Equipment news, January 2023

Manufacturer claims, not tested by NCG: Titleist TSR1 drivers: The Technology

The TSR1 driver understandably shares a lot of technology with the rest of the TSR driver family. The big difference is it is built for ultra-lightweight speed and distance.

Over one-third of golfers worldwide fit into the moderate speed category, which Titleist are categorising at under 90mph. So a lot of golfers could benefit from a lighter set-up that delivers more speed and distance.

The TSR1 is roughly 40 grams lighter than its sister club, the TSR2. Weight savings are made by having a lighter headweight, 40-gram shaft and lightweight grip.

Aerodynamics have been improved to get the club head moving as fast as possible through the air. It has a similar “boat tail” shape as we see in the TSR2 to help golfers move the club head faster in the air.

Multi-Plateau Variable Face Thickness technology helps keep ball speed high on off-centre hits, while a deep CG increases launch and provides exceptional ball speed.

Titleist TSR1 Driver

The TSR1 has a very similar shape the popular TSR2 driver, the profile is marginally larger but visually sits great behind the golf ball.

It is designed for maximum speed and stability for moderate swing-speed players. It provides effortless speed, distance and high launch. This is perfect for golfers with club head speeds under 90 mph who want to optimise their launch conditions for more speed. Also good for higher club head speed players who struggle to launch the golf ball.

Titleist TSR1 Fairway Woods

Again the key story is creating the lightest and highest launching fairway wood in the TSR range. At 180cc this has a larger footprint than the TSR2 yet the club is 20 grams lighter.

An open hosel construction saves weight allowing the centre of gravity to be lowered for more height and more forgiveness.

Titleist TSR1 Hybrid

The TSR1 hybrid has a larger more fairway wood-style shaping to allow for a lower centre of gravity.

This provides a higher MOI for more forgiveness on off-centre strikes. The larger shaping also provides more confidence over the ball.

The Details

Available: February 23 (pre-order February 9th)

RRP: Driver £529; Fairways £289; Hybrids £259

Driver lofts: 9°, 10°, 12° LH: 10° (9° and 12° custom only)

Fairway: 3 (15°), 5 (18°), 7 (20°), 9W (23° | custom only)

Hybrid: 4 (20°), 5 (23°), 6 (26°), 7 (29° | custom only)

Driver shaft: Mitsubishi MMT SpeedMesh 40 or 35

Fairway shaft: : Mitsubishi MMT SpeedMesh 40 or 35

Hybrid shaft: Mitsubishi MMT SpeedMesh 50 HY of 40 HY

More information: Titleist website

Manufacturer claims, not tested by NCG: Mizuno ST-230: Driver Technology

The biggest tech change is the introduction of a new Cortech chamber. This is a stainless steel weight with elastomeric TPU that sits in the golf club's sole.

The addition of a cortech chamber helps performance in a variety of ways. Firstly, it allows the sole to flex, creating an additional source of energy behind the club face.

The TPU material also provides sound tuning and vibration dampening to help create a more solid feel at impact. The central stainless steel weight also helps reduce spin.

There are three Mizuno 2023 drivers, the Mizuno ST-Z, ST-X and ST-X PLTNM. Let's take a look at the differences.

Mizuno ST-Z 230 Driver

This is the lowest-spinning model in the Mizuno ST-230 series. It is designed to have a neutral and stable ball flight.

“Tour tests for the ST-Z 230 have all been very consistent,” says Chris Voshall, Mizuno’s Director of Product. “Firstly, an appreciation that the look is familiar at address, then satisfaction at how much better it feels off the face. Ball speeds are up on average 1-3mph with spin rates dropping around 200 rpm.”

Mizuno ST-X 230 driver

The ST-X 230 has a deeper profile with more weight in the heel, making it spin more and create a draw-biased ball flight.

“The new ST-X 230 is a complex character,” says Chris Voshall. “Although in the higher loft option it’s a higher flying draw biased option, the 9.5 for many of our tour players was more workable and faster from the face. You really need to hit both models before making any judgements on which is likely to work best for you.”

Mizuno ST-X PLTNM 230 Driver

The platinum 230 driver is an ultra-lightweight model designed specifically for players with slower club head speeds. It is 30 grams lighter overall than any possible custom option of the ST-X 230.

The club head is weighted more towards the heel to make this a more draw bias offering.

ST-Z 230 Fairway Wood

The ST-Z 230 fairway features lots of adjustability so it can be set up for varying levels of players.

Fast ball speeds are created through the use of a steel face and Mizuno's Cortech chamber.

The carbon composite crown helps lower the centre of gravity, while the front-to-back weighting helps deliver consistent launch characteristics.

ST-Z 230 Hybrid

Numerous of Mizuno's tour players influenced this hybrid's design. Mizuno wanted to create something that suited the eye of better players but was playable for golfers of all levels.

Combining a steel face and Mizuno's Cortech chamber helps provide fast ball speeds.

The waffle crown and thick sole weight help to lower the centre of gravity and sweet spot for high launch and efficient spin.

The Details

Available: February

RRP: £499 (Drivers) £299 (Fairway Woods) £279 (Hybrid)

You’ve probably spent a small fortune to get the set up that’s right for your game, so don’t forget to get specialist insurance from Golf Care to protect your clubs from theft, loss, and accidental damage. Plus, they even cover GPS watches, trolleys, and other golf equipment. With 30% off annual insurance starting from just £26.59, and a free golf gift bundle worth up to £365 including 12 free Srixon balls, it’s a no brainer. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.

Manufacturer claims, not tested by NCG: Cobra King Irons

All three Cobra King irons are made from 1025 carbon steel and undergo Cobra's 5-step forging process to deliver a soft feel. The extra stage in the forging process creates more precise shaping, more precise and flatter clubfaces, tighter weight tolerances, improved consistency of loft and lies, improved face thickness consistency, improved aesthetics, and significantly enhanced feel at impact.

MB Irons

The MB irons are pure blades with the most compact shape in the Cobra King line-up. These are built with better golf in mind. They have a thin top-line, minimal offset, shorter blade lengths and a thinner sole for better control and turf interaction. All this makes them great for shot-shaping and precise iron play.

CB Irons

These have a more forgiving cavity back shape than we see in the MBs. In particular, it has slightly more offset.

Tour Irons

These deliver a soft feel and workability but with added distance and forgiveness.

There are CNC undercuts in each iron's back cavity, which repositions weight from the high centre to the low centre. This improves launch conditions and gives you more forgiveness on off-centre hits. The location of this varies across each iron loft to get the best launch conditions for each.

This undercut is filled with a soft TPU material which is covered with an aluminium co-moulded medallion. Both of these dampen vibrations to improve sound and feel.

Cobra King Tec Utility Irons

This is a classic, muscle-back style iron, but they have a metal wood style construction to deliver more speed and distance.

The utility features the Pwrshell face insert and H.O.T face technology that we see in the Aerojet drivers. Optimised thicknesses across the club face increase ball speed and produce more efficient spin across a larger area of the club face.

The club head also features extreme tungsten weighting to lower the CG for improved launch and spin rates off the tee and from the fairway or rough.

To improve sound and feel, the hollow club head is injected with Expancel Microsphere Foam to absorb vibrations and tune sound and feel.

These are available in both variable and one-length options.

Cobra King Tec Hybrid

This hybrid is designed to be a premium offering to complement the rest of the King iron range.

It has a new ST-118 face material and features the same H.O.T face technology as the utility irons to increase ball speed and get more consistent spin.

It has a carbon crown which allows more weight to be repositioned low to improve both launch and forgiveness.

There is also an adjustable weight system on the sole. The two 12g heavy weights can be positioned in the back or heel for a draw-biased flight, back or toe for a fade-biased flight, and front heel or toe areas of the club head to encourage neutral and controlled flight.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW FROM SCOTTSDALE GOLF

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You’ve probably spent a small fortune to get the set up that’s right for your game, so don’t forget to get specialist insurance from Golf Care to protect your clubs from theft, loss, and accidental damage. Plus, they even cover GPS watches, trolleys, and other golf equipment. With 30% off annual insurance starting from just £26.59, and a free golf gift bundle worth up to £365 including 12 free Srixon balls, it’s a no brainer. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.

Ping launched their G430 range at the start of 2023. At the time, the line-up included three drivers, two fairway woods, a hybrid, and a set of game improvement irons.

Now they are back with a late addition, a new fairway wood, the Ping G430 LST fairway wood.

Manufacturer claims, not tested by NCG: Ping G430 LST Fairway Woods

This shares a lot of technology with the rest of the Ping G430 fairway wood range. The difference is this is a low-spinning, tour-style design. It combines a 2041 Beta-Titanium face, and Titanium 8-1-1 body with an 80-gram tungsten sole plate to position the centre of gravity low and back. This increases ball speeds and reduces spin, producing seven yards more distance on average.

Specs:

Loft: 15° (Adjustable +- 1.5°)

Std length: 43”

Swingweight: D2

PING-engineered shafts: Ping Alta CB Black 65 (SR, R, S), PING Tour 2.0 Chrome 65/75 (R, S, X), PING Tour 2.0 Black 65/75 (S, X)

Optional custom shafts: Mitsubishi Kai’Li White 70 (S, X), PRJX HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX 60 (5.5, 6.0, 6.5), 70 (6.0, 6.5)

Stock grip: Golf Pride 360 Tour Velvet in six sizes (Blue -1/16”, Red -1/32”, Aqua -1/64”, White-Std, Gold +1/32”, Orange +1/16”)

RRP: £550

Read about the rest of the Ping G430 range below:

Ping G430: Driver Technology

Personally, I think the big new change in the Ping drivers comes from the acoustics. People were very hit and miss about if they liked the G425 sound so Ping did a lot of work on improving this in their latest driver models.

They increased the curvature and stiffness of the golf club's crown, skirt and sole to improve the club's natural frequency. They also positioned ribs inside the club head to change vibrations that affect the sound off the face.

Clubface

The face is forged and has variable face thickness to deliver more face flexing and more consistent ball speeds across the face. The G430 clubface is 6% thinner than we saw in the G425 to help drive up ball speeds. It is also 0.1" shallower.

Spinsistency

The club face of the drivers features a variable roll radius which delivers less loft lower on the face. This delivers more ball speed on low strikes and also allows for more consistent spin and carry distances.

Carbonfly Wrap

In the LST model, we see a new Carbonfly Wrap technology. Essentially the crown wraps into the heel and toe of the bottom of the club. Not only just this save weight, it also allows the CG to be repositioned lower to help bring down that spin.

Ping G430 LST Driver

LST stands for low-spin technology. This is designed to be a better players club that spins less and launches lower.

Ping G430 Max Driver

The G430 Max driver is aimed at delivering maximum distance and forgiveness. It sits in the middle of their driver line and will likely suit the vast majority of golfers.

Ping G430 SFT Driver

SFT stands for straight flight technology. This model is about delivering distance and forgiveness in an anti-slice model that helps eliminate the right side of the golf course for good.

Ping G430: Fairway Woods Technology

There are two fairway woods in this year's G430 line-up - the Max and the SFT. Interestingly, Ping have made the decision not to have an LST model.

Carbonfly Wrap

Across the range, we see an eight-layer carbon crown that wraps onto the skirt of the stainless steel head. This saves 10 grams from the crown and allows a lower CG placement. The carbon crown is also designed to help improve acoustics.

Spincistency

As with drivers, this is a huge story in the rest of the metalwoods. There is a tighter roll radius across the clubface to maximise ball speed but also reduce spin and make the spin more consistent. This should result in more carry distance consistently especially on low face strikes.

Ping G430 Max Fairway Woods

The G430 Max fairway wood is the main most forgiving model that will suit the majority of golfers.

Ping G430 SFT Fairway Woods

The G430 SFT fairway wood aims to deliver distance and forgiveness in a draw bias package.

Ping G430 Hybrids

Hybrids are really designed to be gap fillers so Ping have provided lots of options to replace mid and long iron gaps. The Ping G430 Max hybrid is the only model in this range but it is offered from 2-hybrid down to 7-hybrid so you can optimise your golf bag set-up.

These are designed to suit all skill levels and have a blend of distance and forgiveness.

The adjustable hosel offers eight different settings including being able to tweak both loft and lie angle.

• RELATED: Ping G430 Hybrid Review

Ping G430 Irons

The back of the Ping G430 irons look radically different to the G425 model they are replacing. This is thanks to the new PurFlex technology on the back of the clubhead.

PurFlex

This zone features seven flex zones which restrict the club face less, allowing it to bend more and generate more ball speed. They also help reduce spin while improving sound and feel by dampening vibrations.

Lower CG

Ping have lowered the centre of gravity in the irons so it is more aligned with the force line of your shots. This will help increase ball speeds on shots low on the face.

You’ve probably spent a small fortune to get the set up that’s right for your game, so don’t forget to get specialist insurance from Golf Care to protect your clubs from theft, loss, and accidental damage. Plus, they even cover GPS watches, trolleys, and other golf equipment. With 30% off annual insurance starting from just £26.59, and a free golf gift bundle worth up to £365 including 12 free Srixon balls, it’s a no brainer. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.

Manufacturer claims, not tested by NCG: Cobra Aerojet

This year's big story behind the Aerojet driver range is new aerodynamic shapings to drive up club head speeds. The sole and crown of the driver are much more curved to make the club head more streamlined and reduce drag as you swing the golf club.

PWR-Bridge Technology

Next up is the new Pwr-bridge technology on the sole. This is essentially a suspended bridge weight design that creates unrestricted flexibility of the face and sole and positions the CG low and forwards to create faster ball speeds.

H.O.T Face

Cobra has used artificial intelligence to design a club face with variable thicknesses on the back. This ensures spin and speed stay consistent even of off-centre strikes.

Drivers

There are three drivers in the new Aerojet range. The low-spinning LS, the mid-range Aerojet and the forgiving draw bias Aerojet Max driver.

Cobra Aerojet LS

This is designed for skilled golfers with fast club head speeds. It is the least forgiving model but also the one that should fly the furthest with the least spin.

This has the most aggressive aero shaping to help drive up club head speeds and deliver maximum distance.

The sole features two adjustable weights, one in the heel and the other in the toe. Switching these around allows to you to create a more neutral or fade bias ball flight.

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Cobra Aerojet

The Aerojet is the main model of this range and delivers a blend of speed and forgiveness. This model is likely to suit the widest breadth of players.

The sole features one weight on the back of the club head to help increase launch and add perimeter weighting for more forgiveness.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW FROM PGA SUPERSTORE

Cobra Aerojet Max

This offers the forgiveness of the regular Aerojet model but with the added benefit of a draw-bias design.

There are two adjustable weights in the sole. One on the back and one in the heel allowing you to switch between a neutral or more draw-biased ball flight.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW FROM PGA SUPERSTORE

Fairway Woods

The Aerojet fairway woods also utilise the Pwr-bridge, Pwrshell and H.O.T face technology to deliver a blend of max distance and effortless launch.

Cobra Aerojet LS

The Aerojet LS is designed for the better player looking for a lower more workable ball flight.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW FROM PGA SUPERSTORE

Cobra Aerojet

The regular Aerojet model aims to provide a blend of forgiveness and versatility. Expect a high launch and control with some level of workability.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW FROM PGA SUPERSTORE

Cobra Aerojet Max

Finally, the Aerojet Max is designed to give easy effortless distance but also with draw bias to help straighten out a left to right shot shape.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW FROM PGA SUPERSTORE

Hybrids

There is just one hybrid in the Aerojet line-up. It has a smaller, more rounded profile and really looks more like a small fairway wood.

It provides a blend of distance and high launch to give you lots of yardage and forgiveness. This is available in regular length or as a one-length offering.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW FROM PGA SUPERSTORE

Irons

Again the key Aerojet technologies continue into the game improvement irons.

They do also feature a polymer feel system which is an injected polymer filler inside the hollow area of the club head. This dampens vibration for a softer, more forged-like feel and sound at impact.

CLICK HERE TO BUY FROM AMERICAN GOLF

CLICK HERE TO BUY FROM PGA SUPERSTORE

You’ve probably spent a small fortune to get the set up that’s right for your game, so don’t forget to get specialist insurance from Golf Care to protect your clubs from theft, loss, and accidental damage. Plus, they even cover GPS watches, trolleys, and other golf equipment. With 30% off annual insurance starting from just £26.59, and a free golf gift bundle worth up to £365 including 12 free Srixon balls, it’s a no brainer. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.

Manufacturer claims, not tested by NCG: Drivers

The big new technology in the Srixon ZX MK II driver range is the new rebound frame with dual flex zones.

Zone 1 is the driver face, you can see below this deforms inwardly at impact. Zone 2, which sits further back in the club head deforms outwardly. When both zones snap back to their original shape they send more energy back into the golf ball, increasing ball speed and getting you more carry distance.

The crown of the drivers feature a star frame. This is a series of ridges and latticework to allow a very thin titanium crown to be used. A thinner crown means lots of weight saving so more weight can be used in other areas of the golf club to optimise launch and spin characteristics.

Ridges on the back of the club faces create varying face thicknesses all over the club face. This allows ball speed to be more consistent across the face by improving ball speed on toe and heel strikes.

Each driver features adjustable weights on the sole that allows you to adjust swing weight and centre of gravity to favour a draw or fade shot shape. An adjustable hosel also provides varying loft, lie, and face angles.

There are three different models in the Srixon ZX Mk II driver range which are all designed to perform differently and suit different styles of golfers.

Srixon ZX7 Mk II Driver

The ZX7 MK II driver is designed for total control and as such is the most workable driver in the Srixon ZX Mk II driver range.

It has a more compact tour-inspired shaping and has a more forward CG to help produce low spin and mid-height launch.

This is perfect for players who don't like to see the golf ball go left as it has a neutral/fade flight bias.

Srixon ZX5 Mk II Driver

The Srixon ZX5 Mk II Driver is designed for total confidence. It is the most forgiving driver in the Srixon ZX Mk II driver range and aims to produce long straight shots that also launch very high.

It has a larger, more elongated shape to look more confidence-inspiring behind the golf ball. The back and low CG help this launch high with mid spin and high levels of forgiveness.

If you struggle with a fade or slice, this model is for you as it has built-in draw bias technology to help straighten out your ball flight.

Srixon ZX5 LS Mk II Driver

The Srixon ZX5 LS Mk II driver is designed to offer ZX5 levels of forgiveness but with less spin.

It sits in the middle of the range in terms of sizing and is designed to create mid-height and spin conditions.

If you like to see a straight ball flight this model is great as it is designed to be fairly neutral or favour a slight draw.

RRP: £499

Fairway Wood

The Srixon ZX MK II fairway wood shares some technologies with the new Srixon family of drivers.

The club heads feature rebound frame technology for more ball speed and extra distance.

The crown structure and material in the 3 and 3+ wood are different, though. These lofts feature a carbon crown to help save weight high and lower the CG for increased launch and forgiveness on every shot.

The crown is also stepped to further lower the centre of gravity and deliver high launch for longer shots of the deck.

The sole of the fairway woods features a floating weight pad. Having so much weight low helps optimise launch, but it also allows room for more face flexion driving up ball speeds for shots struck low on the face.

RRP: £279

Hybrid

The Srixon ZX MK II Hybrid has been made more compact thanks to tour player feedback. They have a very neutral face angle and a squared off toe to try and reduce that left miss.

Again in the ZX hybrid Srixon are making the most of their rebound frame technology to drive up ball speeds and carry distances.

The centre of gravity has been moved lower in this new ZX MK II model for higher launching and longer carrying shots.

The radius of the club face has been updated to make spin more consistent on bottom or top club face strikes so you have more dependable distance from shot to shot.

RRP: £239

The Details

Available: 1st March 2023#

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER FROM SCOTTSDALE GOLF

Stock shafts: Project X HZRDUS Black Gen 4, Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX

More information: Srixon Website

You’ve probably spent a small fortune to get the set up that’s right for your game, so don’t forget to get specialist insurance from Golf Care to protect your clubs from theft, loss, and accidental damage. Plus, they even cover GPS watches, trolleys, and other golf equipment. With 30% off annual insurance starting from just £26.59, and a free golf gift bundle worth up to £365 including 12 free Srixon balls, it’s a no brainer. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.