Website design By BotEap.comA Look at Golf Digest’s 2009 Hot List

Website design By BotEap.comWhether you’re a fan of golf equipment or just a casual observer of the latest deals and trends in golf clubs and accessories, Golf Digest’s 2009 Hot Items list is a smorgasbord of golf equipment. From drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids, to irons, wedges, and putters (oh, and bags and balls, too), the gear gurus at Golf Digest break it down in their popular annual gear rankings.

Website design By BotEap.comThe process

Website design By BotEap.comIf you’re wondering how golf equipment experts rate, say, Callaway drivers or TaylorMade irons, think of Excel spreadsheets with thousands of data points, hundreds of pages of technical data from golf equipment manufacturers, scientists, four-part evaluation criteria, and a two-week visit to a San Jose, California resort for field testing.

Website design By BotEap.comThe process is, in a word, exhaustive. Golf Digest evaluated the “universe” of golf clubs (471 entries, to be exact) and judged them on four weighted criteria: 1) performance (40%), 2) innovation (30%), 3) look/sound/feel (20%), and 4) demand (10%).

Website design By BotEap.comAfter collecting all the facts and data, the judges participated in nine days of meetings that included 800 discussions to arrive at the Hot List of 116 clubs. On the way, they eat a lot of takeout.

Website design By BotEap.comWhat follows is a look at this year’s list.

Website design By BotEap.comdrivers

Website design By BotEap.comGolf Digest divides the golf driver category into two parts: drivers over $350 and drivers under $350. Then divide the two categories into gold and silver winners.

Website design By BotEap.comThree of the gold winners in the $350+ category are the Callaway FT-9, PING Rapture V2 and TaylorMade r7 Limited.

Website design By BotEap.comNo one is better at multi-material than Callaway, the judges said of the FT-9. Gamers like the look, balance, and stance of the PING Rapture V2, which looks similar to the PING G10. The TaylorMade r7 Limited has moveable weights and features an Ozik axle. Some said it produces the best feel of any stick on the market.

Website design By BotEap.comGold winners in the under $350 category included Adams Speedline, Callaway Big Bertha Diablo, PING G10 and TaylorMade Burner.

Website design By BotEap.comirons

Website design By BotEap.comThe irons were divided into three categories that correspond to playability and interests: game improvement, super game improvement, and player irons.

Website design By BotEap.comGold winners in the game improvement category included the Callaway X-22, PING G10, and TaylorMade Burner. One player said that he could hit the Callaway X-22 blindfolded. Sign me up, he said he. Callaway X-22 led in the Demand category, which is an assessment of reputation, interest, intrigue and enthusiasm. The PING G10 is a longtime category leader, and TaylorMade Burner will really shine, leading in three of four evaluation categories: Performance, Innovation, and Look/Sound/Feel.

Website design By BotEap.comTaylorMade also had a gold winner in the super game improvement category: the Burner Plus, which features an oversized clubhead and high offset to help get the golf ball airborne.

Website design By BotEap.comIn the player category, the Titleist AP2 rose to the top, along with the TaylorMade Tour Preferred, Callaway X-22 Tour, Callaway X-Forged and PING S57 models, four out of a total of six gold winners.

Website design By BotEap.computters

Website design By BotEap.comArguably, there is no golf club more important than the putter. Golf Digest took a close look at two main categories: blade putters and mallet putters.

Website design By BotEap.comGold winners in the $200+ blade putter category included the Odyssey Black Series I #6, TaylorMade Daytona TP-KIA MA, and Titleist Cameron Studio Select, which led in three of four criteria: performance, looks/sound/ sensation and demand.

Website design By BotEap.comIn the sub-$200 blade putter category, the top picks were the Odyssey White Hot Tour 1, two PING Anser models, and the TaylorMade Daytona.

Website design By BotEap.comGold winners in the mallet putter category included the Odyssey Black Series I 2-Ball, PING iWi Craz-E, and TaylorMade Itsy Bitsy Spider. And the best mid-mallet putters were the Odyssey, Titleist Cameron, and MacGregor models.

Website design By BotEap.combags

Website design By BotEap.comThe Hot List judges took a look at lightweight tote bags and do-it-all trolley bags, selecting their 21 favorites. Topping the list of gold and silver winners were models from Callaway, PING, TaylorMade, Titleist, Bag Boy, Nike, Ogio, Sun Mountain, Wilson and Izzo.

Website design By BotEap.comWhat the Tour professionals play

Website design By BotEap.comWhat do the best professionals on the Tour play? The following is just a sample.

Website design By BotEap.comCallaway: Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Annika Sorenstam

Website design By BotEap.comTaylor did: Kenny Perry, Sergio Garcia, Paula Creamer

Website design By BotEap.comWHISTLE: Angel Cabrera, Lorena Ochoa, Hunter Mahan

Website design By BotEap.comTitled: Steve Stricker, Zach Johnson, Adam Scott