George Stead
By George Stead

The PGA Merchandising Show take place every year in sunny (and this year, very chilly) Orlando, Florida. So what is it and what is it for? Well, it's three and a half days long and absolutely huge - giving golf brands the opportunity to showcase their new products, and for punters and the golfing media to turn up and try them out.

PGA Show 2020

The first of the four days is 'Demo Day' and takes place on what is basically a giant driving range. This is the golfer's chance to rock up, hit any product from any golf brand and even get custom fitted by the brand boffins on hand. If you're looking to upgrade your sticks next year, I advise looking at the prices of flights to Orlando next January...

PGA Show 2020

Over the next three days the show then heads inside to the Orange County Convention Centre. An exhibition centre with a square footage of 2.1 million - about the size of about 35 football pitches. Yep, it's big. Like really big. And as you can imagine, you can fit quite a lot of golf equipment in there.

As I walked the exhibition aisles like a big kid in a very big sweet shop, I stopped off at some of the best looking stands and asked a few questions about the best products on display.

Here's our list of the BEST products to look out for this year, in no particular order:

1. Ping Heppler Putters

PGA Show 2020

The Hook: The Heppler Putters are aimed at golfers seeking a firmer impact and sound with the short-stick, thanks to a machined face which is either aluminium or steel depending on the model. The choice of either an aluminium body/steel face or a steel body/aluminium face is made deliberately in order to get the centre of gravity in the correct position to maximise forgiveness and consistency in that head shape.

Price: £275

READ THE FULL REVIEW of the Ping Heppler Putters HERE

2. Adidas Code Chaos Shoes

adidas CodeChaos Golf Shoes

The Hook: The eye-catching aesthetic of the CodeChaos shoes is meant to be progressive whilst also providing a smooth connected look down to the ground.

A new technical spikeless outsole is comprised of a soft yet durable rubber outsole, with a new unique TPU insert. This traction system - which the brand are calling Twistgrip - was focused thanks to using heat maps to determine how golfers focus their weight during the motion of the golf swing.

Price: £129.95

READ THE FULL DETAILS of the new adidas Code Chaos Shoes HERE

3. Titleist Vokey Design SM8 Wedges

Titleist Vokey SM8 Wedge

The Hook: For the new SM8, the CG has been moved so far forward the it 'hovers in front of the wedge face' which makes it much easier to square up the head. The result of this is better distance and flight control, improved feel and more stability.

Price: £160

READ THE FULL DETAILS of the new SM8 Vokey Wedges HERE

4. Wilson D7 Forged Irons

Wilson D7 Forged Irons

The Hook: For the 2020 season Wilson is decided to build upon the success of the D7 iron by introducing a forged version. It is said to provide an option for better players in terms of looks and feel, whilst still providing the distance and forgiveness benefits that the D7 was renowned for.

Price: £699/€799 in 4-PW - Steel & £699/€799 in (4-PW)

READ THE FULL DETAILS of the new Wilson D7 Irons HERE

5. Callaway Mavrik Driver

The Hook: Callaway has once again opted to use Artificial Intelligence at the forefront of it's product design which, first things first, I like. It shows that Callaway believes wholeheartedly in the route it's going down. The use of A.I. was no flash in the pan marketing idea. Callaway have proven it works, and therefore it's here to stay. Now it's about investing further in it and really pushing the boundaries.

Price: £469

READ THE FULL REVIEW of the Callaway Mavrik Driver HERE

PGA Show 2020

6. FootJoy Pro|SL & Pro|SL Carbon Shoe

PGA Show 2020

The Hook: The new Pro/SL offers more traction and stability for every shot and on every different type of lie. An all-new Infinity Outsole provides grip by delivering 189 different points of traction with the ground, meaning that you are ably supported during each swing you make.

This infinity shape optimises stability by producing an 11.5% wider heel than the previous Pro/SL model, which also increases forefoot stability.

Price: Pro\SL £149.99 & Carbon £179.99

READ THE FULL DETAILS of the new FootJoy Pro|SL shoes HERE

7. Ping G710 Irons

The Hook: The G710 comes with a stealth hydropearl finish, along with a black PVD coating, which not only looks great but also has some performance benefits too. The coating repels water and works better in wet conditions as it keeps spin rates up, whilst the finish also creates the perception of a smaller head which is more durable too.

Price: £169 per club - £1183 (4-PW)

READ THE FULL REVIEW of the new Ping G710 Irons HERE

8. SkyCaddie SX500 GPS

SkyCaddie SX500

The Hook: The SX500 has the biggest and best quality touchscreen on the market, and comes pre-loaded with over 35,000 golf courses in Britain and Ireland.

The Price: £379.95

READ THE FULL REVIEW of the new SkyCaddie SX500 GPS HERE

9. Ecco S-Three Golf Shoe

Ecco S-Three Golf Shoes

The Hook: The S-Three hybrid shoe, which combines on-course performance and on-course style, benefits from Zonal Fluidform Technology.

This consists of a moulded midsole with three distinct zones of softness, to ensure a balance of cushioning and stability in the most important areas of the foot. The heel of the midsole provides medium softness to ensure the right level of comfort and cushioning, while the central section has higher levels of rigidity to deliver stability throughout the golf swing. The forefront of the midsole comes with the highest level of softness for extra comfort whilst walking.

The Price: £180

READ THE FULL DETAILS of the new Ecco S-Three Hybrid shoe HERE

10. Titleist T100s Irons

The Hook: Modelled on the T100 - which Titleist say is the most played on the PGA Tour this season - the new T100S irons are 2 degrees stronger to give a little extra carry distance whilst still preserving the feel and precision needed for workability.

The Price: £1,120 (4-PW)

READ THE FULL DETAILS of the new Titleist T100s Irons HERE

PGA Show 2020

11. Cobra Speedzone Irons

Cobra King Speedzone Irons

The Hook: The main talking point this year is the five unique 'zones' of performance, which come together to provide distance, consistency and forgiveness. Two strips of carbon fibre are in place of steel on the topline of the longer irons and underneath the topline, which saves weight to be repositioned lower in the head for increased ball speed and better launch.

READ THE FULL REVIEW of the new Cobra Speedzone Irons HERE

The Price: £1,120 (4-PW)

12. Toptracer

The Hook: Toptracer has been around on television coverage since the mid-2000s, but only made the switch onto the driving range in 2012. The idea is to give golfers real-time feedback on the shots they're hitting on the range for more entertaining and productive sessions, and its working. There are already 50 driving ranges using Toptracer technology throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

The Price: N/A... But unless you own a driving range, we imagine quite a lot.

FIND OUT MORE about Toptracer HERE

Leave a comment below and let us know which is your favourite product out of the 12 we have picked!

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