Golf | Evolving Consumer

Weekend Reading List (05.24.2014): Golf Gear, Interbike Opens Up, Vacation Fitness

Golf Gear

From Sport Techie: Golf Gadget Round-Up for All Types of Players
I’m far from being a high-tech wizard. I don’t collect gizmos for the heck of it, but I can appreciate the latest offerings in golf gadgetry just as much as the next guy. When GPS-enabled golf carts hit the market, essentially, if your local course didn’t jump on board, they were considered behind the times. While some of us still prefer to know more about the course than our carts do, it’s impossible to remain analog in this newly digitized version of the game. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (05.24.2014): Golf Gear, Interbike Opens Up, Vacation Fitness

OGIO Goes to Gotham

We heard about OGIO’s Gotham line of golf bags earlier this year. These were unveiled in January at the PGA 2014 Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla., the Stand Bag and Cart Bag feature OGIO’s cutting-edge, revolutionary design and technology. The bags are now arriving at retail and you don’t need to be Batman to pick one up.

“There is a lot more to golf than driving for show and putting for dough; golfers today want to represent ‘their look’,” commented Tom Gocke, OGIO’s Global Golf VP. “Combined with a proprietary blend of exotic water, stain repellent fabrics and evolutionary construction techniques, the Gotham golf bag collection delivers a head turning appearance with a feather-light feel.”

The bag collection reduces the zippers to make for a sleek design, while it offers six interior protected pockets for easy access to balls, tees, valuables and any additional golf gear. And yet this bag weights less than four pounds and features OGIO’s four point-strap system and 7-way Holster performance top with side putter pit. We noted this could appeal to a particular caped crusader when we first heard about the bag. If Batman were going to play golf we’d expect him to have some super hero worthy golf bag and the Gotham golf bag collection might just be it. And yeah, we think Robin would make one good caddy.

OGIO Official Website

Ion2 Debut

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You need to keep an eye on the ball they say, but what about the club? Now you can watch the ball while technology watches your swing.

Full Swing Golf has released its new Ion2 Vision Technology, which keeps an eye on the club head and ball flight behavior. This all-new camera-based technology can thus display the vital information to any golfer and help improve the swing.

Ion2 Vision Technology gives you clubhead speed, clubface angle, club path information and extensive ball spin data, with an intuitive on-screen illustration of your club, so you can better understand your swing, your equipment choices and shot decisions. And with accurate and realistic ball flight accuracy, Ion2 shows your ball path shaped exactly as if it were outdoors.

Full Swing Golf Official Website

Covert’d Updated

Nike Golf has introduced the new VRS Covert 2.0 Matte Black Edition Driver for the 2014 golf season. The company is back in black – a color traditionally associated with power, strength and sophistication.

“The Covert 2.0 Matte Black Edition driver offers a unique, limited-edition design combined with Nike’s high speed cavity back technology,” said Rob Arluna, Nike Golf Global Golf Club business director. “The black matte finish on the head provides a sleek, modern aesthetic and eliminates glare. The black grip and shaft give the driver a stealth, covert look.”

The Covert 2.0 Matte Black Edition driver features Fly-Brace technology that ties the sole to the crown, stiffening the rear portion of the club and transferring more energy to the face at impact, while the High-Speed Cavity Back technology can redistribute the weight to the heel and toe allowing for increased distance and more stability across the face of the driver.

The new driver also boasts two additional proprietary technologies from Nike Golf including a larger, re-engineered NexCOR face for increased ball speed and distance; and FlexLoft adjustability, which allows athletes to easily customize loft and face angle positions for 15 drivers in one.

Nike Golf Official Website

Nike Golf Goes for Three

Last month saw the end of winter and while it is still cool and damp out there, Nike knows golfers are ready to hit the green. As such Nike Golf introduced three limited edition footwear styles that include hhe new Nike TW’ 14, Nike Lunar Control and Nike Lunar Clayton. These three designs blend Nike’s innovative performance technology with pops of iconic color throughout all three styles.

Nike Golf noted that each model features premium white uppers and a range of colorful design details, from the outsole to the lace eyelets to the Swoosh. Continue reading Nike Golf Goes for Three

Get Into Spring With Antigua

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The clocks have sprung forward and as of last week it is officially. While we can hope Mother Nature will play along Antigua is ready with its updates to its Spring 2014 Men’s Performance 72 Golf Collection as seen in the video above.

The Collection for men includes 17 shirt models, 12 outerwear tops and seven hats – as well as our proprietary Desert Dry and Desert Dry Xtra-Lite moisture management technology that wicks away moisture.

“It’s bright and bold – really colorful,” says Ron McPherson, president and CEO of Antigua. “Golf has always been a colorful business and this year just a little bit more intense. The consumer is really wearing bright colors right now and having fun with it. This line has vivid color, sophisticated styling and luxurious fabrics…truly a winning combination.”

Antigua Official Website

The New Iron Age

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Miura Golf has allowed golfers to enter a new “iron age” this spring. The company has increased production of its special Passing Point 9003 Straight Neck iron. This club, which like its “regular” Passing Point 9003, offers golfers with a “forged feel” along with perimeter weighting and a slightly wider sole.

“Initially, we weren’t intending to make a straight-neck model,” said Adam Barr, president of Miura. “But the 9003 was so popular with so many players because it’s very easy to hit and has a great flight. When some of those new 9003 players talked with us about their flight preferences, we knew there was a class of 9003 lovers who didn’t want or need all the offset of the original. So we began to make a less-offset version, and that became the Passing Point 9003 Straight Neck. We sold out the initial run so quickly that we thought we’d better make more.”

Both models of Passing Point 9003s provide marvelous forged feel, thanks to Miura’s insistence on fine-grain, void-free steel in its clubheads. The cavity in all 9003s is carefully engineered to put the mass in the right places so golfers can get the optimum contact – and forgiveness – from the club’s perimeter weighting. And the sole of the 9003s, while never out of proportion, is somewhat larger than in more blade-like models, allowing for easier turf travel through impact and overall more consistent flight.

Miura Golf Official Website

Force of Power

PowerBilt debuted its latest rendition to its popular Air Force One driver line this month. The Air Force One DFX (Deep Face Extreme) offers a clubface that is 5mm than the previous model, which allows the club to catch the ball at impact slightly longer and combines with the nitrogen inside the clubhead to create reduced spin and more distance.

“We reduced the nitrogen pressure to 80 pounds, for better impact feel,” says Ross Kvinge, President of PowerBilt. “This new amount of nitrogen generates a tremendous trampoline effect for increased ball speed. In fact, now the trampoline effect is up to the USGA maximum limit. Shot dispersion is also the tightest ever in our drivers. And by adding 6 grams low and forward in the clubhead, we moved the CG lower and more forward than in any other Air Force One driver. We did this to appease our clubfitters who requested a better smash factor. I can confidently say that this is the most solid driver we have ever produced.”

The new club utilizes PowerBilt’s patented Nitrogen N7 “Nitrogen Charged,” technology makes its debut in the Air Force One DFX driver. This newly patented method reinforces the clubface without adding any weight. The club also features a forged titanium body with titanium cup face technology, as well as aerodynamic clubhead shaping.

The Air Force One DFX is one serious club.

PowerBilt Golf Official Website

British ClubCrown

Heavy is the head that wears the crown, but for golfers ClubCrown provides an innovative way to personalize and improve the look and style of any driver, fairway wood or hybrid.

ClubCrown by VIVE announced that its product line is now being distributed in the United Kingdom. Alan Sterling, former member of the Royal Institute of Chemistry, has established a new company in the United Kingdom – ClubCrownUK for the distribution of the ClubCrown product.

“Since the product debut in the US in July 2012, golfers in the UK have been emailing us asking when the product would be available in their market”, said Andrew Glaser, ClubCrown CEO. “After an exhaustive search for a great partner, we found Alan Sterling to run ClubCrownUK. Alan has extensive entrepreneurial experience and I have the utmost confidence that he is the best person to bring our incredible revolutionary crown graphic technology to the UK.”

“I am very proud to have been appointed the sole UK distributor for ClubCrown, states Alan Sterling, Director of ClubCrownUK. “There has been an incredible amount of pent up demand in the UK for the ClubCrown product since its inception in 2012. With features on CNBC, The Golf Channel, Golf Digest, GolfWRX, and many more, ClubCrown is set to bring a revolution in golf customization to the masses. Andrew and Brendan, co-owners of ClubCrown, have been fantastic to work with and I look forward to years of great success. In describing the roll out to the UK market, Alan Sterling states, “We have already appointed ClubCrownUK Agents but look forward to appointing more in the near future. I intend to get around to as many courses and retailers as possible to share this amazing product with golfers and professionals as the spring season gets underway.”

ClubCrown Official Website

A Mightly Wind

Nike’s new Hyperadapt Wind Jacket, which was released last month, might just blow you away. This jacket features four-way stretch technology but with a sweater-like feel that is windproof and rain-resistant, while elastic cuffs will keep the sleeves from moving up and down during the swing.

Nike also used reclaimed materials – in this case recycled coffee grounds – to produce the windproof coating on the outer shell. This helped reduce odor from perspiration while also assisting in UV protection. It is ready for spring… if that ever gets here!

Press Release: Nike Golf Introduces the Hyperadapt Wind Jacket

Nike Doesn’t Sweat It

While this winter could hold on for a while that could also mean a cool spring is on the horizon. Nike will have you covered for the golf course with the new Innovation Woven Cover-Up, which is designed to move with the body while keeping the wearer warm and dry. Unlike a jacket this sweater promises to offer more range of movement. It is part of the Nike Golf’s Stay Protected Line, and it features lightweight wind-and-water resistant Dri-FIT stretch woen body along with 3D knit sleeves that promises to keep warmth in. Once again we have to say Nike has golfers covered with this sweater, which arrived at retail last month.

Press Release: Nike Golf’s New Innovation Woven Cover-up is a Sweater and Jacket in One

Taking Covert

Nike Golf looks to have golfers covered this season with the VRS Covert Forged Irons, which the company claims will provide provide high-speed performance in a premium design. Nike Golf’s engineers incorporated a NexCOR face, Nike’s proprietary variable face thickness technology to deliver faster ball speed for greater distance.

In addition the new irons also offer a high-speed cavity back design with a lower, deeper center of gravity that can help golfers make longer and straighter shots.

“We focused on improving distance and off-center hit performance with the VRS Covert Forged irons,” explained Chris Savage, Nike Golf irons innovation engineer. “It’s the first time we designed a forged iron with a high-speed NexCOR face, and engineering the variable thickness really amplifies the trampoline effect off the face. We further enhanced the performance with balanced perimeter weighting via a deep, engineered cavity back design. In our testing, the VRS Covert Forged irons delivered up to seven additional yards in distance compared to last year’s product.”

“Our research shows that more than 80 percent of player impact is between the center and the toe side of an iron,” Savage added. “So another key focus on this product was to shift the center of gravity to the center of the face. By moving the true sweet spot to the area where most people hit the ball, we enhanced the iron’s feel and improved off center performance by as much as 17 percent.”

These clubs made their debut at the end of last month.

Nike Golf Official Website

PGA 2014 Merchandise Show: It’s In the Bag

Batman likely doesn’t have time for golfing – you know with all that crime fighting stuff he does. Alter ego Bruce Wayne probably does swing a bit, at least to keep up appearances. Either way OGIO has just the bag for billionaire crime-fighting playboys.

Introduced last week at the PGA 2014 Merchandise Show in Orlando the OGIO Gotham golf bag collection features both stand and cart bags, which combine a proprietary blend of fabrics and construction techniques that will make every golfer feel like a superhero.

The Gotham includes innovative speed zippers for easy access to balls and tees, and creatively placed internal storage compartments (something we suspect a crime fighter might appreciate). The Gotham collection also features OGIO’s four point-strap system for the ultimate in carrying comfort – because not everyone has the strength of a superhero.

OGIO Official Website