|On the Green| SHAVING STROKES The latest tech-savvy gear offers options for players of all levels. By Brian Noone From left: Callaway Paradym X Driver; Mizuno JPX923 Tour Iron From left: PXG 0311 GEN6 Iron, TaylorMade Stealth 2 Driver From left: PING G430, TaylorMade Spider GT Max Scratch Golfers Not too many shots are saved off the tee for good players, but Callaway’s Paradym driver (callawaygolf.com) has already won the first three PGA Tour events of the year. The 100 per cent carbon-fibre body is 44 per cent lighter than titanium and has an AI-optimised face that reduces spin and increases speed for a penetrating ball flight – a feature that extends to the Paradym fairway metals as well. Mizuno irons (mizunogolf.com) have long been prized sticks, and the new JPX923 Tour irons are no exception: with a super-thin topline and copper underlay, you can shape shots with pinpoint accuracy. On the green, the new line of Bettindari Studio Stock putters (bettinardi.com) lays the focus on asymmetrical precision milling of the face to offer both a superbly true roll with a soft feel. Mid Handicappers TaylorMade (taylormadegolf.com) has embraced carbon fibre for its Stealth 2 driver and fairway metals, the first for the brand with more carbon fibre than titanium, and have coined the term “fargiveness” for its combination of distance and spin control. Bad pun aside, the clubs do just what they say, and come in several models and feature remarkable sliding weights: 15 grams for the Plus driver; 50 grams for the Plus fairways. In the world of irons, PXG (pxg.com) is mostly known as a player’s club: the new 0311 GEN6 irons are oriented more toward game improvement, with the thinnest face of any iron. This means faster ball speed and more forgiveness. Round the green, the new Cleveland Zipcore models (clevelandgolf. com) – CBX and RTX6 – benefit from both elite tech and forgiving tweaks like full-face grooves and CG-shifting weight reduction that increase the sweet spot. Beginners The aerodynamics team at Cobra (cobragolf.com) has been busy in recent years, helping its roster of players break multiple distance records. That tech has been extended to golfers of all abilities now with the Aerojet series of drivers and metals. Try the Max versions for high ball flight that minimises a slice. The latest Ping hybrids (ping.com) improve on the brand’s sturdy reputation. The G430 boosts distance with an exceptionally light Carbonfly Wrap that lowers the CG and maintains surprising accuracy and distance for off-centre strikes. In putters, customisation has become king, with more options than ever. The latest iteration of the TaylorMade Spider (taylormadegolf.com), the GT Max, takes this to the extreme, with two sliding weights of 40 grams each – which at the very least allows for hours of tinkering on the practice green to find just the right combination. AMERICAN INVASION These USA-made accessories combine top performance with high style Leupold GX-6C The flagship range finder from the American optics firm stands out for its supreme accuracy. leupold.com PXG Xtreme Comparable to the Pro V1x, the first ball from PXG combines good distance with short game spin. pxg.com Bluegrass Fairway This handsome leather scorecard holder looks great now – and will age gracefully. bluegrassfairway.com Payntr X 004 RS The white-hot brand’s first spiked shoe features a carbon-fibre propulsion plate. payntrgolf.com PHOTOS COURTESY THE COMPANIES 74 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
