Here's your roundup of all the major moves in the equipment world this January.
New Gear
Ping G410 Range
Following on from the immensely popular G400 range, Ping has updated its woods and irons for the upcoming season. The new G410 irons maintain the same distance and forgiveness benefits that many golfers crave, whilst sporting a sleeker, more refined look that will suit low and high handicappers alike. The G410 Plus Driver is Ping's first to use adjustable weights in the head, and is also available in an SFT model for those golfers who tend to struggle with losing the ball out to the right.
Read more about the full range for 2019here:
Callaway 2019 Range
Callaway has added a Flash to the original 'Epic' range of metals this year, replacing the 2017 Epic and sitting alongside last year's Rogue. They have used Artificial Intelligence to design a Flash Face after running through 15,000 combinations, which is said to be able to increase ball speed. As expected, Jailbreak Technology remains to help with this also.
They have also announced updated models of their Apex line for the new season, with the introduction of the Apex Pro and Apex CF 19 irons.
Read more about the full range for 2019 here:
TaylorMade 2019 Range
January in the golf world wouldn't be complete without a TaylorMade release, and this year is no different. The driver models have been upgraded to M5 and M6 and feature a Speed Injected Face which stiffens it and increases ball speed. There are also two new sets of irons aimed at game improvement for mid to high handicappers.
Read more about the new 2019 range here:
TaylorMade TP5 & TP5x
The key change in both the TP5 and TP5x models is that the 4th of the 5 layers is now 30% stiffer and more durable.
The material in this layer is called High Flex Modulus (HFM) and is more efficient at converting the deflection of the ball at impact into forward velocity.
This means that TaylorMade can make the core of the ball softer to reduce driver spin and the compression of the inner layer is now 16 for TP5 and 25 for TP5x.
Read more about the new TP5 and TP5x ball here
Titleist Pro V1 & Pro V1x
The Number One ball in golf is now available in Yellow!
There are also enhancements made to the balls to try and increase ball speed for greater distance and consistency, a move which has been echoed across Titleist's metal releases from late last summer.
Find out whether the best managed to make the best better here:
Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x
FootJoy Fury Shoe
Powered by a new TruFit system to optimise comfort and stability, the Fury is said to be one of the most comfortable shoes released by FootJoy to date, rivalling their popular Pro/SL model.
Read more about the new shoes here
On Tour
Rickie Joins Team TaylorMade
Rickie Fowler has become the latest to join the all-star line-up of Team TaylorMade,signing a ball and glove contract. Fowler has moved from the Titleist Pro V1x, which he had used his whole career, to the TP5x and claims to have gained an extra club of distance with his irons. Could this be the change he needed to turn 2nd places to 1st places?
Justin Rose Honma Equipment/Win
Unless you've been living under a rock for the last month, you've probably heard that Justin Rose has made the switch from TaylorMade and signed a new equipment contract with Japanese golf brand Honma.
It didn't take long for him to get used to the new clubs either, as he strolled to a two-shot victory at Torrey Pines. Business as usual for the World Number One. One's to watch.
Read more about the Driver Rose is using and the rest of the Honma range here:
Honma TWorld747 Range
Bryson DeChambeau WITB
What a couple of months it's been for Bryson. He's made it four wins in his last nine starts with an incredible performance at the Dubai Desert Classic, winning by a whopping seven strokes. See his full WITB here, including a brand new Cobra F9 Speedback Driver.
Full WITB article here:
Bryson DeChambeau WITB
Titleist Number 1 On Tour In All Equipment Categories
It's not often that companies can actually claim a victory at a golf tournament, but on this occasion it is well and truly justified. Titleist swept the board at the Sony Open earlier in the month, leading the way in every category of equipment and showing just how popular their latest gear is. Give yourself a pat on the back gents, you deserve it.
Read more about the new Titleist Drivers here:
Titleist TS2 & TS3 Drivers
Coming Soon
Galvin Green ShakeDry Jackets
We caught up with Tom from Galvin Green at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando to get a sneak peek at the new ultralight, fully waterproof ShakeDry Galvin Green jacket. Take a closer look here:
Mizuno Ball RB Ball
Mizuno has introduced a new line of Tour-standard golf balls available all over the world, the RB Tour and RB Tour X, thanks to 12 years of testing and development at their facility in Japan. Full details to come very soon!
Lynx Prowler VT Driver
One of the most interesting new bits of gear we saw at the 2019 PGA Show was the Prowler VT Driver, which is the first driver ever to feature an interchangeable face. With 25 different options due to changeable loft and face angle setups, there should be something for everyone. Definitely one to keep an eye on.
January once again hasn't disappointed. There has been a ton of new golf equipment news to keep us busy with some serious new technology that could no doubt improve your game. We're sure your golfing wishlist's are growing longer by the minute, but as ever check out our reviews and try before you buy.