In her latest equipment round-up, Hannah Holden purrs over the latest offerings from Titleist, Under Armour and Ping, as well as a launch monitor made for these difficult times
The new Titleist irons are £500 a pop, but are they worth it? Elsewhere, new winter ranges from Under Armour and Ping, while Duca del Cosma want your help saving an endagered species. It’s all going on in this week’s gear round up, so let’s get on with it…
Under Armour ready for winter
With the weather looking like it’s about to turn, the brands are starting to get their winter gear on the shelves.
Under Armour are right up there when it comes to winter wear and they’ve updated their range from head to toe.
I love the look of this top being modelled by Jordan Spieth. UA are calling it the Storm Sweaterfleece and say it offers a fleece-fleece feel with a sweater-like look AND it’s lightweight as well as waterproof.
The range is completed in a variety of new seasonal colours and is accompanied by a full range of winter accessories.
Nothing quite says winter like frost-bitingly cold days on the golf course. If you like to brave the elements Ping have got you covered with an assortment of jackets, gilets, and trousers for the winter months.
The range sees the return of the Primaloft gold insulation to help you adapt to the ever-changing climates out on the course.
Across the range I really like the varied use of patterns and textures as well as little colour pops from details like zips.
My favourite is probably the Dover jacket seen on the left below which is water-resistant, quilted, and features SensorWarm properties in the insulated front body for extra warmth.
Even better they also have a women’s line and I’ve just received this lovely pink number to try out.
Again there are lots of options for layering such as matching jackets and gilets. I love this bold ink geometric print and I’m down for this legging style insulated winter trouser look.
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Available: Now RRP: From £80 More information: Ping website
Titleist add to CNCPT irons range
If you can’t get enough new irons, Titleist have added to their CNCPT line to include the new CP-03 and CP-04.
The whole idea behind the Titleist CNCPT irons, you might recall, was to offer exceptional engineering, regardless of cost, to deliver ultimate performance.
The face is forged from a metal which is a rare, super-strong alloy and took eight months just to source. This, I’m told, helps delivers faster ball speeds.
We also see a lot more tungsten weighting than normal, which accounts for 50% of the clubhead weight in the lower lofts. Each iron has a minimum of 100 grams of tungsten to make these clubs as forgiving as possible.
The CP-03 has a midsize muscle back profile providing a balance of power and control, while the CP-04 is for ultimate speed and accuracy in a bigger progressive profile.
They join the existing CP-02 iron which aims to provide superior performance in a blade-size package.
Available: Now RRP: £500 per club More information: Titleist website
Honma extends tour family line-up
Also extending an existing range are Honma, who have added to their Tour Release line of clubs by unveiling the TR21 fairway woods, hybrids and irons.
A key feature to the range is adjustability with extensive custom-fitting options available via the non-rotating hosel. This means the clubs loft and lies can be altered without changing the position of the shaft’s spine.
The new TR21 X irons are players distance irons, designed to be more forgiving than the TR20 B irons, so they are perfect for a combo set as well.
There are two fairway wood offerings the TR21 Big-LB (FTi) and the more forgiving FW line as well as the TR21 hybrids.
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Here’s my review of the TR20 range…
Available: October RRP: £309/£349 (fairway woods, standard/FTi); £269 (hybrids); £175/210 (irons, steel/graphite) More information: Honma website
Do your bit with Duca del Cosma
Conservation and new shoes? I’m all ears.
Duca del Cosma is introducing a limited-edition women’s golf shoe to help with the conservation of one of the world’s rarest animals, the King Cheetah. It is the rarest cat on the African continent, with numbers in the wild barely reaching double figures.
As well as adopting a cub – named DUCA, obviously – the company’s joint owner Caroline van Wezel hopes the shoe will help raise funds and awareness for the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre which is focused on the survival of cheetahs in South Africa.
The shoe is waterproof and designed to be worn both on and off the course. The black lacquer leather and beige suede mimics the animal’s striking appearance. I can’t get over how cute the sole is, designed to replicate the Cheetah’s foot pads all while providing grip and stability.
If you haven’t heard about the Rapsodo mobile launch monitor before, its name really gives it away. It is a really neat little device that helps you gather data on your golf game such as distance, ball speed and launch angle.
Previously the monitor only worked outdoors so you had to collect your data on the course or at the range. With the new upgrade the device provides net capabilities meaning it works virtually anywhere. You can practice hitting into a net in your garden or house. Perfect for winter – or if we end up in a second lockdown…
