Equipment news, September 2020

Manufacturer claims, not tested by NCG: 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.

Available: Now RRP: From £60 More information: Under Armour website

Ping return with Primaloft

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.

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.

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.

Available: Now RRP: £179.95 More information: Duca del Cosma website

Rapsodo upgrades launch monitor

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...

Available: Now RRP: £334 More information: Rapsodo website

Phew! I think that's enough gear for one week. If you're after more equipment content, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

If you have any questions about anything gear related, feel free to drop me a line on Twitter or Instagram.

Many players would win their first major and think about taking a break from the game - if only for a week or two. But this is the Bryson DeChambeau era and the newly-crowned US Open champion is already thinking about the next level.

DeChambeau is very open about his progress in the gym, how this has translated to driving distance, and how much further he thinks he can take his physical fitness and distance gains.

And while many argue that technological advancements in equipment are taking the skill out of the game, DeChambeau counters that the spike in driving distances is down to athleticism.

Manufacturer claims, not tested by NCG: "The COR was locked in back in 2000 or something like that," he explained following his win at Winged Foot. "You could only have it come off the face so much, right? So it's been that way ever since.

"The rules haven't changed. People have just gotten a little longer with their driver. The shafts have become better for sustaining higher swing speeds, and we're constantly trying to just hit it as hard as we possibly can.

"I don't think that science as big of a role in the market today. It's more athleticism playing a bigger role.

"I was hitting it average tour player a year ago, and then all of a sudden I got a lot stronger, worked out every day. Not because of the clubs, but because of me, I was able to gain 20, 25 yards."

But, and here's the kicker, DeChambeau does believe there's an avenue he can pursue in a bid to eke a few extra yards.

"Next week I'm going to be trying a 48-inch driver," he said. "We're going to be messing with some head designs and do some amazing with things with Cobra to make it feasible to hit these drives maybe 360, 370 - or maybe even farther. "

DeChambeau is currently using a 45.5" shaft in his driver which is an inch longer than the PGA Tour average. The Rules of Golf state a golf club must be longer than 18 inches but not exceed 48 inches.

In recent years driver shafts have gradually been getting longer. Some of this is due to the fact the driver head has got bigger, but it's largely down to the fact that golfers are increasingly more obsessed with driving distance.

A longer shaft gives you that desired outcome of increased driving distance when you go for a club fitting. But many players find a shorter shaft allows them to strike it more consistently out of the middle which ultimately outweighs the benefits of using a longer shaft.

At address, DeChambeau has his hands pretty high and arms outstretched which creates a straight line from his shoulders to his driver head, while the shaft is aligned with the thoracic spine.

This allows him to create the maximum width with his driver so he can swing the clubhead faster and ultimately hit it further.

By adding an additional 2.5 inches to his driver shaft there is potential to further increase the depth of radius to his swing as well as his clubhead speed.

Of course the quicker he is swinging it the more stable the shaft will need to be. I suspect this will be the trickiest part of the testing.

So will we see DeChambeau with a 48-inch driver on tour any time soon - or indeed, at Augusta? Don't bet against it.

• Now read: Could DeChambeau's one-length irons work for your game?

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When it comes to your typical club golfer there is one problem shot we see more than any other – the slice. Callaway know this, so their new super game improvement ranges aim to straighten out your ball flight.

By focusing on one problem shot type they can be really specific on what characteristics are needed in each club to improve your game. They can then combine the best of their technologies to give the golfers who need the most help that advantage.

The range is really designed for new golfers or people coming back to golf after a lot of time or equally people who don't want to take lessons but just want to swing their swing and enjoy their golf more.

Manufacturer claims, not tested by NCG: And so the Callaway Big Bertha BB-21 for men and Reva for women were born.

The key message? More distance and forgiveness – however you swing it.

The BB-21 and Reva ranges both feature drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, and irons that put a premium on launching the ball easier no matter where you strike it from on the club face.

Not only are they promising higher launching shots, the ball flight is set to be straighter and – you guessed it – longer.

The Reva differs as the technologies and weighting have been optimised for the swing speeds of a typical female club golfer.

So how exactly are they getting rid of your slice? Let's take a closer look...

Callaway Big Bertha BB-21 driver

The whole story here is about the club adapting to your game so you can just continue to swing your swing while seeing distance gains and directional improvement.

Typically high handicappers struggle with hitting down on the driver and cutting across the line generally creating a big slice with too much spin. This driver is designed to reduce spin so the ball flies straighter.

Instantly you notice the pretty large clubhead and its triangular stretch shape. It actually has a low forward centre of gravity to reduce both backspin and sidespin.

Typically we only see this kind of CG on a driver for players with very high clubhead speeds. Callaway have combined this with the specially designed AI flash face which gives you more speed allowing the weighting to be moved forward and kept low.

A big feature of this range is the reintroduction of the Calllaway RCH shafts. These Callaway own shafts are designed to work specially with the Big Bertha range and bring specific technologies to each club.

Super game improvement market covers a wide variety of golfers with different swing speeds so the consistency is more about how the club is delivered in to the ball by these golfers. Callaway wanted a shaft to help with hand and clubhead position at impact and to help with dynamic loft without feeling weak in the tip of the club. They didn't feel there was an appropriate shaft on the market that was hitting their criteria, so they made their own.

Available: Now RRP: £449

Callaway Big Bertha BB-21 fairways woods

Fairway woods are a club that have huge potential in amateurs bags as they are great for long, high-flying shots. The problem is they are long clubs so harder to control impact in terms of impact location and ground contact. We often see club golfers struggle with them due to hitting shots from all over the club face and not getting the ball high enough in the air.

In the Big Bertha BB-21 fairways the leading edge has been lowered to help with turf interaction and increase ball speeds on those low of centre strikes. The shallower face design also helps inspire more confidence over the ball.

A shorter than standard shaft helps with strike increasing ball speed and distance. Most players who tested these actually hit it further than the Mavrik because of this.

Callaway have introduced offset into the fairway woods which is a first for them. This helps sync up the hand to club face relationship for straighter flying shots.

Available: Now RRP: £279

Callaway Big Bertha BB-21: Hybrids

For most golfers hybrids are a perfect long iron solution as they have more forgiveness due to deeper CG and they also have more MOI.

There is a serious amount of tungsten weighting in these hybrids from the dual MIM’D Tungsten weighting system. In fact more than 70 grams of tungsten has been distributed around the head made possible by the larger shape.

The fixed hosel rather than adjustable seen in previous ranges saves weight and keeps the CG lower making it even easier to launch.

Available: Now RRP: £229

Callaway Big Bertha BB-21: Irons

The super game improvement shaping sees a wider sole, wider topline, larger faces and more offset. All these features are designed help you hit each club more consistently.

Probably the most noticeable feature is the increased offset. Offset is used to help golfers create the correct relationship between the hands and the clubface straightening up your ball flight.

In certain parts of the set we also see 50% wider soles compared to the Mavrik Max irons. This prevents against digging, improving turf interaction.

Across an iron set each club has a very different role. Long irons have a greater priority on ball speed especially from strikes low on the face, they also have a greater priority for launch angle. Short irons in comparison people make better contact so more of a priority on spin and launch consistency. This is why each club has its own uniquely designed AI flash cup face.

Sound and feel is important here so Callaway use urethane microspheres to stop the face vibrating after impact.

Like the hybrids they feature lots of tungsten weighting this time in the form of a visible tungsten energy core which sits low in the sole pulling the CG backwards. There is also more tungsten in the to to centre the centre of gravity on the score line.

Available: Now RRP: Sets from £509

Callaway Big Bertha Reva: Driver

The Big Bertha Reva driver features all the same technologies we see in the BB-21 but Callaway have done their homework to optimise the lofts, swing weights, shaft lengths and even the head shape for women.

The RCH 40 shaft is lighter and has a unique bend profile it is also an inch shorter than in the BB-21 offering.

The club also has a lighter swing weighting. This affects how heavy the head of the club feels as you swing it. The lighter swing weighting here should mean it feels more effortless to move the clubhead to the ball.

Available: October 15 RRP: £449

Callaway Big Bertha Reva: Fairways

The Reva ladies equivalent offer all the same qualities but in an overall lighter build including a lightweight RCH shaft, specifically designed by Callaway to enhance swing speed.

Available: October 15 RRP: £279

Callaway Big Bertha Reva: Hybrids

Callaway are saying this is their easiest to launch women’s hybrid ever. This is mainly down to the larger club head volume designed to get rid of that shot that spins miles off line.

Both ranges are available all the way from 3- to 8-iron equivalents for those who really don't want to play long or mid irons.

Available: October 15 RRP: £229

Callaway Big Bertha Reva: Irons

Again the tech story here is the same as the BB-21 irons but it is the first time we have seen the AI designed flash face cup make it into a women's range.

These also feature lighter RCH shaft options as well as a smaller lighter grip.

Available: October 15 RRP: Sets from £509

Callaway Mack Daddy wedges

The new Mack Daddy CB wedges are designed to perfectly transition from game improvement irons into your wedges. They feature a deep cavity back, larger head and thicker topline to give you more confidence over the ball.

The clubs aim to give you more precision even when you don’t make perfect contact. Due to enhanced forgiveness, control, and tons of spin for more consistency around the green.

There are two sole grinds available with the lower lofts offering a full more iron like sole with moderate bounce. Then in the higher loft options we see more bounce for added forgiveness especially from bunkers and rough.

Callaway’s JAWS groove provide maximum grip and spin from all types of lies. Grooves extend across the face in the higher loft options for spin no matter where you strike it.

The clubs also feature a longer than standard ‘short game grip’. The Golf Pride SG-1 grip allows you to grip down on the club for improved distance control.

Available: September 25 RRP: £119 per wedge

• More information can be found on the Callaway website

If you have any questions about anything gear related, feel free to drop me a line on Twitter or Instagram.