What's New: From the Lab

More GIR Step 2: Choose the Right Approach Club

February 20th, 2024

In our most recent survey, the number one goal for our golfers in 2024 is more GIR.

Titleist Vokey SM10 Wedges – Better Spin, Feel and Dispersion

February 16th, 2024

The new Titleist Vokey SM10 Wedges offer better spin, tighter shot dispersion and improved feel across the entire lineup. Schedule Lifetime Wedge Fitting Lofts, Bounces and Grinds Wedges are available from 46 degrees to 62 degrees.  Players that like the look and feel of the Vokey wedges will typically replace the standard PW in their set with a 46 degree.  The SM10 wedges are available in six different grinds for the ultimate shot making in all kinds of conditions and with all kinds of swings.  There are more bounce options in the higher lofted wedges as these wedges can be used in a wider variety of situations. Wedge Fitting for Bounce and Grind Wedge Shafts Our recommendation for golfers is to put the same shaft in their wedges as they have in their iron set.  That typically works unless our golfers like a different feel in their wedges.  Lot of new wedge shafts out there!! Make Sure You Have the Right Wedge Shafts Our Wedge Fitting Process When you go through a wedge fitting with us, we use our BGF Fitting system to determine the proper club length, shaft weight, shaft flex, shaft trajectory and spin, and swing weight.  Then,... Read More

More GIR Step 1: More Distance off the Tee

January 13th, 2024

Getting more distance off the tee means lowers scores. Period. 

Best Driver and Shaft Recommendations 2023-24

January 1st, 2024

The Best 2023 Driver and shaft combinations is based upon our fitting results in 2023.    The Best of the Best are Highlighted in Red!  We will be creating a new list for 2024 starting in March, 2024. The usual suspects were on the 2023 Golf Digest Equipment Hot List , but a couple of entrants in the Gold were pretty notable…Mizuno and Srixon.  Various forums, and ourselves as well publish a list of the best drivers.  Some are very independent and some are not.  Doesn’t matter.  What our customers are looking for is what are the best driver and shaft combinations that we have fit so far in 2023, even though it is early in the season.  In addition, we believe that the shaft is the part of the club that has the most impact on distance, consistency and accuracy, so that is why we are including our shaft recommendations in this list. This list will be updated throughout the year as new shaft offerings are released.  We have four distinct categories based upon swing speed and distance.  Swing Speed 106+, Distance > 250 yards Swing Speed 95-105, Distance 211 – 250 yards Swing Speed 80 – 94, Distance 175 – 210 yards Swing... Read More

Graphite Design Tour AD VF Shafts – Now Available

December 12th, 2023

Brand new for 2024, the Graphite Design Tour AD VF Shafts add to the popular lines of Tour AD premium golf shafts. The Graphite Design Tour AD VF (Victory Force) wood shafts are jet black with red accents and finished with a gloss clear coat. The Tour AD VF shaft profile is Firm in the butt section, Stiff+ in the center section and has a Very Stiff tip to promote Low/Mid launch angles and Low ball spin rates. The new Tour AD VF line complements Tour AD CQ, UB, HD, XC, VR, IZ, TP, DI, M9003, SL II and MAD shafts. These shafts utilize modern TORAYCA® M40X carbon-fiber material in the butt section of the shaft to support a stiff yet smooth feeling kick point. It uses ultra-high modulus TORAYCA® T1100G carbon-fiber material in the middle through to the tip section for stability and precise ball control and exceptional feel. Features & technology include: TORAYCA M40X carbon-fiber pre-preg in butt. TORAYCA T1100G carbon-fiber pre-preg with NANOALLOY® technology from mid to tip section. Graphite Design proprietary Material Stiffness Integration (MSI) design technology and philosophy. Graphite Design Tour AD VF shaft specs VF shafts are FIRM+ in the butt section, STIFF in the... Read More

Callaway 2024 APEX Irons Review

November 6th, 2023

We just completed our Callaway 2024 APEX Irons review, and we know why these irons are so popular. Continuing with tradition, the 2024 APEX Pro, CB and MB irons deliver the great feel of Callaway forging, lower CG design and aggressive lofts. The design helps players boost distance; and the new Dynamic Sole design further improves turf interaction. Read more about the Callaway 2024 Apex Series. Methodology: Our testing was conducted with Trackman in the temperature controlled D’Lance Indoor Facility at 5280 feet and 72 degrees. Club head speed during testing was 80MPH +/- 1 MPH. And, we used the same shaft (the AXIOM 105X) across all three models – APEX PRO, CB and MB. Notably, the APEX PRO 6-iron we used for testing has 1° less loft (29° vs. 30°), and the distance gain was obvious (+4 yards on average). Testing summary: The look and feel of the APEX Pro fits a wide range of players. And surprisingly, despite being a muscle-back blade, the MB plays incredibly well. While the MB has a little bit firmer feel, it is equally as forgiving as the CB with an identical look at setup. It’s obvious why so many of our APEX... Read More

Titleist 2023 T-Series Irons Review

October 30th, 2023

We finally completed our Titleist 2023 T-Series Irons review and wow we’re impressed. The Titleist T-Series Irons pack technology focused on look, sound and feel. Read more on the technology behind the T-Series including lower CG, precision forging and more. Bottom line, the playability and workability of these irons is impressive. Methodology: Our testing normalizes our results using Trackman in the temperature controlled D’Lance Indoor Facility at 5280 feet and 72 degrees. We further maintain the same shaft across multiple heads, optimal for testing. Notably, there are loft differences between 6-iron models, and we do not change lofts in our testing. See Titleist T-Series specs for standard lofts. Short answer, the Titleist T-Series irons are ripe for creating combo iron sets. While the top line of the T200 is slightly wider than the T150, and T150 wider than the T100, the overall head size is nearly identical. Whereas the T350 is a noticeably larger head, wider top line and has more offset. The T350 is a high-performing, forged game improvement iron that mid- to high-handicap players should consider. Schedule Lifetime Iron Fitting Med High Swing Speed Test – 80-90 mph club speed Pairing the Titleist T-Series with an Axiom 125X... Read More

Best Fairway Wood Shafts – 2023

July 27th, 2023

The Best Fairway Wood Shafts – 2023 Edition continues to see performance improvements in both distance (ball speed, spin) and accuracy. New shaft technology from Fujikura, Project X, Mitsubishi Chemical Golf, and Graphite Design are leading the way. Performance improvements in fairway woods from every manufacturer over the last couple of years are big. They rival what we have seen in driver technology! Read about the best fairway woods for 2023.  We will be creating a new list for 2024 starting in February, 2024. Why is getting the RIGHT shaft so important? Technology advancements in fairway wood heads continue to lower CG (center of gravity), increase MOI (moment of inertia) and increase forgiveness. Depending on the age of your existing fairway woods, your old shaft is likely not right for new heads. And mass-produced stock shafts are not designed to fit your swing. The proper fit shaft in your fairway woods ensures that new tech delivers on consistency, accuracy and distance. The short answer in fitting fairway wood shafts is to choose a shaft that has a little more weight than your driver. And we typically start with a slightly softer tip section to help get the ball in the air.... Read More

Best Fairway Woods 2023 and Recommendations

June 22nd, 2023

The best Fairway Woods for 2023 are becoming harder and harder to identify. Performance improvements are impressive from almost every manufacturer. Each produces more distance, optimized spin and more accuracy. Plus, new materials and new designs are giving golfers more choices in lofts and head size.  We will be creating a new list for 2024 starting in February, 2024. Whether you use your fairway woods mostly off the tee or from any lie, here’s our recommendations for best fairway woods for 2023. Get the right shaft for fairway woods The proper shaft in fairway woods makes ALL the difference in achieving optimal distance, consistency and accuracy. Especially with the advancements in technology, your old shaft may not be optimal for new heads. When fitting fairway woods, the key is to choose a shaft that has a little more weight that the driver shaft. And, the tip section should be slightly softer to help get the ball in the air. More more information, read: What Happens When Golf Shafts are Not Right for YOUR Swing. Schedule Lifetime Woods Fitting Methodology for selecting the best fairway woods for 2023 We categorize fairway woods based on the distance that a golfer hits their... Read More

UST Mamiya Recoil DART Shaft Review

June 15th, 2023

We just completed our first UST Mamiya Recoil DART Shaft Review. We must say, the Recoil Dart shaft lives up to its promise. Increased consistency, optimal feel and precise ball flight – all from a graphite iron shaft. Many golfers still play heavier weight steel shafts for their higher swing speeds.  But, they desire better feel, less impact and still plenty of feedback. You must consider Recoil DART from UST Mamiya. DART (Dual Action Recoil Technology) eliminates inconsistent areas in the golf shaft. Recoil Technology provides optimal spring effect in the walls of the shaft and more efficient energy transfer to the ball. Both, the new Recoil DART and DART V series, deliver all the performance of a heavier steel shaft with better feel and less impact. Experience Recoil DART and DART V in an Expert Iron Fitting   Full Swing Recoil DART Shaft Review *NOTE: Coming soon, results on the 90-gram Recoil DART and DART V as well as the DART V 120 gram shafts.* Tester 1: 6-iron swing speeds between 80-90 mph, typical plays a 120-gram shaft, 8-handicap golfer with -3 degree outside-in club path. In this test, we wanted to see how the slightly lighter 105 gram... Read More