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Golf Pride TOUR SNSR
Golf Pride has added a new shape to the popular TOUR SNSR putter grip family with the Contour Pro, a pistol with a choice of two oversize versions. Rounded edges are complimented by the back’s pistol flare and flat paddle front. The combination along with the tapered profile puts the hands on the putter consistently each time.

“The TOUR SNSR has been our most popular putter grip family since its introduction two years ago,” said Bruce Miller, product manager, Golf Pride. “With the new Contour Pro, we took our most preferred shape on Tour and combined it with our oversize TOUR SNSR technology. When it comes to putting, amateurs and professionals are on a more level playing field.”

As with the other TOUR SNSR models (Contour and Straight) the Contour Pro is made from Golf Pride’s proprietary rubber material that is so comfortable it helps players to hold the putter very lightly giving better distance control.

Available in black/grey, the TOUR SNSR Contour Pro putter grip will be at retail in March with a choice of 104cc weighing 90 grams or a thicker 140cc model weighing 124 grams. Both are priced at $26.99.

Spider X from TaylorMade
The first Spider putter appeared in 2008, a high MOI design with soft face insert. Now more than ten years later the Spider X  is the latest iteration. It has higher MOI than the Spider Tour, a sleeker shape and is 5% smaller in size plus the Surlyn face insert is 2mm thicker with deeper grooves for added distance control. Available Feb.15 and carrying a price of $349.99 with a choice of color combinations: copper & white or navy & white. Each is may be purchased in 33”, 34” or 35” lengths with the stock grip a SuperStroke Pistol GTR 1.0.

TOUR B XW-1 Wedges from Bridgestone
The new Bridgestone XW-1 wedges according to the company are the ‘softest and highest spinning” they have ever designed for better players. Forged from 1020 mild carbon steel they offer a choice of three sole grinds: F (Flat) on the 50°, M (Multi-Purpose) on the 52°, 54°, 58° and 60°, A on the 56°. The satin chrome finish is confidence inspiring and the stock shaft is the Modus Tour 105. Pricing is $139.99 each and availability is Mar.1. In my view though the most intriguing XW-1 feature is the name of the milled grooves — “Biting Rail”.

Bentley BC2 Irons
The Bentley BC2 Cavity Irons the company says are the most forgiving in their line. Hand forged in Japan from mild carbon steel with a single thickness cup face for both forgiveness and feel. The sole is wider and body longer with a thicker topline and offsets are progressive through the set. The BC2 Cavity irons are available in sets of 4-PW or 5-PW with steel shafts or proprietary 40T multidirectional layer graphite shafts in flexes of lite/ladies, regular/strong regular or stiff/x stiff. Shaft upgrades are available.


In Case Anyone Should Ask

The Case of TMaG & PXG
In a tersely worded announcement law suits filed in 2017 by TaylorMade Golf and Parsons Xtreme Golf against each other have been settled out of court. The dispute over the construction of TMaG’s P790 irons centered on the use of what TMaG calls SpeedFoam which injected into the iron’s hollow clubhead with PXG contending this infringed on their patents covering the use of thermoplastic elastomer. Settlement details were not revealed but according to the press release, “Under the terms of the agreement, each company will have specified rights to make club products under patent cross-licenses.”

Equipment at the Waste Management Open
From January through November 2017 Bubba Watson played the Volvik S4 4-piece ball with what would have to be labelled as unsatisfactory results. He then switched back to the Titleist Pro V1 he used for all his victories including two Masters and promptly posted three wins. At Phoenix this week “The Pro from Bagdad” (Florida) made another switch to the 2019 Pro V1x in yellow. We will have to wait to see if this change has the same positive results as the previous one.

Most played:
Drivers: Titleist-37
Fairway woods: Titleist-54
Hybrids: Titleist-19
Irons: Titleist-37
Putters: Odyssey
Balls: Titleist-94, Callaway-16

Fowler Wins WMPO
It may not have been an elegant win, but Rickie Fowler got a victory at the Waste Management Phoenix Open by two over Branden Grace. He did it playing a TaylorMade ball rather than Titleist Pro V1 he has used for his entire career until now. His clubs except for the putter were all Cobra.

Driver: Cobra KING F9 SPEEDBACK (10.5° set to 9°) – 43.5” Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7x shaft
Fairway Wood” Cobra KING F8+ (14.5°) – 42” Aldila Synergy 70X shaft
Irons: Cobra KING Forged MB Irons (4-PW) – KBS Tour C-Taper S+ 125 shaft; Cobra KING F9 SPEEDBACK (4) – Graphite Design ADG 4 10x shaft
Wedges: Cobra KING V-Grind (52°, 56°, 60°) – True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts
Putter: Scotty Cameron Titleist Newport 2 GSS prototype
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x

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