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It seems counter intuitive to release a bunch of new golf equipment after the holidays.
Haven't we already spent our life's savings on gifts for family and friends? (And ourselves, if we're being honest). But this is the way it's always been ... the post-New Year's announcements of new drivers, golf balls and other gear keeps the golf economy humming. Buying new clubs has always been a more personal experience, not necessarily something someone would buy for you and put under the tree.
Some newly announced equipment is already creating a stir, especially the Stealth driver from TaylorMade. Let's look at the other new equipment that has caught our fancy so far in 2022. Generally, all of it will be available, in stores and online, by early to mid-February:
TaylorMade's Stealth Carbonwood Driver
Carbon has replaced titanium as the new material of choice for the lively, explosive faces on the new Stealth Carbonwood Driver. TaylorMade says it's been a 20-year journey to create the nanotexture cover that sits on top of the 60 layers of carbon that signal the new era of "Carbonwood". The Stealth's face is 11 percent larger than TaylorMade's SIM2 driver and yet 40 percent lighter than a titanium face of equivalent size. This larger and lighter face enhances swing speed, which leads to ball speed to unlock distance gains. MyStealth allows golfers to choose the color of their face, including the traditional red as well as blue, yellow, green, orange and grey. The new line of Stealth Fairway Woods might also help you reach that par 5 in two for the first time. Cost: $579.99-$699.99 (driver). - JSD
The Full Swing KIT
Built by top golf simulator company Full Swing and designed with Tiger Woods, the new Full Swing KIT had its "Hello World" moment Nov. 21, 2021, when Tiger released an Instagram post that he was "making progress" on his comeback, thanks in part to the new Full Swing KIT launch monitor in the video. The Full Swing KIT applies the most innovative radar technology to deliver pinpoint accuracy across 16 points of club and ball data. It also features supreme connectivity across all your devices, from your Apple Watch to iPad to Airpods. Analyze high-resolution video, review session and club details. Serious about finally getting better in 2022? This might be part of the answer. Cost: $3,999. - JSD
New Srixon Golf Balls
The launch of the red-yellow Q-Star Tour Divide last year was so popular that it spurred another release of additional color combinations and new this year, the white-yellow Z-Star Divide, a more premium ball. The same advantages still apply: They're easier to line up for putting on the green and watching them spin through the air or stopping on the green is downright mesmerizing. The Z-Star Diamond, another new ball, was instrumental in convincing Brooks Koepka to become a Cleveland/Srixon staffer. He teed up the Diamond in his dominant win over Bryson DeChambeau in The Match last November. Cost: $44.99. - JSD
New Vokey SM9 wedges
Titleist doesn't make as much noise as some other brands but still delivers consistent quality results, borne out by its popularity on the major professional tours. For the latest edition of its popular Vokey wedges, Titleist isn't reinventing the wheel, but rather refining it. Details are scarce at the moment, as the wedges are still making the rounds among the pro ranks, but you can expect SM9 to debut in time for the heart of the 2022 golf season. Cost: N/A. - TG
New Mizuno Pro irons
Long a recognized maker's mark in the Japanese market, Mizuno has brought its "Pro Series" script to its new line of irons, unifying its product lines on both sides of the Pacific. This release includes the new forged 221, 223 and 225 iron models. The lower the number here, the more low-handicap-oriented the iron, with the 221s representing Mizuno's one-piece, 'GrainFlowForged' blade iron. The 223 is a player's cavity model while the 225 is a somewhat more generous-sized, hollow-body iron that appeals to skilled players looking for more distance, not unlike PXG's flagship irons or TaylorMade's P790 and P770 models. Cost: $187.50/iron or $1,312.50 for a 4-PW set. - TG
Callaway's Rogue ST drivers
The new Rogue line, with four models available on Feb. 18, was used by more PGA Tour pros at the Sentry Tournament of Champions than any other driver. It is touted as Callaway's "most stable" driver ever with an all-new Tungsten Speed Cartridge that places weight low and deep on the head for enhanced speed, stability and high MOI (moment of inertia). Lower spin and increased forgiveness will help all amateurs. The fairway woods also feature the speed cartridge and
the new A.I.-designed Jailbreak system's two perimeter "batwings," which allow the face to flex for high ball speeds. Cost: $549.99 (driver), $349.99 (wood), $279.99 (hybrid). - JSD
BagBoy's redesigned Riksha R-2000 walking carts
They're not so much a direct-to-consumer play as a B2B one, but if you visit a walking-centric golf destination in 2022 and beyond, you'll likely see these big-wheeled carts that can tackle basically any on-course terrain. They're even approved to wheel straight across putting surfaces at some of the courses where they're used. Available in 2- and 4-wheel versions, the R-2000 is said to be equally easy to push as to pull. Cost: N/A (available for rental at client courses late spring). - TG
Comments (2)
$4000 for a KIT launch monitor--a little out of reach for the average golfer looking to improve--many reasonable options under $500: Rapsodo, SwingCaddy etc...
Why even bother with a review of this thing ?
Tom, I hear you - $4,000 is certainly a lot steeper than sub-$500, but the suite of features the KIT and other similarly-priced monitors offer are a good bit more sophisticated than the much lower-priced monitors. A lot comes down to how deep in the weeds you want to get. For what it's worth, a billiards table runs about $4,000; I kind of look at it as a similar-sized recreation investment for the golf enthusiast. If you just want the basics, there are certainly several less spendy items.