In our last article, we discussed how Pete’s Golf prepares for big club releases each year. Now we would like to share with you which equipment we are most excited about in 2018.
As always, we stress to our clients that each custom fitting will result in a mixture of specs that are specific for your golf swing. We know that all of you are always inundated with marketing claims from all of the manufacturers, but we always strive to bring you the truth about all of the new golf clubs out there.
Callaway’s Rogue Line
Pete’s Golf had a huge success with the Callaway Epic Driver last year. This year they are back with an updated Rogue line, and we believe they have improved what they started with the Epic.
The new driver is one of the most stable clubs ever designed. The combination of higher MOI (a measure of how stable the driver will perform on off-center hits) and the low spin is the best we’ve ever seen. Additionally, they were able to increase the MOI without raising the center of gravity. When we look at the variety of swings that we fit, our belief is that this will be the most versatile driver in our arsenal this year.
Another thing to note is that the Rogue fairway woods now feature Jailbreak Technology, which was missing from the Epic fairway woods. This will add a little more ball speed for players. Callaway was also able to increase ball speed by gluing the Rogue fairway woods and removing the adjustable hosel. We believe this will benefit certain players greatly, but certainly not everyone.
In our opinion, the sleeper pick in the lineup is their Rogue Pro Irons. Golfers who want a smaller profile head, the feel of a players iron, a medium amount of stability, and plenty of distance are going to be very impressed.
TaylorMade Twist Face Technology
TaylorMade’s big push this year is their Twist Face technology. Their engineering team told us that based on the data they observed from thousands of players, there were certain strike patterns on the clubface where they could guide their shots closer to their target. Due to a concept called gear effect, a high toe strike will produce less backspin and cause left access tilt on most drivers. By adding loft and roll (the toe points more to the right), a shot struck in the toe will start more to the right with added spin. The design will result in a shot ending up closer to the target.
Truthfully speaking, other manufacturers have tried this concept before. Bulge and roll has been a part of clubhead design even back in the days where woods were actually made of wood. TaylorMade has exaggerated the design a bit more. We believe they have done a great job of minimizing the visual effect – you can hardly notice the difference in the shape of the face at address.
Our impressions so far are that there are specific players that will benefit greatly from this club, but it will not work for all. Using our Foresight launch monitors we will be able to evaluate how certain players’ strike tendencies will work with the M3 and M4 drivers.
While the TaylorMade marketing team is mostly promoting the Twist Face technology, there have been a lot of improvements in the M3 line. They have been able to add much more stability to the face compared to the M1 by moving the rails. The M4 has also seen an increase in MOI, which makes for a great lineup for 2018.
Ping Continues Their Innovation
The Ping G700 irons have us very excited. The one complaint many golfers have with game improvement irons is that they can be unappealing to the eye. This certainly isn’t the case with the G700 irons. Ping designed a clubface that is longer from heel to toe while making the club extremely attractive at address. Additionally, we think that the hollow technology and thinner clubface used to generate more distance and height is the way to go.
We have grown very fond of hollow irons. Just a few years ago there were none in the US, but now almost all manufacturers have one. The advantage is that hollow irons can produce more forgiveness than a cavity back through higher MOI.
Performance wise, the club is very impressive. While it doesn’t necessarily look like a forgiving game-improvement iron, it has a remarkable amount of stability on off-center strikes. The G700 irons will perform very well for mid to high handicaps who are looking for a beautiful game-improvement iron that can launch it higher and farther while still offering forgiveness. We believe it is the most forgiving iron we have ever seen and possibly the best iron Ping has ever manufactured.
Ping had great success with their G400 driver in 2017, and this year we got a chance to take a look at the new G400 Max. We believe this is going to be one of the more significant drivers this year. It offers the most MOI (forgiveness) on the market – players who want maximum stability are going to love it.
Interestingly enough, three out of the ten longest hitters on the PGA Tour are already using it, which shows us how versatile it is. The G400 Max will perform well for low-speed or high-speed swings, which will make it a great fit for a variety of golfers.
Titleist SM7 Wedges
Every year Bob Vokey pushes wedge design further with Titleist. The SM7 wedges are our most popular offering because they have the most loft and sole options of any wedge line, which allows us to cover a broad spectrum of player’s needs.
The biggest addition this year in our opinion is the D grind. This is for golfers who need higher bounce with more lofted wedges, which we believe are most players. What differentiates this design is that there is relief on the heel and toe that allows a golfer to play a variety of lies and open or shut the face. Overall, it’s incredibly versatile and we think it will help many of our clients improve their wedge play around the greens.
The D grind is available on 58 and 60-degree wedges.
ACCRA TourZ RPG 400
We really like this new shaft from ACCRA for ultra-high speed players. Using tour players feedback, ACCRA designed the RPG400 series. Gary Woodland already won with it on tour, and this is going to perform very well for swing speeds over 110 MPH who need a stable-tipped shaft.
This is a great addition to an already stellar line of shafts from ACCRA.
You Get the Clubs You Need
That wraps up our list of new products we are excited about. Our promise to every golfer who walks through our doors is that we will put together the right mix of equipment for your golf swing. It doesn’t matter which manufacturer’s name is stamped on the club. Our goal is to make sure you will have the best opportunity to play well out there.
If you are interested in booking a fitting you can visit this page. We are now offering appointments in New York City at Golf & Body NYC several days a week.
Also, our partners at Titleist are running a spring loyalty promotion on Pro V1 balls. The program runs from March 22 – April 22, and you will receive one dozen balls for free with the purchase of three dozen. Please email service@petesgolf.com, or call our shop at (516) 248-6891 to place your orders.
