The Golf World Hot List
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The difference between equipment today and just five years ago is that it’s now all about what’s best for you.
And you over there on the practice green trying your sixth putter this month. And you having to re-tee for the third time in the last eight holes. Help is here, and our list of the top-90 products in the game is the perfect starting point.
The following pages showcase the most diverse collection of new technology we’ve seen in years. For example, half the drivers on our list are adjustable, and half are pursuing lighter total weight or aerodynamics. Which area can best help your game? You get to choose, and it’s a decision made easier by today’s prevalent launch-monitor fitting technology.
But that’s just drivers. There are now iron sets designed for how we miss the ball (not just how great players hit great shots) and sets that let us choose how many hybrids we want. More important, the spring like faces and off-centre-hit stability that we saw in drivers a few years ago are finding their way into irons.
But that’s just irons. There are nine wedges that made the list, and they come in a combined 136 loft and bounce options, not to mention 19 finishes. Putters? Please. This year’s list includes 52 head styles.
The message is clear: The right clubs for you (and you, too) are out there. To find them, study our comprehensive guide, and then find yourself a quality clubfitter. This is the most sophisticated environment for custom-fitting in golf history
If you purchase one of the products on the following pages without talking to a qualified clubfitter, you’re making a costly mistake. Don’t use the excuse that you know your specs or that you’re not good enough to benefit from the careful matching of a club to your playing characteristics.
“It’s amazing how many golfers don’t understand the importance of having properly fitted equipment,” says Steve Dresser, a top-rated teacher and fitter. “Lots of golfers say they’ll wait until they get better to buy custom clubs. To which I reply, ‘That’s like buying your new suit after the job interview.’ ”
Every club was tested by a variety of golfers, with handicaps from scratch to 18. They were advised by a panel of six technical experts, whose backgrounds range from aeronautics to engineering.
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DRIVERS |
FAIRWAY WOODS |
HYBRIDS |
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IRONS |
WEDGES |
PUTTERS |