| The Best New Products 2018 - Part 2 (Soft Goods, Tech, Training Aids, etc) |
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By Jason Bruno PART 2:
It's been 3 weeks since the golf industry parted ways from Orlando and went back to their respective headquarters getting ready to crank out what you'll see in retail shops this spring and summer. In Part 1 of "Our Best New Products" (from the 2018 PGA Show) feature we showed off the latest innovations in golf clubs and golf balls, in Part 2 we feature our picks for the best in the categories of Apparel, Footwear, Eyewear, Tech items, Training Aids, Grips, accessories etc. Enjoy . . .
Footwear
PUMA
There's a very shortlist of golf shoe creators in the upper tier, and right at the top is Puma's Grant Knudson. There's a reason why we open every PGA Show with some shoe talk with G.K - year after year, his fresh ideas and innovation lead to more comfort and fresh styles. In 2018, PUMA introduces IGNITE PWRADAPT. The Leather version (shown above) provides a sophisticated and sporty style combined with a mesh hybrid lining for excellent fit.
The style always pulls you in, but it's the comfort and performance that determines what shoe you wear when it's time for that special round of golf. PWRADAPT sole technology features tornado cleats with pivoting capability, allowing flexibility of movement for the ultimate in traction and comfort.
Different color ways and styles including uppers made from a breathable mesh include lace or disc option. The lace up version is available in White, Black, Quiet Shade (Gray) and Peacoat Blue (shown above). $150
The PUMA IGNITE Spikeless has been so popular (I still own two pairs), that Knudson couldn't resist the urge to create a revved up newer version of this iconic shoe. The new PWRSPORT looks even better and provides more stability featuring PWRCAGE (a lightweight TPU saddle). $120
ECCO
Ecco Biom Hybrid 3 GTX is the company's latest in comfort and performance golf footwear. GORE-TEX waterproof technology provides protection from the elements. YAK premium upper is strong and lightweight. BIOM NATURAL MOTION technology brings the golfer closer to the ground. Ortholite inlay sole provides long-term cushoning. Concrete/Scarlet colorway shown above. $200
Black/Buffed Silver and print is a new colorway option available for 2018.
Adidas
Adidas introduces the next generation of their flagship tour shoe - Tour 360 2.0 with BOOST technology. Slight refinements from the previous model, like a seamless leather toe panel, more BOOST in the sole and refined 3 stripe design. $200
The latest in spikeless, AdiPower S BOOST3. Lightweight and sporty might just be the ideal setup for walking the links. Comfort is key here. $130
We got a sneak preview from Adi's Joel Monson on these Special Edition models you just may see World No.1 Dustin Johnson wearing during the U.S Open and Ryder Cup. The sock collar Tour 360 is a cool look, more from these coming soon in 2018.
CALLAWAY
The new Callaway LaGrange is the company's tour offering featuring the POWERdrive platform. POWERdrive has a DUO-Max midsole offering comfort via a top layer of EVA foam. Their Fusionlite TPU outsole provides the stability and Silver Tornado removable cleats provide the traction. The new outsole provides improved flexibility for superior foot movement throughout the swing. The upper is full grain leather with Opti-dri waterproof protection that carries a 2 year warranty. $199
FOOTJOY
FootJoy introduced their new Tour-S shoe featuring a new Powerstrap structure for medial and lateral support, nine LaunchPods on the sole for tour-caliber stability and traction. Premium leather upper. $250
NEW BALANCE
New Balance Minimus Tour features Champ Slim-Lok Zarma Tour cleats, ultra flexible NDurance rubber outsole and Ortholite insole for cool dry comfort. Ultra light weight (11.7 oz). $140
APPAREL The big theme in Men's golfwear for 2018 is something that I heard over and over again from virtually every apparel company - LIFESTYLE WEAR (focused on a more versatile style that ISN'T golf specific). The look has gravitated away from bright neons and towards more contemporary colors and earth tones. GRAY was the overwhelming favorite of designers in their presentations. Clothing that will just as easily be suitable for an evening of dinner and a movie as much as it is styled for the first tee. The days of the stretch tight super hero look that replaced the baggy 90's golf look are now on their way out, and a big bravo to that.
Arnold Palmer Apparel
Arnold Palmer Apparel really impressed us with their collection of quality fabrics, endless styles and an infinite palette of colorways that are all value priced. Inspired by many of Mr.Palmer's favorite courses he claimed victory on, and others that were his own original designs like Tralee and Adios, the garments are all traced back to Arnie's treasured destinations or a person that was a fixture in "A Life Well Played". Easily on our short list of links wear you should be considering in 2018, and The King would have it no other way.
PUMA
Puma's new FUSION-YARN brings the Rickie inspired collection into a slightly more versatile and mature vibe. The EVOknit seemless polos are especially worthy ($75).
GREG NORMAN
Greg Norman's Collection really covers the spectrum from casual island sunshine inspired vibes . . .
. . . to more traditional golf styles like this classy polo.
Shark's booth always inspires many styles with such a comprehensive line. Price point wise, Greg Norman is easily among the absolute best value in the world of Golf Apparel. Lots more coming from us on new GN line in 2018.
Antigua
Their Desert Dry line might be the most popular collection sold in the USA, featuring 90/10 poly/spandex Xtra-Lite (2DXL) moisture wicking, self fabric collars, open cuff sleeves. This new Covert style in Boysenberry, is already a favorite of ours.
Antigua apparel continues to do what they do best, create premium golf apparel at a price point that is right up there at the top in value. When you wear Antigua you'll know why it's so popular among diehard golfers.
BERMUDA SANDS
Bermuda Sands booth display this year was vast, and with the phasing out of their XP line, Bermuda Sands has brought that lifestyle vibe into their performance pieces. The 2018 line, features even more REPRIEVE - a process that uses recycled plastic technology to the fabric industry. This quarter zip Storm Dri gray long sleeve pullover just screamed out "MUST HAVE". $80
GALVIN GREEN
When it comes to outer wear of the storm protection variety, Galvin Green is the industry standard, once again they will be the official outfitter of the 2018 European Ryder Cup Team in Paris.
OXFORD
Originality like this Oxford button down long sleeve knit polo look like the prefect Monterey Peninsula or Kiawah Island spring garment.
Accessories
SLIDEBELTS
There's a few items when it comes to golf fashion that you can never have enough of - shoes and belts. In the latter of the two, Slidebelts has taken what other well known ratchet belts have created, and kicked it up a notch with their dual ratchet buckle design. With their easy to release mechanism you simply hinge out the buckle and tighten, loosen or release the strap. It's as simple as that. Our Animal friendly Vegan strap/classic buckle combo retails for $40. Full grain premium models can run as much as $125.
Custom logos are available to order on all Slidebelts.
GRIP6
Grip6 is a company that I came to know through a colleague, who saw their belts in the New Product Showcase. After meeting with Kevin Rogers and the guys from GRIP6 - I agreed, these ultra-light, super sleek belts are convenient, versatile, stylish and perhaps the simplest of any belt possibly ever created. No holes, ratchets or flaps exist here with GRIP6, the buckles are interchangable in seconds and prices start at just $35. There are so many choices to mix and match. Here's a link to their video: https://grip6.com/pages/how-to
Our Favorite GRIP6 is the Carbon Fiber buckle and gray strap combo. This belt just happens to be perfect for airport travel, the Carbon Fiber is completely non-metallic, so zero issues with metal detectors. This model is the highest price setup at $90 (The 9 layer carbon fiber buckle costs $75 and can be purchased separately).
More cool styles from GRIP6.
ZERO FRICTION
Zero Friction golf gloves known for a one size fits all compression fit are now available in their top of the line Cabretta Elite in an assortment of colors. We've been searching for a premium golf glove in gray for quite sometime, and ZF's John Iacono has brought it to the marketplace.
Zero Friction has earned a reputation for creating innovative products, and now, they introduce SuperTube to retail golf shops. SuperTube includes one performance universal compression fit glove, 3 Spectre matte finish golf balls and 10 ZFT Maxx 2 3/4" tees “More and more golfers are adding color to their game, and our new product line addresses that trend,” said Iacono. “Our Supertube provides an attractive, affordable and simple method for golfers to purchase products they need.” $24.99
EYEWEAR
UNDER ARMOUR
TUNED is the new story at Under Armour Eyewear. New for 2018, is UA's two lens system, one for action and light engagement and one for recovery to give the eyes a break from everyday harmful blue light. (BIG SHOT TUNED model shown above). $114.99
OAKLEY
Oakley's new golf specific shades for 2018 feature an additional layer of light protection now launched as Prizm Dark Golf.
The new lens is better suited for all forms of light conditions than the original Prizm golf lens. Oakley found that if you play golf in places like California, Arizona or Florida, you often encounter super-bright days that require a bit more filter . The new Prizm Dark Golf lens dulls down the intense light while still providing top notch Prizm performance. $130 and up
BOLLE
Bolle continues to be a force in the golf eyewear industry. Along with their staple golf model - Bolt (top), the Bolle Anaconda (shown in Tortoise frame), featuring Bolle's amber V3 photochromic lens that boasts 40% less distorsion than your typical polycarbonate lens. With V3, every experience is revealed with glass like clarity so you can be laser focused on your target.
TRAINING AIDS
INPUTT
Inputt is a simple and portable device that quite simply will help you make more putts. That very make-able and very miss-able 4 to 10 foot range is often the difference in your score, and Inputt is a remarkable tool to help build a repeatable and consistent motion. Inputt can be used for either right hand or left handed players by just flipping around the device. We tried Inputt at the show and was very impressed by the results. A more indepth future review may be in order for this training aid. $89.95
PIN HIGH PRO
Pocket Pin High Pro is a training aid that is geared to get you onto your lead leg at impact. Perfect for golfers who tend to hang back and suffer from inconsistent contact. Simply place the non-slip tape portion of the disc under your front foot, when you get to impact the lead foot will compress the PHP disc down and a distinct click sound will occur at impact. If you remain with your weight back the disc will not click. Carl Papa and the guys at PPHP have created something really useful for instructors and golfers to create a better impact position. We have just begun testing the Pocket Pin High Pro with excellent results, with a full review coming soon. $34.95 (https://pinhighpro.com/products/pocket-pin-high-pro)
SUPERSPEED GOLF
Everybody wants to hit the ball longer, and in order to do that two things must happen - square impact and faster clubhead speed. SuperSpeed golf training system was created to amp up your clubhead speed. Taking the professional golf tours by storm, each color indicates a certain weight. You start by swinging the Green model (which is the lightest) several reps both right handed and left handed, then the Blue (Medium), and then you make a series of super fast swings using the Red (heaviest). You also do a set from your knees (both right and left handed), finally you finish going hyper speed back with the Green. Within weeks of using the system, the company says that you will gain a noticeable increase in clubhead speed. $199
Stay tuned for our results, as we have just begun the program . . .
PULL CARTS/TROLLEYS/BAGS
BIGMAX Golf
BIGMAX Golf had an impressive booth display at the show, known for their ultra compact push trolleys like this Blade+ ($329), but their collection of carry and cart bags are equally as impressive.
AQUA OCEAN is an ultra-light weight bag that features a waterproof shell, large top for more club space, bottle cooler and valuables pocket. $179.99
Aqua Sport2 cart bag $299.99
TaylorMade FlexTech Lifestyle Bags
TaylorMade's FlexTech Lifestyle carry bags had us at hello (especially the Scottish tartan plaid). FlexTech Lifestyle pays tribute to TM’s legacy featuring the classic 1979 TaylorMade logo. $219 5-way organizational top · Water-resistant valuables pocket with micro-suede lining · Easily accessible insulated water bottle pocket · Full-length dividers to eliminate club crowding · Zip-off ball pocket for embroidery
Sun Mountain C130
Sun Mountain's Supercharged 4.5 carry bag $249 and C-130 cart bag (pictured) offers golfer-friendly features including a 14-way top with a putter well, an abundance of pocket space, Smart Straps, an easy- access range finder pocket, and now the elegantly integrated portable power pack. $279
TECH GEAR
GEN i1
Gen i1 is the World's first smart golf ball that measures putting data: tempo, clubface at impact, ball speed, skid, ball rotation and overall distance. Kit includes 1 - Gen i1 ball with embedded sensor, 1 - putter sensor and USB cord. Connects with the free Geni1 app for both Android and IOS systems. $139
AFTERSHOKZ
AFTERSHOKZ. Headphones like you've never seen or heard . . .
Flexible Titanium Wireless Headphones are ideal for joggers, cyclists and others who like to hear music but not block out ambient noise. Instead of covering your ears, these premium Bluetooth headphones transmit sound vibrations through your cheekbones to your inner ears, so you can enjoy your music and still hear the ambient sound around you. Compatible with all iPhones, Samsung Galaxies and other Android devices. Operates up to 6 hours on a full charge. Available in Slate Gray, Ocean Blue and Lime Green. $129.95
SelfieGOLF
SelfieGOLF, easily one of our favorite accessories. No longer do you need a friend to film your golf swing, simply attach your alignment rod, phone device and SelfieGolf clip to your golf bag and you're ready to go.
The same afternoon the SelfieGOLF package arrived in the office, I was able to hit the range and film the swing - immediately analyzing a few fundamentals that need some work. For under $40 you can have the SelfieGOLF set - two alignment sticks and a SelfieGOLF clip.
TecTecTec ULT-X
TecTecTec known for their quality laser rangefinders at a value price point (in fact, TecTecTec has been the leading seller of rangefinders on Amazon for 2 straight years now). In the spring of 2018, they will introduces their latest, the ULT-X. Featuring 600 yd range, a removable slope feature, and long awaited vibration mode. Look for the ULT-X to reside somewhere in the $200-$250 range, or about half the price of what the industry leader charges for their unit with the same options.
OnCore GENIUS
One of the products that gained the most attention in Orlando at the Tour Edge Media Day was OnCore's soon to be released GENIUS ball. Still in the development stage, this ball with a micro-chip in the core is designed specifically to collect data on full shots. It won't be inexpensive, but it will be interesting to see if they can perfect this innovation to the point where it has merit. More on the GENIUS ball when a launch date is announced.
SHOTSCOPE V2
At Lake Nona during show week we had the pleasure of meeting the guys from ShotScope, having never been a huge fan of wearing watches while playing, I was curious to see what might be different about the V2. The system includes twenty tags that screw into each club (to identify each club in your bag for shot tracking). The V2 watch communicates with the tags, gathering performance data that can be analyzed after play. The V2 is fully waterproof and adjusts to 11 wrist sizes (and much to my surprise, is very comfortable while hitting shots). 3 modes: GPS, PRO and GPS + Tracking. $250
FLIGHTSCOPE
Flightscope a global high tech leader in sports technology introduces Mevo, a pocket sized device that features many of the key data points of it's full sized X3 unit.
FlightScope Mevo is the portable launch monitor that changes everything. Now you can get instant data on your mobile device. Whether you're a swing coach, clubfitter, product tester or just a golfer looking to improve - you can now access carry distance, club head speed, ball speed, smash, vertical launch angle, spin, height and flight time. To watch the video on FlightScope Mevo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ouy0PBxkkA $499
GRIPS
LAMKIN
Lamkins new Players cord was developed by Bob Lamkin and Hall of Famer Nick Price. Who really wanted a center line and slightly softer feeling cord grip with very little pattern. Price uses the line as reference for hand position when shaping shots.
Lamkin's new line features a shallow micro texture process allows for improved feel and tackiness. Reduced taper in the bottom hand is a big part of the new line up for 2018. Priced from 7.99 to 9.99.
GOLF PRIDE
Golf's best selling grip - Golf Pride's Tour Velvet is now available with ALIGN. According to Golf Pride's resident expert Bruce Miller, about 50% of PGA Tour players still game the traditional Tour Velvet. A third of those tour players play with an old traditional reminder rib grip, that isn't available to retail. With ALIGN now you can feel exactly where your hands belong on the grip everytime. After sampling the ALIGN, I wondered why I'm still playing round grips. Available this spring in standard $8.99 and mid-size $9.49
HEALTH & RECOVERY
ALINE - INSOLE SYSTEM
ALINE foot suspension system is a game changer for those who prefer to walk the links and also the many who suffer from foot ailments. Presently I'm wearing the Active+ model and it has greatly helped relieve my chronic heel spur pain by changing the orientation of how my feet are angled as I stand and how that effects the knees, hips and spine during each step. It takes a few days to get used to the insoles, but it's so worth it. Golf model $99, Active+ $109.95
Many of these products featured here will be tested/reviewed and featured throughout 2018, if there is a certain product you'd like to see featured - feel free to contact us at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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