HiBore XL - I find the sloping crown a bit distracting. What’s more, this club seems to set up several degrees closed. It’s hard to explain, but it just doesn’t look right to me at address.
2. Nike Sumo Squared - The shape is more elongated than the FT-i, which forces Nike to use a shallower face; which makes it look like a giant fairway wood. There’s a little (ok a lot) too much yellow going on. The noise this thing produces is ridiculous.
3. Ping Rapture - Neon green accents, half-moon alignment aid. I almost bought a Ping last time around, but for some reason, I’m having trouble taking this club seriously.

Fairway Woods - Perhaps a bit early since most new models won’t hit stores until at least April. That being said here’s where I’d look if I had to buy today.

Hot:

1. Nike Sasquatch 2 - The silver powerbow is a little distracting, and I’m still not a big fan of the yellow, but the face design is shallow; the way I prefer it in a fairway wood. It doesn’t hurt that the price point on the Sasquatch 2 is a little lower than on competing clubs.
2. Cleveland HiBore - It seems like everything I hate in a driver I love in a fairway wood. The face is reasonably shallow, and the sloping design is less predominant.
3. TaylorMade R7 - I love my current TaylorMade fairway woods, so why not stick with what’s worked.

Cold:

1. TaylorMade Burner - Huge head. Bigger means more forgiving I guess, but this is too much I think.
2. Titleist 906F2 - Nice looking club, but early reports say it’s not for a double-digit handicapper.
3. Cleveland HiBore XL (2-wood) - Perhaps unfair to lump a single 2-wood in with everything else, but after seeing this club I feel like it’s stuck in no man’s land. It’s not quite a driver, and too big to be a true fairway wood. I’m not sure who would buy this. I’m guessing this is the type of club a pro would put in his bag for one specific hole on one specific course.

Hybrids/Utility Clubs - Sort of the same boat the fairways are in. Many of the newer models just aren’t available yet, so we’re working largely off of last year’s stock.

Hot:

1. Nike SlingShot Tour - I find the tour model’s shallower head design and less offset more appealing. Perhaps not as forgiving as the standard, but I’m not a big fan of utility clubs that look exactly like fairway woods.
2. Cleveland HiBore Hybrid - As with the fairway model, once the head gets a little smaller, the sloping crown becomes less of a distraction.
3. Nickent 3DX - What, you’ve never heard of Nickent? Reviews of this little company’s hybrids are almost universally positive. Given that they’re more than a couple of bucks cheaper than most I’d be a fool not to at least take a look.

Cold:

1. TaylorMade Burner Hybrid - Head like a fairway wood, which begs the question, doesn’t that make it a fairway wood?
2. Ping Rapture Hybrid - Too big head, neon green accents, and as near as I can tell, nothing truly revolutionary on the technology front. Why?
3. Titleist PT585H - I hate to keep piling it on Titleist since they make such a nice looking product. The problem is they make it for the pros, not for guys like you and me.

Irons - So much to choose from, so little that I actually like.

Hot:

1. Mizuno MX-25 - Number 1 on my list when I started this project a couple weeks back, and in that time what I’ve seen has only solidified my opinion. Forged cavityback offers both forgiveness and feel. While not as forgiving as others, it still looks like an iron should look, and given what I’ve seen, that’s saying a lot.
2. TaylorMade R7 - Not even on my list two weeks ago, the R7’s have moved up in my personal rankings. The heads are bigger than the MX-25s, but not to the point of obnoxious. The paint job isn’t as bad in person as it looks in pictures. My current set of TaylorMade irons has served me well, so why not have another look - especially when I find so much of what is available today disappointing. The R7 is reported to be among the longest irons on the market today. What many may not notice is that most of the clubs in the set are 2� stronger than most.
3. Cleveland CG4 - Another one not on my list two weeks ago. I’m not a big fan of the look of Cleveland irons, with the single exception of the CG1 Black Pearl blades (VJ plays them, so you know I can’t), but the heads are about the right size, and the CCM material is the same as what’s used in my CG10 wedges, and I love the way they feel.

Cold:

1. Ping Rapture - Hideous in every way. If the neon green wasn’t enough, the clubheads are HUGE. Every club from the 3 iron to the PW reminds me of a Mizuno Fli-Hi hybrid. Don’t get me wrong, the Fli-Hi is great, I just don’t want a whole set of them.
2. Cleveland HiBore - By far the best looking all hybrid set on the market, but I’m really not interested in an all hybrid set. At some point I’d like to learn to draw and fade the ball more consistently; you’re not going to be able to do that with a bag full of utility clubs.
3. Callaway X-20 - From number 2 on my list two weeks ago to my cold list. How did it happen? My buddy J has a set of the Callaway Big Bertha Irons. Nice enough looking club to be sure, but the heads are far too big for my personal tastes (it’s an ultra game improvement iron, and I don’t need the ultra part). Well, the heads on the X-20s are just as big, if not bigger. Reduce them by 1/4 to 1/3 and you’ve got a beautiful iron, as is, however; they’re a bit unwieldy.

Wedges: I have 3 perfectly good wedges in my bag now. I have no need, or plans to upgrade anytime soon, but just for the sake of covering everything…

Hot:

1. Cleveland CG10. I love the two I’ve got. I hit them well (most of the time) and they feel great. What more could you ask for?
2. Titleist Vokey Spin Milled Oil Can - If I’m going to buy new wedges, why not look at something different. A rusty wedge might be cool.
3. TaylorMade RAC Black TP - The one wedge I carry that isn’t a Cleveland is a RAC Black. TaylorMade doesn’t offer the options that Cleveland and Vokey do, but it’s a nice looking club and I’ve been happy with the one I carry.

Cold:

1. Callaway X-Tour - Phil’s wedge. Did you see how the Nissan turned out. No thanks.
2. Ping iWedge - A nice looking club, but with so many other choices, why bother.
3. Cleveland Women’s CG11 - Yes, I’m mailing it in a bit here, but I’m not willing to consider a wedge, any wedge, with a bright pink insert. Nope, can’t do it.

Putters:

Hot:

1. Nike Oz Black - I just love the softness coming off the face of this club. Lines up nicely too. Did I mention it’s like hitting a stick of warm butter?
2. Nike Unitized - Not nearly as soft as the Oz, but seamless shaft design does provide good feedback. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Techno mallet I tried, but I’m guessing I’d like one of the other styles better.
3. Never Compromise GM2 Exchange Putters - Customized weighting system. 8 different styles. Great looking too. Nothing not to like (except maybe the fact that I’ve never actually hit a ball with one of these, so they may feel like dried crap).

Cold:

1. Scotty Cameron Detour - Blasphemy I’m sure, but… strange shape, bendy alignment tool, and a $300 price tag. Sorry, I’ve never really understood the love affair with this guy, and yes, I have tried his putters.
2. Odyssey Marxman - Never a big fan of Odyssey putters. The two & three ball alignment systems work, but with a putter it’s all about feel. The Marxman isn’t any different. Throw in a stupid name and I’m just not interested.
3. Odyssey White Steel Tri-Ball SRT - Yup, I’m going to pile it on Odyssey. Phil uses an Odyssey, and well…back to the Nissan we go. Anyway this one looks like their 3-ball model mated with Scotty’s Futura. The result is a putter than can probably receive transmissions from space. Whether or not it will help you sink a put, I really can’t say.

Bags:

Hot:

1. Ogio Atlas - Covered in yesterday’s write up. I’m ordering one, it’s just that nice.
2. Ogio Syncro - The best ultra light weight cart bag on the market.
3. Ogio Vision SS - A full-featured stand bag with the Shling carry system. If I were in the market for a stand/carry bag, this is the one I’d buy. No question.

Cold:

1. Pretty much any bag not made by Ogio, and no, they didn’t pay me to say that.

Balls - You’ve got clubs and a bag, so now what. Well it takes balls to play the game and here’s where I’d start.

Hot:

1. Nike One Black - Nike softened it up a bit. As much as I love the feel of the Platinum, it probably spins a bit to much for guys like me. The black is long of the tee, and the 2007 model should be better than ever around the green.
2. Callaway HX Tour - No updates for 2007 - yet. It’s still a great ball; long of the tee and soft around the greens.
3. Titleist Pro V1 - There has to be a good reason why it’s number one (beyond the fact that they pay so many pros to play it). 2007 brings reasonably large overhaul, so I’m sure it’s popularity isn’t going to drop off at all.

Cold:

1. Nike Juice - Super-hard distance ball. Might as well hit rocks.
2. Bridgestone E6 - Great alignment tool on the ball (again, Titleist, this is not a “System”, it’s ink…just ink). Anyway, like the Juice it’s a little too hard off the tee, and downright unpleasant on the green.
3. MAXFLI Noodle Ice - A perfectly fine ball, soft, and long enough, but did MAXFLI really need to jump on the colored crystal bandwagon? A few years back, The Bean decided to go out and buy a couple dozen yellow balls so they’d be easier to find when he hit them into the woods and rough. This seemed like a bad idea to me for two reasons. 1 - yellow balls are gay. 2 - The Bean is gay colorblind so what the hell difference does it make anyway? A golf ball is white, and that’s the way it should be.

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