Get your hands on Rory’s new TaylorMade Hi Toe wedge
By James Savage
I made it out on to my home course at Hillsborough for a few holes this week. My first outing since November last year.
We’ve had pretty horrendous weather in Sheffield over the past month or so with plenty of rain, snow, frost and ice.
So I was hardly looking forward to getting out there.
First 9 holes of testing @Hillsborough_GC with the new @TitleistEurope Tour Soft. Strong, high ball flight, good in the wind. No scuffing. Positive early signs. pic.twitter.com/sn6sp8mCjD
— James Savage (@JamesSavageNCG) February 8, 2018
But I was pleasantly surprised as how un-horrendous it was. Not that muddy, not too cold and perfectly playable. Pretty good seeing as the course has been closed two days earlier.
I think the thing with winter golf is the thought of it is a lot worse than the reality.
And it’s not about scoring it’s about easing yourself back into the swing of things, literally, and whetting your appetite for the season ahead.
Rory’s new TaylorMade Hi Toe wedge
Ok so we’ve seen these bad boys on tour for a few months now but they have now been officially released.
Dustin Johnson was the first player to put the TaylorMade Hi Toe wedge into play.
The likes of Jon Rahm and Justin Rose were fairly quick to follow suit. And now four-time major champion Rory McIlroy has one in the bag.
The TaylorMade Hi Toe wedge isn’t a new concept. We’ve seen similar offerings down the years with the Ping Eye-2 wedges and the more recent Callaway Mack Daddy PM grind.
Available in 58˚, 60 and 64˚, the TaylorMade Hi Toe wedge features a higher, more centrally-located centre of gravity.
It aims to launch the golf ball lower while generating more spin and control from a variety of lies.
“Our Tour players couldn’t wait to put this in the bag,” said Bill Price, senior director, product creation, wedges.
“Dustin Johnson praised the performance of the Hi-Toe following his dominant victory at Kapalua; we’re confident that this wedge will benefit golfers of all abilities around the green, regardless of what style of course they’re playing on.”
The full-face scoring lines ensure consistent ball contact out of the rough, while the high bounce leading edge and channel cut midsole make for a more efficient turf interaction.
The TaylorMade Hi-Toe wedge is available from March 2 with an SRP of £139.
More information can be found on the TaylorMade website.
Ever seen a 10-iron before?
Japanese star Hideto Tanihara has been spotted playing with a 10-iron at the World Super 6 Perth on the European Tour
We could just call it a pitching wedge but where’s the fun in that?
1️⃣0️⃣-iron in the bag.
Hideto Tanihara is carrying one of these at the #WS6Perth. pic.twitter.com/n4CX5umKll
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) February 8, 2018
New waterproof bags from Big Max
Big Max – who make the best push trolleys around in our opinion – have updated their range of Aqua bags.
The Aqua Hybrid (£229.99) aims to deliver the best of both Cart and Stand bag technology. Most stand bags are prone to twisting and shifting as the base mechanism isn’t designed to sit flat on a trolley. The flat base and leg lock system on the Aqua Hybrid make it perfect for securing to a trolley or buggy.
The Aqua Sport 2 (£239.99) has a 14-way, 9.5 inch organiser top and full length dividers. It has seven spacious pockets, oversize putter well for large putter grips and an unloaded weight of just 2.4 kg.
Finally the Aqua Tour 2 (£269.99) has nine spacious pockets, glove and towel holder, umbrella holder and oversize putter well for large putter grips. The Tour 2 has a 10 inch, 14-way top leading down to individual dividers.
More information can be found on the Big Max website.
Review: Titleist Vokey SM7 wedges
Review: Big Max Blade Quattro trolley
James Savage
Former equipment editor of NCG. Inconsistent ball-striker and tea-maker.
