I make no secret of the fact I’m lucky enough to be sent all the latest gear to review, and all my favourite stuff stays in my bag. So what do I consider to be the best golf equipment 2018? Find out over the next few pages…
Ping G400 Max Driver
“We’re on a mission to help golfers play better, and we know that starts with clubs that deliver across-the-board performance gains,” says John K. Solheim, Ping’s president.
“The new G400 Max is engineered with the same technology as the original G400 but we’ve optimized the size to gain even more forgiveness, which leads to tighter dispersion and lower scores.
“With the addition of the Max to the G400 driver family, golfers now have four fitting options to ensure they’re getting the most out of their game. If you struggle finding the fairway with consistency, the Max is likely the best fit for you.”
Click here for our Ping G400 Max driver review
TaylorMade P790 UDI 2-iron
Like with the regular P790 irons this iron has a hollow construction and has been filled with something TaylorMade call ‘speedfoam’.
They say it improves the sound and feel without sacrificing any of the ball speed off the face.
TaylorMade say this iron will suit golfers “seeking the forged look and feel of a players iron with increased distance and accuracy off the tee or fairway”.
I’m looking for something that flies quite low with maximum run out that’s going to be reasonable forgiving. I don’t think players can expect a 2-iron to be THAT forgiving can they?
TaylorMade say they have been able to add a bit of extra face flex from heel to toe to improve the performance on off-centre strikes.
There’s also strategically placed internal metal-injection-molded (MIM) tungsten weighting for precise CG placement and higher MOI (resistance to twisting).
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Click here for our TaylorMade UDI 2-iron review
Callaway Big Bertha 3-hybrid
With four loft and two lie angle options in each club, it is now much easier to get the hybrid dialled in and gapped properly for your bag.
It features a Speed Frame Face which is light and robust offering fast ball speeds right across the face.
The centre of gravity (CG) is low and forgiving, offering the full package of high MOI for maximum forgiveness and ball speed.
An adjustable hosel lets golfers choose from a combination of eight different loft (-1, S, +1, +2) and lie angles (Draw or Neutral) to find optimised trajectory and shot shape.
The adjustably in the hosel is a big advantage when it comes to fitting the hybrid in with your existing irons Alan Hocknell, Callaway’s head of R&D, believes the adjustability will really help the ‘average golfer’.
Click here for our Callaway Big Bertha hybrids review
Ping G400 4-hybrid
The hybrid has Ping’s lightest-ever crown which allows more weight to be placed low and back for easy launch. There’s also more pronounced turbulators on the crown to help gain more speed on the downswing.
Golfers looking for easier launch and more distance should take note of the new Callaway Big Bertha OS irons and hybrids.
The brand have taken forgiveness to new levels through use of new materials and techniques to re-position weight into the areas where those with higher handicaps looking to improve need it most.
Click her for our Ping G400 4-hybrid review
Cobra King Forged irons
The One Length irons will be available in the all-new King F7 and Forged Tour models – both available in standard variable lengths.
Each iron has a shaft the length of a 7-iron with the theory being that it allows golfers to use one swing and set-up with all their irons.
Cobra say progressive weighting and technology throughout the set ensures consistent trajectory and distance gapping from long irons to wedges.
Research by the brand showed players testing King F7 One irons improved in accuracy, with tighter distance and dispersion variation from shot-to-shot, leading to increased confidence and better iron play.
“The 2017 iron offering is Cobra’s most innovative and exciting yet,” said Tom Olsavsky, Head of R&D for Cobra Golf.
“Not only have we improved our progressive sets this year, but we are introducing our first-ever One Length option that will help to bring more consistency and simplicity to the game of golf for all players.
“In 2017 we will truly have an innovative, high-quality iron solution for every type of player.”
Click here for our Cobra King Forged irons review
Titleist Vokey SM7 wedges
From a looks point of view, there’s not a huge amount to notice that’s different from the SM6.
Titleist added progressive centre of gravity locations in the SM6 and we can see these being deployed again with more mass near the sole of the club in the lower lofts and more near the topline in the higher lofts.
They look clean, they look classic, they look like what you’d expect from a Vokey wedge.
So this is very much a case of refining and tweaking the technology which we’ve seen in previous Vokey wedges.
The CG locations are even more precise to get more consistency.
Vokey SM7 wedges review
There are now six grind options – F, S, M, K, L and the new D.
Click here for our Titleist Vokey SM7 wedges review
TaylorMade Spider Tour Red
The red on this putter has a really nice metallic finish.
It also frames the ball really well – despite having no alignment lines, at Day’s request – and isn’t actually as large as you might think.
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There’s discretionary weights behind the heel and toe which make it more stable.
One of the key piece of tech here comes in the form of an aluminium ‘pure roll’ insert which helps the ball roll end over end faster without skidding to help improve accuracy and distance control.
This is a heel-shafted putter which should suit those with an arc or slight arc putting stroke.
It features a Winn Medalist pistol grip as standard which has a lovely tacky feel but we suspect many people, like Sergio, may opt for a thicker grip as an after-market option.
Click here for our TaylorMade Spider Tour Red Putter review
Best Putters 2018 – Ping, Odyssey, Scotty Cameron and more
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