In attending a PGA Show and identifying the ten best products there, based on my opinion and those of my colleagues, one faces a major hurdle – having enough time to visit and talk with the inventors and sales teams. This year the Show organizers scheduled both a demo day for retailers and club manufacturers, as well as an indoor testing area. Both were extremely well attended.

The Show was alive and the “vibe” was palpable, reminiscent of the heyday of former PGA Shows. With over 1,000 exhibitors and close to 40,000 attendees, the convention floor was filled for three days solid. The organizers had to literally throw people out of the hall at the 3.00 pm close on Saturday. Vendor’s were writing orders and in great spirits. Hopefully, golf is on the rebound.

Top participating golf manufacturers included: Srixon, Fairway and Greene, Callaway Golf, Club Car, Bridgestone, Nike Golf, Ahead Clothing, Tour Edge, PING, Wilson Golf, Titleist and Yonex, to name just a few.

Club and putter fitting is the hottest trend in the industry right now. Aiding this trend are fitting devices, such as Mizuno’s and Edel Golf’s Putter Fitting Process.

Technology continues to thrive in the golf domain. Whether it is drivers, putters, irons, balls or shoes, advances in designs and materials continue and new products are being introduced almost monthly.

With the technology now available that allows golfers to be fitted with multiple shafts and interchangeable heads, both in putters and clubs, there is absolutely no reason why EVERY golfer should not be custom fitted. Pricing for custom fitting is negligible and in most cases offered free by retailers, however, if you prefer dealing with a specific manufacturer this could entail the purchasing of the company’s clubs or a small fee.

I personally have yet to be convinced that a shaft with an attachment is going to play the same as one without. And, until there is a standard attachment for all manufacturers, I am not convinced that this trend will be around for too long. As I was taught at business school, businesses do not create markets, markets create businesses and there is definitely not a significant market for this product, presently or in the foreseeable future.

Hybrids are still the star of this year’s show in hard goods, as performance fabrics are in the soft goods. In fact, when it comes to individual club sales, hybrids have surpassed putters in many retail stores as top sellers, checking in just behind drivers as the No. 1 revenue producer.

The following products were the 10 best of the Show:

David Edel’s Golf Fitting Technology – It’s all about AIM!

Based on imperfect visual aim, by  99% of individuals, including Tour players, Edel Golf offers a process of carefully fitting each golfer one at a time. Edel has certified fitters throughout the United States. It took Edel just 30 minutes to fit me to a putter that found the hole consistently, after he diagnosed that I was aiming to the left. Most impressive to me was that I finally was able to convey what weight and feel worked well for me and see the results fast.

After the fitting process is complete, with over 30 million permutations available to get your putter fittedperfectly, you will own a truly custom putter ideal for your game and most importantly, your confidence increases and putting statistics improve rapidly.

Edel Golf offers three unique designs that can be built to a golfer’ specific need: Basic, Variable Weight and Variable Loft. All Edel Golf putters are precisely milled from a block of 303 Stainless Steel – available in six head shapes (Columbia, Willamette, McKenzie, Rogue, Umpqua, Deschutes), and handcrafted using a CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) vertical milling press.

Edel premium putters are precision milled instruments in all models and styles, whether a mallet or a blade, a center shaft or plumber’s neck. The putters are made from only the best quality materials in the world. Edel custom putters are currently in the hands of top professionals and serious golfers all over the world.

Cost per putter varies from $375 to $800    http://www.edelgolf.com

Dawgs Golf Spirit Shoes

This was another of the busiest booths at the Show. More importantly, I saw more smiling faces and orders being written at this booth than anywhere else during my 3 days at the Show.

One of the most important pieces of golf equipment is your shoes. Playing a round of golf involves lots of walking and your shoes, if not fitted correctly or are too heavy, can cause issues that affect your game, both short term and long term.

DAWGS has introduced a line of lightweight shoes, including golf shoes, which weigh just 7 ounces. They are extremely stable, stylish and are ideal for moving around dry golf courses. Their only drawback is that they are not waterproof and should not be worn in wet conditions. DAWGS are especially prolific on the LPGA Tour.

Similar to the Crocs that have been on the market for a while, DAWGS has simply made a better product both in support and styling and, of course, comfort.

For “after the round”, walking and driving, there is simply no substitute that I could find in any shoe brand.

The built in properties of high quality EVA (a.k.a. Closed Cell Resin) absorb shock, protecting your heel and foot. The shoes can be worn without socks, are odor resistant, have great arch support and a wonderful massaging foot bed.

Golfing performance is further enhanced by the Golf Spirit shoe’s 9 strategically placed soft spikes embedded in rubber/EVA out soles, keeping your feet planted firmly on the ground.

Golfers wearing the golf spirit shoe also benefit from a quick adjusting Velcro strap for immediate comfort, and ventilation holes for cool comfort.

The “Spirit” line is available in both men’s (8-17) and women’s sizes from 5-11. It is suggested that you get the size larger as there are currently no half sizes. Their color combinations are terrific.

Visit their web site to see all the different styles, colors and uses for their products. It’s a fun experience.

MSRP: $50                      http://www.usadawgs.com

Boccieri Golf’s Heavy Wedge

If you liked Steve Boccieri’s Heavy Putters, this new wedge is quickly going to find a place in your bag. This wedge uses the same counterweight technology that is found in Boccieri’s Heavy Putters. An extra 65 grams of weight is positioned in the butt of the shaft, raising the club’s balance point and, according to Boccieri, promotes better distance control and tighter shot dispersion.

The wedge is extremely easy to hit, the weight seems perfect and it is aesthetically pleasing. The wedge comes with a Femco FST Hi REV shaft and aggressive square grooves. Lofts are available of 52 (8-degree bounce), 56 (11-degree bounce) and 60 degrees (4- or 7-degree bounce).

MSRP $109.95      Available: Feb 15   http://www.theheavywedge.com

Tour Edge CB3 Tour Driver

One of the busiest booths at the Show and the Demo Day, Tour Edge’s new CB3 Tour Driver is one of the stars of the Tour Edge line.

The CB3 delivers tour-caliber performance in a traditional-sized head. The CB3 driver represents a clear break from the current thinking that larger is better. By offering a classic shape and appealing 430cc head size, the CB3 is aimed at golfers who desire a driver that delivers the same tour-caliber performance as their Exotics fairway woods.

The smaller head delivers an extremely controllable driver that conveys explosive distance. Technical features include a 15-3-3-3 Beta titanium cup face, crown, and neck that are joined to a heavy hyper steel sole, using a no-weld combo-brazing process.

The CB3 further differentiates itself from other Exotics drivers in that it has a higher center of gravity location for tour-preferred trajectory, complimenting its titanium cup face and heavy steel sole. The thickness of the face is variable and includes a thinner perimeter ring around the striking surface. The result is a driver that produces the same crisp, reactive launch as the Tour-famous CB2 fairway wood.

The driver’s stock shaft is the extremely popular FUJIKURA MOTORE EXOTICS TOUR 65.

MSRP: $ 349.00   http://www.touredgegolf.com

Bridgestone’s  J38 Dual Pocket Cavity Irons and B330 RX Balls.

Wow! What fabulous irons these J38 Dual Pocket are! Similarly, the new Tour B33o RX ball is a performer “par excellence”.

These are probably the best looking “Players” irons I have ever seen. They look like forged irons and the feel is, basically put – awesome! They are primarily targeted for professionals to mid-handicappers.

The irons are made from premium forged 1020 carbon steel and with a  Magnesium composite that enhances perimeter weighting for more forgiveness on off-center hits, which also dampens vibration for better feel.

The club’s trailing and leading edge offers relief for better performance from a variety of lies.

Project X flighted shafts are offered and the set comes in 4-PW.

Also, coming are the J38 Cavity Back irons designed for the lower handicapper and will be available in March.

MSRP: $899.00

Essentially, the New Tour B330-RX ball maximizes Tour caliber performance for highly skilled players with varying swing speeds.

The B330 RX offers the softest, multi-layer Urethane ball on the market and its large and soft Gradational Core provides a soft feel and added forgiveness.

This ball plays as well, if not better than, as any of the premium balls currently being offered to golfers.

MSRP:  $56 per dozen

http://www.bridgestonegolf.com

Nike VR (Victory Red) STR8-FIT Tour Driver

Nike’s best driver to date! It delivers everything a driver should be – distance, great set-up, forgiveness and performance and it is definitely one of the most impressive performers in the premium adjustable golf driver market.

The VR STR8-FIT Tour features a brand new shape that has been designed in cooperation with Nike Golf’s highly successful stable of tour professionals.

Specifically aimed at skilled golfers, the STR8-FIT Tour offers all the adjustability and performance that Nike’s professional golfers enjoy.

Nike’s award winning innovation, the highly successful STR8-FIT Face Angle Technology, has been introduced into the Victory Red range for the first time to allow golfers the chance to select their shot shape and dictate the look of their driver. With its 32 different face angles, the VR STR8-FIT Tour provides the skilled golfers with maximum workability and confidence on every drive.

The Nike VR STR8-FIT Tour golf driver has a refined and classic appearance which helps to deliver low spin rates and a more penetrating ball flight. A distinctive red Compression Channel runs from heel to toe on the sole of the club and helps to increase the compression of the body to produce higher ball speeds on even off centre hits.

There is also a VR Tour driver available.

Available in lofts of 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5°, 11.5°.

MSRP:  $399.00

Nike Method Putter

Teasing the golfing public for almost a year, the Tour Proven METHOD putter has finally arrived at retailers.

The Nike METHOD putter has a flowed-through low-durometer polymetal groove technology (developed at Nike’s “Oven” in Ft. Worth) that dampens impact vibrations for soft touch, while the interspersed milled steel face maintains audible feedback for proper distance control.

Nike addressed one of ongoing issues that plague putters, that of the traditional steel faced putters – they lift the ball too much and impart backspin resulting in the ball to initially bounce slightly higher and go offline. Now, with the highly visible and distinctive polymetal groove technology, this putter is creating a faster forward roll after impact for the kind of accuracy and consistency that the Tour professionals demand.

The multi-material face starts the ball on a positive spin that is faster than both a milled steel putter, as well as putters with a polymer face insert.

For increased Moment of Inertia (MOI) and added stability, Nike’s ported polymetal groove technology allows 30 grams of internal weight to be extracted from the face and body and relocated to the perimeter.

These Anser blade style putters have a nice clean look with a matte finish that does not distract you when standing over the ball. Each of the four blade models has different characteristics, like shaft bend and alignment lines. For instance, my preference,  the METHOD 004 has three alignment lines in the cavity, while the other versions METHOD 001, 002, and 003 have slightly different necks and alignment lines. The fifth style is that of a mallet.

All five of the METHOD putters come with a standard 2 degrees of loft and will be available in 33″, 34″, and 35″ lengths.

MSRP: $249.99           http://www.nikegolf.com

Golf GPS or Laser Rangefinder – Which one is Better?

As with getting opinions from lawyers, there are always going to be too many. So it is with yardage finders. Both devices are designed to provide golfers with accurate yardage readings, but they both function quite differently and each has inherent different strengths and weaknesses.

How a Rangefinder Works

A rangefinder is completely different from a GPS device. The rangefinder is an optical device which is somewhere between a pair of binoculars and a laser gun that would be used to measure speeding drivers by a highway patrol officer.

The optical system, much like a rifle scope, allows you to select and lock onto the object that you want to measure the distance for (a flag stick on a green for example).

Then the golf rangefinder shoots an “eye safe” laser at the target, and measures the time it takes for the laser to bounce off of the target and return to the rangefinder. From this time delay, the rangefinder can calculate accurately how far away the target is.

How a Golf GPS Unit Works

To keep it simple, a golf GPS is a satellite based mapping device. It communicates with overhead satellites to pinpoint your exact location on the Earth and then uses previously recorded locations on the golf course to tell you the distance to any important locations near you (front of the green for the hole you are playing, for example).

Advantages of a Golf GPS

You don’t have to aim it at a target to get a yardage reading. This can be an advantage if your target is not in your line of site; an elevated green or you are behind a bush, for example.

Also, you don’t have to have a steady hand or accurate eye to line up a GPS unit like you would with a range finder.

Advantages of Laser Rangefinders for Golf

The latest model Range finders have up to 7x magnification. This can be very useful, not only for guiding the laser to get accurate yardage measurements to your target, but also for locating landing areas.

It is impossible to locate a ridge on a green that should be avoided from 175 yards with the naked eye. With a range finder, you could spot it easily and play safely to the other side of the green, resulting in an easier birdie putt. Another advantage is that a laser rangefinder can be used on the practice range to see how far you are hitting each club.

The short answer is neither a GPS nor a rangefinder is better as they are both similar, however, if one is concerned about speed of play, stick with the laser rangefinder.The best way to solve that problem is to have one of each!  But that isn’t always realistic, so study the facts to decide which one is better for your game.

SkyCaddie  GPS SGX Range Finder & SGX SmartClub Technology

The leader of the pack in the Golf GPS domain is, without adoubt, SkyCaddie. Their commitment to research is second-to-none, and now they have introduced what is probably the most advanced unit to measure distance for those golfers who love technology.

Not only will you be able to mark your distances, keep a record of your scores, but the SCG will allow you to select which club to use, even let you know if you left it behind.

For the ultimate in convenience and reliability, the SkyCaddie SGX can store up to 30,000 pre-loaded, ground-verified course maps making it ready-to-play out of the box.  The SGX boasts a durable, sleek design with a large, easy-to-read, transflective TFT-LCD screen that provides brilliant color images, even in the brightest sunlight.

The SGX uses an innovative dual navigation option to provide golfer friendly one-handed operation and enhanced precision positioning.  An intuitive user interface offers everything found in competitive rangefinders, plus better reliability and several proprietary stroke-saving essentials, like IntelliGreen Pro, TruePoint GPS Precision Positioning and SmartClubTechnology.

Lastly, SGX offers a convenient Digital Scorecard and Stat Tracking option to track key game statistics, including: greens in regulation, fairways hit, driving accuracy and distance, plus total putts.  Golfers can auto sync their scores and stats to SkyGolf’s newly created and quickly evolving online community, ClubSG, for comprehensive game tracking and analysis.

SGX Enabled With SmartClub Technology

What truly defines the SGX as the next generation rangefinder is its compatibility with SkyCaddie’s revolutionary SGX SmartClub Technology.  Expected to be released later in 2010, SGX SmartClub Technology adds intelligence and a wireless communication link to each club in a golfer’s bag.  Upon removal of a club from the golfer’s bag, SmartClub Tags located at the butt end cap of the grip establishes a direct communication link with the SkyCaddie.

This revolutionary connectivity adds new functionality and opens a huge portal to expand the game beyond the 18^th green and to golf’s future.  For example, SGX Club Reminder utilizes SmartClub technology to alert a golfer if a wedge or other club is left behind, before the player advances to the next hole.  SGX Game Tracker can also utilize the same technology to capture the club used, the geo-location and distances of each shot, while eliminating most of the effort and distraction of manual entry.  Captured round data and personal performance data are synced to ClubSG for unparalleled post-game analytics or sharing with friends, teachers and fitters.

SkyCaddie SGX will be available at most golf shops nationwide in April, 2010.  SmartClub Technology with SGX SmartClub Tags is expected to be available by June, 2010.  Pricing for SmartClub Technology with SGX SmartClub Tags will be released at a later date.

MSRP: $399.95      http://www.skygolf.com

Laser Link Red Hot Range Finder

The best in the range finder domain for ease of use, accuracy and style. If your course has the Laser Link Reflector System, you will be thrilled by this latest unit from Laser Link Golf. If your course is still in the 18^th century, demand that they get the FREE reflector system.

I personally like to play fast and dealing with a GPS unit is not my preference. I want to know how far it is to the pin without having to get involved in calculations and pressing more than one button to get my information.

This 8 ounce unit with a laser link reflector will give you a distance of 5 – 800 yards (5 -731 meters), while a course without a reflector gives you a range of 5 – 400 yards (5 – 366 meters).

This is a Class One laser and requires a 9-volt alkaline battery, as opposed to charging a GPS. It has an accuracy factor of +/- 1%! – Very different from a GPS unit.

The unit‘s many other features include the ability to measure landmarks, such as trees and bunkers up to 400 yards away. It has both a vibrate mode for silent use and an easy-to-use mode button.

You will be thrilled with this unit – you focus on your game without being distracted.

MSRP: $389.00       http://www.laserlinkgolf.com

Abacus

This Swedish clothing company made its first appearance at the PGA Show and to describe their product line in one word, “stunning”.

Their styles for both men and women bring excitement to fashion on and off the golf course. They make wearing golf clothes exciting!

Their collections are a fusion between town and country focusing on attire that can be worn on and off the course. Style and elegance combined with speed and fun is shown through the use of traditional patterns such as argyles and glen checks paired with soft shells, waterproofs and functional fabrics.

The collection continues to focus on the development of functional and stylish rain garments like the prize winning Pitch series, which was recently featured as a key uniform piece for the Ladies European Team at the 2009 Solheim Cup.

The collections stay true to their European design roots in a way that has given Abacus very strong international presence in just a few years. The company’s goal is to continue developing Abacus into a lifestyle brand that reaches beyond the world of golf. The way they are going, they should reach their goals sooner than later.

Abacus is distributed in North America by Caulfeild Apparel Group in Toronto, Ontario Canada.

Richard Johnson, Christine Hallstrom and Christian Nilsson are Tour players with the Abacus endorsement.

Price ranges at retail from $ 50 to $ 300                      http://www.abacus-outdoor.com

Please note that MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) may be different from the Street Price (as sold by retailers).

There were many other noteworthy products available at the Show and these will be covered in our Show Wrap-Up article next month.

Rest assured that there are many great and exiting products coming out this year that will improve all aspects of your game from shoes to balls to books and training aids that really work.

Barry Lotz, J.D., Ph.D. is the director of the Professional Golf Teachers Association of America. He is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America, the California Golf Writers Association, and serves both as a Consultant and Mediator to the golf industry. He is also the author of numerous books, including “333 Best Web Sites for Golfers”, “How to Build Business Relationships through Golf” which is in the Top Ten Golf Business Book’s bestseller list. His latest book,” The Right Mind for Golf”, is to be released in April 2010.

He can be reached at http://www.pgtaa.com or drlotz@cbsgolf.net

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