Equipment news, July 2020

There was so much football talk when the MCC Teams grips landed at NCG HQ it was hard to imagine we were talking about a new golf product.

While they all pretended to listen to each other's arguments about which team wears the best colours, I was busy getting to know the grips.

Now I enjoy customising my gear as much as the next person, but when it comes to new equipment I’m all about the tech.

The Golf Pride MMC Teams collection gets its name from the hybrid structure. The grips are a multi-compound design combining rubber and cord.

Manufacturer claims, not tested by NCG:

• In association with Golf Pride

This means the top and bottom of each grip is made from a different material – highlighted by the colour contrast – because both hands perform different roles during your swing.

The upper hand puts significantly more pressure into the grip, so the cord helps with traction and control, particularly in adverse weather.The rubber then acts as the performance material, strategically placed under the lower hand to give you the best possible feel and responsiveness.

Right, now we’re happy with that I can delve into the wide array of colour options to see which ones catch my eye.

I have a lot of red accessories in my golf setup, from towels to headcovers and even the strap on my GPS watch. This stems from my school days.

Rather like Hogwarts we were all placed in houses from day one. I was in Queens which was the red house, so I spent seven years head to toe in red.

But I feel like I’m after something new now and the first real contender is the black and gold. These are the colours I wore while representing the golf team at Sheffield University, striding the fairways in the heat of battle with the arch rivals across town at Hallam. (So don’t bring those maroon grips anywhere near me.)

However there is ultimately only one team who I would justify changing the colour of my grips for. The team I have spent hours travelling up and down the country for. The team I have lost sleep, blood, and sweat for.

And that is my beloved county team.

The kit for Team Yorkshire – or Green Team Dream Team as our WhatsApp group is called – consists of bottle green jumpers and beige trousers, so I'll be getting the green and gold MMC Teams grips on my clubs as soon as possible.

Maybe I will have to kit out the entire team. Who knows, it could be the secret ingredient to winning our next national championship.

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Manufacturer claims, not tested by NCG: FootJoy up the ante with artistic shoes

I like golf shoes. So much so that I went to learn all about how they are designed and subsequently made. And I love pizza.

Put the two together and you've got this joyous result from FootJoy and FedEx, who are celebrating the artistic skills of patients from the St Jude Children’s Research Hospital on tour players' shoes.

You may remember Justin Thomas wore shoes designed by St Jude patient Bailey in the 2019 WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational, and this year FootJoy are upping the stakes with a whopping 30 stars set to have custom shoes, apparel, and gloves featuring patients' designs.

There will be four prints featured from patients Ally, Caleb, Dakota and Nate which will be worn by JT, as well as Webb Simpson, Abraham Ancer, and Cameron Smith.

Thomas said: “Meeting Bailey and his family was such an amazing experience last year. FootJoy showed me the artwork from this year’s group of St Jude patients and, man, they are all so cool – but I just had to have the pizza one!”

How lovely to see FootJoy and the players embracing the idea and, if you like them as much as JT does, then you can get your hands on a pair too.

Let's just hope they don't cause you to slice the ball! (Sorry.)

Available: July 28 RRP: TBC More information: FootJoy website

Nicklaus puts his signature on Miura blades

Jack Nicklaus and Katsuhiro Miura have joined forces to release a limited edition set of hand-forged irons.

Katsuhiro Miura is renowned for being an artisan and creating beautifully hand-crafted clubs. So it makes perfect sense to see him collaborate with Nicklaus who has the same attention to detail.

“The day Jack visited the factory was the best day of my life,” he said. “ honoured to see our family’s crest share a clubhead with his seal of approval.”

The clubs deliver a modern version of the Nicklaus blade with subtle tweaks to the look and sole design. The centre of gravity has also been relocated slightly nearer the toe by removing material out of the hosel.

As if Miura irons needed to get any better, but these look absolutely incredible. What I would do to get my hands on a set of these!

Available: Pre-order now RRP: £2,135 More information: Miura website

Mizuno tease us with new irons

It looks like Mizuno are all set to replace the popular JPX919 iron as they teased images of a new JPX921 iron head on social media this week.

Sadly this photo is all I'm allowed to share with you for now, but be sure to keep your eyes out for more details in the coming days or weeks or months or however long they want to keep us waiting!

Adidas unveil Tokyo collection

With the rescheduling of the Olympic Games it is now just under a year until 120 of the world's best golfers tee up in Tokyo for the chance to claim Olympic gold.

To celebrate the final year of preparation Adidas have released the new Tokyo collection featuring 41 footwear styles across 19 sports.

The golf offering is a limited edition Code Chaos model available in both men's and women's styles.

What's not to love? This colour pop is eye-catching and I really like the message of unity across sports and athletes.

Available: Now RRP: £129.95 (men's), £119.95 (women's) More information: Adidas website

Costco set to unveil own brand wedges

There has been lots of speculation regarding Costco releasing some own brand clubs but it has seemingly been confirmed as they have just appeared on the USGA conforming list.

We can see they are a steel head and have milled face technology but for now will have to wait for any further tech information.

The wedges look set to be available in three lofts (52°, 56°, and 60°).

Available: Release date not announced

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• In association with Golf Pride

It’s definitely Torquay, argues Devonian Alex Perry

Now, I've watched a lot of Leeds United – particularly since living up here and not being able to move five yards without getting my ears chewed off by one of the Marcelo Bielsa Fan Club – and I'm pretty sure they play in white.

Leeds of course famously changed to an all-white kit in the 1960s in a bid to emulate the great Real Madrid team – how did that work out, by the way? – and their nickname is even The Whites!

Manufacturer claims, not tested by NCG: This discussion has piqued my interest because my dream job that doesn't involve arguing about golf club grips would be to design football shirts, and it's remarkable how similar Torquay and Leeds have been down the years.

But – and this is the clincher – Torquay changed to their distinctive yellow and blue from white and black in the '50s to represent the English Riviera's golden sands and blue sea and have stuck with it since.

Leeds have relegated their yellow and blue offerings to third kits in recent years. Not good enough. Hand the grips over.

Get real, says Dan Murphy, there’s only one team we can all see in these grips and they play at Elland Road

White, yellow and blue mean one thing and one thing only in the world of English football and that is Leeds United. I wish Torquay United every success but don’t tell me that those clever Golf Pride engineers over in Pinehurst, North Carolina, didn’t know exactly what they were doing when creating this particular incarnation of their MCC Teams grips. And they weren’t thinking of Plainmoor.

I’ve been a MultiCompound man for more years than I’d care to admit to.

I love the balance of cord underneath the left hand to deal with the issue of slippery grips in wet conditions and a less harsh rubber under my right hand for enhanced feel.

We came through a difficult start with the red and black originals that reminded me of a certain team from over the Pennines – I was so pleased when the blue versions followed, and then white, and eventually yellow.

I admit, I did at one stage toy with a mixed set to represent LUFC. Now, at last, our colours are combined in one, brilliant grip that I know will cope with rain and shine alike on the course and ensure I have one thing fewer to stress about in my sporting travails.

Fancy showing your team’s colours on the course with Golf Pride’s MCC Teams collection? Check out the colour options on the Golf Pride website.

There are certain colours that make us feel good – and more often than not they are related to our favourite team. The new Golf Pride MCC Teams collection allows us to show our support without compromising on performance.

There are 15 combinations available – and football fans will be pleased to learn that they cover most of the most popular teams in the country. Certainly, the new Premier League champions Liverpool can be saluted, and if you think Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United are truly resurgent then there is a grip to express that sentiment.

Manufacturer claims, not tested by NCG:

• In association with Golf Pride

There’s a shade of Manchester City sky blue and Celtic and Rangers fans will certainly be able to express their allegiance on the golf course.

The same is true for supporters of the likes of Everton, Newcastle United, Spurs, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Leeds and many more.

Of course, the same applies to fans of rugby, cricket and any other cause that you are proud to support – for example you could choose the colours of your own golf club.

Golf Pride MCC Teams grips: First impressions

Wow – customising your golf equipment just went to a new level. This is exactly the kind of thing that makes your friends demand to know where they can get some for themselves. The Golf Pride MCC Teams grips look fantastic – especially in your chosen colours.

Golf Pride MCC Teams grips: The Tech

The USP of Golf Pride MCC Teams is that you are getting top-of-the-range grips from the overwhelming market leader in grips that just happen to feature the colours of your favourite team.

The MCC is the #1 Grip Series Worldwide and has been used by both amateurs and professionals to win over 250 times on tour.

The patented multi-compound design fuses the positive performance of rubber and cord for the ultimate in feel and responsiveness while providing an opportunity for golfers to demonstrate their passion for their sports team through unique styling.

Anyone who has tried Multi Compound grips over the years will know that the combination of cord under your top hand for control allied to a softer rubber under your bottom hand for feel is a winning one.

“The MCC Teams grips are an extremely exciting collection that will enable sports fans across the globe to show their support and passion for their team every time they grip the golf club”, said Bruce Miller, product manager at Golf Pride.

“Available now, this latest addition to the MCC family maintains the same high-level performance and quality that the multi-compound design has consistently delivered to win over 20 major championships.”

MCC Teams are now available at retail now in standard size and midsize.

Golf Pride are also giving golfers the opportunity to help select the next MCC Teams colours by heading to the Golf Pride MCC Teams website.

Golf Pride MCC Teams grips: NCG verdict

Many of us golfers are also fans of sport more generally and always like to take the chance to show our colours. If you’re anything like me then you will have had your fingers burned over the years by many golf-themed gifts (often to self) from the official club shop that haven’t lived up to the billing.

Naff headcovers, umbrellas, bobble hats, pitchmark repairers and towels are just a few that spring to mind that have have either fallen apart after a couple of rounds or never quite been fit for purpose.

There are no such problems with Golf Pride MCC Teams where you are getting the best of both worlds – a fantastic product in your favourite colours.

Golf Pride MCC Teams grips: The details

Available: Now

RRP: £12 (standard), £13 (mid-size)

Fancy showing your team’s colours on the course with Golf Pride’s MCC Teams collection? Check out the colour options on the Golf Pride MCC Teams website.